note: project gutenberg also has an html version of this file which includes the original illustrations. see -h.htm or -h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/ / / / / / -h/ -h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/ / / / / / -h.zip) vanishing england the book by p. h. ditchfield m.a., f.s.a., f.h.s.l., f.r.hist.s. the illustrations by fred roe, r.i. methuen & co. ltd. essex street w.c. london [illustration: the george inn, norton st. philip, somerset] [illustration: canopy over doorway of buckingham house, portsmouth] contents chapter i. introduction ii. the disappearance of england iii. old walled towns iv. in streets and lanes v. old castles vi. vanishing or vanished churches vii. old mansions viii. the destruction of prehistoric remains ix. cathedral cities and abbey towns x. old inns xi. old municipal buildings xii. old crosses xiii. stocks and whipping-posts xiv. old bridges xv. old hospitals and almshouses xvi. vanishing fairs xvii. the disappearance of old documents xviii. old customs that are vanishing xix. the vanishing of english scenery xx. conclusion index list of illustrations the george inn, norton st. philip, somerset (frontispiece) canopy over doorway of buckingham house, portsmouth (title page) rural tenements, capel, surrey detail of seventeenth-century table in milton's cottage, chalfont st. giles seventeenth-century trophy old shop, formerly standing in cliffe high street, lewes paradise square, banbury norden's chart of the river ore and suffolk coast disused mooring-post on bank of the rother, rye old houses built on the town wall, rye bootham bar, york half-timbered house with early fifteenth-century doorway, king's lynn, norfolk the "bone tower," town walls, great yarmouth row no. , great yarmouth the old jetty, gorleston tudor house, ipswich, near the custom house three-gabled house, fore street, ipswich "melia's passage," york detail of half-timbered house in high street, shrewsbury tower on the town wall, shrewsbury house that the earl of richmond stayed in before the battle of bosworth. shrewsbury old houses formerly standing in spon street, coventry west street, rye monogram and inscription in the mermaid inn, rye inscription in the mermaid inn, rye relic of lynn siege in hampton court, king's lynn hampton court, king's lynn, norfolk mill street, warwick tudor tenements, new inn hall street, oxford (now demolished) gothic corner-post. the half moon inn, ipswich timber-built house, shrewsbury missbrook farm, capel, surrey cottage at capel, surrey farm-house, horsmonden, kent seventeenth-century cottages, stow langtoft, suffolk the "fish house," littleport, cambs. sixteenth-century cottage, formerly standing in upper deal, kent gable, upper deal, kent a portsmouth "row" lich-gate, chalfont st. giles, bucks fifteenth-century handle on church door, monk's risborough, bucks weather-boarded houses, crown street, portsmouth inscription on font, parish church, burford, oxon detail of fifteenth-century barge-board, burford, oxon the george inn, burford, oxon maldon, essex. sky-line of the high street at twilight st. mary's church, maldon norman clamp on door of heybridge church, essex tudor fire-place. now walled up in the passage of a shop in banbury cottages in witney street, burford, oxon burgh castle, suffolk caister castle, norfolk defaced arms, taunton castle knightly basinet (_temp._ henry v) in norwich castle saxon doorway in st. lawrence's church, bradford-on-avon, wilts. st. george's church, great yarmouth carving on rood-screen, alcester church, warwick fourteenth-century coffer in faversham church, kent flanders chest in east dereham church, norfolk, _temp_. henry viii reversed rose carved on "miserere" in norwich cathedral oak panelling. wainscot of fifteenth century, with addition _circa_ late seventeenth century, fitted on to it in angle of room in the church house, goudhurst, kent section of mouldings of cornice on panelling, the church house, goudhurst the wardrobe house, the close, salisbury chimney at compton wynyates window-catch, brockhall, northants gothic chimney, norton st. philip, somerset the moat, crowhurst place, surrey arms of the gaynesfords in window, crowhurst place, surrey cupboard hinge, crowhurst place, surrey fixed bench in the hall, crowhurst place, surrey gothic door-head, goudhurst, kent knightly basinet (_temp._ henry v) in norwich castle hilt of thirteenth-century sword in norwich museum "hand-and-a-half" sword. mr. seymour lucas, r.a. seventeenth-century boot, in the possession of ernest crofts, esq., r.a. chapel de fer at ockwells, berks tudor dresser table, in the possession of sir alfred dryden, canon's ashby, northants seventeenth-century powder-horn, found in the wall of an old house at glastonbury. now in glastonbury museum seventeenth-century spy-glass in taunton museum fourteenth-century flagon. from an old manor house in norfolk elizabethan chest, in the possession of sir coleridge grove, k.c.b. staircase newel, cromwell house, highgate piece of wood carved with inscription. found with a sword (_temp._ charles ii) in an old house at stoke-under-ham, somerset seventeenth-century water-clock, in norwich museum sun-dial. the manor house, sutton courtenay half-timber cottages, waterside, evesham quarter jacks over the clock on exterior of north wall of wells cathedral the gate house, bishop's palace, well house in which bishop hooper was imprisoned, westgate street, gloucester the "stone house," rye, sussex fifteenth-century house, market place, evesham fifteenth-century house, market place, evesham fifteenth-century house in cowl street, evesham half-timber house, alcester, warwick half-timber house at alcester the wheelwrights' arms, warwick entrance to the reindeer inn, banbury the shoulder of mutton inn, king's lynn a quaint gable, the bell inn, stilton the bell inn, stilton the "briton's arms," norwich the dolphin inn, heigham, norwich shield and monogram on doorway of the dolphin inn, heigham staircase newel at the dolphin inn the falstaff inn, canterbury the bear and ragged staff inn, tewkesbury fire-place in the george inn, norton st. philip, somerset the green dragon inn, wymondham, norfolk the star inn, alfriston, sussex courtyard of the george inn, norton st. philip, somerset the dark lantern inn, aylesbury, bucks spandril. the marquis of granby inn, colchester the town hall, shrewsbury the greenland fishery house, king's lynn. an old guild house of the time of james i the market house, wymondham, norfolk guild mark and date on doorway, burford, oxon stretham cross, isle of ely the market cross, salisbury under the butter cross, witney, oxon the triangular bridge, crowland huntingdon bridge the crane bridge, salisbury watch house on the bridge, bradford-on-avon, wilts gateway of st. john's hospital, canterbury inmate of the trinity bede house at castle rising, norfolk the hospital for ancient fishermen, great yarmouth inscription on the hospital, king's lynn ancient inmates of the fishermen's hospital, great yarmouth cottages at evesham stalls at banbury fair an old english fair an ancient maker of nets in a kentish fair outside the lamb inn, burford tail piece chapter i introduction this book is intended not to raise fears but to record facts. we wish to describe with pen and pencil those features of england which are gradually disappearing, and to preserve the memory of them. it may be said that we have begun our quest too late; that so much has already vanished that it is hardly worth while to record what is left. although much has gone, there is still, however, much remaining that is good, that reveals the artistic skill and taste of our forefathers, and recalls the wonders of old-time. it will be our endeavour to tell of the old country houses that time has spared, the cottages that grace the village green, the stern grey walls that still guard some few of our towns, the old moot halls and public buildings. we shall see the old-time farmers and rustics gathering together at fair and market, their games and sports and merry-makings, and whatever relics of old english life have been left for an artist and scribe of the twentieth century to record. our age is an age of progress. _altiora peto_ is its motto. the spirit of progress is in the air, and lures its votaries on to higher flights. sometimes they discover that they have been following a mere will-o'-the-wisp, that leads them into bog and quagmire whence no escape is possible. the england of a century, or even of half a century ago, has vanished, and we find ourselves in the midst of a busy, bustling world that knows no rest or peace. inventions tread upon each other's heels in one long vast bewildering procession. we look back at the peaceful reign of the pack-horse, the rumbling wagon, the advent of the merry coaching days, the "lightning" and the "quicksilver," the chaining of the rivers with locks and bars, the network of canals that spread over the whole country; and then the first shriek of the railway engine startled the echoes of the countryside, a poor powerless thing that had to be pulled up the steep gradients by a chain attached to a big stationary engine at the summit. but it was the herald of the doom of the old-world england. highways and coaching roads, canals and rivers, were abandoned and deserted. the old coachmen, once lords of the road, ended their days in the poorhouse, and steam, almighty steam, ruled everywhere. now the wayside inns wake up again with the bellow of the motor-car, which like a hideous monster rushes through the old-world villages, startling and killing old slow-footed rustics and scampering children, dogs and hens, and clouds of dust strive in very mercy to hide the view of the terrible rushing demon. in a few years' time the air will be conquered, and aeroplanes, balloons, flying-machines and air-ships, will drop down upon us from the skies and add a new terror to life. not in vain the distance beacons. forward, forward let us range, let the great world spin for ever down the ringing grooves of change. life is for ever changing, and doubtless everything is for the best in this best of possible worlds; but the antiquary may be forgiven for mourning over the destruction of many of the picturesque features of bygone times and revelling in the recollections of the past. the half-educated and the progressive--i attach no political meaning to the term--delight in their present environment, and care not to inquire too deeply into the origin of things; the study of evolution and development is outside their sphere; but yet, as dean church once wisely said, "in our eagerness for improvement it concerns us to be on our guard against the temptation of thinking that we can have the fruit or the flower, and yet destroy the root.... it concerns us that we do not despise our birthright and cast away our heritage of gifts and of powers, which we may lose, but not recover." every day witnesses the destruction of some old link with the past life of the people of england. a stone here, a buttress there--it matters not; these are of no consequence to the innovator or the iconoclast. if it may be our privilege to prevent any further spoliation of the heritage of englishmen, if we can awaken any respect or reverence for the work of our forefathers, the labours of both artist and author will not have been in vain. our heritage has been sadly diminished, but it has not yet altogether disappeared, and it is our object to try to record some of those objects of interest which are so fast perishing and vanishing from our view, in order that the remembrance of all the treasures that our country possesses may not disappear with them. the beauty of our english scenery has in many parts of the country entirely vanished, never to return. coal-pits, blasting furnaces, factories, and railways have converted once smiling landscapes and pretty villages into an inferno of black smoke, hideous mounds of ashes, huge mills with lofty chimneys belching forth clouds of smoke that kills vegetation and covers the leaves of trees and plants with exhalations. i remember attending at oxford a lecture delivered by the late mr. ruskin. he produced a charming drawing by turner of a beautiful old bridge spanning a clear stream, the banks of which were clad with trees and foliage. the sun shone brightly, and the sky was blue, with fleeting clouds. "this is what you are doing with your scenery," said the lecturer, as he took his palette and brushes; he began to paint on the glass that covered the picture, and in a few minutes the scene was transformed. instead of the beautiful bridge a hideous iron girder structure spanned the stream, which was no longer pellucid and clear, but black as the styx; instead of the trees arose a monstrous mill with a tall chimney vomiting black smoke that spread in heavy clouds, hiding the sun and the blue sky. "that is* what you are doing with your scenery," concluded mr. ruskin--a true picture of the penalty we pay for trade, progress, and the pursuit of wealth. we are losing faith in the testimony of our poets and painters to the beauty of the english landscape which has inspired their art, and much of the charm of our scenery in many parts has vanished. we happily have some of it left still where factories are not, some interesting objects that artists love to paint. it is well that they should be recorded before they too pass away. *transcriber's note: original "it". [illustration: rural tenements, capel, surrey] old houses of both peer and peasant and their contents are sooner or later doomed to destruction. historic mansions full of priceless treasures amassed by succeeding generations of old families fall a prey to relentless fire. old panelled rooms and the ancient floor-timbers understand not the latest experiments in electric lighting, and yield themselves to the flames with scarce a struggle. our forefathers were content with hangings to keep out the draughts and open fireplaces to keep them warm. they were a hardy race, and feared not a touch or breath of cold. their degenerate sons must have an elaborate heating apparatus, which again distresses the old timbers of the house and fires their hearts of oak. our forefathers, indeed, left behind them a terrible legacy of danger--that beam in the chimney, which has caused the destruction of many country houses. perhaps it was not so great a source of danger in the days of the old wood fires. it is deadly enough when huge coal fires burn in the grates. it is a dangerous, subtle thing. for days, or even for a week or two, it will smoulder and smoulder; and then at last it will blaze up, and the old house with all its precious contents is wrecked. the power of the purse of american millionaires also tends greatly to the vanishing of much that is english--the treasures of english art, rare pictures and books, and even of houses. some nobleman or gentleman, through the extravagance of himself or his ancestors, or on account of the pressure of death duties, finds himself impoverished. some of our great art dealers hear of his unhappy state, and knowing that he has some fine paintings--a vandyke or a romney--offer him twenty-five or thirty thousand pounds for a work of art. the temptation proves irresistible. the picture is sold, and soon finds its way into the gallery of a rich american, no one in england having the power or the good taste to purchase it. we spend our money in other ways. the following conversation was overheard at christie's: "here is a beautiful thing; you should buy it," said the speaker to a newly fledged baronet. "i'm afraid i can't afford it," replied the baronet. "not afford it?" replied his companion. "it will cost you infinitely less than a baronetcy and do you infinitely more credit." the new baronet seemed rather offended. at the great art sales rare folios of shakespeare, pictures, sevres, miniatures from english houses are put up for auction, and of course find their way to america. sometimes our cousins from across the atlantic fail to secure their treasures. they have striven very eagerly to buy milton's cottage at chalfont st. giles, for transportation to america; but this effort has happily been successfully resisted. the carved table in the cottage was much sought after, and was with difficulty retained against an offer of £ . an old window of fifteenth-century workmanship in an old house at shrewsbury was nearly exploited by an enterprising american for the sum of £ ; and some years ago an application was received by the home secretary for permission to unearth the body of william penn, the founder of pennsylvania, from its grave in the burial-ground of jordans, near chalfont st. giles, and transport it to philadelphia. this action was successfully opposed by the trustees of the burial-ground, but it was considered expedient to watch the ground for some time to guard against the possibility of any illicit attempts at removal. [illustration: detail of seventeenth-century table in milton's cottage, chalfont st. giles] it was reported that an american purchaser had been more successful at ipswich, where in a tudor house and corner-post, it was said, had been secured by a london firm for shipment to america. we are glad to hear that this report was incorrect, that the purchaser was an english lord, who re-erected the house in his park. wanton destruction is another cause of the disappearance of old mansions. fashions change even in house-building. many people prefer new lamps to old ones, though the old ones alone can summon genii and recall the glories of the past, the associations of centuries of family life, and the stories of ancestral prowess. sometimes fashion decrees the downfall of old houses. such a fashion raged at the beginning of the last century, when every one wanted a brand-new house built after the palladian style; and the old weather-beaten pile that had sheltered the family for generations, and was of good old english design with nothing foreign or strange about it, was compelled to give place to a new-fangled dwelling-place which was neither beautiful nor comfortable. indeed, a great wit once advised the builder of one of these mansions to hire a room on the other side of the road and spend his days looking at his palladian house, but to be sure not to live there. many old houses have disappeared on account of the loyalty of their owners, who were unfortunate enough to reside within the regions harassed by the civil war. this was especially the case in the county of oxford. still you may see avenues of venerable trees that lead to no house. the old mansion or manor-house has vanished. many of them were put in a posture of defence. earthworks and moats, if they did not exist before, were hastily constructed, and some of these houses were bravely defended by a competent and brave garrison, and were thorns in the sides of the parliamentary army. upon the triumph of the latter, revenge suffered not these nests of malignants to live. others were so battered and ruinous that they were only fit residences for owls and bats. some loyal owners destroyed the remains of their homes lest they should afford shelter to the parliamentary forces. david walter set fire to his house at godstow lest it should afford accommodation to the "rebels." for the same reason governor legge burnt the new episcopal palace, which bancroft had only finished ten years before at cuddesdon. at the same time thomas gardiner burnt his manor-house in cuddesdon village, and many other houses were so battered that they were left untenanted, and so fell to ruin.[ ] sir bulstrode whitelock describes how he slighted the works at phillis court, "causing the bulwarks and lines to be digged down, the grafts [i.e. moats] filled, the drawbridge to be pulled up, and all levelled. i sent away the great guns, the granadoes, fireworks, and ammunition, whereof there was good store in the fort. i procured pay for my soldiers, and many of them undertook the service in ireland." this is doubtless typical of what went on in many other houses. the famous royal manor-house of woodstock was left battered and deserted, and "haunted," as the readers of _woodstock_ will remember, by an "adroit and humorous royalist named joe collins," who frightened the commissioners away by his ghostly pranks. in the old house was gutted and almost destroyed. the war wrought havoc with the old houses, as it did with the lives and other possessions of the conquered. [ ] _history of oxfordshire_, by j. meade falkner. [illustration: seventeenth-century trophy] but we are concerned with times less remote, with the vanishing of historic monuments, of noble specimens of architecture, and of the humble dwellings of the poor, the picturesque cottages by the wayside, which form such attractive features of the english landscape. we have only to look at the west end of st. albans abbey church, which has been "grimthorped" out of all recognition, or at the over-restored lincoln's inn chapel, to see what evil can be done in the name of "restoration," how money can be lavishly spent to a thoroughly bad purpose. property in private hands has suffered no less than many of our public buildings, even when the owner is a lover of antiquity and does not wish to remove and to destroy the objects of interest on his estate. estate agents are responsible for much destruction. sir john stirling maxwell, bart., f.s.a., a keen archæologist, tells how an agent on his estate transformed a fine old grim sixteenth-century fortified dwelling, a very perfect specimen of its class, into a house for himself, entirely altering the character of its appearance, adding a lofty oriel and spacious windows with a new door and staircase, while some of the old stones were made to adorn a rockery in the garden. when he was abroad the elaborately contrived entrance for the defence of a square fifteenth-century keep with four square towers at the corners, very curious and complete, were entirely obliterated by a zealous mason. in my own parish i awoke one day to find the old village pound entirely removed by order of an estate agent, and a very interesting stand near the village smithy for fastening oxen when they were shod disappeared one day, the village publican wanting the posts for his pig-sty. county councils sweep away old bridges because they are inconveniently narrow and steep for the tourists' motors, and deans and chapters are not always to be relied upon in regard to their theories of restoration, and squire and parson work sad havoc on the fabrics of old churches when they are doing their best to repair them. too often they have decided to entirely demolish the old building, the most characteristic feature of the english landscape, with its square grey tower or shapely spire, a tower that is, perhaps, loopholed and battlemented, and tells of turbulent times when it afforded a secure asylum and stronghold when hostile bands were roving the countryside. within, piscina, ambrey, and rood-loft tell of the ritual of former days. some monuments of knights and dames proclaim the achievements of some great local family. but all this weighs for nothing in the eyes of the renovating squire and parson. they must have a grand, new, modern church with much architectural pretension and fine decorations which can never have the charm which attaches to the old building. it has no memories, this new structure. it has nothing to connect it with the historic past. besides, they decree that it must not cost too much. the scheme of decoration is stereotyped, the construction mechanical. there is an entire absence of true feeling and of any real inspiration of devotional art. the design is conventional, the pattern uniform. the work is often scamped and hurried, very different from the old method of building. we note the contrast. the medieval builders were never in a hurry to finish their work. the old fanes took centuries to build; each generation doing its share, chancel or nave, aisle or window, each trying to make the church as perfect as the art of man could achieve. we shall see how much of this sound and laborious work has vanished, a prey to restoration and ignorant renovation. we shall see the house-breaker at work in rural hamlet and in country town. vanishing london we shall leave severely alone. its story has been already told in a large and comely volume by my friend mr. philip norman. besides, is there anything that has not vanished, having been doomed to destruction by the march of progress, now that crosby hall has gone the way of life in the great city? a few old halls of the city companies remain, but most of them have given way to modern palaces; a few city churches, very few, that escaped the great fire, and every now and again we hear threatenings against the masterpieces of wren, and another city church has followed in the wake of all the other london buildings on which the destroyer has laid his hand. the site is so valuable; the modern world of business presses out the life of these fine old edifices. they have to make way for new-fangled erections built in the modern french style with sprawling gigantic figures with bare limbs hanging on the porticoes which seem to wonder how they ever got there, and however they were to keep themselves from falling. london is hopeless! we can but delve its soil when opportunities occur in order to find traces of roman or medieval life. churches, inns, halls, mansions, palaces, exchanges have vanished, or are quickly vanishing, and we cast off the dust of london streets from our feet and seek more hopeful places. [illustration: old shop, formerly standing in cliffe high street, lewes] but even in the sleepy hollows of old england the pulse beats faster than of yore, and we shall only just be in time to rescue from oblivion and the house-breaker some of our heritage. old city walls that have defied the attacks of time and of cromwell's ironsides are often in danger from the wiseacres who preside on borough corporations. town halls picturesque and beautiful in their old age have to make way for the creations of the local architect. old shops have to be pulled down in order to provide a site for a universal emporium or a motor garage. nor are buildings the only things that are passing away. the extensive use of motor-cars and highway vandalism are destroying the peculiar beauty of the english roadside. the swift-speeding cars create clouds of white dust which settles upon the hedges and trees, covering them with it and obscuring the wayside flowers and hiding all their attractiveness. corn and grass are injured and destroyed by the dust clouds. the charm and poetry of the country walk are destroyed by motoring demons, and the wayside cottage-gardens, once the most attractive feature of the english landscape, are ruined. the elder england, too, is vanishing in the modes, habits, and manners of her people. never was the truth of the old oft-quoted latin proverb--_tempora mutantur, et nos mutamur in illis_--so pathetically emphatic as it is to-day. the people are changing in their habits and modes of thought. they no longer take pleasure in the simple joys of their forefathers. hence in our chronicle of vanishing england we shall have to refer to some of those strange customs which date back to primeval ages, but which the railways, excursion trains, and the schoolmaster in a few years will render obsolete. in recording the england that is vanishing the artist's pencil will play a more prominent part than the writer's pen. the graphic sketches that illustrate this book are far more valuable and helpful to the discernment of the things that remain than the most effective descriptions. we have tried together to gather up the fragments that remain that nothing be lost; and though there may be much that we have not gathered, the examples herein given of some of the treasures that are left may be useful in creating a greater reverence for the work bequeathed to us by our forefathers, and in strengthening the hands of those who would preserve them. happily we are still able to use the present participle, not the past. it is vanishing england, not vanished, of which we treat; and if we can succeed in promoting an affection for the relics of antiquity that time has spared, our labours will not have been in vain or the object of this book unattained. [illustration: paradise square, banbury] chapter ii the disappearance of england under this alarming heading, "the disappearance of england," the _gaulois_ recently published an article by m. guy dorval on the erosion of the english coasts. the writer refers to the predictions of certain british men of science that england will one day disappear altogether beneath the waves, and imagines that we british folk are seized by a popular panic. our neighbours are trembling for the fate of the _entente cordiale_, which would speedily vanish with vanishing england; but they have been assured by some of their savants that the rate of erosion is only one kilometre in a thousand years, and that the danger of total extinction is somewhat remote. professor stanislas meunier, however, declares that our "panic" is based on scientific facts. he tells us that the cliffs of brighton are now one kilometre farther away from the french coast than in the days of queen elizabeth, and that those of kent are six kilometres farther away than in the roman period. he compares our island to a large piece of sugar in water, but we may rest assured that before we disappear beneath the waves the period which must elapse would be greater than the longest civilizations known in history. so we may hope to be able to sing "rule britannia" for many a long year. coast erosion is, however, a serious problem, and has caused the destruction of many a fair town and noble forest that now lie beneath the seas, and the crumbling cliffs on our eastern shore threaten to destroy many a village church and smiling pasture. fishermen tell you that when storms rage and the waves swell they have heard the bells chiming in the towers long covered by the seas, and nigh the picturesque village of bosham we were told of a stretch of sea that was called the park. this as late as the days of henry viii was a favourite royal hunting forest, wherein stags and fawns and does disported themselves; now fish are the only prey that can be slain therein. the royal commission on coast erosion relieves our minds somewhat by assuring us that although the sea gains upon the land in many places, the land gains upon the sea in others, and that the loss and gain are more or less balanced. as a matter of area this is true. most of the land that has been rescued from the pitiless sea is below high-water mark, and is protected by artificial banks. this work of reclaiming land can, of course, only be accomplished in sheltered places, for example, in the great flat bordering the wash, which flat is formed by the deposit of the rivers of the fenland, and the seaward face of this region is gradually being pushed forward by the careful processes of enclosure. you can see the various old sea walls which have been constructed from roman times onward. some accretions of land have occurred where the sea piles up masses of shingle, unless foolish people cart away the shingle in such quantities that the waves again assert themselves. sometimes sand silts up as at southport in lancashire, where there is the second longest pier in england, a mile in length, from the end of which it is said that on a clear day with a powerful telescope you may perchance see the sea, that a distinguished traveller accustomed to the deserts of sahara once found it, and that the name southport is altogether a misnomer, as it is in the north and there is no port at all. but however much as an englishman i might rejoice that the actual area of "our tight little island," which after all is not very tight, should not be diminishing, it would be a poor consolation to me, if i possessed land and houses on the coast of norfolk which were fast slipping into the sea, to know that in the fenland industrious farmers were adding to their acres. and day by day, year by year, this destruction is going on, and the gradual melting away of land. the attack is not always persistent. it is intermittent. sometimes the progress of the sea seems to be stayed, and then a violent storm arises and falling cliffs and submerged houses proclaim the sway of the relentless waves. we find that the greatest loss has occurred on the east and southern coasts of our island. great damage has been wrought all along the yorkshire sea-board from bridlington to kilnsea, and the following districts have been the greatest sufferers: between cromer and happisburgh, norfolk; between pakefield and southwold, suffolk; hampton and herne bay, and then st. margaret's bay, near dover; the coast of sussex, east of brighton, and the isle of wight; the region of bournemouth and poole; lyme bay, dorset, and bridgwater bay, somerset. all along the coast from yarmouth to eastbourne, with a few exceptional parts, we find that the sea is gaining on the land by leaps and bounds. it is a coast that is most favourably constructed for coast erosion. there are no hard or firm rocks, no cliffs high enough to give rise to a respectable landslip; the soil is composed of loose sand and gravels, loams and clays, nothing to resist the assaults of atmospheric action from above or the sea below. at covehithe, on the suffolk coast, there has been the greatest loss of land. in sixty feet was claimed by the sea, and in ten years ( - ) the loss was at the rate of over eighteen feet a year. in another heavy loss occurred between southwold and covehithe and a new cove formed. easton bavent has entirely disappeared, and so have the once prosperous villages of covehithe, burgh-next-walton, and newton-by-corton, and the same fate seems to be awaiting pakefield, southwold, and other coast-lying towns. easton bavent once had such a flourishing fishery that it paid an annual rent of herrings; and millions of herrings must have been caught by the fishermen of disappeared dunwich, which we shall visit presently, as they paid annually "fish-fare" to the clergy of the town , herrings, besides , to the royal treasury. the summer visitors to the pleasant watering-place felixstowe, named after st. felix, who converted the east anglians to christianity and was their first bishop, that being the place where the monks of the priory of st. felix in walton held their annual fair, seldom reflect that the old saxon burgh was carried away as long ago as a.d. hence earl bigot was compelled to retire inland and erect his famous castle at walton. but the sea respected not the proud walls of the baron's stronghold; the strong masonry that girt the keep lies beneath the waves; a heap of stones, called by the rustics stone works, alone marks the site of this once powerful castle. two centuries later the baron's marsh was destroyed by the sea, and eighty acres of land was lost, much to the regret of the monks, who were thus deprived of the rent and tithe corn. the old chroniclers record many dread visitations of the relentless foe. thus in we read: "the sea burst with high tides and tempests of winds, marsh countries near the sea were flooded, herds and flocks perished, and no small number of men were lost and drowned. the sea rose continually for two days and one night." again in : "on christmas night there was a great thunder and lightning in suffolk; the sea caused heavy floods." in much later times defoe records: "aldeburgh has two streets, each near a mile long, but its breadth, which was more considerable formerly, is not proportionable, and the sea has of late years swallowed up one whole street." it has still standing close to the shore its quaint picturesque town hall, erected in the fifteenth century. southwold is now practically an island, bounded on the east by the sea, on the south-west by the blyth river, on the north-west by buss creek. it is only joined to the mainland by a narrow neck of shingle that divides buss creek from the sea. i think that i should prefer to hold property in a more secure region. you invest your savings in stock, and dividends decrease and your capital grows smaller, but you usually have something left. but when your land and houses vanish entirely beneath the waves, the chapter is ended and you have no further remedy except to sue father neptune, who has rather a wide beat and may be difficult to find when he is wanted to be served with a summons. [illustration: norden's chart of the river ore and suffolk coast] but the suffolk coast does not show all loss. in the north much land has been gained in the region of beccles, which was at one time close to the sea, and one of the finest spreads of shingle in england extends from aideburgh to bawdry. this shingle has silted up many a suffolk port, but it has proved a very effectual barrier against the inroads of the sea. norden's map of the coast made in [ ] shows this wonderful mass of shingle, which has greatly increased since norden's day. it has been growing in a southerly direction, until the aide river had until recently an estuary ten miles in length. but in the sea asserted itself, and "burst through the stony barrier, making a passage for the exit of the river one mile further north, and leaving a vast stretch of shingle and two deserted river-channels as a protection to the marshes of hollesley from further inroads of the sea."[ ] formerly the river alde flowed direct to the sea just south of the town of aldeburgh. perhaps some day it may be able to again force a passage near its ancient course or by havergate island. this alteration in the course of rivers is very remarkable, and may be observed at christ church, hants. [ ] it is now in possession of mr. kenneth m. clark, by whose permission the accompanying plan, reproduced from the _memorials of old suffolk_, was made. [ ] _memorials of old suffolk_, edited by v.b. redstone, p. . it is pathetic to think of the historic churches, beautiful villages, and smiling pastures that have been swept away by the relentless sea. there are no less than twelve towns and villages in yorkshire that have been thus buried, and five in suffolk. ravensburgh, in the former county, was once a flourishing seaport. here landed henry iv in , and edward iv in . it returned two members to parliament. an old picture of the place shows the church, a large cross, and houses; but it has vanished with the neighbouring villages of redmare, tharlethorp, frismarch, and potterfleet, and "left not a wrack behind." leland mentions it in , after which time its place in history and on the map knows it no more. the ancient church of kilnsea lost half its fabric in , and the rest followed in . alborough church and the castle of grimston have entirely vanished. mapleton church was formerly two miles from the sea; it is now on a cliff with the sea at its feet, awaiting the final attack of the all-devouring enemy. nearly a century ago owthorne church and churchyard were overwhelmed, and the shore was strewn with ruins and shattered coffins. on the tyneside the destruction has been remarkable and rapid. in the district of saltworks there was a house built standing on the cliff, but it was never finished, and fell a prey to the waves. at percy square an inn and two cottages have been destroyed. the edge of the cliff in was eighty feet seaward, and the banks of percy square receded a hundred and eighty feet between the years and . altogether four acres have disappeared. an old roman building, locally known as "gingling geordie's hole," and large masses of the castle cliff fell into the sea in the 'eighties. the remains of the once flourishing town of seaton, on the durham coast, can be discovered amid the sands at low tide. the modern village has sunk inland, and cannot now boast of an ancient chapel dedicated to st. thomas of canterbury, which has been devoured by the waves. skegness, on the lincolnshire coast, was a large and important town; it boasted of a castle with strong fortifications and a church with a lofty spire; it now lies deep beneath the devouring sea, which no guarding walls could conquer. far out at sea, beneath the waves, lies old cromer church, and when storms rage its bells are said to chime. the churchyard wherein was written the pathetic ballad "the garden of sleep" is gradually disappearing, and "the graves of the fair women that sleep by the cliffs by the sea" have been outraged, and their bodies scattered and devoured by the pitiless waves. one of the greatest prizes of the sea is the ancient city of dunwich, which dates back to the roman era. the domesday survey shows that it was then a considerable town having burgesses. it was girt with strong walls; it possessed an episcopal palace, the seat of the east anglian bishopric; it had (so stow asserts) fifty-two churches, a monastery, brazen gates, a town hall, hospitals, and the dignity of possessing a mint. stow tells of its departed glories, its royal and episcopal palaces, the sumptuous mansion of the mayor, its numerous churches and its windmills, its harbour crowded with shipping, which sent forth forty vessels for the king's service in the thirteenth century. though dunwich was an important place, stow's description of it is rather exaggerated. it could never have had more than ten churches and monasteries. its "brazen gates" are mythical, though it had its lepers' gate, south gate, and others. it was once a thriving city of wealthy merchants and industrious fishermen. king john granted to it a charter. it suffered from the attacks of armed men as well as from the ravages of the sea. earl bigot and the revolting barons besieged it in the reign of edward i. its decay was gradual. in , in the parish of st. nicholas, out of three hundred houses only eighteen remained. only seven out of a hundred houses were standing in the parish of st. martin. st. peter's parish was devastated and depopulated. it had a small round church, like that at cambridge, called the temple, once the property of the knights templars, richly endowed with costly gifts. this was a place of sanctuary, as were the other churches in the city. with the destruction of the houses came also the decay of the port which no ships could enter. its rival, southwold, attracted the vessels of strangers. the markets and fairs were deserted. silence and ruin reigned over the doomed town, and the ruined church of all saints is all that remains of its former glories, save what the storms sometimes toss along the beach for the study and edification of antiquaries. as we proceed down the coast we find that the sea is still gaining on the land. the old church at walton-on-the-naze was swept away, and is replaced by a new one. a flourishing town existed at reculver, which dates back to the romans. it was a prosperous place, and had a noble church, which in the sixteenth century was a mile from the sea. steadily have the waves advanced, until a century ago the church fell into the sea, save two towers which have been preserved by means of elaborate sea-walls as a landmark for sailors. the fickle sea has deserted some towns and destroyed their prosperity; it has receded all along the coast from folkestone to the sussex border, and left some of the famous cinque ports, some of which we shall visit again, lymne, romney, hythe, richborough, stonor, sandwich, and sarre high and dry, with little or no access to the sea. winchelsea has had a strange career. the old town lies beneath the waves, but a new winchelsea arose, once a flourishing port, but now deserted and forlorn with the sea a mile away. rye, too, has been forsaken. it was once an island; now the little rother stream conveys small vessels to the sea, which looks very far away. we cannot follow all the victories of the sea. we might examine the inroads made by the waves at selsea. there stood the first cathedral of the district before chichester was founded. the building is now beneath the sea, and since saxon times half of the selsea bill has vanished. the village of selsea rested securely in the centre of the peninsula, but only half a mile now separates it from the sea. some land has been gained near this projecting headland by an industrious farmer. his farm surrounded a large cove with a narrow mouth through which the sea poured. if he could only dam up that entrance, he thought he could rescue the bed of the cove and add to his acres. he bought an old ship and sank it by the entrance and proceeded to drain. but a tiresome storm arose and drove the ship right across the cove, and the sea poured in again. by no means discouraged, he dammed up the entrance more effectually, got rid of the water, increased his farm by many acres, and the old ship makes an admirable cow-shed. [illustration: disused mooring-post on bank of the rother, rye] the isle of wight in remote geological periods was part of the mainland. the scilly isles were once joined with cornwall, and were not severed until the fourteenth century, when by a mighty storm and flood, churches and villages were destroyed and overwhelmed, and square miles of land carried away. much land has been lost in the wirral district of cheshire. great forests have been overwhelmed, as the skulls and bones of deer and horse and fresh-water shell-fish have been frequently discovered at low tide. fifty years ago a distance of half a mile separated leasowes castle from the sea; now its walls are washed by the waves. the pennystone, off the lancashire coast by blackpool, tells of a submerged village and manor, about which cluster romantic legends. such is the sad record of the sea's destruction, for which the industrious reclamation of land, the compensations wrought by the accumulation of shingle and sand dunes and the silting of estuaries can scarcely compensate us. how does the sea work this? there are certain rock-boring animals, such as the pholas, which help to decay the rocks. each mollusc cuts a series of augur-holes from two to four inches deep, and so assists in destroying the bulwarks of england. atmospheric action, the disintegration of soft rocks by frost and by the attack of the sea below, all tend in the same direction. but the foolish action of man in removing shingle, the natural protection of our coasts, is also very mischievous. there is an instance of this in the hall sands and bee sands, devon. a company a few years ago obtained authority to dredge both from the foreshore and sea-bed. the commissioners of woods and forests and the board of trade granted this permission, the latter receiving a royalty of £ and the former £ . this occurred in . soon afterwards a heavy gale arose and caused an immense amount of damage, the result entirely of this dredging. the company had to pay heavily, and the royalties were returned to them. this is only one instance out of many which might be quoted. we are an illogical nation, and our regulations and authorities are weirdly confused. it appears that the foreshore is under the control of the board of trade, and then a narrow strip of land is ruled over by the commissioners of woods and forests. of course these bodies do not agree; different policies are pursued by each, and the coast suffers. large sums are sometimes spent in coast-defence works. at spurn no less than £ , has been spent out of parliamentary grants, besides £ , out of the mercantile marine fund. corporations or county authorities, finding their coasts being worn away, resolve to protect it. they obtain a grant in aid from parliament, spend vast sums, and often find their work entirely thrown away, or proving itself most disastrous to their neighbours. if you protect one part of the coast you destroy another. such is the rule of the sea. if you try to beat it back at one point it will revenge itself on another. if only you can cause shingle to accumulate before your threatened town or homestead, you know you can make the place safe and secure from the waves. but if you stop this flow of shingle you may protect your own homes, but you deprive your neighbours of this safeguard against the ravages of the sea. it was so at deal. the good folks of deal placed groynes in order to stop the flow of shingle and protect the town. they did their duty well; they stopped the shingle and made a good bulwark against the sea. with what result? in a few years' time they caused the destruction of sandown, which had been deprived of its natural protection. mr. w. whitaker, f.r.s., who has walked along the whole coast from norfolk to cornwall, besides visiting other parts of our english shore, and whose contributions to the report of the royal commission on coast erosion are so valuable, remembers when a boy the castle of sandown, which dated from the time of henry viii. it was then in a sound condition and was inhabited. now it is destroyed, and the batteries farther north have gone too. the same thing is going on at dover. the admiralty pier causes the accumulation of shingle on its west side, and prevents it from following its natural course in a north-easterly direction. hence the base of the cliffs on the other side of the pier and harbour is left bare and unprotected; this aids erosion, and not unfrequently do we hear of the fall of the chalk cliffs. isolated schemes for the prevention of coast erosion are of little avail. they can do no good, and only increase the waste and destruction of land in neighbouring shores. stringent laws should be passed to prevent the taking away of shingle from protecting beaches, and to prohibit the ploughing of land near the edge of cliffs, which greatly assists atmospheric destructive action from above. the state has recently threatened the abandonment of the coastguard service. this would be a disastrous policy. though the primary object of coastguards, the prevention of smuggling, has almost passed away, the old sailors who act as guardians of our coast-line render valuable services to the country. they are most useful in looking after the foreshore. they save many lives from wrecked vessels, and keep watch and ward to guard our shores, and give timely notice of the advance of a hostile fleet, or of that ever-present foe which, though it affords some protection for our island home from armed invasion, does not fail to exact a heavy tithe from the land it guards, and has destroyed so many once flourishing towns and villages by its ceaseless attack. chapter iii old walled towns the destruction of ancient buildings always causes grief and distress to those who love antiquity. it is much to be deplored, but in some cases is perhaps inevitable. old-fashioned half-timbered shops with small diamond-paned windows are not the most convenient for the display of the elegant fashionable costumes effectively draped on modelled forms. motor-cars cannot be displayed in antiquated old shops. hence in modern up-to-date towns these old buildings are doomed, and have to give place to grand emporiums with large plate-glass windows and the refinements of luxurious display. we hope to visit presently some of the old towns and cities which happily retain their ancient beauties, where quaint houses with oversailing upper stories still exist, and with the artist's aid to describe many of their attractions. although much of the destruction is, as i have said, inevitable, a vast amount is simply the result of ignorance and wilful perversity. ignorant persons get elected on town councils--worthy men doubtless, and able men of business, who can attend to and regulate the financial affairs of the town, look after its supply of gas and water, its drainage and tramways; but they are absolutely ignorant of its history, its associations, of architectural beauty, of anything that is not modern and utilitarian. unhappily, into the care of such men as these is often confided the custody of historic buildings and priceless treasures, of ruined abbey and ancient walls, of objects consecrated by the lapse of centuries and by the associations of hundreds of years of corporate life; and it is not surprising that in many cases they betray their trust. they are not interested in such things. "let bygones be bygones," they say. "we care not for old rubbish." moreover, they frequently resent interference and instruction. hence they destroy wholesale what should be preserved, and england is the poorer. not long ago the edwardian wall of berwick-on-tweed was threatened with demolition at the hands of those who ought to be its guardians--the corporation of the town. an official from the office of works, when he saw the begrimed, neglected appearance of the two fragments of this wall near the bell tower, with a stagnant pool in the fosse, bestrewed with broken pitchers and rubbish, reported that the elizabethan walls of the town which were under the direction of the war department were in excellent condition, whereas the edwardian masonry was utterly neglected. and why was this relic of the town's former greatness to be pulled down? simply to clear the site for the erection of modern dwelling-houses. a very strong protest was made against this act of municipal barbarism by learned societies, the society for the preservation of ancient buildings, and others, and we hope that the hand of the destroyer has been stayed. most of the principal towns in england were protected by walls, and the citizens regarded it as a duty to build them and keep them in repair. when we look at some of these fortifications, their strength, their height, their thickness, we are struck by the fact that they were very great achievements, and that they must have been raised with immense labour and gigantic cost. in turbulent and warlike times they were absolutely necessary. look at some of these triumphs of medieval engineering skill, so strong, so massive, able to defy the attacks of lance and arrow, ram or catapult, and to withstand ages of neglect and the storms of a tempestuous clime. towers and bastions stood at intervals against the wall at convenient distances, in order that bowmen stationed in them could shoot down any who attempted to scale the wall with ladders anywhere within the distance between the towers. all along the wall there was a protected pathway for the defenders to stand, and machicolations through which boiling oil or lead, or heated sand could be poured on the heads of the attacking force. the gateways were carefully constructed, flanked by defending towers with a portcullis, and a guard-room overhead with holes in the vaulted roof of the gateway for pouring down inconvenient substances upon the heads of the besiegers. there were several gates, the usual number being four; but coventry had twelve, canterbury six, and newcastle-on-tyne seven, besides posterns. [illustration: old houses built on the town wall, rye] berwick-upon-tweed, york, chester, and conway have maintained their walls in good condition. berwick has three out of its four gates still standing. they are called scotchgate, shoregate, and cowgate, and in the last two still remain the original massive wooden gates with their bolts and hinges. the remaining fourth gate, named bridgate, has vanished. we have alluded to the neglect of the edwardian wall and its threatened destruction. conway has a wall a mile and a quarter in length, with twenty-one semicircular towers along its course and three great gateways besides posterns. edward i built this wall in order to subjugate the welsh, and also the walls round carnarvon, some of which survive, and beaumaris. the name of his master-mason has been preserved, one henry le elreton. the muniments of the corporation of alnwick prove that often great difficulties arose in the matter of wall-building. its closeness to the scottish border rendered a wall necessary. the town was frequently attacked and burnt. the inhabitants obtained a licence to build a wall in , but they did not at once proceed with the work. in the scots came and pillaged the town, and the poor burgesses were so robbed and despoiled that they could not afford to proceed with the wall and petitioned the king for aid. then letters patent were issued for a collection to be made for the object, and at last, forty years after the licence was granted, alnwick got its wall, and a very good wall it was--a mile in circumference, twenty feet in height and six in thickness; "it had four gateways--bondgate, clayport, pottergate, and narrowgate. only the first-named of these is standing. it is three stories in height. over the central archway is a panel on which was carved the brabant lion, now almost obliterated. on either side is a semi-octagonal tower. the masonry is composed of huge blocks to which time and weather have given dusky tints. on the front facing the expected foes the openings are but little more than arrow-slits; on that within, facing the town, are well-proportioned mullioned and transomed windows. the great ribbed archway is grooved for a portcullis, now removed, and a low doorway on either side gives entrance to the chambers in the towers. pottergate was rebuilt in the eighteenth century and crowns a steep street; only four corner-stones marked t indicate the site of clayport. no trace of narrowgate remains."[ ] as the destruction of many of our castles is due to the action of cromwell and the parliament, who caused them to be "slighted" partly out of revenge upon the loyal owners who had defended them, so several of our town-walls were thrown down by order of charles ii at the restoration on account of the active assistance which the townspeople had given to the rebels. the heads of rebels were often placed on gateways. london bridge, lincoln, newcastle, york, berwick, canterbury, temple bar, and other gates have often been adorned with these gruesome relics of barbarous punishments. how were these strong walls ever taken in the days before gunpowder was extensively used or cannon discharged their devastating shells? imagine you are present at a siege. you would see the attacking force advancing a huge wooden tower, covered with hides and placed on wheels, towards the walls. inside this tower were ladders, and when the "sow" had been pushed towards the wall the soldiers rushed up these ladders and were able to fight on a level with the garrison. perhaps they were repulsed, and then a shed-like structure would be advanced towards the wall, so as to enable the men to get close enough to dig a hole beneath the walls in order to bring them down. the besieged would not be inactive, but would cast heavy stones on the roof of the shed. molten lead and burning flax were favourite means of defence to alarm and frighten away the enemy, who retaliated by casting heavy stones by means of a catapult into the town. [ ] _the builder_, april , . [illustration: bootham bar, york] amongst the fragments of walls still standing, those at newcastle are very massive, sooty, and impressive. southampton has some grand walls left and a gateway, which show how strongly the town was fortified. the old cinque port, sandwich, formerly a great and important town, lately decayed, but somewhat renovated by golf, has two gates left, and rochester and canterbury have some fragments of their walls standing. the repair of the walls of towns was sometimes undertaken by guilds. generous benefactors, like sir richard whittington, frequently contributed to the cost, and sometimes a tax called murage was levied for the purpose which was collected by officers named muragers. the city of york has lost many of its treasures, and the city fathers seem to find it difficult to keep their hands off such relics of antiquity as are left to them. there are few cities in england more deeply marked with the impress of the storied past than york--the long and moving story of its gates and walls, of the historical associations of the city through century after century of english history. about eighty years ago the corporation destroyed the picturesque old barbicans of the bootham, micklegate, and monk bars, and only one, walmgate, was suffered to retain this interesting feature. it is a wonder they spared those curious stone half-length figures of men, sculptured in a menacing attitude in the act of hurling large stones downwards, which vaunt themselves on the summit of monk bar--probably intended to deceive invaders--or that interesting stone platform only twenty-two inches wide, which was the only foothold available for the martial burghers who guarded the city wall at tower place. a year or two ago the city fathers decided, in order to provide work for the unemployed, to interfere with the city moats by laying them out as flower-beds and by planting shrubs and making playgrounds of the banks. the protest of the yorks archæological society, we believe, stayed their hands. the same story can be told of far too many towns and cities. a few years ago several old houses were demolished in the high street of the city of rochester to make room for electric tramways. among these was the old white hart inn, built in , the sign being a badge of richard ii, where samuel pepys stayed. he found that "the beds were corded, and we had no sheets to our beds, only linen to our mouths" (a narrow strip of linen to prevent the contact of the blanket with the face). with regard to the disappearance of old inns, we must wait until we arrive at another chapter. we will now visit some old towns where we hope to discover some buildings that are ancient and where all is not distressingly new, hideous, and commonplace. first we will travel to the old-world town of lynn--"lynn regis, vulgarly called king's lynn," as the royal charter of henry viii terms it. on the land side the town was defended by a fosse, and there are still considerable remains of the old wall, including the fine gothic south gates. in the days of its ancient glory it was known as bishop's lynn, the town being in the hands of the bishop of norwich. bishop herbert de losinga built the church of st. margaret at the beginning of the twelfth century, and gave it with many privileges to the monks of norwich, who held a priory at lynn; and bishop turbus did a wonderfully good stroke of business, reclaimed a large tract of land about a.d., and amassed wealth for his see from his markets, fairs, and mills. another bishop, bishop grey, induced or compelled king john to grant a free charter to the town, but astutely managed to keep all the power in his own hands. lynn was always a very religious place, and most of the orders--benedictines, franciscans, dominicans, carmelite and augustinian friars, and the sack friars--were represented at lynn, and there were numerous hospitals, a lazar-house, a college of secular canons, and other religious institutions, until they were all swept away by the greed of a rapacious king. there is not much left to-day of all these religious foundations. the latest authority on the history of lynn, mr. h.j. hillen, well says: "time's unpitying plough-share has spared few vestiges of their architectural* grandeur." a cemetery cross in the museum, the name "paradise" that keeps up the remembrance of the cool, verdant cloister-garth, a brick arch upon the east bank of the nar, and a similar gateway in "austin" street are all the relics that remain of the old monastic life, save the slender hexagonal "old tower," the graceful lantern of the convent of the grey-robed franciscans. the above writer also points out the beautifully carved door in queen street, sole relic of the college of secular canons, from which the chisel of the ruthless iconoclast has chipped off the obnoxious _orate pro anima_. *transcriber's note: original "achitectural" the quiet, narrow, almost deserted streets of lynn, its port and quays have another story to tell. they proclaim its former greatness as one of the chief ports in england and the centre of vast mercantile activity. a thirteenth-century historian, friar william newburg, described lynn as "a noble city noted for its trade." it was the key of norfolk. through it flowed all the traffic to and from northern east anglia, and from its harbour crowds of ships carried english produce, mainly wool, to the netherlands, norway, and the rhine provinces. who would have thought that this decayed harbour ranked fourth among the ports of the kingdom? but its glories have departed. decay set in. its prosperity began to decline. railways have been the ruin of king's lynn. the merchant princes who once abounded in the town exist here no longer. the last of the long race died quite recently. some ancient ledgers still exist in the town, which exhibit for one firm alone a turnover of something like a million and a half sterling per annum. although possessed of a similarly splendid waterway, unlike ipswich, the trade of the town seems to have quite decayed. few signs of commerce are visible, except where the advent of branch stations of enterprising "cash" firms has resulted in the squaring up of odd projections and consequent overthrow of certain ancient buildings. there is one act of vandalism which the town has never ceased to regret and which should serve as a warning for the future. this is the demolition of the house of walter coney, merchant, an unequalled specimen of fifteenth-century domestic architecture, which formerly stood at the corner of the saturday market place and high street. so strongly was this edifice constructed that it was with the utmost difficulty that it was taken to pieces, in order to make room for the ugly range of white brick buildings which now stands upon its site. but lynn had an era of much prosperity during the rise of the townshends, when the agricultural improvements brought about by the second viscount introduced much wealth to norfolk. such buildings as the duke's head hotel belong to the second viscount's time, and are indicative of the influx of visitors which the town enjoyed. in the present day this hotel, though still a good-sized establishment, occupies only half the building which it formerly did. an interesting oak staircase of fine proportions, though now much warped, may be seen here. [illustration: half-timbered house with early fifteenth-century doorway, king's lynn, norfolk] in olden days the hanseatic league had an office here. the jews were plentiful and supplied capital--you can find their traces in the name of the "jews' lane ward"--and then came the industrious flemings, who brought with them the art of weaving cloth and peculiar modes of building houses, so that lynn looks almost like a little dutch town. the old guild life of lynn was strong and vigorous, from its merchant guild to the humbler craft guilds, of which we are told that there have been no less than seventy-five. part of the old guildhall, erected in , with its chequered flint and stone gable still stands facing the market of st. margaret with its renaissance porch, and a bit of the guild hall of st. george the martyr remains in king street. the custom-house, which was originally built as an exchange for the lynn merchants, is a notable building, and has a statue of charles ii placed in a niche. this was the earliest work of a local architect, henry bell, who is almost unknown. he was mayor of king's lynn, and died in , and his memory has been saved from oblivion by mr. beloe of that town, and is enshrined in mr. blomfield's _history of renaissance architecture_:-- "this admirable little building originally consisted of an open loggia about feet by feet outside, with four columns down the centre, supporting the first floor, and an attic storey above. the walls are of portland stone, with a doric order to the ground storey supporting an ionic order to the first floor. the cornice is of wood, and above this is a steep-pitched tile roof with dormers, surmounted by a balustrade inclosing a flat, from which rises a most picturesque wooden cupola. the details are extremely refined, and the technical knowledge and delicate sense of scale and proportion shown in this building are surprising in a designer who was under thirty, and is not known to have done any previous work."[ ] [ ] _history of renaissance architecture_, by r. blomfield. a building which the town should make an effort to preserve is the old "greenland fishery house," a tenement dating from the commencement of the seventeenth century. the duke's head inn, erected in , now spoilt by its coating of plaster, a house in queen's street, the old market cross, destroyed in and sold for old materials, and the altarpieces of the churches of st. margaret and st. nicholas, destroyed during "restoration," and north runcton church, three miles from lynn, are other works of this very able artist. until the reformation lynn was known as bishop's lynn, and galled itself under the yoke of the bishop of norwich; but henry freed the townsfolk from their bondage and ordered the name to be changed to lynn regis. whether the good people throve better under the control of the tyrant who crushed all their guilds and appropriated the spoil than under the episcopal yoke may be doubtful; but the change pleased them, and with satisfaction they placed the royal arms on their east gate, which, after the manner of gates and walls, has been pulled down. if you doubt the former greatness of this old seaport you must examine its civic plate. it possesses the oldest and most important and most beautiful specimen of municipal plate in england, a grand, massive silver-gilt cup of exquisite workmanship. it is called "king john's cup," but it cannot be earlier than the reign of edward iii. in addition to this there is a superb sword of state of the time of henry viii, another cup, four silver maces, and other treasures. moreover, the town had a famous goldsmiths' company, and several specimens of their handicraft remain. the defences of the town were sorely tried in the civil war, when for three weeks it sustained the attacks of the rebels. the town was forced to surrender, and the poor folk were obliged to pay ten shillings a head, besides a month's pay to the soldiers, in order to save their homes from plunder. lynn has many memories. it sheltered king john when fleeing from the revolting barons, and kept his treasures until he took them away and left them in a still more secure place buried in the sands of the wash. it welcomed queen isabella during her retirement at castle rising, entertained edward iv when he was hotly pursued by the earl of warwick, and has been worthy of its name as a loyal king's town. another walled town on the norfolk coast attracts the attention of all who love the relics of ancient times, great yarmouth, with its wonderful record of triumphant industry and its associations with many great events in history. henry iii, recognizing the important strategical position of the town in , granted a charter to the townsfolk empowering them to fortify the place with a wall and a moat, but more than a century elapsed before the fortifications were completed. this was partly owing to the black death, which left few men in yarmouth to carry on the work. the walls were built of cut flint and caen stone, and extended from the north-east tower in st. nicholas churchyard, called king henry's tower, to blackfriars tower at the south end, and from the same king henry's tower to the north-west tower on the bank of the bure. only a few years ago a large portion of this, north of ramp row, now called rampart road, was taken down, much to the regret of many. and here i may mention a grand movement which might be with advantage imitated in every historic town. a small private company has been formed called the "great yarmouth historical buildings, limited." its object is to acquire and preserve the relics of ancient yarmouth. the founders deserve the highest praise for their public spirit and patriotism. how many cherished objects in vanishing england might have been preserved if each town or county possessed such a valuable association! this yarmouth society owns the remains of the cloisters of grey friars and other remains of ancient buildings. it is only to be regretted that it was not formed earlier. there were nine gates in the walls of the town, but none of them are left, and of the sixteen towers which protected the walls only a very few remain. [illustration: the "bone tower", town walls, great yarmouth] these walls guard much that is important. the ecclesiastical buildings are very fine, including the largest parish church in england, founded by the same herbert de losinga whose good work we saw at king's lynn. the church of st. nicholas has had many vicissitudes, and is now one of the finest in the country. it was in medieval times the church of a benedictine priory; a cell of the monastery at norwich and the priory hall remains, and is now restored and used as a school. royal guests have been entertained there, but part of the buildings were turned into cottages and the great hall into stables. as we have said, part of the grey friars monastery remains, and also part of the house of the augustine friars. the yarmouth rows are a great feature of the town. they are not like the chester rows, but are long, narrow streets crossing the town from east to west, only six feet wide, and one row called kitty-witches only measures at one end two feet three inches. it has been suggested that this plan of the town arose from the fishermen hanging out their nets to dry and leaving a narrow passage between each other's nets, and that in course of time these narrow passages became defined and were permanently retained. in former days rich merchants and traders lived in the houses that line these rows, and had large gardens behind their dwellings; and sometimes you can see relics of former greatness--a panelled room or a richly decorated ceiling. but the ancient glory of the rows is past, and the houses are occupied now by fishermen or labourers. these rows are so narrow that no ordinary vehicle could be driven along them. hence there arose special yarmouth carts about three and a half feet wide and twelve feet long with wheels underneath the body. very brave and gallant have always been the fishermen of yarmouth, not only in fighting the elements, but in defeating the enemies of england. history tells of many a sea-fight in which they did good service to their king and country. they gallantly helped to win the battle of sluys, and sent forty-three ships and one thousand men to help with the siege of calais in the time of edward iii. they captured and burned the town and harbour of cherbourg in the time of edward i, and performed many other acts of daring. [illustration: row no. , great yarmouth] one of the most interesting houses in the town is the tolhouse, the centre of the civic life of yarmouth. it is said to be six hundred years old, having been erected in the time of henry iii, though some of the windows are decorated, but may have been inserted later. here the customs or tolls were collected, and the corporation held its meetings. there is a curious open external staircase leading to the first floor, where the great hall is situated. under the hall is a gaol, a wretched prison wherein the miserable captives were chained to a beam that ran down the centre. nothing in the town bears stronger witness to the industry and perseverance of the yarmouth men than the harbour. they have scoured the sea for a thousand years to fill their nets with its spoil, and made their trade of world-wide fame, but their port speaks louder in their praise. again and again has the fickle sea played havoc with their harbour, silting it up with sand and deserting the town as if in revenge for the harvest they reap from her. they have had to cut out no less than seven harbours in the course of the town's existence, and royally have they triumphed over all difficulties and made yarmouth a great and prosperous port. near yarmouth is the little port of gorleston with its old jetty-head, of which we give an illustration. it was once the rival of yarmouth. the old magnificent church of the augustine friars stood in this village and had a lofty, square, embattled tower which was a landmark to sailors. but the church was unroofed and despoiled at the reformation, and its remains were pulled down in , only a small portion of the tower remaining, and this fell a victim to a violent storm at the beginning of the last century. the grand parish church was much plundered at the reformation, and left piteously bare by the despoilers. [illustration: the old jetty, gorleston] the town, now incorporated with yarmouth, has a proud boast:-- gorleston was gorleston ere yarmouth begun, and will be gorleston when yarmouth is done. another leading east anglian port in former days was the county town of suffolk, ipswich. during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries ships from most of the countries of western europe disembarked their cargoes on its quays--wines from spain, timber from norway, cloth from flanders, salt from france, and "mercerie" from italy left its crowded wharves to be offered for sale in the narrow, busy streets of the borough. stores of fish from iceland, bales of wool, loads of untanned hides, as well as the varied agricultural produce of the district, were exposed twice in the week on the market stalls.[ ] the learned editor of the _memorials of old suffolk_, who knows the old town so well, tells us that the stalls of the numerous markets lay within a narrow limit of space near the principal churches of the town--st. mary-le-tower, st. mildred, and st. lawrence. the tavern street of to-day was the site of the flesh market or cowerye. a narrow street leading thence to the tower church was the poultry, and cooks' row, butter market, cheese and fish markets were in the vicinity. the manufacture of leather was the leading industry of old ipswich, and there was a goodly company of skinners, barkers, and tanners employed in the trade. tavern street had, as its name implies, many taverns, and was called the vintry, from the large number of opulent vintners who carried on their trade with london and bordeaux. many of these men were not merely peaceful merchants, but fought with edward iii in his wars with france and were knighted for their feats of arms. ipswich once boasted of a castle which was destroyed in stephen's reign. in saxon times it was fortified by a ditch and a rampart which were destroyed by the danes, but the fortifications were renewed in the time of king john, when a wall was built round the town with four gates which took their names from the points of the compass. portions of these remain to bear witness to the importance of this ancient town. we give views of an old building near the custom-house in college street and fore street, examples of the narrow, tortuous thoroughfares which modern improvements have not swept away. [ ] cf. _memorials of suffolk_, edited by v.b. redstone. [illustration: tudor house, ipswich, near the custom house] [illustration: three-gabled house, fore street, ipswich] we cannot give accounts of all the old fortified towns in england and can only make selections. we have alluded to the ancient walls of york. few cities can rival it in interest and architectural beauty, its relics of roman times, its stately and magnificent cathedral, the beautiful ruins of st. mary's abbey, the numerous churches exhibiting all the grandeur of the various styles of gothic architecture, the old merchants' hall, and the quaint old narrow streets with gabled houses and widely projecting storeys. and then there is the varied history of the place dating from far-off roman times. not the least interesting feature of york are its gates and walls. some parts of the walls are roman, that curious thirteen-sided building called the multangular tower forming part of it, and also the lower part of the wall leading from this tower to bootham bar, the upper part being of later origin. these walls have witnessed much fighting, and the cannons in the civil war during the siege in battered down some portions of them and sorely tried their hearts. but they have been kept in good preservation and repaired at times, and the part on the west of the ouse is especially well preserved. you can see some norman and early english work, but the bulk of it belongs to edwardian times, when york played a great part in the history of england, and king edward i made it his capital during the war with scotland, and all the great nobles of england sojourned there. edward ii spent much time there, and the minster saw the marriage of his son. these walls were often sorely needed to check the inroads of the scots. after bannockburn fifteen thousand of these northern warriors advanced to the gates of york. the four gates of the city are very remarkable. micklegate bar consists of a square tower built over a circular arch of norman date with embattled turrets at the angles. on it the heads of traitors were formerly exposed. it bears on its front the arms of france as well as those of england. [illustration: "melia's passage," york] bootham bar is the main entrance from the north, and has a norman arch with later additions and turrets with narrow slits for the discharge of arrows. it saw the burning of the suburb of bootham in and much bloodshed, when a mighty quarrel raged between the citizens and the monks of the abbey of st. mary owing to the abuse of the privilege of sanctuary possessed by the monastery. monk bar has nothing to do with monks. its former name was goodramgate, and after the restoration it was changed to monk bar in honour of general monk. the present structure was probably built in the fourteenth century. walmgate bar, a strong, formidable structure, was built in the reign of edward i, and as we have said, it is the only gate that retains its curious barbican, originally built in the time of edward iii and rebuilt in . the inner front of the gate has been altered from its original form in order to secure more accommodation within. the remains of the clifford's tower, which played an important part in the siege, tell of the destruction caused by the blowing up of the magazine in , an event which had more the appearance of design than accident. york abounds with quaint houses and narrow streets. we give an illustration of the curious melia's passage; the origin of the name i am at a loss to conjecture. chester is, we believe, the only city in england which has retained the entire circuit of its walls complete. according to old unreliable legends, marius, or marcius, king of the british, grandson of cymbeline, who began his reign a.d. , first surrounded chester with a wall, a mysterious person who must be classed with leon gawr, or vawr, a mighty strong giant who founded chester, digging caverns in the rocks for habitations, and with the story of king leir, who first made human habitations in the future city. possibly there was here a british camp. it was certainly a roman city, and has preserved the form and plan which the romans were accustomed to affect; its four principal streets diverging at right angles from a common centre, and extending north, east, south, and west, and terminating in a gate, the other streets forming insulæ as at silchester. there is every reason to believe that the romans surrounded the city with a wall. its strength was often tried. hither the saxons came under ethelfrith and pillaged the city, but left it to the britons, who were not again dislodged until egbert came in and recovered it. the danish pirates came here and were besieged by alfred, who slew all within its walls. these walls were standing but ruinous when the noble daughter of alfred, ethelfleda, restored them in . a volume would be needed to give a full account of chester's varied history, and our main concern is with the treasures that remain. the circumference of the walls is nearly two miles, and there are four principal gates besides posterns--the north, east, bridge-gate, and water-gate. the north gate was in the charge of the citizens; the others were held by persons who had that office by serjeanty under the earls of chester, and were entitled to certain tolls, which, with the custody of the gates, were frequently purchased by the corporation. the custody of the bridge-gate belonged to the raby family in the reign of edward iii. it had two round towers, on the westernmost of which was an octagonal water-tower. these were all taken down in - and the gate rebuilt. the east gate was given by edward i to henry bradford, who was bound to find a crannoc and a bushel for measuring the salt that might be brought in. needless to say, the old gate has vanished. it was of roman architecture, and consisted of two arches formed by large stones. between the tops of the arches, which were cased with norman masonry, was the whole-length figure of a roman soldier. this gate was a _porta principalis_, the termination of the great watling street that led from dover through london to chester. it was destroyed in , and the present gate erected by earl grosvenor. the custody of the water-gate belonged to the earls of derby. it also was destroyed, and the present arch erected in . a new north gate was built in by robert, earl grosvenor. the principal postern-gates were cale yard gate, made by the abbot and convent in the reign of edward i as a passage to their kitchen garden; new-gate, formerly woolfield or wolf-gate, repaired in , also called pepper-gate;[ ] and ship-gate, or hole-in-the-wall, which alone retains its roman arch, and leads to a ferry across the dee. [ ] the chester folk have a proverb, "when the daughter is stolen, shut pepper-gate"--referring to the well-known story of a daughter of a mayor of chester having made her escape with her lover through this gate, which he ordered to be closed, but too late to prevent the fugitives. the walls are strengthened by round towers so placed as not to be beyond bowshot of each other, in order that their arrows might reach the enemy who should attempt to scale the walls in the intervals. at the north-east corner is newton's tower, better known as the phoenix from a sculptured figure, the ensign of one of the city guilds, appearing over its door. from this tower charles i saw the battle of rowton heath and the defeat of his troops during the famous siege of chester. this was one of the most prolonged and deadly in the whole history of the civil war. it would take many pages to describe the varied fortunes of the gallant chester men, who were at length constrained to feed on horses, dogs, and cats. there is much in the city to delight the antiquary and the artist--the famous rows, the three-gabled old timber mansion of the stanleys with its massive staircase, oaken floors, and panelled walls, built in , bishop lloyd's house in water-gate with its timber front sculptured with scripture subjects, and god's providence house with its motto "god's providence is mine inheritance," the inhabitants of which are said to have escaped one of the terrible plagues that used to rage frequently in old chester. [illustration: detail of half-timbered house in high street, shrewsbury] journeying southwards we come to shrewsbury, another walled town, abounding with delightful half-timbered houses, less spoiled than any town we know. it was never a roman town, though six miles away, at uriconium, the romans had a flourishing city with a great basilica, baths, shops, and villas, and the usual accessories of luxury. tradition says that its earliest celtic name was pengwern, where a british prince had his palace; but the town scrobbesbyrig came into existence under offa's rule in mercia, and with the normans came roger de montgomery, shrewsbury's first earl, and a castle and the stately abbey of ss. peter and paul. a little later the town took to itself walls, which were abundantly necessary on account of the constant inroads of the wild welsh. for the barbican's massy and high, bloudie jacke! and the oak-door is heavy and brown; and with iron it's plated and machicolated, to pour boiling oil and lead down; how you'd frown should a ladle-full fall on your crown! the rock that it stands on is steep, bloudie jacke! to gain it one's forced for to creep; the portcullis is strong, and the drawbridge is long, and the water runs all round the keep; at a peep you can see that the moat's very deep! so rhymed the author of the _ingoldsby legends_, when in his "legend of shropshire" he described the red stone fortress that towers over the loop of the severn enclosing the picturesque old town of shrewsbury. the castle, or rather its keep, for the outworks have disappeared, has been modernized past antiquarian value now. memories of its importance as the key of the northern marches, and of the ancient custom of girding the knights of the shire with their swords by the sheriffs on the grass plot of its inner court, still remain. the town now stands on a peninsula girt by the severn. on the high ground between the narrow neck stood the castle, and under its shelter most of the houses of the inhabitants. around this was erected the first wall. the latest historian of shrewsbury[ ] tells us that it started from the gate of the castle, passed along the ridge at the back of pride hill, at the bottom of which it turned along the line of high street, past st. julian's church which overhung it, to the top of wyle cop, when it followed the ridge back to the castle. of the part extending from pride hill to wyle cop only scant traces exist at the back of more modern buildings. [ ] the rev. t. auden, _shrewsbury_ (methuen and co.). the town continued to grow and more extensive defences were needed, and in the time of henry iii, mr. auden states that this followed the old line at the back of pride hill, but as the ground began to slope downwards, another wall branched from it in the direction of roushill and extended to the welsh bridge. this became the main defence, leaving the old wall as an inner rampart. from the welsh bridge the new wall turned up claremont bank to where st. chad's church now stands, and where one of the original towers stood. then it passed along murivance, where the only existing tower is to be seen, and so along the still remaining portion of the wall to english bridge, where it turned up the hill at the back of what is now dogpole, and passing the watergate, again joined the fortifications of the castle.[ ] the castle itself was reconstructed by prince edward, the son of henry iii, at the end of the thirteenth century, and is of the edwardian type of concentric castle. the norman keep was incorporated within a larger circle of tower and wall, forming an inner bailey; besides this there was formerly an outer bailey, in which were various buildings, including the chapel of st. nicholas. only part of the buildings on one side of the inner bailey remains in its original form, but the massive character of the whole may be judged from the fragments now visible. [ ] _ibid._, p. . these walls guarded a noble town full of churches and monasteries, merchants' houses, guild halls, and much else. we will glance at the beauties that remain: st. mary's, containing specimens of every style of architecture from norman downward, with its curious foreign glass; st. julian's, mainly rebuilt in , though the old tower remains; st. alkmund's; the church of st. chad; st. giles's church; and the nave and refectory pulpit of the monastery of ss. peter and paul. it is distressing to see this interesting gem of fourteenth-century architecture amid the incongruous surroundings of a coalyard. you can find considerable remains of the domestic buildings of the grey friars' monastery near the footbridge across the severn, and also of the home of the austin friars in a builder's yard at the end of baker street. [illustration: tower on the town wall, shrewsbury] in many towns we find here and there an old half-timbered dwelling, but in shrewsbury there is a surprising wealth of them--streets full of them, bearing such strange medieval names as "mardel" or "wyle cop." shrewsbury is second to no other town in england in the interest of its ancient domestic buildings. there is the gatehouse of the old council house, bearing the date , with its high gable and carved barge-boards, its panelled front, the square spaces between the upright and horizontal timbers being ornamented with cut timber. the old buildings of the famous shrewsbury school are now used as a free library and museum and abound in interest. the house remains in which prince rupert stayed during his sojourn in , then owned by "master jones the lawyer," at the west end of st. mary's church, with its fine old staircase. whitehall, a fine mansion of red sandstone, was built by richard prince, a lawyer, in - , "to his great chardge with fame to hym and hys posterite for ever." the old market hall in the renaissance style, with its mixture of debased gothic and classic details, is worthy of study. even in shrewsbury we have to record the work of the demon of destruction. the erection of the new market hall entailed the disappearance of several old picturesque houses. bellstone house, erected in , is incorporated in the national provincial bank. the old mansion known as vaughan's place is swallowed up by the music-hall, though part of the ancient dwelling-place remains. st. peter's abbey church in the commencement of the nineteenth century had an extraordinary annexe of timber and plaster, probably used at one time as parsonage house, which, with several buttressed remains of the adjacent conventual buildings, have long ago been squared up and "improved" out of existence. rowley's mansion, in hill's lane, built of brick in by william rowley, is now a warehouse. butcher row has some old houses with projecting storeys, including a fine specimen of a medieval shop. some of the houses in grope lane lean together from opposite sides of the road, so that people in the highest storey can almost shake hands with their neighbours across the way. you can see the "olde house" in which mary tudor is said to have stayed, and the mansion of the owens, built in as an inscription tells us, and that of the irelands, with its range of bow-windows, four storeys high, and terminating in gables, erected about . the half-timbered hall of the drapers' guild, some old houses in frankwell, including the inn with the quaint sign--the string of horses, the ancient hostels--the lion, famous in the coaching age, the ship, and the raven--bennett's hall, which was the mint when shrewsbury played its part in the civil war, and last, but not least, the house in wyle cop, one of the finest in the town, where henry earl of richmond stayed on his way to bosworth field to win the english crown. such are some of the beauties of old shrewsbury which happily have not yet vanished. [illustration: house that the earl of richmond stayed in before the battle of bosworth, shrewsbury] not far removed from shrewsbury is coventry, which at one time could boast of a city wall and a castle. in the reign of richard ii this wall was built, strengthened by towers. leland, writing in the time of henry viii, states that the city was begun to be walled in when edward ii reigned, and that it had six gates, many fair towers, and streets well built with timber. other writers speak of thirty-two towers and twelve gates. but few traces of these remain. the citizens of coventry took an active part in the civil war in favour of the parliamentary army, and when charles ii came to the throne he ordered these defences to be demolished. the gates were left, but most of them have since been destroyed. coventry is a city of fine old timber-framed fifteenth-century houses with gables and carved barge-boards and projecting storeys, though many of them are decayed and may not last many years. the city has had a fortunate immunity from serious fires. we give an illustration of one of the old coventry streets called spon street, with its picturesque houses. these old streets are numerous, tortuous and irregular. one of the richest and most interesting examples of domestic architecture in england is st. mary's hall, erected in the time of henry vi. its origin is connected with ancient guilds of the city, and in it were stored their books and archives. the grotesquely carved roof, minstrels' gallery, armoury, state-chair, great painted window, and a fine specimen of fifteenth-century tapestry are interesting features of this famous hall, which furnishes a vivid idea of the manners and civic customs of the age when coventry was the favourite resort of kings and princes. it has several fine churches, though the cathedral was levelled with the ground by that arch-destroyer henry viii. coventry remains one of the most interesting towns in england. one other walled town we will single out for especial notice in this chapter--the quaint, picturesque, peaceful, placid town of rye on the sussex coast. it was once wooed by the sea, which surrounded the rocky island on which it stands, but the fickle sea has retired and left it lonely on its hill with a long stretch of marshland between it and the waves. this must have taken place about the fifteenth century. our illustration of a disused mooring-post (p. ) is a symbol of the departed greatness of the town as a naval station. the river rother connects it with the sea, and the few barges and humble craft and a few small shipbuilding yards remind it of its palmy days when it was a member of the cinque ports, a rich and prosperous town that sent forth its ships to fight the naval battles of england and win honour for rye and st. george. during the french wars english vessels often visited french ports and towns along the coast and burned and pillaged them. the french sailors retaliated with equal zest, and many of our southern towns have suffered from fire and sword during those adventurous days. [illustration: old houses formerly standing in spon street coventry] rye was strongly fortified by a wall with gates and towers and a fosse, but the defences suffered grievously from the attacks of the french, and the folk of rye were obliged to send a moving petition to king richard ii, praying him "to have consideration of the poor town of rye, inasmuch as it had been several times taken, and is unable further to repair the walls, wherefore the town is, on the sea-side, open to enemies." i am afraid that the king did not at once grant their petition, as two years later, in , the french came again and set fire to the town. with the departure of the sea and the diminishing of the harbour, the population decreased and the prosperity of rye declined. refugees from france have on two notable occasions added to the number of its inhabitants. after the massacre of st. bartholomew seven hundred scared and frightened protestants arrived at rye and brought with them their industry, and later on, after the revocation of the edict of nantes, many huguenots settled here and made it almost a french town. we need not record all the royal visits, the alarms of attack, the plagues, and other incidents that have diversified the life of rye. we will glance at the relics that remain. the walls seem never to have recovered from the attack of the french, but one gate is standing--the landgate on the north-east of the town, built in , and consisting of a broad arch flanked by two massive towers with chambers above for archers and defenders. formerly there were two other gates, but these have vanished save only the sculptured arms of the cinque ports that once adorned the strand gate. the ypres tower is a memorial of the ancient strength of the town, and was originally built by william de ypres, earl of kent, in the twelfth century, but has received later additions. it has a stern, gaunt appearance, and until recent times was used as a jail. the church possesses many points of unique interest. the builders began in the twelfth century to build the tower and transepts, which are norman; then they proceeded with the nave, which is transitional; and when they reached the choir, which is very large and fine, the style had merged into the early english. later windows were inserted in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. the church has suffered with the town at the hands of the french invaders, who did much damage. the old clock, with its huge swinging pendulum, is curious. the church has a collection of old books, including some old bibles, including a vinegar and a breeches bible, and some stone cannon-balls, mementoes of the french invasion of . [illustration: west street, rye] near the church is the town hall, which contains several relics of olden days. the list of mayors extends from the time of edward i, and we notice the long continuance of the office in families. thus the lambs held office from to , and the grebells from to . a great tragedy happened in the churchyard. a man named breedes had a grudge against one of the lambs, and intended to kill him. he saw, as he thought, his victim walking along the dark path through the shrubs in the churchyard, attacked and murdered him. but he had made a mistake; his victim was mr. grebell. the murderer was hanged and quartered. the town hall contains the ancient pillory, which was described as a very handy affair, handcuffs, leg-irons, special constables' staves, which were always much needed for the usual riots on gunpowder plot day, and the old primitive fire-engine dated . the town has some remarkable plate. there is the mayor's handbell with the inscription:-- o mater dei memento mei. . petrus gheineus me fecit. the maces of queen elizabeth with the date and bearing the fleur-de-lis and the tudor rose are interesting, and the two silver maces presented by george iii, bearing the arms of rye and weighing oz., are said to be the finest in europe. [illustration: monogram and inscription in the mermaid inn, rye] the chief charm of rye is to walk along the narrow streets and lanes, and see the picturesque rows and groups of old fifteenth-and sixteenth-century houses with their tiled roofs and gables, weather-boarded or tile-hung after the manner of sussex cottages, graceful bay-windows--altogether pleasing. wherever one wanders one meets with these charming dwellings, especially in west street and pump street; the oldest house in rye being at the corner of the churchyard. the mermaid inn is delightful both outside and inside, with its low panelled rooms, immense fire-places and dog-grates. we see the monogram and names and dates carved on the stone fire-places, , , the name loffelholtz seeming to indicate some foreign refugee or settler. it is pleasant to find at least in one town in england so much that has been left unaltered and so little spoilt. [illustration: inscription in the mermaid inn, rye] chapter iv in streets and lanes i have said in another place that no country in the world can boast of possessing rural homes and villages which have half the charm and picturesqueness of our english cottages and hamlets.[ ] they have to be known in order that they may be loved. the hasty visitor may pass them by and miss half their attractiveness. they have to be wooed in varying moods in order that they may display their charms--when the blossoms are bright in the village orchards, when the sun shines on the streams and pools and gleams on the glories of old thatch, when autumn has tinged the trees with golden tints, or when the hoar frost makes their bare branches beautiful again with new and glistening foliage. not even in their summer garb do they look more beautiful. there is a sense of stability and a wondrous variety caused by the different nature of the materials used, the peculiar stone indigenous in various districts and the individuality stamped upon them by traditional modes of building. [ ] _the charm of the english village_ (batsford). we have still a large number of examples of the humbler kind of ancient domestic architecture, but every year sees the destruction of several of these old buildings, which a little care and judicious restoration might have saved. ruskin's words should be writ in bold, big letters at the head of the by-laws of every district council. "watch an old building with anxious care; guard it as best you may, and at any cost, from any influence of dilapidation. count its stones as you would the jewels of a crown. set watchers about it, as if at the gate of a besieged city; bind it together with iron when it loosens; stay it with timber when it declines. do not care about the unsightliness of the aid--better a crutch than a lost limb; and do this tenderly and reverently and continually, and many a generation will still be born and pass away beneath its shadow." [illustration: relic of lynn siege in hampton court, king's lynn] [illustration: hampton court, king's lynn, norfolk] if this sound advice had been universally taken many a beautiful old cottage would have been spared to us, and our eyes would not be offended by the wondrous creations of the estate agents and local builders, who have no other ambition but to build cheaply. the contrast between the new and the old is indeed deplorable. the old cottage is a thing of beauty. its odd, irregular form and various harmonious colouring, the effects of weather, time, and accident, environed with smiling verdure and sweet old-fashioned garden flowers, its thatched roof, high gabled front, inviting porch overgrown with creepers, and casement windows, all combine to form a fair and beautiful home. and then look at the modern cottage with its glaring brick walls, slate roof, ungainly stunted chimney, and note the difference. usually these modern cottages are built in a row, each one exactly like its fellow, with door and window frames exactly alike, brought over ready-made from norway or sweden. the walls are thin, and the winds of winter blow through them piteously, and if a man and his wife should unfortunately "have words" (the pleasing country euphemism for a violent quarrel) all their neighbours can hear them. the scenery is utterly spoilt by these ugly eyesores. villas at hindhead seem to have broken out upon the once majestic hill like a red skin eruption. the jerry-built villa is invading our heaths and pine-woods; every street in our towns is undergoing improvement; we are covering whole counties with houses. in lancashire no sooner does one village end its mean streets than another begins. london is ever enlarging itself, extending its great maw over all the country round. the rev. canon erskine clarke, vicar of battersea, when he first came to reside near clapham junction, remembers the green fields and quiet lanes with trees on each side that are now built over. the street leading from the station lined with shops forty years ago had hedges and trees on each side. there were great houses situated in beautiful gardens and parks wherein resided some of the great city merchants, county families, the leaders in old days of the influential "clapham sect." these gardens and parks have been covered with streets and rows of cottages and villas; some of the great houses have been pulled down and others turned into schools or hospitals, valued only at the rent of the land on which they stand. all this is inevitable. you cannot stop all this any more than mrs. partington could stem the atlantic tide with a housemaid's mop. but ere the flood has quite swallowed up all that remains of england's natural and architectural beauties, it may be useful to glance at some of the buildings that remain in town and country ere they have quite vanished. [illustration: mill street, warwick] beneath the shade of the lordly castle of warwick, which has played such an important part in the history of england, the town of warwick sprang into existence, seeking protection in lawless times from its strong walls and powerful garrison. through its streets often rode in state the proud rulers of the castle with their men-at-arms--the beauchamps, the nevilles, including the great "king-maker," richard neville, the dudleys, and the grevilles. they contributed to the building of their noble castle, protected the town, and were borne to their last resting-place in the fine church, where their tombs remain. the town has many relics of its lords, and possesses many half-timbered graceful houses. mill street is one of the most picturesque groups of old-time dwellings, a picture that lingers in our minds long after we have left the town and fortress of the grim old earls of warwick. oxford is a unique city. there is no place like it in the world. scholars of cambridge, of course, will tell me that i am wrong, and that the town on the cam is a far superior place, and then point triumphantly to "the backs." yes, they are very beautiful, but as a loyal son of oxford i may be allowed to prefer that stately city with its towers and spires, its wealth of college buildings, its exquisite architecture unrivalled in the world. nor is the new unworthy of the old. the buildings at magdalen, at brazenose, and even the new schools harmonize not unseemly with the ancient structures. happily keble is far removed from the heart of the city, so that that somewhat unsatisfactory, unsuccessful pile of brickwork interferes not with its joy. in the streets and lanes of modern oxford we can search for and discover many types of old-fashioned, humble specimens of domestic art, and we give as an illustration some houses which date back to tudor times, but have, alas! been recently demolished. [illustration: tudor tenements, new inn hall st, oxford. now demolished] many conjectures have been made as to the reason why our forefathers preferred to rear their houses with the upper storeys projecting out into the streets. we can understand that in towns where space was limited it would be an advantage to increase the size of the upper rooms, if one did not object to the lack of air in the narrow street and the absence of sunlight. but we find these same projecting storeys in the depth of the country, where there could have been no restriction as to the ground to be occupied by the house. possibly the fashion was first established of necessity in towns, and the traditional mode of building was continued in the country. some say that by this means our ancestors tried to protect the lower part of the house, the foundations, from the influence of the weather; others with some ingenuity suggest that these projecting storeys were intended to form a covered walk for passengers in the streets, and to protect them from the showers of slops which the careless housewife of elizabethan times cast recklessly from the upstairs windows. architects tell us that it was purely a matter of construction. our forefathers used to place four strong corner-posts, framed from the trunks of oak trees, firmly sunk into the ground with their roots left on and placed upward, the roots curving outwards so as to form supports for the upper storeys. these curved parts, and often the posts also, were often elaborately carved and ornamented, as in the example which our artist gives us of a corner-post of a house in ipswich. in _the charm of the english village_ i have tried to describe the methods of the construction of these timber-framed houses,[ ] and it is perhaps unnecessary for me to repeat what is there recorded. in fact, there were three types of these dwelling-places, to which have been given the names post and pan, transom framed, and intertie work. in judging of the age of a house it will be remembered that the nearer together the upright posts are placed the older the house is. the builders as time went on obtained greater confidence, set their posts wider apart, and held them together by transoms. [ ] _the charm of the english village_, pp. - . [illustration: gothic corner-post. the half moon inn, ipswich] surrey is a county of good cottages and farm-houses, and these have had their chroniclers in miss gertrude jekyll's delightful _old west surrey_ and in the more technical work of mr. ralph nevill, f.s.a. the numerous works on cottage and farm-house building published by mr. batsford illustrate the variety of styles that prevailed in different counties, and which are mainly attributable to the variety in the local materials in the counties. thus in the cotswolds, northamptonshire, derbyshire, yorkshire, westmorland, somersetshire, and elsewhere there is good building-stone; and there we find charming examples of stone-built cottages and farm-houses, altogether satisfying. in several counties where there is little stone and large forests of timber we find the timber-framed dwelling flourishing in all its native beauty. in surrey there are several materials for building, hence there is a charming diversity of domiciles. even the same building sometimes shows walls of stone and brick, half-timber and plaster, half-timber and tile-hanging, half-timber with panels filled with red brick, and roofs of thatch or tiles, or stone slates which the horsham quarries supplied. [illustration: timber-built house, shrewsbury] [illustration] these surrey cottages have changed with age. originally they were built with timber frames, the panels being filled in with wattle and daub, but the storms of many winters have had their effect upon the structure. rain drove through the walls, especially when the ends of the wattle rotted a little, and draughts were strong enough to blow out the rushlights and to make the house very uncomfortable. oak timbers often shrink. hence the joints came apart, and being exposed to the weather became decayed. in consequence of this the buildings settled, and new methods had to be devised to make them weather-proof. the villages therefore adopted two or three means in order to attain this end. they plastered the whole surface of the walls on the outside, or they hung them with deal boarding or covered them with tiles. in surrey tile-hung houses are more common than in any other part of the country. this use of weather-tiles is not very ancient, probably not earlier than , and much of this work was done in that century or early in the nineteenth. many of these tile-hung houses are the old sixteenth-century timber-framed structures in a new shell. weather-tiles are generally flatter and thinner than those used for roofing, and when bedded in mortar make a thoroughly weather-proof wall. sometimes they are nailed to boarding, but the former plan makes the work more durable, though the courses are not so regular. these tiles have various shapes, of which the commonest is semicircular, resembling a fish-scale. the same form with a small square shoulder is very generally used, but there is a great variety, and sometimes those with ornamental ends are blended with plain ones. age imparts a very beautiful colour to old tiles, and when covered with lichen they assume a charming appearance which artists love to depict. the mortar used in these old buildings is very strong and good. in order to strengthen the mortar used in sussex and surrey houses and elsewhere, the process of "galleting" or "garreting" was adopted. the brick-layers used to decorate the rather wide and uneven mortar joint with small pieces of black ironstone stuck into the mortar. sussex was once famous for its ironwork, and ironstone is found in plenty near the surface of the ground in this district. "galleting" dates back to jacobean times, and is not to be found in sixteenth-century work. sussex houses are usually whitewashed and have thatched roofs, except when horsham slates or tiles are used. thatch as a roofing material will soon have altogether vanished with other features of vanishing england. district councils in their by-laws usually insert regulations prohibiting thatch to be used for roofing. this is one of the mysteries of the legislation of district councils. rules, suitable enough for towns, are applied to the country villages, where they are altogether unsuitable or unnecessary. the danger of fire makes it inadvisable to have thatched roofs in towns, or even in some villages where the houses are close together, but that does not apply to isolated cottages in the country. the district councils do not compel the removal of thatch, but prohibit new cottages from being roofed with that material. there is, however, another cause for the disappearance of thatched roofs, which form such a beautiful feature in the english landscape. since mowing-machines came into general use in the harvest fields the straw is so bruised that it is not fit for thatching, at least it is not so suitable as the straw which was cut by the hand. thatching, too, is almost a lost art in the country. indeed ricks have to be covered with thatch, but "the work for this temporary purpose cannot compare with that of the old roof-thatcher, with his 'strood' or 'frail' to hold the loose straw, and his spars--split hazel rods pointed at each end--that with a dexterous twist in the middle make neat pegs for the fastening of the straw rope that he cleverly twists with a simple implement called a 'wimble.' the lowest course was finished with an ornamental bordering of rods with a diagonal criss-cross pattern between, all neatly pegged and held down by the spars."[ ] [ ] _old west surrey_, by gertrude jekyll, p. . [illustration: missbrook farm. capel, surrey.] horsham stone makes splendid roofing material. this stone easily flakes into plates like thick slates, and forms large grey flat slabs on which "the weather works like a great artist in harmonies of moss lichen and stain. no roofing so combines dignity and homeliness, and no roofing, except possibly thatch (which, however, is short-lived), so surely passes into the landscape."[ ] it is to be regretted that this stone is no longer used for roofing--another feature of vanishing england. the stone is somewhat thick and heavy, and modern rafters are not adapted to bear their weight. if you want to have a roof of horsham stone, you can only accomplish your purpose by pulling down an old cottage and carrying off the slabs. perhaps the small cotswold stone slabs are even more beautiful. old lancashire and yorkshire cottages have heavy stone roofs which somewhat resemble those fashioned with horsham slabs. [ ] _highways and byways in sussex_, by e.v. lucas. the builders and masons of our country cottages were cunning men, and adapted their designs to their materials. you will have noticed that the pitch of the horsham-slated roof is unusually flat. they observed that when the sides of the roof were deeply sloping, as in the case of thatched roofs, the heavy stone slates strained and dragged at the pegs and laths and fell and injured the roof. hence they determined to make the slope less steep. unfortunately the rain did not then easily run off, and in order to prevent the water penetrating into the house they were obliged to adopt additional precautions. therefore they cemented their roofs and stopped them with mortar. [illustration: cottage at capel, surrey ] very lovely are these south country cottages, peaceful, picturesque, pleasant, with their graceful gables and jutting eaves, altogether delightful. well sang a loyal sussex poet:-- if i ever become a rich man, or if ever i grow to be old, i will build a house with deep thatch[ ] to shelter me from the cold; and there shall the sussex songs be sung and the story of sussex told. [ ] i fear the poet's plans will never be passed by the rural district council. we give some good examples of surrey cottages at the village of capel in the neighbourhood of dorking, a charming region for the study of cottage-building. there you can see some charming ingle-nooks in the interior of the dwellings, and some grand farm-houses. attached to the ingle-nook is the oven, wherein bread is baked in the old-fashioned way, and the chimneys are large and carried up above the floor of the first storey, so as to form space for curing bacon. [illustration: farm-house, horsmonden, kent] horsmonden, kent, near lamberhurst, is beautifully situated among well-wooded scenery, and the farm-house shown in the illustration is a good example of the pleasant dwellings to be found therein. east anglia has no good building-stone, and brick and flint are the principal materials used in that region. the houses built of the dark, dull, thin old bricks, not of the great staring modern varieties, are very charming, especially when they are seen against a background of wooded hills. we give an illustration of some cottages at stow langtoft, suffolk. [illustration: seventeenth-century cottages, stow langtoft, suffolk] the old town of banbury, celebrated for its cakes, its cross, and its fine lady who rode on a white horse accompanied by the sound of bells, has some excellent "black and white" houses with pointed gables and enriched barge-boards pierced in every variety of patterns, their finials and pendants, and pargeted fronts, which give an air of picturesqueness contrasting strangely with the stiffness of the modern brick buildings. in one of these is established the old banbury cake shop. in the high street there is a very perfect example of these elizabethan houses, erected about the year . it has a fine oak staircase, the newels beautifully carved and enriched with pierced finials and pendants. the market-place has two good specimens of the same date, one of which is probably the front of the unicorn inn, and had a fine pair of wooden gates bearing the date , but i am not sure whether they are still there. the reindeer inn is one of the chief architectural attractions of the town. we see the dates and inscribed on different parts of the building, but its chief glory is the globe room, with a large window, rich plaster ceiling, good panelling, elaborately decorated doorways and chimney-piece. the courtyard is a fine specimen of sixteenth-century architecture. a curious feature is the mounting-block near the large oriel window. it must have been designed not for mounting horses, unless these were of giant size, but for climbing to the top of coaches. the globe room is a typical example of vanishing england, as it is reported that the whole building has been sold for transportation to america. we give an illustration of some old houses in paradise square, that does not belie its name. the houses all round the square are thatched, and the gardens in the centre are a blaze of colour, full of old-fashioned flowers. the king's head inn has a good courtyard. banbury suffered from a disastrous fire in which destroyed a great part of the town, and called forth a vehement sermon from the rev. william whateley, of two hours' duration, on the depravity of the town, which merited such a severe judgment. in spite of the fire much old work survived, and we give an illustration of a tudor fire-place which you cannot now discover, as it is walled up into the passage of an ironmonger's shop. [illustration: the "fish house," littleport, cambs] the old ports and harbours are always attractive. the old fishermen mending their nets delight to tell their stories of their adventures, and retain their old customs and usages, which are profoundly interesting to the lovers of folk-lore. their houses are often primitive and quaint. there is the curious fish house at littleport, cambridgeshire, with part of it built of stone, having a gable and tudor weather-moulding over the windows. the rest of the building was added at a later date. [illustration: sixteenth-century cottage, formerly standing in upper deal, kent] in upper deal there is an interesting house which shows flemish influence in the construction of its picturesque gable and octagonal chimney, and contrasted with it an early sixteenth-century cottage much the worse for wear. we give a sketch of a portsmouth row which resembles in narrowness those at yarmouth, and in crown street there is a battered, three-gabled, weather-boarded house which has evidently seen better days. there is a fine canopy over the front door of buckingham house, wherein george villiers, duke of buckingham, was assassinated by john felton on august rd, . [illustration: gable, upper deal, kent] the vale of aylesbury is one of the sweetest and most charmingly characteristic tracts of land in the whole of rural england, abounding with old houses. the whole countryside literally teems with picturesque evidences of the past life and history of england. ancient landmarks and associations are so numerous that it is difficult to mention a few without seeming to ignore unfairly their equally interesting neighbours. let us take the london road, which enters the shire from middlesex and makes for aylesbury, a meandering road with patches of scenery strongly suggestive of birket foster's landscapes. down a turning at the foot of the lovely chiltern hills lies the secluded village of chalfont st. giles. here milton, the poet, sought refuge from plague-stricken london among a colony of fellow quakers, and here remains, in a very perfect state, the cottage in which he lived and was visited by andrew marvel. it is said that his neighbour elwood, one of the quaker fraternity, suggested the idea of "paradise regained," and that the draft of the latter poem was written upon a great oak table which may be seen in one of the low-pitched rooms on the ground floor. i fancy that milton must have beautified and repaired the cottage at the period of his tenancy. the mantelpiece with its classic ogee moulding belongs certainly to his day, and some other minor details may also be noticed which support this inference. it is not difficult to imagine that one who was accustomed to metropolitan comforts would be dissatisfied with the open hearth common to country cottages of that poet's time, and have it enclosed in the manner in which we now see it. outside the garden is brilliant with old-fashioned flowers, such as the poet loved. a stone scutcheon may be seen peeping through the shrubbery which covers the front of the cottage, but the arms which it displays are those of the fleetwoods, one time owners of these tenements. between the years and the house was used as an inn. milton's cottage is one of our national treasures, which (though not actually belonging to the nation) has successfully resisted purchase by our american cousins and transportation across the atlantic. [illustration: a portsmouth "row"] the entrance to the churchyard in chalfont st. giles is through a wonderfully picturesque turnstile or lich-gate under an ancient house in the high street. the gate formerly closed itself mechanically by means of a pulley to which was attached a heavy weight. unfortunately this weight was not boxed in--as in the somewhat similar example at hayes, in middlesex--and an accident which happened to some children resulted in its removal. [illustration: lich-gate, chalfont st. giles, bucks] a good many picturesque old houses remain in the village, among them being one called stonewall farm, a structure of the fifteenth century with an original billet-moulded porch and gothic barge-boards. there is a certain similarity about the villages that dot the vale of aylesbury. the old market house is usually a feature of the high street--where it has not been spoilt as at wendover. groups of picturesque timber cottages, thickest round the church, and shouldered here and there by their more respectable and severe georgian brethren, are common to all, and vary but little in their general aspect and colouring. memories and legends haunt every hamlet, the very names of which have an ancient sound carrying us vaguely back to former days. prince's risborough, once a manor of the black prince; wendover, the birthplace of roger of wendover, the medieval historian, and author of the chronicle _flores historiarum, or history of the world from the creation to the year _, in modern language a somewhat "large order"; hampden, identified to all time with the patriot of that name; and so on indefinitely. at monk's risborough, another hamlet with an ancient-sounding name, but possessing no special history, is a church of the perpendicular period containing some features of exceptional interest, and internally one of the most charmingly picturesque of its kind. the carved tie-beams of the porch with their masks and tracery and the great stone stoup which appears in one corner have an _unrestored_ appearance which is quite delightful in these days of over-restoration. the massive oak door has some curious iron fittings, and the interior of the church itself displays such treasures as a magnificent early tudor roof and an elegant fifteenth-century chancel-screen, on the latter of which some remains of ancient painting exist.[ ] [ ] the rood-loft has unfortunately disappeared. [illustration: fifteenth-century handle on church door, monk's risborough, bucks] thame, just across the oxfordshire border, is another town of the greatest interest. the noble parish church here contains a number of fine brasses and tombs, including the recumbent effigies of lord john williams of thame and his wife, who flourished in the reign of queen mary. the chancel-screen is of uncommon character, the base being richly decorated with linen panelling, while above rises an arcade in which gothic form mingles freely with the grotesqueness of the renaissance. the choir-stalls are also lavishly ornamented with the linen-fold decoration. the centre of thame's broad high street is narrowed by an island of houses, once termed middle row, and above the jumble of tiled roofs here rises like a watch-tower a most curious and interesting medieval house known as the "bird cage inn." about this structure little is known; it is, however, referred to in an old document as the "tenement called the cage, demised to james rosse by indenture for the term of years, yielding therefor by the year s.," and appears to have been a farm-house. the document in question is a grant of edward iv to sir john william of the charity or guild of st. christopher in thame, founded by richard quartemayne, _squier_, who died in the year . this house, though in some respects adapted during later years from its original plan, is structurally but little altered, and should be taken in hand and _intelligently_ restored as an object of local attraction and interest. the choicest oaks of a small forest must have supplied its framework, which stands firm as the day when it was built. the fine corner-posts (now enclosed) should be exposed to view, and the mullioned windows which jut out over a narrow passage should be opened up. if this could be done--and not overdone--the "bird cage" would hardly be surpassed as a miniature specimen of medieval timber architecture in the county. a stone doorway of gothic form and a kind of almery or safe exist in its cellars. a school was founded at thame by lord john williams, whose recumbent effigy exists in the church, and amongst the students there during the second quarter of the seventeenth century was anthony wood, the oxford antiquary. thame about this time was the centre of military operations between the king's forces and the rebels, and was continually being beaten up by one side or the other. wood, though but a boy at the time, has left on record in his narrative some vivid impressions of the conflicts which he personally witnessed, and which bring the disjointed times before us in a vision of strange and absolute reality. he tells of colonel blagge, the governor of wallingford castle, who was on a marauding expedition, being chased through the streets of thame by colonel crafford, who commanded the parliamentary garrison at aylesbury, and how one man fell from his horse, and the colonel "held a pistol to him, but the trooper cried 'quarter!' and the rebels came up and rifled him and took him and his horse away with them." on another occasion, just as a company of roundhead soldiers were sitting down to dinner, a cavalier force appeared "to beat up their quarters," and the roundheads retired in a hurry, leaving "a.w. and the schoolboyes, sojourners in the house," to enjoy their venison pasties. he tells also of certain doings at the nag's head, a house that still exists--a very ancient hostelry, though not nearly so old a building as the bird cage inn. the sign is no longer there, but some interesting features remain, among them the huge strap hinges on the outer door, fashioned at their extremities in the form of fleurs-de-lis. we should like to linger long at thame and describe the wonders at thame park, with its remains of a cistercian abbey and the fine tudor buildings of robert king, last abbot and afterward the first bishop of oxford. the three fine oriel windows and stair-turret, the noble gothic dining-hall and abbot's parlour panelled with oak in the style of the linen pattern, are some of the finest tudor work in the country. the prebendal house and chapel built by grossetête are also worthy of the closest attention. the chapel is an architectural gem of early english design, and the rest of the house with its later perpendicular windows is admirable. not far away is the interesting village of long crendon, once a market-town, with its fine church and its many picturesque houses, including staple hall, near the church, with its noble hall, used for more than five centuries as a manorial court-house on behalf of various lords of the manor, including queen katherine, widow of henry v. it has now fortunately passed into the care of the national trust, and its future is secured for the benefit of the nation. the house is a beautiful half-timbered structure, and was in a terribly dilapidated condition. it is interesting both historically and architecturally, and is note-worthy as illustrating the continuity of english life, that the three owners from whom the trust received the building, lady kinloss, all souls' college, and the ecclesiastical commissioners, are the successors in title of three daughters of an earl of pembroke in the thirteenth century. it is fortunate that the old house has fallen into such good hands. the village has a tudor manor-house which has been restored. another court-house, that at udimore, in sussex, near rye, has, we believe, been saved by the trust, though the owner has retained possession. it is a picturesque half-timbered building of two storeys with modern wings projecting at right angles at each end. the older portion is all that remains of a larger house which appears to have been built in the fifteenth century. the manor belonged to the crown, and it is said that both edward i and edward iii visited it. the building was in a very dilapidated condition, and the owner intended to destroy it and replace it with modern cottages. we hope that this scheme has now been abandoned, and that the old house is safe for many years to come. [illustration: weather-boarded houses, crown street, portsmouth] at the other end of the county of oxfordshire remote from thame is the beautiful little town of burford, the gem of the cotswolds. no wonder that my friend "sylvanus urban," otherwise canon beeching, sings of its charm:-- oh fair is moreton in the marsh and stow on the wide wold, yet fairer far is burford town with its stone roofs grey and old; and whether the sky be hot and high, or rain fall thin and chill, the grey old town on the lonely down is where i would be still. o broad and smooth the avon flows by stratford's many piers; and shakespeare lies by avon's side these thrice a hundred years; but i would be where windrush sweet laves burford's lovely hill-- the grey old town on the lonely down is where i would be still. it is unlike any other place, this quaint old burford, a right pleasing place when the sun is pouring its beams upon the fantastic creations of the builders of long ago, and when the moon is full there is no place in england which surpasses it in picturesqueness. it is very quiet and still now, but there was a time when burford cloth, burford wool, burford stone, burford malt, and burford saddles were renowned throughout the land. did not the townsfolk present two of its famous saddles to "dutch william" when he came to burford with the view of ingratiating himself into the affections of his subjects before an important general election? it has been the scene of battles. not far off is battle edge, where the fierce kings of wessex and mercia fought in a.d. on midsummer eve, in commemoration of which the good folks of burford used to carry a dragon up and down the streets, the great dragon of wessex. perhaps the origin of this procession dates back to early pagan days before the battle was fought, but tradition connects it with the fight. memories cluster thickly around one as you walk up the old street. it was the first place in england to receive the privilege of a merchant guild. the gaunt earl of warwick, the king-maker, owned the place, and appropriated to himself the credit of erecting the almshouses, though henry bird gave the money. you can still see the earl's signature at the foot of the document relating to this foundation--r. warrewych--the only signature known save one at belvoir. you can see the ruined burford priory. it is not the conventual building wherein the monks lived in pre-reformation days and served god in the grand old church that is burford's chief glory. edmund harman, the royal barber-surgeon, received a grant of the priory from henry viii for curing him from a severe illness. then sir laurence tanfield, chief baron of the exchequer, owned it, who married a burford lady, elizabeth cobbe. an aged correspondent tells me that in the days of her youth there was standing a house called cobb hall, evidently the former residence of lady tanfield's family. he built a grand elizabethan mansion on the site of the old priory, and here was born lucius gary, lord falkland, who was slain in newbury fight. that civil war brought stirring times to burford. you have heard of the fame of the levellers, the discontented mutineers in cromwell's army, the followers of john lilburne, who for a brief space threatened the existence of the parliamentary regime. cromwell dealt with them with an iron hand. he caught and surprised them at burford and imprisoned them in the church, wherein carved roughly on the font with a dagger you can see this touching memorial of one of these poor men:-- anthony sedley prisner . [illustration: inscription on font, parish church, burford, oxon] three of the leaders were shot in the churchyard on the following morning in view of the other prisoners, who were placed on the leaden roof of the church, and you can still see the bullet-holes in the old wall against which the unhappy men were placed. the following entries in the books of the church tell the sad story tersely:-- _burials._--" three soldiers shot to death in burford churchyard may th." "pd. to daniel muncke for cleansinge the church when the levellers were taken s. d." [illustration: detail of fifteenth-century barge-board, burford, oxon.] a walk through the streets of the old town is refreshing to an antiquary's eyes. the old stone buildings grey with age with tile roofs, the old tolsey much restored, the merchants' guild mark over many of the ancient doorways, the noble church with its eight chapels and fine tombs, the plate of the old corporation, now in the custody of its oldest surviving member (burford has ceased to be an incorporated borough), are all full of interest. vandalism is not, however, quite lacking, even in burford. one of the few gothic chimneys remaining, a gem with a crocketed and pinnacled canopy, was taken down some thirty years ago, while the priory is said to be in danger of being pulled down, though a later report speaks only of its restoration. in the coaching age the town was alive with traffic, and burford races, established by the merry monarch, brought it much gaiety. at the george inn, now degraded from its old estate and cut up into tenements, charles i stayed. it was an inn for more than a century before his time, and was only converted from that purpose during the early years of the nineteenth century, when the proprietor of the bull inn bought it up and closed its doors to the public with a view to improving the prosperity of his own house. the restoration of the picturesque almshouses founded by henry bird in the time of the king-maker, a difficult piece of work, was well carried out in the decadent days of the "twenties," and happily they do not seem to have suffered much in the process. [illustration: the george inn, burford, oxon] during our wanderings in the streets and lanes of rural england we must not fail to visit the county of essex. it is one of the least picturesque of our counties, but it possesses much wealth of interesting antiquities in the timber houses at colchester, saffron walden, the old town of maldon, the inns at chigwell and brentwood, and the halls of layer marney and horsham at thaxted. saffron walden is one of those quaint agricultural towns whose local trade is a thing of the past. from the records which are left of it in the shape of prints and drawings, the town in the early part of the nineteenth century must have been a medieval wonder. it is useless now to rail against the crass ignorance and vandalism which has swept away so many irreplaceable specimens of bygone architecture only to fill their sites with brick boxes, "likely indeed and all alike." itineraries of the georgian period when mentioning saffron walden describe the houses as being of "mean appearance,"[ ] which remark, taking into consideration the debased taste of the times, is significant. a perfect holocaust followed, which extending through that shocking time known as the churchwarden period has not yet spent itself in the present day. municipal improvements threaten to go further still, and in these commercial days, when combined capital under such appellations as the "metropolitan co-operative" or the "universal supply stores" endeavours to increase its display behind plate-glass windows of immodest size, the life of old buildings seems painfully insecure. [ ] _excursions in essex_, published in , states: "the old market cross and gaol are taking down. the market cross has long been considered a nuisance." a good number of fine early barge-boards still remain in saffron walden, and the timber houses which have been allowed to remain speak only too eloquently of the beauties which have vanished. one of these structures--a large timber building or collection of buildings, for the dates of erection are various--stands in church street, and was formerly the sun inn, a hostel of much importance in bygone times. this house of entertainment is said to have been in the quarters of the parliamentary generals cromwell, ireton, and skippon. in , during the conversion of the sun inn into private residences, some glazed tiles were discovered bricked up in what had once been an open hearth. these tiles were collectively painted with a picture on each side of the hearth, and bore the inscription "w.e. ," while on one of them a bust of the lord protector was depicted, thus showing the tradition to have been honoured during the second george's time.[ ] saffron walden was the rendezvous of the parliamentarian forces after the sacking of leicester, having their encampment on triplow heath. a remarkable incident may be mentioned in connexion with this fact. in a rustic, while ploughing some land to the south of the town, turned up with his share the brass seal of leicester hospital, which seal had doubtless formed part of the loot acquired by the rebel army. [ ] these tiles have now found a place in the excellent local museum. the sun inn, or "house of the giants," as it has sometimes been called, from the colossal figures which appear in the pargeting over its gateway, is a building which evidently grew with the needs of the town, and a study of its architectural features is curiously instructive. the following extract from pepys's _diary_ is interesting as referring to saffron walden:-- " , feby. th. up by four o'clock. mr. blayton and i took horse and straight to saffron walden, where at the white hart we set up our horses and took the master to show us audley end house, where the housekeeper showed us all the house, in which the stateliness of the ceilings, chimney-pieces, and form of the whole was exceedingly worth seeing. he took us into the cellar, where we drank most admirable drink, a health to the king. here i played on my flageolette, there being an excellent echo. he showed us excellent pictures; two especially, those of the four evangelists and henry viii. in our going my landlord carried us through a very old hospital or almshouse, where forty poor people were maintained; a very old foundation, and over the chimney-piece was an inscription in brass: 'orato pro animâ thomae bird,' &c. they brought me a draft of their drink in a brown bowl, tipt with silver, which i drank off, and at the bottom was a picture of the virgin with the child in her arms done in silver. so we took leave...." the inscription and the "brown bowl" (which is a mazer cup) still remain, but the picturesque front of the hospital, built in the reign of edward vi, disappeared during the awful "improvements" which took place during the "fifties." a drawing of it survives in the local museum. maldon, the capital of the blackwater district, is to the eye of an artist a town for twilight effects. the picturesque skyline of its long, straggling street is accentuated in the early morning or afterglow, when much undesirable detail of modern times below the tiled roofs is blurred and lost. in broad daylight the quaintness of its suburbs towards the river reeks of the salt flavour of w.w. jacobs's stories. formerly the town was rich with such massive timber buildings as still appear in the yard of the blue boar--an ancient hostelry which was evidently modernized externally in pickwickian times. while exploring in the outhouses of this hostel mr. roe lighted on a venerable posting-coach of early nineteenth-century origin among some other decaying vehicles, a curiosity even more rare nowadays than the gothic king-posts to be seen in the picturesque half-timbered billiard-room. [illustration: maldon, essex. sky-line of the high street at twilight] the country around maldon is dotted plentifully with evidences of past ages; layer marney, with its famous towers; d'arcy hall, noted for containing some of the finest linen panelling in england; beeleigh abbey, and other old-world buildings. the sea-serpent may still be seen at heybridge, on the norman church-door, one of the best of its kind, and exhibiting almost all its original ironwork, including the chimerical decorative clamp. [illustration: st. mary's church, maldon] the ancient house exhibited at the franco-british exhibition at shepherd's bush was a typical example of an elizabethan dwelling. it was brought from ipswich, where it was doomed to make room for the extension of co-operative stores, but so firmly was it built that, in spite of its age of three hundred and fifty years, it defied for some time the attacks of the house-breakers. it was built in , as the date carved on the solid lintel shows, but some parts of the structure may have been earlier. all the oak joists and rafters had been securely mortised into each other and fixed with stout wooden pins. so securely were these pins fixed, that after many vain attempts to knock them out, they had all to be bored out with augers. the mortises and tenons were found to be as sound and clean as on the day when they were fitted by the sixteenth-century carpenters. the foundations and the chimneys were built of brick. the house contained a large entrance-hall, a kitchen, a splendidly carved staircase, a living-room, and two good bedrooms, on the upper floor. the whole house was a fine specimen of east anglian half-timber work. the timbers that formed the framework were all straight, the diamond and curved patterns, familiar in western counties, signs of later construction, being altogether absent. one of the striking features of this, as of many other timber-framed houses, is the carved corner or angle post. it curves outwards as a support to the projecting first floor to the extent of nearly two feet, and the whole piece was hewn out of one massive oak log, the root, as was usual, having been placed upwards, and beautifully carved with gothic floriations. the full overhang of the gables is four feet six inches. in later examples this distance between the gables and the wall was considerably reduced, until at last the barge-boards were flush with the wall. the joists of the first floor project from under a finely carved string-course, and the end of each joist has a carved finial. all the inside walls were panelled with oak, and the fire-place is of the typical old english character, with seats for half a dozen people in the ingle-nook. the principal room had a fine tudor door, and the frieze and some of the panels were enriched with an inlay of holly. when the house was demolished many of the choicest fittings which were missing from their places were found carefully stowed under the floor boards. possibly a raid or a riot had alarmed the owners in some distant period, and they hid their nicest things and then were slain, and no one knew of the secret hiding-place. [illustration: norman clamp on door of heybridge church, essex] [illustration: tudor fire-place. now walled up in the passage of a shop in banbury] the rector of haughton calls attention to a curious old house which certainly ought to be preserved if it has not yet quite vanished. "it is completely hidden from the public gaze. right away in the fields, to be reached only by footpath, or by strangely circuitous lane, in the parish of ranton, there stands a little old half-timbered house, known as the vicarage farm. only a very practised eye would suspect the treasures that it contains. entering through the original door, with quaint knocker intact, you are in the kitchen with a fine open fire-place, noble beam, and walls panelled with oak. but the principal treasure consists in what i have heard called 'the priest's room.' i should venture to put the date of the house at about --certainly pre-reformation. how did it come to be there? and what purpose did it serve? i have only been able to find one note which can throw any possible light on the matter. gough says that a certain rose (dunston?) brought land at ranton to her husband john doiley; and he goes on: 'this man had the consent of william, the prior of ranton, to erect a chapel at ranton.' the little church at ranton has stood there from the thirteenth century, as the architecture of the west end and south-west doorway plainly testify. the church and cell (or whatever you may call it) must clearly have been an off-shoot from the priory. but the room: for this is what is principally worth seeing. the beam is richly moulded, and so is the panelling throughout. it has a very well carved course of panelling all round the top, and this is surmounted by an elaborate cornice. the stone mantelpiece is remarkably fine and of unusual character. but the most striking feature of the room is a square-headed arched recess, or niche, with pierced spandrels. what was its use? it is about the right height for a seat, and what may have been the seat is there unaltered. or was it a niche containing a calvary, or some figure? i confess i know nothing. is this a unique example? i cannot remember any other. but possibly there may be others, equally hidden away, comparison with which might unfold its secret. in this room, and in other parts of the house, much of the old ironwork of hinges and door-fasteners remains, and is simply excellent. the old oak sliding shutters are still there, and two more fine stone mantelpieces; on one hearth the original encaustic tiles with patterns, chiefly a maltese cross, and the oak cill surrounding them, are _in situ_. i confess i tremble for the safety of this priceless relic. the house is in a somewhat dilapidated condition; and i know that one attempt was made to buy the panelling and take it away. surely such a monument of the past should be in some way guarded by the nation." the beauty of english cottage-building, its directness, simplicity, variety, and above all its inevitable quality, the intimate way in which the buildings ally themselves with the soil and blend with the ever-varied and exquisite landscape, the delicate harmonies, almost musical in their nature, that grow from their gentle relationship with their surroundings, the modulation from man's handiwork to god's enveloping world that lies in the quiet gardening that binds one to the other without discord or dissonance--all these things are wonderfully attractive to those who have eyes to see and hearts to understand. the english cottages have an importance in the story of the development of architecture far greater than that which concerns their mere beauty and picturesqueness. as we follow the history of gothic art we find that for the most part the instinctive art in relation to church architecture came to an end in the first quarter of the sixteenth century, but the right impulse did not cease. house-building went on, though there was no church-building, and we admire greatly some of those grand mansions which were reared in the time of elizabeth and the early stuarts; but art was declining, a crumbling taste causing disintegration of the sense of real beauty and refinement of detail. a creeping paralysis set in later, and the end came swiftly when the dark days of the eighteenth century blotted out even the memory of a great past. and yet during all this time the people, the poor and middle classes, the yeomen and farmers, were ever building, building, quietly and simply, untroubled by any thoughts of style, of gothic art or renaissance; hence the cottages and dwellings of the humblest type maintained in all their integrity the real principles that made medieval architecture great. frank, simple, and direct, built for use and not for the establishment of architectural theories, they have transmitted their messages to the ages and have preserved their beauties for the admiration of mankind and as models for all time. [illustration: wilney street burford] chapter v old castles castles have played a prominent part in the making of england. many towns owe their existence to the protecting guard of an old fortress. they grew up beneath its sheltering walls like children holding the gown of their good mother, though the castle often proved but a harsh and cruel stepmother, and exacted heavy tribute in return for partial security from pillage and rapine. thus newcastle-upon-tyne arose about the early fortress erected in by robert curthose to guard the passage of the river at the pons aelii. the poor little saxon village of monkchester was then its neighbour. but the castle occupying a fine strategic position soon attracted townsfolk, who built their houses 'neath its shadow. the town of richmond owes its existence to the lordly castle which alain rufus, a cousin of the duke of brittany, erected on land granted to him by the conqueror. an old rhyme tells how he came out of brittany with his wife tiffany, and his maid manfras, and his dog hardigras. he built his walls of stone. we must not imagine, however, that an early norman castle was always a vast keep of stone. that came later. the normans called their earliest strongholds _mottes_, which consisted of a mound with stockades and a deep ditch and a bailey-court also defended by a ditch and stockades. instead of the great stone keep of later days, "foursquare to every wind that blew," there was a wooden tower for the shelter of the garrison. you can see in the bayeux tapestry the followers of william the conqueror in the act of erecting some such tower of defence. such structures were somewhat easily erected, and did not require a long period for their construction. hence they were very useful for the holding of a conquered country. sometimes advantage was taken of the works that the romans had left. the normans made use of the old stone walls built by the earliest conquerors of britain. thus we find at pevensey a norman fortress born within the ancient fortress reared by the romans to protect that portion of the southern coast from the attacks of the northern pirates. porchester keep rose in the time of the first henry at the north-west angle of the roman fort. william i erected his castle at colchester on the site of the roman _castrum_. the old roman wall of london was used by the conqueror for the eastern defence of his tower that he erected to keep in awe the citizens of the metropolis, and at lincoln and colchester the works of the first conquerors of britain were eagerly utilized by him. one of the most important roman castles in the country is burgh castle, in north suffolk, with its grand and noble walls. the late mr. g.e. fox thus described the ruins:-- "according to the plan on the ordnance survey map, the walls enclose a quadrangular area roughly feet long by wide, the walls being feet thick with a foundation feet in width. the angles of the station are rounded. the eastern wall is strengthened by four solid bastions, one standing against each of the rounded angles, the other two intermediate, and the north and south sides have one each, neither of them being in the centre of the side, but rather west of it. the quaggy ground between the camp and the stream would be an excellent defence against sudden attack." [illustration: burgh castle] burgh castle, according to the late canon raven, was the roman station _gariannonum_ of the _notitia imperii_. its walls are built of flint-rubble concrete, and there are lacing courses of tiles. there is no wall on the west, and canon raven used to contend that one existed there but has been destroyed. but this conjecture seems improbable. that side was probably defended by the sea, which has considerably receded. two gates remain, the principal one being the east gate, commanded by towers a hundred feet high; while the north is a postern-gate about five feet wide. the romans have not left many traces behind them. some coins have been found, including a silver one of gratian and some of constantine. here st. furseus, an irish missionary, is said to have settled with a colony of monks, having been favourably received by sigebert, the ruler of the east angles, in a.d. burgh castle is one of the finest specimens of a roman fort which our earliest conquerors have left us, and ranks with reculver, richborough, and pevensey, those strong fortresses which were erected nearly two thousand years ago to guard the coasts against foreign foes. in early days, ere norman and saxon became a united people, the castle was the sign of the supremacy of the conquerors and the subjugation of the english. it kept watch and ward over tumultuous townsfolk and prevented any acts of rebellion and hostility to their new masters. thus london's tower arose to keep the turbulent citizens in awe as well as to protect them from foreign foes. thus at norwich the castle dominated the town, and required for its erection the destruction of over a hundred houses. at lincoln the conqueror destroyed houses in order to construct a strong _motte_ at the south-west corner of the old _castrum_ in order to overawe the city. sometimes castles were erected to protect the land from foreign foes. the fort at colchester was intended to resist the danes if ever their threatened invasion came, and norwich castle was erected quite as much to drive back the scandinavian hosts as to keep in order the citizens. newcastle and carlisle were of strategic importance for driving back the scots, and lancaster keep, traditionally said to have been reared by roger de poitou, but probably of later date, bore the brunt of many a marauding invasion. to check the incursions of the welsh, who made frequent and powerful irruptions into herefordshire, many castles were erected in shropshire and herefordshire, forming a chain of fortresses which are more numerous than in any other part of england. they are of every shape and size, from stately piles like wigmore and goodrich, to the smallest fortified farm, like urishay castle, a house half mansion, half fortress. even the church towers of herefordshire, with their walls seven or eight feet thick, such as that at ewias harold, look as if they were designed as strongholds in case of need. on the western and northern borders of england we find the largest number of fortresses, erected to restrain and keep back troublesome neighbours. the story of the english castles abounds in interest and romance. most of them are ruins now, but fancy pictures them in the days of their splendour, the abodes of chivalry and knightly deeds, of "fair ladies and brave men," and each one can tell its story of siege and battle-cries, of strenuous attack and gallant defence, of prominent parts played in the drama of english history. to some of these we shall presently refer, but it would need a very large volume to record the whole story of our english fortresses. we have said that the earliest norman castle was a _motte_ fortified by a stockade, an earthwork protected with timber palings. that is the latest theory amongst antiquaries, but there are not a few who maintain that the normans, who proved themselves such admirable builders of the stoutest of stone churches, would not long content themselves with such poor fortresses. there were stone castles before the normans, besides the old roman walls at pevensey, colchester, london, and lincoln. and there came from normandy a monk named gundulf in who was a mighty builder. he was consecrated bishop of rochester and began to build his cathedral with wondrous architectural skill. he is credited with devising a new style of military architecture, and found much favour with the conqueror, who at the time especially needed strong walls to guard himself and his hungry followers. he was ordered by the king to build the first beginnings of the tower of london. he probably designed the keep at colchester and the castle of his cathedral town, and set the fashion of building these great ramparts of stone which were so serviceable in the subjugation and overawing of the english. the fashion grew, much to the displeasure of the conquered, who deemed them "homes of wrong and badges of bondage," hateful places filled with devils and evil men who robbed and spoiled them. and when they were ordered to set to work on castle-building their impotent wrath knew no bounds. it is difficult to ascertain how many were constructed during the conqueror's reign. domesday tells of forty-nine. another authority, mr. pearson, mentions ninety-nine, and mrs. armitage after a careful examination of documents contends for eighty-six. but there may have been many others. in stephen's reign castles spread like an evil sore over the land. his traitorous subjects broke their allegiance to their king and preyed upon the country. the _anglo-saxon chronicle_ records that "every rich man built his castles and defended them against him, and they filled the land full of castles. they greatly oppressed the wretched people by making them work at these castles, and when the castles were finished they filled them with devils and evil men. then they took those whom they suspected to have any goods, by night and by day, seizing both men and women, and they put them in prison for their gold and silver, and tortured them with pains unspeakable, for never were any martyrs tormented as these were. they hung some up by their feet and smoked them with foul smoke; some by their thumbs or by the head, and they hung burning things on their feet. they put a knotted string about their heads, and twisted it till it went into the brain. they put them into dungeons wherein were adders and snakes and toads, and thus wore them out. some they put into a crucet-house, that is, into a chest that was short and narrow and not deep, and they put sharp stones in it, and crushed the man therein so that they broke all his limbs. there were hateful and grim things called sachenteges in many of the castles, and which two or three men had enough to do to carry. the sachentege was made thus: it was fastened to a beam, having a sharp iron to go round a man's throat and neck, so that he might noways sit, nor lie, nor sleep, but that he must bear all the iron. many thousands they exhausted with hunger. i cannot, and i may not, tell of all the wounds and all the tortures that they inflicted upon the wretched men of this land; and this state of things lasted the nineteen years that stephen was king, and ever grew worse and worse. they were continually levying an exaction from the towns, which they called tenserie,[ ] and when the miserable inhabitants had no more to give, then plundered they and burnt all the towns, so that well mightest thou walk a whole day's journey nor ever shouldest thou find a man seated in a town or its lands tilled." [ ] a payment to the superior lord for protection. more than a thousand of these abodes of infamy are said to have been built. possibly many of them were timber structures only. countless small towns and villages boast of once possessing a fortress. the name castle street remains, though the actual site of the stronghold has long vanished. sometimes we find a mound which seems to proclaim its position, but memory is silent, and the people of england, if the story of the chronicler be true, have to be grateful to henry ii, who set himself to work to root up and destroy very many of these adulterine castles which were the abodes of tyranny and oppression. however, for the protection of his kingdom, he raised other strongholds, in the south the grand fortress of dover, which still guards the straits; in the west, berkeley castle, for his friend robert fitzharding, ancestor of lord berkeley, which has remained in the same family until the present day; in the north, richmond, scarborough, and newcastle-upon-tyne; and in the east, orford keep. the same stern norman keep remains, but you can see some changes in the architecture. the projection of the buttresses is increased, and there is some attempt at ornamentation. orford castle, which some guide-books and directories will insist on confusing with oxford castle and stating that it was built by robert d'oiley in , was erected by henry ii to defend the country against the incursions of the flemings and to safeguard orford haven. caen stone was brought for the stone dressings to windows and doors, parapets and groins, but masses of septaria found on the shore and in the neighbouring marshes were utilized with such good effect that the walls have stood the attacks of besiegers and weathered the storms of the east coast for more than seven centuries. it was built in a new fashion that was made in france, and to which our english eyes were unaccustomed, and is somewhat similar in plan to conisborough castle, in the valley of the don. the plan is circular with three projecting towers, and the keep was protected by two circular ditches, one fifteen feet and the other thirty feet distant from its walls. between the two ditches was a circular wall with parapet and battlements. the interior of the castle was divided into three floors; the towers, exclusive of the turrets, had five, two of which were entresols, and were ninety-six feet high, the central keep being seventy feet.[ ] the oven was at the top of the keep. the chapel is one of the most interesting chambers, with its original altar still in position, though much damaged, and also piscina, aumbrey, and ciborium. this castle nearly vanished with other features of vanishing england in the middle of the eighteenth century, lord hereford proposing to pull it down for the sake of the material; but "it being a necessary sea-mark, especially for ships coming from holland, who by steering so as to make the castle cover or hide the church thereby avoid a dangerous sandbank called the whiting, government interfered and prevented the destruction of the building."[ ] [ ] cf. _memorials of old suffolk_, p. . [ ] grose's _antiquities._ in these keeps the thickness of the walls enabled them to contain chambers, stairs, and passages. at guildford there is an oratory with rude carvings of sacred subjects, including a crucifixion. the first and second floors were usually vaulted, and the upper ones were of timber. fireplaces were built in most of the rooms, and some sort of domestic comfort was not altogether forgotten. in the earlier fortresses the walls of the keep enclosed an inner court, which had rooms built up to the great stone walls, the court afterwards being vaulted and floors erected. in order to protect the entrance there were heavy doors with a portcullis, and by degrees the outward defences were strengthened. there was an outer bailey or court surrounded by a strong wall, with a barbican guarding the entrance, consisting of a strong gate protected by two towers. in this lower or outer court are the stables, and the mound where the lord of the castle dispenses justice, and where criminals and traitors are executed. another strong gateway flanked by towers protects the inner bailey, on the edge of which stands the keep, which frowns down upon us as we enter. an immense household was supported in these castles. not only were there men-at-arms, but also cooks, bakers, brewers, tailors, carpenters, smiths, masons, and all kinds of craftsmen; and all this crowd of workers had to be provided with accommodation by the lord of the castle. hence a building in the form of a large hall was erected, sometimes of stone, usually of wood, in the lower or upper bailey, for these soldiers and artisans, where they slept and had their meals. amongst other castles which arose during this late norman and early english period of architecture we may mention barnard castle, a mighty stronghold, held by the royal house of balliol, the prince bishops of durham, the earls of warwick, the nevilles, and other powerful families. sir walter scott immortalized the castle in _rokeby_. here is his description of the fortress:-- high crowned he sits, in dawning pale, the sovereign of the lovely vale. what prospects from the watch-tower high gleam gradual on the warder's eye? far sweeping to the east he sees down his deep woods the course of tees, and tracks his wanderings by the steam of summer vapours from the stream; and ere he pace his destined hour by brackenbury's dungeon tower, these silver mists shall melt away and dew the woods with glittering spray. then in broad lustre shall be shown that mighty trench of living stone. and each huge trunk that from the side, reclines him o'er the darksome tide, where tees, full many a fathom low, wears with his rage no common foe; nor pebbly bank, nor sand-bed here, nor clay-mound checks his fierce career, condemned to mine a channelled way o'er solid sheets of marble grey. this lordly pile has seen the balliols fighting with the scots, of whom john balliol became king, the fierce contests between the warlike prelates of durham and barnard's lord, the triumph of the former, who were deprived of their conquest by edward i, and then its surrender in later times to the rebels of queen elizabeth. another northern border castle is norham, the possession of the bishop of durham, built during this period. it was a mighty fortress, and witnessed the gorgeous scene of the arbitration between the rival claimants to the scottish throne, the arbiter being king edward i of england, who forgot not to assert his own fancied rights to the overlordship of the northern kingdom. it was, however, besieged by the scots, and valiant deeds were wrought before its walls by sir william marmion and sir thomas grey, but the scots captured it in and again in . it is now but a battered ruin. prudhoe, with its memories of border wars, and castle rising, redolent with the memories of the last years of the wicked widow of edward ii, belong to this age of castle-architecture, and also the older portions of kenilworth. pontefract castle, the last fortress that held out for king charles in the civil war, and in consequence slighted and ruined, can tell of many dark deeds and strange events in english history. the de lacys built it in the early part of the thirteenth century. its area was seven acres. the wall of the castle court was high and flanked by seven towers; a deep moat was cut on the western side, where was the barbican and drawbridge. it had terrible dungeons, one a room twenty-five feet square, without any entrance save a trap-door in the floor of a turret. the castle passed, in , by marriage to thomas earl of lancaster, who took part in the strife between edward ii and his nobles, was captured, and in his own hall condemned to death. the castle is always associated with the murder of richard ii, but contemporary historians, thomas of walsingham and gower the poet, assert that he starved himself to death; others contend that his starvation was not voluntary; while there are not wanting those who say that he escaped to scotland, lived there many years, and died in peace in the castle of stirling, an honoured guest of robert iii of scotland, in . i have not seen the entries, but i am told in the accounts of the chamberlain of scotland there are items for the maintenance of the king for eleven years. but popular tales die hard, and doubtless you will hear the groans and see the ghost of the wronged richard some moonlight night in the ruined keep of pontefract. he has many companion ghosts--the earl of salisbury, richard duke of york, anthony wydeville, earl rivers and grey his brother, and sir thomas vaughan, whose feet trod the way to the block, that was worn hard by many victims. the dying days of the old castle made it illustrious. it was besieged three times, taken and retaken, and saw amazing scenes of gallantry and bravery. it held out until after the death of the martyr king; it heard the proclamation of charles ii, but at length was compelled to surrender, and "the strongest inland garrison in the kingdom," as oliver cromwell termed it, was slighted and made a ruin. its sister fortress knaresborough shared its fate. lord lytton, in _eugene aram_, wrote of it:-- "you will be at a loss to recognise now the truth of old leland's description of that once stout and gallant bulwark of the north, when 'he numbrid or toures in the walles of the castel, and one very fayre beside in the second area.' in that castle the four knightly murderers of the haughty becket (the wolsey of his age) remained for a whole year, defying the weak justice of the times. there, too, the unfortunate richard ii passed some portion of his bitter imprisonment. and there, after the battle of marston moor, waved the banner of the loyalists against the soldiers of lilburn." an interesting story is told of the siege. a youth, whose father was in the garrison, each night went into the deep, dry moat, climbed up the glacis, and put provisions through a hole where his father stood ready to receive them. he was seen at length, fired on by the parliamentary soldiers, and sentenced to be hanged in sight of the besieged as a warning to others. but a good lady obtained his respite, and after the conquest of the place was released. the castle then, once the residence of piers gaveston, of henry iii, and of john of gaunt, was dismantled and destroyed. during the reign of henry iii great progress was made in the improvement and development of castle-building. the comfort and convenience of the dwellers in these fortresses were considered, and if not very luxurious places they were made more beautiful by art and more desirable as residences. during the reigns of the edwards this progress continued, and a new type of castle was introduced. the stern, massive, and high-towering keep was abandoned, and the fortifications arranged in a concentric fashion. a fine hall with kitchens occupied the centre of the fortress; a large number of chambers were added. the stronghold itself consisted of a large square or oblong like that at donnington, berkshire, and the approach was carefully guarded by strong gateways, advanced works, walled galleries, and barbicans. deep moats filled with water increased their strength and improved their beauty. we will give some examples of these edwardian castles, of which leeds castle, kent, is a fine specimen. it stands on three islands in a sheet of water about fifteen acres in extent, these islands being connected in former times by double drawbridges. it consists of two huge piles of buildings which with a strong gate-house and barbican form four distinct forts, capable of separate defence should any one or other fall into the hands of an enemy. three causeways, each with its drawbridge, gate, and portcullis, lead to the smallest island or inner barbican, a fortified mill contributing to the defences. a stone bridge connects this island with the main island. there stands the constable's tower, and a stone wall surrounds the island and within is the modern mansion. the maiden's tower and the water tower defend the island on the south. a two-storeyed building on arches now connects the main island with the tower of the gloriette, which has a curious old bell with the virgin and child, st. george and the dragon, and the crucifixion depicted on it, and an ancient clock. the castle withstood a siege in the time of edward ii because queen isabella was refused admission. the king hung the governor, thomas de colepepper, by the chain of the drawbridge. henry iv retired here on account of the plague in london, and his second wife, joan of navarre, was imprisoned here. it was a favourite residence of the court in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. here the wife of humphrey, duke of gloucester, was tried for witchcraft. dutch prisoners were confined here in and contrived to set fire to some of the buildings. it is the home of the wykeham martin family, and is one of the most picturesque castles in the country. in the same neighbourhood is allington castle, an ivy-mantled ruin, another example of vanished glory, only two tenements occupying the princely residence of the wyatts, famous in the history of state and letters. sir henry, the father of the poet, felt the power of the hunchback richard, and was racked and imprisoned in scotland, and would have died in the tower of london but for a cat. he rose to great honour under henry vii, and here entertained the king in great style. at allington the poet sir thomas wyatt was born, and spent his days in writing prose and verse, hunting and hawking, and occasionally dallying after mistress anne boleyn at the neighbouring castle of hever. he died here in , and his son sir thomas led the insurrection against queen mary and sealed the fate of himself and his race. hever castle, to which allusion has been made, is an example of the transition between the old fortress and the more comfortable mansion of a country squire or magnate. times were less dangerous, the country more peaceful when sir geoffrey boleyn transformed and rebuilt the castle built in the reign of edward iii by william de hever, but the strong entrance-gate flanked by towers, embattled and machicolated, and defended by stout doors and three portcullises and the surrounding moat, shows that the need of defence had not quite passed away. the gates lead into a courtyard around which the hall, chapel, and domestic chambers are grouped. the long gallery anne boleyn so often traversed with impatience still seems to re-echo her steps, and her bedchamber, which used to contain some of the original furniture, has always a pathetic interest. the story of the courtship of henry viii with "the brown girl with a perthroat and an extra finger," as margaret more described her, is well known. her old home, which was much in decay, has passed into the possession of a wealthy american gentleman, and has been recently greatly restored and transformed. sussex can boast of many a lordly castle, and in its day bodiam must have been very magnificent. even in its decay and ruin it is one of the most beautiful in england. it combined the palace of the feudal lord and the fortress of a knight. the founder, sir john dalyngrudge, was a gallant soldier in the wars of edward iii, and spent most of his best years in france, where he had doubtless learned the art of making his house comfortable as well as secure. he acquired licence to fortify his castle in "for resistance against our enemies." there was need of strong walls, as the french often at that period ravaged the coast of sussex, burning towns and manor-houses. clark, the great authority on castles, says that "bodiam is a complete and typical castle of the end of the fourteenth century, laid out entirely on a new site, and constructed after one design and at one period. it but seldom happens that a great fortress is wholly original, of one, and that a known, date, and so completely free from alterations or additions." it is nearly square, with circular tower sixty-five feet high at the four corners, connected by embattled curtain-walls, in the centre of each of which square towers rise to an equal height with the circular. the gateway is a large structure composed of two flanking towers defended by numerous oiletts for arrows, embattled parapets, and deep machicolations. over the gateway are three shields bearing the arms of bodiam, dalyngrudge, and wardieu. a huge portcullis still frowns down upon us, and two others opposed the way, while above are openings in the vault through which melted lead, heated sand, pitch, and other disagreeable things could be poured on the heads of the foe. in the courtyard on the south stands the great hall with its oriel, buttery, and kitchen, and amidst the ruins you can discern the chapel, sacristy, ladies' bower, presence chamber. the castle stayed not long in the family of the builder, his son john probably perishing in the wars, and passed to sir thomas lewknor, who opposed richard iii, and was therefore attainted of high treason and his castle besieged and taken. it was restored to him again by henry vii, but the lewknors never resided there again. waller destroyed it after the capture of arundel, and since that time it has been left a prey to the rains and frosts and storms, but manages to preserve much of its beauty, and to tell how noble knights lived in the days of chivalry. caister castle is one of the four principal castles in norfolk. it is built of brick, and is one of the earliest edifices in england constructed of that material after its rediscovery as suitable for building purposes. it stands with its strong defences not far from the sea on the barren coast. it was built by sir john fastolfe, who fought with great distinction in the french wars of henry v and henry vi, and was the hero of the battle of the herrings in , when he defeated the french and succeeded in convoying a load of herrings in triumph to the english camp before orleans. it is supposed that he was the prototype of shakespeare's falstaff, but beyond the resemblance in the names there is little similarity in the exploits of the two "heroes." sir john fastolfe, much to the chagrin of other friends and relatives, made john paston his heir, who became a great and prosperous man, represented his county in parliament, and was a favourite of edward iv. paston loved caister, his "fair jewell"; but misfortunes befell him. he had great losses, and was thrice confined in the fleet prison and then outlawed. those were dangerous days, and friends often quarrelled. hence during his troubles the duke of norfolk and lord scales tried to get possession of caister, and after his death laid siege to it. the pastons lacked not courage and determination, and defended it for a year, but were then forced to surrender. however, it was restored to them, but again forcibly taken from them. however, not by the sword but by negotiations and legal efforts, sir john again gained his own, and an embattled tower at the north-west corner, one hundred feet high, and the north and west walls remain to tell the story of this brave old norfolk family, who by their _letters_ have done so much to guide us through the dark period to which they relate. [illustration: caister castle aug ] [illustration: defaced arms. taunton castle] we will journey to the west country, a region of castles. the saxons were obliged to erect their rude earthen strongholds to keep back the turbulent welsh, and these were succeeded by norman keeps. monmouthshire is famous for its castles. out of the thousand erected in norman times twenty-five were built in that county. there is chepstow castle with its early norman gateway spanned by a circular arch flanked by round towers. in the inner court there are gardens and ruins of a grand hall, and in the outer the remains of a chapel with evidences of beautifully groined vaulting, and also a winding staircase leading to the battlements. in the dungeon of the old keep at the south-east corner of the inner court roger de britolio, earl of hereford, was imprisoned for rebellion against the conqueror, and in later times henry martin, the regicide, lingered as a prisoner for thirty years, employing his enforced leisure in writing a book in order to prove that it is not right for a man to be governed by one wife. then there is glosmont castle, the fortified residence of the earl of lancaster; skenfrith castle, white castle, the _album castrum_ of the latin records, the landreilo of the welsh, with its six towers, portcullis and drawbridge flanked by massive towers, barbican, and other outworks; and raglan castle with its splendid gateway, its elizabethan banqueting-hall ornamented with rich stone tracery, its bowling-green, garden terraces, and spacious courts--an ideal place for knightly tournaments. raglan is associated with the gallant defence of the castle by the marquis of worcester in the civil war. another famous siege is connected with the old castle of taunton. taunton was a noted place in saxon days, and the castle is the earliest english fortress by some two hundred years of which we have any written historical record.[ ] the anglo-saxon chronicler states, under the date a.d.: "this year queen ethelburge overthrew taunton, which ina had before built." the buildings tell their story. we see a norman keep built to the westward of ina's earthwork, probably by henry de blois, bishop of winchester, the warlike brother of king stephen. the gatehouse with the curtain ending in drum towers, of which one only remains, was first built at the close of the thirteenth century under edward i; but it was restored with perpendicular additions by bishop thomas langton, whose arms with the date may be seen on the escutcheon above the arch. probably bishop langton also built the great hall; whilst bishop home, who is sometimes credited with this work, most likely only repaired the hall, but tacked on to it the southward structure on pilasters, which shows his arms with the date . the hall of the castle was for a long period used as assize courts. the castle was purchased by the taunton and somerset archæological society, and is now most appropriately a museum. taunton has seen many strange sights. the town was owned by the bishop of winchester, and the castle had its constable, an office held by many great men. when lord daubeney of barrington court was constable in taunton saw thousands of gaunt cornishmen marching on to london to protest against the king's subsidy, and they aroused the sympathy of the kind-hearted somerset folk, who fed them, and were afterwards fined for "aiding and comforting" them. again, crowds of cornishmen here flocked to the standard of perkin warbeck. the gallant defence of taunton by robert blake, aided by the townsfolk, against the whole force of the royalists, is a matter of history, and also the rebellion of monmouth, who made taunton his head-quarters. this castle, like every other one in england, has much to tell us of the chief events in our national annals. [ ] _taunton and its castle_, by d.p. alford (memorials of old somerset), p. . in the principality of wales we find many noted strong holds--conway, harlech, and many others. carnarvon castle, the repair of which is being undertaken by sir john puleston, has no rival among our medieval fortresses for the grandeur and extent of the ruins. it was commenced about by edward i, but took forty years to complete. in a playful north walian, named madoc, who was an illegitimate son of prince david, took the rising stronghold by surprise upon a fair day, massacred the entire garrison, and hanged the constable from his own half-finished walls. sir john puleston, the present constable, though he derives his patronymic from the "base, bloody, and brutal saxon," is really a warmly patriotic welshman, and is doing a good work in preserving the ruins of the fortress of which he is the titular governor. we should like to record the romantic stories that have woven themselves around each crumbling keep and bailey-court, to see them in the days of their glory when warders kept the gate and watching archers guarded the wall, and the lord and lady and their knights and esquires dined in the great hall, and knights practised feats of arms in the tilting-ground, and the banner of the lord waved over the battlements, and everything was ready for war or sport, hunting or hawking. but all the glories of most of the castles of england have vanished, and naught is to be seen but ruined walls and deserted halls. some few have survived and become royal palaces or noblemen's mansions. such are windsor, warwick, raby, alnwick, and arundel, but the fate of most of them is very similar. the old fortress aimed at being impregnable in the days of bows and arrows; but the progress of guns and artillery somewhat changed the ideas with regard to their security. in the struggle between yorkists and lancastrians many a noble owner lost his castle and his head. edward iv thinned down castle-ownership, and many a fine fortress was left to die. when the spaniards threatened our shores those who possessed castles tried to adapt them for the use of artillery, and when the civil war began many of them were strengthened and fortified and often made gallant defences against their enemies, such as donnington, colchester, scarborough, and pontefract. when the civil war ended the last bugle sounded the signal for their destruction. orders were issued for their destruction, lest they should ever again be thorns in the sides of the parliamentary army. sometimes they were destroyed for revenge, or because of their materials, which were sold for the benefit of the government or for the satisfaction of private greed. lead was torn from the roofs of chapels and banqueting-halls. the massive walls were so strong that they resisted to the last and had to be demolished with the aid of gunpowder. they became convenient quarries for stone and furnished many a farm, cottage and manor-house with materials for their construction. henceforth the old castle became a ruin. in its silent marshy moat reeds and rushes grow, and ivy covers its walls, and trees have sprung up in the quiet and deserted courts. picnic parties encamp on the green sward, and excursionists amuse themselves in strolling along the walls and wonder why they were built so thick, and imagine that the castle was always a ruin erected for the amusement of the cheap-tripper for jest and playground. happily care is usually bestowed upon the relics that remain, and diligent antiquaries excavate and try to rear in imagination the stately buildings. some have been fortunate enough to become museums, and some modernized and restored are private residences. the english castle recalls some of the most eventful scenes in english history, and its bones and skeleton should be treated with respect and veneration as an important feature of vanishing england. [illustration: knightly bascinet (_temp._ henry v) in norwich castle] chapter vi vanishing or vanished churches no buildings have suffered more than our parish churches in the course of ages. many have vanished entirely. a few stones or ruins mark the site of others, and iconoclasm has left such enduring marks on the fabric of many that remain that it is difficult to read their story and history. a volume, several volumes, would be needed to record all the vandalism that has been done to our ecclesiastical structures in the ages that have passed. we can only be thankful that some churches have survived to proclaim the glories of english architecture and the skill of our masons and artificers who wrought so well and worthily in olden days. in the chapter that relates to the erosion of our coasts we have mentioned many of the towns and villages which have been devoured by the sea with their churches. these now lie beneath the waves, and the bells in their towers are still said to ring when storms rage. we need not record again the submerged ravenspur, dunwich, kilnsea, and other unfortunate towns with their churches where now only mermaids can form the congregation. and as the fisherman strays when the clear cold eve's declining, he sees the round tower of other days in the wave beneath him shining. in the depths of the country, far from the sea, we can find many deserted shrines, many churches that once echoed with the songs of praise of faithful worshippers, wherein were celebrated the divine mysteries, and organs pealed forth celestial music, but now forsaken, desecrated, ruined, forgotten. the altar has vanished, the rood screen flown, foundation and buttress are ivy-grown; the arches are shattered, the roof has gone, the mullions are mouldering one by one; foxglove and cow-grass and waving weed grow over the scrolls where you once could read benedicite. many of them have been used as quarries, and only a few stones remain to mark the spot where once stood a holy house of god. before the reformation the land must have teemed with churches. i know not the exact number of monastic houses once existing in england. there must have been at least a thousand, and each had its church. each parish had a church. besides these were the cathedrals, chantry chapels, chapels attached to the mansions, castles, and manor-houses of the lords and squires, to almshouses and hospitals, pilgrim churches by the roadside, where bands of pilgrims would halt and pay their devotions ere they passed along to the shrine of st. thomas at canterbury or to our lady at walsingham. when chantries and guilds as well as monasteries were suppressed, their chapels were no longer used for divine service; some of the monastic churches became cathedrals or parish churches, but most of them were pillaged, desecrated, and destroyed. when pilgrimages were declared to be "fond things vainly invented," and the pilgrim bands ceased to travel along the pilgrim way, the wayside chapel fell into decay, or was turned into a barn or stable. it is all very sad and deplorable. but the roll of abandoned shrines is not complete. at the present day many old churches are vanishing. some have been abandoned or pulled down because they were deemed too near to the squire's house, and a new church erected at a more respectful distance. "restoration" has doomed many to destruction. not long ago the new scheme for supplying liverpool with water necessitated the converting of a welsh valley into a huge reservoir and the consequent destruction of churches and villages. a new scheme for supplying london with water has been mooted, and would entail the damming up of a river at the end of a valley and the overwhelming of several prosperous old villages and churches which have stood there for centuries. the destruction of churches in london on account of the value of their site and the migration of the population, westward and eastward, has been frequently deplored. with the exception of all hallows, barking; st. andrew's undershaft; st. catherine cree; st. dunstan's, stepney; st. giles', cripplegate; all hallows, staining; st. james's, aldgate; st. sepulchre's; st. mary woolnoth; all the old city churches were destroyed by the great fire, and some of the above were damaged and repaired. "destroyed by the great fire, rebuilt by wren," is the story of most of the city churches of london. to him fell the task of rebuilding the fallen edifices. well did he accomplish his task. he had no one to guide him; no school of artists or craftsmen to help him in the detail of his buildings; no great principles of architecture to direct him. but he triumphed over all obstacles and devised a style of his own that was well suitable for the requirements of the time and climate and for the form of worship of the english national church. and how have we treated the buildings which his genius devised for us? eighteen of his beautiful buildings have already been destroyed, and fourteen of these since the passing of the union of city benefices act in have succumbed. with the utmost difficulty vehement attacks on others have been warded off, and no one can tell how long they will remain. here is a very sad and deplorable instance of the vanishing of english architectural treasures. while we deplore the destructive tendencies of our ancestors we have need to be ashamed of our own. we will glance at some of these deserted shrines on the sites where formerly they stood. the rev. gilbert twenlow royds, rector of haughton and rural dean of stafford, records three of these in his neighbourhood, and shall describe them in his own words:-- "on the main road to stafford, in a field at the top of billington hill, a little to the left of the road, there once stood a chapel. the field is still known as chapel hill; but not a vestige of the building survives; no doubt the foundations were grubbed up for ploughing purposes. in a state paper, describing 'the state of the church in staffs, in ,' we find the following entry: 'billington chappell; reader, a husbandman; pension groats; no preacher.' this is under the heading of bradeley, in which parish it stood. i have made a wide search for information as to the dates of the building and destruction of this chapel. only one solitary note has come to my knowledge. in mazzinghi's _history of castle church_ he writes: 'mention is made of thomas salt the son of richard salt and c(lem)ance his wife as christened at billington chapel in .' local tradition says that within the memory of the last generation stones were carted from this site to build the churchyard wall of bradley church. i have noticed several re-used stones; but perhaps if that wall were to be more closely examined or pulled down, some further history might disclose itself. knowing that some of the stones were said to be in a garden on the opposite side of the road, i asked permission to investigate. this was most kindly granted, and i was told that there was a stone 'with some writing on it' in a wall. no doubt we had the fragment of a gravestone! and such it proved to be. with some difficulty we got the stone out of the wall; and, being an expert in palæography, i was able to decipher the inscription. it ran as follows: 'fury. died feb. , .' a skilled antiquary would probably pronounce it to be the headstone of a favourite dog's grave; and i am inclined to think that we have here a not unformidable rival of the celebrated + bil st um ps hi s.m. ark of the _pickwick papers_. "yet another vanished chapel, of which i have even less to tell you. on the right-hand side of the railway line running towards stafford, a little beyond stallbrook crossing, there is a field known as chapel field. but there is nothing but the name left. from ancient documents i have learnt that a chapel once stood there, known as derrington chapel (i think in the thirteenth century), in seighford parish, but served from ranton priory. in my father built a beautiful little church at derrington, in the geometrical decorated style, but not on the chapel field. i cannot tell you what an immense source of satisfaction it would be to me if i could gather some further reliable information as to the history, style, and annihilation of these two vanished chapels. it is unspeakably sad to be forced to realize that in so many of our country parishes no records exist of things and events of surpassing interest in their histories. "i take you now to where there is something a little more tangible. there stand in the park of creswell hall, near stafford, the ruins of a little thirteenth-century chapel. i will describe what is left. i may say that some twenty years ago i made certain excavations, which showed the ground plan to be still complete. so far as i remember, we found a chamfered plinth all round the nave, with a west doorway. the chancel and nave are of the same width, the chancel measuring about ft. long and the nave _c._ ft. the ground now again covers much of what we found. the remains above ground are those of the chancel only. large portions of the east and north walls remain, and a small part of the south wall. the north wall is still _c._ ft. high, and contains two narrow lancets, quite perfect. the east wall reaches _c._ ft., and has a good base-mould. it contains the opening, without the head, of a three-light window, with simply moulded jambs, and the glass-line remaining. a string-course under the window runs round the angle buttresses, or rather did so run, for i think the north buttress has been rebuilt, and without the string. the south buttress is complete up to two weatherings, and has two strings round it. it is a picturesque and valuable ruin, and well worth a visit. it is amusing to notice that creswell now calls itself a rectory, and an open-air service is held annually within its walls. it was a pre-bend of s. mary's, stafford, and previously a free chapel, the advowson belonging to the lord of the manor; and it was sometimes supplied with preachers from ranton priory. of the story of its destruction i can discover nothing. it is now carefully preserved and, i have heard it suggested that it might some day be rebuilt to meet the spiritual needs of its neighbourhood. "we pass now to the most stately and beautiful object in this neighbourhood. i mean the tower of ranton priory church. it is always known here as ranton abbey. but it has no right to the title. it was an off-shoot of haughmond abbey, near shrewsbury, and was a priory of black canons, founded _temp._ henry ii. the church has disappeared entirely, with the exception of a bit of the south-west walling of the nave and a norman doorway in it. this may have connected the church with the domestic buildings. in cough's collection in the bodleian, dated , there is a sketch of the church. what is shown there is a simple parallelogram, with the usual high walls, in transition-norman style, with flat pilaster buttresses, two strings running round the walls, the upper one forming the dripstones of lancet windows, a corbel-table supporting the eaves-course, and a north-east priest's door. but whatever the church may have been (and the sketch represents it as being of severe simplicity), some one built on to it a west tower of great magnificence. it is of early perpendicular date, practically uninjured, the pinnacles only being absent, though, happily, the stumps of these remain. its proportion appears to me to be absolutely perfect, and its detail so good that i think you would have to travel far to find its rival. there is a very interesting point to notice in the beautiful west doorway. it will be seen that the masonry of the lower parts of its jambs is quite different from that of the upper parts, and there can, i think, be no doubt that these lower stones have been re-used from a thirteenth-century doorway of some other part of the buildings. there is a tradition that the bells of gnosall church were taken from this tower. i can find no confirmation of this, and i cannot believe it. for the church at gnosall is of earlier date and greater magnificence than that of ranton priory, and was, i imagine, quite capable of having bells of its own." it would be an advantage to archæology if every one were such a careful and accurate observer of local antiquarian remains as the rural dean of stafford. wherever we go we find similar deserted and abandoned shrines. in derbyshire alone there are over a hundred destroyed or disused churches, of which dr. cox, the leading authority on the subject, has published a list. nottinghamshire abounds in instances of the same kind. as late as the church at colston bassett was deliberately turned into a ruin. there are only mounds and a few stones to show the site of the parish church of thorpe-in-the-fields, which in the seventeenth century was actually used as a beer-shop. in the fields between elston and east stoke is a disused church with a south norman doorway. the old parochial chapel of aslacton was long desecrated, and used in comparatively recent days as a beer-shop. the remains of it have, happily, been reclaimed, and now serve as a mission-room. east anglia, famous for its grand churches, has to mourn over many which have been lost, many that are left roofless and ivy-clad, and some ruined indeed, though some fragment has been made secure enough for the holding of divine service. whitling has a roofless church with a round norman tower. the early norman church of st. mary at kirby bedon has been allowed to fall into decay, and for nearly two hundred years has been ruinous. st. saviour's church, surlingham, was pulled down at the beginning of the eighteenth century on the ground that one church in the village was sufficient for its spiritual wants, and its materials served to mend roads. a strange reason has been given for the destruction of several of these east anglian churches. in norfolk there were many recusants, members of old roman catholic families, who refused in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries to obey the law requiring them to attend their parish church. but if their church were in ruins no service could be held, and therefore they could not be compelled to attend. hence in many cases the churches were deliberately reduced to a ruinous state. bowthorpe was one of these unfortunate churches which met its fate in the days of queen elizabeth. it stands in a farm-yard, and the nave made an excellent barn and the steeple a dovecote. the lord of the manor was ordered to restore it at the beginning of the seventeenth century. this he did, and for a time it was used for divine service. now it is deserted and roofless, and sleeps placidly girt by a surrounding wall, a lonely shrine. the church of st. peter, hungate, at norwich, is of great historical interest and contains good architectural features, including a very fine roof. it was rebuilt in the fifteenth century by john paston and margaret, his wife, whose letters form part of that extraordinary series of medieval correspondence which throws so much light upon the social life of the period. the church has a rudely carved record of their work outside the north door. this unhappy church has fallen into disuse, and it has been proposed to follow the example of the london citizens to unite the benefice with another and to destroy the building. thanks to the energy and zeal of his highness prince frederick duleep singh, delay in carrying out the work of destruction has been secured, and we trust that his efforts to save the building will be crowned with the success they deserve. not far from norwich are the churches of keswick and intwood. before a.d. the latter was deserted and desecrated, being used for a sheep-fold, and the people attended service at keswick. then intwood was restored to its sacred uses, and poor keswick church was compelled to furnish materials for its repair. keswick remained ruinous until a few years ago, when part of it was restored and used as a cemetery chapel. ringstead has two ruined churches, st. andrew's and st. peter's. only the tower of the latter remains. roudham church two hundred years ago was a grand building, as its remains plainly testify. it had a thatched roof, which was fired by a careless thatcher, and has remained roofless to this day. few are acquainted with the ancient hamlet of liscombe, situated in a beautiful dorset valley. it now consists of only one or two houses, a little norman church, and an old monastic barn. the little church is built of flint, stone, and large blocks of hard chalk, and consists of a chancel and nave divided by a transition-norman arch with massive rounded columns. there are norman windows in the chancel, with some later work inserted. a fine niche, eight feet high, with a crocketed canopy, stood at the north-east corner of the chancel, but has disappeared. the windows of the nave and the west doorway have perished. it has been for a long time desecrated. the nave is used as a bakehouse. there is a large open grate, oven, and chimney in the centre, and the chancel is a storehouse for logs. the upper part of the building has been converted into an upper storey and divided into bedrooms, which have broken-down ceilings. the roof is of thatch. modern windows and a door have been inserted. it is a deplorable instance of terrible desecration. the growth of ivy unchecked has caused many a ruin. the roof of the nave and south aisle of the venerable church of chingford, essex, fell a few years ago entirely owing to the destructive ivy which was allowed to work its relentless will on the beams, tiles, and rafters of this ancient structure. besides those we have mentioned there are about sixty other ruined churches in norfolk, and in suffolk many others, including the magnificent ruins of covehithe, flixton, hopton, which was destroyed only forty-four years ago through the burning of its thatched roof, and the old minster, south elmham. attempts have been made by the national trust and the society for the protection of ancient buildings to save kirkstead chapel, near woodhall spa, lincolnshire. it is one of the very few surviving examples of the _capella extra portas_, which was a feature of every cistercian abbey, where women and other persons who were not allowed within the gates could hear mass. the abbey was founded in , and the chapel, which is private property, is one of the finest examples of early english architecture remaining in the country. it is in a very decaying condition. the owner has been approached, and the officials of the above societies have tried to persuade him to repair it himself or to allow them to do so. but these negotiations have hitherto failed. it is very deplorable when the owners of historic buildings should act in this "dog-in-the-manger" fashion, and surely the time has come when the government should have power to compulsorily acquire such historic monuments when their natural protectors prove themselves to be incapable or unwilling to preserve and save them from destruction. we turn from this sorry page of wilful neglect to one that records the grand achievement of modern antiquaries, the rescue and restoration of the beautiful specimen of saxon architecture, the little chapel of st. lawrence at bradford-on-avon. until its existence was entirely unknown, and the credit of its discovery was due to the rev. canon jones, vicar of bradford. at the reformation with the dissolution of the abbey at shaftesbury it had passed into lay hands. the chancel was used as a cottage. round its walls other cottages arose. perhaps part of the building was at one time used as a charnel-house, as in an old deed it is called the skull house. in the nave and porch were given to the vicar to be used as a school. but no one suspected the presence of this exquisite gem of anglo-saxon architecture, until canon jones when surveying the town from the height of a neighbouring hill recognized the peculiarity of the roof and thought that it might indicate the existence of a church. thirty-seven years ago the wiltshire antiquaries succeeded in purchasing the building. they cleared away the buildings, chimney-stacks, and outhouses that had grown up around it, and revealed the whole beauties of this lovely shrine. archæologists have fought many battles over it as to its date. some contend that it is the identical church which william of malmesbury tells us st. aldhelm built at bradford-on-avon about a.d., others assert that it cannot be earlier than the tenth century. it was a monastic cell attached to the abbey of malmesbury, but ethelred ii gave it to the abbess of shaftesbury in as a secure retreat for her nuns if shaftesbury should be threatened by the ravaging danes. we need not describe the building, as it is well known. our artist has furnished us with an admirable illustration of it. its great height, its characteristic narrow saxon doorways, heavy plain imposts, the string-courses surrounding the building, the arcades of pilasters, the carved figures of angels are some of its most important features. it is cheering to find that amid so much that has vanished we have here at bradford a complete saxon church that differs very little from what it was when it was first erected. [illustration: saxon doorway in st. lawrence's church, bradford-on-avon, wilts.] other saxon remains are not wanting. wilfrid's crypt at hexham, that at ripon, brixworth church, the church within the precincts of dover castle, the towers of barnack, barton-upon-humber, stow, earl's barton, sompting, stanton lacy show considerable evidences of saxon work. saxon windows with their peculiar baluster shafts can be seen at bolam and billingham, durham; st. andrew's, bywell, monkwearmouth, ovington, sompting, st. mary junior, york, hornby, wickham (berks), waithe, holton-le-clay, glentworth and clee (lincoln), northleigh, oxon, and st. alban's abbey. saxon arches exist at worth, corhampton, escomb, deerhurst, st. benet's, cambridge, brigstock, and barnack. triangular arches remain at brigstock, barnack, deerhurst, aston tirrold, berks. we have still some saxon fonts at potterne, wilts; little billing, northants; edgmond and bucknell, shropshire; penmon, anglesey; and south hayling, hants. even saxon sundials exist at winchester, corhampton, bishopstone, escomb, aldborough, edston, and kirkdale. there is also one at daglingworth, gloucestershire. some hours of the saxon's day in that village must have fled more swiftly than others, as all the radii are placed at the same angle. even some mural paintings by saxon artists exist at st. mary's, guildford; st. martin's, canterbury; and faint traces at britford, headbourne, worthing, and st. nicholas, ipswich, and some painted consecration crosses are believed to belong to this period. recent investigations have revealed much saxon work in our churches, the existence of which had before been unsuspected. many circumstances have combined to obliterate it. the danish wars had a disastrous effect on many churches reared in saxon times. the norman conquest caused many of them to be replaced by more highly finished structures. but frequently, as we study the history written in the stonework of our churches, we find beneath coatings of stucco the actual walls built by saxon builders, and an arch here, a column there, which link our own times with the distant past, when england was divided into eight kingdoms and when danegelt was levied to buy off the marauding strangers. it is refreshing to find these specimens of early work in our churches. since then what destruction has been wrought, what havoc done upon their fabric and furniture! at the reformation iconoclasm raged with unpitying ferocity. everybody from the king to the churchwardens, who sold church plate lest it should fall into the hands of the royal commissioners, seems to have been engaged in pillaging churches and monasteries. the plunder of chantries and guilds followed. fuller quaintly describes this as "the last dish of the course, and after cheese nothing is to be expected." but the coping-stone was placed on the vast fabric of spoliation by sending commissioners to visit all the cathedrals and parish churches, and seize the superfluous plate and ornaments for the king's use. even quite small churches possessed many treasures which the piety of many generations had bestowed upon them. there is a little village in berkshire called boxford, quite a small place. here is the list of church goods which the commissioners found there, and which had escaped previous ravages:-- "one challice, a cross of copper & gilt, another cross of timber covered with brass, one cope of blue velvet embroidered with images of angles, one vestment of the same suit with an albe of lockeram,[ ] two vestments of dornexe,[ ] and three other very old, two old & coarse albes of lockeram, two old copes of dornexe, iiij altar cloths of linen cloth, two corporals with two cases whereof one is embroidered, two surplices, & one rochet, one bible & the paraphrases of erasmus in english, seven banners of lockeram & one streamer all painted, three front cloths for altars whereof one of them is with panes of white damask & black satin, & the other two of old vestments, two towels of linen, iiij candlesticks of latten[ ] & two standertes[ ] before the high altar of latten, a lent vail[ ] before the high altar with panes blue and white, two candlesticks of latten and five branches, a peace,[ ] three great bells with one saunce bell xx, one canopy of cloth, a covering of dornixe for the sepulchre, two cruets of pewter, a holy-water pot of latten, a linen cloth to draw before the rood. and all the said parcels safely to be kept & preserved, & all the same & every parcel thereof to be forthcoming at all times when it shall be of them [the churchwardens] required." [ ] a fine linen cloth made in brittany (cf. _coriolanus_, act ii. sc. ). [ ] a rich sort of stuff interwoven with gold and silver, made at tournay, which was formerly called dorneck, in flanders. [ ] an alloy of copper and zinc. [ ] large standard candlesticks. [ ] the lent cloth, hung before the altar during lent. [ ] a pax. this inventory of the goods of one small church enables us to judge of the wealth of our country churches before they were despoiled. of private spoliators their name was legion. the arch-spoliator was protector somerset, the king's uncle, edward seymour, formerly earl of hertford and then created duke of somerset. he ruled england for three years after king henry's death. he was a glaring and unblushing church-robber, setting an example which others were only too ready to follow. canon overton[ ] tells how somerset house remains as a standing memorial of his rapacity. in order to provide materials for building it he pulled down the church of st. mary-le-strand and three bishops' houses, and was proceeding also to pull down the historical church of st. margaret, westminster; but public opinion was too strong against him, the parishioners rose and beat off his workmen, and he was forced to desist, and content himself with violating and plundering the precincts of st. paul's. moreover, the steeple and most of the church of st. john of jerusalem, smithfield, were mined and blown up with gunpowder that the materials might be utilized for the ducal mansion in the strand. he turned glastonbury, with all its associations dating from the earliest introduction of christianity into our island, into a worsted manufactory, managed by french protestants. under his auspices the splendid college of st. martin-le-grand in london was converted into a tavern, and st. stephen's chapel, westminster, served the scarcely less incongruous purpose of a parliament house. all this he did, and when his well-earned fall came the church fared no better under his successor, john dudley, earl of warwick, and afterwards duke of northumberland. [ ] _history of the church in england_, p. . another wretch was robert, earl of sussex, to whom the king gave the choir of atleburgh, in norfolk, because it belonged to a college. "being of a covetous disposition, he not only pulled down and spoiled the chancel, but also pulled up many fair marble gravestones of his ancestors with monuments of brass upon them, and other fair good pavements, and carried them and laid them for his hall, kitchen, and larder-house." the church of st. nicholas, yarmouth, has many monumental stones, the brasses of which were in sent to london to be cast into weights and measures for the use of the town. the shops of the artists in brass in london were full of broken brass memorials torn from tombs. hence arose the making of palimpsest brasses, the carvers using an old brass and on the reverse side cutting a memorial of a more recently deceased person. after all this iconoclasm, spoliation, and robbery it is surprising that anything of value should have been left in our churches. but happily some treasures escaped, and the gifts of two or three generations added others. thus i find from the will of a good gentleman, mr. edward ball, that after the spoliation of barkham church he left the sum of five shillings for the providing of a processional cross to be borne before the choir in that church, and i expect that he gave us our beautiful elizabethan chalice of the date . the church had scarcely recovered from its spoliation before another era of devastation and robbery ensued. during the cromwellian period much destruction was wrought by mad zealots of the puritan faction. one of these men and his doings are mentioned by dr. berwick in his _querela cantabrigiensis_:-- "one who calls himself john [it should be william] dowsing and by virtue of a pretended commission, goes about y^{e} country like a bedlam, breaking glasse windows, having battered and beaten downe all our painted glasses, not only in our chappels, but (contrary to order) in our publique schools, colledge halls, libraries, and chambers, mistaking, perhaps, y^{e} liberall artes for saints (which they intend in time to pull down too) and having (against an order) defaced and digged up y^{e} floors of our chappels, many of which had lien so for two or three hundred years together, not regarding y^{e} dust of our founders and predecessors who likely were buried there; compelled us by armed souldiers to pay forty shillings a colledge for not mending what he had spoyled and defaced, or forth with to goe to prison." we meet with the sad doings of this wretch dowsing in various places in east anglia. he left his hideous mark on many a fair church. thus the churchwardens of walberswick, in suffolk, record in their accounts:-- " , april th, paid to martin dowson, that came with the troopers to our church, about the taking down of images and brasses off stones ." " paid that day to others for taking up the brasses of grave stones before the officer dowson came ." [illustration: st. george's church, great yarmouth] the record of the ecclesiastical exploits of william dowsing has been preserved by the wretch himself in a diary which he kept. it was published in , and the volume provides much curious reading. with reference to the church of toffe he says:-- "will: disborugh church warden richard basly and john newman cunstable, superstitious pictures in glass and ten other in stone, three brass inscriptions, pray for y^{e} soules, and a cross to be taken of the steeple ( s. d.) and there was divers orate pro animabus in ye windows, and on a bell, ora pro anima sanctæ catharinæ." "_trinity parish, cambridge_, m. frog, churchwarden, december , we brake down popish pictures, and one of christ and god y^{e} father above." "at _clare_ we brake down pictures superstitious." "_cochie_, there were divers pictures in the windows which we could not reach, neither would they help us to raise the ladders." " , jan^{y} , edwards parish, we digged up the steps, and brake down pictures, and took off ten superstitious inscriptions." it is terrible to read these records, and to imagine all the beautiful works of art that this ignorant wretch ruthlessly destroyed. to all the inscriptions on tombs containing the pious petition _orate pro anima_--his ignorance is palpably displayed by his _orate pro animabus_--he paid special attention. well did mr. cole observe concerning the last entry in dowsing's diary:-- "from this last entry we may clearly see to whom we are obliged for the dismantling of almost all the gravestones that had brasses on them, both in town and country: a sacrilegious sanctified rascal that was afraid, or too proud, to call it st. edward's church, but not ashamed to rob the dead of their honours and the church of its ornaments. w.c." he tells also of the dreadful deeds that were being done at lowestoft in :-- "in the same year, also, on the th of june, there came one jessop, with a commission from the earl of manchester, to take away from gravestones all inscriptions on which he found _orate pro anima_--a wretched commissioner not able to read or find out that which his commission enjoyned him to remove--he took up in our church so much brasse, as he sold to mr. josiah wild for five shillings, which was afterwards (contrary to my knowledge) runn into the little bell that hangs in the town-house. there were taken up in the middle ayl twelve pieces belonging to twelve generations of the jettours." the same scenes were being enacted in many parts of england. everywhere ignorant commissioners were rampaging about the country imitating the ignorant ferocity of this dowsing and jessop. no wonder our churches were bare, pillaged, and ruinated. moreover, the conception of art and the taste for architecture were dead or dying, and there was no one who could replace the beautiful objects which these wretches destroyed or repair the desolation they had caused. another era of spoliation set in in more recent times, when the restorers came with vitiated taste and the worst ideals to reconstruct and renovate our churches which time, spoliation, and carelessness had left somewhat the worse for wear. the oxford movement taught men to bestow more care upon the houses of god in the land, to promote his honour by more reverent worship, and to restore the beauty of his sanctuary. a rector found his church in a dilapidated state and talked over the matter with the squire. although the building was in a sorry condition, with a cracked ceiling, hideous galleries, and high pews like cattle-pens, it had a norman doorway, some early english carved work in the chancel, a good perpendicular tower, and fine decorated windows. these two well-meaning but ignorant men decided that a brand-new church would be a great improvement on this old tumble-down building. an architect was called in, or a local builder; the plan of a new church was speedily drawn, and ere long the hammers and axes were let loose on the old church and every vestige of antiquity destroyed. the old norman font was turned out of the church, and either used as a cattle-trough or to hold a flower-pot in the rectory garden. some of the beautifully carved stones made an excellent rockery in the squire's garden, and old woodwork, perchance a fourteenth-century rood-screen, encaustic tiles bearing the arms of the abbey with which in former days the church was connected, monuments and stained glass, are all carted away and destroyed, and the triumph of vandalism is complete. that is an oft-told tale which finds its counterpart in many towns and villages, the entire and absolute destruction of the old church by ignorant vandals who work endless mischief and know not what they do. there is the village of little wittenham, in our county of berks, not far from sinodun hill, an ancient earthwork covered with trees, that forms so conspicuous an object to the travellers by the great western railway from didcot to oxford. about forty years ago terrible things were done in the church of that village. the vicar was a goth. there was a very beautiful chantry chapel on the south side of the choir, full of magnificent marble monuments to the memory of various members of the dunce family. this family, once great and powerful, whose great house stood hard by on the north of the church--only the terraces of which remain--is now, it is believed, extinct. the vicar thought that he might be held responsible for the dilapidations of this old chantry; so he pulled it down, and broke all the marble tombs with axes and hammers. you can see the shattered remains that still show signs of beauty in one of the adjoining barns. some few were set up in the tower, the old font became a pig-trough, the body of the church was entirely renewed, and vandalism reigned supreme. in our county of berks there were at the beginning of the last century ancient parish churches. of these, thirty have been pulled down and entirely rebuilt, six of them on entirely new sites; one has been burnt down, one disused; before one hundred were restored, some of them most drastically, and several others have been restored since, but with greater respect to old work. a favourite method of "restoration" was adopted in many instances. a church had a norman doorway and pillars in the nave; sundry additions and alterations had been made in subsequent periods, and examples of early english, decorated, and perpendicular styles of architecture were observable, with, perhaps, a renaissance porch or other later feature. what did the early restorers do? they said, "this is a norman church; all its details should be norman too." so they proceeded to take away these later additions and imitate norman work as much as they could by breaking down the perpendicular or decorated tracery in the windows and putting in large round-headed windows--their conception of norman work, but far different from what any norman builder would have contrived. thus these good people entirely destroyed the history of the building, and caused to vanish much that was interesting and important. such is the deplorable story of the "restoration" of many a parish church. an amusing book, entitled _hints to some churchwardens, with a few illustrations relative to the repair and improvement of parish churches_, was published in . the author, with much satire, depicts the "very many splendid, curious, and convenient ideas which have emanated from those churchwardens who have attained perfection as planners and architects." he apologises for not giving the names of these superior men and the dates of the improvements they have achieved, but is sure that such works as theirs must immortalize them, not only in their parishes, but in their counties, and, he trusts, in the kingdom at large. the following are some of the "hints":-- "_how to affix a porch to an old church._ "if the church is of stone, let the porch be of brick, the roof slated, and the entrance to it of the improved gothic called modern, being an arch formed by an acute angle. the porch should be placed so as to stop up what might be called a useless window; and as it sometimes happens that there is an ancient saxon[ ] entrance, let it be carefully bricked up, and perhaps plastered, so as to conceal as much as possible of the zigzag ornament used in buildings of this kind. such improvements cannot fail to ensure celebrity to churchwardens of future ages. "_how to add a vestry to an old church._ "the building here proposed is to be of bright brick, with a slated roof and sash windows, with a small door on one side; and it is, moreover, to be adorned with a most tasty and ornamental brick chimney, which terminates at the chancel end. the position of the building should be against two old gothic windows; which, having the advantage of hiding them nearly altogether, when contrasted with the dull and uniform surface of an old stone church, has a lively and most imposing effect. "_how to ornament the top or battlements of a tower belonging to an ancient church_. "place on each battlement, vases, candlesticks, and pineapples alternately, and the effect will be striking. vases have many votaries amongst those worthy members of society, the churchwardens. candlesticks are of ancient origin, and represent, from the highest authority, the light of the churches: but as in most churches weathercocks are used, i would here recommend the admirers of novelty and improvement to adopt a pair of snuffers, which might also be considered as a useful emblem for reinvigorating the lights from the candlesticks. the pineapple ornament having in so many churches been judiciously substituted for gothic, cannot fail to please. some such ornament should also be placed at the top of the church, and at the chancel end. but as this publication does not restrict any churchwarden of real taste, and as the ornaments here recommended are in a common way made of stone, if any would wish to distinguish his year of office, perhaps he would do it brilliantly by painting them all bright red...." [ ] doubtless our author means norman. other valuable suggestions are made in this curious and amusing work, such as "how to repair quartre-feuille windows" by cutting out all the partitions and making them quite round; "how to adapt a new church to an old tower with most taste and effect," the most attractive features being light iron partitions instead of stone mullions for the windows, with shutters painted yellow, bright brick walls and slate roof, and a door painted sky-blue. you can best ornament a chancel by placing colossal figures of moses and aaron supporting the altar, huge tables of the commandments, and clusters of grapes and pomegranates in festoons and clusters of monuments. vases upon pillars, the commandments in sky-blue, clouds carved out of wood supporting angels, are some of the ideas recommended. instead of a norman font you can substitute one resembling a punch-bowl,[ ] with the pedestal and legs of a round claw table; and it would be well to rear a massive pulpit in the centre of the chancel arch, hung with crimson and gold lace, with gilt chandeliers, large sounding-board with a vase at the top. a stove is always necessary. it can be placed in the centre of the chancel, and the stove-pipe can be carried through the upper part of the east window, and then by an elbow conveyed to the crest of the roof over the window, the cross being taken down to make room for the chimney. such are some of the recommendations of this ingenious writer, which are ably illustrated by effective drawings. they are not all imaginative. many old churches tell the tragic story of their mutilation at the hands of a rector who has discovered parker's _glossary_, knows nothing about art, but "does know what he likes," advised by his wife who has visited some of the cathedrals, and by an architect who has been elaborately educated in the principles of roman renaissance, but who knows no more of lombard, byzantine, or gothic art than he does of the dynasties of ancient egypt. when a church has fallen into the hands of such renovators and been heavily "restored," if the ghost of one of its medieval builders came to view his work he would scarcely recognize it. well says mr. thomas hardy: "to restore the great carcases of mediævalism in the remote nooks of western england seems a not less incongruous act than to set about renovating the adjoining crags themselves," and well might he sigh over the destruction of the grand old tower of endelstow church and the erection of what the vicar called "a splendid tower, designed by a first-rate london man--in the newest style of gothic art and full of christian feeling." [ ] a china punch-bowl was actually presented by sir t. drake to be used as a font at woodbury, devon. the novelist's remarks on "restoration" are most valuable:-- "entire destruction under the saving name has been effected on so gigantic a scale that the protection of structures, their being kept wind and weather-proof, counts as nothing in the balance. its enormous magnitude is realized by few who have not gone personally from parish to parish through a considerable district, and compared existing churches there with records, traditions, and memories of what they formerly were. the shifting of old windows and other details irregularly spaced, and spacing them at exact distances, has been one process. the deportation of the original chancel arch to an obscure nook and the insertion of a wider new one, to throw open the view of the choir, is a practice by no means extinct. next in turn to the re-designing of old buildings and parts of them comes the devastation caused by letting restorations by contract, with a clause in the specification requesting the builder to give a price for 'old materials,' such as the lead of the roofs, to be replaced by tiles or slates, and the oak of the pews, pulpit, altar-rails, etc., to be replaced by deal. apart from these irregularities it has been a principle that anything later than henry viii is anathema and to be cast out. at wimborne minster fine jacobean canopies have been removed from tudor stalls for the offence only of being jacobean. at a hotel in cornwall a tea-garden was, and probably is still, ornamented with seats constructed of the carved oak from a neighbouring church--no doubt the restorer's perquisite. "poor places which cannot afford to pay a clerk of the works suffer much in these ecclesiastical convulsions. in one case i visited, as a youth, the careful repair of an interesting early english window had been specified, but it was gone. the contractor, who had met me on the spot, replied genially to my gaze of concern: 'well, now, i said to myself when i looked at the old thing, i won't stand upon a pound or two. i'll give 'em a new winder now i am about it, and make a good job of it, howsomever.' a caricature in new stone of the old window had taken its place. in the same church was an old oak rood-screen in the perpendicular style with some gilding and colouring still remaining. some repairs had been specified, but i beheld in its place a new screen of varnished deal. 'well,' replied the builder, more genial than ever, 'please god, now i am about it, i'll do the thing well, cost what it will.' the old screen had been used up to boil the work-men's kettles, though 'a were not much at that.'" such is the terrible report of this amazing iconoclasm. some wiseacres, the vicar and churchwardens, once determined to pull down their old church and build a new one. so they met in solemn conclave and passed the following sagacious resolutions:-- . that a new church should be built. . that the materials of the old church should be used in the construction of the new. . that the old church should not be pulled down until the new one be built. how they contrived to combine the second and third resolutions history recordeth not. even when the church was spared the "restorers" were guilty of strange enormities in the embellishment and decoration of the sacred building. whitewash was vigorously applied to the walls and pews, carvings, pulpit, and font. if curious mural paintings adorned the walls, the hideous whitewash soon obliterated every trace and produced "those modest hues which the native appearance of the stone so pleasingly bestows." but whitewash has one redeeming virtue, it preserves and saves for future generations treasures which otherwise might have been destroyed. happily all decoration of churches has not been carried out in the reckless fashion thus described by a friend of the writer. an old cambridgeshire incumbent, who had done nothing to his church for many years, was bidden by the archdeacon to "brighten matters up a little." the whole of the woodwork wanted repainting and varnishing, a serious matter for a poor man. his wife, a very capable lady, took the matter in hand. she went to the local carpenter and wheelwright and bought up the whole of his stock of that particular paint with which farm carts and wagons are painted, coarse but serviceable, and of the brightest possible red, blue, green, and yellow hues. with her own hands she painted the whole of the interior--pulpit, pews, doors, etc., and probably the wooden altar, using the colours as her fancy dictated, or as the various colours held out. the effect was remarkable. a succeeding rector began at once the work of restoration, scraping off the paint and substituting oak varnish; but when my friend took a morning service for him the work had not been completed, and he preached from a bright green pulpit. [illustration: carving on rood-screen, alcester church, warwick] the contents of our parish churches, furniture and plate, are rapidly vanishing. england has ever been remarkable for the number and beauty of its rood-screens. at the reformation the roods were destroyed and many screens with them, but many of the latter were retained, and although through neglect or wanton destruction they have ever since been disappearing, yet hundreds still exist.[ ] their number is, however, sadly decreased. in cheshire "restoration" has removed nearly all examples, except ashbury, mobberley, malpas, and a few others. the churches of bunbury and danbury have lost some good screen-work since . in derbyshire screens suffered severely in the nineteenth century, and the records of each county show the disappearance of many notable examples, though happily devonshire, somerset, and several other shires still possess some beautiful specimens of medieval woodwork. a large number of jacobean pulpits with their curious carvings have vanished. a pious donor wishes to give a new pulpit to a church in memory of a relative, and the old pulpit is carted away to make room for its modern and often inferior substitute. old stalls and misericordes, seats and benches with poppy-head terminations have often been made to vanish, and the pillaging of our churches at the reformation and during the commonwealth period and at the hands of the "restorers" has done much to deprive our churches of their ancient furniture. [ ] _english church furniture_, by dr. cox and a. harvey. most churches had two or three chests or coffers for the storing of valuable ornaments and vestments. each chantry had its chest or ark, as it was sometimes called, e.g. the collegiate church of st. mary, warwick, had in , "ij old irebound coofres," "j gret olde arke to put in vestments," "j olde arke at the autere ende, j old coofre irebonde having a long lok of the olde facion, and j lasse new coofre having iij loks called the tresory cofre and certain almaries." "in the inner house j new hie almarie with ij dores to kepe in the evidence of the churche and j great old arke and certain olde almaries, and in the house afore the chapter house j old irebounde cofre having hie feet and rings of iron in the endes thereof to heve it bye." "it is almost exceptional to find any parish of five hundred inhabitants which does not possess a parish chest. the parish chest of the parish in which i am writing is now in the vestry of the church here. it has been used for generations as a coal box. it is exceptional to find anything so useful as wholesome fuel inside these parish chests; their contents have in the great majority of instances utterly perished, and the miserable destruction of those interesting parish records testifies to the almost universal neglect which they have suffered at the hands, not of the parsons, who as a rule have kept with remarkable care the register books for which they have always been responsible, but of the churchwardens and overseers, who have let them perish without a thought of their value. "as a rule the old parish chests have fallen to pieces, or worse, and their contents have been used to light the church stove, except in those very few cases where the chests were furnished with two or more keys, each key being of different wards from the other, and each being handed over to a different functionary when the time of the parish meeting came round."[ ] [ ] _the parish councillor_, an article by dr. jessop, september , . when the ornaments and vestments were carted away from the church in the time of edward vi, many of the church chests lost their use, and were sold or destroyed, the poorest only being kept for registers and documents. very magnificent were some of these chests which have survived, such as that at icklington, suffolk, church brampton, northants, rugby, westminster abbey, and chichester. the old chest at heckfield may have been one of those ordered in the reign of king john for the collection of the alms of the faithful for the fifth crusade. the artist, mr. fred roe, has written a valuable work on chests, to which those who desire to know about these interesting objects can refer. another much diminishing store of treasure belonging to our churches is the church plate. many churches possess some old plate--perhaps a pre-reformation chalice. it is worn by age, and the clergyman, ignorant of its value, takes it to a jeweller to be repaired. he is told that it is old and thin and cannot easily be repaired, and is offered very kindly by the jeweller in return for this old chalice a brand-new one with a paten added. he is delighted, and the old chalice finds its way to christie's, realizes a large sum, and goes into the collection of some millionaire. not long ago the council of the society of antiquaries issued a memorandum to the bishops and archdeacons of the anglican church calling attention to the increasing frequency of the sale of old or obsolete church plate. this is of two kinds: ( ) pieces of plate or other articles of a domestic character not especially made, nor perhaps well fitted for the service of the church; ( ) chalices, patens, flagons, or plate generally, made especially for ecclesiastical use, but now, for reasons of change of fashion or from the articles themselves being worn out, no longer desired to be used. a church possibly is in need of funds for restoration, and an effort is naturally made to turn such articles into money. the officials decide to sell any objects the church may have of the first kind. thus the property of the church of england finds its way abroad, and is thus lost to the nation. with regard to the sacred vessels of the second class, it is undignified, if not a desecration, that vessels of such a sacred character should be subjected to a sale by auction and afterwards used as table ornaments by collectors to whom their religious significance makes no appeal. we are reminded of the profanity of belshazzar's feast.[ ] it would be far better to place such objects for safe custody and preservation in some local museum. not long ago a church in knightsbridge was removed and rebuilt on another site. it had a communion cup presented by archbishop laud. some addition was required for the new church, and it was proposed to sell the chalice to help in defraying the cost of this addition. a london dealer offered five hundred guineas for it, and doubtless by this time it has passed into private hands and left the country. this is only one instance out of many of the depletion of the church of its treasures. it must not be forgotten that although the vicar and churchwardens are for the time being trustees of the church plate and furniture, yet the property really is vested in the parishioners. it ought not to be sold without a faculty, and the chancellors of dioceses ought to be extremely careful ere they allow such sales to take place. the learned chancellor of exeter very wisely recently refused to allow the rector of churchstanton to sell a chalice of the date a.d., stating that it was painfully repugnant to the feelings of many churchmen that it should be possible that a vessel dedicated to the most sacred service of the church should figure upon the dinner-table of a collector. he quoted a case of a chalice which had disappeared from a church and been found afterwards with an inscription showing that it had been awarded as a prize at athletic sports. such desecration is too deplorable for words suitable to describe it. if other chancellors took the same firm stand as mr. chadwyck-healey, of exeter, we should hear less of such alienation of ecclesiastical treasure. [ ] canon f.e. warren recently reported to the suffolk institute of archæology that while he was dining at a friend's house he saw two chalices on the table. [illustration: fourteenth-century coffer in faversham church, kent from _old oak furniture_, by fred roe] [illustration: flanders chest in east dereham church, norfolk, _temp._ henry viii from _old oak furniture_] another cause of mutilation and the vanishing of objects of interest and beauty is the iconoclasm of visitors, especially of american visitors, who love our english shrines so much that they like to chip off bits of statuary or wood-carving to preserve as mementoes of their visit. the fine monuments in our churches and cathedrals are especially convenient to them for prey. not long ago the best portions of some fine carving were ruthlessly cut and hacked away by a party of american visitors. the verger explained that six of the party held him in conversation at one end of the building while the rest did their deadly and nefarious work at the other. one of the most beautiful monuments in the country, that of the tomb of lady maud fitzalan at chichester, has recently been cut and chipped by these unscrupulous visitors. it may be difficult to prevent them from damaging such works of art, but it is hoped that feelings of greater reverence may grow which would render such vandalism impossible. all civilized persons would be ashamed to mutilate the statues of greece and rome in our museums. let them realize that these monuments in our cathedrals and churches are just as valuable, as they are the best of english art, and then no sacrilegious hand would dare to injure them or deface them by scratching names upon them or by carrying away broken chips as souvenirs. playful boys in churchyards sometimes do much mischief. in shrivenham churchyard there is an ancient full-sized effigy, and two village urchins were recently seen amusing themselves by sliding the whole length of the figure. this must be a common practice of the boys of the village, as the effigy is worn almost to an inclined plane. a tradition exists that the figure represents a man who was building the tower and fell and was killed. both tower and effigy are of the same period--early english--and it is quite possible that the figure may be that of the founder of the tower, but its head-dress seems to show that it represents a lady. whipping-posts and stocks are too light a punishment for such vandalism. the story of our vanished and vanishing churches, and of their vanished and vanishing contents, is indeed a sorry one. many efforts are made in these days to educate the public taste, to instil into the minds of their custodians a due appreciation of their beauties and of the principles of english art and architecture, and to save and protect the treasures that remain. that these may be crowned with success is the earnest hope and endeavour of every right-minded englishman. [illustration: reversed rose carved on "miserere" in norwich cathedral] chapter vii old mansions one of the most deplorable features of vanishing england is the gradual disappearance of its grand old manor-houses and mansions. a vast number still remain, we are thankful to say. we have still left to us haddon and wilton, broughton, penshurst, hardwick, welbeck, bramshill, longleat, and a host of others; but every year sees a diminution in their number. the great enemy they have to contend with is fire, and modern conveniences and luxuries, electric lighting and the heating apparatus, have added considerably to their danger. the old floors and beams are unaccustomed to these insidious wires that have a habit of fusing, hence we often read in the newspapers: "disastrous fire--historic mansion entirely destroyed." too often not only is the house destroyed, but most of its valuable contents is devoured by the flames. priceless pictures by lely and vandyke, miniatures of cosway, old furniture of chippendale and sheraton, and the countless treasures which generations of cultured folk with ample wealth have accumulated, deeds, documents and old papers that throw valuable light on the manners and customs of our forefathers and on the history of the country, all disappear and can never be replaced. a great writer has likened an old house to a human heart with a life of its own, full of sad and sweet reminiscences. it is deplorably sad when the old mansion disappears in a night, and to find in the morning nothing but blackened walls--a grim ruin. our forefathers were a hardy race, and did not require hot-water pipes and furnaces to keep them warm. moreover, they built their houses so surely and so well that they scarcely needed these modern appliances. they constructed them with a great square courtyard, so that the rooms on the inside of the quadrangle were protected from the winds. they sang truly in those days, as in these:-- sing heigh ho for the wind and the rain, for the rain it raineth every day. [illustration: oak panelling. wainscot of fifteenth century, with addition _circa_ late seventeenth century, fitted on to it in angle of room in the church house, goudhurst, kent] so they sheltered themselves from the wind and rain by having a courtyard or by making an e or h shaped plan for their dwelling-place. moreover, they made their walls very thick in order that the winds should not blow or the rain beat through them. their rooms, too, were panelled or hung with tapestry--famous things for making a room warm and cosy. we have plaster walls covered with an elegant wall-paper which has always a cold surface, hence the air in the room, heated by the fire, is chilled when it comes into contact with the cold wall and creates draughts. but oak panelling or woollen tapestry soon becomes warm, and gives back its heat to the room, making it delightfully comfortable and cosy. one foolish thing our forefathers did, and that was to allow the great beams that help to support the upper floor to go through the chimney. how many houses have been burnt down owing to that fatal beam! but our ancestors were content with a dog-grate and wood fires; they could not foresee the advent of the modern range and the great coal fires, or perhaps they would have been more careful about that beam. [illustration: section of mouldings of cornice on panelling, the church house, goudhurst] fire is, perhaps, the chief cause of the vanishing of old houses, but it is not the only cause. the craze for new fashions at the beginning of the last century doomed to death many a noble mansion. there seems to have been a positive mania for pulling down houses at that period. as i go over in my mind the existing great houses in this country, i find that by far the greater number of the old houses were wantonly destroyed about the years - , and new ones in the italian or some other incongruous style erected in their place. sometimes, as at little wittenham, you find the lone lorn terraces of the gardens of the house, but all else has disappeared. as mr. allan fea says: "when an old landmark disappears, who does not feel a pang of regret at parting with something which linked us with the past? seldom an old house is threatened with demolition but there is some protest, more perhaps from the old associations than from any particular architectural merit the building may have." we have many pangs of regret when we see such wanton destruction. the old house at weston, where the throckmortons resided when the poet cowper lived at the lodge, and when leaving wrote on a window-shutter-- farewell, dear scenes, for ever closed to me; oh! for what sorrows must i now exchange ye! may be instanced as an example of a demolished mansion. nothing is now left of it but the entrance-gates and a part of the stables. it was pulled down in . it is described as a fine mansion, possessing secret chambers which were occupied by roman catholic priests when it was penal to say mass. one of these chambers was found to contain, when the house was pulled down, a rough bed, candlestick, remains of food, and a breviary. a roman catholic school and presbytery now occupy its site. it is a melancholy sight to see the "wilderness" behind the house, still adorned with busts and urns, and the graves of favourite dogs, which still bear the epitaphs written by cowper on sir john throckmorton's pointer and lady throckmorton's pet spaniel. "capability brown" laid his rude, rough hand upon the grounds, but you can still see the "prosed alcove" mentioned by cowper, a wooden summer-house, much injured by rural carvers, who with knives deface the panels, leaving an obscure rude name. sometimes, alas! the old house has to vanish entirely through old age. it cannot maintain its struggle any longer. the rain pours through the roof and down the insides of the walls. and the family is as decayed as their mansion, and has no money wherewith to defray the cost of reparation. [illustration: the wardrobe house. the close. salisbury. evening.] our artist, mr. fred roe, in his search for the picturesque, had one sad and deplorable experience, which he shall describe in his own words:-- "one of the most weird and, i may add, chilling experiences in connection with the decline of county families which it was my lot to experience, occurred a year or two ago in a remote corner of the eastern counties. i had received, through a friend, an invitation to visit an old mansion before the inmates (descendants of the owners in elizabethan times) left and the contents were dispersed. on a comfortless january morning, while rain and sleet descended in torrents to the accompaniment of a biting wind, i detrained at a small out-of-the-way station in ----folk. a weather-beaten old man in a patched great-coat, with the oldest and shaggiest of ponies and the smallest of governess-traps, awaited my arrival. i, having wedged myself with the jehu into this miniature vehicle, was driven through some miles of muddy ruts, until turning through a belt of wooded land the broken outlines of an extensive dilapidated building broke into view. this was ---- hall. "i never in my life saw anything so weirdly picturesque and suggestive of the phrase 'in chancery' as this semi-ruinous mansion. of many dates and styles of architecture, from henry viii to george iii, the whole seemed to breathe an atmosphere of neglect and decay. the waves of affluence and successive rise of various members of the family could be distinctly traced in the enlargements and excrescences which contributed to the casual plan and irregular contour of the building. at one part an addition seemed to denote that the owner had acquired wealth about the time of the first james, and promptly directed it to the enlargement of his residence. in another a huge hall with classic brick frontage, dating from the commencement of the eighteenth century, spoke of an increase of affluence--probably due to agricultural prosperity--followed by the dignity of a peerage. the latest alterations appear to have been made during the strawberry hill epoch, when most of the mullioned windows had been transformed to suit the prevailing taste. some of the building--a little of it--seemed habitable, but in the greater part the gables were tottering, the stucco frontage peeling and falling, and the windows broken and shuttered. in front of this wreck of a building stretched the overgrown remains of what once had been a terrace, bounded by large stone globes, now moss-grown and half hidden under long grass. it was the very picture of desolation and proud poverty. "we drove up to what had once been the entrance to the servants' hall, for the principal doorway had long been disused, and descending from the trap i was conducted to a small panelled apartment, where some freshly cut logs did their best to give out a certain amount of heat. of the hospitality meted out to me that day i can only hint with mournful appreciation. i was made welcome with all the resources which the family had available. but the place was a veritable vault, and cold and damp as such. i think that this state of things had been endured so long and with such haughty silence by the inmates that it had passed into a sort of normal condition with them, and remained unnoticed except by new-comers. a few old domestics stuck by the family in its fallen fortunes, and of these one who had entered into their service some quarter of a century previous waited upon us at lunch with dignified ceremony. after lunch a tour of the house commenced. into this i shall not enter into in detail; many of the rooms were so bare that little could be said of them, but the great hall, an apartment modelled somewhat on the lines of the more palatial rainham, needs the pen of the author of _lammermoor_ to describe. it was a very large and lofty room in the pseudo-classic style, with a fine cornice, and hung round with family portraits so bleached with damp and neglect that they presented but dim and ghostly presentments of their originals. i do not think a fire could have been lit in this ghostly gallery for many years, and some of the portraits literally sagged in their frames with accumulations of rubbish which had dropped behind the canvases. many of the pictures were of no value except for their associations, but i saw at least one lely, a family group, the principal figure in which was a young lady displaying too little modesty and too much bosom. another may have been a vandyk, while one or two were early works representing gallants of elizabeth's time in ruffs and feathered caps. the rest were for the most part but wooden ancestors displaying curled wigs, legs which lacked drawing, and high-heeled shoes. a few old cabinets remained, and a glorious suite of chairs of queen anne's time--these, however, were perishing, like the rest--from want of proper care and firing. "the kitchens, a vast range of stone-flagged apartments, spoke of mighty hospitality in bygone times, containing fire-places fit to roast oxen at whole, huge spits and countless hooks, the last exhibiting but one dependent--the skin of the rabbit shot for lunch. the atmosphere was, if possible, a trifle more penetrating than that of the great hall, and the walls were discoloured with damp. "upstairs, besides the bedrooms, was a little chapel with some remains of gothic carving, and a few interesting pictures of the fifteenth century; a cunningly contrived priest-hole, and a long gallery lined with dusty books, whither my lord used to repair on rainy days. many of the windows were darkened by creepers, and over one was a flap of half-detached plaster work which hung like a shroud. but, oh, the stained glass! the eighteenth-century renovators had at least respected these, and quarterings and coats of arms from the fifteenth century downwards were to be seen by scores. what an opportunity for the genealogist with a history in view, but that opportunity i fear has passed for ever. the ---- hall estate was evidently mortgaged up to the hilt, and nothing intervened to prevent the dispersal of these treasures, which occurred some few months after my visit. large though the building was, i learned that its size was once far greater, some two-thirds of the old building having been pulled down when the hall was constituted in its present form. hard by on an adjoining estate a millionaire manufacturer (who owned several motor-cars) had set up an establishment, but i gathered that his tastes were the reverse of antiquarian, and that no effort would be made to restore the old hall to its former glories and preserve such treasures as yet remained intact--a golden opportunity to many people of taste with leanings towards a country life. but time fled, and the ragged retainer was once more at the door, so i left ---- hall in a blinding storm of rain, and took my last look at its gaunt façade, carrying with me the seeds of a cold which prevented me from visiting the eastern counties for some time to come." some historic houses of rare beauty have only just escaped destruction. such an one is the ancestral house of the comptons, compton wynyates, a vision of colour and architectural beauty-- a tudor-chimneyed bulk of mellow brickwork on an isle of bowers. owing to his extravagance and the enormous expenses of a contested election in , spencer, the eighth earl of northampton, was reduced to cutting down the timber on the estate, selling his furniture at castle ashby and compton, and spending the rest of his life in switzerland. he actually ordered compton wynyates to be pulled down, as he could not afford to repair it; happily the faithful steward of the estate, john berrill, did not obey the order. he did his best to keep out the weather and to preserve the house, asserting that he was sure the family would return there some day. most of the windows were bricked up in order to save the window-tax, and the glorious old building within whose walls kings and queens had been entertained remained bare and desolate for many years, excepting a small portion used as a farm-house. all honour to the old man's memory, the faithful servant, who thus saved his master's noble house from destruction, the pride of the midlands. its latest historian, miss alice dryden,[ ] thus describes its appearance:-- "on approaching the building by the high road, the entrance front now bursts into view across a wide stretch of lawn, where formerly it was shielded by buildings forming an outer court. it is indeed a most glorious pile of exquisite colouring, built of small red bricks widely separated by mortar, with occasional chequers of blue bricks; the mouldings and facings of yellow local stone, the woodwork of the two gables carved and black with age, the stone slates covered with lichens and mellowed by the hand of time; the whole building has an indescribable charm. the architecture, too, is all irregular; towers here and there, gables of different heights, any straight line embattled, few windows placed exactly over others, and the whole fitly surmounted by the elaborate brick chimneys of different designs, some fluted, others zigzagged, others spiral, or combined spiral and fluted." [ ] _memorials of old warwickshire_, edited by miss alice dryden. an illustration is given of one of these chimneys which form such an attractive feature of the house. [illustration: chimney at compton wynyates] it is unnecessary to record the history of compton wynyates. the present owner, the marquis of northampton, has written an admirable monograph on the annals of the house of his ancestors. its builder was sir william compton,[ ] who by his valour in arms and his courtly ways gained the favour of henry viii, and was promoted to high honour at the court. dugdale states that in he obtained licence to impark two thousand acres at overcompton and nethercompton, _alias_ compton vyneyats, where he built a "fair mannour house," and where he was visited by the king, "for over the gateway are the arms of france and england, under a crown, supported by the greyhound and griffin, and sided by the rose and the crown, probably in memory of henry viii's visit here."[ ] the comptons ever basked in the smiles of royalty. henry compton, created baron, was the favourite of queen elizabeth, and his son william succeeded in marrying the daughter of sir john spencer, richest of city merchants. all the world knows of his ingenious craft in carrying off the lady in a baker's basket, of his wife's disinheritance by the irate father, and of the subsequent reconciliation through the intervention of queen elizabeth at the baptism of the son of this marriage. the comptons fought bravely for the king in the civil war. their house was captured by the enemy, and besieged by james compton, earl of northampton, and the story of the fighting about the house abounds in interest, but cannot be related here. the building was much battered by the siege and by cromwell's soldiers, who plundered the house, killed the deer in the park, defaced the monuments in the church, and wrought much mischief. since the eighteenth-century disaster to the family it has been restored, and remains to this day one of the most charming homes in england. [ ] the present marquis of northampton in his book contends that the house was mainly built in the reign of henry vii by edmund compton, sir william's father, and that sir william only enlarged and added to the house. we have not space to record the arguments in favour of or against this view. [ ] _the progresses of james i_, by nichols. [illustration: window-catch, brockhall, northants] "the greatest advantages men have by riches are to give, to build, to plant, and make pleasant scenes." so wrote sir william temple, diplomatist, philosopher, and true garden-lover. and many of the gentlemen of england seem to have been of the same mind, if we may judge from the number of delightful old country-houses set amid pleasant scenes that time and war and fire have spared to us. macaulay draws a very unflattering picture of the old country squire, as of the parson. his untruths concerning the latter i have endeavoured to expose in another place.[ ] the manor-houses themselves declare the historian's strictures to be unfounded. is it possible that men so ignorant and crude could have built for themselves residences bearing evidence of such good taste, so full of grace and charm, and surrounded by such rare blendings of art and nature as are displayed so often in park and garden? and it is not, as a rule, in the greatest mansions, the vast piles erected by the great nobles of the court, that we find such artistic qualities, but most often in the smaller manor-houses of knights and squires. certainly many higher-cultured people of macaulay's time and our own could learn a great deal from them of the art of making beautiful homes. [ ] _old-time parson_, by p.h. ditchfield, . [illustration: gothic chimney, norton st. philip, somerset] holinshed, the chronicler, writing during the third quarter of the sixteenth century, makes some illuminating observations on the increasing preference shown in his time for stone and brick buildings in place of timber and plaster. he wrote:-- "the ancient maners and houses of our gentlemen are yet for the most part of strong timber. how beit such as be lately buylded are commonly either of bricke or harde stone, their rowmes large and stately, and houses of office farder distant fro their lodgings. those of the nobilitie are likewise wrought with bricke and harde stone, as provision may best be made; but so magnificent and stately, as the basest house of a barren doth often match with some honours of princes in olde tyme: so that if ever curious buylding did flourishe in englande it is in these our dayes, wherein our worckemen excel and are in maner comparable in skill with old vitruvius and serle." he also adds the curious information that "there are olde men yet dwelling in the village where i remayn, which have noted three things to be marveylously altered in englande within their sound remembrance. one is, the multitude of chimnies lately erected, whereas, in their young dayes there were not above two or three, if so many, in most uplandish townes of the realme (the religious houses and mannour places of their lordes alwayes excepted, and peradventure some great personages [parsonages]), but each one made his fire against a reredosse in the halle, where he dined and dressed his meate," this want of chimneys is noticeable in many pictures of, and previous to, the time of henry viii. a timber farm-house yet remains (or did until recently) near folkestone, which shows no vestige of either chimney or hearth. most of our great houses and manor-houses sprang up in the great elizabethan building epoch, when the untold wealth of the monasteries which fell into the hands of the courtiers and favourites of the king, the plunder of gold-laden spanish galleons, and the unprecedented prosperity in trade gave such an impulse to the erection of fine houses that the england of that period has been described as "one great stonemason's yard." the great noblemen and gentlemen of the court were filled with the desire for extravagant display, and built such clumsy piles as wollaton and burghley house, importing french and german artisans to load them with bastard italian renaissance detail. some of these vast structures are not very admirable with their distorted gables, their chaotic proportions, and their crazy imitations of classic orders. but the typical elizabethan mansion, whose builder's means or good taste would not permit of such a profusion of these architectural luxuries, is unequalled in its combination of stateliness with homeliness, in its expression of the manner of life of the class for which it was built. and in the humbler manors and farm-houses the latter idea is even more perfectly expressed, for houses were affected by the new fashions in architecture generally in proportion to their size. [illustration: the moat, crowhurst place, surrey] holinshed tells of the increased use of stone or brick in his age in the district wherein he lived. in other parts of england, where the forests supplied good timber, the builders stuck to their half-timbered houses and brought the "black and white" style to perfection. plaster was extensively used in this and subsequent ages, and often the whole surface of the house was covered with rough-cast, such as the quaint old house called broughton hall, near market drayton. avebury manor, wiltshire, is an attractive example of the plastered house. the irregular roof-line, the gables, and the white-barred windows, and the contrast of the white walls with the rich green of the vines and surrounding trees combine to make a picture of rare beauty. part of the house is built of stone and part half-timber, but a coat of thin plaster covers the stonework and makes it conform with the rest. to plaster over stone-work is a somewhat daring act, and is not architecturally correct, but the appearance of the house is altogether pleasing. the elizabethan and jacobean builder increased the height of his house, sometimes causing it to have three storeys, besides rooms in attics beneath the gabled roof. he also loved windows. "light, more light," was his continued cry. hence there is often an excess of windows, and lord bacon complained that there was no comfortable place to be found in these houses, "in summer by reason of the heat, or in winter by reason of the cold." it was a sore burden to many a house-owner when charles ii imposed the iniquitous window-tax, and so heavily did this fall upon the owners of some elizabethan houses that the poorer ones were driven to the necessity of walling up some of the windows which their ancestors had provided with such prodigality. you will often see to this day bricked-up windows in many an old farm-house. not every one was so cunning as the parish clerk of bradford-on-avon, orpin, who took out the window-frames from his interesting little house near the church and inserted numerous small single-paned windows which escaped the tax. surrey and kent afford an unlimited field for the study of the better sort of houses, mansions, and manor-houses. we have already alluded to hever castle and its memories of anne boleyn. then there is the historic penshurst, the home of the sidneys, haunted by the shades of sir philip, "sacharissa," the ill-fated algernon, and his handsome brother. you see their portraits on the walls, the fine gallery, and the hall, which reveals the exact condition of an ancient noble's hall in former days. [illustration: arms of the gaynesfords in window, crowhurst place, surrey] not far away are the manors of crittenden, puttenden, and crowhurst. this last is one of the most picturesque in surrey, with its moat, across which there is a fine view of the house, its half-timber work, the straight uprights placed close together signifying early work, and the striking character of the interior. the gaynesford family became lords of the manor of crowhurst in , and continued to hold it until , a very long record. in the place was purchased by the rev. ---- gaynesford, of hitchin, a descendant of the family of the former owners. this is a rare instance of the repossession of a medieval residence by an ancient family after the lapse of two hundred years. it was built in the fifteenth century, and is a complete specimen of its age and style, having been unspoilt by later alterations and additions. the part nearer the moat is, however, a little later than the gables further back. the dining-room is the contracted remains of the great hall of crowhurst place, the upper part of which was converted into a series of bedrooms in the eighteenth century. we give an illustration of a very fine hinge to a cupboard door in one of the bedrooms, a good example of the blacksmith's skill. it is noticeable that the points of the linen-fold in the panelling of the door are undercut and project sharply. we see the open framed floor with moulded beams. later on the fashion changed, and the builders preferred to have square-shaped beams. we notice the fine old panelling, the elaborate mouldings, and the fixed bench running along one end of the chamber, of which we give an illustration. the design and workmanship of this fixture show it to belong to the period of henry viii. all the work is of stout timber, save the fire-place. the smith's art is shown in the fine candelabrum and in the knocker or ring-plate, perforated with gothic design, still backed with its original morocco leather. it is worthy of a sanctuary, and doubtless many generations of crowhurst squires have found a very dear sanctuary in this grand old english home. this ring-plate is in one of the original bedrooms. immense labour was often bestowed upon the mouldings of beams in these fifteenth-century houses. there was a very fine moulded beam in a farm-house in my own parish, but a recent restoration has, alas! covered it. we give some illustrations of the cornice mouldings of the church house, goudhurst, kent, and of a fine gothic door-head. [illustration: cupboard hinge, crowhurst place, surrey] it is impossible for us to traverse many shires in our search for old houses. but a word must be said for the priceless contents of many of our historic mansions and manors. these often vanish and are lost for ever. i have alluded to the thirst of american millionaires for these valuables, which causes so many of our treasures to cross the atlantic and find their home in the palaces of boston and washington and elsewhere. perhaps if our valuables must leave their old resting-places and go out of the country, we should prefer them to go to america than to any other land. our american cousins are our kindred; they know how to appreciate the treasures of the land that, in spite of many changes, is to them their mother-country. no nation in the world prizes a high lineage and a family tree more than the americans, and it is my privilege to receive many inquiries from across the atlantic for missing links in the family pedigree, and the joy that a successful search yields compensates for all one's trouble. so if our treasures must go we should rather send them to america than to germany. it is, however, distressing to see pictures taken from the place where they have hung for centuries and sent to christie's, to see the dispersal of old libraries at sotherby's, and the contents of a house, amassed by generations of cultured and wealthy folk, scattered to the four winds and bought up by the _nouveaux riches_. [illustration: fixed bench in the hall, crowhurst place, surrey] there still remain in many old houses collections of armour that bears the dints of many fights. swords, helmets, shields, lances, and other weapons of warfare often are seen hanging on the walls of an ancestral hall. the buff coats of cromwell's soldiers, tilting-helmets, guns and pistols of many periods are all there, together with man-traps--the cruel invention of a barbarous age. [illustration: gothic door-head, goudhurst, kent] the historic hall of littlecote bears on its walls many suits worn during the civil war by the parliamentary troopers, and in countless other halls you can see specimens of armour. in churches also much armour has been stored. it was the custom to suspend over the tomb the principal arms of the departed warrior, which had previously been carried in the funeral procession. shakespeare alludes to this custom when, in _hamlet_, he makes laertes say:-- his means of death, his obscure burial-- no trophy, sword, nor hatchment o'er his bones, no noble rite, nor formal ostentation. you can see the armour of the black prince over his tomb at canterbury, and at westminster the shield of henry v that probably did its duty at agincourt. several of our churches still retain the arms of the heroes who lie buried beneath them, but occasionally it is not the actual armour but sham, counterfeit helmets and breastplates made for the funeral procession and hung over the monument. much of this armour has been removed from churches and stored in museums. norwich museum has some good specimens, of which we give some illustrations. there is a knight's basinet which belongs to the time of henry v (_circa_ ). we can compare this with the salads, which came into use shortly after this period, an example of which may be seen at the porte d'hal, brussels. we also show a thirteenth-century sword, which was dredged up at thorpe, and believed to have been lost in , when king edward i made a military progress through suffolk and norfolk, and kept his easter at norwich. the blade is scimitar-shaped, is one-edged, and has a groove at the back. we may compare this with the sword of the time of edward iv now in the possession of mr. seymour lucas. the development of riding-boots is an interesting study. we show a drawing of one in the possession of mr. ernest crofts, r.a., which was in use in the time of william iii. [illustration: knightly basinet (_temp._ henry v) in norwich castle] [illustration: hilt of thirteenth-century sword in norwich museum] an illustration is given of a chapel-de-fer which reposes in the noble hall of ockwells, berkshire, much dented by use. it has evidently seen service. in the same hall is collected by the friends of the author, sir edward and lady barry, a vast store of armour and most interesting examples of ancient furniture worthy of the beautiful building in which they are placed. ockwells manor house is goodly to look upon, a perfect example of fifteenth-century residence with its noble hall and minstrels' gallery, its solar, kitchens, corridors, and gardens. moreover, it is now owned by those who love and respect antiquity and its architectural beauties, and is in every respect an old english mansion well preserved and tenderly cared for. yet at one time it was almost doomed to destruction. not many years ago it was the property of a man who knew nothing of its importance. he threatened to pull it down or to turn the old house into a tannery. our berks archæological society endeavoured to raise money for its purchase in order to preserve it. this action helped the owner to realise that the house was of some commercial value. its destruction was stayed, and then, happily, it was purchased by the present owners, who have done so much to restore its original beauties. [illustration: "hand-and-a-half" sword. mr. seymour lucas, r.a.] [illustration: seventeenth-century boot, in the possession of ernest crofts, esq., r.a.] [illustration: chapel de fer at ockwells, berks] ockwells was built by sir john norreys about the year . the chapel was not completed at his death in , and he left money in his will "to the full bilding and making uppe of the chapell with the chambres ajoyng with'n my manoir of okholt in the p'rish of bray aforsaid not yet finisshed xl li." this chapel was burnt down in . one of the most important features of the hall is the heraldic glass, commemorating eighteen worthies, which is of the same date as the house. the credit of identifying these worthies is due to mr. everard green, rouge dragon, who in communicated the result of his researches to viscount dillon, president of the society of antiquaries. there are eighteen shields of arms. two are royal and ensigned with royal crowns. two are ensigned with mitres and fourteen with mantled helms, and of these fourteen, thirteen support a crest. each achievement is placed in a separate light on an ornamental background composed of quarries and alternate diagonal stripes of white glass bordered with gold, on which the motto feyth-fully-serve is inscribed in black-letter. this motto is assigned by some to the family of norreys and by others as that of the royal wardrobe. the quarries in each light have the same badge, namely, three golden distaffs, one in pale and two in saltire, banded with a golden and tasselled ribbon, which badge some again assign to the family of norreys and others to the royal wardrobe. if, however, the norreys arms are correctly set forth in a compartment of a door-head remaining in the north wall, and also in one of the windows--namely, argent a chevron between three ravens' heads erased sable, with a beaver for a dexter supporter--the second conjecture is doubtless correct. these shields represent the arms of sir john norreys, the builder of ockwells manor house, and of his sovereign, patrons, and kinsfolk. it is a _liber amicorum_ in glass, a not unpleasant way for light to come to us, as mr. everard green pleasantly remarks. by means of heraldry sir john norreys recorded his friendships, thereby adding to the pleasures of memory as well as to the splendour of his great hall. his eye saw the shield, his memory supplied the story, and to him the lines of george eliot, o memories, o past that is, were made possible by heraldry. the names of his friends and patrons so recorded in glass by their arms are: sir henry beauchamp, sixth earl of warwick; sir edmund beaufort, k.g.; margaret of anjou, queen of henry vi, "the dauntless queen of tears, who headed councils, led armies, and ruled both king and people"; sir john de la pole, k.g.; henry vi; sir james butler; the abbey of abingdon; richard beauchamp, bishop of salisbury from to ; sir john norreys himself; sir john wenlock, of wenlock, shropshire; sir william lacon, of stow, kent, buried at bray; the arms and crest of a member of the mortimer family; sir richard nanfan, of birtsmorton court, worcestershire; sir john norreys with his arms quartered with those of alice merbury, of yattendon, his first wife; sir john langford, who married sir john norreys's granddaughter; a member of the de la beche family (?); john purye, of thatcham, bray, and cookham; richard bulstrode, of upton, buckinghamshire, keeper of the great wardrobe to queen margaret of anjou, and afterwards comptroller of the household to edward iv. these are the worthies whose arms are recorded in the windows of ockwells. nash gave a drawing of the house in his _mansions of england in the olden time_, showing the interior of the hall, the porch and corridor, and the east front; and from the hospitable door is issuing a crowd of gaily dressed people in elizabethan costume, such as was doubtless often witnessed in days of yore. it is a happy and fortunate event that this noble house should in its old age have found such a loving master and mistress, in whose family we hope it may remain for many long years. another grand old house has just been saved by the national trust and the bounty of an anonymous benefactor. this is barrington court, and is one of the finest houses in somerset. it is situated a few miles east of ilminster, in the hundred of south petherton. its exact age is uncertain, but it seems probable that it was built by henry, lord daubeney, created earl of bridgewater in , whose ancestors had owned the place since early plantagenet times. at any rate, it appears to date from about the middle of the sixteenth century, and it is a very perfect example of the domestic architecture of that period. from the daubeneys it passed successively to the duke of suffolk, the crown, the cliftons, the phelips's, the strodes; and one of this last family entertained the duke of monmouth there during his tour in the west in . the house, which is e-shaped, with central porch and wings at each end, is built of the beautiful ham hill stone which abounds in the district; the colour of this stone greatly enhances the appearance of the house and adds to its venerable aspect. it has little ornamental detail, but what there is is very good, while the loftiness and general proportions of the building--its extent and solidity of masonry, and the taste and care with which every part has been designed and carried out, give it an air of dignity and importance. "the angle buttresses to the wings and the porch rising to twisted terminals are a feature surviving from mediæval times, which disappeared entirely in the buildings of stuart times. these twisted terminals with cupola-like tops are also upon the gables, and with the chimneys, also twisted, give a most pleasing and attractive character to the structure. we may go far, indeed, before we find another house of stone so lightly and gracefully adorned, and the detail of the mullioned windows with their arched heads, in every light, and their water-tables above, is admirable. the porch also has a fine tudor arch, which might form the entrance to some college quadrangle, and there are rooms above and gables on either hand. the whole structure breathes the spirit of the tudor age, before the classic spirit had exercised any marked influence upon our national architecture, while the details of the carving are almost as rich as is the moulded and sculptured work in the brick houses of east anglia. the features in other parts of the exterior are all equally good, and we may certainly say of barrington court that it occupies a most notable place in the domestic architecture of england. it is also worthy of remark that such houses as this are far rarer than those of jacobean times."[ ] [ ] _country life_, september th, . but barrington court has fallen on evil days; one half of the house only is now habitable, the rest having been completely gutted about eighty years ago. the great hall is used as a cider store, the wainscoting has been ruthlessly removed, and there have even been recent suggestions of moving the whole structure across england and re-erecting it in a strange county. it has several times changed hands in recent years, and under these circumstances it is not surprising that but little has been done to ensure the preservation of what is indeed an architectural gem. but the walls are in excellent condition and the roofs fairly sound. the national trust, like an angel of mercy, has spread its protecting wings over the building; friends have been found to succour the court in its old age; and there is every reason to hope that its evil days are past, and that it may remain standing for many generations. [illustration: tudor dresser table, in the possession of sir alfred dryden, canon's ashby, northants] the wealth of treasure to be found in many country houses is indeed enormous. in holinshed's _chronicle of englande, scotlande and irelande_, published in , there is a chapter on the "maner of buylding and furniture of our houses," wherein is recorded the costliness of the stores of plate and tapestry that were found in the dwellings of nobility and gentry and also in farm-houses, and even in the homes of "inferior artificers." verily the spoils of the monasteries and churches must have been fairly evenly divided. these are his words:-- "the furniture of our houses also exceedeth, and is growne in maner even to passing delicacie; and herein i do not speake of the nobilitie and gentrie onely, but even of the lowest sorte that have anything to take to. certes in noble men's houses it is not rare to see abundance of array, riche hangings of tapestry, silver vessell, and so much other plate as may furnish sundrie cupbordes to the summe ofte times of a thousand or two thousand pounde at the leaste; wherby the value of this and the reast of their stuffe doth grow to be inestimable. likewise in the houses of knightes, gentlemen, marchauntmen, and other wealthie citizens, it is not geson to beholde generallye their great provision of tapestrie turkye worke, _pewter_, _brasse_, fine linen, and thereto costly cupbords of plate woorth five or six hundred pounde, to be demed by estimation. but as herein all these sortes doe farre exceede their elders and predecessours, so in tyme past the costly furniture _stayed there_, whereas now it is descended yet lower, even unto the inferior artificiers and most fermers[ ] who have learned to garnish also their cupbordes with plate, their beddes with tapestrie and silk hanginges, and their table with fine naperie whereby the wealth of our countrie doth infinitely appeare...." [ ] farmers. much of this wealth has, of course, been scattered. time, poverty, war, the rise and fall of families, have caused the dispersion of these treasures. sometimes you find valuable old prints or china in obscure and unlikely places. a friend of the writer, overtaken by a storm, sought shelter in a lone welsh cottage. she admired and bought a rather curious jug. it turned out to be a somewhat rare and valuable ware, and a sketch of it has since been reproduced in the _connoisseur_. i have myself discovered three bartolozzi engravings in cottages in this parish. we give an illustration of a seventeenth-century powder-horn which was found at glastonbury by charles griffin in in the wall of an old house which formerly stood where the wilts and dorset bank is now erected. mr. griffin's account of its discovery is as follows:-- "when i was a boy about fifteen years of age i took a ladder up into the attic to see if there was anything hid in some holes that were just under the roof.... pushing my hand in the wall ... i pulled out this carved horn, which then had a metal rim and cover--of silver, i think. a man gave me a shilling for it, and he sold it to mr. porch." it is stated that a coronet was engraved or stamped on the silver rim which has now disappeared. [illustration: seventeenth-century powder-horn, found in the wall of an old house at glastonbury. now in glastonbury museum] monmouth's harassed army occupied glastonbury on the night of june , , and it is extremely probable that the powder-horn was deposited in its hiding-place by some wavering follower who had decided to abandon the duke's cause. there is another relic of monmouth's rebellion, now in the taunton museum, a spy-glass, with the aid of which mr. sparke, from the tower of chedzoy, discovered the king's troops marching down sedgemoor on the day previous to the fight, and gave information thereof to the duke, who was quartered at bridgwater. it was preserved by the family for more than a century, and given by miss mary sparke, the great-granddaughter of the above william sparke, in to a mr. stradling, who placed it in the museum. the spy-glass, which is of very primitive construction, is in four sections or tubes of bone covered with parchment. relics of war and fighting are often stored in country houses. thus at swallowfield park, the residence of lady russell, was found, when an old tree was grubbed up, some gold and silver coins of the reign of charles i. it is probable that a cavalier, when hard pressed, threw his purse into a hollow tree, intending, if he escaped, to return and rescue it. this, for some reason, he was unable to do, and his money remained in the tree until old age necessitated its removal. the late sir george russell, bart., caused a box to be made of the wood of the tree, and in it he placed the coins, so that they should not be separated after their connexion of two centuries and a half. [illustration: seventeenth-century spy-glass in taunton museum] we give an illustration of a remarkable flagon of bell-metal for holding spiced wine, found in an old manor-house in norfolk. it is of english make, and was manufactured about the year . it is embossed with the old royal arms of england crowned and repeated several times, and has an inscription in gothic letters:-- god is grace be in this place. amen. stand uttir[ ] from the fier and let onjust[ ] come nere. [ ] stand away. [ ] one just. [illustration: fourteenth-century flagon. from an old manor house in norfolk] this interesting flagon was bought from the robinson collection in by the nation, and is now in the victoria and albert museum. many old houses, happily, contain their stores of ancient furniture. elizabethan bedsteads wherein, of course, the virgin queen reposed (she made so many royal progresses that it is no wonder she slept in so many places), expanding tables, jacobean chairs and sideboards, and later on the beautiful productions of chippendale, sheraton, and hipplethwaite. some of the family chests are elaborate works of art. we give as an illustration a fine example of an elizabethan chest. it is made of oak, inlaid with holly, dating from the last quarter of the sixteenth century. its length is ft. in., its height ft. in. it is in the possession of sir coleridge grove, k.c.b., of the manor-house, warborough, in oxfordshire. the staircases are often elaborately carved, which form a striking feature of many old houses. the old aldermaston court was burnt down, but fortunately the huge figures on the staircase were saved and appear again in the new court, the residence of a distinguished antiquary, mr. charles keyser, f.s.a. hartwell house, in buckinghamshire, once the residence of the exiled french court of louis xviii during the revolution and the period of the ascendancy of napoleon i, has some curiously carved oaken figures adorning the staircase, representing hercules, the furies, and various knights in armour. we give an illustration of the staircase newel in cromwell house, highgate, with its quaint little figure of a man standing on a lofty pedestal. [illustration: elizabethan chest, in the possession of sir coleridge grove, k.c.b. height, ft. in.; length, ft. in.] sometimes one comes across strange curiosities in old houses, the odds and ends which time has accumulated. on p. is a representation of a water-clock or clepsydra which was made at norwich by an ingenious person named parson in . it is constructed on the same principle as the timepieces used by the greeks and romans. the brass tube was filled with water, which was allowed to run out slowly at the bottom. a cork floated at the top of the water in the tube, and as it descended the hour was indicated by the pointer on the dial above. this ingenious clock has now found its way into the museum in norwich castle. the interesting contents of old houses would require a volume for their complete enumeration. in looking at these ancient buildings, which time has spared us, we seem to catch a glimpse of the lamp of memory which shines forth in the illuminated pages of ruskin. the men, our forefathers, who built these houses, built them to last, and not for their own generation. it would have grieved them to think that their earthly abode, which had seen and seemed almost to sympathize in all their honour, their gladness or their suffering--that this, with all the record it bare of them, and of all material things that they had loved and ruled over, and set the stamp of themselves upon--was to be swept away as soon as there was room made for them in the grave. they valued and prized the house that they had reared, or added to, or improved. hence they loved to carve their names or their initials on the lintels of their doors or on the walls of their houses with the date. on the stone houses of the cotswolds, in derbyshire, lancashire, cumberland, wherever good building stone abounds, you can see these inscriptions, initials usually those of husband and wife, which preserved the memorial of their names as long as the house remained in the family. alas! too often the memorial conveys no meaning, and no one knows the names they represent. but it was a worthy feeling that prompted this building for futurity. there is a mystery about the inscription recorded in the illustration "t.d. ." it was discovered, together with a sword (_temp._ charles ii), between the ceiling and the floor when an old farm-house called gundry's, at stoke-under-ham, was pulled down. the year was one of great political disturbance, being that in which the so-called "popish plot" was exploited by titus oates. possibly "t.d." was fearful of being implicated, concealed this inscription, and effected his escape. [illustration: staircase newel cromwell house, highgate] our forefathers must have been animated by the spirit which caused mr. ruskin to write: "when we build, let us think that we build for ever. let it not be for present delight, nor for present use alone; let it be such work as our descendants will thank us for, and let us think, as we lay stone on stone, that a time is to come when those stones will be held sacred because our hands have touched them, and that men will say as they look upon the labour and wrought substance of them, 'see! this our fathers did for us.'" [illustration: piece of wood carved with inscription found with a sword (_temp._ charles ii) in an old house at stoke-under-ham, somerset] [illustration: seventeenth-century water-clock, in norwich museum] contrast these old houses with the modern suburban abominations, "those thin tottering foundationless shells of splintered wood and imitated stone," "those gloomy rows of formalised minuteness, alike without difference and without fellowship, as solitary as similar," as ruskin calls them. these modern erections have no more relation to their surroundings than would a pullman-car or a newly painted piece of machinery. age cannot improve the appearance of such things. but age only mellows and improves our ancient houses. solidly built of good materials, the golden stain of time only adds to their beauties. the vines have clothed their walls and the green lawns about them have grown smoother and thicker, and the passing of the centuries has served but to tone them down and bring them into closer harmony with nature. with their garden walls and hedges they almost seem to have grown in their places as did the great trees that stand near by. they have nothing of the uneasy look of the parvenu about them. they have an air of dignified repose; the spirit of ancient peace seems to rest upon them and their beautiful surroundings. [illustration: sun-dial. the manor house, sutton courtenay] chapter viii the destruction of prehistoric remains we still find in various parts of the country traces of the prehistoric races who inhabited our island and left their footprints behind them, which startle us as much as ever the print of friday's feet did the indomitable robinson crusoe. during the last fifty years we have been collecting the weapons and implements of early man, and have learnt that the history of britain did not begin with the year b.c. , when julius cæsar attempted his first conquest of our island. our historical horizon has been pushed back very considerably, and every year adds new knowledge concerning the palæolithic and neolithic races, and the first users of bronze and iron tools and weapons. we have learnt to prize what they have left, to recognize the immense archæological value of these remains, and of their inestimable prehistoric interest. it is therefore very deplorable to discover that so much has been destroyed, obliterated, and forgotten. we have still some left. examples are still to be seen of megalithic structures, barrows, cromlechs, camps, earthen or walled castles, hut-circles, and other remains of the prehistoric inhabitants of these islands. we have many monoliths, called in wales and cornwall, as also in brittany, menhirs, a name derived from the celtic word _maen_ or _men_, signifying a stone, and _hir_ meaning tall. they are also called logan stones and "hoar" stones, _hoar_ meaning a boundary, inasmuch as they were frequently used in later times to mark the boundary of an estate, parish, or manor. a vast number have been torn down and used as gateposts or for building purposes, and a recent observer in the west country states that he has looked in vain for several where he knew that not long ago they existed. if in the land's end district you climb the ascent of bolleit, the place of blood, where athelstan fought and slew the britons, you can see "the pipers," two great menhirs, twelve and sixteen feet high, and the holed stone, which is really an ancient cross, but you will be told that the cruel druids used to tie their human victims for sacrifice to this stone, and you would shudder at the memory if you did not know that the druids were very philosophical folk, and never did such dreadful deeds. another kind of megalithic monument are the stone circles, only they are circles no longer, many stones having been carted away to mend walls. if you look at the ordnance map of penzance you will find large numbers of these circles, but if you visit the spots where they are supposed to be, you will find that many have vanished. the "merry maidens," not far from the "pipers," still remain--nineteen great stones, which fairy-lore perhaps supposes to have been once fair maidens who danced to the tune the pipers played ere a celtic medusa gazed at them and turned them into stone. every one knows the story of the rollright stones, a similar stone circle in oxfordshire, which were once upon a time a king and his army, and were converted into stone by a witch who cast a fatal spell upon them by the words-- move no more; stand fast, stone; king of england thou shalt none. the solitary stone is the ambitious monarch who was told by an oracle that if he could see long compton he would be king of england; the circle is his army, and the five "whispering knights" are five of his chieftains, who were hatching a plot against him when the magic spell was uttered. local legends have sometimes helped to preserve these stones. the farmers around rollright say that if these stones are removed from the spot they will never rest, but make mischief till they are restored. there is a well-known cromlech at stanton drew, in somerset, and there are several in scotland, the channel islands, and brittany. some sacrilegious persons transported a cromlech from the channel islands, and set it up at park place, henley-on-thames. such an act of antiquarian barbarism happily has few imitators. stonehenge, with its well-wrought stones and gigantic trilitha, is one of the latest of the stone circles, and was doubtless made in the iron age, about two hundred years before the christian era. antiquarians have been very anxious about its safety. in one of the great upright stones fell, bringing down the cross-piece with it, and several learned societies have been invited by the owner, sir edmund antrobus, to furnish recommendations as to the best means of preserving this unique memorial of an early race. we are glad to know that all that can be done will be done to keep stonehenge safe for future generations. we need not record the existence of dolmens, or table-stones, the remains of burial mounds, which have been washed away by denudation, nor of what the french folk call _alignements_, or lines of stones, which have suffered like other megalithic monuments. barrows or tumuli are still plentiful, great mounds of earth raised to cover the prehistoric dead. but many have disappeared. some have been worn down by ploughing, as on the berkshire downs. others have been dug into for gravel. the making of golf-links has disturbed several, as at sunningdale, where several barrows were destroyed in order to make a good golf-course. happily their contents were carefully guarded, and are preserved in the british museum and in that of reading. earthworks and camps still guard the british ancient roads and trackways, and you still admire their triple vallum and their cleverly protected entrance. happily the earthworks committee of the congress of archæological societies watches over them, and strives to protect them from injury. pit-dwellings and the so-called "ancient british villages" are in many instances sorely neglected, and are often buried beneath masses of destructive briers and ferns. we can still trace the course of several of the great tribal boundaries of prehistoric times, the grim's dykes that are seen in various parts of the country, gigantic earthworks that so surprised the saxon invaders that they attributed them to the agency of the devil or grim. here and there much has vanished, but stretches remain with a high bank twelve or fourteen feet high and a ditch; the labour of making these earthen ramparts must have been immense in the days when the builders of them had only picks made out of stag's horns and such simple tools to work with. along some of our hillsides are curious turf-cut monuments, which always attract our gaze and make us wonder who first cut out these figures on the face of the chalk hill. there is the great white horse on the berkshire downs above uffington, which we like to think was cut out by alfred's men after his victory over the danes on the ashdown hills. we are told, however, that that cannot be, and that it must have been made at least a thousand years before king alfred's glorious reign. some of these monuments are in danger of disappearing. they need scouring pretty constantly, as the weeds and grass will grow over the face of the bare chalk and tend to obliterate the figures. the berkshire white horse wanted grooming badly a short time ago, and the present writer was urged to approach the noble owner, the earl of craven, and urge the necessity of a scouring. the earl, however, needed no reminder, and the white horse is now thoroughly groomed, and looks as fit and active as ever. other steeds on our hillsides have in modern times been so cut and altered in shape that their nearest relations would not know them. thus the white horse at westbury, in wiltshire, is now a sturdy-looking little cob, quite up to date and altogether modern, very different from the old shape of the animal. the vanishing of prehistoric monuments is due to various causes. avebury had at one time within a great rampart and a fosse, which is still forty feet deep, a large circle of rough unhewn stones, and within this two circles each containing a smaller concentric circle. two avenues of stones led to the two entrances to the space surrounded by the fosse. it must have been a vast and imposing edifice, much more important than stonehenge, and the area within this great circle exceeds twenty-eight acres, with a diameter of twelve hundred feet. but the spoilers have been at work, and "farmer george" and other depredators have carted away so many of the stones, and done so much damage, that much imagination is needed to construct in the eye of the mind this wonder of the world. every one who journeys from london to oxford by the great western railway knows the appearance of the famous wittenham clumps, a few miles from historic wallingford. if you ascend the hill you will find it a paradise for antiquaries. the camp itself occupies a commanding position overlooking the valley of the thames, and has doubtless witnessed many tribal fights, and the great contest between the celts and the roman invaders. in the plain beneath is another remarkable earthwork. it was defended on three sides by the thames, and a strong double rampart had been made across the cord of the bow formed by the river. there was also a trench which in case of danger could have been filled with water. but the spoiler has been at work here. in a farmer employed his men during a hard winter in digging down the west side of the rampart and flinging the earth into the fosse. the farmer intended to perform a charitable act, and charity is said to cover a multitude of sins; but his action was disastrous to antiquaries and has almost destroyed a valuable prehistoric monument. there is a noted camp at ashbury, erroneously called "alfred's castle," on an elevated part of swinley down, in berkshire, not far from ashdown park, the seat of the earl of craven. lysons tells us that formerly there were traces of buildings here, and aubrey says that in his time the earthworks were "almost quite defaced by digging for sarsden stones to build my lord craven's house in the park." borough hill camp, in boxford parish, near newbury, has little left, so much of the earth having been removed at various times. rabbits, too, are great destroyers, as they disturb the original surface of the ground and make it difficult for investigators to make out anything with certainty. sometimes local tradition, which is wonderfully long-lived, helps the archæologist in his discoveries. an old man told an antiquary that a certain barrow in his parish was haunted by the ghost of a soldier who wore golden armour. the antiquary determined to investigate and dug into the barrow, and there found the body of a man with a gold or bronze breastplate. i am not sure whether the armour was gold or bronze. now here is an amazing instance of folk-memory. the chieftain was buried probably in anglo-saxon times, or possibly earlier. during thirteen hundred years, at least, the memory of that burial has been handed down from father to son until the present day. it almost seems incredible. it seems something like sacrilege to disturb the resting-places of our prehistoric ancestors, and to dig into barrows and examine their contents. but much knowledge of the history and manners and customs of the early inhabitants of our island has been gained by these investigations. year by year this knowledge grows owing to the patient labours of industrious antiquaries, and perhaps our predecessors would not mind very much the disturbing of their remains, if they reflected that we are getting to know them better by this means, and are almost on speaking terms with the makers of stone axes, celts and arrow-heads, and are great admirers of their skill and ingenuity. it is important that all these monuments of antiquity should be carefully preserved, that plans should be made of them, and systematic investigations undertaken by competent and skilled antiquaries. the old stone monuments and the later celtic crosses should be rescued from serving such purposes as brook bridges, stone walls, stepping-stones, and gate-posts and reared again on their original sites. they are of national importance, and the nation should do this. [illustration: half-timber cottages, waterside, evesham] chapter ix cathedral cities and abbey towns there is always an air of quietude and restfulness about an ordinary cathedral city. some of our cathedrals are set in busy places, in great centres of population, wherein the high towering minster looks down with a kind of pitying compassion upon the toiling folk and invites them to seek shelter and peace and the consolations of religion in her quiet courts. for ages she has watched over the city and seen generation after generation pass away. kings and queens have come to lay their offerings on her altars, and have been borne there amid all the pomp of stately mourning to lie in the gorgeous tombs that grace her choir. she has seen it all--times of pillage and alarm, of robbery and spoliation, of change and disturbance, but she lives on, ever calling men with her quiet voice to look up in love and faith and prayer. but many of our cathedral cities are quite small places which owe their very life and existence to the stately church which pious hands have raised centuries ago. there age after age the prayer of faith, the anthems of praise, and the divine services have been offered. in the glow of a summer's evening its heavenly architecture stands out, a mass of wondrous beauty, telling of the skill of the masons and craftsmen of olden days who put their hearts into their work and wrought so surely and so well. the greensward of the close, wherein the rooks caw and guard their nests, speaks of peace and joy that is not of earth. we walk through the fretted cloisters that once echoed with the tread of sandalled monks and saw them illuminating and copying wonderful missals, antiphonaries, and other manuscripts which we prize so highly now. the deanery is close at hand, a venerable house of peace and learning; and the canons' houses tell of centuries of devoted service to god's church, wherein many a distinguished scholar, able preacher, and learned writer has lived and sent forth his burning message to the world, and now lies at peace in the quiet minster. the fabric of the cathedrals is often in danger of becoming part and parcel of vanishing england. every one has watched with anxiety the gallant efforts that have been made to save winchester. the insecure foundations, based on timbers that had rotted, threatened to bring down that wondrous pile of masonry. and now canterbury is in danger. the dean and chapter of canterbury having recently completed the reparation of the central tower of the cathedral, now find themselves confronted with responsibilities which require still heavier expenditure. it has recently been found that the upper parts of the two western towers are in a dangerous condition. all the pinnacles of these towers have had to be partially removed in order to avoid the risk of dangerous injury from falling stones, and a great part of the external work of the two towers is in a state of grievous decay. the chapter were warned by the architect that they would incur an anxious responsibility if they did not at once adopt measures to obviate this danger. further, the architect states that there are some fissures and shakes in the supporting piers of the central tower within the cathedral, and that some of the stonework shows signs of crushing. he further reports that there is urgent need of repair to the nave windows, the south transept roof, the warriors' chapel, and several other parts of the building. the nave pinnacles are reported by him to be in the last stage of decay, large portions falling frequently, or having to be removed. in these modern days we run "tubes" and under-ground railways in close proximity to the foundations of historic buildings, and thereby endanger their safety. the grand cathedral of st. paul, london, was threatened by a "tube," and only saved by vigorous protest from having its foundations jarred and shaken by rumbling trains in the bowels of the earth. moreover, by sewers and drains the earth is made devoid of moisture, and therefore is liable to crack and crumble, and to disturb the foundations of ponderous buildings. st. paul's still causes anxiety on this account, and requires all the care and vigilance of the skilful architect who guards it. the old norman builders loved a central tower, which they built low and squat. happily they built surely and well, firmly and solidly, as their successors loved to pile course upon course upon their norman towers, to raise a massive superstructure, and often crown them with a lofty, graceful, but heavy spire. no wonder the early masonry has, at times, protested against this additional weight, and many mighty central towers and spires have fallen and brought ruin on the surrounding stonework. so it happened at chichester and in several other noble churches. st. alban's tower very nearly fell. there the ingenuity of destroyers and vandals at the dissolution had dug a hole and removed the earth from under one of the piers, hoping that it would collapse. the old tower held on for three hundred years, and then the mighty mass began to give way, and sir gilbert scott tells the story of its reparation in , of the triumphs of the skill of modern builders, and their bravery and resolution in saving the fall of that great tower. the greatest credit is due to all concerned in that hazardous and most difficult task. it had very nearly gone. the story of peterborough, and of several others, shows that many of these vast fanes which have borne the storms and frosts of centuries are by no means too secure, and that the skill of wise architects and the wealth of the englishmen of to-day are sorely needed to prevent them from vanishing. if they fell, new and modern work would scarcely compensate us for their loss. we will take wells as a model of a cathedral city which entirely owes its origin to the noble church and palace built there in early times. the city is one of the most picturesque in england, situated in the most delightful country, and possessing the most perfect ecclesiastical buildings which can be conceived. jocelyn de wells, who lived at the beginning of the thirteenth century ( - ), has for many years had the credit of building the main part of this beautiful house of god. it is hard to have one's beliefs and early traditions upset, but modern authorities, with much reason, tell us that we are all wrong, and that another jocelyn--one reginald fitz-jocelyn ( - )--was the main builder of wells cathedral. old documents recently discovered decide the question, and, moreover, the style of architecture is certainly earlier than the fully developed early english of jocelyn de wells. the latter, and also bishop savaricus ( - ), carried out the work, but the whole design and a considerable part of the building are due to bishop reginald fitz-jocelyn. his successors, until the middle of the fifteenth century, went on perfecting the wondrous shrine, and in the time of bishop beckington wells was in its full glory. the church, the outbuildings, the episcopal palace, the deanery, all combined to form a wonderful architectural triumph, a group of buildings which represented the highest achievement of english gothic art. since then many things have happened. the cathedral, like all other ecclesiastical buildings, has passed through three great periods of iconoclastic violence. it was shorn of some of its glory at the reformation, when it was plundered of the treasures which the piety of many generations had heaped together. then the beautiful lady chapel in the cloisters was pulled down, and the infamous duke of somerset robbed it of its wealth and meditated further sacrilege. amongst these desecrators and despoilers there was a mighty hunger for lead. "i would that they had found it scalding," exclaimed an old chaplain of wells; and to get hold of the lead that covered the roofs--a valuable commodity--somerset and his kind did much mischief to many of our cathedrals and churches. an infamous bishop of york, at this period, stripped his fine palace that stood on the north of york minster, "for the sake of the lead that covered it," and shipped it off to london, where it was sold for £ ; but of this sum he was cheated by a noble duke, and therefore gained nothing by his infamy. during the civil war it escaped fairly well, but some damage was done, the palace was despoiled; and at the restoration of the monarchy much repair was needed. monmouth's rebels wrought havoc. they came to wells in no amiable mood, defaced the statues on the west front, did much wanton mischief, and would have caroused about the altar had not lord grey stood before it with his sword drawn, and thus preserved it from the insults of the ruffians. then came the evils of "restoration." a terrible renewing was begun in , when the old stalls were destroyed and much damage done. twenty years later better things were accomplished, save that the grandeur of the west front was belittled by a pipey restoration, when irish limestone, with its harsh hue, was used to embellish it. a curiosity at wells are the quarter jacks over the clock on the exterior north wall of the cathedral. local tradition has it that the clock with its accompanying figures was part of the spoil removed from glastonbury abbey. the ecclesiastical authorities at wells assert in contradiction to this that the clock was the work of one peter lightfoot, and was placed in the cathedral in the latter part of the fourteenth century. a minute is said to exist in the archives of repairs to the clock and figures in . it is mr. roe's opinion that the defensive armour on the quarter jacks dates from the first half of the fifteenth century, the plain oviform breastplates and basinets, as well as the continuation of the tassets round the hips, being very characteristic features of this period. the halberds in the hands of the figures are evidently restorations of a later time. it may be mentioned that in , when the quarter jacks were painted, it was discovered that though the figures themselves were carved out of solid blocks of oak hard as iron, the arms were of elm bolted and braced thereon. though such instances of combined materials are common enough among antiquities of medieval times, it may yet be surmised that the jar caused by incessant striking may in time have necessitated repairs to the upper limbs. the arms are immovable, as the figures turn on pivots to strike. [illustration: quarter jacks over the clock on exterior of north wall of wells cathedral.] an illustration is given of the palace at wells, which is one of the finest examples of thirteenth-century houses existing in england. it was begun by jocelyn. the great hall, now in ruins, was built by bishop burnell at the end of the thirteenth century, and was destroyed by bishop barlow in . the chapel is decorated. the gatehouse, with its drawbridge, moat, and fortifications, was constructed by bishop ralph, of shrewsbury, who ruled from to . the deanery was built by dean gunthorpe in , who was chaplain to edward iv. on the north is the beautiful vicar's close, which has forty-two houses, constructed mainly by bishop beckington ( - ), with a common hall erected by bishop ralph in and a chapel by budwith ( - ), but altered a century later. you can see the old fireplace, the pulpit from which one of the brethren read aloud during meals, and an ancient painting representing bishop ralph making his grant to the kneeling figures, and some additional figures painted in the time of queen elizabeth. [illustration: the gate house, bishop's palace, wells] when we study the cathedrals of england and try to trace the causes which led to the destruction of so much that was beautiful, so much of english art that has vanished, we find that there were three great eras of iconoclasm. first there were the changes wrought at the time of the reformation, when a rapacious king and his greedy ministers set themselves to wring from the treasures of the church as much gain and spoil as they were able. these men were guilty of the most daring acts of shameless sacrilege, the grossest robbery. with them nothing was sacred. buildings consecrated to god, holy vessels used in his service, all the works of sacred art, the offerings of countless pious benefactors were deemed as mere profane things to be seized and polluted by their sacrilegious hands. the land was full of the most beautiful gems of architectural art, the monastic churches. we can tell something of their glories from those which were happily spared and converted into cathderals or parish churches. ely, peterborough the pride of the fenlands, chester, gloucester, bristol, westminster, st. albans, beverley, and some others proclaim the grandeur of hundreds of other magnificent structures which have been shorn of their leaden roofs, used as quarries for building-stone, entirely removed and obliterated, or left as pitiable ruins which still look beautiful in their decay. reading, tintern, glastonbury, fountains, and a host of others all tell the same story of pitiless iconoclasm. and what became of the contents of these churches? the contents usually went with the fabric to the spoliators. the halls of country-houses were hung with altar-cloths; tables and beds were quilted with copes; knights and squires drank their claret out of chalices and watered their horses in marble coffins. from the accounts of the royal jewels it is evident that a great deal of church plate was delivered to the king for his own use, besides which the sum of £ , derived from plate obtained by the spoilers was given to the proper hand of the king. the iconoclasts vented their rage in the destruction of stained glass and beautiful illuminated manuscripts, priceless tomes and costly treasures of exceeding rarity. parish churches were plundered everywhere. robbery was in the air, and clergy and churchwardens sold sacred vessels and appropriated the money for parochial purposes rather than they should be seized by the king. commissioners were sent to visit all the cathedral and parish churches and seize the superfluous ornaments for the king's use. tithes, lands, farms, buildings belonging to the church all went the same way, until the hand of the iconoclast was stayed, as there was little left to steal or to be destroyed. the next era of iconoclastic zeal was that of the civil war and the cromwellian period. at rochester the soldiers profaned the cathedral by using it as a stable and a tippling place, while saw-pits were made in the sacred building and carpenters plied their trade. at chichester the pikes of the puritans and their wild savagery reduced the interior to a ruinous desolation. the usual scenes of mad iconoclasm were enacted--stained glass windows broken, altars thrown down, lead stripped from the roof, brasses and effigies defaced and broken. a creature named "blue dick" was the wild leader of this savage crew of spoliators who left little but the bare walls and a mass of broken fragments strewing the pavement. we need not record similar scenes which took place almost everywhere. [illustration: house in which bishop hooper was imprisoned, westgate street, gloucester] the last and grievous rule of iconoclasm set in with the restorers, who worked their will upon the fabric of our cathedrals and churches and did so much to obliterate all the fragments of good architectural work which the cromwellian soldiers and the spoliators at the time of the reformation had left. the memory of wyatt and his imitators is not revered when we see the results of their work on our ecclesiastical fabrics, and we need not wonder that so much of english art has vanished. the cathedral of bristol suffered from other causes. the darkest spot in the history of the city is the story of the reform riots of , sometimes called "the bristol revolution," when the dregs of the population pillaged and plundered, burnt the bishop's palace, and were guilty of the most atrocious vandalism. [illustration: the "stone house," rye, sussex] the city of bath, once the rival of wells--the contention between the monks of st. peter and the canons of st. andrews at wells being hot and fierce--has many attractions. its minster, rebuilt by bishop oliver king of wells ( - ), and restored in the seventeenth century, and also in modern times, is not a very interesting building, though it lacks not some striking features, and certainly contains some fine tombs and monuments of the fashionable folk who flocked to bath in the days of its splendour. the city itself abounds in interest. it is a gem of georgian art, with a complete homogeneous architectural character of its own which makes it singular and unique. it is full of memories of the great folks who thronged its streets, attended the bath and pump room, and listened to sermons in the octagon. it tells of the autocracy of beau nash, of goldsmith, sheridan, david garrick, of the "first gentleman of europe," and many others who made bath famous. and now it is likely that this unique little city with its memories and its charming architectural features is to be mutilated for purely commercial reasons. every one knows bath street with its colonnaded loggias on each side terminated with a crescent at each end, and leading to the cross bath in the centre of the eastern crescent. that the original founders of bath street regarded it as an important architectural feature of the city is evident from the inscription in abbreviated latin which was engraved on the first stone of the street when laid:-- pro vrbis dig: et amp: hÃ�c pon: cvrav: sc: delegati a: d: mdccxci. i: horton, praet: t: baldwin, architecto. which may be read to the effect that "for the dignity and enlargement (of the city) the delegates i. horton, mayor, and t. baldwin, architect, laid this (stone) a.d. ." it is actually proposed by the new proprietors of the grand pump hotel to entirely destroy the beauty of this street by removing the colonnaded loggia on one side of this street and constructing a new side to the hotel two or three storeys higher, and thus to change the whole character of the street and practically destroy it. it is a sad pity, and we should have hoped that the city council would have resisted very strongly the proposal that the proprietors of the hotel have made to their body. but we hear that the council is lukewarm in its opposition to the scheme, and has indeed officially approved it. it is astonishing what city and borough councils will do, and this bath council has "the discredit of having, for purely commercial reasons, made the first move towards the destruction architecturally of the peculiar charm of their unique and beautiful city."[ ] [ ] _the builder_, march , . evesham is entirely a monastic town. it sprang up under the sheltering walls of the famous abbey-- a pretty burgh and such as fancy loves for bygone grandeurs. this abbey shared the fate of many others which we have mentioned. the dean of gloucester thus muses over the "vanished abbey":-- "the stranger who knows nothing of its story would surely smile if he were told that beneath the grass and daisies round him were hidden the vast foundation storeys of one of the mightiest of our proud mediæval abbeys; that on the spot where he was standing were once grouped a forest of tall columns bearing up lofty fretted roofs; that all around once were altars all agleam with colour and with gold; that besides the many altars were once grouped in that sacred spot chauntries and tombs, many of them marvels of grace and beauty, placed there in the memory of men great in the service of church and state--of men whose names were household words in the england of our fathers; that close to him were once stately cloisters, great monastic buildings, including refectories, dormitories, chapter-house, chapels, infirmary, granaries, kitchens--all the varied piles of buildings which used to make up the hive of a great monastery." it was commenced by bishop egwin, of worcester, in a.d., but the era of its great prosperity set in after the battle of evesham when simon de montford was slain, and his body buried in the monastic church. there was his shrine to which was great pilgrimage, crowds flocking to lay their offerings there; and riches poured into the treasury of the monks, who made great additions to their house, and reared noble buildings. little is left of its former grandeur. you can discover part of the piers of the great central tower, the cloister arch of decorated work of great beauty erected in , and the abbey fishponds. the bell tower is one of the glories of evesham. it was built by the last abbot, abbot lichfield, and was not quite completed before the destruction of the great abbey church adjacent to it. it is a grand specimen of perpendicular architecture. [illustration: fifteenth-century house, market place, evesham] at the corner of the market place there is a picturesque old house with gable and carved barge-boards and timber-framed arch, and we see the old norman gateway named abbot reginald's gateway, after the name of its builder, who also erected part of the wall enclosing the monastic buildings. a timber-framed structure now stretches across the arcade, but a recent restoration has exposed the norman columns which support the arch. the church house, always an interesting building in old towns and villages, wherein church ales and semi-ecclesiastical functions took place, has been restored. passing under the arch we see the two churches in one churchyard--all saints and st. laurence. the former has some norman work at the inner door of the porch, but its main construction is decorated and perpendicular. its most interesting feature is the lichfield chapel, erected by the last abbot, whose initials and the arms of the abbey appear on escutcheons on the roof. the fan-tracery roof is especially noticeable, and the good modern glass. the church of st. laurence is entirely perpendicular, and the chantry of abbot lichneld, with its fan-tracery vaulting, is a gem of english architecture. [illustration: fifteenth-century house, market place, evesham] [illustration: fifteenth-century house in cowl street, evesham] amongst the remains of the abbey buildings may be seen the almonry, the residence of the almoner, formerly used as a gaol. an interesting stone lantern of fifteenth-century work is preserved here. another abbey gateway is near at hand, but little evidence remains of its former gothic work. part of the old wall built by abbot william de chyryton early in the fourteenth century remains. in the town there is a much-modernized town hall, and near it the old-fashioned booth hall, a half-timbered building, now used as shops and cottages, where formerly courts were held, including the court of pie-powder, the usual accompaniment of every fair. bridge street is one of the most attractive streets in the borough, with its quaint old house, and the famous inn, "the crown." the old house in cowl street was formerly the white hart inn, which tells a curious elizabethan story about "the fool and the ice," an incident supposed to be referred to by shakespeare in _troilus and cressida_ (act iii. sc. ): "the fool slides o'er the ice that you should break." the queen anne house in the high street, with its wrought-iron railings and brackets, called dresden house and almswood, one of the oldest dwelling-houses in the town, are worthy of notice by the students of domestic architecture. [illustration: half-timber house, alcester, warwick] [illustration: half-timber house at alcester] there is much in the neighbourhood of evesham which is worthy of note, many old-fashioned villages and country towns, manor-houses, churches, and inns which are refreshing to the eyes of those who have seen so much destruction, so much of the england that is vanishing. the old abbey tithe-barn at littleton of the fourteenth century, wickhamford manor, the home of penelope washington, whose tomb is in the adjoining church, the picturesque village of cropthorne, winchcombe and its houses, sudeley castle, the timbered houses at norton and harvington, broadway and campden, abounding with beautiful houses, and the old town of alcester, of which some views are given--all these contain many objects of antiquarian and artistic interest, and can easily be reached from evesham. in that old town we have seen much to interest, and the historian will delight to fight over again the battle of evesham and study the records of the siege of the town in the civil war. chapter x old inns the trend of popular legislation is in the direction of the diminishing of the number of licensed premises and the destruction of inns. very soon, we may suppose, the "black boy" and the "red lion" and hosts of other old signs will have vanished, and there will be a very large number of famous inns which have "retired from business." already their number is considerable. in many towns through which in olden days the stage-coaches passed inns were almost as plentiful as blackberries; they were needed then for the numerous passengers who journeyed along the great roads in the coaches; they are not needed now when people rush past the places in express trains. hence the order has gone forth that these superfluous houses shall cease to be licensed premises and must submit to the removal of their signs. others have been so remodelled in order to provide modern comforts and conveniences that scarce a trace of their old-fashioned appearance can be found. modern temperance legislators imagine that if they can only reduce the number of inns they will reduce drunkenness and make the english people a sober nation. this is not the place to discuss whether the destruction of inns tends to promote temperance. we may, perhaps, be permitted to doubt the truth of the legend, oft repeated on temperance platforms, of the working man, returning homewards from his toil, struggling past nineteen inns and succumbing to the syren charms of the twentieth. we may fear lest the gathering together of large numbers of men in a few public-houses may not increase rather than diminish their thirst and the love of good fellowship which in some mysterious way is stimulated by the imbibing of many pots of beer. we may, perhaps, feel some misgiving with regard to the temperate habits of the people, if instead of well-conducted hostels, duly inspected by the police, the landlords of which are liable to prosecution for improper conduct, we see arising a host of ungoverned clubs, wherein no control is exercised over the manners of the members and adequate supervision impossible. we cannot refuse to listen to the opinion of certain royal commissioners who, after much sifting of evidence, came to the conclusion that as far as the suppression of public-houses had gone, their diminution had not lessened the convictions for drunkenness. but all this is beside our subject. we have only to record another feature of vanishing england, the gradual disappearance of many of its ancient and historic inns, and to describe some of the fortunate survivors. many of them are very old, and cannot long contend against the fiery eloquence of the young temperance orator, the newly fledged justice of the peace, or the budding member of parliament who tries to win votes by pulling things down. we have, however, still some of these old hostelries left; medieval pilgrim inns redolent of the memories of the not very pious companies of men and women who wended their way to visit the shrines of st. thomas of canterbury or our lady at walsingham; historic inns wherein some of the great events in the annals of england have occurred; inns associated with old romances or frequented by notorious highwaymen, or that recall the adventures of mr. pickwick and other heroes and villains of dickensian tales. it is well that we should try to depict some of these before they altogether vanish. there was nothing vulgar or disgraceful about an inn a century ago. from elizabethan times to the early part of the nineteenth century they were frequented by most of the leading spirits of each generation. archbishop leighton, who died in , often used to say to bishop burnet that "if he were to choose a place to die in it should be an inn; it looked like a pilgrim's going home, to whom this world was all as an inn, and who was weary of the noise and confusion of it." his desire was fulfilled. he died at the old bell inn in warwick lane, london, an old galleried hostel which was not demolished until . dr. johnson, when delighting in the comfort of the shakespeare's head inn, between worcester and lichfield, exclaimed: "no, sir, there is nothing which has yet been contrived by man, by which so much happiness is provided as by a good tavern or inn." this oft-quoted saying the learned doctor uttered at the chapel house inn, near king's norton; its glory has departed; it is now a simple country-house by the roadside. shakespeare, who doubtless had many opportunities of testing the comforts of the famous inns at southwark, makes falstaff say: "shall i not take mine ease at mine inn?"; and shenstone wrote the well-known rhymes on a window of the old red lion at henley-on-thames:-- whoe'er has travelled life's dull road, where'er his stages may have been, may sigh to think he still has found the warmest welcome at an inn. fynes morrison tells of the comforts of english inns even as early as the beginning of the seventeenth century. in he wrote:-- "the world affords not such inns as england hath, for as soon as a passenger comes the servants run to him; one takes his horse and walks him till he be cold, then rubs him and gives him meat; but let the master look to this point. another gives the traveller his private chamber and kindles his fire, the third pulls off his boots and makes them clean; then the host or hostess visits him--if he will eat with the host--or at a common table it will be d. and d. if a gentleman has his own chamber, his ways are consulted, and he has music, too, if he likes." [illustration: the wheelwrights' arms, warwick] the literature of england abounds in references to these ancient inns. if dr. johnson, addison, and goldsmith were alive now, we should find them chatting together at the authors' club, or the savage, or the athenæum. there were no literary clubs in their days, and the public parlours of the cock tavern or the "cheshire cheese" were their clubs, wherein they were quite as happy, if not quite so luxuriously housed, as if they had been members of a modern social institution. who has not sung in praise of inns? longfellow, in his _hyperion_, makes flemming say: "he who has not been at a tavern knows not what a paradise it is. o holy tavern! o miraculous tavern! holy, because no carking cares are there, nor weariness, nor pain; and miraculous, because of the spits which of themselves turned round and round." they appealed strongly to washington irving, who, when recording his visit to the shrine of shakespeare, says: "to a homeless man, who has no spot on this wide world which he can truly call his own, there is a momentary feeling of something like independence and territorial consequence, when after a weary day's travel he kicks off his boots, thrusts his feet into slippers, and stretches himself before an inn fire. let the world without go as it may; let kingdoms rise or fall, so long as he has the wherewithal to pay his bill, he is, for the time being, the very monarch of all he surveys.... 'shall i not take mine ease in mine inn?' thought i, as i gave the fire a stir, lolled back in my elbow chair, and cast a complacent look about the little parlour of the red horse at stratford-on-avon." [illustration: entrance to the reindeer inn, banbury] and again, on christmas eve irving tells of his joyous long day's ride in a coach, and how he at length arrived at a village where he had determined to stay the night. as he drove into the great gateway of the inn (some of them were mighty narrow and required much skill on the part of the jehu) he saw on one side the light of a rousing kitchen fire beaming through a window. he "entered and admired, for the hundredth time, that picture of convenience, neatness, and broad honest enjoyment--the kitchen of an english inn." it was of spacious dimensions, hung round with copper and tin vessels highly polished, and decorated here and there with christmas green. hams, tongues, and flitches of bacon were suspended from the ceiling; a smoke-jack made its ceaseless clanking beside the fire-place, and a clock ticked in one corner. a well-scoured deal table extended along one side of the kitchen, with a cold round of beef and other hearty viands upon it, over which two foaming tankards of ale seemed mounting guard. travellers of inferior order were preparing to attack this stout repast, while others sat smoking and gossiping over their ale on two high-backed oaken settles beside the fire. trim housemaids were hurrying backwards and forwards under the directions of a fresh bustling landlady; but still seizing an occasional moment to exchange a flippant word, and have a rallying laugh with the group round the fire. such is the cheering picture of an old-fashioned inn in days of yore. no wonder that the writers should have thus lauded these inns! imagine yourself on the box-seat of an old coach travelling somewhat slowly through the night. it is cold and wet, and your fingers are frozen, and the rain drives pitilessly in your face; and then, when you are nearly dead with misery, the coach stops at a well-known inn. a smiling host and buxom hostess greets you; blazing fires thaw you back to life, and good cheer awaits your appetite. no wonder people loved an inn and wished to take their ease therein after the dangers and hardships of the day. lord beaconsfield, in his novel _tancred_, vividly describes the busy scene at a country hostelry in the busy coaching days. the host, who is always "smiling," conveys the pleasing intelligence to the passengers: "'the coach stops here half an hour, gentlemen: dinner quite ready.' 'tis a delightful sound. and what a dinner! what a profusion of substantial delicacies! what mighty and iris-tinted rounds of beef! what vast and marble-veined ribs! what gelatinous veal pies! what colossal hams! these are evidently prize cheeses! and how invigorating is the perfume of those various and variegated pickles. then the bustle emulating the plenty; the ringing of bells, the clash of thoroughfare, the summoning of ubiquitous waiters, and the all-pervading feeling of omnipotence from the guests, who order what they please to the landlord, who can produce and execute everything they can desire. 'tis a wondrous sight!" [illustration: the shoulder of mutton inn, king's lynn] and then how picturesque these old inns are, with their swinging signs, the pump and horse-trough before the door, a towering elm or poplar overshadowing the inn, and round it and on each side of the entrance are seats, with rustics sitting on them. the old house has picturesque gables and a tiled roof mellowed by age, with moss and lichen growing on it, and the windows are latticed. a porch protects the door, and over it and up the walls are growing old-fashioned climbing rose trees. morland loved to paint the exteriors of inns quite as much as he did to frequent their interiors, and has left us many a wondrous drawing of their beauties. the interior is no less picturesque, with its open ingle-nook, its high-backed settles, its brick floor, its pots and pans, its pewter and brass utensils. our artist has drawn for us many beautiful examples of old inns, which we shall visit presently and try to learn something of their old-world charm. he has only just been in time to sketch them, as they are fast disappearing. it is astonishing how many noted inns in london and the suburbs have vanished during the last twenty or thirty years. let us glance at a few of the great southwark inns. the old "tabard," from which chaucer's pilgrims started on their memorable journey, was destroyed by a great fire in , rebuilt in the old fashion, and continued until , when it had to make way for a modern "old tabard" and some hop merchant's offices. this and many other inns had galleries running round the yard, or at one end of it, and this yard was a busy place, frequented not only by travellers in coach or saddle, but by poor players and mountebanks, who set up their stage for the entertainment of spectators who hung over the galleries or from their rooms watched the performance. the model of an inn-yard was the first germ of theatrical architecture. the "white hart" in southwark retained its galleries on the north and east side of its yard until , though a modern tavern replaced the south and main portion of the building in - . this was a noted inn, bearing as its sign a badge of richard ii, derived from his mother joan of kent. jack cade stayed there while he was trying to capture london, and another "immortal" flits across the stage, master sam weller, of _pickwick_ fame. a galleried inn still remains at southwark, a great coaching and carriers' hostel, the "george." it is but a fragment of its former greatness, and the present building was erected soon after the fire in , and still retains its picturesqueness. the glory has passed from most of these london inns. formerly their yards resounded with the strains of the merry post-horn, and carriers' carts were as plentiful as omnibuses now are. in the fine yard of the "saracen's head," aldgate, you can picture the busy scene, though the building has ceased to be an inn, and if you wished to travel to norwich there you would have found your coach ready for you. the old "bell savage," which derives its name from one savage who kept the "bell on the hoop," and not from any beautiful girl "la belle sauvage," was a great coaching centre, and so were the "swan with two necks," lad lane, the "spread eagle" and "cross keys" in gracechurch street, the "white horse," fetter lane, and the "angel," behind st. clements. as we do not propose to linger long in london, and prefer the country towns and villages where relics of old english life survive, we will hie to one of these noted hostelries, book our seats on a phantom coach, and haste away from the great city which has dealt so mercilessly with its ancient buildings. it is the last few years which have wrought the mischief. many of these old inns lingered on till the 'eighties. since then their destruction has been rapid, and the huge caravanserais, the "cecil," the "ritz," the "savoy," and the "metropole," have supplanted the old saracen's heads, the bulls, the bells, and the boars that satisfied the needs of our forefathers in a less luxurious age. let us travel first along the old york road, or rather select our route, going by way of ware, tottenham, edmonton, and waltham cross, hatfield and stevenage, or through barnet, until we arrive at the wheat sheaf inn on alconbury hill, past little stukeley, where the two roads conjoin and "the milestones are numbered agreeably to that admeasurement," viz. to that from hicks' hall through barnet, as _patterson's roads_ plainly informs us. along this road you will find several of the best specimens of old coaching inns in england. the famous "george" at huntingdon, the picturesque "fox and hounds" at ware, the grand old inns at stilton and grantham are some of the best inns on english roads, and pleadingly invite a pleasant pilgrimage. we might follow in the wake of dick turpin, if his ride to york were not a myth. the real incident on which the story was founded occurred about the year , long before turpin was born. one nicks robbed a gentleman on gadshill at four o'clock in the morning, crossed the river with his _bay_ mare as soon as he could get a ferry-boat at gravesend, and then by braintree, huntingdon, and other places reached york that evening, went to the bowling green, pointedly asked the mayor the time, proved an alibi, and got off. this account was published as a broadside about the time of turpin's execution, but it makes no allusion to him whatever. it required the romance of the nineteenth century to change nicks to turpin and the bay mare to black bess. but _revenir à nos moutons_, or rather our inns. the old "fox and hounds" at ware is beautiful with its swinging sign suspended by graceful and elaborate ironwork and its dormer windows. the "george" at huntingdon preserves its gallery in the inn-yard, its projecting upper storey, its outdoor settle, and much else that is attractive. another "george" greets us at stamford, an ancient hostelry, where charles i stayed during the civil war when he was journeying from newark to huntingdon. and then we come to grantham, famous for its old inns. foremost among them is the "angel," which dates back to medieval times. it has a fine stone front with two projecting bays, an archway with welcoming doors on either hand, and above the arch is a beautiful little oriel window, and carved heads and gargoyles jut out from the stonework. i think that this charming front was remodelled in tudor times, and judging from the interior plaster-work i am of opinion that the bays were added in the time of henry vii, the tudor rose forming part of the decoration. the arch and gateway with the oriel are the oldest parts of the front, and on each side of the arch is a sculptured head, one representing edward iii and the other his queen, philippa of hainault. the house belonged in ancient times to the knights templars, where royal and other distinguished travellers were entertained. king john is said to have held his court here in , and the old inn witnessed the passage of the body of eleanor, the beloved queen of edward i, as it was borne to its last resting-place at westminster. one of the seven eleanor crosses stood at grantham on st. peter's hill, but it shared the fate of many other crosses and was destroyed by the troopers of cromwell during the civil war. the first floor of the "angel" was occupied by one long room, wherein royal courts were held. it is now divided into three separate rooms. in this room richard iii condemned to execution the duke of buckingham, and probably here stayed cromwell in the early days of his military career and wrote his letter concerning the first action that made him famous. we can imagine the silent troopers assembling in the market-place late in the evening, and then marching out twelve companies strong to wage an unequal contest against a large body of royalists. the grantham folk had much to say when the troopers rode back with forty-five prisoners besides divers horses and arms and colours. the "angel" must have seen all this and sighed for peace. grim troopers paced its corridors, and its stables were full of tired horses. one owner of the inn at the beginning of the eighteenth century, though he kept a hostel, liked not intemperance. his name was michael solomon, and he left an annual charge of s. to be paid to the vicar of the parish for preaching a sermon in the parish church against the sin of drunkenness. the interior of this ancient hostelry has been modernized and fitted with the comforts which we modern folk are accustomed to expect. across the way is the "angel's" rival the "george," possibly identical with the hospitium called "le george" presented with other property by edward iv to his mother, the duchess of york. it lacks the appearance of age which clothes the "angel" with dignity, and was rebuilt with red brick in the georgian era. the coaches often called there, and charles dickens stayed the night and describes it as one of the best inns in england. he tells of squeers conducting his new pupils through grantham to dotheboys hall, and how after leaving the inn the luckless travellers "wrapped themselves more closely in their coats and cloaks ... and prepared with many half-suppressed moans again to encounter the piercing blasts which swept across the open country." at the "saracen's head" in westgate isaac newton used to stay, and there are many other inns, the majority of which rejoice in signs that are blue. we see a blue horse, a blue dog, a blue ram, blue lion, blue cow, blue sheep, and many other cerulean animals and objects, which proclaim the political colour of the great landowner. grantham boasts of a unique inn-sign. originally known as the "bee-hive," a little public-house in castlegate has earned the designation of the "living sign," on account of the hive of bees fixed in a tree that guards its portals. upon the swinging sign the following lines are inscribed:-- stop, traveller, this wondrous sign explore, and say when thou hast viewed it o'er and o'er, grantham, now two rarities are thine-- a lofty steeple and a "living sign." the connexion of the "george" with charles dickens reminds one of the numerous inns immortalized by the great novelist both in and out of london. the "golden cross" at charing cross, the "bull" at rochester, the "belle sauvage" (now demolished) near ludgate hill, the "angel" at bury st. edmunds, the "great white horse" at ipswich, the "king's head" at chigwell (the original of the "maypole" in _barnaby rudge_), the "leather bottle" at cobham are only a few of those which he by his writings made famous. [illustration: a quaint gable. the bell inn, stilton] leaving grantham and its inns, we push along the great north road to stilton, famous for its cheese, where a choice of inns awaits us--the "bell" and the "angel," that glare at each other across the broad thoroughfare. in the palmy days of coaching the "angel" had stabling for three hundred horses, and it was kept by mistress worthington, at whose door the famous cheeses were sold and hence called stilton, though they were made in distant farmsteads and villages. it is quite a modern-looking inn as compared with the "bell." you can see a date inscribed on one of the gables, , but this can only mean that the inn was restored then, as the style of architecture of "this dream in stone" shows that it must date back to early tudor times. it has a noble swinging sign supported by beautifully designed ornamental ironwork, gables, bay-windows, a tudor archway, tiled roof, and a picturesque courtyard, the silence and dilapidation of which are strangely contrasted with the continuous bustle, life, and animation which must have existed there before the era of railways. not far away is southwell, where there is the historic inn the "saracen's head." here charles i stayed, and you can see the very room where he lodged on the left of the entrance-gate. here it was on may th, , that he gave himself up to the scotch commissioners, who wrote to the parliament from southwell "that it made them feel like men in a dream." the "martyr-king" entered this inn as a sovereign; he left it a prisoner under the guard of his lothian escort. here he slept his last night of liberty, and as he passed under the archway of the "saracen's head" he started on that fatal journey that terminated on the scaffold at whitehall. you can see on the front of the inn over the gateway a stone lozenge with the royal arms engraved on it with the date , commemorating this royal melancholy visit. in later times lord byron was a frequent visitor. on the high, wind-swept road between ashbourne and buxton there is an inn which can defy the attacks of the reformers. it is called the newhaven inn and was built by a duke of devonshire for the accommodation of visitors to buxton. king george iv was so pleased with it that he gave the duke a perpetual licence, with which no brewster sessions can interfere. near buxton is the second highest inn in england, the "cat and fiddle," and "the traveller's rest" at flash bar, on the leek road, ranks as third, the highest being the tan hill inn, near brough, on the yorkshire moors. [illustration: the bell inn, stilton] norwich is a city remarkable for its old buildings and famous inns. a very ancient inn is the "maid's head" at norwich, a famous hostelry which can vie in interest with any in the kingdom. do we not see there the identical room in which good queen bess is said to have reposed on the occasion of her visit to the city in ? you cannot imagine a more delightful old chamber, with its massive beams, its wide fifteenth-century fire-place, and its quaint lattice, through which the moonbeams play upon antique furniture and strange, fantastic carvings. this oak-panelled room recalls memories of the orfords, walpoles, howards, wodehouses, and other distinguished guests whose names live in england's annals. the old inn was once known as the murtel or molde fish, and some have tried to connect the change of name with the visit of queen elizabeth; unfortunately for the conjecture, the inn was known as the maid's head long before the days of queen bess. it was built on the site of an old bishop's palace, and in the cellars may be seen some traces of norman masonry. one of the most fruitful sources of information about social life in the fifteenth century are the _paston letters_. in one written by john paston in to "mestresse margret paston," he tells her of the arrival of a visitor, and continues: "i praye yow make hym goode cheer ... it were best to sette hys horse at the maydes hedde, and i shall be content for ther expenses." during the civil war this inn was the rendezvous of the royalists, but alas! one day cromwell's soldiers made an attack on the "maid's head," and took for their prize the horses of dame paston stabled here. we must pass over the records of civic feasts and aldermanic junketings, which would fill a volume, and seek out the old "briton's arms," in the same city, a thatched building of venerable appearance with its projecting upper storeys and lofty gable. it looks as if it may not long survive the march of progress. the parish of heigham, now part of the city of norwich, is noted as having been the residence of bishop hall, "the english seneca," and author of the _meditations_, on his ejection from the bishopric in till his death in [ ] the house in which he resided, now known as the dolphin inn, still stands, and is an interesting building with its picturesque bays and mullioned windows and ingeniously devised porch. it has actually been proposed to pull down, or improve out of existence, this magnificent old house. its front is a perfect specimen of flint and stone sixteenth-century architecture. over the main door appears an episcopal coat of arms with the date , while higher on the front appears the date of a restoration (in two bays):-- [ ] it is erroneously styled bishop hall's palace. an episcopal palace is the official residence of the bishop in his cathedral city. not even a country seat of a bishop is correctly called a palace, much less the residence of a bishop when ejected from his see. [illustration: the "briton's arms," norwich] [illustration: anno domini ] just inside the doorway is a fine gothic stoup into which bucolic rustics now knock the fag-ends of their pipes. the staircase newel is a fine piece of gothic carving with an embattled moulding, a poppy-head and heraldic lion. pillared fire-places and other tokens of departed greatness testify to the former beauty of this old dwelling-place. [illustration: the dolphin inn, heigham, norwich] we will now start back to town by the coach which leaves the "maid's head" (or did leave in ) at half-past eleven in the forenoon, and hope to arrive in london on the following day, and thence hasten southward to canterbury. along this dover road are some of the best inns in england: the "bull" at dartford, with its galleried courtyard, once a pilgrims' hostel; the "bull" and "victoria" at rochester, reminiscent of _pickwick_; the modern "crown" that supplants a venerable inn where henry viii first beheld anne of cleves; the "white hart"; and the "george," where pilgrims stayed; and so on to canterbury, a city of memories, which happily retains many features of old english life that have not altogether vanished. its grand cathedral, its churches, st. augustine's college, its quaint streets, like butchery lane, with their houses bending forward in a friendly manner to almost meet each other, as well as its old inns, like the "falstaff" in high street, near west gate, standing on the site of a pilgrims' inn, with its sign showing the valiant and portly knight, and supported by elaborate ironwork, its tiled roof and picturesque front, all combine to make canterbury as charming a place of modern pilgrimage as it was attractive to the pilgrims of another sort who frequented its inns in days of yore. [illustration: shield and monogram on doorway of the dolphin inn, heigham] [illustration: staircase newel at the dolphin inn. from _old oak furniture_, by fred roe] and now we will discard the cumbersome old coaches and even the "flying machines," and travel by another flying machine, an airship, landing where we will, wherever a pleasing inn attracts us. at glastonbury is the famous "george," which has hardly changed its exterior since it was built by abbot selwood in for the accommodation of middle-class pilgrims, those of high degree being entertained at the abbot's lodgings. at gloucester we find ourselves in the midst of memories of roman, saxon, and monastic days. here too are some famous inns, especially the quaint "new inn," in northgate street, a somewhat peculiar sign for a hostelry built (so it is said) for the use of pilgrims frequenting the shrine of edward ii in the cathedral. it retains all its ancient medieval picturesqueness. here the old gallery which surrounded most of our inn-yards remains. carved beams and door-posts made of chestnut are seen everywhere, and at the corner of new inn lane is a very elaborate sculpture, the lower part of which represents the virgin and holy child. here, in hare lane, is also a similar inn, the old raven tavern, which has suffered much in the course of ages. it was formerly built around a courtyard, but only one side of it is left. [illustration: the falstaff inn, canterbury] there are many fine examples of old houses that are not inns in gloucester, beautiful half-timbered black and white structures, such as robert raikes's house, the printer who has the credit of founding the first sunday-school, the old judges' house in westgate street, the old deanery with its norman room, once the prior's lodge of the benedictine abbey. behind many a modern front there exist curious carvings and quaintly panelled rooms and elaborate ceilings. there is an interesting carved-panel room in the tudor house, westgate street. the panels are of the linen-fold pattern, and at the head of each are various designs, such as the tudor rose and pomegranate, the lion of england, etc. the house originally known as the old blue shop has some magnificent mantelpieces, and also st. nicholas house can boast of a very elaborately carved example of elizabethan sculpture. we journey thence to tewkesbury and visit the grand silver-grey abbey that adorns the severn banks. here are some good inns of great antiquity. the "wheat-sheaf" is perhaps the most attractive, with its curious gable and ancient lights, and even the interior is not much altered. here too is the "bell," under the shadow of the abbey tower. it is the original of phineas fletcher's house in the novel _john halifax, gentleman_. the "bear and the ragged staff" is another half-timbered house with a straggling array of buildings and curious swinging signboard, the favourite haunt of the disciples of izaak walton, under the overhanging eaves of which the avon silently flows. the old "seven stars" at manchester is said to be the most ancient in england, claiming a licence years old. but it has many rivals, such as the "fighting cocks" at st. albans, the "dick whittington" in cloth fair, st. bartholomews, the "running horse" at leatherhead, wherein john skelton, the poet laureate of henry viii, sang the praises of its landlady, eleanor rumming, and several others. the "seven stars" has many interesting features and historical associations. here came guy fawkes and concealed himself in "ye guy faux chamber," as the legend over the door testifies. what strange stories could this old inn tell us! it could tell us of the flemish weavers who, driven from their own country by religious persecutions and the atrocities of duke alva, settled in manchester in , and drank many a cup of sack at the "seven stars," rejoicing in their safety. it could tell us of the disputes between the clergy of the collegiate church and the citizens in , when one of the preachers, a bachelor of divinity, on his way to the church was stabbed three times by the dagger of a manchester man; and of the execution of three popish priests, whose heads were afterwards exposed from the tower of the church. then there is the story of the famous siege in , when the king's forces tried to take the town and were repulsed by the townsfolk, who were staunch roundheads. "a great and furious skirmish did ensue," and the "seven stars" was in the centre of the fighting. sir thomas fairfax made manchester his head-quarters in , and the walls of the "seven stars" echoed with the carousals of the roundheads. when fairfax marched from manchester to relieve nantwich, some dragoons had to leave hurriedly, and secreted their mess plate in the walls of the old inn, where it was discovered only a few years ago, and may now be seen in the parlour of this interesting hostel. in it furnished accommodation for the soldiers of prince charles edward, the young pretender, and was the head-quarters of the manchester regiment. one of the rooms is called "ye vestry," on account of its connexion with the collegiate church. it is said that there was a secret passage between the inn and the church, and, according to the court leet records, some of the clergy used to go to the "seven stars" in sermon-time in their surplices to refresh themselves. _o tempora!_ _o mores!_ a horseshoe at the foot of the stairs has a story to tell. during the war with france in the press-gang was billeted at the "seven stars." a young farmer's lad was leading a horse to be shod which had cast a shoe. the press-gang rushed out, seized the young man, and led him off to serve the king. before leaving he nailed the shoe to a post on the stairs, saying, "let this stay till i come from the wars to claim it." so it remains to this day unclaimed, a mute reminder of its owner's fate and of the manners of our forefathers. [illustration: the bear and ragged staff inn, tewkesbury] another inn, the "fighting cocks" at st. albans, formerly known as "ye old round house," close to the river ver, claims to be the oldest inhabited house in england. it probably formed part of the monastic buildings, but its antiquity as an inn is not, as far as i am aware, fully established. the antiquary must not forget the ancient inn at bainbridge, in wensleydale, which has had its licence since , and plays its little part in _drunken barnaby's journal_. [illustration: fire-place in the george inn, norton st. philip, somerset] many inns have played an important part in national events. there is the "bull" at coventry, where henry vii stayed before the battle of bosworth field, where he won for himself the english crown. there mary queen of scots was detained by order of elizabeth. there the conspirators of the gunpowder plot met to devise their scheme for blowing up the houses of parliament. the george inn at norton st. philip, somerset, took part in the monmouth rebellion. there the duke stayed, and there was much excitement in the inn when he informed his officers that it was his intention to attack bristol. thence he marched with his rude levies to keynsham, and after a defeat and a vain visit to bath he returned to the "george" and won a victory over faversham's advanced guard. you can still see the monmouth room in the inn with its fine fire-place. the crown and treaty inn at uxbridge reminds one of the meeting of the commissioners of king and parliament, who vainly tried to arrange a peace in ; and at the "bear," hungerford, william of orange received the commissioners of james ii, and set out thence on his march towards london and the english throne. the dark lantern inn at aylesbury, in a nest of poor houses, seems to tell by its unique sign of plots and conspiracies. aylesbury is noted for its inns. the famous "white hart" is no more. it has vanished entirely, having disappeared in . it had been modernized, but could boast of a timber balcony round the courtyard, ornamented with ancient wood carvings brought from salden house, an old seat of the fortescues, near winslow. part of the inn was built by the earl of rochester in , and many were the great feasts and civic banquets that took place within its hospitable doors. the "king's head" dates from the middle of the fifteenth century and is a good specimen of the domestic architecture of the tudor period. it formerly issued its own tokens. it was probably the hall of some guild or fraternity. in a large window are the arms of england and anjou. the george inn has some interesting paintings which were probably brought from eythrope house on its demolition in , and the "bull's head" has some fine beams and panelling. [illustration: the green dragon inn, wymondham, norfolk] some of the inns of burford and shrewsbury we have seen when we visited those old-world towns. wymondham, once famous for its abbey, is noted for its "green dragon," a beautiful half-timbered house with projecting storeys, and in our wanderings we must not forget to see along the brighton road the picturesque "star" at alfriston with its three oriel windows, one of the oldest in sussex. it was once a sanctuary within the jurisdiction of the abbot of battle for persons flying from justice. hither came men-slayers, thieves, and rogues of every description, and if they reached this inn-door they were safe. there is a record of a horse-thief named birrel in the days of henry viii seeking refuge here for a crime committed at lydd, in kent. it was intended originally as a house for the refreshment of mendicant friars. the house is very quaint with its curious carvings, including a great red lion that guards the side, the figure-head of a wrecked dutch vessel lost in cuckmen haven. alfriston was noted as a great nest of smugglers, and the "star" was often frequented by stanton collins and his gang, who struck terror into their neighbours, daringly carried on their trade, and drank deep at the inn when the kegs were safely housed. only fourteen years ago the last of his gang died in eastbourne workhouse. smuggling is a vanished profession nowadays, a feature of vanished england that no one would seek to revive. who can tell whether it may not be as prevalent as ever it was, if tariff reform and the imposition of heavy taxes on imports become articles of our political creed? [illustration: the star inn, afriston sussex. fred roe, sep ] many of the inns once famous in the annals of the road have now "retired from business" and have taken down their signs. the first and last inn, at croscombe, somerset, was once a noted coaching hostel, but since coaches ceased to run it was not wanted and has closed its doors to the public. small towns like hounslow, wycombe, and ashbourne were full of important inns which, being no longer required for the accommodation of travellers, have retired from work and converted themselves into private houses. small villages like little brickhill, which happened to be a stage, abounded with hostels which the ending of the coaching age made unnecessary. the castle inn at marlborough, once one of the finest in england, is now part of a great public school. the house has a noted history. it was once a nobleman's mansion, being the home of frances countess of hereford, the patron of thomson, and then of the duke of northumberland, who leased it to mr. cotterell for the purpose of an inn. crowds of distinguished folk have thronged its rooms and corridors, including the great lord chatham, who was laid up here with an attack of gout for seven weeks in and made all the inn-servants wear his livery. mr. stanley weyman has made it the scene of one of his charming romances. it was not until that it took down its sign, and has since patiently listened to the conjugation of greek and latin verbs, to classic lore, and other studies which have made marlborough college one of the great and successful public schools. another great inn was the fine georgian house near one of the entrances to kedleston park, built by lord scarsdale for visitors to the medicinal waters in his park. but these waters have now ceased to cure the mildest invalid, and the inn is now a large farm-house with vast stables and barns. it seems as if something of the foundations of history were crumbling to read that the "star and garter" at richmond is to be sold at auction. that is a melancholy fate for perhaps the most famous inn in the country--a place at which princes and statesmen have stayed, and to which louis philippe and his queen resorted. the "star and garter" has figured in the romances of some of our greatest novelists. one comes across it in meredith and thackeray, and it finds its way into numerous memoirs, nearly always with some comment upon its unique beauty of situation, a beauty that was never more real than at this moment when the spring foliage is just beginning to peep. the motor and changing habits account for the evil days upon which the hostelry has fallen. trains and trams have brought to the doors almost of the "star and garter" a public that has not the means to make use of its bedrooms. the richer patrons of other days flash past on their motors, making for those resorts higher up the river which are filling the place in the economy of the london sunday and week-end which richmond occupied in times when travelling was more difficult. these changes are inevitable. the "ship" at greenwich has gone, and cabinet ministers can no longer dine there. the convalescent home, which was the undoing of certain poplar guardians, is housed in an hotel as famous as the "ship," in its days once the resort of pitt and his bosom friends. indeed, a pathetic history might be written of the famous hostelries of the past. not far from marlborough is devizes, formerly a great coaching centre, and full of inns, of which the most noted is the "bear," still a thriving hostel, once the home of the great artist sir thomas lawrence, whose father was the landlord. [illustration: courtyard of the george inn, norton st. philip somerset] it is impossible within one chapter to record all the old inns of england, we have still a vast number left unchronicled, but perhaps a sufficient number of examples has been given of this important feature of vanishing england. some of these are old and crumbling, and may die of old age. others will fall a prey to licensing committees. some have been left high and dry, deserted by the stream of guests that flowed to them in the old coaching days. motor-cars have resuscitated some and brought prosperity and life to the old guest-haunted chambers. we cannot dwell on the curious signs that greet us as we travel along the old highways, or strive to interpret their origin and meaning. we are rather fond in berkshire of the "five alls," the interpretation of which is cryptic. the five alls are, if i remember right-- "i rule all" [the king]. "i pray for all" [the bishop]. "i plead for all" [the barrister]. "i fight for all" [the soldier]. "i pay for all" [the farmer]. one of the most humorous inn signs is "the man loaded with mischief," which is found about a mile from cambridge, on the madingley road. the original mischief was designed by hogarth for a public-house in oxford street. it is needless to say that the signboard, and even the name, have long ago disappeared from the busy london thoroughfare, but the quaint device must have been extensively copied by country sign-painters. there is a "mischief" at wallingford, and a "load of mischief" at norwich, and another at blewbury. the inn on the madingley road exhibits the sign in its original form. though the colours are much faded from exposure to the weather, traces of hogarthian humour can be detected. a man is staggering under the weight of a woman, who is on his back. she is holding a glass of gin in her hand; a chain and padlock are round the man's neck, labelled "wedlock." on the right-hand side is the shop of "s. gripe, pawnbroker," and a carpenter is just going in to pledge his tools. [illustration: "the dark lantern" inn, aylesbury aug ] the art of painting signboards is almost lost, and when they have to be renewed sorry attempts are made to imitate the old designs. some celebrated artists have not thought it below their dignity to paint signboards. some have done this to show their gratitude to their kindly host and hostess for favours received when they sojourned at inns during their sketching expeditions. the "george" at wargrave has a sign painted by the distinguished painters mr. george leslie, r.a., and mr. broughton, r.a., who, when staying at the inn, kindly painted the sign, which is hung carefully within doors that it may not be exposed to the mists and rains of the thames valley. st. george is sallying forth to slay the dragon on the one side, and on the reverse he is refreshing himself with a tankard of ale after his labours. not a few artists in the early stages of their career have paid their bills at inns by painting for the landlord. morland was always in difficulties and adorned many a signboard, and the art of david cox, herring, and sir william beechey has been displayed in this homely fashion. david cox's painting of the royal oak at bettws-y-coed was the subject of prolonged litigation, the sign being valued at £ , the case being carried to the house of lords, and there decided in favour of the freeholder. sometimes strange notices appear in inns. the following rather remarkable one was seen by our artist at the "county arms," stone, near aylesbury:-- "a man is specially engaged to do all the cursing and swearing that is required in this establishment. a dog is also kept to do all the barking. our prize-fighter and chucker-out has won seventy-five prize-fights and has never been beaten, and is a splendid shot with the revolver. an undertaker calls here for orders every morning." motor-cars have somewhat revived the life of the old inns on the great coaching roads, but it is only the larger and more important ones that have been aroused into a semblance of their old life. the cars disdain the smaller establishments, and run such long distances that only a few houses along the road derive much benefit from them. for many their days are numbered, and it may be useful to describe them before, like four-wheelers and hansom-cabs, they have quite vanished away. [illustration: spandril. the marquis of granby inn, colchester] chapter xi old municipal buildings no class of buildings has suffered more than the old town halls of our country boroughs. many of these towns have become decayed and all their ancient glories have departed. they were once flourishing places in the palmy days of the cloth trade, and could boast of fairs and markets and a considerable number of inhabitants and wealthy merchants; but the tide of trade has flowed elsewhere. the invention of steam and complex machinery necessitating proximity to coal-fields has turned its course elsewhere, to the smoky regions of yorkshire and lancashire, and the old town has lost its prosperity and its power. its charter has gone; it can boast of no municipal corporation; hence the town hall is scarcely needed save for some itinerant thespians, an occasional public meeting, or as a storehouse of rubbish. it begins to fall into decay, and the decayed town is not rich enough, or public-spirited enough, to prop its weakened timbers. for the sake of the safety of the public it has to come down. on the other hand, an influx of prosperity often dooms the aged town hall to destruction. it vanishes before a wave of prosperity. the borough has enlarged its borders. it has become quite a great town and transacts much business. the old shops have given place to grand emporiums with large plate-glass windows, wherein are exhibited the most recent fashions of london and paris, and motor-cars can be bought, and all is very brisk and up-to-date. the old town hall is now deemed a very poor and inadequate building. it is small, inconvenient, and unsuited to the taste of the municipal councillors, whose ideas have expanded with their trade. the mayor and corporation meet, and decide to build a brand-new town hall replete with every luxury and convenience. the old must vanish. and yet, how picturesque these ancient council chambers are. they usually stand in the centre of the market-place, and have an undercroft, the upper storey resting on pillars. beneath this shelter the market women display their wares and fix their stalls on market days, and there you will perhaps see the fire-engine, at least the old primitive one which was in use before a grand steam fire-engine had been purchased and housed in a station of its own. the building has high pointed gables and mullioned windows, a tiled roof mellowed with age, and a finely wrought vane, which is a credit to the skill of the local blacksmith. it is a sad pity that this "thing of beauty" should have to be pulled down and be replaced by a modern building which is not always creditable to the architectural taste of the age. a law should be passed that no old town halls should be pulled down, and that all new ones should be erected on a different site. no more fitting place could be found for the storage of the antiquities of the town, the relics of its old municipal life, sketches of its old buildings that have vanished, and portraits of its worthies, than the ancient building which has for so long kept watch and ward over its destinies and been the scene of most of the chief events connected with its history. happily several have been spared, and they speak to us of the old methods of municipal government; of the merchant guilds, composed of rich merchants and clothiers, who met therein to transact their common business. the guild hall was the centre of the trade of the town and of its social and commercial life. an amazing amount of business was transacted therein. if you study the records of any ancient borough you will discover that the pulse of life beat fast in the old guild hall. there the merchants met to talk over their affairs and "drink their guild." there the mayor came with the recorder or "stiward" to hold his courts and to issue all "processes as attachementes, summons, distresses, precepts, warantes, subsideas, recognissaunces, etc." the guild hall was like a living thing. it held property, had a treasury, received the payments of freemen, levied fines on "foreigners" who were "not of the guild," administered justice, settled quarrels between the brethren of the guild, made loans to merchants, heard the complaints of the aggrieved, held feasts, promoted loyalty to the sovereign, and insisted strongly on every burgess that he should do his best to promote the "comyn weele and prophite of ye saide gylde." it required loyalty and secrecy from the members of the common council assembled within its walls, and no one was allowed to disclose to the public its decisions and decrees. this guild hall was a living thing. like the brook it sang:-- "men may come and men may go, but i flow on for ever." mayor succeeded mayor, and burgess followed burgess, but the old guild hall lived on, the central mainspring of the borough's life. therein were stored the archives of the town, the charters won, bargained for, and granted by kings and queens, which gave them privileges of trade, authority to hold fairs and markets, liberty to convey and sell their goods in other towns. therein were preserved the civic plate, the maces that gave dignity to their proceedings, the cups bestowed by royal or noble personages or by the affluent members of the guild in token of their affection for their town and fellowship. therein they assembled to don their robes to march in procession to the town church to hear mass, or in later times a sermon, and then refreshed themselves with a feast at the charge of the hall. the portraits of the worthies of the town, of royal and distinguished patrons, adorned the walls, and the old guild hall preached daily lessons to the townsfolk to uphold the dignity and promote the welfare of the borough, and good feeling and the sense of brotherhood among themselves. [illustration: the town hall, shrewsbury] we give an illustration of the town hall of shrewsbury, a notable building and well worthy of study as a specimen of a municipal building erected at the close of the sixteenth century. the style is that of the renaissance with the usual mixture of debased gothic and classic details, but the general effect is imposing; the arches and parapet are especially characteristic. an inscription over the arch at the north end records:-- "the xv^{th} day of june was this building begonne, william jones and thomas charlton, gent, then bailiffes, and was erected and covered in their time, ." a full description of this building is given in canon auden's history of the town. he states that "under the clock is the statue of richard duke of york, father of edward iv, which was removed from the old welsh bridge at its demolition in . this is flanked by an inscription recording this fact on the one side, and on the other by the three leopards' heads which are the arms of the town. on the other end of the building is a sun-dial, and also a sculptured angel holding a shield on which are the arms of england and france. this was removed from the gate of the town, which stood at the foot of the castle, on its demolition in . the principal entrance is on the west, and over this are the arms of queen elizabeth and the date . it will be noticed that one of the supporters is not the unicorn, but the red dragon of wales. the interior is now partly devoted to various municipal offices, and partly used as the mayor's court, the roof of which still retains its old character." it was formerly known as the old market hall, but the business of the market has been transferred to the huge but tasteless building of brick erected at the top of mardol in , the erection of which caused the destruction of several picturesque old houses which can ill be spared. cirencester possesses a magnificent town hall, a stately perpendicular building, which stands out well against the noble church tower of the same period. it has a gateway flanked by buttresses and arcades on each side and two upper storeys with pierced battlements at the top which are adorned with richly floriated pinnacles. a great charm of the building are the three oriel windows extending from the top of the ground-floor division to the foot of the battlements. the surface of the wall of the façade is cut into panels, and niches for statues adorn the faces of the four buttresses. the whole forms a most elaborate piece of perpendicular work of unusual character. we understand that it needs repair and is in some danger. the aid of the society for the protection of ancient buildings has been called in, and their report has been sent to the civic authorities, who will, we hope, adopt their recommendations and deal kindly and tenderly with this most interesting structure. another famous guild hall is in danger, that at norwich. it has even been suggested that it should be pulled down and a new one erected, but happily this wild scheme has been abandoned. old buildings like not new inventions, just as old people fear to cross the road lest they should be run over by a motor-car. norwich guildhall does not approve of electric tram-cars, which run close to its north side and cause its old bones to vibrate in a most uncomfortable fashion. you can perceive how much it objects to these horrid cars by feeling the vibration of the walls when you are standing on the level of the street or on the parapet. you will not therefore be surprised to find ominous cracks in the old walls, and the roof is none too safe, the large span having tried severely the strength of the old oak beams. it is a very ancient building, the crypt under the east end, vaulted in brickwork, probably dating from the thirteenth century, while the main building was erected in the fifteenth century. the walls are well built, three feet in thickness, and constructed of uncut flints; the east end is enriched with diaper-work in chequers of stone and knapped flint. some new buildings have been added on the south side within the last century. there is a clock turret at the east end, erected in at the cost of the then mayor. evidently the roof was giving the citizens anxiety at that time, as the good donor presented the clock tower on condition that the roof of the council chamber should be repaired. this famous old building has witnessed many strange scenes, such as the burning of old dames who were supposed to be witches, the execution of criminals and conspirators, the savage conflicts of citizens and soldiers in days of rioting and unrest. these good citizens of norwich used to add considerably to the excitement of the place by their turbulence and eagerness for fighting. the crypt of the town hall is just old enough to have heard of the burning of the cathedral and monastery by the citizens in , and to have seen the ringleaders executed. often was there fighting in the city, and this same old building witnessed in a great riot, chiefly directed against the religious reforms and change of worship introduced by the first prayer book of edward vi. it was rather amusing to see parker, afterwards archbishop of canterbury, addressing the rioters from a platform, under which stood the spearmen of kett, the leader of the riot, who took delight in pricking the feet of the orator with their spears as he poured forth his impassioned eloquence. in an important city like norwich the guild hall has played an important part in the making of england, and is worthy in its old age of the tenderest and most reverent treatment, and even of the removal from its proximity of the objectionable electric tram-cars. as we are at norwich it would be well to visit another old house, which though not a municipal building, is a unique specimen of the domestic architecture of a norwich citizen in days when, as dr. jessop remarks, "there was no coal to burn in the grate, no gas to enlighten the darkness of the night, no potatoes to eat, no tea to drink, and when men believed that the sun moved round the earth once in days, and would have been ready to burn the culprit who should dare to maintain the contrary." it is called strangers' hall, a most interesting medieval mansion which had never ceased to be an inhabited house for at least years, till it was purchased in by mr. leonard bolingbroke, who rescued it from decay, and permits the public to inspect its beauties. the crypt and cellars, and possibly the kitchen and buttery, were portions of the original house owned in by robert herdegrey, burgess in parliament and bailiff of the city, and the present hall, with its groined porch and oriel window, was erected later over the original fourteenth-century cellars. it was inhabited by a succession of merchants and chief men of norwich, and at the beginning of the sixteenth century passed into the family of sotherton. the merchant's mark of nicholas sotherton is painted on the roof of the hall. you can see this fine hall with its screen and gallery and beautifully-carved woodwork. the present jacobean staircase and gallery, big oak window, and doorways leading into the garden are later additions made by francis cook, grocer of norwich, who was mayor of the city in . the house probably took its name from the family of le strange, who settled in norwich in the sixteenth century. in the sothertons conveyed the property to sir le strange mordant, who sold it to the above-mentioned francis cook. sir joseph paine came into possession just before the restoration, and we see his initials, with those of his wife emma, and the date , in the spandrels of the fire-places in some of the rooms. this beautiful memorial of the merchant princes of norwich, like many other old houses, fell into decay. it is most pleasant to find that it has now fallen into such tender hands, that its old timbers have been saved and preserved by the generous care of its present owner, who has thus earned the gratitude of all who love antiquity. sometimes buildings erected for quite different purposes have been used as guild halls. there was one at reading, a guild hall near the holy brook in which the women washed their clothes, and made so much noise by "beating their battledores" (the usual style of washing in those days) that the mayor and his worthy brethren were often disturbed in their deliberations, so they petitioned the king to grant them the use of the deserted church of the greyfriars' monastery lately dissolved in the town. this request was granted, and in the place where the friars sang their services and preached, the mayor and burgesses "drank their guild" and held their banquets. when they got tired of that building they filched part of the old grammar school from the boys, making an upper storey, wherein they held their council meetings. the old church then was turned into a prison, but now happily it is a church again. at last the corporation had a town hall of their own, which they decorated with the initials s.p.q.r., romanus and readingensis conveniently beginning with the same letter. now they have a grand new town hall, which provides every accommodation for this growing town. [illustration: the greenland fishery house, king's lynn. an old guild house of the time of james i] the newbury town hall, a georgian structure, has just been demolished. it was erected in - , taking the place of an ancient and interesting guild hall built in in the centre of the market-place. the councillors were startled one day by the collapse of the ceiling of the hall, and when we last saw the chamber tons of heavy plaster were lying on the floor. the roof was unsound; the adjoining street too narrow for the hundred motors that raced past the dangerous corners in twenty minutes on the day of the newbury races; so there was no help for the old building; its fate was sealed, and it was bound to come down. but the town possesses a very charming cloth hall, which tells of the palmy days of the newbury cloth-makers, or clothiers, as they were called; of jack of newbury, the famous john winchcombe, or smallwoode, whose story is told in deloney's humorous old black-letter pamphlet, entitled _the most pleasant and delectable historie of john winchcombe, otherwise called jacke of newberie_, published in . he is said to have furnished one hundred men fully equipped for the king's service at flodden field, and mightily pleased queen catherine, who gave him a "riche chain of gold," and wished that god would give the king many such clothiers. you can see part of the house of this worthy, who died in . fuller stated in the seventeenth century that this brick and timber residence had been converted into sixteen clothiers' houses. it is now partly occupied by the jack of newbury inn. a fifteenth-century gable with an oriel window and carved barge-board still remains, and you can see a massive stone chimney-piece in one of the original chambers where jack used to sit and receive his friends. some carvings also have been discovered in an old house showing what is thought to be a carved portrait of the clothier. it bears the initials j.w., and another panel has a raised shield suspended by strap and buckle with a monogram i.s., presumably john smallwoode. he was married twice, and the portrait busts on each side are supposed to represent his two wives. another carving represents the blessed trinity under the figure of a single head with three faces within a wreath of oak-leaves with floriated spandrels.[ ] we should like to pursue the subject of these newbury clothiers and see thomas dolman's house, which is so fine and large and cost so much money that his workpeople used to sing a doggerel ditty:-- lord have mercy upon us miserable sinners, thomas dolman has built a new house and turned away all his spinners. [ ] _history of newbury_, by walter money, f.s.a. the old cloth hall which has led to this digression has been recently restored, and is now a museum. the ancient town of wallingford, famous for its castle, had a guild hall with selds under it, the earliest mention of which dates back to the reign of edward ii, and occurs constantly as the place wherein the burghmotes were held. the present town hall was erected in --a picturesque building on stone pillars. this open space beneath the town hall was formerly used as a corn-market, and so continued until the present corn-exchange was erected half a century ago. the slated roof is gracefully curved, is crowned by a good vane, and a neat dormer window juts out on the side facing the market-place. below this is a large renaissance window opening on to a balcony whence orators can address the crowds assembled in the market-place at election times. the walls of the hall are hung with portraits of the worthies and benefactors of the town, including one of archbishop laud. a mayor's feast was, before the passing of the municipal corporations act, a great occasion in most of our boroughs, the expenses of which were defrayed by the rates. the upper chamber in the wallingford town hall was formerly a kitchen, with a huge fire-place, where mighty joints and fat capons were roasted for the banquet. outside you can see a ring of light-coloured stones, called the bull-ring, where bulls, provided at the cost of the corporation, were baited. until our berkshire town of wokingham was famous for its annual bull-baiting on st. thomas's day. a good man, one george staverton, was once gored by a bull; so he vented his rage upon the whole bovine race, and left a charity for the providing of bulls to be baited on the festival of this saint, the meat afterwards to be given to the poor of the town. the meat is still distributed, but the bulls are no longer baited. here at wokingham there was a picturesque old town hall with an open undercroft, supported on pillars; but the townsfolk must needs pull it down and erect an unsightly brick building in its stead. it contains some interesting portraits of royal and distinguished folk dating from the time of charles i, but how the town became possessed of these paintings no man knoweth. another of our berkshire towns can boast of a fine town hall that has not been pulled down like so many of its fellows. it is not so old as some, but is in itself a memorial of some vandalism, as it occupies the site of the old market cross, a thing of rare beauty, beautifully carved and erected in mary's reign, but ruthlessly destroyed by waller and his troopers during the civil war period. upon the ground on which it stood thirty-four years later--in --the abingdon folk reared their fine town hall; its style resembles that of inigo jones, and it has an open undercroft--a kindly shelter from the weather for market women. tall and graceful it dominates the market-place, and it is crowned with a pretty cupola and a fine vane. you can find a still more interesting hall in the town, part of the old abbey, the gateway with its adjoining rooms, now used as the county hall, and there you will see as fine a collection of plate and as choice an array of royal portraits as ever fell to the lot of a provincial county town. one of these is a gainsborough. one of the reasons why abingdon has such a good store of silver plate is that according to their charter the corporation has to pay a small sum yearly to their high stewards, and these gentlemen--the bowyers of radley and the earls of abingdon--have been accustomed to restore their fees to the town in the shape of a gift of plate. we might proceed to examine many other of these interesting buildings, but a volume would be needed for the purpose of recording them all. too many of the ancient ones have disappeared and their places taken by modern, unsightly, though more convenient buildings. we may mention the salvage of the old market-house at winster, in derbyshire, which has been rescued by that admirable national trust for places of historic interest or natural beauty, which descends like an angel of mercy on many a threatened and abandoned building and preserves it for future generations. the winster market-house is of great age; the lower part is doubtless as old as the thirteenth century, and the upper part was added in the seventeenth. winster was at one time an important place; its markets were famous, and this building must for very many years have been the centre of the commercial life of a large district. but as the market has diminished in importance, the old market-house has fallen out of repair, and its condition has caused anxiety to antiquaries for some time past. local help has been forthcoming under the auspices of the national trust, in which it is now vested for future preservation. [illustration: the market house, wymondham, norfolk] though not a town hall, we may here record the saving of a very interesting old building, the palace gatehouse at maidstone, the entire demolition of which was proposed. it is part of the old residence of the archbishops of canterbury, near the perpendicular church of all saints, on the banks of the medway, whose house at maidstone added dignity to the town and helped to make it the important place it was. the palace was originally the residence of the rector of maidstone, but was given up in the thirteenth century to the archbishop. the oldest part of the existing building is at the north end, where some fifteenth-century windows remain. some of the rooms have good old panelling and open stone fire-places of the fifteenth-century date. but decay has fallen on the old building. ivy is allowed to grow over it unchecked, its main stems clinging to the walls and disturbing the stones. wet has begun to soak into the walls through the decayed stone sills. happily the gatehouse has been saved, and we doubt not that the enlightened town council will do its best to preserve this interesting building from further decay. the finest early renaissance municipal building is the picturesque guild hall at exeter, with its richly ornamented front projecting over the pavement and carried on arches. the market-house at rothwell is a beautifully designed building erected by sir thomas tresham in . being a recusant, he was much persecuted for his religion, and never succeeded in finishing the work. we give an illustration of the quaint little market-house at wymondham, with its open space beneath, and the upper storey supported by stout posts and brackets. it is entirely built of timber and plaster. stout posts support the upper floor, beneath which is a covered market. the upper chamber is reached by a quaint rude wooden staircase. chipping campden can boast of a handsome oblong market-house, built of stone, having five arches with three gables on the long sides, and two arches with gables over each on the short sides. there are mullioned windows under each gable. [illustration: guild mark and date on doorway, burford, oxon] the city of salisbury could at one time boast of several halls of the old guilds which flourished there. there was a charming island of old houses near the cattle-market, which have all disappeared. they were most picturesque and interesting buildings, and we regret to have to record that new half-timbered structures have been erected in their place with sham beams, and boards nailed on to the walls to represent beams, one of the monstrosities of modern architectural art. the old joiners' hall has happily been saved by the national trust. it has a very attractive sixteenth-century façade, though the interior has been much altered. until the early years of the nineteenth century it was the hall of the guild or company of the joiners of the city of new sarum. such are some of the old municipal buildings of england. there are many others which might have been mentioned. it is a sad pity that so many have disappeared and been replaced by modern and uninteresting structures. if a new town hall be required in order to keep pace with the increasing dignity of an important borough, the corporation can at least preserve their ancient municipal hall which has so long watched over the fortunes of the town and shared in its joys and sorrows, and seek a fresh site for their new home without destroying the old. chapter xii crosses a careful study of the ordnance maps of certain counties of england reveals the extraordinary number of ancient crosses which are scattered over the length and breadth of the district. local names often suggest the existence of an ancient cross, such as blackrod, or black-rood, oakenrod, crosby, cross hall, cross hillock. but if the student sally forth to seek this sacred symbol of the christian faith, he will often be disappointed. the cross has vanished, and even the recollection of its existence has completely passed away. happily not all have disappeared, and in our travels we shall be able to discover many of these interesting specimens of ancient art, but not a tithe of those that once existed are now to be discovered. many causes have contributed to their disappearance. the puritans waged insensate war against the cross. it was in their eyes an idol which must be destroyed. they regarded them as popish superstitions, and objected greatly to the custom of "carrying the corse towards the church all garnished with crosses, which they set down by the way at every cross, and there all of them devoutly on their knees make prayers for the dead."[ ] iconoclastic mobs tore down the sacred symbol in blind fury. in the summer of parliament ordered that all crucifixes, crosses, images, and pictures should be obliterated or otherwise destroyed, and during the same year the two houses passed a resolution for the destruction of all crosses throughout the kingdom. they ordered sir robert harlow to superintend the levelling to the ground of st. paul's cross, charing cross, and that in cheapside, and a contemporary print shows the populace busily engaged in tearing down the last. ladders are placed against the structure, workmen are busy hammering the figures, and a strong rope is attached to the actual cross on the summit and eager hands are dragging it down. similar scenes were enacted in many other towns, villages, and cities of england, and the wonder is that any crosses should have been left. but a vast number did remain in order to provide further opportunities for vandalism and wanton mischief, and probably quite as many have disappeared during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries as those which were destroyed by puritan iconoclasts. when trade and commerce developed, and villages grew into towns, and sleepy hollows became hives of industry, the old market-places became inconveniently small, and market crosses with their usually accompanying stocks and pillories were swept away as useless obstructions to traffic.[ ] thus complaints were made with regard to the market-place at colne. there was no room for the coaches to turn. idlers congregated on the steps of the cross and interfered with the business of the place. it was pronounced a nuisance, and in was swept away. manchester market cross existed until , when for the sake of utility and increased space it was removed. a stately jacobean proclamation cross remained at salford until . the preston cross, or rather obelisk, consisting of a clustered gothic column, thirty-one feet high, standing on a lofty pedestal which rested on three steps, was taken down by an act of vandalism in . the covell cross at lancaster shared its fate, being destroyed in by the justices when they purchased the house now used as the judges' lodgings. a few years ago it was rebuilt as a memorial of the accession of king edward vii. [ ] report of the state of lancashire in (chetham society, vol. xcvi, p. ). [ ] _ancient crosses of lancashire_, by henry taylor. individuals too, as well as corporations, have taken a hand in the overthrow of crosses. there was a wretch named wilkinson, vicar of goosnargh, lancashire, who delighted in their destruction. he was a zealous protestant, and on account of his fame as a prophet of evil his deeds were not interfered with by his neighbours. he used to foretell the deaths of persons obnoxious to him, and unfortunately several of his prophecies were fulfilled, and he earned the dreaded character of a wizard. no one dared to prevent him, and with his own hands he pulled down several of these venerable monuments. some drunken men in the early years of the nineteenth century pulled down the old market cross at rochdale. there was a cross on the bowling-green at whalley in the seventeenth century, the fall of which is described by a cavalier, william blundell, in . when some gentlemen came to use the bowling-green they found their game interfered with by the fallen cross. a strong, powerful man was induced to remove it. he reared it, and tried to take it away by wresting it from edge to edge, but his foot slipped; down he fell, and the cross falling upon him crushed him to death. a neighbour immediately he heard the news was filled with apprehension of a similar fate, and confessed that he and the deceased had thrown down the cross. it was considered a dangerous act to remove a cross, though the hope of discovering treasure beneath it often urged men to essay the task. a farmer once removed an old boundary stone, thinking it would make a good "buttery stone." but the results were dire. pots and pans, kettles and crockery placed upon it danced a clattering dance the livelong night, and spilled their contents, disturbed the farmer's rest, and worrited the family. the stone had to be conveyed back to its former resting-place, and the farm again was undisturbed by tumultuous spirits. some of these crosses have been used for gate-posts. vandals have sometimes wanted a sun-dial in their churchyards, and have ruthlessly knocked off the head and upper part of the shaft of a cross, as they did at halton, lancashire, in order to provide a base for their dial. in these and countless other ways have these crosses suffered, and certainly, from the æsthetic and architectural point of view, we have to bewail the loss of many of the most lovely monuments of the piety and taste of our forefathers. we will now gather up the fragments of the ancient crosses of england ere these also vanish from our country. they served many purposes and were of divers kinds. there were preaching-crosses, on the steps of which the early missionary or saxon priest stood when he proclaimed the message of the gospel, ere churches were built for worship. these wandering clerics used to set up crosses in the villages, and beneath their shade preached, baptized, and said mass. the pagan saxons worshipped stone pillars; so in order to wean them from their superstition the christian missionaries erected these stone crosses and carved upon them the figures of the saviour and his apostles, displaying before the eyes of their hearers the story of the cross written in stone. the north of england has many examples of these crosses, some of which were fashioned by st. wilfrid, archbishop of york, in the eighth century. when he travelled about his diocese a large number of monks and workmen attended him, and amongst these were the cutters in stone, who made the crosses and erected them on the spots which wilfrid consecrated to the worship of god. st. paulinus and others did the same. hence arose a large number of these saxon works of art, which we propose to examine and to try to discover the meaning of some of the strange sculptures found upon them. [illustration: strethem cross, isle of ely.] in spite of iconoclasm and vandalism there remains in england a vast number of pre-norman crosses, and it will be possible to refer only to the most noted and curious examples. these belong chiefly to four main schools of art--the celtic, saxon, roman, and scandinavian. these various streams of northern and classical ideas met and were blended together, just as the wild sagas of the vikings and the teaching of the gospel showed themselves together in sculptured representations and symbolized the victory of the crucified one over the legends of heathendom. the age and period of these crosses, the greater influence of one or other of these schools have wrought differences; the beauty and delicacy of the carving is in most cases remarkable, and we stand amazed at the superabundance of the inventive faculty that could produce such wondrous work. a great characteristic of these early sculptures is the curious interlacing scroll-work, consisting of knotted and interlaced cords of divers patterns and designs. there is an immense variety in this carving of these early artists. examples are shown of geometrical designs, of floriated ornament, of which the conventional vine pattern is the most frequent, and of rope-work and other interlacing ornament. we can find space to describe only a few of the most remarkable. the famous bewcastle cross stands in the most northern corner of the county of cumberland. only the shaft remains. in its complete condition it must have been at least twenty-one feet high. a runic inscription on the west side records that it was erected "in memory of alchfrith lately king" of northumbria. he was the son of oswy, the friend and patron of st. wilfrid, who loved art so much that he brought workmen from italy to build churches and carve stone, and he decided in favour of the roman party at the famous synod of whitby. on the south side the runes tell that the cross was erected in "the first year of ecgfrith, king of this realm," who began to reign a.d. on the west side are three panels containing deeply incised figures, the lowest one of which has on his wrist a hawk, an emblem of nobility; the other three sides are filled with interlacing, floriated, and geometrical ornament. bishop browne believes that these scrolls and interlacings had their origin in lombardy and not in ireland, that they were italian and not celtic, and that the same sort of designs were used in the southern land early in the seventh century, whence they were brought by wilfrid to this country. another remarkable cross is that of ruthwell, now sheltered from wind and weather in the durham cathedral museum. it is very similar to that at bewcastle, though probably not wrought by the same hands. in the panels are sculptures representing events in the life of our lord. the lowest panel is too defaced for us to determine the subject; on the second we see the flight into egypt; on the third figures of paul, the first hermit, and anthony, the first monk, are carved; on the fourth is a representation of our lord treading under foot the heads of swine; and on the highest there is the figure of st. john the baptist with the lamb. on the reverse side are the annunciation, the salutation, and other scenes of gospel history, and the other sides are covered with floral and other decoration. in addition to the figures there are five stanzas of an anglo-saxon poem of singular beauty expressed in runes. it is the story of the crucifixion told in touching words by the cross itself, which narrates its own sad tale from the time when it was a growing tree by the woodside until at length, after the body of the lord had been taken down-- the warriors left me there standing defiled with blood. on the head of the cross are inscribed the words "cædmon made me"--cædmon the first of english poets who poured forth his songs in praise of almighty god and told in saxon poetry the story of the creation and of the life of our lord. another famous cross is that at gosforth, which is of a much later date and of a totally different character from those which we have described. the carvings show that it is not anglian, but that it is connected with viking thought and work. on it is inscribed the story of one of the sagas, the wild legends of the norsemen, preserved by their scalds or bards, and handed down from generation to generation as the precious traditions of their race. on the west side we see heimdal, the brave watchman of the gods, with his sword withstanding the powers of evil, and holding in his left hand the gialla horn, the terrible blast of which shook the world. he is overthrowing hel, the grim goddess of the shades of death, who is riding on the pale horse. below we see loki, the murderer of the holy baldur, the blasphemer of the gods, bound by strong chains to the sharp edges of a rock, while as a punishment for his crimes a snake drops poison upon his face, making him yell with pain, and the earth quakes with his convulsive tremblings. his faithful wife sigyn catches the poison in a cup, but when the vessel is full she is obliged to empty it, and then a drop falls on the forehead of loki, the destroyer, and the earth shakes on account of his writhings. the continual conflict between good and evil is wonderfully described in these old norse legends. on the reverse side we see the triumph of christianity, a representation of the crucifixion, and beneath this the woman bruising the serpent's head. in the former sculptures the monster is shown with two heads; here it has only one, and that is being destroyed. christ is conquering the powers of evil on the cross. in another fragment at gosforth we see thor fishing for the midgard worm, the offspring of loki, a serpent cast into the sea which grows continually and threatens the world with destruction. a bull's head is the bait which thor uses, but fearing for the safety of his boat, he has cut the fishing-line and released the monstrous worm; giant whales sport in the sea which afford pastime to the mighty thor. such are some of the strange tales which these crosses tell. there is an old viking legend inscribed on the cross at leeds. volund, who is the same mysterious person as our wayland smith, is seen carrying off a swan-maiden. at his feet are his hammer, anvil, bellows, and pincers. the cross was broken to pieces in order to make way for the building of the old leeds church hundreds of years ago, but the fragments have been pieced together, and we can see the swan-maiden carried above the head of volund, her wings hanging down and held by two ropes that encircle her waist. the smith holds her by her back hair and by the tail of her dress. there were formerly several other crosses which have been broken up and used as building material. at halton, lancashire, there is a curious cross of inferior workmanship, but it records the curious mingling of pagan and christian ideas and the triumph of the latter over the viking deities. on one side we see emblems of the four evangelists and the figures of saints; on the other are scenes from the sigurd legend. sigurd sits at the anvil with hammer and tongs and bellows, forging a sword. above him is shown the magic blade completed, with hammer and tongs, while fafni writhes in the knotted throes that everywhere signify his death. sigurd is seen toasting fafni's heart on a spit. he has placed the spit on a rest, and is turning it with one hand, while flames ascend from the faggots beneath. he has burnt his finger and is putting it to his lips. above are the interlacing boughs of a sacred tree, and sharp eyes may detect the talking pies that perch thereon, to which sigurd is listening. on one side we see the noble horse grani coming riderless home to tell the tale of sigurd's death, and above is the pit with its crawling snakes that yawns for gunnar and for all the wicked whose fate is to be turned into hell. on the south side are panels filled with a floriated design representing the vine and twisted knot-work rope ornamentation. on the west is a tall resurrection cross with figures on each side, and above a winged and seated figure with two others in a kneeling posture. possibly these represent the two marys kneeling before the angel seated on the stone of the holy sepulchre on the morning of the resurrection of our lord. a curious cross has at last found safety after many vicissitudes in hornby church, lancashire. it is one of the most beautiful fragments of anglian work that has come down to modern times. one panel shows a representation of the miracle of the loaves and fishes. at the foot are shown the two fishes and the five loaves carved in bold relief. a conventional tree springs from the central loaf, and on each side is a nimbed figure. the carving is still so sharp and crisp that it is difficult to realize that more than a thousand years have elapsed since the sculptor finished his task. it would be a pleasant task to wander through all the english counties and note all pre-norman crosses that remain in many a lonely churchyard; but such a lengthy journey and careful study are too extended for our present purpose. some of them were memorials of deceased persons; others, as we have seen, were erected by the early missionaries; but preaching crosses were erected and used in much later times; and we will now examine some of the medieval examples which time has spared, and note the various uses to which they were adapted. the making of graves has often caused the undermining and premature fall of crosses and monuments; hence early examples of churchyard crosses have often passed away and medieval ones been erected in their place. churchyard crosses were always placed at the south side of the church, and always faced the east. the carving and ornamentation naturally follow the style of architecture prevalent at the period of their erection. they had their uses for ceremonial and liturgical purposes, processions being made to them on palm sunday, and it is stated in young's _history of whitby_ that "devotees creeped towards them and kissed them on good fridays, so that a cross was considered as a necessary appendage to every cemetery." preaching crosses were also erected in distant parts of large parishes in the days when churches were few, and sometimes market crosses were used for this purpose. wayside or weeping crosses along the roads of england stood in ancient times many a roadside or weeping cross. their purpose is well set forth in the work _dives et pauper_, printed at westminster in . therein it is stated: "for this reason ben ye crosses by ye way, that when folk passynge see the crosses, they sholde thynke on hym that deyed on the crosse, and worshyppe hym above all things." along the pilgrim ways doubtless there were many, and near villages and towns formerly they stood, but unhappily they made such convenient gate-posts when the head was knocked off. fortunately several have been rescued and restored. it was a very general custom to erect these wayside crosses along the roads leading to an old parish church for the convenience of funerals. there were no hearses in those days; hence the coffin had to be carried a long way, and the roads were bad, and bodies heavy, and the bearers were not sorry to find frequent resting-places, and the mourners' hearts were comforted by constant prayer as they passed along the long, sad road with their dear ones for the last time. these wayside crosses, or weeping crosses, were therefore of great practical utility. many of the old churches in lancashire were surrounded by a group of crosses, arranged in radiating lines along the converging roads, and at suitable distances for rest. you will find such ranges of crosses in the parishes of aughton, ormskirk, and burscough priory, and at each a prayer for the soul of the departed was offered or the _de profundis_ sung. every one is familiar with the famous eleanor crosses erected by king edward i to mark the spots where the body of his beloved queen rested when it was being borne on its last sad pilgrimage to westminster abbey. market crosses market crosses form an important section of our subject, and are an interesting feature of the old market-places wherein they stand. mr. gomme contends that they were the ancient meeting-places of the local assemblies, and we know that for centuries in many towns they have been the rallying-points for the inhabitants. here fairs were proclaimed, and are still in some old-fashioned places, beginning with the quaint formula "o yes, o yes, o yes!" a strange corruption of the old norman-french word _oyez_, meaning "hear ye." i have printed in my book _english villages_ a very curious proclamation of a fair and market which was read a few years ago at broughton-in-furness by the steward of the lord of the manor from the steps of the old market cross. very comely and attractive structures are many of these ancient crosses. they vary very much in different parts of the country and according to the period in which they were erected. the earliest are simple crosses with steps. later on they had niches for sculptured figures, and then in the southern shires a kind of penthouse, usually octagonal in shape, enclosed the cross, in order to provide shelter from the weather for the market-folk. in the north the hardy yorkshiremen and lancastrians recked not for rain and storms, and few covered-in crosses can be found. you will find some beautiful specimens of these at malmesbury, chichester, somerton, shepton mallet, cheddar, axbridge, nether stowey, dunster, south petherton, banwell, and other places. salisbury market cross, of which we give an illustration, is remarkable for its fine and elaborate gothic architectural features, its numerous niches and foliated pinnacles. at one time a sun-dial and ball crowned the structure, but these have been replaced by a cross. it is usually called the poultry cross. near it and in other parts of the city are quaint overhanging houses. though the guildhall has vanished, destroyed in the eighteenth century, the joiners' hall, the tailors' hall, the meeting-places of the old guilds, the hall of john halle, and the old george are still standing with some of their features modified, but not sufficiently altered to deprive them of interest. [illustration: the market cross, salisbury, wilts. oct. ] sometimes you will find above a cross an overhead chamber, which was used for the storing of market appurtenances. the reeve of the lord of the manor, or if the town was owned by a monastery, or the market and fair had been granted to a religious house, the abbot's official sat in this covered place to receive dues from the merchants or stall-holders. there are no less than two hundred old crosses in somerset, many of them fifteenth-century work. saxon crosses exist at rowberrow and kelston; a twelfth-century cross at harptree; early english crosses at chilton trinity, dunster, and broomfield; decorated crosses at williton, wiveliscombe, bishops-lydeard, chewton mendip, and those at sutton bingham and wraghall are fifteenth century. but not all these are market crosses. the south-west district of england is particularly rich in these relics of ancient piety, but many have been allowed to disappear. glastonbury market cross, a fine perpendicular structure with a roof, was taken down in , and a new one with no surrounding arcade was erected in . the old one bore the arms of richard bere, abbot of glastonbury, who died in . the wall of an adjacent house has a piece of stone carving representing a man and a woman clasping hands, and tradition asserts that this formed part of the original cross. together with the cross was an old conduit, which frequently accompanied the market cross. cheddar cross is surrounded by its battlemented arcade with grotesque gargoyles, a later erection, the shaft going through the roof. taunton market cross was erected in in place of a fifteenth-century structure destroyed in . on its steps the duke of monmouth was proclaimed king, and from the window of the old angel inn judge jeffreys watched with pleasure the hanging of the deluded followers of the duke from the tie-beams of the market arcade. dunster market cross is known as the yarn market, and was erected in by george luttrell, sheriff of the county of somerset. the town was famous for its kersey cloths, sometimes called "dunsters," which were sold under the shade of this structure. wymondham, in the county of norfolk, standing on the high road between norwich and london, has a fine market cross erected in . a great fire raged here in , when three hundred houses were destroyed, and probably the old cross vanished with them, and this one was erected to supply its place. the old cross at wells, built by william knight, bishop of bath in , was taken down in . leland states that it was "a right sumptuous peace of worke." over the vaulted roof was the _domus civica_ or town hall. the tolls of the market were devoted to the support of the choristers of wells cathedral. leland also records a market cross at bruton which had six arches and a pillar in the middle "for market folkes to stande yn." it was built by the last abbot of bruton in , and was destroyed in . bridgwater cross was removed in , and milverton in . happily the inhabitants of some towns and villages were not so easily deprived of their ancient crosses, and the people of croscombe, somerset, deserve great credit for the spirited manner in which they opposed the demolition of their cross about thirty years ago. witney butter cross, oxon, the town whence blankets come, has a central pillar which stands on three steps, the superstructure being supported on thirteen circular pillars. an inscription on the lantern above records the following:-- gulieimus blake armiger de coggs restored it has a steep roof, gabled and stone-slated, which is not improved by the pseudo-gothic barge-boards, added during the restorations. many historical events of great importance have taken place at these market crosses which have been so hardly used. kings were always proclaimed here at their accession, and would-be kings have also shared that honour. thus at lancaster in the pretender was proclaimed king as james iii, and, as we have stated, the duke of monmouth was proclaimed king at taunton and bridgwater. charles ii received that honour at lancaster market cross in , nine years before he ruled. banns of marriage were published here in cromwell's time, and these crosses have witnessed all the cruel punishments which were inflicted on delinquents in the "good old days." the last step of the cross was often well worn, as it was the seat of the culprits who sat in the stocks. stocks, whipping-posts, and pillories, of which we shall have much to say, always stood nigh the cross, and as late as a poor wretch was tied to a cart-wheel at the colne cross, lancashire, and whipped. sometimes the cross is only a cross in name, and an obelisk has supplanted the christian symbol. the change is deemed to be attributable to the ideas of some of the reformers who desired to assert the supremacy of the crown over the church. hence they placed an orb on the top of the obelisk surmounted by a small, plain latin cross, and later on a large crown took the place of the orb and cross. at grantham the earl of dysart erected an obelisk which has an inscription stating that it occupies the site of the grantham eleanor cross. this is a strange error, as this cross stood on an entirely different site on st. peter's hill and was destroyed by cromwell's troopers. the obelisk replaced the old market cross, which was regarded with much affection and reverence by the inhabitants, who in , when it was taken down by the lord of the manor, immediately obtained a mandamus for its restoration. the mayor and corporation still proclaim the lent fair in quaint and archaic language at this poor substitute for the old cross. [illustration: under the old butter cross, whitney oxon] one of the uses of the market cross was to inculcate the sacredness of bargains. there is a curious stone erection in the market-place at middleham, yorkshire, which seems to have taken the place of the market cross and to have taught the same truth. it consists of a platform on which are two pillars; one carries the effigy of some animal in a kneeling posture, resembling a sheep or a cow, the other supports an octagonal object traditionally supposed to represent a cheese. the farmers used to walk up the opposing flights of steps when concluding a bargain and shake hands over the sculptures.[ ] [ ] _ancient crosses and holy wells of lancashire,_ by henry taylor, f.s.a. boundary crosses crosses marked in medieval times the boundaries of ecclesiastical properties, which by this sacred symbol were thus protected from encroachment and spoliation. county boundaries were also marked by crosses and meare stones. the seven crosses of oldham marked the estate owned by the hospital of st. john of jerusalem. crosses at cross-roads and holy wells where roads meet and many travellers passed a cross was often erected. it was a wayside or weeping cross. there pilgrims knelt to implore divine aid for their journey and protection from outlaws and robbers, from accidents and sudden death. at holy wells the cross was set in order to remind the frequenters of the sacredness of the springs and to wean them from all superstitious thoughts and pagan customs. sir walter scott alludes to this connexion of the cross and well in _marmion_, when he tells of "a little fountain cell" bearing the legend:-- drink, weary pilgrim, drink and pray for the kind soul of sybil grey, who built this cross and well. "in the corner of a field on the billington hall farm, just outside the parish of haughton, there lies the base, with a portion of the shaft, of a fourteenth-century wayside cross. it stands within ten feet of an old disused lane leading from billington to bradley. common report pronounced it to be an old font. report states that it was said to be a stone dropped out of a cart as the stones from billington chapel were being conveyed to bradley to be used in building its churchyard wall. a superstitious veneration has always attached to it. a former owner of the property wrote as follows: 'the late mr. jackson, who was a very superstitious man, once told me that a former tenant of the farm, whilst ploughing the field, pulled up the stone, and the same day his team of wagon-horses was all drowned. he then put it into the same place again, and all went on right; and that he himself would not have it disturbed upon any account.' a similar legend is attached to another cross. cross llywydd, near raglan, called the white cross, which is still complete, and has evidently been whitewashed, was moved by a man from its base at some cross-roads to his garden. from that time he had no luck and all his animals died. he attributed this to his sacrilegious act and removed it to a piece of waste ground. the next owner afterwards enclosed the waste with the cross standing in it. "the haughton cross is only a fragment--almost precisely similar to a fragment at butleigh, in somerset, of early fourteenth-century date. the remaining part is clearly the top stone of the base, measuring ft. ½ in. square by ft. in. high, and the lowest portion of the shaft sunk into it, and measuring ft. in. square by ½ in. high. careful excavation showed that the stone is probably still standing on its original site."[ ] "there is in the same parish, where there are four cross-roads, a place known as 'the white cross.' not a vestige of a stone remains. but on a slight mound at the crossing stands a venerable oak, now dying. in monmouthshire oaks have often been so planted on the sites of crosses; and in some cases the bases of the crosses still remain. there are in that county about thirty sites of such crosses, and in seventeen some stones still exist; and probably there are many more unknown to the antiquary, but hidden away in corners of old paths, and in field-ways, and in ditches that used to serve as roads. a question of great interest arises. what were the origin and use of these wayside crosses? and why were so many of them, especially at cross-roads, known as 'the white cross'? at abergavenny a cross stood at cross-roads. there is a white cross street in london and one in monmouth, where a cross stood. were these planted by the white cross knights (the knights of malta, or of s. john of jerusalem)? or are they the work of the carmelite, or white, friars? there is good authority for the general idea that they were often used as preaching stations, or as praying stations, as is so frequently the case in brittany. but did they at cross-roads in any way serve the purpose of the modern sign-post? they are certainly of very early origin. the author of _ecclesiastical polity_ says that the erection of wayside crosses was a very ancient practice. chrysostom says that they were common in his time. eusebius says that their building was begun by constantine the great to eradicate paganism. juvenal states that a shapeless post, with a marble head of mercury on it, was erected at cross-roads to point out the way; and eusebius says that wherever constantine found a statue of bivialia (the roman goddess who delivered from straying from the path), or of mercurius triceps (who served the same kind purpose for the greeks), he pulled it down and had a cross placed upon the site. if, then, these cross-road crosses of later medieval times also had something to do with directions for the way, another source of the designation 'white cross' is by no means to be laughed out of court, viz. that they were whitewashed, and thus more prominent objects by day, and especially by night. it is quite certain that many of them were whitewashed, for the remains of this may still be seen on them. and the use of whitewash or plaister was far more usual in england than is generally known. there is no doubt that the whole of the outside of the abbey church of st. albans, and of white castle, from top to base, were coated with whitewash."[ ] [ ] _ancient crosses and holy wells of lancashire,_ by henry taylor, f.s.a. [ ] _ibid._ whether they were whitened or not, or whether they served as guide-posts or stations for prayer, it is well that they should be carefully preserved and restored as memorials of the faith of our forefathers, and for the purpose of raising the heart of the modern pilgrim to christ, the saviour of men. sanctuary crosses when criminals sought refuge in ancient sanctuaries, such as durham, beverley, ripon, manchester, and other places which provided the privilege, having claimed sanctuary and been provided with a distinctive dress, they were allowed to wander within certain prescribed limits. at beverley minster the fugitive from justice could wander with no fear of capture to a distance extending a mile from the church in all directions. richly carved crosses marked the limit of the sanctuary. a peculiar reverence for the cross protected the fugitives from violence if they kept within the bounds. in cheshire, in the wild region of delamere forest, there are several ancient crosses erected for the convenience of travellers; and under their shadows they were safe from robbery and violence at the hands of outlaws, who always respected the reverence attached to these symbols of christianity. crosses as guide-posts in wild moorland and desolate hills travellers often lost their way. hence crosses were set up to guide them along the trackless heaths. they were as useful as sign-posts, and conveyed an additional lesson. you will find such crosses in the desolate country on the borderland of yorkshire and lancashire. they were usually placed on the summit of hills. in buckinghamshire there are two crosses cut in the turf on a spur of the chilterns, whiteleaf and bledlow crosses, which were probably marks for the direction of travellers through the wild and dangerous woodlands, though popular tradition connects them with the memorials of ancient battles between the saxons and danes. from time out of mind crosses have been the rallying point for the discussion of urgent public affairs. it was so in london. paul's cross was the constant meeting-place of the citizens of london whenever they were excited by oppressive laws, the troublesome competition of "foreigners," or any attempt to interfere with their privileges and liberties. the meetings of the shire or hundred moots took place often at crosses, or other conspicuous or well-known objects. hundreds were named after them, such as the hundred of faircross in berkshire, of singlecross in sussex, normancross in huntingdonshire, and brothercross and guiltcross, or gyldecross, in norfolk. stories and legends have clustered around them. there is the famous stump cross in cheshire, the subject of one of nixon's prophecies. it is supposed to be sinking into the ground. when it reaches the level of the earth the end of the world will come. a romantic story is associated with mab's cross, in wigan, lancashire. sir william bradshaigh was a great warrior, and went crusading for ten years, leaving his beautiful wife, mabel, alone at haigh hall. a dastard welsh knight compelled her to marry him, telling her that her husband was dead, and treated her cruelly; but sir william came back to the hall disguised as a palmer. mabel, seeing in him some resemblance to her former husband, wept sore, and was beaten by the welshman. sir william made himself known to his tenants, and raising a troop, marched to the hall. the welsh knight fled, but sir william followed him and slew him at newton, for which act he was outlawed a year and a day. the lady was enjoined by her confessor to do penance by going once a week, bare-footed and bare-legged, to a cross near wigan, two miles from the hall, and it is called mab's cross to this day. you can see in wigan church the monument of sir william and his lady, which tells this sad story, and also the cross--at least, all that remains of it--the steps, a pedestal, and part of the shaft--in standisgate, "to witness if i lie." it is true that sir william was born ten years after the last of the crusades had ended; but what does that matter? he was probably fighting for his king, edward ii, against the scots, or he was languishing a prisoner in some dungeon. there was plenty of fighting in those days for those who loved it, and where was the englishman then who did not love to fight for his king and country, or seek for martial glory in other lands, if an ungrateful country did not provide him with enough work for his good sword and ponderous lance? such are some of the stories that cluster round these crosses. it is a sad pity that so many should have been allowed to disappear. more have fallen owing to the indifference and apathy of the people of england in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries than to the wanton and iconoclastic destruction of the puritans. they are holy relics of primitive christianity. on the lonely mountainsides the tired traveller found in them a guide and friend, a director of his ways and an uplifter of his soul. in the busy market-place they reminded the trader of the sacredness of bargains and of the duty of honest dealing. holy truths were proclaimed from their steps. they connected by a close and visible bond religious duties with daily life; and not only as objects of antiquarian interest, but as memorials of the religious feelings, habits, and customs of our forefathers, are they worthy of careful preservation. chapter xiii stocks, whipping-posts, and old-time punishments near the village cross almost invariably stood the parish stocks, instruments of rude justice, the use of which has only just passed away. the "oldest inhabitant" can remember well the old stocks standing in the village green and can tell of the men who suffered in them. many of these instruments of torture still remain, silent witnesses of old-time ways. you can find them in multitudes of remote villages in all parts of the country, and vastly uncomfortable it must have been to have one's "feet set in the stocks." a well-known artist who delights in painting monks a few years ago placed the portly model who usually "sat" for him in the village stocks of sulham, berkshire, and painted a picture of the monk in disgrace. the model declared that he was never so uncomfortable in his life and his legs and back ached for weeks afterwards. to make the penalty more realistic the artist might have prevailed upon some village urchins to torment the sufferer by throwing stones, refuse, or garbage at him, some village maids to mock and jeer at him, and some mischievous men to distract his ears with inharmonious sounds. in an old print of two men in the stocks i have seen a malicious wretch scraping piercing noises out of a fiddle and the victims trying to drown the hideous sounds by putting their fingers into their ears. a few hours in the stocks was no light penalty. these stocks have a venerable history. they date back to saxon times and appear in drawings of that period. it is a pity that they should be destroyed; but borough corporations decide that they interfere with the traffic of a utilitarian age and relegate them to a museum or doom them to be cut up as faggots. country folk think nothing of antiquities, and a local estate agent or the village publican will make away with this relic of antiquity and give the "old rubbish" to widow smith for firing. hence a large number have disappeared, and it is wonderful that so many have hitherto escaped. let the eyes of squires and local antiquaries be ever on the watch lest those that remain are allowed to vanish. by ancient law[ ] every town or village was bound to provide a pair of stocks. it was a sign of dignity, and if the village had this seat for malefactors, a constable, and a pound for stray cattle, it could not be mistaken for a mere hamlet. the stocks have left their mark on english literature. shakespeare frequently alludes to them. falstaff, in _the merry wives of windsor_, says that but for his "admirable dexterity of wit the knave constable had set me i' the stocks, i' the common stocks." "what needs all that and a pair of stocks in the town," says luce in the _comedy of errors_. "like silly beggars, who sitting in stocks refuge their shame," occurs in _richard ii_; and in _king lear_ cornwall exclaims-- "fetch forth the stocks! you stubborn ancient knave." [ ] act of parliament, . who were the culprits who thus suffered? falstaff states that he only just escaped the punishment of being set in the stocks for a witch. witches usually received severer justice, but stocks were often used for keeping prisoners safe until they were tried and condemned, and possibly shakespeare alludes in this passage only to the preliminaries of a harsher ordeal. drunkards were the common defaulters who appeared in the stocks, and by an act of james i they were required to endure six hours' incarceration with a fine of five shillings. vagrants always received harsh treatment unless they had a licence, and the corporation records of hungerford reveal the fact that they were always placed in the pillory and whipped. the stocks, pillory, and whipping-post were three different implements of punishment, but, as was the case at wallingford, berkshire, they were sometimes allied and combined. the stocks secured the feet, the pillory "held in durance vile" the head and the hands, while the whipping-post imprisoned the hands only by clamps on the sides of the post. in the constable's accounts of hungerford we find such items as:-- "pd for cheeke and brace for the pillory , , pd for mending the pillory , , pd the widow tanner for iron geare for the whipping post , , " whipping was a very favourite pastime at this old berkshire town; this entry will suffice:-- "pd to john savidge for his extraordinary paines this yeare and whipping of severall persons , , " john savidge was worthy of his name, but the good folks of hungerford tempered mercy with justice and usually gave a monetary consolation to those who suffered from the lash. thus we read:-- "gave a poore man that was whipped and sent from tythinge to tythinge , , " women were whipped at hungerford, as we find that the same john savidge received d. for whipping dorothy millar. all this was according to law. the first whipping act was passed in when henry viii reigned, and according to this barbarous piece of legislation the victim was stripped naked and tied to a cart-tail, dragged through the streets of the town, and whipped "till his body was bloody." in elizabeth's time the cart-tail went out of fashion and a whipping-post was substituted, and only the upper part of the body was exposed. the tramp question was as troublesome in the seventeenth century as it is to-day. we confine them in workhouse-cells and make them break stones or pick oakum; whipping was the solution adopted by our forefathers. we have seen john savidge wielding his whip, which still exists among the curiosities at hungerford. at barnsley in edward wood was paid iiijd. "for whiping of three wanderers." ten years earlier richard white received only iid. for performing the like service for six wanderers. mr. w. andrews has collected a vast store of curious anecdotes on the subject of whippings, recorded in his _bygone punishments_, to which the interested reader is referred. the story he tells of the brutality of judge jeffreys may be repeated. this infamous and inhuman judge sentenced a woman to be whipped, and said, "hangman, i charge you to pay particular attention to this lady. scourge her soundly, man; scourge her till her blood runs down! it is christmas, a cold time for madam to strip. see that you warm her shoulders thoroughly." it was not until that the whipping of female vagrants was expressly forbidden by act of parliament. stocks have been used in quite recent times. so late as , at newbury, one mark tuck, a devoted disciple of john barleycorn, suffered this penalty for his misdeeds.[ ] he was a rag and bone dealer, and knew well the inside of reading jail. _notes and queries_[ ] contains an account of the proceedings, and states that he was "fixed in the stocks for drunkenness and disorderly conduct in the parish church on monday evening." twenty-six years had elapsed since the stocks were last used, and their reappearance created no little sensation and amusement, several hundreds of persons being attracted to the spot where they were fixed. tuck was seated on a stool, and his legs were secured in the stocks at a few minutes past one o'clock, and as the church clock, immediately facing him, chimed each quarter, he uttered expressions of thankfulness, and seemed anything but pleased at the laughter and derision of the crowd. four hours having passed, tuck was released, and by a little stratagem on the part of the police he escaped without being interfered with by the crowd. [ ] _history of hungerford_, by w. money, p. . [ ] _notes and queries_, th series, x, p. . sunday drinking during divine service provided in many places victims for the stocks. so late as half a century ago it was the custom for the churchwardens to go out of church during the morning service on sundays and visit the public-houses to see if any persons were tippling there, and those found _in flagrante delicto_ were immediately placed in the stocks. so arduous did the churchwardens find this duty that they felt obliged to regale themselves at the alehouses while they made their tour of inspection, and thus rendered themselves liable to the punishment which they inflicted on others. mr. rigbye, postmaster at croston, lancashire, who was seventy-three years of age in , remembered these sunday-morning searches, and had seen drunkards sitting in the stocks, which were fixed near the southern step of the village cross. mr. rigbye, when a boy, helped to pull down the stocks, which were then much dilapidated. a certain richard cottam, called "cockle dick," was the last man seen in them.[ ] [ ] _ancient crosses and holy wells of lancashire_, by h. taylor, f.s.a., p. . the same morning perambulating of ale-houses was carried on at skipton, the churchwardens being headed by the old beadle, an imposing personage, who wore a cocked hat and an official coat trimmed with gold, and carried in majestic style a trident staff, a terror to evil-doers, at least to those of tender years.[ ] at beverley the stocks still preserved in the minster were used as late as ; jim brigham, guilty of sunday tippling, and discovered by the churchwardens in their rounds, was the last victim. some sympathizer placed in his mouth a lighted pipe of tobacco, but the constable in charge hastily snatched it away. james gambles, for gambling on sunday, was confined in the stanningley stocks, yorkshire, for six hours in . the stocks and village well remain still at standish, near the cross, and also the stone cheeks of those at eccleston green bearing the date . at shore cross, near birkdale, the stocks remain, also the iron ones at thornton, lancashire, described in mrs. blundell's novel _in a north country village_; also at formby they exist, though somewhat dilapidated. [ ] _history of skipton_, w.h. dawson, quoted in _bygone punishments_, p. . whether by accident or design, the stocks frequently stand close to the principal inn in a village. as they were often used for the correction of the intemperate their presence was doubtless intended as a warning to the frequenters of the hostelry not to indulge too freely. indeed, the sight of the stocks, pillory, and whipping-post must have been a useful deterrent to vice. an old writer states that he knew of the case of a young man who was about to annex a silver spoon, but on looking round and seeing the whipping-post he relinquished his design. the writer asserts that though it lay immediately in the high road to the gallows, it had stopped many an adventurous young man in his progress thither. the ancient lancashire town of poulton-in-the-fylde has a fairly complete set of primitive punishment implements. close to the cross stand the stocks with massive ironwork, the criminals, as usual, having been accustomed to sit on the lowest step of the cross, and on the other side of the cross is the rogue's whipping-post, a stone pillar about eight feet high, on the sides of which are hooks to which the culprit was fastened. between this and the cross stands another useful feature of a lancashire market-place, the fish stones, an oblong raised slab for the display and sale of fish. in several places we find that movable stocks were in use, which could be brought out whenever occasion required. a set of these exists at garstang, lancashire. the quotation already given from _king lear,_ "fetch forth the stocks," seems to imply that in shakespeare's time they were movable. beverley stocks were movable, and in _notes and queries_ we find an account of a mob at shrewsbury dragging around the town in the stocks an incorrigible rogue one samuel tisdale in the year . the rochdale stocks remain, but they are now in the churchyard, having been removed from the place where the markets were formerly held at church stile. when these kind of objects have once disappeared it is rarely that they are ever restored. however, at west derby this unusual event has occurred, and five years ago the restoration was made. it appears that in the village there was an ancient pound or pinfold which had degenerated into an unsightly dust-heap, and the old stocks had passed into private hands. the inhabitants resolved to turn the untidy corner into a garden, and the lady gave back the stocks to the village. an inscription records: "to commemorate the long and happy reign of queen victoria and the coronation of king edward vii, the site of the ancient pound of the dukes of lancaster and other lords of the manor of west derby was enclosed and planted, and the village stocks set therein. easter, ." this inscription records another item of vanishing england. before the inclosure acts at the beginning of the last century there were in all parts of the country large stretches of unfenced land, and cattle often strayed far from their homes and presumed to graze on the open common lands of other villages. each village had its pound-keeper, who, when he saw these estrays, as the lawyers term the valuable animals that were found wandering in any manor or lordship, immediately drove them into the pound. if the owner claimed them, he had certain fees to pay to the pound-keeper and the cost of the keep. if they were not claimed they became the property of the lord of the manor, but it was required that they should be proclaimed in the church and two market towns next adjoining the place where they were found, and a year and a day must have elapsed before they became the actual property of the lord. the possession of a pound was a sign of dignity for the village. now that commons have been enclosed and waste lands reclaimed, stray cattle no longer cause excitement in the village, the pound-keeper has gone, and too often the pound itself has disappeared. we had one in our village twenty years ago, but suddenly, before he could be remonstrated with, an estate agent, not caring for the trouble and cost of keeping it in repair, cleared it away, and its place knows it no more. in very many other villages similar happenings have occurred. sometimes the old pound has been utilized by road surveyors as a convenient place for storing gravel for mending roads, and its original purpose is forgotten. it would be a pleasant task to go through the towns and villages of england to discover and to describe traces of these primitive implements of torture, but such a record would require a volume instead of a single chapter. in berkshire we have several left to us. there is a very complete set at wallingford, pillory, stocks, and whipping-post, now stored in the museum belonging to miss hedges in the castle, but in western berkshire they have nearly all disappeared. the last pair of stocks that i can remember stood at the entrance to the town of wantage. they have only disappeared within the last few years. the whipping-post still exists at the old town hall at faringdon, the staples being affixed to the side of the ancient "lock-up," known as the black hole. at lymm, cheshire, there are some good stocks by the cross in that village, and many others may be discovered by the wandering antiquary, though their existence is little known and usually escapes the attention of the writers on local antiquities. as relics of primitive modes of administering justice, it is advisable that they should be preserved. yet another implement of rude justice was the cucking or ducking stool, which exists in a few places. it was used principally for the purpose of correcting scolding women. mr. andrews, who knows all that can be known about old-time punishments, draws a distinction between the cucking and ducking stool, and states that the former originally was a chair of infamy where immoral women and scolds were condemned to sit with bare feet and head to endure the derision of the populace, and had no relation to any ducking in water. but it appears that later on the terms were synonymous, and several of these implements remain. this machine for quieting intemperate scolds was quite simple. a plank with a chair at one end was attached by an axle to a post which was fixed on the bank of a river or pond, or on wheels, so that it could be run thither; the culprit was tied to the chair, and the other end of the plank was alternately raised or lowered so as to cause the immersion of the scold in the chilly water. a very effectual punishment! the form of the chair varies. the leominster ducking-stool is still preserved, and this implement was the latest in use, having been employed in for the ducking of jenny pipes, _alias_ jane corran, a common scold, by order of the magistrates, and also as late as ; but in this case the victim, one sarah leeke, was only wheeled round the town in the chair, and not ducked, as the water in the kenwater stream was too shallow for the purpose. the cost of making the stool appears in many corporation accounts. that at hungerford must have been in pretty frequent use, as there are several entries for repairs in the constable's accounts.[ ] thus we find the item under the year :-- "pd for the cucking stoole , , " and in :-- "pd for nailes and workmanship about the stocks and cucking stoole , , " [ ] the corporation of hungerford is peculiar, the head official being termed the constable, who corresponded with the mayor in less original boroughs. at kingston-upon-thames in the accounts show the expenditure:-- "the making of the cucking-stool . s. d. iron work for the same . . . s. d. timber for the same . . . s. d. three brasses for the same and three wheels s. d. ------------ £ s. d." we need not record similar items shown in the accounts of other boroughs. you will still find examples of this fearsome implement at leicester in the museum, wootton bassett, the wheels of one in the church of st. mary, warwick; two at plymouth, one of which was used in ; king's lynn, norfolk, in the museum; ipswich, scarborough, sandwich, fordwich, and possibly some other places of which we have no record. we find in museums, but not in common use, another terrible implement for the curbing of the rebellious tongues of scolding women. it was called the brank or scold's bridle, and probably came to us from scotland with the solomon of the north, whither the idea of it had been conveyed through the intercourse of that region with france. it is a sort of iron cage or framework helmet, which was fastened on the head, having a flat tongue of iron that was placed on the tongue of the victim and effectually restrained her from using it. sometimes the iron tongue was embellished with spikes so as to make the movement of the human tongue impossible except with the greatest agony. imagine the poor wretch with her head so encaged, her mouth cut and bleeding by this sharp iron tongue, none too gently fitted by her rough torturers, and then being dragged about the town amid the jeers of the populace, or chained to the pillory in the market-place, an object of ridicule and contempt. happily this scene has vanished from vanishing england. perhaps she was a loud-voiced termagant; perhaps merely the ill-used wife of a drunken wretch, who well deserved her scolding; or the daring teller of home truths to some jack-in-office, who thus revenged himself. we have shrews and scolds still; happily they are restrained in a less barbarous fashion. you may still see some fearsome branks in museums. reading, leeds, york, walton-on-thames, congleton, stockport, macclesfield, warrington, morpeth, hamstall ridware, in staffordshire, lichfield, chesterfield (now in possession of the walsham family), leicester, doddington park, lincolnshire (a very grotesque example), the ashmolean museum at oxford, ludlow, shrewsbury, oswestry, whitchurch, market drayton, are some of the places which still possess scolds' bridles. perhaps it is wrong to infer from the fact that most of these are to be found in the counties of cheshire, staffordshire, and shropshire, that the women of those shires were especially addicted to strong and abusive language. it may be only that antiquaries in those counties have been more industrious in unearthing and preserving these curious relics of a barbarous age. the latest recorded occasion of its use was at congleton in , when a woman named ann runcorn was condemned to endure the bridle for abusing and slandering the churchwardens when they made their tour of inspection of the alehouses during the sunday-morning service. there are some excellent drawings of branks, and full descriptions of their use, in mr. andrews's _bygone punishments_. another relic of old-time punishments most gruesome of all are the gibbet-irons wherein the bones of some wretched breaker of the laws hung and rattled as the irons creaked and groaned when stirred by the breeze. _pour l'encouragement des autres_, our wise forefathers enacted that the bodies of executed criminals should be hanged in chains. at least this was a common practice that dated from medieval times, though it was not actually legalized until .[ ] this act remained in force until , and during the interval thousands of bodies were gibbeted and left creaking in the wind at hangman's corner or gibbet common, near the scene of some murder or outrage. it must have been ghostly and ghastly to walk along our country lanes and hear the dreadful noise, especially if the tradition were true that the wretch in his chains, each night took the pains, to come down from the gibbet--and walk. in order to act as a warning to others the bodies were kept up as long as possible, and for this purpose were saturated with tar. on one occasion the gibbet was fired and the tar helped the conflagration, and a rapid and effectual cremation ensued. in many museums gibbet-irons are preserved. punishments in olden times were usually cruel. did they act as deterrents to vice? modern judges have found the use of the lash a cure for robbery from the person with violence. the sight of whipping-posts and stocks, we learn, has stayed young men from becoming topers and drunkards. a brank certainly in one recorded case cured a woman from coarse invective and abuse. but what effect had the sight of the infliction of cruel punishments upon those who took part in them or witnessed them? it could only have tended to make cruel natures more brutal. barbarous punishments, public hangings, cruel sports such as bull-baiting, dog-fighting, bear-baiting, prize-fighting and the like could not fail to exercise a bad influence on the populace; and where one was deterred from vice, thousands were brutalized and their hearts and natures hardened, wherein vicious pleasures, crime, and lust found a congenial soil. but we can still see our stocks on the village greens, our branks, ducking-stools, and pillories in museums, and remind ourselves of the customs of former days which have not so very long ago passed away. [ ] act of parliament george ii. chapter xiv old bridges the passing away of the old bridges is a deplorable feature of vanishing england. since the introduction of those terrible traction-engines, monstrous machines that drag behind them a whole train of heavily laden trucks, few of these old structures that have survived centuries of ordinary use are safe from destruction. the immense weight of these road-trains are enough to break the back of any of the old-fashioned bridges. constantly notices have to be set up stating: "this bridge is only sufficient to carry the ordinary traffic of the district, and traction-engines are not allowed to proceed over it." then comes an outcry from the proprietors of locomotives demanding bridges suitable for their convenience. county councils and district councils are worried by their importunities, and soon the venerable structures are doomed, and an iron-girder bridge hideous in every particular replaces one of the most beautiful features of our village. when the sonning bridges that span the thames were threatened a few years ago, english artists, such as mr. leslie and mr. holman-hunt, strove manfully for their defence. the latter wrote:-- "the nation, without doubt, is in serious danger of losing faith in the testimony of our poets and painters to the exceptional beauty of the land which has inspired them. the poets, from chaucer to the last of his true british successors, with one voice enlarge on the overflowing sweetness of england, her hills and dales, her pastures with sweet flowers, and the loveliness of her silver streams. it is the cherishing of the wholesome enjoyments of daily life that has implanted in the sons of england love of home, goodness of nature, and sweet reasonableness, and has given strength to the thews and sinews of her children, enabling them to defend her land, her principles, and her prosperity. with regard to the three sonning bridges, parts of them have been already rebuilt with iron fittings in recent years, and no disinterested reasonable person can see why they could not be easily made sufficient to carry all existing traffic. if the bridges were to be widened in the service of some disproportionate vehicles it is obvious that the traffic such enlarged bridges are intended to carry would be put forward as an argument for demolishing the exquisite old bridge over the main river which is the glory of this exceptionally picturesque and well-ordered village; and this is a matter of which even the most utilitarian would soon see the evil in the diminished attraction of the river not only to englishmen, but to colonials and americans who have across the sea read widely of its beauty. remonstrances must look ahead, and can only now be of avail in recognition of future further danger. we are called upon to plead the cause for the whole of the beauty-loving england, and of all river-loving people in particular." gallantly does the great painter express the views of artists, and such vandalism is as obnoxious to antiquaries as it is to artists and lovers of the picturesque. many of these old bridges date from medieval times, and are relics of antiquity that can ill be spared. brick is a material as nearly imperishable as any that man can build with. there is hardly any limit to the life of a brick or stone bridge, whereas an iron or steel bridge requires constant supervision. the oldest iron bridge in this country--at coalbrookdale, in shropshire--has failed after years of life. it was worn out by old age, whereas the roman bridge at rimini, and the medieval ones at st. ives, bradford-on-avon, and countless other places in this country and abroad, are in daily use and are likely to remain serviceable for many years to come, unless these ponderous trains break them down. the interesting bridge which crosses the river conway at llanrwst was built in by sir richard wynn, then the owner of gwydir castle, from the designs of inigo jones. like many others, it is being injured by traction-trains carrying unlimited weights. happily the society for the protection of ancient buildings heard the plaint of the old bridge that groaned under its heavy burdens and cried aloud for pity. the society listened to its pleading, and carried its petition to the carmarthen county council, with excellent results. this enlightened council decided to protect the bridge and save it from further harm. the building of bridges was anciently regarded as a charitable and religious act, and guilds and brotherhoods existed for their maintenance and reparation. at maidenhead there was a notable bridge, for the sustenance of which the guild of st. andrew and st. mary magdalene was established by henry vi in . an early bridge existed here in the thirteenth century, a grant having been made in for its repair. a bridge-master was one of the officials of the corporation, according to the charter granted to the town by james ii. the old bridge was built of wood and supported by piles. no wonder that people were terrified at the thought of passing over such structures in dark nights and stormy weather. there was often a bridge-chapel, as on the old caversham bridge, wherein they said their prayers, and perhaps made their wills, before they ventured to cross. some towns owe their existence to the making of bridges. it was so at maidenhead. it was quite a small place, a cluster of cottages, but camden tells us that after the erection of the bridge the town began to have inns and to be so frequented as to outvie its "neighbouring mother, bray, a much more ancient place," where the famous "vicar" lived. the old bridge gave place in to a grand new one with very graceful arches, which was designed by sir roland taylor. abingdon, another of our berkshire towns, has a famous bridge that dates back to the fifteenth century, when it was erected by some good merchants of the town, john brett and john huchyns and geoffrey barbour, with the aid of sir peter besils of besselsleigh, who supplied the stone from his quarries. it is an extremely graceful structure, well worthy of the skill of the medieval builders. it is some hundreds of yards in length, spanning the thames and meadows that are often flooded, the main stream being spanned by six arches. henry v is credited with its construction, but he only graciously bestowed his royal licence. in fact these merchants built two bridges, one called burford bridge and the other across the ford at culham. the name burford has nothing to do with the beautiful old town which we have already visited, but is a corruption of borough-ford, the town ford at abingdon. two poets have sung their praises, one in atrocious latin and the other in quaint, old-fashioned english. the first poet made a bad shot at the name of the king, calling him henry iv instead of henry v, though it is a matter of little importance, as neither monarch had anything to do with founding the structure. the latin poet sings, if we may call it singing:-- henricus quartus quarto fundaverat anno rex pontem burford super undas atque culham-ford. the english poet fixes the date of the bridge, henry v ( ) and thus tells its story:-- king henry the fyft, in his fourthe yere he hath i-founde for his folke a brige in berkshire for cartis with cariage may goo and come clere, that many wynters afore were marred in the myre. now is culham hithe[ ] i-come to an ende and al the contre the better and no man the worse, few folke there were coude that way mende, but they waged a cold or payed of ther purse; an if it were a beggar had breed in his bagge, he schulde be right soone i-bid to goo aboute; and if the pore penyless the hireward would have, a hood or a girdle and let him goo aboute. culham hithe hath caused many a curse i' blyssed be our helpers we have a better waye, without any peny for cart and horse. another blyssed besiness is brigges to make that there the pepul may not passe after great schowres, dole it is to draw a dead body out of a lake that was fulled in a fount stoon and felow of owres. [ ] ferry. the poet was grateful for the mercies conveyed to him by the bridge. "fulled in a fount stoon," of course, means "washed or baptized in a stone font." he reveals the misery and danger of passing through a ford "after great showers," and the sad deaths which befell adventurous passengers when the river was swollen by rains and the ford well-nigh impassable. no wonder the builders of bridges earned the gratitude of their fellows. moreover, this abingdon bridge was free to all persons, rich and poor alike, and no toll or pontage was demanded from those who would cross it. within the memory of man there was a beautiful old bridge between reading and caversham. it was built of brick, and had ten arches, some constructed of stone. about the time of the restoration some of these were ruinous, and obstructed the passage by penning up the water above the bridge so that boats could not pass without the use of a winch, and in the time of james ii the barge-masters of oxford appealed to courts of exchequer, asserting that the charges of pontage exacted on all barges passing under the bridge were unlawful, claiming exemption from all tolls by reason of a charter granted to the citizens of oxford by richard ii. they won their case. this bridge is mentioned in the close rolls of the early years of edward i as a place where assizes were held. the bridge at cromarsh and grandpont outside oxford were frequently used for the same purpose. so narrow was it that two vehicles could not pass. for the safety of the foot passenger little angles were provided at intervals into which he could step in order to avoid being run over by carts or coaches. the chapel on the bridge was a noted feature of the bridge. it was very ancient. in engelard de cyngny was ordered to let william, chaplain of the chapel of caversham, have an oak out of windsor forest with which to make shingles for the roofing of the chapel. passengers made offerings in the chapel to the priest in charge of it for the repair of the bridge and the maintenance of the chapel and priest. it contained many relics of saints, which at the dissolution were eagerly seized by dr. london, the king's commissioner. about the year the old bridge was pulled down and the present hideous iron-girder erection substituted for it. it is extremely ugly, but is certainly more convenient than the old narrow bridge, which required passengers to retire into the angle to avoid the danger of being run over. these bridges can tell many tales of battle and bloodshed. there was a great skirmish on caversham bridge in the civil war in a vain attempt on the part of the royalists to relieve the siege of reading. when wallingford was threatened in the same period of the great rebellion, one part of the bridge was cut in order to prevent the enemy riding into the town. and you can still detect the part that was severed. there is a very interesting old bridge across the upper thames between bampton and faringdon. it is called radcot bridge; probably built in the thirteenth century, with its three arches and a heavy buttress in the middle niched for a figure of the virgin, and a cross formerly stood in the centre. a "cut" has diverted the course of the river to another channel, but the bridge remains, and on this bridge a sharp skirmish took place between robert de vere, earl of oxford, marquis of dublin, and duke of ireland, a favourite of richard ii, upon whom the king delighted to bestow titles and honours. the rebellious lords met the favourite's forces at radcot, where a fierce fight ensued. de vere was taken in the rear, and surrounded by the forces of the duke of gloucester and the earl of derby, and being hard pressed, he plunged into the icy river (it was on the th day of december, ) with his armour on, and swimming down-stream with difficulty saved his life. of this exploit a poet sings:-- here oxford's hero, famous for his boar, while clashing swords upon his target sound, and showers of arrows from his breast rebound, prepared for worst of fates, undaunted stood, and urged his heart into the rapid flood. the waves in triumph bore him, and were proud to sink beneath their honourable load. religious communities, monasteries and priories, often constructed bridges. there is a very curious one at croyland, probably erected by one of the abbots of the famous abbey of croyland or crowland. this bridge is regarded as one of the greatest curiosities in the kingdom. it is triangular in shape, and has been supposed to be emblematical of the trinity. the rivers welland, nene, and a drain called catwater flow under it. the ascent is very steep, so that carriages go under it. the triangular bridge of croyland is mentioned in a charter of king edred about the year , but the present bridge is probably not earlier than the fourteenth century. however, there is a rude statue said to be that of king ethelbald, and may have been taken from the earlier structure and built into the present bridge. it is in a sitting posture at the end of the south-west wall of the bridge. the figure has a crown on the head, behind which are two wings, the arms bound together, round the shoulders a kind of mantle, in the left hand a sceptre and in the right a globe. the bridge consists of three piers, whence spring three pointed arches which unite their groins in the centre. croyland is an instance of a decayed town, the tide of its prosperity having flowed elsewhere. though nominally a market-town, it is only a village, with little more than the ruins of its former splendour remaining, when the great abbey attracted to it crowds of the nobles and gentry of england, and employed vast numbers of labourers, masons, and craftsmen on the works of the abbey and in the supply of its needs. [illustration: the triangular bridge crowland] all over the country we find beautiful old bridges, though the opening years of the present century, with the increase of heavy traction-engines, have seen many disappear. at coleshill, warwickshire, there is a graceful old bridge leading to the town with its six arches and massive cutwaters. kent is a county of bridges, picturesque medieval structures which have survived the lapse of time and the storms and floods of centuries. you can find several of these that span the medway far from the busy railway lines and the great roads. there is a fine medieval fifteenth-century bridge at yalding across the beult, long, fairly level, with deeply embayed cutwaters of rough ragstone. twyford bridge belongs to the same period, and lodingford bridge, with its two arches and single-buttressed cutwater, is very picturesque. teston bridge across the medway has five arches of carefully wrought stonework and belongs to the fifteenth century, and east farleigh is a fine example of the same period with four ribbed and pointed arches and four bold cutwaters of wrought stones, one of the best in the country. aylesford bridge is a very graceful structure, though it has been altered by the insertion of a wide span arch in the centre for the improvement of river navigation. its existence has been long threatened, and the society for the protection of ancient buildings has done its utmost to save the bridge from destruction. its efforts are at length crowned with success, and the kent county council has decided that there are not sufficient grounds to justify the demolition of the bridge and that it shall remain. the attack upon this venerable structure will probably be renewed some day, and its friends will watch over it carefully and be prepared to defend it again when the next onslaught is made. it is certainly one of the most beautiful bridges in kent. little known and seldom seen by the world, and unappreciated even by the antiquary or the motorist, these medway bridges continue their placid existence and proclaim the enduring work of the english masons of nearly five centuries ago. many of our bridges are of great antiquity. the eashing bridges over the wey near godalming date from the time of king john and are of singular charm and beauty. like many others they have been threatened, the rural district council having proposed to widen and strengthen them, and completely to alter their character and picturesqueness. happily the bridges were private property, and by the action of the old guildford society and the national trust they have been placed under the guardianship of the trust, and are now secure from molestation. [illustration: huntingdon bridge] we give an illustration of the crane bridge, salisbury, a small gothic bridge near the church house, and seen in conjunction with that venerable building it forms a very beautiful object. another illustration shows the huge bridge at huntingdon spanning the ouse with six arches. it is in good preservation, and has an arcade of early gothic arches, and over it the coaches used to run along the great north road, the scene of the mythical ride of dick turpin, and doubtless the youthful feet of oliver cromwell, who was born at huntingdon, often traversed it. there is another fine bridge at st. neots with a watch-tower in the centre. the little town of bradford-on-avon has managed to preserve almost more than any other place in england the old features which are fast vanishing elsewhere. we have already seen that most interesting untouched specimen of saxon architecture the little saxon church, which we should like to think is the actual church built by st. aldhelm, but we are compelled to believe on the authority of experts that it is not earlier than the tenth century. in all probability a church was built by st. aldhelm at bradford, probably of wood, and was afterwards rebuilt in stone when the land had rest and the raids of the danes had ceased, and king canute ruled and encouraged the building of churches, and bishops dunstan and Ã�thelwold of winchester were specially prominent in the work. bradford, too, has its noble church, parts of which date back to norman times; its famous fourteenth-century barn at barton farm, which has a fifteenth-century porch and gatehouse; many fine examples of the humbler specimens of domestic architecture; and the very interesting kingston house of the seventeenth century, built by one of the rich clothiers of bradford, when the little town (like abingdon) "stondeth by clothing," and all the houses in the place were figuratively "built upon wool-packs." but we are thinking of bridges, and bradford has two, the earlier one being a little footbridge by the abbey grange, now called barton farm. miss alice dryden tells the story of the town bridge in her _memorials of old wiltshire_. it was originally only wide enough for a string of packhorses to pass along it. the ribbed portions of the southernmost arches and the piers for the chapel are early fourteenth century, the other arches were built later. bradford became so prosperous, and the stream of traffic so much increased, and wains took the place of packhorses, that the narrow bridge was not sufficient for it; so the good clothiers built in the time of james i a second bridge alongside the first. orders were issued in and for "the repair of the very fair bridge consisting of many goodly arches of freestone," which had fallen into decay. the cost of repairing it was estimated at marks. there is a building on the bridge corbelled out on a specially built pier of the bridge, the use of which is not at first sight evident. some people call it the watch-house, and it has been used as a lock-up; but miss dryden tells us that it was a chapel, similar to those which we have seen on many other medieval bridges. it belonged to the hospital of st. margaret, which stood at the southern end of the bridge, where the great western railway crosses the road. this chapel retains little of its original work, and was rebuilt when the bridge was widened in the time of james i. formerly there was a niche for a figure looking up the stream, but this has gone with much else during the drastic restoration. that a bridge-chapel existed here is proved by aubrey, who mentions "the chapel for masse in the middest of the bridge" at bradford. [illustration: the crane bridge, salisbury] sometimes bridges owe their origin to curious circumstances. there was an old bridge at olney, buckinghamshire, of which cowper wrote when he sang:-- that with its wearisome but needful length bestrides the flood. the present bridge that spans the ouse with three arches and a causeway has taken the place of the long bridge of cowper's time. this long bridge was built in the days of queen anne by two squires, sir robert throckmorton of weston underwood and william lowndes of astwood manor. these two gentlemen were sometimes prevented from paying visits to one another by floods, as they lived on opposite sides of the ouse. they accordingly built the long bridge in continuation of an older one, of which only a small portion remains at the north end. sir robert found the material and mr. lowndes the labour. this story reminds one of a certain road in berks and bucks, the milestones along which record the distance between hatfield and bath? why hatfield? it is not a place of great resort or an important centre of population. but when we gather that a certain marquis of salisbury was troubled with gout, and had frequently to resort to bath for the "cure," and constructed the road for his special convenience at his own expense, we begin to understand the cause of the carving of hatfield on the milestones. [illustration: watch house on the bridge bradford on avon wilts. oct ] the study of the bridges of england seems to have been somewhat neglected by antiquaries. you will often find some good account of a town or village in guide-books or topographical works, but the story of the bridges is passed over in silence. owing to the reasons we have already stated, old bridges are fast disappearing and are being substituted by the hideous erections of iron and steel. it is well that we should attempt to record those that are left, photograph them and paint them, ere the march of modern progress, evinced by the traction-engine and the motor-car, has quite removed and destroyed them. chapter xv old hospitals and almshouses there are in many towns and villages hospitals--not the large modern and usually unsightly buildings wherein the sick are cured, with wards all spick and span and up to date--but beautiful old buildings mellowed with age wherein men and women, on whom the snows of life have begun to fall thickly, may rest and recruit and take their ease before they start on the long, dark journey from which no traveller returns to tell to those he left behind how he fared. almshouses we usually call them now, but our forefathers preferred to call them hospitals, god's hostels, "god huis," as the germans call their beautiful house of pity at lübeck, where the tired-out and money-less folk might find harbourage. the older hospitals were often called "bede-houses," because the inmates were bound to pray for their founder and benefactors. some medieval hospitals, memorials of the charity of pre-reformation englishmen, remain, but many were suppressed during the age of spoliation; and others have been so rebuilt and restored that there is little left of the early foundation. we may notice three classes of these foundations. first, there are the pre-reformation bede-houses or hospitals; the second group is composed of those which were built during the spacious days of queen elizabeth, james i, and charles i. the civil war put a stop to the foundation of almshouses. the principal landowners were impoverished by the war or despoiled by the puritans, and could not build; the charity of the latter was devoted to other purposes. with the restoration of the church and the monarchy another era of the building of almshouses set in, and to this period very many of our existing institutions belong. [illustration: gateway of st. john's hospital, canterbury] of the earliest group we have several examples left. there is the noble hospital of st. cross at winchester, founded in the days of anarchy during the contest between stephen and matilda for the english throne. its hospitable door is still open. bishop henry of blois was its founder, and he made provision for thirteen poor men to be housed, boarded, and clothed, and for a hundred others to have a meal every day. he placed the hospital under the care of the master of the knights hospitallers. fortunately it was never connected with a monastery. hence it escaped pillage and destruction at the dissolution of monastic houses. bishop henry was a great builder, and the church of the hospital is an interesting example of a structure of the transition norman period, when the round arch was giving way to the early english pointed arch. to this foundation was added in by cardinal beaufort an extension called the "almshouse of noble poverty," and it is believed that the present domestic buildings were erected by him.[ ] the visitor can still obtain the dole of bread and ale at the gate of st. cross. winchester is well provided with old hospitals: st. john's was founded in and refounded in ; st. mary magdalen, by bishop toclyve in - for nine lepers; and christ's hospital in . [ ] mr. nisbett gives a good account of the hospital in _memorials of old hampshire_, and mr. champneys fully describes the buildings in the _architectural review_, october, , and april, . we will visit some less magnificent foundations. some are of a very simple type, resembling a church with nave and chancel. the nave part was a large hall divided by partitions on each side of an alley into little cells in which the bedesmen lived. daily mass was celebrated in the chancel, the chapel of hospital, whither the inmates resorted; but the sick and infirm who could not leave their cells were able to join in the service. st. mary's hospital, at chichester, is an excellent example, as it retains its wooden cells, which are still used by the inmates. it was formerly a nunnery, but in the nuns departed and the almswomen took their place. it is of wide span with low side-walls, and the roof is borne by wooden pillars. there are eight cells of two rooms each, and beyond the screen is a little chapel, which is still used by the hospitallers.[ ] [ ] the _treasury_, november, , an article on hospitals by dr. hermitage day. archbishop chichele founded a fine hospital at higham ferrers in northamptonshire, which saw his lowly birth, together with a school and college, about the year . the building is still in existence and shows a good roof and fine perpendicular window, but the twelve bedesmen and the one sister, who was to be chosen for her plainness, no longer use the structure. stamford can boast of a fine medieval hospital, the foundation of thomas browne in for the accommodation of ten old men and two women. a new quadrangle has been built for the inmates, but you can still see the old edifice with its nave of two storeys, its fifteenth-century stained glass, and its chapel with its screen and stalls and altar. stamford has another hospital which belongs to our second group. owing to the destruction of monasteries, which had been great benefactors to the poor and centres of vast schemes of charity, there was sore need for almshouses and other schemes for the relief of the aged and destitute. the _nouveaux riches_, who had fattened on the spoils of the monasteries, sought to salve their consciences by providing for the wants of the poor, building grammar schools, and doing some good with their wealth. hence many almshouses arose during this period. this stamford home was founded by the great lord burghley in . it is a picturesque group of buildings with tall chimneys, mullioned and dormer windows, on the bank of the welland stream, and occupies the site of a much more ancient foundation. there is the college at cobham, in kent, the buildings forming a pleasant quadrangle south of the church. flagged pathways cross the greensward of the court, and there is a fine hall wherein the inmates used to dine together. as we traverse the village streets we often meet with these grey piles of sixteenth-century almshouses, often low, one-storeyed buildings, picturesque and impressive, each house having a welcoming porch with a seat on each side and a small garden full of old-fashioned flowers. the roof is tiled, on which moss and lichen grow, and the chimney-stacks are tall and graceful. an inscription records the date and name of the generous founder with his arms and motto. such a home of peace you will find at quainton, in buckinghamshire, founded, as an inscription records, "anno dom. . these almshouses were then erected and endow'd by richard winwood, son and heir of right hon'ble sir ralph winwood, bart., principal secretary of state to king james y'e first." within these walls dwell (according to the rules drawn up by sir ralph verney in ) "three poor men--widowers,--to be called brothers, and three poor women--widows,--to be called sisters." very strict were these rules for the government of the almshouses, as to erroneous opinions in any principle of religion, the rector of quainton being the judge, the visiting of alehouses, the good conduct of the inmates, who were to be "no whisperers, quarrelers, evil speakers or contentious." these houses at quainton are very humble abodes; other almshouses are large and beautiful buildings erected by some rich merchant, or great noble, or london city company, for a large scheme of charity. such are the beautiful almshouses in the kingsland road, shoreditch, founded in the early part of the eighteenth century under the terms of the will of sir robert geffery. they stand in a garden about an acre in extent, a beautiful oasis in the surrounding desert of warehouses, reminding the passer-by of the piety and loyal patriotism of the great citizens of london, and affording a peaceful home for many aged folk. this noble building, of great architectural dignity, with the figure of the founder over the porch and its garden with fine trees, has only just escaped the hands of the destroyer and been numbered among the bygone treasures of vanished england. it was seriously proposed to pull down this peaceful home of poor people and sell the valuable site to the peabody donation fund for the erection of working-class dwellings. the almshouses are governed by the ironmongers' company, and this proposal was made; but, happily, the friends of ancient buildings made their protest to the charity commissioners, who have refused their sanction to the sale, and the geffery almshouses will continue to exist, continue their useful mission, and remain the chief architectural ornament in a district that sorely needs "sweetness and light." city magnates who desired to build and endow hospitals for the aged nearly always showed their confidence in and affection for the livery companies to which they belonged by placing in their care these charitable foundations. thus sir richard whittington, of famous memory, bequeathed to the mercers' company all his houses and tenements in london, which were to be sold and the proceeds distributed in various charitable works. with this sum they founded a college of priests, called whittington college, which was suppressed at the reformation, and the almshouses adjoining the old church of st. michael paternoster, for thirteen poor folk, of whom one should be principal or tutor. the great fire destroyed the buildings; they were rebuilt on the same site, but in they were fallen into decay, and the company re-erected them at islington, where you will find whittington college, providing accommodation for twenty-eight poor women. besides this the mercers have charge of lady mico's almshouses at stepney, founded in and rebuilt in , and the trinity hospital at greenwich, founded in by henry howard, earl of northampton. this earl was of a very charitable disposition, and founded other hospitals at castle rising in norfolk and clun in shropshire. the mercers continue to manage the property and have built a new hospital at shottisham, besides making grants to the others created by the founder. it is often the custom of the companies to expend out of their private income far more than they receive from the funds of the charities which they administer. [illustration: inmate of the trinity bede house at castle rising, norfolk] the grocers' company have almshouses and a free grammar school at oundle in northamptonshire, founded by sir william laxton in , upon which they have expended vast sums of money. the drapers administer the mile end almshouses and school founded in by francis bancroft, sir john jolles's almshouses at tottenham, founded in , and very many others. they have two hundred in the neighbourhood of london alone, and many others in different parts of the country. near where i am writing is lucas's hospital at wokingham, founded by henry lucas in , which he placed in the charge of the company. it is a beautiful carolian house with a central portion and two wings, graceful and pleasing in every detail. the chapel is situated in one wing and the master's house in the other, and there are sets of rooms for twelve poor men chosen from the parishes in the neighbourhood. the fishmongers have the management of three important hospitals. at bray, in berkshire, famous for its notable vicar, there stands the ancient jesus hospital, founded in under the will of william goddard, who directed that there should be built rooms with chimneys in the said hospital, fit and convenient for forty poor people to dwell and inhabit it, and that there should be one chapel or place convenient to serve almighty god in for ever with public and divine prayers and other exercises of religion, and also one kitchen and bakehouse common to all the people of the said hospital. jesus hospital is a quadrangular building, containing forty almshouses surrounding a court which is divided into gardens, one of which is attached to each house. it has a pleasing entrance through a gabled brick porch which has over the tudor-shaped doorway a statue of the founder and mullioned latticed windows. the old people live happy and contented lives, and find in the eventide of their existence a cheerful home in peaceful and beautiful surroundings. the fishmongers also have almshouses at harrietsham, in kent, founded by mark quested, citizen and fishmonger of london, in , which they rebuilt in , and st. peter's hospital, wandsworth, formerly called the fishmongers' almshouses. the goldsmiths have a very palatial pile of almshouses at acton park, called perryn's almshouses, with a grand entrance portico, and most of the london companies provide in this way homes for their decayed members, so that they may pass their closing years in peace and freedom from care. [illustration: the hospital for ancient fishermen, great yarmouth. aug ] fishermen, who pass their lives in storm and danger reaping the harvest of the sea, have not been forgotten by pious benefactors. one of the most picturesque buildings in great yarmouth is the fishermen's hospital, of which we give some illustrations. it was founded by the corporation of the town in for the reception of twenty old fishermen and their wives. it is a charming house of rest, with its gables and dormer windows and its general air of peace and repose. the old men look very comfortable after battling for so many years with the storms of the north sea. charles ii granted to the hospital an annuity of £ for its support, which was paid out of the excise on beer, but when the duty was repealed the annuity naturally ceased. the old hospital at king's lynn was destroyed during the siege, as this quaint inscription tells:-- this hospital was burnt down at lin sege and rebult nath maxey mayor and edw robinson aldman treasurer pro tem p.r.o. norwich had several important hospitals. outside the magdalen gates stood the magdalen hospital, founded by bishop herbert, the first bishop. it was a house for lepers, and some portions of the norman chapel still exist in a farm-building by the roadside. the far-famed st. giles's hospital in bishopsgate street is an ancient foundation, erected by bishop walter suffield in for poor chaplains and other poor persons. it nearly vanished at the reformation era, like so many other kindred institutions, but henry viii and edward vi granted it a new charter. the poor clergy were, however, left out in the cold, and the benefits were confined to secular folk. for the accommodation of its inmates the chancel of the church was divided by a floor into an upper and a lower storey, and this arrangement still exists, and you can still admire the picturesque ivy-clad tower, the wards with cosy ingle-nooks at either end and cubicles down the middle, the roof decorated with eagles, deemed to be the cognizance of queen anne of bohemia, wife of richard ii, the quaint little cloister, and above all, the excellent management of this grand institution, the "old man's hospital," as it is called, which provides for the necessities of old folk, whose wants are cared for by a master and twelve nurses. [illustration: inscription on the hospital, king's lynn] let us travel far and visit another charming almshouse, abbot's hospital, at guildford, which is an architectural gem and worthy of the closest inspection. it was founded by archbishop abbot in , and is a noble building of mellowed brick with finely carved oak doors, graceful chimneys with their curious "crow-rests," noble staircases, interesting portraits, and rare books, amongst which is a vinegar bible. the chapel with its flemish windows showing the story of jacob and esau, and oak carvings and almsbox dated , is especially attractive. here the founder retired in sadness and sorrow after his unfortunate day's hunting in bramshill park, where he accidentally shot a keeper, an incident which gave occasion to his enemies to blaspheme and deride him. here the duke of monmouth was confined on his way to london after the battle of sedgemoor. the details of the building are worthy of attention, especially the ornamented doors and doorways, the elaborate latches, beautifully designed and furnished with a spring, and elegant casement-fasteners. guildford must have had a school of great artists of these window-fasteners. near the hospital there is a very interesting house, no. high street, now a shop, but formerly the town clerk's residence and the lodgings of the judges of assize; no better series in england of beautifully designed window-fasteners can be found than in this house, erected in ; it also has a fine staircase like that at farnham castle, and some good plaster ceilings resembling inigo jones's work and probably done by his workmen. the good town of abingdon has a very celebrated hospital founded in by the guild of the holy cross, a fraternity composed of "good men and true," wealthy merchants and others, which built the bridge, repaired roads, maintained a bridge priest and a rood priest, and held a great annual feast at which the brethren consumed as much as calves, lambs, capons, geese, and eggs. it was a very munificent and beneficent corporation, and erected these almshouses for thirteen poor men and the same number of poor women. that hospital founded so long ago still exists. it is a curious and ancient structure in one storey, and is denoted christ's hospital. one of our recent writers on berkshire topography, whose historical accuracy is a little open to criticism, gives a good description of the building:-- "it is a long range of chambers built of mellow brick and immemorial oak, having in their centre a small hall, darkly wainscoted, the very table in which makes a collector sinfully covetous. in front of the modest doors of the chambers inhabited by almsmen and almswomen runs a tiny cloister with oak pillars, so that the inmates may visit one another dryshod in any weather. each door, too, bears a text from the old or new testament. a more typical relic of the old world, a more sequestered haven of rest, than this row of lowly buildings, looking up to the great church in front, and with its windows opening on to green turf bordered with flowers in the rear, it could not enter into the heart of man to imagine."[ ] [ ] _highways and byways in berkshire_. we could spend endless time in visiting the old almshouses in many parts of the country. there is the ford's hospital in coventry, erected in , an extremely good specimen of late gothic work, another example of which is found in st. john's hospital at rye. the corsham almshouses in wiltshire, erected in , are most picturesque without, and contain some splendid woodwork within, including a fine old reading-desk with carved seat in front. there is a large porch with an immense coat-of-arms over the door. in the region of the cotswolds, where building-stone is plentiful, we find a noble set of almshouses at chipping campden in gloucestershire, a gabled structure near the church with tall, graceful chimneys and mullioned windows, having a raised causeway in front protected by a low wall. ewelme, in oxfordshire, is a very attractive village with a row of cottages half a mile long, which have before their doors a sparkling stream dammed here and there into watercress beds. at the top of the street on a steep knoll stand church and school and almshouses of the mellowest fifteenth-century bricks, as beautiful and structurally sound as the pious founders left them. these founders were the unhappy william de la pole, first duke of suffolk, and his good wife the duchess alice. the duke inherited ewelme through his wife alice chaucer, a kinswoman of the poet, and "for love of her and the commoditie of her landes fell much to dwell in oxfordshire," and in - was busy building a manor-place of "brick and tymbre and set within a fayre mote," a church, an almshouse, and a school. the manor-place, or "palace," as it was called, has disappeared, but the almshouse and school remain, witnesses of the munificence of the founders. the poor duke, favourite minister of henry vi, was exiled by the yorkist faction, and beheaded by the sailors on his way to banishment. twenty-five years of widowhood fell to the bereaved duchess, who finished her husband's buildings, called the almshouses "god's house," and then reposed beneath one of the finest monuments in england in the church hard by. the almshouses at audley end, essex, are amongst the most picturesque in the country. such are some of these charming homes of rest that time has spared. the old people who dwell in them are often as picturesque as their habitations. here you will find an old woman with her lace-pillow and bobbins, spectacles on nose, and white bonnet with strings, engaged in working out some intricate lace pattern. in others you will see the inmates clad in their ancient liveries. the dwellers in the coningsby hospital at hereford, founded in for old soldiers and aged servants, had a quaint livery consisting of "a fustian suit of ginger colour, of a soldier-like fashion, and seemly laced; a cloak of red cloth lined with red baize and reaching to the knees, to be worn in walks and journeys, and a gown of red cloth, reaching to the ankle, lined also with baize, to be worn within the hospital." they are, therefore, known as red coats. the almsmen of ely and rochester have cloaks. the inmates of the hospital of st. cross wear as a badge a silver cross potent. at bottesford they have blue coats and blue "beef-eater" hats, and a silver badge on the left arm bearing the arms of the rutland family--a peacock in its pride, surmounted by a coronet and surrounded by a garter. [illustration: ancient inmates of the fishermen's hospital, great yarmouth] it is not now the fashion to found almshouses. we build workhouses instead, vast ugly barracks wherein the poor people are governed by all the harsh rules of the poor law, where husband and wife are separated from each other, and "those whom god hath joined together are," by man and the poor law, "put asunder"; where the industrious labourer is housed with the lazy and ne'er-do-weel. the old almshouses were better homes for the aged poor, homes of rest after the struggle for existence, and harbours of refuge for the tired and weary till they embark on their last voyage. [illustration: cottages at evesham] chapter xvi vanishing fairs the "oldest inhabitants" of our villages can remember many changes in the social conditions of country life. they can remember the hard time of the crimean war when bread was two shillings and eightpence a gallon, when food and work were both scarce, and starvation wages were doled out. they can remember the "machine riots," and tumultuous scenes at election times, and scores of interesting facts, if only you can get them to talk and tell you their recollections. the changed condition of education puzzles them. they can most of them read, and perhaps write a little, but they prefer to make their mark and get you to attest it with the formula, "the mark of j----n." their schooling was soon over. when they were nine years of age they were ploughboys, and had a rough time with a cantankerous ploughman who often used to ply his whip on his lad or on his horses quite indiscriminately. they have seen many changes, and do not always "hold with" modern notions; and one of the greatest changes they have seen is in the fairs. they are not what they were. some, indeed, maintain some of their usefulness, but most of them have degenerated into a form of mild saturnalia, if not into a scandal and a nuisance; and for that reason have been suppressed. formerly quite small villages had their fairs. if you look at an old almanac you will see a list of fair-days with the names of the villages which, when the appointed days come round, cannot now boast of the presence of a single stall or merry-go-round. the day of the fair was nearly always on or near the festival of the patron saint to whom the church of that village is dedicated. there is, of course, a reason for this. the word "fair" is derived from the latin word _feria_, which means a festival, the parish feast day. on the festival of the patron saint of a village church crowds of neighbours from adjoining villages would flock to the place, the inhabitants of which used to keep open house, and entertain all their relations and friends who came from a distance. they used to make booths and tents with boughs of trees near the church, and celebrated the festival with much thanksgiving and prayer. by degrees they began to forget their prayers and remembered only the feasting; country people flocked from far and near; the pedlars and hawkers came to find a market for their wares. their stalls began to multiply, and thus the germ of a fair was formed. [illustration: stalls at banbury fair] in such primitive fairs the traders paid no toll or rent for their stalls, but by degrees the right of granting permission to hold a fair was vested in the king, who for various considerations bestowed this favour on nobles, merchant guilds, bishops, or monasteries. great profits arose from these gatherings. the traders had to pay toll on all the goods which they brought to the fair, in addition to the payment of stallage or rent for the ground on which they displayed their merchandise, and also a charge on all the goods they sold. moreover, the trades-folk of the town were obliged to close their shops during the days of the fair, and to bring their goods to the fair, so that the toll-owner might gain good profit withal. we can imagine, or try to imagine, the roads and streets leading to the market-place thronged with traders and chapmen, the sellers of ribbons and cakes, minstrels and morris-dancers, smock-frocked peasants and sombre-clad monks and friars. then a horn was sounded, and the lord of the manor, or the bishop's bailiff, or the mayor of the town proclaimed the fair; and then the cries of the traders, the music of the minstrels, the jingling of the bells of the morris-dancers, filled the air and added animation to the spectacle. there is a curious old gateway, opposite the fair-ground at smithfield, which has just recently narrowly escaped destruction, and very nearly became part of the vanished glories of england. happily the donations of the public poured in so well that the building was saved. this smithfield gateway dates back to the middle of the thirteenth century, the entrance to the priory of st. bartholomew, founded by rahere, the court jester of henry i, a century earlier. every one knows the story of the building of this priory, and has followed its extraordinary vicissitudes, the destruction of its nave at the dissolution of monasteries, the establishment of a fringe factory in the lady chapel, and the splendid and continuous work of restoration which has been going on during the last forty years. we are thankful that this choir of st. bartholomew's church should have been preserved for future generations as an example of the earliest and most important ecclesiastical buildings in london. but we are concerned now with this gateway, the beauty of which is partially concealed by the neighbouring shops and dwellings that surround it, as a poor and vulgar frame may disfigure some matchless gem of artistic painting. its old stones know more about fairs than do most things. it shall tell its own history. you can still admire the work of the early english builders, the receding orders with exquisite mouldings and dog-tooth ornament--the hall-mark of the early gothic artists. it looks upon the smithfield market, and how many strange scenes of london history has this gateway witnessed! under its arch possibly stood london's first chronicler, fitzstephen, the monk, when he saw the famous horse fairs that took place in smithfield every friday, which he described so graphically. thither flocked earls, barons, knights, and citizens to look on or buy. the monk admired the nags with their sleek and shining coats, smoothly ambling along, the young blood colts not yet accustomed to the bridle, the horses for burden, strong and stout-limbed, and the valuable chargers of elegant shape and noble height, with nimbly moving ears, erect necks, and plump haunches. he waxes eloquent over the races, the expert jockeys, the eager horses, the shouting crowds. "the riders, inspired with the love of praise and the hope of victory, clap spurs to their flying horses, lashing them with their whips, and inciting them by their shouts"; so wrote the worthy monk fitzstephen. he evidently loved a horse-race, but he need not have given us the startling information, "their chief aim is to prevent a competitor getting before them." that surely would be obvious even to a monk. he also examined the goods of the peasants, the implements of husbandry, swine with their long sides, cows with distended udders, _corpora magna boum, lanigerumque pecus_, mares fitted for the plough or cart, some with frolicsome colts running by their sides. a very animated scene, which must have delighted the young eyes of the stone arch in the days of its youth, as it did the heart of the monk. still gayer scenes the old gate has witnessed. smithfield was the principal spot in london for jousts, tournaments, and military exercises, and many a grand display of knightly arms has taken place before this priory gate. "in great and royal jousts were then holden in smithfield; there being present the kings of england, france, and scotland, with many other nobles and great estates of divers lands," writes stow. gay must have been the scene in the forty-eighth year of edward iii, when dame alice perrers, the king's mistress, as lady of the sun, rode from the tower of london to smithfield accompanied by many lords and ladies, every lady leading a lord by his horse-bridle, and there began a great joust which endured seven days after. the lists were set in the great open space with tiers of seats around, a great central canopy for the queen of beauty, the royal party, and divers tents and pavilions for the contending knights and esquires. it was a grand spectacle, adorned with all the pomp and magnificence of medieval chivalry. froissart describes with consummate detail the jousts in the fourteenth year of richard ii, before a grand company, when sixty coursers gaily apparelled for the jousts issued from the tower of london ridden by esquires of honour, and then sixty ladies of honour mounted on palfreys, each lady leading a knight with a chain of gold, with a great number of trumpets and other instruments of music with them. on arriving at smithfield the ladies dismounted, the esquires led the coursers which the knights mounted, and after their helmets were set on their heads proclamation was made by the heralds, the jousts began, "to the great pleasure of the beholders." but it was not all pomp and pageantry. many and deadly were the fights fought in front of the old gate, when men lost their lives or were borne from the field mortally wounded, or contended for honour and life against unjust accusers. that must have been a sorry scene in , when a rascally servant, john david, accused his master, william catur, of treason, and had to face the wager of battle in smithfield. the master was well beloved, and inconsiderate friends plied him with wine so that he was not in a condition to fight, and was slain by his servant. but stow reminds us that the prosperity of the wicked is frail. not long after david was hanged at tyburn for felony, and the chronicler concludes: "let such false accusers note this for example, and look for no better end without speedy repentance." he omits to draw any moral from the intemperance of the master and the danger of drunkenness. but let this suffice for the jousts in smithfield. the old gateway heard on one occasion strange noises in the church, archbishop boniface raging with oaths not to be recited, and sounds of strife and shrieks and angry cries. this foreigner, archbishop of canterbury, had dared to come with his armed retainers from provence to hold a visitation of the priory. the canons received him with solemn pomp, but respectfully declined to be visited by him, as they had their own proper visitor, a learned man, the bishop of london, and did not care for another inspector. boniface lost his temper, struck the sub-prior, saying, "indeed, doth it become you english traitors so to answer me?" he tore in pieces the rich cope of the sub-prior; the canons rushed to their brother's rescue and knocked the archbishop down; but his men fell upon the canons and beat them and trod them under foot. the old gateway was shocked and grieved to see the reverend canons running beneath the arch bloody and miry, rent and torn, carrying their complaint to the bishop and then to the king at westminster. after which there was much contention, and the whole city rose and would have torn the archbishop into small pieces, shouting, "where is this ruffian? that cruel smiter!" and much else that must have frightened and astonished master boniface and made him wish that he had never set foot in england, but stayed quietly in peaceful provence. but this gateway loved to look upon the great fair that took place on the feast of st. bartholomew. this was granted to rahere the prior and to the canons and continued for seven centuries, until the abuses of modern days destroyed its character and ended its career. the scene of the actual fair was within the priory gates in the churchyard, and there during the three days of its continuance stood the booths and standings of the clothiers and drapers of london and of all england, of pewterers, and leather-sellers, and without in the open space before the priory were tents and booths and a noisy crowd of traders, pleasure-seekers, friars, jesters, tumblers, and stilt-walkers. this open space was just outside the turreted north wall of the city, and was girt by tall elms, and near it was a sheet of water whereon the london boys loved to skate when the frost came. it was the city playground, and the city gallows were placed there before they were removed to tyburn. this dread implement of punishment stood under the elms where cow lane now runs: and one fair day brave william wallace was dragged there in chains at the tails of horses, bruised and bleeding, and foully done to death after the cruel fashion of the age. all this must have aged the heart of the old gateway, and especially the sad sight of the countless burials that took place in the year of the plague, , when fifty thousand were interred in the burial ground of the carthusians, and few dared to attend the fair for fear of the pestilence. other terrible things the gateway saw: the burning of heretics. not infrequently did these fires of persecution rage. one of the first of these martyrs was john bedley, a tailor, burnt in smithfield in . in fox's _book of martyrs_ you can see a woodcut of the burning of anne ascue and others, showing a view of the priory and the crowd of spectators who watched the poor lady die. not many days afterwards the fair-folk assembled, while the ground was still black with her ashes, and dogs danced and women tumbled and the devil jeered in the miracle play on the spot where martyrs died. we should need a volume to describe all the sights of this wondrous fair, the church crowded with worshippers, the halt and sick praying for healing, the churchyard full of traders, the sheriff proclaiming new laws, the young men bowling at ninepins, pedlars shouting their wares, players performing the miracle play on a movable stage, bands of pipers, lowing oxen, neighing horses, and bleating sheep. it was a merry sight that medieval bartholomew fair. [illustration: an old english fair] we still have cloth fair, a street so named, with a remarkable group of timber houses with over-sailing storeys and picturesque gables. it is a very dark and narrow thoroughfare, and in spite of many changes it remains a veritable "bit" of old london, as it was in the seventeenth century. these houses have sprung up where in olden days the merchants' booths stood for the sale of cloth. it was one of the great annual markets of the nation, the chief cloth fair in england that had no rival. hither came the officials of the merchant tailors' company bearing a silver yard measure, to try the measures of the clothiers and drapers to see if they were correct. and so each year the great fair went on, and priors and canons lived and died and were buried in the church or beneath the grass of the churchyard. but at length the days of the priory were numbered, and it changed masters. the old gateway wept to see the cowled black canons depart when henry viii dissolved the monastery; its heart nearly broke when it heard the sounds of axes and hammers, crowbars and saws, at work on the fabric of the church pulling down the grand nave, and it scowled at the new owner, sir richard rich, a prosperous political adventurer, who bought the whole estate for £ s. d., and made a good bargain. the monks, a colony of black friars, came in again with queen mary, but they were driven out again when elizabeth reigned, and lord rich again resumed possession of the estate, which passed to his heirs, the earls of warwick and holland. each sunday, however, the old gate welcomed devout worshippers on their way to the church, the choir having been converted into the parish church of the district, and was not sorry to see in charles's day a brick tower rising at the west end. in spite of the changes of ownership the fair went on increasing with the increase of the city. but the scene has changed. in the time of james i the last elm tree had gone, and rows of houses, fair and comely buildings, had sprung up. the old muddy plain had been drained and paved, and the traders and pleasure-seekers could no longer dread the wading through a sea of mud. we should like to follow the fair through the centuries, and see the sights and shows. the puppet shows were always attractive, and the wild beasts, the first animal ever exhibited being "a large and beautiful young camel from grand cairo in egypt. this creature is twenty-three years old, his head and neck like those of a deer." one flockton during the last half of the eighteenth century was the prince of puppet showmen, and he called his puppets the italian fantocinni. he made his figures work in a most lifelike style. he was a conjurer too, and the inventor of a wonderful clock which showed nine hundred figures at work upon a variety of trades. "punch and judy" always attracted crowds, and we notice the handbills of mr. robinson, conjurer to the queen, and of mr. lane, who sings: it will make you to laugh, it will drive away gloom, to see how the eggs will dance round the room; and from another egg a bird there will fly, which makes all the company all for to cry, etc. the booths for actors were a notable feature of the fair. we read of fielding's booth at the george inn, of the performance of the _beggar's opera_ in , of penkethman's theatrical booth when _wat taylor and jack straw_ was acted, of the new opera called _the generous free mason or the constant lady_, of _jephthah's rash vow_, and countless other plays that saw the light at bartholomew fair. the audience included not only the usual frequenters of fairs, but even royal visitors, noblemen, and great ladies flocked to the booths for amusement, and during its continuance the playhouses of london were closed. i must not omit to mention the other attractions, the fireproof lady, madam giradelli, who put melted lead in her mouth, passed red-hot iron over her body, thrust her arm into fire, and washed her hands in boiling oil; mr. simon paap, the dutch dwarf, twenty-eight inches high; bear-dancing, the learned pig, the "beautiful spotted negro boy," peep-shows, wombell's royal menagerie, the learned cats, and a female child with two perfect heads. but it is time to ring down the curtain. the last days of the fair were not edifying. scenes of riot and debauch, of violence and lawlessness disgraced the assembly. its usefulness as a gathering for trade purposes had passed away. it became a nuisance and a disgrace to london. in older days the lord mayor used to ride in his grand coach to our old gateway, and there proclaim it with a great flourish of trumpets. in his worship walked quietly to the accustomed place, and found that there was no fair to proclaim, and five years later the formality was entirely dispensed with, and silence reigned over the historic ground over which century after century the hearts of our forefathers throbbed with the outspoken joys of life. the old gateway, like many aged folk, has much on which to meditate in its advanced age. [illustration: an ancient maker of nets in a kentish fair] many other fairs have been suppressed in recent years, but some survive and thrive with even greater vigour than ever. some are hiring fairs, where you may see young men with whipcord in their caps standing in front of inns ready to be hired by the farmers who come to seek labourers. women and girls too come to be hired, but their number decreases every year. such is the abingdon fair, which no rustic in the adjoining villages ever thinks of missing. we believe that the nottingham goose fair, which is attended by very large crowds, is also a hiring fair. "pleasure fairs" in several towns and cities show no sign of diminished popularity. the famous st. giles's fair at oxford is attended by thousands, and excursion trains from london, cardiff, reading, and other large towns bring crowds to join in the humours of the gathering, the shows covering all the broad space between st. giles's church and george street. reading michaelmas pleasure fair is always a great attraction. the fair-ground is filled from end to end with roundabouts driven by steam, which also plays a hideous organ that grinds out popular tunes, swings, stalls, shows, menageries, and all "the fun of the fair." you can see biographs, hear phonographs, and a penny-in-the-slot will introduce you to wonderful sights, and have your fortune told, or shy at coco-nuts or aunt sally, or witness displays of boxing, or have a photograph taken of yourself, or watch weird melodramas, and all for a penny or two. no wonder the fair is popular. [illustration: outside the "lamb inn". burford, oxon] there is no reverence paid in these modern gatherings to old-fashioned ways and ancient picturesque customs, but in some places these are still observed with punctilious exactness. the quaint custom of "proclaiming the fair" at honiton, in devonshire, is observed every year, the town having obtained the grant of a fair from the lord of the manor so long ago as . the fair still retains some of the picturesque characteristics of bygone days. the town crier, dressed in old-world uniform, and carrying a pole decorated with gay flowers and surmounted by a large gilt model of a gloved hand, publicly announces the opening of the fair as follows: "oyez! oyez! oyez! the fair's begun, the glove is up. no man can be arrested till the glove is taken down." hot coins are then thrown amongst the children. the pole and glove remain displayed until the end of the fair. nor have all the practical uses of fairs vanished. on the berkshire downs is the little village of west ilsley; there from time immemorial great sheep fairs are held, and flocks are brought thither from districts far and wide. every year herds of welsh ponies congregate at blackwater, in hampshire, driven thither by inveterate custom. every year in an open field near cambridge the once great stourbridge fair is held, first granted by king john to the hospital for lepers, and formerly proclaimed with great state by the vice-chancellor of the university and the mayor of cambridge. this was one of the largest fairs in europe. merchants of all nations attended it. the booths were planted in a cornfield, and the circuit of the fair, which was like a well-governed city, was about three miles. all offences committed therein were tried, as at other fairs, before a special court of _pie-poudre_, the derivation of which word has been much disputed, and i shall not attempt to conjecture or to decide. the shops were built in rows, having each a name, such as garlick row, booksellers' row, or cooks' row; there were the cheese fair, hop fair, wood fair; every trade was represented, and there were taverns, eating-houses, and in later years playhouses of various descriptions. as late as the eighteenth century it is said that one hundred thousand pounds' worth of woollen goods were sold in a week in one row alone. but the glories of stourbridge fair have all departed, and it is only a ghost now of its former greatness. the stow green pleasure fair, in lincolnshire, which has been held annually for upwards of eight hundred years, having been established in the reign of henry iii, has practically ceased to exist. held on an isolated common two miles from billingborough, it was formerly one of the largest fairs in england for merchandise, and originally lasted for three weeks. now it is limited to two days, and when it opened last year there were but few attractions. fairs have enriched our language with at least one word. there is a fair at ely founded in connexion with the abbey built by st. etheldreda, and at this fair a famous "fairing" was "st. audrey's laces." st. audrey, or etheldreda, in the days of her youthful vanity was very fond of wearing necklaces and jewels. "st. audrey's laces" became corrupted into "tawdry laces"; hence the adjective has come to be applied to all cheap and showy pieces of female ornament. trade now finds its way by means of other channels than fairs. railways and telegrams have changed the old methods of conducting the commerce of the country. but, as we have said, many fairs have contrived to survive, and unless they degenerate into a scandal and a nuisance it is well that they should be continued. education and the increasing sobriety of the nation may deprive them of their more objectionable features, and it would be a pity to prevent the rustic from having some amusements which do not often fall to his lot, and to forbid him from enjoying once a year "all the fun of the fair." chapter xvii the disappearance of old documents the history of england is enshrined in its ancient documents. some of it may be read in its stone walls and earthworks. the builders of our churches stamped its story on their stones, and by the shape of arch and design of window, by porch and doorway, tower and buttress you can read the history of the building and tell its age and the dates of its additions and alterations. inscriptions, monuments, and brasses help to fill in the details; but all would be in vain if we had no documentary evidence, no deeds and charters, registers and wills, to help us to build up the history of each town and monastery, castle and manor. even after the most careful searches in the record office and the british museum it is very difficult oftentimes to trace a manorial descent. you spend time and labour, eyesight and midnight oil in trying to discover missing links, and very often it is all in vain; the chain remains broken, and you cannot piece it together. some of us whose fate it is to have to try and solve some of these genealogical problems, and spend hours over a manorial descent, are inclined to envy other writers who fill their pages _currente calamo_ and are ignorant of the joys and disappointments of research work. in the making of the history of england patient research and the examination of documents are, of course, all-important. in the parish chest, in the municipal charters and records, in court rolls, in the muniment-rooms of guilds and city companies, of squire and noble, in the record office, pipe rolls, close rolls, royal letters and papers, etc., the real history of the country is contained. masses of rolls and documents of all kinds have in these late years been arranged, printed, and indexed, enabling the historical student to avail himself of vast stores of information which were denied to the historian of an earlier age, or could only be acquired by the expenditure of immense toil. nevertheless, we have to deplore the disappearance of large numbers of priceless manuscripts, the value of which was not recognized by their custodians. owing to the ignorance and carelessness of these keepers of historic documents vast stores have been hopelessly lost or destroyed, and have vanished with much else of the england that is vanishing. we know of a corporation--that of abingdon, in berkshire, the oldest town in the royal county and anciently its most important--which possessed an immense store of municipal archives. these manuscript books would throw light upon the history of the borough; but in their wisdom the members of the corporation decided that they should be sold for waste paper! a few gentlemen were deputed to examine the papers in order to see if anything was worth preserving. they spent a few hours on the task, which would have required months for even a cursory inspection, and much expert knowledge, which these gentlemen did not possess, and reported that there was nothing in the documents of interest or importance, and the books and papers were sold to a dealer. happily a private gentleman purchased the "waste paper," which remains in his hands, and was not destroyed: but this example only shows the insecurity of much of the material upon which local and municipal history depends. court rolls, valuable wills and deeds are often placed by noble owners and squires in the custody of their solicitors. they repose in peace in safes or tin boxes with the name of the client printed on them. recent legislation has made it possible to prove a title without reference to all the old deeds. hence the contents of these boxes are regarded only as old lumber and of no value. a change is made in the office. the old family solicitor dies, and the new man proceeds with the permission of his clients to burn all these musty papers, which are of immense value in tracing the history of a manor or of a family. some years ago a leading family solicitor became bankrupt. his office was full of old family deeds and municipal archives. what happened? a fire was kindled in the garden, and for a whole fortnight it was fed with parchment deeds and rolls, many of them of immense value to the genealogist and the antiquary. it was all done very speedily, and no one had a chance to interfere. this is only one instance of what we fear has taken place in many offices, the speedy disappearance of documents which can never be replaced. from the contents of the parish chests, from churchwardens' account-books, we learn much concerning the economic history of the country, and the methods of the administration of local and parochial government. as a rule persons interested in such matters have to content themselves with the statements of the ecclesiastical law books on the subject of the repair of churches, the law of church rates, the duties of churchwardens, and the constitution and power of vestries. and yet there has always existed a variety of customs and practices which have stood for ages on their prescriptive usage with many complications and minute differentiations. these old account-books and minute-books of the churchwardens in town and country are a very large but a very perishable and rapidly perishing treasury of information on matters the very remembrance of which is passing away. yet little care is taken of these books. an old book is finished and filled up with entries; a new book is begun. no one takes any care of the old book. it is too bulky for the little iron register safe. a farmer takes charge of it; his children tear out pages on which to make their drawings; it is torn, mutilated, and forgotten, and the record perishes. all honour to those who have transcribed these documents with much labour and endless pains and printed them. they will have gained no money for their toil. the public do not show their gratitude to such laborious students by purchasing many copies, but the transcribers know that they have fitted another stone in the temple of knowledge, and enabled antiquaries, genealogists, economists, and historical inquirers to find material for their pursuits. the churchwardens' accounts of st. mary's, thame, and some of the most interesting in the kingdom, are being printed in the _berks, bucks, and oxon archæological journal_. the originals were nearly lost. somehow they came into the possession of the buckinghamshire archæological society. the volume was lent to the late rev. f. lee, in whose library it remained and could not be recovered. at his death it was sold with his other books, and found its way to the bodleian library at oxford. there it was transcribed by mr. patterson ellis, and then went back to the buckinghamshire society after its many wanderings. it dates back to the fifteenth century, and records many curious items of pre-reformation manners and customs. from these churchwardens' accounts we learn how our forefathers raised money for the expenses of the church and of the parish. provision for the poor, mending of roads, the improvement of agriculture by the killing of sparrows, all came within the province of the vestry, as well as the care of the church and churchyard. we learn about such things as "gatherings" at hocktide, may-day, all hallow-day, christmas, and whitsuntide, the men stopping the women on one day and demanding money, while on the next day the women retaliated, and always gained more for the parish fund than those of the opposite sex: church ales, the holy loaf, paschal money, watching the sepulchre, the duties of clerks and clergymen, and much else, besides the general principles of local self-government, which the vestrymen carried on until quite recent times. there are few books that provide greater information or more absorbing interest than these wonderful books of accounts. it is a sad pity that so many have vanished. the parish register books have suffered less than the churchwardens' accounts, but there has been terrible neglect and irreparable loss. their custody has been frequently committed to ignorant parish clerks, who had no idea of their utility beyond their being occasionally the means of putting a shilling into their pockets for furnishing extracts. sometimes they were in the care of an incumbent who was forgetful, careless, or negligent. hence they were indifferently kept, and baptisms, burials, and marriages were not entered as they ought to have been. in one of my own register books an indignant parson writes in the year : "there does not appear any one entry of a baptism, marriage, or burial in the old register for nine successive years, viz. from the year till the year , when this register commences." the fact was that the old parchment book beginning a.d. was quite full and crowded with names, and the rector never troubled to provide himself with a new one. fortunately this sad business took place long before our present septuagenarians were born, or there would be much confusion and uncertainty with regard to old-age pensions. the disastrous period of the civil war and the commonwealth caused great confusion and many defects in the registers. very often the rector was turned out of his parish; the intruding minister, often an ignorant mechanic, cared naught for registers. registrars were appointed in each parish who could scarcely sign their names, much less enter a baptism. hence we find very frequent gaps in the books from to . at tarporley, cheshire, there is a break from to , upon which a sorrowful vicar remarks:-- "this intermission hapned by reason of the great wars obliterating memorials, wasting fortunes, and slaughtering persons of all sorts." the parliamentary soldiers amused themselves by tearing out the leaves in the registers for the years to the end of in the parish of wimpole, cambridgeshire. there is a curious note in the register of tunstall, kent. there seems to have been a superfluity of members of the family of pottman in this parish, and the clergyman appears to have been tired of recording their names in his books, and thus resolves:-- " mary pottman nat. & bapt. apr. mary pottman n. & b. jan. mary pottman sep. aug. from henceforw^{d} i omitt the pottmans." fire has played havoc with parish registers. the old register of arborfield, berkshire, was destroyed by a fire at the rectory. those at cottenham, cambridgeshire, were burnt in a fire which consumed two-thirds of the town in , and many others have shared the same fate. the spaniards raided the coast of cornwall in and burnt the church at paul, when the registers perished in the conflagration. wanton destruction has caused the disappearance of many parish books. there was a parish clerk at plungar in leicestershire who combined his ecclesiastical duties with those of a grocer. he found the pages of the parish register very useful for wrapping up his groceries. the episcopal registry of ely seems to have been plundered at some time of its treasures, as some one purchased a book entitled _registrum causarum consistorii eliensis de tempore domini thome de arundele episcopi eliensis_, a large quarto, written on vellum, containing double pages, which was purchased as waste paper at a grocer's shop at cambridge together with forty or fifty old books belonging to the registry of ely. the early registers at christ church, hampshire, were destroyed by a curate's wife who had made kettle-holders of them, and would perhaps have consumed the whole parish archives in this homely fashion, had not the parish clerk, by a timely interference, rescued the remainder. one clergyman, being unable to transcribe certain entries which were required from his registers, cut them out and sent them by post; and an essex clerk, not having ink and paper at hand for copying out an extract, calmly took out his pocket-knife and cut out two leaves, handing them to the applicant. sixteen leaves of another old register were cut out by the clerk, who happened to be a tailor, in order to supply himself with measures. tradesmen seem to have found these books very useful. the marriage register of hanney, berkshire, from to was lost, but later on discovered in a grocer's shop. deplorable has been the fate of these old books, so valuable to the genealogist. upon the records contained there the possession of much valuable property may depend. the father of the present writer was engaged in proving his title to an estate, and required certificates of all the births, deaths, and marriages that had occurred in the family during a hundred years. all was complete save the record of one marriage. he discovered that his ancestor had eloped with a young lady, and the couple had married in london at a city church. the name of the church where the wedding was said to have taken place was suggested to him, but he discovered that it had been pulled down. however, the old parish clerk was discovered, who had preserved the books; the entry was found, and all went well and the title to the estate established. how many have failed to obtain their rights and just claims through the gross neglect of the keepers or custodians of parochial documents? an old register was kept in the drawer of an old table, together with rusty iron and endless rubbish, by a parish clerk who was a poor labouring man. another was said to be so old and "out of date" and so difficult to read by the parson and his neighbours, that it had been tossed about the church and finally carried off by children and torn to pieces. the leaves of an old parchment register were discovered sewed together as a covering for the tester of a bedstead, and the daughters of a parish clerk, who were lace-makers, cut up the pages of a register for a supply of parchment to make patterns for their lace manufacture. two leicestershire registers were rescued, one from the shop of a bookseller, the other from the corner cupboard of a blacksmith, where it had lain perishing and unheard of more than thirty years. the following extract from _notes and queries_ tells of the sad fate of other books:-- "on visiting the village school of colton it was discovered that the 'psalters' of the children were covered with the leaves of the parish register; some of them were recovered, and replaced in the parish chest, but many were totally obliterated and cut away. this discovery led to further investigation, which brought to light a practice of the parish clerk and schoolmaster of the day, who to certain 'goodies' of the village, gave the parchment leaves for hutkins for their knitting pins." still greater desecration has taken place. the registers of south otterington, containing several entries of the great families of talbot, herbert, and falconer, were kept in the cottage of the parish clerk, who used all those preceding the eighteenth century for waste paper, and devoted not a few to the utilitarian employment of singeing a goose. at appledore the books were lost through having been kept in a public-house for the delectation of its frequenters. but many parsons have kept their registers with consummate care. the name of the rev. john yate, rector of rodmarton, gloucestershire, in , should be mentioned as a worthy and careful custodian on account of his quaint directions for the preservation of his registers. he wrote in the volume:-- "if you will have this book last, bee sure to aire it att the fier or in the sunne three or foure times a yeare--els it will grow dankish and rott, therefore look to it. it will not be amisse when you finde it dankish to wipe over the leaves with a dry woollen cloth. this place is very much subject to dankishness, therefore i say looke to it." sometimes the parsons adorned their books with their poetical effusions either in latin or english. here are two examples, the first from cherry hinton, cambridgeshire; the second from ruyton, salop:-- hic puer ætatem, his vir sponsalia noscat. hic decessorum funera quisque sciat. no flatt'ry here, where to be born and die of rich and poor is all the history. enough, if virtue fill'd the space between, prov'd, by the ends of being, to have been. bishop kennet urged his clergy to enter in their registers not only every christening, wedding, or burial, which entries have proved some of the best helps for the preserving of history, but also any notable events that may have occurred in the parish or neighbourhood, such as "storms and lightning, contagion and mortality, droughts, scarcity, plenty, longevity, robbery, murders, or the like casualties. if such memorable things were fairly entered, your parish registers would become chronicles of many strange occurrences that would not otherwise be known and would be of great use and service for posterity to know." the clergy have often acted upon this suggestion. in the registers of cranbrook, kent, we find a long account of the great plague that raged there in , with certain moral reflections on the vice of "drunkeness which abounded here," on the base characters of the persons in whose houses the plague began and ended, on the vehemence of the infection in "the inns and suckling houses of the town, places of much disorder," and tells how great dearth followed the plague "with much wailing and sorrow," and how the judgment of god seemed but to harden the people in their sin. the eastwell register contains copies of the protestation of , the vow and covenant of , and the solemn league and covenant of the same year, all signed by sundry parishioners, and of the death of the last of the plantagenets, richard by name, a bricklayer by trade, in , whom richard iii acknowledged to be his son on the eve of the battle of bosworth. at st. oswalds, durham, there is the record of the hanging and quartering in of "duke, hyll, hogge and holyday, iiij semynaryes, papysts, tretors and rebels for their horrible offences." "burials, april th georges vilaus lord dooke of bookingham," is the illiterate description of the duke who was assassinated by felton and buried at helmsley. it is impossible to mention all the gleanings from parish registers; each parish tells its tale, its trades, its belief in witchcraft, its burials of soldiers killed in war, its stories of persecution, riot, sudden deaths, amazing virtues, and terrible sins. the edicts of the laws of england, wise and foolish, are reflected in these pages, e.g. the enforced burial in woollen; the relatives of those who desired to be buried in linen were obliged to pay fifty shillings to the informer and the same sum to the poor of the parish. the tax on marriages, births, and burials, levied by the government on the estates of gentlemen in , is also recorded in such entries as the following:-- " . mr. thomas cullum buried dec. as the said mr. cullum was a gentleman, there is s. to be paid for his buriall." the practice of heart-burial is also frequently demonstrated in our books. extraordinary superstitions and strong beliefs, the use of talismans, amulets, and charms, astrological observations, the black art, scandals, barbarous punishments, weird customs that prevailed at man's most important ceremonies, his baptism, marriage and burial, the binding of apprenticeships, obsolete trades, such as that of the person who is styled "aquavity man" or the "saltpetre man," the mode of settling quarrels and disputes, duels, sports, games, brawls, the expenses of supplying a queen's household, local customs and observances--all these find a place in these amazing records. in short, there is scarcely any feature of the social life of our forefathers which is not abundantly set forth in our parish registers. the loss of them would indeed be great and overwhelming. as we have said, many of them have been lost by fire and other casualties, by neglect and carelessness. the guarding of the safety of those that remain is an anxious problem. many of us would regret to part with our registers and to allow them to leave the church or town or village wherein they have reposed so long. they are part of the story of the place, and when american ladies and gentlemen come to find traces of their ancestors they love to see these records in the village where their forefathers lived, and to carry away with them a photograph of the church, some ivy from the tower, some flowers from the rectory garden, to preserve in their western homes as memorials of the place whence their family came. it would not be the same thing if they were to be referred to a dusty office in a distant town. some wise people say that all registers should be sent to london, to the record office or the british museum. that would be an impossibility. the officials of those institutions would tremble at the thought, and the glut of valuable books would make reference a toil that few could undertake. the real solution of the difficulty is that county councils should provide accommodation for all deeds and documents, that all registers should be transcribed, that copies should be deposited in the county council depository, and that the originals should still remain in the parish chest where they have lain for three centuries and a half. chapter xviii old customs that are vanishing many writers have mourned over the decay of our ancient customs which the restlessness of modern life has effectually killed. new manners are ever pushing out the old, and the lover of antiquity may perhaps be pardoned if he prefers the more ancient modes. the death of the old social customs which added such diversity to the lives of our forefathers tends to render the countryman's life one continuous round of labour unrelieved by pleasant pastime, and if innocent pleasures are not indulged in, the tendency is to seek for gratification in amusements that are not innocent or wholesome. the causes of the decline and fall of many old customs are not far to seek. agricultural depression has killed many. the deserted farmsteads no longer echo with the sounds of rural revelry; the cheerful log-fires no longer glow in the farmer's kitchen; the harvest-home song has died away; and "largess" no longer rewards the mummers and the morris-dancers. moreover, the labourer himself has changed; he has lost his simplicity. his lot is far better than it was half a century ago, and he no longer takes pleasure in the simple joys that delighted his ancestors in days of yore. railways and cheap excursions have made him despise the old games and pastimes which once pleased his unenlightened soul. the old labourer is dead, and his successor is a very "up-to-date" person, who reads the newspapers and has his ideas upon politics and social questions that would have startled his less cultivated sire. the modern system of elementary education also has much to do with the decay of old customs. still we have some left. we can only here record a few that survive. some years ago i wrote a volume on the subject, and searched diligently to find existing customs in the remote corners of old england.[ ] my book proved useful to sir benjamin stone, m.p., the expert photographer of the house of commons, who went about with his camera to many of the places indicated, and by his art produced permanent presentments of the scenes which i had tried to describe. he was only just in time, as doubtless many of these customs will soon pass away. it is, however, surprising to find how much has been left; how tenaciously the english race clings to that which habit and usage have established; how deeply rooted they are in the affections of the people. it is really remarkable that at the present day, in spite of ages of education and social enlightenment, in spite of centuries of christian teaching and practice, we have now amongst us many customs which owe their origin to pagan beliefs and the superstitions of our heathen forefathers, and have no other _raison d'être_ for their existence than the wild legends of scandinavian mythology. [ ] _old english customs extant at the present time_ (methuen and co.). we have still our berkshire mummers at christmas, who come to us disguised in strange garb and begin their quaint performance with the doggerel rhymes-- i am king george, that noble champion bold, and with my trusty sword i won ten thousand pounds in gold; 'twas i that fought the fiery dragon, and brought him to the slaughter, and by these means i won the king of egypt's daughter.[ ] [ ] the book of words is printed in _old english customs_, by p.h. ditchfield. other counties have their own versions. in staffordshire they are known as the "guisers," in cornwall as the "geese-dancers," in sussex as the "tipteerers." carolsingers are still with us, but often instead of the old carols they sing very badly and irreverently modern hymns, though in cambridgeshire you may still hear "god bless you, merry gentlemen," and the vessel-boxes (a corruption of wassail) are still carried round in yorkshire. at christmas cornish folk eat giblet-pie, and yorkshiremen enjoy furmenty; and mistletoe and the kissing-bush are still hung in the hall; and in some remote parts of cornwall children may be seen dancing round painted lighted candles placed in a box of sand. the devil's passing-bell tolls on christmas eve from the church tower at dewsbury, and a muffled peal bewails the slaughter of the children on holy innocents' day. the boar's head is still brought in triumph into the hall of queen's college. old women "go a-gooding" or mumping on st. thomas's day, and "hoodening" or horse-head mumming is practised at walmer, and bull-hoodening prevails at kingscote, in gloucestershire. the ancient custom of "goodening" still obtains at braughing, herts. the _hertfordshire mercury_ of december , , states that on st. thomas's day (december ) certain of the more sturdy widows of the village went round "goodening," and collected £ s. d., which was equally divided among the eighteen needy widows of the parish. in the oldest dame who took part in the ceremony was aged ninety-three, while in a widow "goodened" for the thirtieth year in succession. in the _herts and cambs reporter_ for december , , is an account of "gooding day" at gamlingay. it appears that in some almshouses for aged women (widows) were built there by sir john jacob, knight. "on wednesday last (st. thomas's day)," says this journal, "an interesting ceremony was to be seen. the old women were gathered at the central doorway ... preparatory to a pilgrimage to collect alms at the houses of the leading inhabitants. this old custom, which has been observed for nearly three hundred years, it is safe to say, will not fall into desuetude, for it usually results in each poor widow realising a gold coin." in the north of england first-footing on new year's eve is common, and a dark-complexioned person is esteemed as a herald of good fortune. wassailing exists in lancashire, and the apple-wassailing has not quite died out on twelfth night. plough monday is still observed in cambridgeshire, and the "plough-bullocks" drag around the parishes their ploughs and perform a weird play. the haxey hood is still thrown at that place in lincolnshire on the feast of the epiphany, and valentines are not quite forgotten by rural lovers. shrovetide is associated with pancakes. the pancake bell is still rung in many places, and for some occult reason it is the season for some wild football games in the streets and lanes of several towns and villages. at st. ives on the monday there is a grand hurling match, which resembles a rugby football contest without the kicking of the ball, which is about the size of a cricket-ball, made of cork or light wood. at ashbourne on shrove-tuesday thousands join in the game, the origin of which is lost in the mists of antiquity. as the old church clock strikes two a little speech is made, the national anthem sung, and then some popular devotee of the game is hoisted on the shoulders of excited players and throws up the ball. "she's up," is the cry, and then the wild contest begins, which lasts often till nightfall. several efforts have been made to stop the game, and even the judge of the court of queen's bench had to decide whether it was legal to play the game in the streets. in spite of some opposition it still flourishes, and is likely to do so for many a long year. sedgefield, chester-le-street, alnwick, dorking also have their famous football fights, which differ much from an ordinary league match. in the latter thousands look on while twenty-two men show their skill. in these old games all who wish take part in them, all are keen champions and know nothing of professionalism. "ycleping," or, as it is now called, clipping churches, is another shrovetide custom, when the children join hands round the church and walk round it. it has just been revived at painswick, in the cotswolds, where after being performed for many hundred years it was discontinued by the late vicar. on the patron saint's day (st. mary's) the children join hands in a ring round the church and circle round the building singing. it is the old saxon custom of "ycleping," or naming the church on the anniversary of its original dedication. simnels on mothering sunday still exist, reminding us of herrick's lines:-- i'll to thee a simnel bring, 'gainst thou goes a mothering; so that when she blesseth thee half the blessing thou'lt give me. palm sunday brings some curious customs. at roundway hill, and at martinsall, near marlborough, the people bear "palms," or branches of willow and hazel, and the boys play a curious game of knocking a ball with hockey-sticks up the hill; and in buckinghamshire it is called fig sunday, and also in hertfordshire. hertford, kempton, edlesborough, dunstable are homes of the custom, nor is the practice of eating figs and figpies unknown in bedfordshire, northamptonshire, oxfordshire, wilts, and north wales. possibly the custom is connected with the withering of the barren fig-tree. good friday brings hot-cross-buns with the well-known rhyme. skipping on that day at brighton is, i expect, now extinct. sussex boys play marbles, guildford folk climb st. martha's hill, and poor widows pick up six-pences from a tomb in the churchyard of st. bartholomew the great, london, on the same holy day. easter brings its pace eggs, symbols of the resurrection, and yorkshire children roll them against one another in fields and gardens. the biddenham cakes are distributed, and the hallaton hare-scramble and bottle-kicking provide a rough scramble and a curious festival for easter monday. on st. mark's day the ghosts of all who will die during the year in the villages of yorkshire pass at midnight before the waiting people, and hock-tide brings its quaint diversions to the little berkshire town of hungerford. the diversions of may day are too numerous to be chronicled here, and i must refer the reader to my book for a full description of the sports that usher in the spring; but we must not forget the remarkable furry dance at helston on may th, and the beating of the bounds of many a township during rogation week. our boys still wear oak-leaves on royal oak day, and the durham cathedral choir sing anthems on the top of the tower in memory of the battle of neville's cross, fought so long ago as the year . club-feasts and morris-dancers delight the rustics at whitsuntide, and the wakes are well kept up in the north of england, and rush-beating at ambleside, and hay-strewing customs in leicestershire. the horn dance at abbot bromley is a remarkable survival. the fires on midsummer eve are still lighted in a few places in wales, but are fast dying out. ratby, in leicestershire, is a home of old customs, and has an annual feast, when the toast of the immortal memory of john of gaunt is drunk with due solemnity. harvest customs were formerly very numerous, but are fast dying out before the reaping-machines and agricultural depression. the "kern-baby" has been dead some years. bonfire night and the commemoration of the discovery of gunpowder plot and the burning of "guys" are still kept up merrily, but few know the origin of the festivities or concern themselves about it. soul cakes and souling still linger on in cheshire, and cattering and clemmening on the feasts of st. catherine and st. clement are still observed in east sussex. very remarkable are the local customs which linger on in some of our towns and villages and are not confined to any special day in the year. thus, at abbots ann, near andover, the good people hang up effigies of arms and hands in memory of girls who died unmarried, and gloves and garlands of roses are sometimes hung for the same purpose. the dunmow flitch is a well-known matrimonial prize for happy couples who have never quarrelled during the first year of their wedded life; while a skimmerton expresses popular indignation against quarrelsome or licentious husbands and wives. many folk-customs linger around wells and springs, the haunts of nymphs and sylvan deities who must be propitiated by votive offerings and are revengeful when neglected. pins, nails, and rags are still offered, and the custom of "well-dressing," shorn of its pagan associations and adapted to christian usage, exists in all its glory at tissington, youlgrave, derby, and several other places. the three great events of human life--birth, marriage, and death--have naturally drawn around them some of the most curious beliefs. these are too numerous to be recorded here, and i must again refer the curious reader to my book on old-time customs. we should like to dwell upon the most remarkable of the customs that prevail in the city of london, in the halls of the livery companies, as well as in some of the ancient boroughs of england, but this record would require too large a space. bell-ringing customs attract attention. the curfew-bell still rings in many towers; the harvest-bell, the gleaning-bell, the pancake-bell, the "spur-peal," the eight-hours' bell, and sundry others send out their pleasing notice to the world. at aldermaston land is let by means of a lighted candle. a pin is placed through the candle, and the last bid that is made before that pin drops out is the occupier of the land for a year. the church acre at chedzoy is let in a similar manner, and also at todworth, warton, and other places. wiping the shoes of those who visit a market for the first time is practised at brixham, and after that little ceremony they have to "pay their footing." at st. ives raffling for bibles continues, according to the will of dr. wilde in , and in church twelve children cast dice for six bibles. court, bar, and parliament have each their peculiar customs which it would be interesting to note, if space permitted; and we should like to record the curious bequests, doles, and charities which display the eccentricities of human nature and the strange tenures of land which have now fallen into disuse. it is to be hoped that those who are in a position to preserve any existing custom in their own neighbourhood will do their utmost to prevent its decay. popular customs are a heritage which has been bequeathed to us from a remote past, and it is our duty to hand down that heritage to future generations of english folk. chapter xix the vanishing of english scenery and natural beauty not the least distressing of the losses which we have to mourn is the damage that has been done to the beauty of our english landscapes and the destruction of many scenes of sylvan loveliness. the population of our large towns continues to increase owing to the insensate folly that causes the rural exodus. people imagine that the streets of towns are paved with gold, and forsake the green fields for a crowded slum, and after many vicissitudes and much hardship wish themselves back again in their once despised village home. i was lecturing to a crowd of east end londoners at toynbee hall on village life in ancient and modern times, and showed them views of the old village street, the cottages, manor-houses, water-mills, and all the charms of rural england, and after the lecture i talked with many of the men who remembered their country homes which they had left in the days of their youth, and they all wished to go back there again, if only they could find work and had not lost the power of doing it. but the rural exodus continues. towns increase rapidly, and cottages have to be found for these teeming multitudes. many a rural glade and stretch of woodland have to be sacrificed, and soon streets are formed and rows of unsightly cottages spring up like magic, with walls terribly thin, that can scarcely stop the keenness of the wintry blasts, so thin that each neighbour can hear your conversation, and if a man has a few words with his wife all the inhabitants of the row can hear him. garden cities have arisen as a remedy for this evil, carefully planned dwelling-places wherein some thought is given to beauty and picturesque surroundings, to plots for gardens, and to the comfort of the fortunate citizens. but some garden cities are garden only in name. cheap villas surrounded by unsightly fields that have been spoilt and robbed of all beauty, with here and there unsightly heaps of rubbish and refuse, only delude themselves and other people by calling themselves garden cities. too often there is no attempt at beauty. cheapness and speedy construction are all that their makers strive for. these growing cities, ever increasing, ever enclosing fresh victims in their hideous maw, work other ills. they require much food, and they need water. water must be found and conveyed to them. this has been no easy task for many corporations. for many years the city of liverpool drew its supply from rivington, a range of hills near bolton-le-moors, where there were lakes and where they could construct others. little harm was done there; but the city grew and the supply was insufficient. other sources had to be found and tapped. they found one in wales. their eyes fell on the lake vyrnwy, and believed that they found what they sought. but that, too, could not supply the millions of gallons that liverpool needed. they found that the whole vale of llanwddyn must be embraced. a gigantic dam must be made at the lower end of the valley, and the whole vale converted into one great lake. but there were villages in the vale, rural homes and habitations, churches and chapels, and over five hundred people who lived therein and must be turned out. and now the whole valley is a lake. homes and churches lie beneath the waves, and the graves of the "women that sleep," of the rude forefathers of the hamlet, of bairns and dear ones are overwhelmed by the pitiless waters. it is all very deplorable. and now it seems that the same thing must take place again: but this time it is an english valley that is concerned, and the people are the country folk of north hampshire. there is a beautiful valley not far from kingsclere and newbury, surrounded by lovely hills covered with woodland. in this valley in a quiet little village appropriately called woodlands, formed about half a century ago out of the large parish of kingsclere, there is a little hamlet named ashford hill, the modern church of st. paul, woodlands, pretty cottages with pleasant gardens, a village inn, and a dissenting chapel. the churchyard is full of graves, and a cemetery has been lately added. this pretty valley with its homes and church and chapel is a doomed valley. in a few years time if a former resident returns home from australia or america to his native village he will find his old cottage gone from the light of the sun and buried beneath the still waters of a huge lake. it is almost certain that such will be the case with this secluded rural scene. the eyes of londoners have turned upon the doomed valley. they need water, and water must somehow be procured. the great city has no pity. the church and the village will have to be removed. it is all very sad. as a writer in a london paper says: "under the best of conditions it is impossible to think of such an eviction without sympathy for the grief that it must surely cause to some. the younger residents may contemplate it cheerfully enough; but for the elder folk, who have spent lives of sunshine and shade, toil, sorrow, joy, in this peaceful vale, it must needs be that the removal will bring a regret not to be lightly uttered in words. the soul of man clings to the localities that he has known and loved; perhaps, as in wales, there will be some broken hearts when the water flows in upon the scenes where men and women have met and loved and wedded, where children have been born, where the beloved dead have been laid to rest." the old forests are not safe. the act of caused the destruction of miles of beautiful landscape. peacock, in his story of _gryll grange_, makes the announcement that the new forest is now enclosed, and that he proposes never to visit it again. twenty-five years of ruthless devastation followed the passing of that act. the deer disappeared. stretches of open beechwood and green lawns broken by thickets of ancient thorn and holly vanished under the official axe. woods and lawns were cleared and replaced by miles and miles of rectangular fir plantations. the act of with regard to forest land came late, but it, happily, saved some spots of sylvan beauty. under the act of all that was ancient and delightful to the eye would have been levelled, or hidden in fir-wood. the later act stopped this wholesale destruction. we have still some lofty woods, still some scenery that shows how england looked when it was a land of blowing woodland. the new forest is maimed and scarred, but what is left is precious and unique. it is primeval forest land, nearly all that remains in the country. are these treasures safe? under the act of managers are told to consider beauty as well as profit, and to abstain from destroying ancient trees; but much is left to the decision and to the judgment of officials, and they are not always to be depended on. after having been threatened with demolition for a number of years, the famous winchmore hill woods are at last to be hewn down and the land is to be built upon. these woods, which it was hood's and charles lamb's delight to stroll in, have become the property of a syndicate, which will issue a prospectus shortly, and many of the fine old oaks, beeches, and elms already bear the splash of white which marks them for the axe. the woods have been one of the greatest attractions in the neighbourhood, and public opinion is strongly against the demolition. one of the greatest services which the national trust is doing for the country is the preserving of the natural beauties of our english scenery. it acquires, through the generosity of its supporters, special tracts of lovely country, and says to the speculative builder "avaunt!" it maintains the landscape for the benefit of the public. people can always go there and enjoy the scenery, and townsfolk can fill their lungs with fresh air, and children play on the greensward. these oases afford sanctuary to birds and beasts and butterflies, and are of immense value to botanists and entomologists. several properties in the lake district have come under the ægis of the trust. seven hundred and fifty acres around ullswater have been purchased, including gowbarrow fell and aira force. by this, visitors to the english lakes can have unrestrained access over the heights of gowbarrow fell, through the glen of aira and along a mile of ullswater shore, and obtain some of the loveliest views in the district. it is possible to trespass in the region of the lakes. it is possible to wander over hills and through dales, but private owners do not like trespassers, and it is not pleasant to be turned back by some officious servant. moreover, it needs much impudence and daring to traverse without leave another man's land, though it be bare and barren as a northern hill. the trust invites you to come, and you are at peace, and know that no man will stop you if you walk over its preserves. moreover, it holds a delectable bit of country on lake derwentwater, known as the brandlehow park estate. it extends for about a mile along the shore of the lake and reaches up the fell-side to the unenclosed common on catbels. it is a lovely bit of woodland scenery. below the lake glistens in the sunlight and far away the giant hills blencatha, skiddaw, and borrowdale rear their heads. it cost the trust £ , but no one would deem the money ill-spent. almost the last remnant of the primeval fenland of east anglia, called wicken fen, has been acquired by the trust, and also burwell fen, the home of many rare insects and plants. near london we see many bits of picturesque land that have been rescued, where the teeming population of the great city can find rest and recreation. thus at hindhead, where it has been said villas seem to have broken out upon the once majestic hill like a red skin eruption, the hindhead preservation committee and the trust have secured acres of common land on the summit of the hill, including the devil's punch bowl, a bright oasis amid the dreary desert of villas. moreover, the trust is waging a battle with the district council of hambledon in order to prevent the hindhead commons from being disfigured by digging for stone for mending roads, causing unsightliness and the sad disfiguring of the commons. may it succeed in its praiseworthy endeavour. at toy's hill, on a kentish hillside, overlooking the weald, some valuable land has been acquired, and part of wandle park, wimbledon, containing the merton mill pond and its banks, adjoining the recreation ground recently provided by the wimbledon corporation, is now in the possession of the trust. it is intended for the quiet enjoyment of rustic scenery by the people who live in the densely populated area of mean streets of merton and morden, and not for the lovers of the more strenuous forms of recreation. ide hill and crockham hill, the properties of the trust, can easily be reached by the dwellers in london streets. we may journey in several directions and find traces of the good work of the trust. at barmouth a beautiful cliff known as dinas-o-lea, llanlleiana head, anglesey, the fifteen acres of cliff land at tintagel, called barras head, looking on to the magnificent pile of rocks on which stand the ruins of king arthur's castle, and the summit of kymin, near monmouth, whence you can see a charming view of the wye valley, are all owned and protected by the trust. every one knows the curious appearance of sarsen stones, often called grey wethers from their likeness to a flock of sheep lying down amidst the long grass of a berkshire or wiltshire down. these stones are often useful for building purposes and for road-mending. there is a fine collection of these curious stones, which were used in prehistoric times for building stonehenge, at pickle dean and lockeridge dean. these are adjacent to high roads and would soon have fallen a prey to the road surveyor or local builder. hence the authorities of this trust stepped in; they secured for the nation these characteristic examples of a unique geological phenomenon, and preserved for all time a curious and picturesque feature of the country traversed by the old bath road. all that the trust requires is "more force to its elbow," increased funds for the preservation of the natural beauty of our english scenery, and the increased appreciation on the part of the public and of the owners of unspoilt rural scenes to extend its good work throughout the counties of england. a curious feature of vanished or vanishing england is the decay of our canals, which here and there with their unused locks, broken towpaths, and stagnant waters covered with weeds form a pathetic and melancholy part of the landscape. if you look at the map of england you will see, besides the blue curvings that mark the rivers, other threads of blue that show the canals. much was expected of them. they were built just before the railway era. the whole country was covered by a network of canals. millions were spent upon their construction. for a brief space they were prosperous. some places, like our berkshire newbury, became the centres of considerable traffic and had little harbours filled with barges. barge-building was a profitable industry. fly-boats sped along the surface of the canals conveying passengers to towns or watering-places, and the company were very bright and enjoyed themselves. but all are dead highways now, strangled by steam and by the railways. the promoters of canals opposed the railways with might and main, and tried to protect their properties. hence the railways were obliged to buy them up, and then left them lone and neglected. the change was tragic. you can, even now, travel all over the country by the means of these silent waterways. you start from london along the regent's canal, which joins the grand junction canal, and this spreads forth northwards and joins other canals that ramify to the wash, to manchester and liverpool and leeds. you can go to every great town in england as far as york if you have patience and endless time. there are four thousand miles of canals in england. they were not well constructed; we built them just as we do many other things, without any regular system, with no uniform depth or width or carrying capacity, or size of locks or height of bridges. canals bearing barges of forty tons connect with those capable of bearing ninety tons. and now most of them are derelict, with dilapidated banks, foul bottoms, and shallow horse haulage. the bargemen have taken to other callings, but occasionally you may see a barge looking gay and bright drawn by an unconcerned horse on the towpath, with a man lazily smoking his pipe at the helm and his family of water gipsies, who pass an open-air, nomadic existence, tranquil, and entirely innocent of schooling. he is a survival of an almost vanished race which the railways have caused to disappear. much destruction of beautiful scenery is, alas! inevitable. trade and commerce, mills and factories, must work their wicked will on the landscapes of our country. mr. ruskin's experiment on the painting of turner, quoted in our opening chapter, finds its realisation in many places. there was a time, i suppose, when the mersey was a pure river that laved the banks carpeted with foliage and primroses on which the old collegiate church of manchester reared its tower. it is now, and has been for years, an inky-black stream or drain running between stone walls, where it does not hide its foul waters for very shame beneath an arched culvert. there was a time when many a yorkshire village basked in the sunlight. now they are great overgrown towns usually enveloped in black smoke. the only day when you can see the few surviving beauties of a northern manufacturing town or village is sunday, when the tall factory chimneys cease to vomit their clouds of smoke which kills the trees, or covers the struggling leaves with black soot. we pay dearly for our commercial progress in this sacrifice of nature's beauties. chapter xx conclusion whatever method can be devised for the prevention of the vanishing of england's chief characteristics are worthy of consideration. first there must be the continued education of the english people in the appreciation of ancient buildings and other relics of antiquity. we must learn to love them, or we shall not care to preserve them. an ignorant squire or foolish landowner may destroy in a day some priceless object of antiquity which can never be replaced. too often it is the agent who is to blame. squires are very much in the hands of their agents, and leave much to them to decide and carry out. when consulted they do not take the trouble to inspect the threatened building, and merely confirm the suggestions of the agents. estate agents, above all people, need education in order that the destruction of much that is precious may be averted. the government has done well in appointing commissions for england, scotland, and wales to inquire into and report on the condition of ancient monuments, but we lag behind many other countries in the task of protecting and preserving the memorials of the past. in france national monuments of historic or artistic interest are scheduled under the direction of the minister of public instruction and fine arts. in cases in which a monument is owned by a private individual, it usually may not be scheduled without the consent of the owner, but if his consent is withheld the state minister is empowered to purchase compulsorily. no monument so scheduled may be destroyed or subjected to works of restoration, repair, or alteration without the consent of the minister, nor may new buildings be annexed to it without permission from the same quarter. generally speaking, the minister is advised by a commission of historical monuments, consisting of leading officials connected with fine arts, public buildings, and museums. such a commission has existed since , and very considerable sums of public money have been set apart to enable it to carry on its work. in a classification of some national monuments was made, and this classification has been adopted in the present law. it includes megalithic remains, classical remains, and medieval, renaissance, and modern buildings and ruins.[ ] [ ] a paper read by mr. nigel bond, secretary of the national trust, at a meeting of the dorset natural history and antiquarian field club, to which paper the writer is indebted for the subsequent account of the proceeding's of foreign governments with regard to the preservation of their ancient monuments. we do not suggest that in england we should imitate the very drastic restorations to which some of the french abbeys and historic buildings are subjected. the authorities have erred greatly in destroying so much original work and their restorations, as in the case of mont st. michel, have been practically a rebuilding. the belgian people appear to have realized for a very long time the importance of preserving their historic and artistic treasures. by a royal decree of bodies in charge of church temporalities are reminded that they are managers merely, and while they are urged to undertake in good time the simple repairs that are needed for the preservation of the buildings in their charge, they are strictly forbidden to demolish any ecclesiastical building without authority from the ministry which deals with the subject of the fine arts. by the same decree they are likewise forbidden to alienate works of art or historical monuments placed in churches. nine years later, in , in view of the importance of assuring the preservation of all national monuments remarkable for their antiquity, their association, or their artistic value, another decree was issued constituting a royal commission for the purpose of advising as to the repairs required by such monuments. nearly , francs are annually voted for expenditure for these purposes. the strict application of these precautionary measures has allowed a number of monuments of the highest interest in their relation to art and archæology to be protected and defended, but it does not appear that the government controls in any way those monuments which are in the hands of private persons.[ ] [ ] _ibid._ in holland public money to the extent of five or six thousand pounds a year is spent on preserving and maintaining national monuments and buildings of antiquarian and architectural interest. in germany steps are being taken which we might follow with advantage in this country, to control and limit the disfigurement of landscapes by advertisement hoardings. a passage from the ministerial order of with reference to the restoration of churches may be justly quoted:-- "if the restoration of a public building is to be completely successful, it is absolutely essential that the person who directs it should combine with an enlightened æsthetic sense an artistic capacity in a high degree, and, moreover, be deeply imbued with feelings of veneration for all that has come down to us from ancient times. if a restoration is carried out without any real comprehension of the laws of architecture, the result can only be a production of common and dreary artificiality, recognizable perhaps as belonging to one of the architectural styles, but wanting the stamp of true art, and, therefore, incapable of awakening the enthusiasm of the spectator." and again:-- "in consequence of the removal or disfigurement of monuments which have been erected during the course of centuries--monuments which served, as it were, as documents of the historical development of past periods of culture, which have, moreover, a double interest and value if left undisturbed on the spot where they were originally erected--the sympathy of congregations with the history of their church is diminished, and, a still more lamentable consequence, a number of objects of priceless artistic value destroyed or squandered, whereby the property of the church suffers a serious loss." how much richer might we be here in england if only our central authorities had in the past circulated these admirable doctrines! very wisely has the danish government prohibited the removal of stones from monuments of historic interest for utilitarian purposes, such as is causing the rapid disappearance of the remains on dartmoor in this country; and the greeks have stringent regulations to ensure the preservation of antiquities, which are regarded as national property, and may on no account be damaged either by owner or lessee. it has actually been found necessary to forbid the construction of limekilns nearer than two miles from any ancient ruins, in order to remove the temptation for the filching of stones. in italy there are stringent laws for the protection of historical and ancient monuments. road-mending is a cause of much destruction of antiquarian objects in all countries, even in italy, where the law has been invoked to protect ancient monuments from the highway authorities. we need not record the legal enactments of other governments, so admirably summarized by mr. bond in his paper read before the dorset natural history and antiquarian field club. we see what other countries much poorer than our own are doing to protect their national treasures, and though the english government has been slow in realizing the importance of the ancient monuments of this country, we believe that it is inclined to move in the right direction, and to do its utmost to preserve those that have hitherto escaped the attacks of the iconoclasts, and the heedlessness and stupidity of the gallios "who care for none of these things." when an old building is hopelessly dilapidated, what methods can be devised for its restoration and preservation? to pull it down and rebuild it is to destroy its historical associations and to make it practically a new structure. happily science has recently discovered a new method for the preserving of these old buildings without destroying them, and this good angel is the grouting machine, the invention of mr. james greathead, which has been the means of preventing much of vanishing england. grout, we understand, is a mixture of cement, sand, and water, and the process of grouting was probably not unknown to the romans. but the grouting machine is a modern invention, and it has only been applied to ancient buildings during the last six or seven years.[ ] it is unnecessary to describe its mechanism, but its admirable results may be summarized. suppose an old building shows alarming cracks. by compressed air you blow out the old decayed mortar, and then damping the masonry by the injection of water, you insert the nozzle of the machine and force the grout into the cracks and cavities, and soon the whole mass of decayed masonry is cemented together and is as sound as ever it was. this method has been successfully applied to winchester cathedral, the old walls of chester, and to various churches and towers. it in no way destroys the characteristics and features of the building, the weatherworn surfaces of the old stones, their cracks and deformations, and even the moss and lichen which time has planted on them need not be disturbed. pointing is of no avail to preserve a building, as it only enters an inch or two in depth. underpinning is dangerous if the building be badly cracked, and may cause collapse. but if you shore the structure with timber, and then weld its stones together by applying the grouting machine, you turn the whole mass of masonry into a monolith, and can then strengthen the foundations in any way that may be found necessary. the following story of the saving of an old church, as told by mr. fox, proclaims the merits of this scientific invention better than any description can possibly do:-- "the ancient church of corhampton, near bishops waltham, in hampshire, is an instance. this saxon church, years old, was in a sadly dilapidated condition. in the west gable there were large cracks, one from the ridge to the ground, another nearer the side wall, both wide enough for a man's arm to enter; whilst at the north-west angle the saxon work threatened to fall bodily off. the mortar of the walls had perished through age, and the ivy had penetrated into the interior of the church in every direction. it would have been unsafe to attempt any examination of the foundations for fear of bringing down the whole fabric; consequently the grouting machine was applied all over the building. the grout escaped at every point, and it occupied the attention of the masons both inside and outside to stop it promptly by plastering clay on to the openings from which it was running. "after the operation had been completed and the clay was removed, the interior was found to be completely filled with cement set very hard; and sufficient depth having been left for fixing the flint work outside and tiling inside, the result was that no trace of the crack was visible, and the walls were stronger and better than they had ever been before. subsequent steps were then taken to examine and, where necessary, to underpin the walls, and the church is saved, as the vicar, the rev. h. churton, said, 'all without moving one of the saxon "long and short" stones.'" [ ] a full account of this useful invention was given in the _times_ engineering supplement, march th, , by mr. francis fox, m. inst. c.e. in our chapter on the delightful and picturesque old bridges that form such beautiful features of our english landscapes, we deplored the destruction now going on owing to the heavy traction-engines which some of them have to bear and the rush and vibration of motor-cars which cause the decay of the mortar and injure their stability. many of these old bridges, once only wide enough for pack-horses to cross, then widened for the accommodation of coaches, beautiful and graceful in every way, across which cavaliers rode to fight the roundheads, and were alive with traffic in the old coaching days, have been pulled down and replaced by the hideous iron-girder arrangements which now disfigure so many of our streams and rivers. in future, owing to this wonderful invention of the grouting machine, these old bridges can be saved and made strong enough to last another five hundred years. mr. fox tells us that an old westmoreland bridge in a very bad condition has been so preserved, and that the celebrated "auld brig o' ayr" has been saved from destruction by this means. a wider knowledge of the beneficial effects of this wonderful machine would be of invaluable service to the country, and prevent the passing away of much that in these pages we have mourned. by this means we may be able to preserve our old and decaying buildings for many centuries, and hand down to posterity what ruskin called the great entail of beauty bequeathed to us. vanishing england has a sad and melancholy sound. nevertheless, the examples we have given of the historic buildings, and the beauties of our towns and villages, prove that all has not yet disappeared which appeals to the heart and intellect of the educated englishman. and oftentimes the poor and unlearned appreciate the relics that remain with quite as much keenness as their richer neighbours. a world without beauty is a world without hope. to check vandalism, to stay the hand of the iconoclast and destroyer, to prevent the invasion and conquest of the beauties bequeathed to us by our forefathers by the reckless and ever-engrossing commercial and utilitarian spirit of the age, are some of the objects of our book, which may be useful in helping to preserve some of the links that connect our own times with the england of the past, and in increasing the appreciation of the treasures that remain by the englishmen of to-day. index abbey towns, - abbot's ann, ---- hospital, guildford, abingdon, ---- bridge, ---- hospital, ---- archives of, age, a progressive, albans, st., abbey, ---- inn at, aldeburgh, aldermaston, , alfriston, allington castle, alnwick, almshouses, - almsmen's liveries, american rapacity, - , , ancient monuments commission, _anglo-saxon chronicle_ on castles, armour, art treasures dispersed, ashbury camp, atleburgh, norfolk, avebury, stone circle at, ---- manor-house, aylesbury, vale of, , ---- inn at, bainbridge, inn at, banbury, barkham, barnard castle, barrington court, bartholomew's, st., priory, - bath, city of, beauty of english scenery vanishing, - berkeley castle, berwick-on-tweed, , beverley, , bewcastle cross, bledlow crosses, bodiam castle, bonfires of old deeds, bosham, bournemouth, bowthorpe, boxford, bradford-on-avon, , branks, bray, jesus hospital at, bridges, destruction of, ---- old, - bridgwater bay, bridlington, bristol cathedral, burford, burgh-next-walton, burgh castle, caister castle, canals, canterbury cathedral, ---- inns at, capel, surrey, castles, old, - cathedral cities, - caversham bridge, chalfont st. giles, charms of villages, chester, chests, church, chests in houses, chichester, ---- hospital at, chingford, essex, chipping campden, chipping monuments, church, a painted, ---- furniture, ---- plate, churches, vanishing or vanished, - churchwarden's account-books, cinque ports, cirencester, clipping churches, clock at wells, cloth fair, smithfield, coast erosion, - coastguards, their uses, cobham, coleshill bridge, colston bassett, commonwealth, spoliation during the, , compton wynyates, conway, corhampton church, cornwall, prehistoric remains in, corsham, cottages, beauties of old, , covehithe, coventry, , , cowper at weston, cranbrook registers, crane bridge, salisbury, cromer, crosses, - ---- wayside, ---- market, ---- boundary, ---- at cross-roads and holy wells, ---- sanctuary, ---- as guide-posts, crowhurst, croyland bridge, cucking stool, curious entries in registers, customs that are vanishing, - deal, derby, west, stocks restored, devizes, inn at, dickens, c., and inns, disappearance of england, - documents, disappearance of old, - dover castle, dowsing, w., spoliator, dunwich, eashing bridge, eastbourne, easter customs, easton bavent, edwardian castles, elizabethan house, an, , ely fair, ---- registry plundered, england, disappearance of, - essex, estate agents, evesham, ewelme, exeter town hall, experience, a weird, fairs, vanishing, - fastolfe, sir john, felixstowe, fig sunday, fires in houses, fishermen's hospital, fitzstephen on smithfield fair, flagon, a remarkable, football in streets, forests destroyed, foreign governments and monuments, - friday, good, customs on, furniture, old, ---- church, galleting, garden cities, gates of chester, geffery almshouses, gibbet-irons, glastonbury, , ---- powder horn found at, gloucester, goodening custom, gorleston, gosforth cross, grantham, inns at, ---- crosses at, greenwich, the "ship" at, grouting machine, guildford, guildhalls, guildhall at lynn, gundulf, a builder of castles, hall, bishop, his palace, halton cross, hampton, happisburgh, hardy, t., on restoration, hartwell house, heckfield, herne bay, hever castle, higham ferrers, _hints to churchwardens_, holinshed quoted, , holman hunt, mr., on bridges, honiton fair, hornby cross, horsham slates, horsmonden, kent, hospitals, old, - houses, old, , ---- destroyed, ---- half-timber, , , hungate, st. peter, norwich, hungerford, , huntingdon, inn at, ---- bridge at, ilsley, west, sheep fair, inns, signs of, ---- old, - ---- retired from business, ---- at banbury, intwood, norfolk, ipswich, irving, washington, on inns, ivy, evils of, jessop, spoliator, jousts at smithfield, kent bridges, keswick, norfolk, kilnsea, , kirby bedon, kirkstead, leeds cross, ---- castle, leominster, levellers at burford, lichgate at chalfont, links with past severed, liscombe, dorset, littleport, llanrwst bridge, llanwddyn vale destroyed, london, vanishing, ---- churches, ---- growth of, ---- inns, ---- livery companies' almshouses, ---- paul's cross, ---- st. bartholomew's fair, - ---- water supply threatens a village, lowestoft, lynn bay, lynn regis, , mab's cross, wigan, maidstone, maidenhead bridge, maldon, manor-houses, mansions, old, - marlborough, inn at, martyrs burnt at smithfield, megalithic remains, memory, folk, instance of, menhirs, , merchant guilds, milton's cottage, "mischief, the load of," monmouthshire castles, mothering sunday, _mottes_, norman, , mumming at christmas, municipal buildings, old, - national trust for the protection of places of historic interest, , , , , newbury, stocks at, ---- town hall, newcastle, ---- walls, new forest partly destroyed, newton-by-corton, norham castle, norton st. philip, nottingham goose fair, norwich, , ---- hospitals at, ockwells, berks, olney bridge, orford castle, oundle, oxford, ---- st. giles's fair, palimpsest brasses, palm sunday customs, pakefield, paston family, , , penshurst, pevensey castle, plaster, the use of, plough monday, pontefract castle, poole, porchester castle, ports and harbours, portsmouth, poulton-in-the-fylde, pounds, prehistoric remains, destruction of, - preservation of registers, progress, punishments, old-time, - quainton, bucks, radcot bridge, ranton, house at, ---- priory, ravensburgh, , reading, guild hall at, ---- fair, rebels' heads on gateways, reculver, reformation, iconoclasm at, , register books, parish, restoration, evils of, , , , , , richard ii., murder of, richmond, , ringstead, rochester, , rollright stones, roman fortresses, rood-screens removed, roudham, rows at yarmouth, ---- ---- portsmouth, ruskin, , , , ruthwell cross, rye, saffron walden, salisbury, halls of guilds at, sandwich, st. albans cathedral, ---- inn at, st. audrey's laces, st. bartholomew's, smithfield, - st. margaret's bay, salisbury, halls of guilds at, , sandwich, saxon churches, scenery, vanishing of english, , - scold's bridle, sea-serpent at heybridge, selsea, "seven stars" at manchester, shingle, flow of, shrewsbury, , shrivenham, berks, shrovetide customs, signboards, sieges of towns, simnels, skegness, skipton, smithfield fair, - smuggling, society for protection of ancient buildings, , , somerset, duke of, spoliator, somerset crosses, sonning bridges, southport, southwell, inn at, southwold, , staircases, old, staffordshire churches, stamford, hospitals at, stilton, inn at, stocks, - -- in literature, stonehenge, storeys, projecting, stourbridge fair, stow green fair, strategic position of castles, streets and lanes, in, - stump cross, suffolk coast, surrey cottages, sussex coast, sussex, robert, earl of, spoliator, swallowfield park, _tancred_, description of an inn, taunton castle, tewkesbury, inns at, thame, , thatch for roofing, thorpe-in-the-fields, tile-hung cottages, tournaments at smithfield, towns, old walled, - ---- abbey, - ---- decayed, ---- halls, - turpin's ride to york, tyneside, coast erosion at, udimore, sussex, uxbridge, inn at, viking legends, , walberswick, suffolk, walled towns, old, - walls, city, destroyed, wallingford, , warwick, , wash, land gaining on sea, water-clock, well customs, wells, cross at, wells cathedral, - welsh castles, weston house, whipping-posts, - white horse hill, whitewash, the era of, whittenham clumps, whittenham, little, whitling church, whittington college, winchester, st. cross, winchmore hill woods, destroyed, window tax, winster, witney butter cross, wirral, cheshire, wokingham, ---- lucas's hospital at, wood, anthony, at thame, wymondham, , yarmouth, , , , york, ---- walls of, yorkshire coast, ypres tower, rye, generously made available by the internet archive/american libraries.) [illustration: the priory gateway, worksop] the dukeries described by r. murray gilchrist pictured by e. w. haslehust [illustration] blackie and son limited london glasgow and bombay +--------------------------------------------------+ | ~beautiful england~ | | _volumes ready_ | | | | | oxford | the cornish riviera | | the english lakes | dickens-land | | canterbury | winchester | | shakespeare-land | the isle of wight | | the thames | chester | | windsor castle | york | | cambridge | the new forest | | norwich and the broads | hampton court | | the heart of wessex | exeter | | the peak district | hereford | | the dukeries | | | | _uniform with this series_ | | | | ~beautiful ireland~ | | | | leinster | munster | | ulster | connaught | +--------------------------------------------------+ list of illustrations page the priory gateway, worksop _frontispiece_ worksop manor robin hood's larder the major oak, thoresby park the beech avenue, thoresby welbeck abbey clumber thoresby ollerton rufford abbey the japanese garden, rufford abbey edwinstowe [illustration: the dukeries] worksop and the manor although within the last twenty-five years worksop has suffered many changes, unfortunate enough from an æsthetic point of view, the dukeries end of the principal street still suggests the comfortable market town in the neighbourhood of folk of quality. the only relic of notable antiquity is the quaint inn, known as the old ship--a building with projecting upper story and carved oaken beams that might have been transported from chester. the twin-towered priory church, a gatehouse of singular interest, and some slight, gracefully proportioned ecclesiastical ruins are the main features of interest. the priory was founded by william de lovetot, and used by the canons of the order of st. augustine. great men were buried there, notably several chiefs of the furnival family, who had for town residence furnival's inn in holborn. the interior of the church contains some excellent round and octagonal pillars, and one or two ancient effigies. the walls are coated with stucco, which detracts considerably from the beauty of this handsomely proportioned building. one of the most interesting things to be seen is a piece of a human skull, pierced with an arrowhead. this hangs to the left of the doorway by which the vestry is reached. there is a weird superstition concerning the moving of this relic. near by is the ruined chapel, erected about the middle of the thirteenth century. it was dedicated to the virgin mary, and in olden times must have blazed with gorgeous colours. the roof has fallen; little remains of its former beauty save the lancet windows. the double piscina and the sedilia are still in fair preservation, and we are shown the round holes in the stonework once filled with the pegs of the canons' oaken seats. in the churchyard are a few quaint epitaphs for such as delight to dwell upon the virtues of the forgotten dead. the priory gatehouse at the farther end is perhaps one of the most interesting buildings of its kind in existence. the stonework is of soft grey, and the roof chiefly of well-coloured tiles. a roadway about fifteen yards in length passes through the building; the original ceiling of oaken beams with graceful braces is still in good condition. above this was the hospitium, or guest chamber, where may be seen the hooded chimney-piece and the hearth before which old-time travellers rested o' nights and told tales that chaucer might have loved, before retiring to the smaller chambers, to sleep heavily after the good cheer provided by their priestly hosts. in front of this relic stands the old market cross; and near by, until within the nineteenth century, were the stocks for vagrants and refractory townsmen. camden tells us that in his time worksop was "noted for its great produce of liquorice, and famous for the earl of shrewsbury's house, built in our memory by george talbot, with the magnificence becoming so great an earl, and yet below envy". in park street, not far from the priory gateway, is one of the entrances to the manor park. the trees still remaining are not noteworthy in the matter of size, with the exception of a few cedars and beeches near the terrace of the house. as one approaches, the manor hills, gently sloping and well wooded, with heather-covered clearings, may be seen to the left. as for the house itself, the garden front of to-day, without being of great architectural interest, has a very pleasant air of unpretentious comfort and brightness. there is a flower garden whose beds are edged with box and yew. the chief object of note is a long and high wall, probably a portion of the ancient house; this is somewhat dignified with its worn coping, whereon stand various urns the carving of which time has softened. from the terrace one looks down on the sloping park with its mere, and scattered trees, and graceful groups of young horses. passing round the house, and entering a vast gateway surmounted by a lion, one sees, to the right, part of the manor built after , when the house which replaced the elizabethan palace built by the earl of shrewsbury and his countess bess, with its pictures and furniture and some of the arundelian marbles, was destroyed by fire. to my thinking, the most suggestive view of the present edifice is gained from the mansfield road, within a few minutes' walk of the town. from an ancient engraving we find that the first house bore some resemblance to hardwick hall, the great bess's most successful building. it contained five hundred rooms; in front was a fine courtyard, with a central octagonal green plot surrounding a basin with a fountain. the artist gave to this a touch of life by drawing a coach and six proudly curving towards the outlet; on the lawns beyond are ladies with fan-shaped hoops, and thin-legged gentlemen with puffed coat skirts. [illustration: worksop manor] of this house horace walpole writes, in : "lord stafford carried us to worksop, where we passed two days. the house is huge and one of the magnificent works of old bess of hardwick, who guarded the queen of scots here for some time in a wretched little bedchamber within her own lofty one:--there is a tolerable little picture ('the story of bathsheba, finely drawn and shaded, in faint colours') of mary's needlework. the great apartment is vast and _triste_, the whole leanly furnished: the great gallery, of about two hundred feet, at the top of the house, is divided into a library and into nothing. the chapel is decent. there is no prospect, and the barren face of the country is richly furred with evergreen plantations." in he records that "worksop--the new house--is burned down; i don't know the circumstances, it has not been finished a month; the last furniture was brought in for the duke of york: i have some comfort that i had seen it; except the bare chamber in which the queen of scots lodged, nothing remained of ancient time". not only was mary stuart well acquainted with worksop manor, but later, her son, james the first, on his first progress to london, became the guest of gilbert, earl of shrewsbury, her jailer's successor. in a letter to his agent, john harpur, this nobleman writes forewarning him of the expected honour, and, after bidding him see to horses being in readiness, adds, as postcript: "i will not refuse anie fatt capons and hennes, partridges, or the like, yf the king come to me". we find that james left edinburgh on the fifth of april, , and reached worksop on the twentieth, after leaving the high sheriff of yorkshire at bawtry, and being met and escorted by his brother of nottinghamshire. it is matter for surprise that the king accepted the talbot hospitality, considering their melancholy connection with his mother's tragedy, but it is true that he never made parade of filial piety. at worksop park appeared a number of huntsmen, clad in lincoln green, whose chief, "with a woodman's speech, did welcome him, offering his majesty to show him some game, which he gladly consented to see, and, with a traine set, he hunted a good space, very much delighted: at last he went into the house, where he was so nobly received, with superfluitie of all things, that still every entertainment seemed to exceed other. in this place, besides the abundance of all provision and delicacies, there was most excellent soul-ravishing musique, wherewith his highness was not a little delighted." one wonders if he was shown the royal prisoner's miserable little room. at worksop he spent a night, and in the morning stayed for breakfast, which ended, "there was such store of provision left, of fowls, fish, and almost everything, besides bread, beere and wines, that it was left open for any man that would, to come and take". in the state papers relating to the rebellion of ' may be found a curious and interesting account of a secret hiding-place, reached by lifting a sheet of lead on the roof. a tattling young woman told the story upon oath, describing a staircase that descended to a little room with a fireplace, a bed, and a few chairs, with a door in the wainscot that opened to a place full of arms. unfortunately, both history and tradition are silent concerning any shelter offered by worksop manor to proscribed folk. after the burning of the new house, in , the duke of norfolk, lord shrewsbury's descendant, laid the foundation stone of another in . we learn that this was to have been one of the largest in england; but that only one side of the proposed quadrangle was completed, although five hundred workmen were employed, and closely supervised by the duchess in person. this stood for three-quarters of a century; then, the estate being sold to the duke of newcastle, the greater part of the house was pulled down and the present place built. of the original park, which evelyn mentions as "sweet and delectable", nowadays there is but little to be seen. there still remains, however, a beech grove called the "druid's temple", a "lover's walk" for sentimental youth, and a wood of acacias and cedars, yews and tulip trees--once known as the "wilderness", but since the eighteenth century called the "menagerie", because of a duchess of norfolk who kept an aviary within its precincts. mrs. delany, in , thus alludes to this place: "we went there on sunday evening; but i only saw a crown bird and a most delightful cockatoo, with yellow breast and topping". there is an air of pleasing disorder about the drives, and one is occasionally reminded of irish demesnes. within a mile of the house once stood the celebrated "shire oak"--a gigantic tree whose branches overshadowed a portion of nottinghamshire, of derbyshire, and of yorkshire. evelyn tells us that the distance from bough-end to bough-end was ninety feet, and that two hundred and thirty-five horses might have sheltered beneath its foliage. this tree disappeared entirely in the eighteenth century, and the exact site is now a matter of some uncertainty. sherwood forest and robin hood to savour the full charm of sherwood forest one must stray from the highroad, lose one's path, and wander in happy patience until a broad avenue is reached, or above the treetops one sees the slender and graceful spire of some stately church. the formal beauty of the frequented ways--trimly kept and splendidly coloured--precludes all illusion: only in the remote solitudes with their monstrous old trees is it possible to evoke a mind picture of robin hood and his devoted followers. and even in the most secluded places the imagined pageant of these folk suggests the theatre. the loveliness seems unreal--a background devised by some scene-painter of genius. but sherwood is always beautiful and always tranquil; to those who know aught of wood magic it is as fair in cold midwinter as in autumn, when the leaves are no longer green leaves, but a rich mosaic of russet and orange and sullen red. my most wonderful memory is of a november day when a fine snow was falling, and the leaves drifted downward in a continuous murmuring veil. then, no rabbits played upon the grassy wayside or crossed the track, and the pheasants shivered in their hidden shelters. in early springtime one best realizes the antiquity; the first opening leaves call to mind pale lichen growing upon damp castle walls: in summer the air is languorous, bringing a desire for rest and contemplation. storms are impious there: the ancient oaks and birches and chestnuts must wail and protest, like dotards wakened from senility to cruel hours of actual life. of the old forest naught remains in perfection save the southern parts known as birkland and bilhagh, in the neighbourhood of edwinstowe and ollerton. near the former village may be seen the famous "major oak" and "robin hood's larder". the full glory departed several centuries ago; camden himself writes of "sherewood, which some interpret as _clear wood_, others as _famous wood_, formerly one close continu'd shade with the boughs of trees so entangled in one another, that one could hardly walk single in the paths," that "at present it is much thinner, and feeds an infinite number of deer and stags". in british times the district was occupied by the tribe of the coritani, and later the romans built several camps here, various relics of which were discovered in the eighteenth century. not far away, edwin, the saxon king of northumbria, was slain in battle--fighting against penda, king of mercia, and cadwallader, king of wales; and in all probability his body was buried at the village of edwinstowe. [illustration: robin hood's larder] the earliest definite notice of sherwood dates from the days of henry the second, when william peverel had control and profit of the district under the crown. after his dispossession, a lady named matilda de caux and her husband held the office of chief foresters. in edward the first's time this office was seized by the crown, and granted, as a special mark of favour, to persons of high station. the _charta de foresta_, constructed in henry the third's reign, contains some curious information about woodland customs. we learn that "any archbishop, bishop, earl, or baron, coming to the king at his command, and passing through the forests, might take and kill one or two of the king's deer, by view of the forester if he were present; if not, then he might do it upon the blowing of a horn, that it might not look like a theft. the same might be done when they returned."[ ] courts called swainmotes were held thrice yearly--one fifteen days before michaelmas, a second about the feast of st. martin, and a third fifteen days before st. john baptist's day. at the same time the cruel punishments for offences against the forest laws were lessened in rigour. thenceforth no man was punished with death or mutilation for illegally hunting, but if found taking venison was fined heavily. if he were unable to pay, he was imprisoned for a year and a day, and then discharged upon pledges; but if unable to find any surety, was exiled. footnote : reeves's _english law_.] the chief officers were known as foresters, verderors, woodwards, and agisters. each verderor had the liberty of taking a tree out of birkland or bilhagh; but this privilege seems to have been abused, since in later years the officers were found to choose the best timber available, and in william the third's reign the favour was withdrawn. until the sixteenth century the forest seems to have been infested with wolves: we read that one, sir robert plumpton, in henry the sixth's time, held land called "wolf-hunt land" at mansfield woodhouse, seven or eight miles away, by service of horn-blowing to chase or frighten away these creatures. in , from a survey taken by royal command, it was discovered that the forests contained red deer, of these being "rascalds", or ill-conditioned. a few years before, the district had been ravaged by fire, and a contemporary writer describes the conflagration as one such as was "never knowne in menes memory; beinge four mille longe and a mille and a halfe over all at once". later the gentleman tells how "ridinge on his way through the forest homeward, he saw a greate herde of faire red deere, and amonst them extreordanory greet stages, the which he never saw the like". much of the forest oak was used for the royal navy, but more was allowed to decay. folk of good birth but fallen fortunes frequently begged a grant of these trees from the crown. in thoroton writes that so many claims were granted that there would soon not be wood enough left to cover the bilberries! as time went on, the cleared portions, being of no further use for kingly sport, were sold to various noblemen. in , acres were bought by the duke of kingston, to add to thoresby park; while early in the eighteenth century acres were enclosed for the making of clumber park. the last portions of the forest remaining were the hays, or enclosures, of birkland and bilhagh, which were granted to the duke of portland about , in exchange for the perpetual advowson of st. mary-le-bone. bilhagh later became the property of the late earl manvers, its price being the manors of holbeck and bonbusk, near welbeck. after the resignation of the crown lands the waning historical interest of sherwood ceased. birkland and bilhagh are still beautiful as in their prime, but the rest of the neighbourhood is nowadays naught but a wonderful pleasaunce, where drowsy pheasants wander unafraid, and where the chief signs of life are on holidays, when happy folk crowd from the neighbouring towns to view, awestricken, the wonders and the riches of the great houses, and the artificial beauties of perhaps the finest parks in england. one or two literary men of some distinction have rhapsodized over the charms of sherwood, notably william howitt and washington irving. lord byron, whose house of newstead lies not far away, displayed but little interest in the district. the only modern writer to whom the secret of the real sherwood has been fully divulged is mr. james prior, whose books, inspired by the spirit of the woodlands, should delight all who love fresh and wholesome pictures of unspoiled country life. sherwood, as everybody knows, was robin hood's kingdom. learned men have racked their brains concerning the great outlaw's existence. joseph hunter, the historian of hallamshire, published in an ingenious tract concerning his period and his real character, which in short gives plausible enough details of his adventures. there is a well known by his name not far from doncaster, another near hathersage, in the peak country; and more than one village prides itself upon the site of his "shooting butts". a cave, by legend ascribed to him, may be found on an "edge" overhanging the derwent valley, whilst within an easy walk of haddon hall one may see two rocks known as his "stride". langland, in the _vision of piers plowman_, makes the first mention of his popularity:-- "i kan not parfitly my paternoster, as the priest sayeth, but i kan rymes of robyn hode and randolf, earl of chester". again, in john fordun's _scottish chronicle_, written about , we find him described not only as a notorious robber, but as a man of great charity. in wynkyn de worde printed a sequence of old ballads treating of his adventures. this book, known as _the lytel geste of robyn hood_, became very popular, and brought into vogue the rustic pageants known as the robin hood games, in which the adventures of the outlaw and his companions, maid marion, little john, will scarlet, and friar tuck, were depicted for the admiration of the multitude. in the public library of the university of cambridge is preserved the manuscript of the finest and most ancient ballad. this, which is known as "a tale of robin hood", may be cited in its quaint and dramatic picturesqueness as the most perfect and complete example of song literature extant. it begins with robin's desire to attend church at nottingham, since "it is a fortnight and more sin' i my saviour saw". little john accompanies him, but on the way they quarrel about a wager, and robin strikes him, upon which the faithful servant departs in high dudgeon. at nottingham a hooded monk recognizes our hero and gives the alarm. he is surrounded by the sheriff and his followers, and, although he slays twelve men, is at last captured, and held in durance until little john, who has quite forgiven him, accomplishes his release by a clever stratagem. the chap-book entitled _robin hood's garland_, which was published at york, contains the generally believed account of his death and burial. in it we read how he visited his cousin, the prioress of kirklees nunnery, for the purpose of being bled. she, who must have been soul-sister of jael, the wife of heber the kenite, took advantage of his defencelessness, and, after opening a vein, locked up the room and left him for a day. before dying, he blew his horn, and little john, who was outside, burst open the doors just in time to hear his last words. the _garland_ is full of instances of robin's nobility, and for delightful, invigorating reading may even be commended to the youth of to-day. it is a concise little history, beginning with the first day of his outlawry, and ending with the fatal scene at kirklees. as a vivid series of woodland sketches it is without parallel of its kind, and reading, one may almost journey through the greater sherwood in the company of the goodly archers clothed in lincoln green. [illustration: the major oak, thoresby park] the humour is bucolic and breezy. the song of "robin hood and the bishop", which the black-letter copy describes as "shewing how robin hood went to an old woman's house, and changed cloathes with her to escape from the bishop, and how he robbed the bishop of all his gold and made him sing a mass", contains about the best specimen of this country wit. again, in _robin hood and the tanner of nottingham_ is a most ludicrous account of the manner in which, after being threatened with a "knop upon his bare scop", robin receives as sound a drubbing as ever he himself inflicted. but this punishment, and his philosophical manner of bearing it, only earned him another follower, since the victorious tanner became at once enamoured of the free forest life, and swore there and then to join the band. the elizabethan dramatists made good use of our hero, knowing well that when he was presented on the stage the hearts of the people were moved. in "a pleasant commedie called looke about you", he appears as a fresh-faced and pretty young nobleman, ever ready to do a good turn to his friends, to whom everybody defers, and who passes through the play laughing and merry as his namesake, the goodfellow of ben jonson. so rosy are his cheeks and so bright his eyes that he personates the heroine, lady fauconbridge, at some unwelcome visits that she dreads. _the downfall of robert, earl of huntingdon_, by anthony munday, who wrote at the end of the sixteenth century, gives the next dramatic information. this shows him living in full state, but still young, and on the eve of marriage with matilda fitzwater, lord lacy's child. his steward, warman, instigated by the prior of york, betrays him in judas-like fashion (for what real reason we are not told, if it be not for the wasting of his lands), and as an outlaw he flies to the greenwood, where he is joined by matilda, who renounces her fine name and calls herself maid marion. prince john has fallen in love with her, and she is in mortal fear of his pursuit. in this play little john and friar tuck converse prettily in an aside:-- _little john._ methinks i see no jest of robin hood, no merry morrices of friar tuck, no pleasant skippings up and down the wood, no hunting songs, no coursings of the buck. _friar tuck._ for merry jests they have been shown before, as how the friar fell into the well for love of jenny, that fair bonny belle; how greenleaf robbed the shrieve of nottingham, and other mirthful matters full of game. these passages obviously refer to the antecedent plays. after this comes _the death of robert, earl of huntingdon_, collaborated by the same author with henry chettle, another successful playwright. this, differing from the ballad account, shows how he was poisoned by his uncle, the wicked prior. his obsequies are solemnized with a plaintive little dirge:-- "weep, weep, ye woodmen, wail, your hands with sorrow wring, your master robin hood lies dead, therefore sigh as you sing. "here lie his primer and his beads, his bent bow and his arrows keen, his good sword and his holy cross: now cast on flowers fresh and green; "and as they fall, shed tears and say, wella, wella-day! wella, wella-day: thus cast ye flowers and sing, and on to wakefield take your way." after his demise poor marion is so tormented by her royal persecutor that she seeks refuge in dunmow abbey, where she is poisoned by the king's order. in each play the outlaw is extolled so highly, and made so admirable in every way, that in spite of the quaintness one is moved to honest admiration. his dying scene is most pathetic, and there is no doubt that the simple country audience would weep as though for a dearly loved friend. the airs pertaining to the robin hood literature are merry in the extreme--delicious, sparkling waves of melody, to which thousands of country dances have been performed. they sprang from the heart, and even to-day, if offered to the public, might win popular success. all are "lusty fellows with good backbones", such as shakespeare in his salad days must have listened to and admired. gay, in his pastoral _the flights_, gives a charming picture of bowzybeus delighting the reapers with one of these ballads, ere falling asleep midst happy laughter. in folklore are still preserved a few relics. "to go round by robin hood's barn" is to travel in a roundabout fashion, and "to sell robin hood's pennyworths", to sell much below value, as a generous robber might. his "feather" is the traveller's joy, his "hatband" the club-moss. his "men" or his "sheep" are the bracken, and his "wind" a wind that brings on a thaw. we are told that robin could stand anything but a "tho wind". the red campion, the ragged robin, and the herb robert are known in several counties by his name. his greatest claim to popularity was that he took away the goods of none save rich men, never killed any person except in self-defence, charitably fed the poor, and was in short, as an old writer tells us, "the most humane and the prince of robbers". welbeck abbey the present house of welbeck was built upon the site of an abbey for premonstratensian canons, which was begun in . nothing, however, remains of the old place save some stonework in the cellars and a few inner walls. a portion of the house dates from ; in an engraving from the great duke of newcastle's book on horsemanship we find that it originally bore some resemblance to a french château. charles the first and henrietta maria were entertained here--the house being placed at their disposal whilst their host occupied bolsover castle, some miles distant. ben jonson devised a masque entitled "love's welcome" for the royal amusement, and there was such feasting and show that it cost between fourteen and fifteen thousand pounds. the abbey is richly furnished, and contains one of the finest collections of pictures and miniatures in europe, and a wealth of ancient manuscripts. the miniatures were gathered together in the early part of the eighteenth century by robert harley, earl of oxford. of these treasures mrs. delany writes in : "i have undertaken to set the miniatures of the duchess of portland [lord oxford's daughter and heiress] in order, as she does not like to trust them to anybody else, and for want of proper airing they are in danger of being spoiled. such petitots! such olivers! such coopers!" about that time the good lady describes an evening walk in park and gardens: "by the time we came in, the moon was risen to a great height, and we sat down in the great dining-room to contemplate its glory, and to talk of our friends, who in all likelihood were at that moment admiring its splendour as well as we". later she confesses that welbeck has a _glare of grandeur_, and that although she admires her duchess when receiving princely honours and acquitting herself with dignity, she loves her best in her own private dressing-room! the miniatures were wellnigh lost in the middle of the nineteenth century. the late duke had lent the collection to the manchester art treasures exhibition of , and a certain well-known literary man, who was in the owner's confidence, arranged for all to be sent to london, so that, like mrs. delany, he might arrange them in suitable order. there he pawned the whole lot for trifling sums, with seven different pawnbrokers; but, thanks chiefly to a well-known inhabitant of worksop, all, with the exception of five, were recovered. [illustration: the beech avenue, thoresby] here are two famous riding houses, one the pride of the author of the great work on horsemanship in stuart times. this is used nowadays as a picture gallery, the late duke of portland having built another of dimensions almost double. to my thinking, one of the chief beauties of welbeck is the gilded gateway opening to the avenue on the road from worksop to ollerton--surely one of the most graceful and yet imposing structures of its kind in the country. another and more singular attraction consists of the subterranean roadways--gigantic mole runs the cause of whose creation is, and probably always will be, a mystery to the world in general. the pleasure gardens are stocked with rare trees, and the vast lake has so natural an appearance that one forgets that it was made by human folk. the kitchen garden is notably fine: we are told that it covers thirty acres, and that the houses for peaches and other luscious fruits extend over a quarter of a mile. there is a story of a monstrous bunch of syrian grapes having, some generations ago, been grown there, and sent by the duke of that time across country to wentworth house. it weighed nineteen and a half pounds, and was carried--as was the trophy taken by the spies from canaan--attached to a pole. finest of the welbeck trees is the "greendale oak", which in was transformed, by cutting, into an archway, the aperture being feet inches high and feet inches wide, so that a carriage, or three horsemen riding abreast, could pass through. from the branches cut off at that time a cabinet was made for the countess of oxford--a fine piece of furniture, inlaid with a representation of her spouse driving his chariot and six through the opening. horace walpole, in , writes in his usual acid style: "i went to welbeck. it is impossible to describe the bales of cavendishes, harleys, holleses, veres, and ogles: every chamber is tapestried with them; nay, and with two thousand other morsels; all their histories inscribed; all their arms, crests, services, sculptured on chimneys of various english marbles in ancient forms (and to say truth) most of them ugly. then such a gothic hall, with pendent fretwork in imitation of the old, and with a chimney-piece like mine in the library. such water-colour pictures! such historic fragments! there is prior's portrait and the column and verelst's flower on which he wrote; and the authoress duchess of newcastle in a theatric habit, which she generally wore, and, consequently, looking as mad as the present duchess; and dukes of the same name, looking as foolish as the present duke; and lady mary wortley, drawn as an authoress, with rather better pretensions; and cabinets and glasses wainscoted with the greendale oak, which was so large that an old steward wisely cut a way through it to make a triumphal passage for his lord and lady on their wedding! what treasures to revel over! the horseman duke's manège is converted into a lofty stable, and there is still a grove or two of magnificent oaks that have escaped all these great families, though the last lord oxford cut down above an hundred thousand pounds' worth. the place is little pretty, distinct from all these reverend circumstances." twenty-one years later he writes: "welbeck is a devastation. the house is a delight of my eyes, for it is a hospital of old portraits." one is inclined to believe that something in the order of his reception had stung him into lasting pique. the great ancestress of the owner of welbeck, and of the other nobility in the dukeries, was bess of hardwick, who built a magnificent country house on the "edge" overlooking the vale of scarsdale, some miles distant from the border of sherwood forest. this singular woman, as striking a personality as her contemporary and sometime friend queen elizabeth, occasionally passed in state along the "ridings". her life-story is a marvellous instance of genius devoted to the attainment of a high position. the daughter of a well-to-do squire, she was married at fifteen to a wealthy young gentleman whose estate lay ten miles away, and who, dying very soon, left her mistress of the greater part of his fortune. her first house at barlow, near chesterfield, has entirely disappeared, save for a piece of old wall. she remained a widow for many years, then married sir william cavendish, by whom she had six children. after his death she chose sir william st. loe, inherited his extensive estates, then, well past her prime, accepted the offer of the widowed george, earl of shrewsbury; but before the marriage insisted that two of her young cavendishes should be married to two of his young talbots. for a few years her fourth venture proved satisfactory enough; but the custody of mary queen of scots apparently became too much of a nerve-strain for both man and wife; and their wrangles finally became common property in high circles. she embroiled herself with queen elizabeth; she persecuted her husband for his so-called meanness--although she was exceedingly rich in her own right; and, worst of all, she sowed dissension between him and his own offspring. the poor earl's condition was melancholy enough; one has no doubt that he was thankful to the heart when they separated for the last time. in the portrait at hardwick hall she is represented as a comely, roguish-looking matron in full maturity: a better idea of her character may be won from the effigy lying on the tomb she erected for herself in all saints' church at derby. there one sees a face not unbeautiful, but cold and masterful in the extreme. it was her grandson, william, first duke of newcastle, who first gave lustre to welbeck, and perhaps, after all, he owed most of his celebrity to an intellectual wife, known in restoration days as "mad madge of newcastle". few pictures of domestic life in the seventeenth century are more pleasing than that given by this lady in the short account of her girlhood, which opens her fantastical autobiography. born the youngest of sir thomas lucas's eight children, in a large country house near colchester, she was trained under a system of education originated by her mother. the daughters, of whom there were five, were not kept strictly to their schoolbooks, but rather taught "for formality than benefit". singing, dancing, music, reading, writing, and embroidery were their accomplishments; but mistress lucas, who was left a widow soon after the birth of margaret, cared not so much for dancing and fiddling and conversing in foreign languages as that they should be bred modestly and on honest principles. in london, where they migrated for the season, they would visit spring gardens, hyde park, and similar places, and sometimes attended concerts, or supped in barges on the river. as she grew to womanhood margaret became filled with the desire to play maid of honour to queen henrietta maria, chiefly because she had heard that the queen in her poverty had not the same number of ladies as in her prosperity. after much persuasion her mother allowed her to leave home, and she joined the court at oxford, and soon afterwards met william cavendish, who was her senior by nearly thirty years. they married, and the battle of marston moor forced them into exile. obliged to return to england, so that she might raise funds, she wrote one or two volumes of _poems_ and _philosophical fancies_, successors to another grotesque work entitled _the world's olio_. these were the first three of ten immense folios, treating of every imaginable subject, and most slipshod in grammar and style, that she gave to the world, tenderly regarding them, in the absence of any other offspring, as her children. [illustration: welbeck abbey] the lives of the duke and of herself are, however, the only productions remembered nowadays. of the first, charles lamb says: "there is no casket rich enough, no casing sufficiently durable, to honour and keep safe such a jewel"; but pepys, who lived at the same time as the noble authoress, described it as "the ridiculous history of the duke, which shows her to be a mad, conceited, rediculous woman, and he an asse to suffer her to write what she does to and of him". her own memoir is charmingly and unaffectedly egotistical. she tells us: "i fear my ambition inclines to vainglory, for i am very ambitious, yet 'tis neither for beauty, wit, title, wealth, or power, but as they are steps to raise me to fancies tower, which is to live by remembrance in all ages.... my disposition is more inclined to melancholy than merry, but not crabbed or peevish melancholy, but soft, melting, and contemplating melancholy, and i am apt rather to weep than to laugh." always fearing that she might be mistaken by posterity for her husband's first wife, she gives an elaborate explanation at the end of the book, so that all in after years might accredit her with intellectual magnificence. although she met with much ridicule at the court of charles the second, being satirized particularly by the libertine poets etherege and sedley, the fulsome praise of men of considerable intellect was lavished upon her, and even the sedate and usually truthful evelyn, after a lengthy enumeration of the great women of history, flattered her with the assurance that all of those summed up together only divided between them what she retained in one! a curious story is told of her appearance with a train-bearer in the chamber of catherine of portugal. as this was a breach of court etiquette, she was forbidden to repeat it, and resented the reproof by wearing at her next appearance a train of satin and silver thirty yards long, with the end supported by four waiting-ladies in the ante-room. she wrote several plays, concerning one of which, _the humorous lovers_, pepys tells us that although he would rather not have seen it, since it was so sickeningly silly, yet he was glad, because he could understand her better afterwards. at the end of the first performance, as a queen of breeding, she stood up in her box and made her respects to the actors. in those days of better fortunes the quaintly assorted couple spent much time in the country houses of welbeck and bolsover. the duke's income was very large, being equal to at least £ , of our money, and, since both had rural tastes, it is probable that they were far happier in nottinghamshire than in their fine town mansion in clerkenwell close. welbeck she admired most, since it was seated "in the bottom of a park environed with woods, and noble, yet melancholy". one wonders if the ghost of this "wise, wittie and learned lady" wanders in those beautiful and amazing precincts, a little bewildered and more than a little angry that any of her beloved spouse's descendants should have dared to enlarge and embellish the comfortable temple of their conjugal felicity. if she could have had her will, his works in architecture, like hers in the realms of smoky fancy, would have lasted until the end of time. clumber the most impressive approach to clumber is by way of normanton inn, a red-brick hostelry draped luxuriantly with virginia creeper. at some slight distance is a magnificent glade of varied greens, with great patches of blood-coloured bent-grass. in the neighbourhood grow many fine spanish chestnuts; when i was last there the ground was littered with the fallen flowers. a vast, festooned cloud, grey as the smoke of some monstrous fire, drifted from the east; then lightning sported wickedly amongst the trees, and the rain fell in torrents. beside the balustraded bridge the water seemed covered with an army of white puppets. but it was at the entrance to the lime tree avenue that i looked upon the greatest wonder of the day. behind the shifting veil the view of that curving road seemed as fantastically unreal as the background of some ancient italian masterpiece. this avenue, three miles in length, has on either side two rows of limes, and on a hot july midday the fragrance is overpoweringly sweet. from this the house is not visible--to reach it one must pass down a private drive to the left. whilst the present house was being built, sir harbottle grimston writes on a tour enjoyed in : "from worksop manor to clumber, lord lincoln's, over the heath. the house is situated rather low in a very extensive park, near a noble piece of water, over which is a very handsome bridge on 'cycloidal' arches. the house is not yet finished, but by its present appearance seems as if it would be magnificent. there are nineteen windows in front, the middle one a bow, with two wings projecting forwards." about this time walpole speaks of clumber being "still in leading-strings". the building was finished about , and is of white freestone, pleasantly age-coloured, with a south front that opens to a formal and beautiful italian garden with terraced walks and graceful marble fountains. beyond, reached by stone staircases, spreads the great lake, which covers eighty-seven acres. on this may be seen a gay full-masted frigate, the aspect of which in this tranquil and richly wooded country strikes a somewhat bizarre note. the park contains four thousand acres, and in the neighbourhood of the house may be seen many handsome cedars and yews. the finest view is obtainable from the opposite bank of the lake, or from near the head, where stands the home farmstead of hardwick. [illustration: clumber] the house, though not one of the most impressive in its exterior aspect, contains treasures of priceless worth. the pillared entrance hall has several fine statues, notably one of napoleon and another of the author of _the seasons_. all the state chambers are extremely handsome, and in the large drawing-room may be seen five ebony cabinets and four pedestals surmounted with crystal chandeliers, which were brought from the doge's palace. perhaps the most notable is the dining-room, feet long, feet wide, and feet high. we are told that it can easily accommodate one hundred and fifty guests at dinner. the library, a fine room panelled with mahogany, contains many treasures, notably three caxtons--_the history of reynard the fox_, ; _the chronicles of england_, ; and _the golden legend_, : the first and second folios of shakespeare: and many examples--one printed on vellum--of froissart's _chronicles_. there is also a fifteenth-century manuscript of gower's _confessio amantis_. in the smoking-room is to be seen a remarkable chimney-piece of carved marble, which once stood in fonthill abbey, the house of the author of _vathek_. to the antiquarian, perhaps the most interesting objects are four funeral cysts, dating from two thousand years ago. there is a fine collection of pictures, chiefly of old masters of distinction, amongst which may be found portraits by holbein, vandyke, lely, and hogarth, of folk intimately associated with the history of our country. near by stands the church of the holy virgin, built by the present duke of newcastle. its walls and spire are of rich red and yellowish sandstone, in the fourteenth-century style. this is probably one of the most ornately beautiful churches in the kingdom, and the view from the open doorway is surpassingly rich in colour. the interior contains much fine carving--the altar-piece is of alabaster, with the virgin and child for central figures. the windows are delicately tinted: in spite of the excess of splendour naught can offend the artistic taste. the clinton family, of which the duke of newcastle is head, is one of the oldest and most celebrated in our annals. geoffrey de clinton, a distinguished forbear, chamberlain and treasurer to henry the first, was the builder of warwick castle, and after his day his collateral descendants devoted their lives to serving the crown faithfully. edward the first called one his "beloved squire"; others fought with glory in the french battles. a clinton was in the deputation that received anne of cleves when she journeyed to meet her spouse. another assisted in the suppression of sir thomas wyatt's rebellion, and was afterwards one of queen elizabeth's privy council, being employed in various matters of high import, notably in the projected marriage of his royal mistress and the duke of anjou. he died in the fullness of honour, and was buried in st. george's chapel, windsor. his son was one of the peers at the trial of mary queen of scots. in the time of george the first another of the family filled the highest office of state, and died lord privy seal; whilst the present duke's grandfather, as illustrious as any of his predecessors, was a celebrated politician of early victorian days, and was, moreover, honoured with the friendship and admiration of the young gladstone. thoresby the village of budby, beyond the confines of thoresby park, is one of the most placid and sleepy places i know. the stuccoed houses are perhaps devoid of picturesqueness, but the shallow meden, which runs quietly beside the roadway, is crystal-clear, and from the wilderness on the farther bank one often sees pert black water hens slip gently from the shelter of the long grass, and glide to and fro like tiny boats. beyond the bridge swans swim very proudly, with the austere dignity that has naught in common with the familiar bearing of petted birds in town parks. the meden is a beautiful and melancholy stream, at whose side an exile from the hill country might sit down and weep. the rough woodland from which we are barred has a refreshingly cool aspect: in summer the wilder foliage contrasts strikingly with the rich purple of rhododendrons. the present house of thoresby, which stands about a quarter of a mile from the site of its cold and damp predecessor, was built between and . it is in the modern elizabethan style, its walls of stone quarried at steetley, some miles away, and is surrounded by a rich and beautiful park where may be seen many magnificent beeches and firs and oaks. the mansion is rich in art treasures, and may be counted amongst the most luxuriously furnished in the country; and the pleasure gardens are stately and beautiful. fine herds of deer wander among the bracken and heath, and the trees are haunted with happy squirrels. the park is thirteen miles in circumference, and near the house the little river meden spreads out into a singularly picturesque lake, diversified with toy islands. the thoresby of to-day possesses an atmosphere of tranquil splendour: in its neighbourhood one has some difficulty in evoking lively pictures of the celebrated folk who inhabited its predecessors. the great woman of thoresby was lady mary wortley montague, who spent there the greater part of her youth. the house in her time was a plain and uninteresting building of red brick. this was destroyed by fire in . from the record by sir harbottle grimston of his tour in the autumn of , we find that--more than twenty years afterwards--the new hall was not completed. sir harbottle writes: "this parke excels the others much in beauty, having a very good turf, which in this country is very much wanting. the house, which is not nearly finished, is rather adapted for convenience than magnificence. it is fronted by a rising lawn, on the top of which is a very fine wood. on one side a noble piece of water, which supplies a cascade behind the house: the other side of this house is beautified by plantations." horace walpole found this hall dull, since he declared that "merry sherwood is a _triste_ region, and wants a race of outlaws to enliven it, and as duchess robin hood has left her country, it has little chance of recovering its ancient glory". this was obviously written after the famous duchess of kingston had departed on her continental tour. before me lie a pair of tiny shoes of sea-green silk, shot with an undertone of flesh colour. for at least a century these were in the possession of a yeoman family in the neighbourhood of wortley village. the toes are pointed, the heels high, and on the lappets are frayed marks where the pins of the jewelled buckles pierced the fabric. the insteps do not belie the tradition that a kitten could lie beneath the arch of the wearer's naked foot, for they are so high that it seems as if the blue blood of the pierreponts were accompanied with physical deformity. these are relics of lady mary, and were probably left at her husband's heritage of wharncliffe, in yorkshire, when the first happiness of her married life had come to an end, and before she became engaged in those famous travels which, by their result--the introduction of inoculation for the smallpox--raised her even to a greater eminence than that given by her intellectual ability. she was born of a family that had already produced two men of splendid genius, whose names are written in golden letters in the annals of literature: beaumont, the dramatist, who wrote, in collaboration with his friend fletcher, some plays that are considered by our best critics as inferior only to shakespeare's, was related by his mother to the pierreponts of the elizabethan age; and henry fielding, the novelist, was lady mary's second cousin. she is said to have written in her copy of _tom jones_ as fine a tribute to an author's power as could be desired--simply the words _ne plus ultra_. villiers, the notorious duke of buckingham, whose end served pope for some of his best satirical verse, was also of the same stock. [illustration: thoresby] it was at thoresby that lady mary's strange love affair with the handsome mr. edward wortley, of wharncliffe chase--the abode of the dragon of wantley--began, and after many difficulties ended in one of the most mysterious marriages that ever puzzled literary students. when a girl of fourteen she met the gentleman at a party, and was delighted with the attraction which he found in her conversation. she became a particular friend of his sister, with whom she commenced a sentimental correspondence--most of the letters, it may be said, being written by wortley himself. he became, through the vehicle of the complacent miss anne, her guide and philosopher, and soon we find him answering certain precocious queries about latin. then jealousy appeared--somebody had escorted lady mary to nottingham races! the flattered young beauty begs to know the name of the man she loves, "that i may (according to the laudable custom of lovers) sigh to the woods and groves hereabouts, and teach it to the echoes". thereupon wortley's inclinations were made known, and she replied: "to be capable of preferring the despicable wretch you mention to mr. wortley, is as ridiculous, if not as criminal, as forsaking the deity to worship a calf; ... my tenderness is always built upon my esteem and when the foundation perishes, it falls". wortley, not only in the courtship, but throughout their long wedded life, appears to have been singularly calm and unimpassioned. he was an admirable scholar, and counted among his intimate friends addison and steele. the second volume of the _tatler_ was dedicated to him in an epistle probably composed by the latter writer. the easy-going sister anne died, without lady mary displaying an excess of grief, and thenceforth the lovers corresponded directly. she alarmed wortley with her society successes, and he charged her with a growing levity and love of pleasure. thereupon she became wise and steady, and his fears increased, since the sense she displayed was more suited to a grave matron than to a fashionable belle. time went on: wortley made his desires known to the maiden's father, but a disagreement arose concerning the marriage settlement, and the marquis of dorchester--he was not created duke of kingston until --set about looking for another son-in-law. a gentleman was found whom lady mary professed to hate, and in august, , wortley carried her off in a coach and they were made man and wife. as the father was implacable, she entered wedlock without any portion. probably the marquis was not sorry to be rid of his worthy daughter, since one cannot doubt that his opposition to her happiness must have whetted the tongue that stung so keenly in later years. of lady mary's life at thoresby we find interesting pictures in her descendant, lady louisa stuart's, "introductory anecdotes to her letters". "lord dorchester, having no wife to do the honours of his table at thoresby, imposed that task upon his eldest daughter, as soon as she had bodily strength for the office; which in those days required no small share. for the mistress was not only to invite--that is, urge and tease--her company to eat more than human throats could conveniently swallow, but to carve every dish, when chosen, with her own hands.... there were then professed carving-masters, who taught young ladies the art scientifically: from one of these lady mary said she took lessons thrice a week, that she might be perfect on her father's public days, when in order to perform her functions without interruption she was forced to eat her own dinner an hour or two beforehand." in his lordship's resentment against her stolen marriage, he refused to allow her to have much intercourse with the rest of her family. lady louisa stuart tells us that her mother, lady bute, "remembered having only seen him once, but that in a manner likely to leave some impression on the mind of a child. lady mary (lady bute's mother) was dressing, and she playing about the room, when there entered an elderly stranger (of dignified appearance and still handsome) with the authoritative air of a person entitled to admission at all times; upon which, to her great surprise, lady mary, instantly starting up from the toilet-table, dishevelled as she was, fell on her knees to ask his blessing. a proof that even in the great and gay world this primitive custom was still universal." the most agreeable memory lady mary preserved of this formal and cold-blooded sire was that when a member of the kit-cat club he nominated her, then seven years old, as one of the toasts of the year. the child was sent for, and, adorned with her very finest attire, presented to the members. her health was drunk, and her name engraved, according to custom, on a drinking glass. probably this hour of triumph was the happiest in all her life, and, moreover, may have stimulated her with the desire to shine always among the foremost. her after life was strangely assorted--she saw much of the world, and she was accounted the brightest female wit of her time. she christened pope the "wicked wasp of twickenham", and did not escape scatheless either from his attacks or from those of horace walpole. she loved great prospects--loved rocks and heights. it is possible that her recollections of the sherwood country were not agreeable, since she showed herself averse from any allusion in her marvellous letters; but in spite of the artificiality of her period one may be certain that her adventurous spirit prompted her to leave unexplored no portion of the ancient forest. the ruggedness of wharncliffe chase was more to her fancy: in her old age, writing from avignon, she declared this the finest prospect she had ever seen. her nephew evelyn, second duke of kingston, chose for wife the notorious lady whom walpole nicknamed "duchess robin hood", and from whose romantic adventures resulted one of the most celebrated trials of the eighteenth century. after his death, in , the title became extinct. he left his widow handsomely provided for, and she in her turn returned a magnificent collection of family treasures to his nephew, charles meadows, who in was created first earl manvers. an extract from her will is interesting reading:-- "and i also give and bequeath unto said charles meadows all the communion plate which belonged to the chapel of thoresby, and which was taken away with the other vessels and sent by mistake to st. petersburgh in russia, and my gold desert plate with the case of knives forks and spoons of gold and four golden salt cellars all engraved with the arms of kingston and also one large salt cellar called queen elizabeth's salt cellar together with all my other gold and gilt plate whatsoever, either for use or ornament." then, after a long list of other riches, one reads:-- "and i also give him my nine doz. of moco handle knives and forks mounted in gold which i bought at rome, and likewise the whole length portraits of the late duke of kingston and of the present duchess of kingston, to be put up at thoresby which as well as all the plates shall be reputed as an heirloom to the said house; and i also give him the several pieces of cannon and the ships and vessel on thoresby lake". in the eighteenth century several quaint ships embellished the lake. the last, we learn, was broken up more than half a century ago; and, as they must have seemed singularly out of place, one is not disposed to regret their disappearance. ollerton there is one splendid approach to thoresby, now, unfortunately enough, barred from the public. to reach this from ollerton one crosses the bridge, turns to the right for a few yards, then on the left sees beyond a stout palisading the celebrated beech avenue. the first time i visited this place was on a stormy evening in august, about sunset-time. the western sky was overcast with grey low-hanging clouds; at intervals rain fell in brief showers. once breathing the atmosphere of this strange seclusion one forgot the quaintness of ollerton and the pleasing wildness of the forest: here the formality brought a suggestion of some old french colour print--the avenue might have been the state road to some royal château. [illustration: ollerton] four rows of gigantic beeches stretched for almost half a mile from the roadway; between the second and third might still be seen the old pebble and gravel drive. the monstrous boles, strangely curved and divided, were coloured like green-rusted bronze; overhead the branches mingled like the upper tracery of some ancient cathedral window. there were no grass or flowers underfoot: the ground was covered thick with last year's mast and withered leaves--"yellow and black and pale and hectic red"; sometimes i saw a strange black and grey fungus, large as a fine lady's fan. the colouring was magnificent, and yet, looking from the palings at the farther end (beyond which one sees a green and cheerful vignette) one realized that something was lacking. the handsome coach-and-six with white horses and postilions in scarlet coats and white breeches--an equipage such as is depicted in the engraving of old worksop manor--should always be present in this suggestive place; and even a wheeled and curtained sedan of the kind fashionable at marie antoinette's court would not appear incongruous, drawn by one officious purple-liveried lackey and pushed by another along the side paths. the beech avenue is the only spot in the dukeries that permits one to recreate mentally the life of the eighteenth century. it should not terminate in a roadway of comparatively slight interest, but should instead reach a water-theatre with a hornbeam hedge, with rockwork basins, and with tall silver fountains. there is something nobly pathetic in this deserted avenue--even the trees themselves have a mournful look, as though they repined because of the loneliness of to-day. no living thing moves here--it might be a sacred grove, never to be frequented by creatures of the woodland. the village, or--not to wound local susceptibilities--the town of ollerton is quaint and richly coloured; even in the depth of winter it has a warm and inviting aspect. being situated on a loop of the great north road, it possesses two fine old inns, the more conspicuous being the "hop pole", a handsome formal place that might have been depicted in an ancient sampler. this faces the open forest, separated only from it by a small green, the placidly flowing maun, and a few fields. near at hand is the brown, square-towered church, contrasting strangely with the houses of ripe-hued brick and tile. the churchyard has an air of sleepy comfort, but the interior of the building contains little of any interest to the antiquarian. all the armorial glass has disappeared; naught is left to carry one's mind back to ancient days. to my thinking the finest feature of ollerton is the old hall, within a stone's throw of the "hop pole". this was probably erected upon the site of a former house in the beginning of the eighteenth century. the walls are admirably mellowed, and many of the windows have been blocked up--probably in the days of the window tax. the principal front has been disfigured with various domestic offshoots; none the less the house still presents an aspect of austere dignity, and one regrets that to-day it should not still be used as a residence of note instead of an estate office. inside, one of the principal features is a singularly handsome staircase. the garden is formal and pretty--a pleasant nook for an idle afternoon. the markhams, original owners of this property, were people of considerable note in our history, many of them holding high offices. one was dubbed by the virgin queen "markham the lion", another championed the cause of arabella stuart, and was condemned to death, but reprieved at the last moment after a ghastly little performance beside the execution block. a daughter of this house married sir john harrington, and enjoyed through her lifetime the friendship of elizabeth. within easy walking distance, not far from the tantalizing glimpse of the rufford avenue, a road turns eastward, passes a small wayside inn dignified with the name of robin hood, and soon reaches what was known as the king's house at clipstone--to-day a lamentable ruin with no trace of its former magnificence. here the plantagenet kings held their courts and rested after their days of hunting, and the rising ground about the house, nowadays devoted to the growing of oats, must once have blazed with all the colours of pageantry. what remains of the palace might be naught but the broken wall of an old kiln, or the fragment of some burned-out factory. the most fatal blow was dealt to this relic by a duke of portland, who, in , had the foundations dug up and used for the drainage of the surrounding country. clipstone park, which mad madge of newcastle described as a chase in which her lord took great delight (it being richly wooded, and watered with a stream full of fish and otters--in short, an ideal place for hunting, hawking, coursing and fishing), is now a placid pastoral district without distinction, such as may be found in any gently undulating country. rufford rufford abbey, which is within easy walking distance of ollerton, surpasses in interest and beauty the other great houses of the neighbourhood. the view from the pelican-crowned gateway, with its avenue of limes (some of which are considered the finest in all england) and beeches and elms, terminating in a glimpse of the façade of reddish stone, reminds one of the palace of the sleeping beauty in the days before briers and brambles barred the way. separated from this avenue by a gravelled space, where in summer great hydrangeas blossom in green tubs, a fine staircase leads to the main entrance. [illustration: rufford abbey] the house, which is not open to the public, and which for several centuries has been a favourite resting-place of kings, possesses a singular atmosphere of beauty and charm. the walls are hung with priceless old tapestry and marvellous portraits by the great english masters. there is much wonderful needlework--an eighteenth-century lady of the savile family was as devoted to her embroidery frame as mary stuart herself. on screens and quaint chairs are seen her masterly copies of hogarth's pictures. no brief description could do justice to the wonders of a house so rich in objects connected with our history. the whole is remarkable and strange: in no place have i felt so deeply the influence left by the famous dead. weird legends are connected with certain rooms: if the history of rufford were written in full it would be remarkable beyond imagination. one of the most fascinating places is the chapel, erected in the time of charles the second, and surely the most comfortable sanctuary in any nobleman's house. at the west end is a gallery, its walls lined with ancient embossed leather, its prayer books dating from the restoration, its faded and antique chairs suggesting all manner of pleasant reveries during service. the state rooms are admirable in so far as restfulness and quiet beauty take the place of excessive pomp. each piece of furniture is storied and of great value. nothing startles the eye; the colouring is always subdued and pleasing; in short, rufford combines in perfection the palace and the home. the outward appearance suggests harmony without extravagance. the pleasure grounds, although not on as large a scale as those of the other houses, are exceedingly beautiful--the japanese garden being a wonderful pleasaunce in miniature, with paved walks and toy lake and waterfall. not far away the river maun, with rich flowers and shrubs on its banks, glides calmly to a tranquil mere, where grey herons perch like birds of stone on the boughs of the island trees. in front of an older entrance to the house stretches a grass-grown avenue, by which is the "wilderness" of elizabethan days. there lie the remains of famous racehorses, reared on the estate. the park itself has not been submitted to the attentions of the landscape gardener: it is natural and unspoiled as in monkish times. of the original cistercian abbey, built in and peopled with monks brought from rievaulx in yorkshire, little remains save a groined and pillared chamber, supposed to have been the refectory, and used nowadays as a servants' hall. there is a singular hooded fireplace with a fine old dog-grate, and against the end wall stands a long oaken table--a relic of ancient feasting. rufford abbey owed its existence to the filial piety of a collateral descendant of william the conqueror. the sixteenth-century translation of the foundation reads thus:-- "gilbert gaunte earle of lincolne to all his men and all the children of our holy mother the church sends greeting willing you to know that i have given and granted in pure alms to the monks of ryvalls for my father's and mother's souls and for ye remission of my sinns the manor of the town of rughfforde and all that i have there in demesne to build an abbey of the order of cistercians in the honour of st. mary the virgin--therefore i will and command that they freely and quietly from all secular service and all customes shall hold the said land with all that to the dominion of the said town doth belong in woods plains meadowes pastures mylnes waters ways and paths." a striking contrast may be found in the domestic state papers of december, :-- "thomas legh to cromwell. on st. nicholas day the quondam abbot of rufforth was installed at ryvax, and the late abbot of ryvax sang _te deum_ at his installation, and exhibited his resignation the same day. the assignation of his pension is left to my lord of rutland, in which i moved him to follow your advice. though pity is always good, it is most necessary in time of need. i would, therefore, that he had an honest living, though he has not deserved it, either to my lord or me." after the dissolution, henry the eighth leased the estate for twenty-one years to sir john markham, and afterwards exchanged it for some irish property belonging to george, earl of shrewsbury. bess of hardwick was here often, and it was at rufford that, in , she arranged the marriage of her daughter, elizabeth cavendish, with darnley's brother, from which union issued the ill-fated arabella stuart. queen elizabeth was greatly offended by what she justly regarded as an encroachment upon royal prerogative, and both mothers-in-law were sent for a time to the tower. the earl of shrewsbury wrote in explanation to lord burghley:-- "the lady lennox being, as i heard, sickly, rested her at rufford five days and kept most her bedchamber, and in that time the young man her son fell into liking with my wife's daughter before intended, and such liking was between them as my wife tells me she makes no doubt of a match, and hath so tied themselves upon their own liking as cannot part. my wife hath sent him to my lady, and the young man is so far in love that belike he is sick without her." then, giving a slight hint of his countess's ambitions, he adds:-- "this taking effect, i shall be well at quiet, for there is few noblemen's sons in england that she hath not prayed me to deal for at one time or other, and now this comes unlooked for without thanks to me." [illustration: the japanese garden, rufford abbey] arabella stuart was born at chatsworth, and thenceforth all lady shrewsbury's pride was fixed upon this granddaughter who might possibly become a queen. at rufford there are two curiously touching portraits of this dreamy child, in whose sad little face one reads the promise of untoward fortunes. in the earl of lennox died, and two years later queen elizabeth took "oure lyttl arbella" under her protection. when she was seven years old, this "very proper child" sent a specimen of her handwriting to her royal kinswoman, desiring the bearer to present her "humble duty to her majesty, with daily prayers for her". the queen of scots in the following year maliciously informs her sister of england that "nothing has alienated the countess of shrewsbury from me but the vain hope, which she has conceived, of setting the crown of england on the head of her little girl, arabella, and this by marrying her to a son of the earl of leicester. these children are also educated in this idea; and their portraits have been sent to each other." bess of hardwick died in , and in her will, which must have been made many years before, left £ to purchase a golden cup for the queen, "as a remembrance from her that has always been a dutiful and faithful heart to her highness". she craves, moreover, that elizabeth may have compassion upon and be gracious to her poor grandchild arabella stuart. after the old lady's death, arabella's connection with rufford soon ceased. mary, bess of hardwick's daughter, who had married earl gilbert, lived at rufford in her widowhood. this lady inherited a considerable share of her mother's ambition and lack of scruple. in a quarrel with sir thomas stanhope, a nottinghamshire knight from whom are descended three earldoms, she dispatched a servant with the following unpleasing message:-- "my lady hath commanded me to say thus much to you. that though you be more wretched, vile, and miserable than any creature living; and, for your wickedness, become more ugly in shape than any living creature in the world; and one to whom none of reputation would vouchsafe to send any message; yet she hath thought good to send thus much to you:--that she be contented you should live, and doth in no ways wish you death; but to this end, that all the plagues and miseries that may befal any man may light upon such a caitiff as you are, and that you should live to have all your friends forsake you; and without your great repentances, which she looketh not for, because your life hath been so bad, you will be damned perpetually in hell-fire." from this beginning ensued one of the most noted and romantic feuds of the seventeenth century. after the death of this outspoken lady--her husband's father had accused the great bess of occasionally using the language of billingsgate--the rufford estate passed to the savile family, her sister-in-law, lady mary talbot, having married a lincolnshire baronet of that name. later, one of the savile ladies, wife of sir william, and daughter of thomas, lord keeper coventry, earned lasting fame by her bravery at the siege of sheffield castle. the saviles were royalists: in the bodleian library may be seen a letter to cromwell from a certain unknown person who had been instructed to take into custody young sir george and such friends as might be found at rufford:-- "sir george savill is not at home. we have detained one mr. coventry, who is the lady savill's brother, until sir george shall appear to yr. highness. he is said to be in london at his house in lincolns in field, at the corner of queene streete, called carlisle house or savill house. we can find nobody in his house, that gives any light, onely we heare that one of his family, mr. davison, who is tutor to sir george, was at the meeting, and stayed in the house till after dinner on fryday (a supposed gathering of royalists) and then went away. we cannot yett get him." this sir george was created earl and finally marquis of halifax by charles the second, and became one of the leading statesmen of the seventeenth century. one of his grandsons was the witty earl of chesterfield; another descendant was henry carey, the writer and composer of "sally in our alley". on the death of the second marquis, without male issue, the title became extinct, and the estate with the savile baronetcy passed to a somewhat distant kinsman, whose collateral descendant is present owner of this fine estate, the traditions of which are almost without parallel in the matter of interest and romantic colouring. edwinstowe and the oaks of the few trees of distinction pertaining to old sherwood, perhaps the most famous, and certainly the least picturesque, is the "parliament oak", which may be seen to the right of the mansfield road as it approaches edwinstowe. to this venerable ruin, which an iron palisading protects from wanton hands, clings the tradition that parliaments of king john and edward the first met under its shade, the last in october, . queen eleanor was ill--she died in the following month at harby near lincoln--and thence was made the most notable funeral progress in english history. the country around is tranquil and pleasing; not far away stands the quaintest of windmills, which must certainly tumble from very weariness before many years have passed. above the tops of the closely-planted trees to the right are to be seen the chimneys of a deserted-looking building, raised in the early nineteenth century by a duke of portland, in imitation of the priory gatehouse at worksop. this stands at the end of a fine undulating glade. on the north side are statues of richard the first, allan-a-dale, and friar tuck; on the south, others of robin hood, maid marion, and little john. [illustration: edwinstowe] to the left, one passes through a wicket, and coasts a great wood for some hundred yards, then turns sharply and soon reaches the "russian cottage", a chalet "put together without nails", near by which is the well-known "shambles oak" or "robin hood's larder", so called because in its hollow interior once were hooks for the storing of stolen venison. unfortunately this fine tree was fired by some holiday-makers years ago, and to-day there is something pathetic in the valiant greenness of its scanty leaves. it is like an old, old man who will be brave to the end. thence, by passing along the glades of birkland and following paths faintly worn--with a chance of straying into strange solitudes--one comes before long to the "major oak"--the most virile of all the ancient trees. in spite of its iron stays--possibly because of them--it is still vigorous and hearty, although its age has been estimated at considerably more than a thousand years. there is something monstrous and uncanny about this veteran; in its vicinity folk of to-day seem strangely out of place. a pleasant old keeper watches it vigilantly, careful that none shall harm his treasure. he has a curious enough favourite: a fine cock pheasant which comes to his call--has done so indeed for the last four years--and daintily accepts plumcake from his hand. once this bird had a mate; now he remains a contented widower. the quaintness of the good-fellowship of man and bird is very pleasant to observe. the circumference of the "major oak" at the height of five feet from the ground is over thirty feet, and the circumference of its branches is about two hundred and seventy yards. it was formerly called the "queen's oak", or the "cockpen", the latter because of a fine breed of gamecocks that roosted there in the days of a major rooke, to whom it owes its present name. the tree is hollow, and, entering by a narrow opening--difficult enough for a stout person to negotiate--seventeen or eighteen may crowd together in the interior. not far away is another magnificent tree, less known but almost equally worthy of admiration. it is called the "simon foster oak", from the fact that a century ago a person of that name kept his pigs in acorn-time nightly under its shelter. thence edwinstowe may easily be reached by a path across the green. historically the village is of some importance, since, according to general belief, edwin, the first christian king of northumbria, was buried there. it is a sleepy, comely place; in winter the warm colouring of old brick and tile is very pleasant to the wayfarer, whilst throughout the other seasons the rich little gardens are all gay with old-fashioned flowers. the church is admirably situated, and has a tall and graceful spire with grotesque ornaments at the base, which from a distance bear a fantastical resemblance to roosting birds. in the folk of edwinstowe humbly petitioned for permission to take two hundred oaks for the repair of the building, and one reads that, seven years before, the steeple had been beaten down by thunder, and the old body shaken, and in a very ruinous condition; also that without the king's charitable help the whole church must absolutely perish. after the resultory survey, the surveyors general of the woods wrote that most of the trees of birkland and bilhagh were decayed, very few of use to the navy being left. finally it was decided that such trees might be taken as were not fit for government purposes. strangely enough, neither in this church nor in its sister of ollerton are any ancient monuments, such as one might expect to find in so interesting a neighbourhood. at the vicarage here lived for some years dr. e. cobham brewer, best known for his _dictionary of phrase and fable_; whilst in a house that stood beside the stream lived william--afterwards sir william--boothby, the uncle of pretty penelope, whose white marble tomb is one of the wonders of ashbourne in peakland. the birches from which birkland takes its name are accounted amongst the finest in the kingdom, and at no time look better than on a sunny winter's morning, when they present a wonderful symphony of brown and silver. after crossing edwinstowe, in a sufficiently dangerous way, the road continues, with bilhagh in sight, to ollerton, where it bridges the placid maun. not far away is a small red quarry, its toy precipice pierced with the retreats of sand-martins. to the left is cockglode, the only large house left in the forest proper--a georgian place with a fine avenue of scots pines. this was the residence of the late earl of liverpool, who, like all his noble neighbours, counted the great bess of hardwick amongst his forbears. printed in great britain _at the villafield press, glasgow, scotland_ +---------------------------------------------------+ | | | transcriber's note: | | | | spelling and punctuation have been retained as in | | the original publication. | +---------------------------------------------------+ note: project gutenberg also has an html version of this file which includes the numerous original illustrations. see -h.htm or -h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/ / -h/ -h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/ / -h.zip) transcriber's note: characters immediately after a caret (^) were superscripts in the original. seaport in virginia [illustration: george washington by dr. elisha cullen dick. a painting in oil after a pastel by james sharples. (_courtesy mount vernon ladies' association_)] seaport in virginia george washington's alexandria by gay montague moore [illustration] drawings by worth bailey photographs by walter wilcox the university press of virginia charlottesville the university press of virginia copyright © by the rector and the visitors of the university of virginia second printing isbn: - - - library of congress catalog card number: - printed in the united states of america to my husband charles beatty moore together we have delved into what records we could find that might throw upon the screen some shadow of those who built and lived in the old houses in alexandria [illustration] preface twenty years ago on a hot and sultry july afternoon, my husband and i started to mount vernon to spend the day. on our return to washington, we lazily drove through the old and historic town of alexandria--and bought a house! the town at once became of vital interest to us. we spent months and years going through every vacant building into which we could force an entrance. our setter dogs could point an empty doorway as well as a covey of quail, and seemed as curious about the interiors as we were ourselves. i became obsessed with a desire to know the age of these buildings and something of those early alexandrians who had lived in them. old maps and records littered my desk. out of the past appeared clerks on high stools wielding quill pens and inscribing beautiful script for me to transpose into the story of one of america's most romantic and historic towns. it has been impossible to write about every house in alexandria--even about every historic house. i tried to recall the old town as a whole. a succession of hatters, joiners, ships' carpenters, silversmiths, peruke makers, brewers, bakers, sea captains, merchants, doctors and gentlemen, schoolteachers, dentists, artisans, artists and actors, began to fill my empty houses. ships, sail lofts, ropewalks, horses, pigs, and fire engines took their proper places, and the town lived again as of yore--in my imagination. everywhere i turned i found general washington: as a little boy on his brother lawrence's barge bringing mount vernon tobacco to the hunting creek warehouse; on horseback riding to the village of belle haven; as an embryo surveyor carrying the chain to plot the streets and lots. he was dancing at the balls, visiting the young ladies, drilling the militia, racing horses, launching vessels, engaging workmen, dining at this house or that, importing asses, horses, and dogs, running for office, sitting as justice; sponsoring the friendship fire company, a free school, the alexandria canal, or other civic enterprises. he was pewholder of christ church and master of the masonic lodge. to town he came to collect his mail, to cast his ballot, to have his silver or his carriage repaired, to sell his tobacco or his wheat, to join the citizenry in celebrating independence. his closest friends and daily companions were alexandrians. the dwellings, wharves, and warehouses of the town were as familiar to him as his mount vernon farm. in alexandria washington took command of his first troops. from the steps of gadsby's tavern he received his last military review, a display of his neighbors' martial spirit in a salute from the town's militia. an alexandrian closed his eyes, and alexandrians carried his pall. washington belongs to alexandria as alexandria belongs to him. this is _george washington's alexandria_. gay montague moore. alexandria, virginia september [illustration] contents preface vii part one: prologue _an account of the first century of the seaport of alexandria_ part two the presence of george washington, - chapter : william ramsay: romulus of alexandria : john carlyle and his house : the married houses : the fairfaxes of belvoir and alexandria : the george william fairfax house : john gadsby and his famous tavern : the michael swope house : dr. william brown and his dwelling : the peruke shop : historic christ church : the presbyterian meetinghouse : presenting the sun fire company : captain john harper and his houses : dr. elisha c. dick and the fawcett house : the benjamin dulany house : dr. james craik and his dwelling : alexandria's old apothecary shop : spring gardens : william fitzhugh and robert e. lee : george washington's tenements : the georgian cottage : the vowell-snowden house : the edmund jennings lee house epilogue: washington in glory--america in tears part three _five sketches of the nineteenth century_ : the yeaton-fairfax house : the lafayette-lawrason-cazenove house : enter the quaker pedagogue: benjamin hallowell : the alexandria lyceum : the sea captain's daughter and her house acknowledgments chapter references bibliography index chapter drawings chapter : ramsay house. after restoration plans by milton l. grigg. chapter : keystone from carlyle house, basement level. chapter : john dalton's frame house. hypothetical restoration with false front removed. chapter : fairfax coat of arms. from belvoir fireback. preserved in the mount vernon collection. chapter : george william fairfax house, south façade. chapter : john gadsby's famous hostelry and tavern sign, "bunch of grapes." chapter : michael swope house, showing flounder type ells. chapter : dr. william brown house, west façade. chapter : peruke shop. hypothetical restoration with false front removed. showing an alexandria alley house adjoining. chapter : christ church through open gates of churchyard. chapter : presbyterian meetinghouse before fire of and subsequent enlargement. _from an old print._ chapter : fire engine of friendship fire company, said to have been presented by george washington. this old rotary type pumper is preserved in the maryland building at druid hill park, baltimore. chapter : ship model, believed to represent the _lexington_ owned and commanded by captain james mackenzie, who presented it to the alexandria library association. chapter : fawcett house, south façade. chapter : benjamin dulany house, south façade. chapter : dr. james craik house, north façade. chapter : old apothecary shop museum and adjoining antique shop. chapter : spring gardens, north façade. chapter : robert e. lee house, south façade. chapter : george washington's tenements, appearance before remodeling. chapter : flounder house of the type said to have been the nucleus of the georgian cottage. example shown (demolished ) stood on the grounds of the alexandria hospital. chapter : vowell-snowden house, east façade. chapter : edmund i. lee house, showing wisteria-covered gallery. epilogue memorial motif, incorporating swords used on washington's casket, owned by alexandria-washington lodge of masons. chapter : yeaton-fairfax house, south façade. chapter : lafayette-lawrason-cazenove house and doorway detail. chapter : alexandria boarding school ( ) of professor hallowell. _from an old print._ chapter : alexandria lyceum, classic portico. chapter : wax flowers under glass dome, made by melissa hussey wood. [illustration] part one: prologue an account of the first century of the seaport of alexandria [illustration: a typical alexandria shipping merchant's home: bernard chequire, called the "count," built his dwelling and storeroom under the same roof] [illustration] site and antecedents in the middle of the seventeenth century when the english king, charles ii, was generously settling virginia land upon loyal subjects, what is now the port of alexandria was part of six thousand acres granted by the royal governor, sir william berkeley, in the name of his majesty, to robert howsing. the grant was made in as a reward for bringing into the colony one hundred and twenty persons "to inhabit." howsing did not want this land but john alexander did. he had surveyed the tract and knew its worth. howsing doubtless thought himself well out of it when alexander paid six hundredweight of tobacco and took it off his hands within a month.[ ] the growth and development of the colony of virginia into a great agricultural population occupied in the cultivation of tobacco was not at all what the london company had in mind. it visualized a colony of towns. but the possibilities offered by the great rivers emptying into chesapeake bay and the development of the tobacco trade were responsible for a civilization unique to englishmen. true that the establishment of towns as trading centers was a recognized need--generally agitated by the burgesses and planters from interested motives--but little came of it. planters whose lands and domiciles lined the virginia waterways found the direct trade with english ships a facile, if expensive, convenience. it was so easy to dispose of a cargo of tobacco and receive at one's door in return delivery of a neat london sofa, greatcoat, or a coach and harness. so instead of towns, great tobacco warehouses were built at convenient centers where tobacco was collected, inspected, and shipped. such a warehouse was established by act of assembly in and [ ] at the mouth of great hunting creek, where it empties into the potomac river, on the land of hugh west, sr. (a member of the alexander clan) and where there was already a ferry to the maryland side of the river. almost immediately a little village grew up--a group of small houses and a school--known then as belle haven. tobacco was currency in the colony, tendered as such, and it constituted the first wealth. salaries and fees were paid in tobacco, fines were levied in tobacco; it was the medium of exchange in england as well as in virginia. when the colonists wrote the word, they used a capital t! his majesty's government of the new world was much occupied with the cultivation, housing, and transportation of this natural weed. the importance attached to tobacco is best illustrated by a most extraordinary law. when englishmen, whose homes are their castles, permitted the right of search of citizens' private dwellings, some idea of the value of this commodity may be realized. the burgesses resolved early "that any justice of peace who shall know or be informed of any package of tobacco of less than----weight made up for shipping off, shall have power to enter any suspected house, and by night or by day and so search for, and finding any such package, to seize and destroy the same; and moreover the person in whose possession the same shall be found, shall be liable to a penalty."[ ] inspectors of tobacco held their appointments under the king; theirs was the responsibility of watching the crop, estimating its yield and weight, maintaining the standard of quality and inspecting the packing. moreover, no tobacco could be "bought or sold, but by inspector's notes, under a penalty both upon the buyer and seller."[ ] in the burgesses, lower house of virginia's parliament, in session at williamsburg, became exercised about the tobacco trade and "resolved, that an humble address of this house be presented to his majesty, and a petition to the parliament of great britain; representing the distressed state and decay of our tobacco trade, occasioned by the restraint on our export; which must, if not speedily remedied, destroy our staple; and there being no other expedient left for preservation of this valuable branch of the british commerce, to beseech his majesty and his parliament, to take the same into consideration; and that his majesty may be graciously pleased to grant unto his subjects of this colony, a free export of their tobacco to foreign markets directly, under such limitations, as to his majesty's wisdom, shall appear necessary."[ ] from a series of petitions from the inhabitants of prince william and fairfax[ ] counties, asking authority from the assembly at williamsburg to erect towns in the county, were presented to the burgesses. several years passed before any notice was taken of these requests. at a general assembly, begun and held at the college in williamsburg on tuesday, november , (sixteen years after the establishment of the warehouse at hunting creek) in the twenty-second year of the reign of george ii, a petition was presented from "the inhabitants of fairfax in behalf of themselves and others praying that a town may be established at hunting creek ware house on potomack river."[ ] on tuesday, april , , a bill for establishing a town at hunting creek warehouse, in fairfax county, was read for the first time. the bill went through the regular proceedings and was referred to messrs. ludwell, woodbridge, hedgeman, lawrence washington, richard osborne, william waller, and thomas harrison. on april , the ingrossed bill was read the third time, and it was "resolved that the bill do pass. ordered, that mr. washington do carry the bill to the council for their concurrence."[ ] on may , the bill came back from the council (the upper house) with additional amendments to which the council desired the house's concurrence. washington was again sent up to the council with the approved amendments, and on thursday, may , , governor gooch commanded the immediate attendance of the house in the council chamber. the speaker, with the house, went up accordingly; and the governor was pleased to give his assent to the bill "for erecting a town at hunting creek ware house, in the county of fairfax."[ ] the act stated that such a town "would be commodious for trade and navigation, and tend greatly to the best advantage of frontier inhabitants."[ ] within four months after passage of the act, sixty acres of land belonging to philip alexander, john alexander, and hugh west, "situate, lying and being on the south side of potomac river, about the mouth of great hunting creek, and in the county of fairfax, shall be surveyed and laid out by the surveyor of the said county ... and vested in the right honorable thomas, lord fairfax, the honorable william fairfax, esq., george fairfax, richard osborne, lawrence washington, william ramsay, john carlyle, john pagan, gerard alexander, and hugh west, of the said county of fairfax, gentlemen, and philip alexander of the county of stafford, gentleman, and their successors in trust for the several purposes hereinafter mentioned."[ ] these same gentlemen were "constituted and appointed directors and trustees, for designing, building ... the town"[ ] and the trustees and directors or any six of them were to have the power to "meet as often as they shall think necessary, and shall lay out the said sixty acres into lots and streets not exceeding half an acre of ground in each lot; and also set apart such portions of the said land for a market place, and public landing as to them shall seem convenient; and when the said town shall be so laid out, the said directors and trustees shall have full power and authority to sell all the said lots, by public sale or auction, from time to time, to the highest bidder so as no person shall have more than two lots."[ ] the money arising from the sale was to be paid to the two alexanders and to hugh west, the proprietors. it was further enacted that purchasers of every lot or lots should "within two years next after the date of the conveyance for the same, erect, build and finish on each lot so conveyed, one house of brick, stone or wood, well framed of the dimensions of twenty feet square, and nine feet pitch, at the least or proportionably thereto if such grantee shall have two lots contiguous, with a brick or stone chimney ... and if the owner of any such lot shall fail to pursue and comply with the directions herein prescribed for the building and finishing one or more house or houses thereon, then such lots upon which such houses shall not be so built and finished shall be revested in the said trustees, and shall and may be sold and conveyed to any other persons whatsoever, in the manner before directed, and shall revest and be sold as often as the owner or owners shall fail to perform, obey and fulfill the directions aforesaid, and the money arising from the sale of such lots as shall be revested and sold applied to such public use for the common benefit of the inhabitants of the said town as to them shall seem most proper; and if the said inhabitants of said town shall fail to obey and pursue the rules and orders of the said directors in repairing and mending the streets, landing, and public wharfs, they shall be liable to the same penalties as are inflicted for not repairing the highways in this colony."[ ] the county surveyor wrote on july , : by virtue of an act of the general assembly ... i, the subscriber did survey and lay off sixty acres of land to be for the said town, and divided the same into lotts, streets, etc., as per the plan thereof john west, jr. dept. s.f.c.[ ] george washington had been living with his half-brother, lawrence, at mount vernon for some time and studying engineering under mrs. lawrence washington's brother, colonel george william fairfax. it is a safe assumption that the three young men sailed up the potomac numerous times to see the layout for the prospective new town; or, that wanting an afternoon's ride, they set their horses towards belle haven. it was not a strange journey. for years the hunting creek warehouse had handled tobacco from mount vernon, belvoir, gunston hall, and the neighboring estates. tradition has it in alexandria that washington aided john west when he was struggling through the underbrush and tree stumps staking out the lots. so familiar did the embryo engineer become with the future town site that he drew a map, and added the names of lot purchasers to the side of his drawing.[ ] news traveled throughout the colony, from the tidewater to the shenandoah, of the town to be built near the hunting creek warehouses. advertisements were inserted in the colony's gazettes. auction of lots was to take place on the site, in the month of july, on the thirteenth day. on the morning of the sale people on horseback began pouring into the village of belle haven from all the nearby plantations and estates. tidewater was represented by ralph wormley of rosegill in middlesex; from westmoreland came augustine washington; from fredericksburg, william fitzhugh; from gunston hall, george mason; from belvoir, the two colonels fairfax; and from mount vernon, young george washington and his half-brother, augustine, up for the proceedings. lawrence washington was not present, possibly away in england at the time. his brother, augustine, however, stood proxy and the letter in which he reported the day's proceedings throws a new light upon the sale. it is believed never to have been published; here is the portion relating to the alexandria auction: mount vernon july th d^r brother i have this day returned from goose creek, and the vessel by whom this comes being under way alows one but a short time to write. as to your family i need only to say that they are well as my sister &c wrote to you by the same ship whilst i was up the country. you have a very fine prospect for a crop of corn & i am in hopes you have made a worse crop of tob^o than you'll make this year if the fall is seasonable, but that depends very much upon the fall. as to belhaven or alexandria i understand my brother george has left much to say upon that head. i purchased you two lots near the water upon the main street, as every one along the rode will be trough that street. i thought they would be as agreeable to you as any, as m^r chapman was determined upon having the lot on the point. i had a plan & a copy of the sale of the lots to send you, but as my broth^r has sent both & i am [torn] very exact, i need not trouble you with any more; you will see by the amount of the sale that your part cleared three hundred & eighty three pistoles [torn] sensible if alexander had stood to the sale of them he would not have made half the sum by th [torn] every one seem'd to encourage the thing, upon y^r and m^r chapman's account, as they were sensible what you did was through a publick spirit & n [torn] of interest; the reason the lots sold so high was river side ones being sett up first which were purchased at a very extravagant price by the prop [illegible] your two, m^r carlyles m^r dortons m^r ramseys [illegible] m^r chapmans sold at different prices, as you may se by the sale, but we agreed before the sale to give any price for them & to strike them upon an average so that by adding them up & dividing them by five you will se what your two lots cost. m^r chapman was obliged to pay phil alexander the money for your & his bond last stafford court (before the sale) or other wise was to have george the second upon his back. m^r chapman took into partnership m^r ramsey carlyle & dorton, ramsey has a fourth, dorton & carlyle the other fourth.... the price is £ _s._ _d._ here assuredly are the circumstances surrounding the plan of the town in the youthful george washington's hand, still preserved among the washington papers in the library of congress, as indeed is the relevant letter. if this was not the actual map sent by george to lawrence, it most certainly was the copy which he retained for his personal files of the eighty-four lots divided by seven streets running east and west; and three north and south, checkerboard fashion, which comprised the contemplated town. the bell was rung. business got under way. john west was crier and announced that the lots put up would be sold within five minutes. the hot crowd pressed in to hear and see all that took place. the disturbed dust blanketed man and beast. bidding was brisk; and twenty-four lots were sold in short order. among the first day's purchasers, besides those mentioned above, were william fitzhugh, the honorable william fairfax, and colonel george fairfax. the trustees met again the next day, july , and wasted no time. at once seventeen lots were sold. the trustees agreed to adjourn "till th of september next,"[ ] at which time the "deeds are to be executed for the above lots and the remaining lots to be sold, and that the clerk prepare blank deeds for the same."[ ] as for the prices paid for the lots--it is surprising to find a foreign coin, the spanish _pistole_, as the basic unit of currency. this was due to a situation where hard money was seriously lacking in colonial virginia. as early as a general act had been passed to attract foreign specie, which was declared _current_ according to weight. thus the legal valuation of the _pistole_ was slightly in excess of s. or approximately $ . .[ ] its purchasing power in the eighteenth century was about five times as great as today. lots purchased at auction on the first day brought from to - / _pistoles_. on the second day, they went for as little as six _pistoles_, the highest bidder for that day being henry salkeld, who purchased lots nos. and for _pistoles_ (present-day normal evaluation about $ . ). [illustration] the town built for many months the trustees were primarily concerned with the disposal of the lots and "advertisements were set up to that purpose,"[ ] in the gazettes. sales were numerous, houses began to go up speedily. by january , eighty lots had been sold with two lots set apart for the town house and market square. in august , colonel carlyle was "appointed to have a good road cleared down to point lumley and to see the streets kept in repair."[ ] on july , , the trustees "ordered on coll. george fairfaxe's motion that all dwelling houses from this day not begun or to be built hereafter shall be built on the front and be in a line with the street as chief of the houses now are, and that no gable or end of such house be on or next to the street, except an angle or where two streets cross, otherwise to be pulled down."[ ] while the trustees were feverishly building the new port, the assembly at williamsburg was discharging the purchasers of marsh lots from the necessity of building on and improving them; approving the proposition "for appointing fairs to be kept in the town of alexandria."[ ] fairs and lotteries were the principal source of municipal income in early years; the journals of the house of burgesses contain frequent requests for such from many of the virginia towns. [illustration: plan of the town of alexandria by george washington. (from the washington papers in the library of congress)] on march , , a committee reporting to the house of burgesses "resolved that it is the opinion of the committee that the proposition from the county of fairfax, in opposition to the proposition from that county, for appointing the court of the said county to be held at the town of belhaven, be rejected."[ ] a somewhat complicated manner of ordering the court to be held at alexandria. [illustration: the good ship metamora of alexandria, john hunter, builder and owner. he was the founder of hunter's shipyard, "the most complete private establishment of the kind in the country."] four days later the burgesses rejected "the proposition from the town of alexandria for altering the name of that town to belhaven."[ ] there had been much talk about this, and for long "the town at hunting creek" was the only designation. the alexander family, which was both numerous and important (the head of the clan bearing the title lord stirling), and the bulk of the land upon which the town was built having been a part of its patent,[ ] it was deemed appropriate to name the new town alexandria. save for an occasional slip in some old letter (washington dated some letters bellehaven) alexandria is the name by which the town was called since this time. by a village had become a town with the market place located exactly in the middle. the first courthouse of frame was built on the east side of lot no. , at the intersection of cameron and fairfax streets. south of the town house on fairfax stood the jail, stocks, and whipping post for the use of those who failed to keep the law. directly behind these buildings the market square, or green, occupied all of lot no. . here the town militia drilled, here were held the carnivals, and public gatherings, and here was the larder of alexandria. to this day the market square caters to the appetites of hungry townsmen. across royal street, facing the square, stood the city tavern or coffee house; southward on the same side of the street was the royal george, after the revolution called george tavern. already substantial wharves and warehouses appeared along the water front, and private houses and stores were beginning to fill the empty lots.[ ] [illustration] headquarters and port of supply as the passage of four years marked physical growth in alexandria, so it made a difference between a lad barely seventeen and an officer in his majesty's militia. early in november , major george washington, aged twenty-one, and an adjutant general of the colony, was sent by the royal governor to the ohio to "visit" the commandant of the french forces and deliver a letter asking him to withdraw from the lands "known to be the property of the crown of great britain." up to town came major washington to busy himself acquiring the "necessaries" for the expedition. once equipped, he set out from alexandria and was gone about two months, returning on january , . january found him in williamsburg making his report to the governor. the report was of such a nature that his excellency alerted the virginia troops; it was deemed of such importance as to be published in both williamsburg and london gazettes. when washington returned he carried a commission from his excellency of a lieutenant colonelcy in the virginia regiment "whereof joshua fry, esquire, was colonel," and joined his command in alexandria. the market square took on a militant atmosphere. "two companies of foot, commanded by captain peter hog and lieutenant jacob van braam, five subalterns, two sergeants, six corporals, one drummer and one hundred and twenty soldiers, one surgeon, one swedish gentleman, who was a volunteer, two wagons, guarded by one lieutenant, sergeant, corporal and twenty-five soldiers," were all under the command of lieutenant colonel washington.[ ] many brave young men newly outfitted in the colorful uniforms of his majesty's militia, short clothes and white wigs, drilling in the market square, swaggering around the town, filling up the new city tavern. dances and dinners for the officers were the order of the day. then came the command for washington to join fry in defending british possessions against the french, who had continued their depredations despite the earlier diplomatic parley, and had not removed from the lands claimed as the property of great britain. came april , and from the market place crowded with citizens, "every thing being ready," the commander, aged twenty-two, gave the order and the company set forth to the strident beats of one drummer.[ ] as the creaking wheels of the two wagons and the tramp of marching feet faded out of hearing, alexandria had sent her sons off to her first war. while lieutenant colonel washington was occupied in so spectacular a fashion, the town trustees were not without their troubles, also. people were delinquent about complying with the assembly laws. in june , the trustees ordered that various lots not built upon be put up at auction and sold to the highest bidder. they were in earnest about this dereliction on the part of purchasers, and seven lots were forfeited at this time. among those paying such a penalty was george washington's half-brother, augustine washington. by december , public buildings were well under way, the courthouse lot was ordered "paled in with posts and rails in a workman-like manner," and john carlyle, john dalton, george johnston and william ramsay were appointed to see what was necessary to be done to the finishing of the courthouse. within the year, his expedition defeated, washington was back at mount vernon, and very irritated by army orders demoting colonials of the same grade and rank below the british regulars. despite a vote of commendation by the burgesses and the sum of £ voted for his services, he threw up his commission. the french continued hostilities, stirring up the indians and causing no end of trouble. his majesty's government became sufficiently exercised to dispatch an officer of the line, major general edward braddock, two warships in which were stowed a fine arsenal of powder, rifles, and cannon, and two regiments of regulars. word reached alexandria in february of braddock's arrival in williamsburg and that he and the governor were in conference. the first result of this conference was a letter to "mr. george washington" written on march , , and dispatched in the person of general braddock's aide-de-camp, lieutenant robert orme, requesting the presence of _mr._ washington as a member of the general's military family. this, thought the governor and the general, would do away with any unpleasantness due to difference in rank. a second decision reached in williamsburg was one that resounded along the atlantic seaboard--to call a conference of the colonial governors to consider ways, and especially means, of waging the coming campaign. alexandria was chosen as a meeting place and the day set was april , . in the meantime, the english warships _sea horse_ and _nightingale_ under command of admiral keppel arrived in alexandria. two of his majesty's regiments disembarked from the sea-grimed ships and the redcoats in formation marched to the "northwest of the town" led by colonel sir peter halket and colonel dunbar. the humbler citizens had never seen such a sight; neither had the redcoats, and up went british noses for all things colonial. the regulars promptly dubbed the militia "bobtails." after the exchange of several letters, colonel washington "volunteered" to go unpaid with general braddock on the campaign, and he came to alexandria to attend the governors' conference and whip his militia into shape. again he occupied the city tavern as headquarters. all at once the town was overrun with governors, his majesty's royal representatives. from williamsburg came dinwiddie; from maryland, governor sharpe; from massachusetts, governor shirley; from new york, governor de lancey; and from pennsylvania, governor morris. neither dress nor ceremony had yet been curtailed by the drabness of democracy. each governor arrived with a retinue of secretaries, attendants, and aides; each by coach, decorated in gilded scrolls and colorful arms, drawn by four to six horses; each governor resplendent in wig and powder, silken hose, coats of brocade, velvet or broadcloth, waistcoats of satin or damask, embroidered and braided, shirts of finest linen, betucked and belaced, and attended by servants in livery as colorful as their masters. the town was packed. taverns were full, and private houses were put at the disposal of these visitors. dinners and balls followed the serious councils of the day, which lasted until eleven or twelve o'clock at night. the market place rang with the continuous drilling of the bobtails. redcoats were everywhere. the ladies of the town vied with one another in presents of potted woodcock and delicious cake to the distinguished guests. it has been one hundred and ninety-four years since the citizens of alexandria were treated to the panoply of five of his majesty's royal governors, two warships, and the presence of major general edward braddock with mr. george washington as part of his military family. these days established the little seaport in history and furnished sights and subjects resulting in tales and traditions more firmly established than the printed word. amid the scratching of quills and the dipping of snuff, the destiny, not only of this hemisphere but of the world, was changed, for the five governors assembled decided to tax the colonies to support braddock's expedition. it was not a popular decision, and great difficulties arose in collecting the allotted sums. it was a fateful step which led eventually to revolt by the colonies. the conference over, pomp and pageantry departed, but not before mr. washington and general braddock had disagreed heartily on the fashion of waging warfare. the heavy cannon brought by the british were dumped overboard, notwithstanding, or were otherwise abandoned as too cumbersome for the long trek west. general braddock purchased from governor sharpe of maryland "an old english chariot and six horses" for the march. on april the redcoats and bobtails (six companies, two from alexandria and the nearby countryside) set out. to sir peter halket's regiment were assigned captain stephens', captain peyronny's and captain cock's company of rangers, and captain polson's company of artificers. the heavy coach lumbered over the rough country roads, shaking poor general braddock almost to pieces and "greatly increased his discomfort." mr. washington, desiring time to arrange his private affairs at mount vernon, was unable to depart with his military family for eight days after they left. this tragically ill-fated expedition resulted in heavy casualties. on july , braddock was attacked unexpectedly near fort du quesne by a body of french and indians, some three hundred strong, which so surprised the british regulars they were struck with a "deadly panic" and ignominiously fled. "the officers behaved with incomparable bravery ... there being near killed and wounded. the virginian companies behaved like men and died like soldiers ... scarce were left alive ... the general was wounded behind in the shoulder and into the breast, of which he died three days after."[ ] george washington miraculously saved the army from complete rout. he afterwards collected his decimated virginians and marched them back to the market square in alexandria. the reception was a sad one. [illustration] early growth the minutes of the trustees for announced that by this time the first frame courthouse was fenced--it had taken two years--and the gentlemen justices of fairfax county, sitting on november , , ordered john west, john carlyle, and william ramsay, gentlemen, to be paid five thousand pounds of tobacco; john doonas, alexandria's first policeman, was to receive pounds for patrolling twelve days. for the next hundred years the great municipal interests were to be tobacco, wheat, and ships; the rapid and proper dispatching of the produce stored in the great warehouses occupying the river front; the housing and sale of the vast diversity of goods coming to anchor with each new sail. but in these earliest days, tobacco and ships to transport it were the motivating forces of the town. turning the pages of a journal of long ago, one gets this glimpse of the fit setting: in the evening we returned down the river about fifteen miles to alexandria or belhaven, a small trading place in one of the finest situations imaginable. the potomac above and below the town is not more than a mile broad, but it here opens into a large circular bay of at least twice that diameter. the town is built upon an arc of this bay; at one extremity of which is a wharf; at the other a dock for building ships; with water sufficiently deep to launch a vessel of any rate or magnitude.[ ] on may , , george washington "went to alexandria to see captn. litterdale's ship launched, wch. went off extreamely well."[ ] again on october , , he "went up to alexandria after an early dinner to see a ship [the _jenny_] launched, but was disappointed and came home."[ ] next day, the th, he "went up again, saw the ship launched; stayd all night to a ball and set up all night."[ ] his expense account shows a loss of shillings at cards for the evening. alexandria's importance as a seaport was phenomenal and after a few years it was ranking third in the new world--greater than new york, the rival of boston. master shipbuilders turned out vessels to sail any sea--manned, owned, and operated by alexandrians. down the ways of alexandria shipyards glided as good vessels as could be built. from her ropewalks came the rope to hoist the sails made in her sail lofts. chemists' shops specialized in fitting out ships' medicine boxes for the long voyages, and bakeshops packed daily thousands of ships' biscuits. ship chandlers forsook older ports for the new one; planters rolled in tobacco in ever increasing bulk to fill the vessels crowding the harbor. with greater wealth came the means to fill the need and desire of alexandrians for good clothes and fine furnishings. and so back to england with each cargo went orders for the newest taste and the latest fashion. it took months, sometimes longer than a year, to complete an order for goods. each voyage was a stupendous adventure. ships with full cargoes often disappeared and were neither seen nor heard of again. george washington's writings serve as a good history of alexandria. his voluminous letters reveal what our first citizens needed, bought, and used, what various articles cost, and how business details were handled: november , to robert cary & company gentn: by the george and captns richardson and nicks who saild with the fleet in september last i sent invoices of such goods as were wanting for myself estate etc, but knowing that the latter unfortunately foundered at sea soon after her departure from virginia and that the former may probably have suffered by that storm or some other accident, by which means my letters &c would miscarry i take this oppertunity by way of bristol of addressing copies of them, and over and above the things there wrote for to desire the favour of you to send me a neat grait (for coal or small faggots) in the newest taste and of a size to fit a chimney abt. feet wide and two deep, and a fender suited to ditto. steel i believe are most used at present; also send me a new market great coat with a loose hood to be made of blew drab or broad cloth with straps before according to the present taste, let it be made of such cloth as will turn a good shower of rain and made long, and fit in other respects for a man full feet high and proportionately made, possibly the measure sent for my other cloths may be a good direction to these. please to add also to the things ordered for mrs. dandridge yds of silver cold armozeen or ducape and cause it to be packed up with the rest of her things charged with them. &ca. five days ago i dropt a letter at williamsburg, to take the first conveyance to you, desiring insurance on hhds tobo pr. the cary since then i have got more inspected and all on float ready to deliver at the ships side. you will therefore insure that quantity and dispose of them in the best manner for our interest. if captn. talman uses that dispatch in loading of his vessell, which i am sure he now has in his power to do this tobo. wl come to a very good market, i hope. it is almost as much trouble and expense getting goods from any of the rivers round to potomack as the original charges of shipping them amount to, unless they are committed to the charge of very careful captains who has an interest in forwarding. i should be glad therefore if you would take the oppertunity of some ship to that river of sending my goods for the future. your favour of the th augt. i have had the pleasure of receiving, and acknowledge myself particularly obliged to you for your polite congratulations on my marriage, as i likewise am for your dispatch of my goods. i am gentn.[ ] [illustration: a suffer to pass of the ship polly and nancy of alexandria; john mcknight, master. signed by george washington. (courtesy mount vernon ladies' association)] an invoice of goods of earlier date sent by the same firm for the use of george washington contained items. wearing garments, ornaments for the chimney place, busts, drugs, sugar, carpenter's and plowman's tools, candy, a case of pickles containing anchovies, capers, olives, "salid oyl" and a bottle of india mangoes; tea, harness, saddles, corks, six pounds of perfumed powder, three pounds of the best scotch snuff, ribbons, gloves, sword belt, nine dozen packages of playing cards, paint and brushes, one and one-half dozen bell glasses for the garden; one mahogany closet stool case in the newest taste, with place for chamber pot, etc.; soap, garden seeds, nuts and condiments, locks and two dozen h&l hinges and three pounds of bird lime, were but a few of the items listed. in addition to his own orders, the general supervised the shopping for the two custis children and his mother-in-law, mrs. dandridge. not only were clothes and materials ordered, fine ivory combs, stockings, etc., but toys. here is a selection made by the cary firm--a child's fiddle, a coach and six in a box, a stable with six horses, a toy whip, a filigree watch, a neat enameled watch box, a corner cupboard and a child's huzzit [housewife]. general washington was a virginia gentleman who lived in a fashion similar to his neighbors; like orders, we may be sure, went from alexandria, and like articles were bought and received into its homes. perhaps the system was not always so direct, for the average townsman doubtless relied more upon local merchants as agents. washington followed this course at various times, but until the american revolution he rather steadfastly depended upon robert cary & company of london. with the growth of trade and population came the necessity for expansion of the town, and we see the assembly approving the petition of the trustees and sundry inhabitants of the town of alexandria in , "praying that an act may pass to enlarge the bounds of the said town."[ ] all lots save those in the marsh were then built upon. on may , , the trustees proceeded to sell the new lots, which had been added by act of assembly. the town property was enhancing in value and for that reason the lots were sold with a twelve-month credit, hoping to increase the sale value. forty-six lots were disposed of, among the purchasers being george johnston, robert adam, francis lee, john dalton, john carlyle, and george washington, who at thirty-one years of age became a _bona fide_ citizen of alexandria. the town which he had honored returned the compliment four years later when the city fathers meeting on december , , "proceeded to elect as trustee in the room of george johnston, decd, and have unanimously chosen george washington, esq., as trustee for the town aforesaid."[ ] fifteen years after the laying out of the town, at a session of the house of burgesses, november , , in the fifth year of the reign of george iii it was "resolved, that it is the opinion of this committee that the petition of divers proprietors of lots, and other inhabitants of the town of alexandria, in the county of fairfax, praying that so much of the act of assembly for establishing the said town as obliges the purchasers of lots therein to build and improve the same in a limited time, may be repealed, and the purchasers left at liberty to build thereon when convenient to them, is reasonable."[ ] george washington found it convenient to build a house on one of his lots in ; the other was not built upon until almost thirty years later. the prodigious development of the new port was accompanied by a growing civic pride and the demand for better public buildings. a story-and-a-half brick town hall was erected in by funds raised by lottery, tickets selling at ten shillings each, the trustees making themselves responsible for a sum adequate for the purpose. at the trustees' meeting of april , john dalton and john carlyle produced an account of moving the courthouse amounting to £ _s._ - / _d._; while william ramsay presented his account for a "scheme of a lottery to build a church and market house" in the amount of £ _s._[ ] the new town house with its clerk's office and assembly room stood on the northeast corner of the square; nearby on cameron street stood the fairfax court house, which town promotion had brought to alexandria. the church and market did not materialize so early. [illustration: the addition to the town in and . (library of congress)] early education space in the lower floor of the town hall was provided for a grammar school soon after the completion of this building in . seven years later the town fathers found that the schoolhouse was so misused that repairs were urgent and minutes for the meeting of february , , record how they considered it necessary to put it in better condition, "also to make some additions in order to make the upper room usefull not only for meeting of the trustees but for such other purposes as may be thought necessary." apparently a separate entrance for the schoolroom dates from this time; other improvements included the raising of the roof for greater utility upstairs. the trustees further resolved: "as it appears to us that the house has been very much injured by the negligence of the school masters it is now determined that each master give security to repair any injury that the house may sustain during the time they have it." robert adam and thomas fleming were appointed overseers of the property for a term of twelve months. [illustration: corner mantel at - / prince street in the house built about by william hickman. the builder was trying to cram into a given space every motif in the _builder's handbook_: greek entablature at the top of the pediment, crowded center panel, broken pediment, and the top of the pediment jammed into the cap fretwork. the whole is very amusing but interesting and altogether charming.] a grammar school reputed to have been supported by public funds was in existence at belhaven in , just ten years before alexandria was founded. presumably the alexandria school of was put into operation under identical conditions and it may be that special classes beyond the mere rudiments of education were conducted for children whose families could pay extra tuition. such a plan would closely approximate the tutorial arrangement prevailing on outlying plantations. for orphaned children and the very poor who had to earn while they learned, provision was usually made for a little schooling within the framework of the apprenticeship system, and church wardens were charged with responsibility for placing orphans with individuals to learn a useful occupation. at a court held march , , "james gameron, five years old the last of this month and sarah gameron three years old" were bound out "to william wren who is to learn them to read and write, and the said james the trade of a shoe maker."[ ] after the revolution, the town's educational system centered in the alexandria academy, which stood on the east side of washington street between wolfe and wilkes, where now stands the present washington public school. the old marsteller house, acquired by the public school system in , when the present school building was erected, has by many been confused with the old academy building. the alexandria academy was a one-story brick structure. its cornerstone was laid september , , by the alexandria lodge of freemasons, robert adam, esquire, worshipful master of the lodge. mrs. powell, in her _history of old alexandria_, states that after the stone was laid "a gratuity was distributed among the workmen." the school was incorporated in by act of the virginia assembly and the trustees were to be chosen by those gentlemen who had contributed five or more dollars for the use of the academy, thirteen fit and able men to serve beginning in . in the meantime, washington, dr. brown, and twelve other generous public-spirited citizens were appointed by law as trustees until the annual elections should begin. the letter asking washington to serve is extant. general washington, always a believer and a patron of learning, contributed for many years prior to his death, £ annually toward a free department for poor students. in his will he left one thousand dollars or " shares of stock which i hold in the bank of alexandria, towards the support of a free school established at and annexed to the said academy, for the purpose of educating such orphans or children of such poor and indigent persons as are unable to accomplish it with their own means, and who in the judgment of the trustees of the said seminary are best entitled to the benefit of this donation." [illustration: a mantel in the home of the late miss saidee m. field, duke street, in the adam-mcintyre manner. the house was built prior to , at which time a trust to secure william stoggett of carnelsford, county cornwall, england for £ . . is cited. note the large brick in the worn hearth and bit of original pine flooring. the fireback has been rebuilt.] by the school established by his bounty was caring for thirteen boy and seven girl pupils. one graduate, john weylie, wrote to thank the general for his benevolence. this same young man later became tutor for the children of dr. david stuart. in january , following washington's death the month previous, the alexandria council voted to provide a suit of mourning for each of the poor scholars educated at his expense that they might join in the memorial exercises scheduled for february . george steptoe washington and lawrence augustine, sons of the general's deceased brother, samuel, were both sent to the academy. they were boarded by washington with one of the trustees, samuel hansen, who frequently reported to their uncle on their interests and behavior. in , hansen wrote to the general recommending for george one cleon moore as teacher of the violin at £ per year. these gentlemen were not as circumspect when students as was lorenzo lewis, who was cited in for "general deportment and propriety of conduct." young lewis was the son of nelly custis and lawrence lewis, the former mrs. washington's granddaughter and the general's ward, the latter the general's nephew. robert e. lee perchance might be included in this washington family circle, by virtue of his subsequent marriage to the daughter of george washington parke custis, brother of nelly. lee attended the academy from about until , and was remembered by his teachers as an exemplary scholar. education for the opposite sex was not overlooked. through the interest and encouragement of washington, mrs. eliza harriot o'conner opened an academy for young ladies as early as . quaintly worded announcements appearing in local gazettes early in the nineteenth century reveal an ever-increasing number of girls' schools. female scholars clad in blue worsted dresses, black aprons, muslin handkerchiefs, leather shoes and colored hose, capes, blue lined straw bonnets, sporting crimson ribbons, studied the exotic subjects of "painting in inks and colors on 'tiffany.' embroidered landscapes both plain and fanciful in chenile, gold and silver, wrought maps in 'ditto'--printed work in tambour and needlework--made fringe and netting." early amusements alexandrians were not without their lighter side. there were plays in town at least as early as , for on september of that year george washington took mrs. washington and the custis children to alexandria to see "the inconstant, or, way to win." they remained overnight and the next day attended the theatre again to see "the tragedy of douglas." the cost of the two entertainments was given as £ _s._ _d._ in the _virginia journal and alexandria advertiser_ announced the presentation of the "tragedy of jane shore, with the musical farce of the virgin unmasked." mr. mcgrath opened the alexandria theatre for four seasons beginning in . on november he presented garrick's comedy, "the lying valet" and on november , , the american comedy, "the contrast: or, the true born yankee." the theatre doors opened at six, and the curtain was raised promptly at half-past six--or so the announcement read, and it continued, "no money to be received by the door-keepers." in , thomas wade west, manager of "the virginia and south carolina comedians companies" and margaret, his wife, came to alexandria for the purpose of erecting a theatre. a lot on the north side of cameron street, fronting thereon fifty-four feet, was purchased on july , , from thomas and sarah porter, the ground rental of which was silver dollars yearly. the patrons of this enterprise, some twenty-nine of the first citizens of alexandria--among them edmund i. lee, william herbert, josiah watson, ludwell lee, elisha cullen dick, joseph riddle and jonah thompson--agreed with one another to contribute the sum of two hundred dollars each to be laid out and expended for the erection of a theatre upon the aforesaid piece of ground. the subscribers had free tickets of admission to every performance with the exception of benefits and charities. this was to continue in effect for one season after reimbursement at six per cent interest. thomas wade west agreed to furnish all the decorations, scenery and furniture to the value of £ . this was the new theatre as shown on the early maps of the town. cockfights and horse racing, too, were popular, the latter attended by women and children. but in the council forbade these activities taking place within the town limits, and ruled that "every person who shall trim, heel, or pit any cock so fought and every owner of such cock consenting thereto and every person who shall bet on such a match or main shall severally forfeit and pay for every offense the sum of twenty dollars."[ ] since horse racing could not be easily secreted in cellars and walled gardens, no such drastic penalties accompanied that pertinent part of the act. blooded horses were imported by john carlyle as early as . alexandria races attracted the best horses in the old dominion. famous maryland and tidewater stables participated in the jockey club races. george washington was steward of the alexandria jockey club. the gazettes were full of notices concerning the races and frequently gave pedigrees of certain horses advertised for sale or stud. [illustration: doorway of the supposed jockey club of which washington and dulany were stewards. ( franklin street)] after the races, especially those of the jockey club, there was sure to be an assembly ball at one of the larger taverns, followed by a fine supper. in gadsby's time the jockey club used his tavern as headquarters. after dining, the members were frequently entertained by "the players" or "jugglers and tumblers." maryland neighbors as well as nearby virginians turned out for these festivities. [illustration: mantel in the home of the late mr. and mrs. norman h. davis, prince street. late th and early th century reeded carving, typical of the federal house. the decoration is achieved by the returns around the pilasters, the reeded trim and diamond motif in the center panel.] fox hunting was indulged in frequently by alexandria gentlemen who went often to mount vernon, belvoir and to other estates near alexandria for the sport. fairs and circuses from time to time filled the town with excitement. feats of horsemanship, vaulting and dancing were performed every fair day during the visitation of messrs. pepin and breschard in april . the doors opened at half-past three and the performance commenced at half-past four; beginning with a grand military manoeuvre by eight persons well mounted, and ending with the admired "scene of the domestic horse" (by the famous conqueror) who brought chairs and baskets when commanded, and the "ladies fireworks," composed by mr. condit. of course, there was much wining and dining out, followed by cards rendered more spicy when played for stakes. taverns and oyster houses furnished recreation for those less affluent. fields and streams furnished rare sport for fishermen; the successful fisherman or hunter could always dispose of his excess catch at the market. fish fries were common entertainment. [illustration] domestic economy and a new money crop as the population grew, the markets were abundantly supplied. great vessels packed with ice for sale in the town tied up at the wharves; open spaces devoted to gardens and outbuildings gave way to dwelling houses, and the town became more compact. twelve or more servants were necessary for the maintenance of large establishments, varying in number according to the size of the family and the house. there was generally a butler, who acted as major-domo, a cook and kitchenmaid, body servants or valets for the head of the house and the young gentlemen, a ladies' maid, chambermaid, nurse and nursemaids, a coachman, stable boy, gardener, yard boy and laundress. during the first twenty years of the city's development, an entire block might contain not more than four homes. each of these units functioned as a miniature and self-supporting estate, surrounded by flower and vegetable gardens and the usual outbuildings--necessaries, kitchen, dairy, ice house, smokehouse, fowl house, servant quarters and stable. the following advertisement appearing as late as illustrates the traditional layout: to let an elegant two story brick house, with kitchen, wash house, bath house, stable and carriage houses, an elegant garden, and a well of excellent water, a pump in the middle or centre of the square, a cistern for wash water and every convenience, equalled by few and exceeded by none of its size in alexandria and suited only to a genteel family. it stands on prince street. it will be let for one or more years as best suits the tenant and possession given at once. apply to robert brockett in spring the gardens were prepared, the herring salted and packed. in summer great quantities of preserves, jellies, and pickles were put up for the long winter. at the first frost the smokehouses were filled with hams and great sides of bacon. game was plentiful, and during the season venison, duck, partridge, wild turkey, and woodcock appeared in market and graced the tables of the well-to-do. with tea from china and india, coffee from brazil, oil and condiments from spain, sugar and fruits from the west indies, alexandrians fared sumptuously. by alexandria's tobacco trade had largely given way to wheat, and the local shipping merchants were finding their supplies farther and farther west in the valley of the shenandoah. george washington was one of the first planters on the upper potomac to change his money crop from tobacco to wheat. he enlarged his mill and took advantage of the latest mechanical advances of his time. however successful he became as a wheat farmer, he never escaped the trials and grief caused by those middlemen, his agents. in he wrote a nine-page letter roundly berating carlyle and adam for the destruction of his bags and for delay in paying him for his wheat. a list of merchants and factors doing business in alexandria in emphasizes the transition from tobacco to wheat. of twenty-one firms enumerated, fourteen were purchasers of wheat: . hooe and harrison--_wheat_ purchasers. . steward and hubard--_wheat_ purchasers. . fitzgerald and reis--_wheat_ purchasers. . harper and hartshorne--_wheat_ purchasers. . john allison--_wheat_ purchaser. . william sadler--_wheat_ purchaser. . robert adam and co.--_wheat_ purchasers. . henby and calder--_wheat_ purchasers. . william hayburne--_wheat_ purchaser. . james kirk--_wheat_ purchaser. . george gilpin--_wheat_ purchaser, inspector of flour. . thomas kilpatrick--_wheat_ purchaser, inspector of flour. . mccawlay and mayes--import british goods which they sell wholesale. . william wilson--seller of british goods who buys tobacco. . john locke--seller of british goods who buys tobacco. . john muir--seller of british goods who buys tobacco. . brown and finley--they import goods from philadelphia and purchase tobacco and _wheat_. . josiah watson--he imports goods from philadelphia and purchases tobacco and _wheat_. . robert dove and co.--distillers. . carlyle and dalton--import rum and sugar. . andrew wales--brewer.[ ] it is said that virginia wheat was the best to be procured and all europe was a market for alexandria flour. it was not long before the great wagons that had formerly carried wheat from tidewater to philadelphia and the delaware found the potomac port as good a market and a shorter journey. numerous bakehouses appeared and alexandria packed and shipped large quantities of bread and crackers along with flour to europe and the indies. alexandria had been a port of entry since and time was when the potomac from mouth to port was so crowded with vessels that navigation was difficult. the early gazettes constantly referred to the crowded condition of the river. the water front seethed with activity. one finds the notice in a newspaper of of the arrival from st. petersburg, russia, of the ship _hunter_ of alexandria. she was advertised to ply her trade between these two places. this ship was built, owned, and sailed by an alexandrian, and was but one of many claiming alexandria as home port. far corners of the earth were united in this ancient harbor for a hundred years or more. "commerce and shipping" columns in the local journals were as well read then as are our "classifieds" today. ships from china lay beside ships from spain; flags from holland, jamaica, portugal, germany, france and russia flaunted their gay colors. private as well as public wharves were built. large and rich shipping firms were numerous. great warehouses of brick lined the river front. a kinsman of president washington wrote him in that the "port of alexandria has seldom less than square-rigged vessels in it and often many more. the streets are crowded with wagons and the people all seem busy."[ ] sloops, brigs, barques and schooners unloaded osnaburgs, wild boars, moreens, brocades and damasks, bombazines, russian and belgian linens, scottish wools, french and italian silk, caster hats, morocco leather slippers, pipes of madeira wine, casks of rum and port from spain, spices, fruits, and muscovado sugar from the west indies, chests of hyson tea from china, neat sofas, bureaus, sideboards, harpsichords and spinets from london, along with other things "too tedious to mention." by decline in the importance of the port had set in, but no less than vessels entered and cleared the customs that year. this number did not include the "vast number of inland packets, coal traders, lumber vessells, wood d^o, grain d^o, etc." of these vessels, were foreign--ships, brigs, schooners, sloops--while coastwise entrances and clearances reached . on january , , the account of vessels in the port of alexandria stood: ships barques brigs schooners sloops --- total these figures do not include a number of small craft in the port or the steamboats _washington_ and _camdon_. [illustration] aftermath of revolution participants in the revolution made more impress upon alexandria's history than the war itself. the town was divided in its sentiments. many of the scottish people remained loyal in their sympathies to the mother country. old lord fairfax, a tory of tories, became incensed with young washington, whom he had practically brought up, and 'tis said, refused ever to see or speak to him again. his heir, parson bryan fairfax, of mount eagle, afterward eighth lord, remained on the friendliest terms with the household at mount vernon, while holding the strongest of loyalist convictions. tradition has it that washington personally saved him from molestation by the american troops. [illustration: an early cartoon representing john bull collecting indemnity from alexandrians during the war of . by wm. charles. (_library of congress_)] the alexandria committee of safety obtained and outfitted fifteen vessels for the protection of the town and the potomac. on two occasions the people became much excited and badly frightened. rumor was rife in that governor dunmore had dispatched an expedition of warships up the potomac to "lay waste the towns and the country, capture mrs. washington, and burn mount vernon."[ ] martha washington remained calm, and though finally persuaded by colonel mason to leave home, she stayed away one night only. the second scare is revealed in a letter from the general's manager, lund washington, written in january . "alexandria is much alarmed and indeed the whole neighborhood," he wrote. "the women and children are leaving the town and stowing themselves in every hut they can find, out of reach of the enemy's cannon. every wagon, cart and pack horse they can get is employed. the militia are all up, but not in arms, for indeed they have none, or at least very few."[ ] [illustration: mantel in the house of the late mrs. davidson maigne, south royal street, dates about and is a good example of the period, showing grace and restraint. attention is drawn to the center panel in an interesting way.] la fayette, de kalb, rochambeau, john paul jones, and "light horse harry" lee, were in and out of alexandria many times. on may , , the commander in chief of the continental army recorded in his diary: "a letter from the marq^s de la fayette, dated at alexandria on the rd, mentioned his having commenced his march that day for fredericksburg"--that desertion had ceased, and that his detachment was in good spirits.[ ] high morale and grand strategy brought victory for the continental cause that october. something like thirty-odd officers of the revolution lived in or near alexandria, or came to live here after the war. sixteen of them became members of the society of the cincinnati, of which washington was president general. the peace of revived strangulated commerce and construction. the harbor came to life. the brickmason and the carpenter took up their tools. wheat and tobacco rolled in to fill again the empty warehouses. the citizens were gay and indulged themselves in festivities, as witness an old letter written from alexandria on february , : last evening there was an elegant ball in this town, being the anniversary of general washington's birth. no less than fifty ladies elegantly dressed graced the ball room, tho the mud in our intolerable streets was up to the knees in shoes (rather boots) & stockings. mr. jenckes attended--says the ball was agreeable for one so numerous. he has formed considerable acquaintances with the ladies, who are very agreeable but in general they talk rather too broad irish for him.[ ] brissot de warville, who visited america in , was impressed by the possibilities of alexandria: ... where thirty or forty years ago there were only one or two houses, is now indeed smaller than baltimore, but plans to surpass her. she is already quite as irregular in construction and as muddy. but there is more luxury evident at alexandria, if a miserable luxury; you see servants in silk stockings, and their masters in boots. at the end of the war the people of alexandria imagined that the natural advantages of their situation, the salubrity of the air, the depth of the river channel and the safety of the harbour which can accomodate the largest ships and permit them to anchor close to the wharves, must unite with the richness of the back country to make their town the center of a large commerce. in consequence they are building on all sides, they have set up superb wharves and raised vast warehouses. at the moment the expected commerce languishes. this is attributed to the heavy taxes. whatever may be the cause many citizens are emigrating or planning to emigrate. some ships of alexandria are now trading regularly with the west indies and at new orleans.[ ] [illustration: classical revival in mantel and doorway] the federal period it was not long after the revolution that the seat of the new federal government was selected near alexandria. in fact, one old story has it that alexandria was chosen as the site, and the patriot washington was twitted with the advantages that would accrue to him, with such vast holdings of land so near the new capital. the tales go on that washington waxed very angry and replied that never, if he could help it, should a public building be put south of the potomac. be this as it may, the virginia assembly ceded to the federal government on december , , a generous slice of fairfax county to be incorporated with the state of maryland's larger portion into a district for the federal capital, ten miles square. the congress of the united states was pleased to accept this, and later an additional act of congress of march , , amended and repealed a part of the first act, naming alexandria part of the ceded territory. and so for the next fifty-six years we have no longer alexandria in virginia, but alexandria in the district of columbia. the federal city (afterward washington) which did not officially become the nation's capital until , was an undrained marsh in . travelers visiting alexandria about that time described it as having "upwards of three hundred houses," many "handsomely built."[ ] in thomas twining passed through alexandria and commented: "what struck me most was the vast number of houses which i saw building ... the hammer and the trowel were at work everywhere, a cheering sight."[ ] the duc de la rochefoucauld in the following year stated: "alexandria is beyond all comparison the handsomest town in virginia and indeed is among the finest in the united states."[ ] that same year, , isaac weld remarked, "alexandria is one of the neatest towns in the united states. the houses are mostly of brick."[ ] virginians were largely their own architects. thomas jefferson designed monticello, the university of virginia, and the capitol at richmond; george mason built gunston hall; and george washington directed the transformation of mount vernon from a simple villa into the famous mansion it is. alexandria "undertakers," or contractors, did the work--james patterson in and going lamphire from onward for a number of years. one mr. sanders, was called in about roof troubles and afterwards dismissed. john carlyle was the great gentleman architect and builder of alexandria. he built his own fine house, he took over christ church in when james parsons failed to complete his contract, and he also superintended the erection of the presbyterian meetinghouse. james wren, gentleman, is remembered as the designer of christ church in . thomas fleming is referred to as a ship's carpenter and "one who is inclined to serve the town." a story goes that george coryell built a gate in philadelphia which so pleased the first president that he persuaded him to move to alexandria. true or not, the local _gazette_ carried coryell's advertisements of building materials and he is known to have built a number of houses. robert brockett was building in the presbyterian manse. benjamin hallowell, william fowle, and william yeaton at a later time proved themselves able architects. the designs of alexandria houses derived from the old country, and follow the type of eighteenth century architecture found in the british isles, especially scotland. the general floor plans of alexandria's homes are similar. with the _builder's companion and workman's general assistant_, it was well-nigh impossible to go wrong. this series of pamphlets, reprinted in by william pain of london, offered the purest and best of classical designs. the scottish founders adapted them to their needs, with the result that alexandria differs from other colonial towns in virginia, as scotland differs from england. the spiritual and physical variations are keenly sensed. the interior trim of alexandria's houses is simple and severe compared to the plantation houses lining the virginia rivers; to the elaborate carving of the fine eighteenth century charleston homes it seems plain and austere. nonetheless, there is a substantial dignity about these houses that produces an atmosphere of calm, gracious peace not unlike the interiors of meetinghouses. even the little brick-and-frame cottages partake of this same feeling and are remarkable for the charm of their inviting and harmonious rooms. the simple overmantels, chair rails, wide and low six-paneled doors hung on the proverbial h&l hinges, well proportioned rooms and large, hospitable fireplaces, all done in miniature, form interiors rare in scale, surprising in elegance, perfect in balance. for the better part of ten years after the revolution, buildings continued going up as rapidly as bricks could be made and artisans found to put them together. as the town grew, the gaps along the streets were filled. alexandria assumed the character, not of williamsburg or annapolis, but rather of philadelphia or some old world town. by it wore an air of stability as row after row of fine brick buildings went up. alexandria houses were city dwellings and homes of merchants. comfortable and inviting they were, too, with a wealth of detail in finish and appearance. doorways and cornices for the outside; arches, mantels and paneling within. very sad it is to relate how much of this has found its way into the museums of the country, and sadder still to tell how much has been wantonly destroyed. the new york metropolitan museum of art houses one of the great rooms from alexandria; the st. louis museum another; and some interior woodwork has found its way to williamsburg. [illustration: varied were the designs and never were the twain alike] conceived and built as a trading center, by , almost without exception, the first floor of every building was used as a place of business while the upper floors served as the family dwelling. this accounts for the more elaborate woodwork found on second floors. the mutual assurance society archives reveal many instances of a store, countinghouse, office or shop located in a wing or attached building; likewise warehouses on the premises as well as along the water front. artisans and tradesmen alexandrians owned and operated shipyards, sail lofts, ropewalks, lumber yards, brick kilns; print and apothecary shops; manufactories of harness, saddles, boots, shoes, mattresses, and cloth. and of course there were the taverns and hotels, inns and oyster houses, markets, stables, ferries, and fish wharves (where millions of herring were packed for export). its citizens maintained churches, schools, academies, banks, fire companies, counting houses, and newspapers. they supported ministers, lawyers, doctors, dentists, oculists, cabinetmakers, artists, musicians, actors, merchants and a town militia. mention has already been made of the important building professions--to the activities of house and ship carpenters, and the "undertakers," or contractors of the day. among the tradesmen and artisans of the town were watchmakers and clockmakers, jewelers, goldsmiths, coppersmiths, gunsmiths, blacksmiths, and ironmongers; confectioners, bakers and brewers; hatters, and wig-makers. cottom & stewart was a firm of publishers and vendors of the latest in literature. joshua delacour was a bookbinder who carried on his business in all its branches, not only supplying ladies with bandboxes, trunks, pasteboard stays and stomachers, but he also papered rooms in the neatest fashion. books and stationery were imported by joshua merryman, who also advertised blotting paper, quills, ink powder, inkpots, sealing wax and wafers--in fact, all the adjuncts of polite correspondence. margaret greetner set great store by her newly imported mangle, by which "silk, linen and cotton stockings, and other articles were smoothed and glossed in the most expeditious manner." she took in washing at "moderate terms" and apparently was the eighteenth century counterpart of our modern laundry. joseph delarue was her competitor in the dry-cleaning field, offering his services to ladies and gentlemen of the town and adjacent country as a scourer of silks, chintzes, and woolen clothes. coachmaking was carried on by e.p. taylor and charles jones. unfortunately, records relating to alexandria's early artisans are pathetically scanty or altogether lacking. alexandria in its heyday boasted as fine silver as could be found in the colony, and while there is a quantity of english silver thereabouts, much was made by her own craftsmen. it exists today in families who, while cherishing it for generations, have used it commonly for a century or more. a partial list of silversmiths includes some nineteen or twenty names, for the earliest of whom there is any record, we must thank "the general," for it is in his ledgers that these first five names are found, noting some work done for mount vernon, usually of a repair nature. salt spoons and ladles evidently saw hard service, or were kept so spick and span they had to go to the silversmith for frequent mending. in the washington silver chest was the richer for a punch ladle made by william dowdney. while this was in the making, one edward sandford was restoring a salt and mending a punch ladle. he also repaired mrs. washington's watch and made her a silver seal. the salt spoons were in the hands of one charles turner in ; and mrs. washington had a gold locket from one philip dawe. the punch ladle was out of order again in and had a new handle made by "mr. kanat." [illustration: the federal period interpreted in iron] about this time the adam family of silversmiths began to attract attention. the first of that name in alexandria was james adam ( - ). he was working in alexandria as early as , and he who has an original adam piece is either one of an ancient family in the town or a fortunate collector. the work of his son, john adam ( - ), is more frequently found, and of the best type. the adam grandson, william w. ( - ), followed the trade of his progenitors, turning out good work certainly but in the victorian idiom. charles burnett, working in alexandria in , and probably as early as , produced sauceboats, urns, tea sets, tankards, and so on. his flatware is usually distinguished by a shell motif, and gadroon edges finish and decorate many of his pieces. his work is very similar to his philadelphia contemporaries. adam lynn ( - ) was born in alexandria, of alexandria parents, the son of colonel adam lynn, a revolutionary officer and a member of the society of the cincinnati. he inherited property from his father, two lots of land on king and st. asaph streets. at the age of twenty-five, in , he advertised himself as: adam lynn jeweler, silver and goldsmith, silver tea sets may be had to any pattern at short notice, warranted to equal any in america. it is noted that in he "respectfully informs the public that he has commenced the clock and watchmaking business, in addition to that of jewelry. he has laid in a large assortment of the best materials in that line and is determined to give general satisfaction." lynn's work is delicate and fine. strangely, very little remains but what there is is satisfactory. he frequently decorated his flatware with a refined etching or gravure, his hollow ware with reeding. to the jewelry business lynn combined another. in his advertisement read: new hardware store adam lynn & co. have received by the ship "dumphries" from liverpool, via baltimore a large and general assortment ... which they now offer for sale at their store corner king and royal streets--late occupied by peter sherron. lynn held several offices in the masonic lodge and served for years as vestryman of st. paul's church. he had the added distinction of being drawn by m. de st. mèmin. a few spoons and ladles survive mordecai miller, ; john duffey, ; george duffey ( - ); james ganet ( - ); william cohen, ; benjamin barton, ; r.c. acton, ; william a. williams ( - ). the last-named craftsmen made the famous silver cup presented by the "grateful city council" to the lovely mrs. lawrason for entertaining la fayette in her home. john pittman is listed in a deed in as a goldsmith and silversmith, while the census for gives the names of thomas bird, william galt, john piper and john lawrason. in addition, from other deeds and advertisements, the names of john short ( ); james galt ( ); josiah coryton, "late of this town" ( ) are gleaned as watchmakers and clockmakers. [illustration: _top_: creamer, sugar and bowl by charles burnett. _center_: sauceboat and sugar urn by charles burnett, creamer by i. adam. owned by mrs. john howard joynt. _bottom_: service by i. adam. owned by the misses snowden.] slate roofing seems to have made its initial appearance around . in joseph riddle's dwelling house was "covered in copper" and john janney's warehouse in slate, and at least one building in "composition." at this date an insurance plat shows a tinsmith and coppersmith's shop. the early roofs were covered in wood (_i.e._, wooden shingles). [illustration] decline and resurgence with the death of george washington in , which emphasized the close of the eighteenth century, the city whose prosperity seemed in some mystic fashion to have developed and grown with him began a decline. in came yellow fever, leaving desolation and mourning in its wake. an english traveler wrote in : alexandria was about eight years ago a very flourishing place, but the losses sustained from the capture of american vessels by the french in the west indies, occasioned many failures. in the year , the yellow fever, which broke out there for the first time, carried off a number of its inhabitants. these shocks have so deeply affected the mercantile interest, that the town has but two or three ships in the trade with great britain; and there is little prospect of its ever attaining to its former prosperity.[ ] alexandria was further subjected to plagues. cholera broke out in , and people dropped dead in the streets while the population shuddered. illness, death, and burial was the fearsome sequence of only a few hours. there was a board of health and a quarantine officer, but ignorance of sanitation laws and preventive medicine resulted in appalling epidemics brought in by visiting vessels. fire, too, ravaged the town. there were two major conflagrations in the early nineteenth century, one in and another in , in each of which at least fifty buildings were consumed. the fire in the latter year all but demolished the west side of fairfax street between king and prince streets. george washington is credited with having founded the first fire company and giving to the city what was then the finest of modern hand pumpers--a magnificent affair of red paint, brass trimmings, and leather buckets. a law of the town made it mandatory for each householder or proprietor of a dwelling or storehouse to furnish leather buckets of at least two-and-one-half-gallon capacity at "his or her expense"--in quantity equal to the stories of his house; no proprietor was expected, however, to provide more than three buckets. the buckets were numbered and lettered with the names of the owners, whose duty it was to send or carry them to any place where a fire broke out, or to "throw them into the street so that they may be taken there."[ ] the fire companies at the first alarm, in scarlet shirts, turned out on shortest notice, at a dead run on "shanks' mare." woe betide the member who was late, for he was fined right heavily. pumping by hand to put out a fire was a laborious affair and slackers were not tolerated. even with the best of will and the most earnest of pumpers, the fires got out of hand and took a terrible toll of the early buildings. while insides were gutted, the walls often remained to contain again an interior of beauty and dignity. alexandria suffered more from the war of than from the revolution. before washington fell to the british in , alexandria was forced to capitulate and had to pay a high indemnity for physical protection. this disaster, coupled with the failure of the canal which was to open up the vast ohio country, all but wrecked the best financial hopes and plans of the city. the opening of the potomac river for navigation, to connect with the ohio, was a project close to general washington's heart. he had entertained this dream from the time of his first western venture in . he calculated, plotted, and surveyed distances, and from onward his mind was set upon the accomplishment. in july of that year he was in correspondence with thomas johnson, to whom he wrote: "till now i have not been able to enquire into the sentiments of any of the gentlemen of this side in respect to the scheme of opening inland navigation of the potomac by private subscription."[ ] washington's trips to the ohio, in october and again in september --on both occasions accompanied by dr. craik--while in the interest of his western land holdings were also to forward this canal business. all of this resulted in the founding of the potomac navigation company in , and alexandria subscribed heavily to the bond issue. by the first steam locomotive was operating in america and the coming of the steam engine was followed by the collapse of the canal project. thousands of local dollars were thus lost. when the deflation was complete, financial stagnation followed, from which alexandria never entirely recovered. during these trying s and s many of her younger men departed for the west hoping to better their fortunes. alexandrians did not take kindly to federal jurisdiction of their affairs, and within half a century from --on february , --a petition was presented from the citizens of the county and town of alexandria to the virginia general assembly, stating that they had pending before congress an application for recession to the commonwealth of virginia. they asked the assembly for a law to accept them back into the fold should their request be granted. by act of congress, dated july , , it was provided that: "with the assent of the people of the county and town of alexandria, that portion of the territory of the district of columbia ceded to the united states by the state of virginia ... receded and forever relinquished to the state of virginia ..."[ ] virginia welcomed the recession as a mother would welcome home a maltreated and divorced daughter. alexandria county (later arlington county) and the city of alexandria were accepted on march , , just two years short of the latter's centenary. fourteen years later the first blood of dreadful civil war was spilled in alexandria and the city found itself a pawn to arbitrament by the sword. when general robert e. lee accepted the command of confederate forces, a host of alexandrians followed him into battle. to the citizenry with southern sympathies, war meant bitter severance once again from virginia. for the duration of the civil war, alexandria, under federal jurisdiction again, became the capital of that part of the state (west virginia) which refused to secede with the richmond government. to the old city came a governor and legislature with northern sympathies, making welcome any federal forces camping on the outskirts of town. old prints show the union flag in the hands of marching soldiers on king street, and camps and cantonments, beginning at the "round house," extending for miles. even so, the best and noblest donned the gray, and alexandria's own marched out to become part of the th virginia infantry, c.s.a., upon the bloody battlefields of the south. with the close of the civil war, prosperity departed. fewer and fewer ships came to anchor in the potomac port, until finally nothing remained to show the important part that alexandria played for a century in the sea commerce of the world save rotted piles that once supported wharves, and a few grimy, scarred old warehouses whose collapsing roofs and loose bricks threatened the very life of the pedestrian. other wars have come and gone and each has had a conspicuous effect upon the town. the tragic era of - , binding our great nation into an indissoluble union, began likewise the process of cementation which steadfastly links alexandria to the district of columbia by bands that are basically nonpolitical (maybe stronger for that same reason). paradoxically, alexandria is a free city--part of virginia, though not characteristic of the state; allied to the district, but no part of it. alexandria's cultural heritage has appealed for many reasons to washington officialdom, and many persons prominent in national affairs have crossed the river to settle and to restore the gracious old homes of bygone days. george washington's alexandria is a city at once assured and self-conscious. confident in its background, its venerable traditions, and its associations with the great in the country's development, alexandria ponders its destiny. [illustration: adam lynn, silversmith. (by saint mèmin)] all faithful sons and daughters, whether native or adopted, fondly hope that this bicentennial year of the city's existence may bring closer to fulfillment the famous toast voiced by la fayette in : "the city of alexandria: may her prosperity and happiness more and more realize the fondest wishes of our venerated washington!" l'envoi where is the great seaport that was alexandria? where are the ships that plied their trade to the four corners of the earth, built, outfitted, loaded from this port, officered and manned by the men of this town? where the great shipyards down whose ways slipped vessels of any magnitude; the ropewalks where black slaves trod the weary miles twisting the hemp to lift the sails made in alexandria sail lofts? where the great docks, wharves and warehouses that lined the water front? only phantom vessels, locked in the eternal secrets of the deep, float at anchor and crowd the harbor with a pale tracery of masts and rigging. only the voices of sailors long silent float ashore on the breezes in a polyglot of languages, while ghostly laughter and oaths of those held in taverns by rum and sugar at three pence ha'penny disturbs the sobriety of the water front. gone are the shipyards. upon ways destroyed by rot will rise no more the skeleton ribs of sloop nor barque nor brig. silent are the sail lofts. long ago the last workman at day's end put down the canvas and the thread. empty are the ropewalks of docile slave and pungent hemp. cold are the bake ovens--crumbled the last biscuit.... the worn and polished cobbles are destitute of coach and four, of chariot and chair. nor does the mail arrive by stage. no more will hoops and wigs add allure to the progress of beauty--nor peruke nor smallclothes invest the beau with grandeur. the factor and the sea captains have departed. the weary clerk has put up the last shutter; empty stools and blunted quills abandoned. only the ledgers remain, free of blot and blemish to attest the skill and patience of the forgotten scribe. an autumn moon lights the old town, turning to silver the tiny waves lapping the old sea wall, shimmering on the panes of dormer windows, silhouetting the high brick facades against the white night, outlining trim and cornice. lighted transoms dimly reveal the white paneled doorways.... let us enter.... [illustration] part two the presence of george washington - [illustration] chapter william ramsay: romulus of alexandria [historic ramsay house, once the home of alexandria's first mayor and oldest building standing in the city, miraculously escaped destruction by fire in . later threatened by the "wheels of progress," it was saved by heroic efforts of alexandria antiquarians who persuaded the city fathers to purchase the structure as a gesture to the anniversary. as this book goes to press an active campaign is under way by alexandria historical societies to raise funds for restoration.] some two hundred years ago a sturdy-bottomed little sailing ship riding at anchor in the port of dumfries in scotland, and bound for the port of dumfries in virginia, was boarded by a young scotsman. no _parvenu_ voyager he, but a young man of settled background and promising future, educated for his calling and going out to take his place in one of the scottish firms trading in virginia. our adventurer belonged to the ramsay family of the noble house of dalhousie, which goes back into scottish history of the thirteenth century. king edward i, in july , spent the night at dalhousie on his way to battle with william wallace; and in sir alexander ramsay defended the walls of dalhousie against henry iv. in william, second lord ramsay, was created first earl of dalhousie. this young adventurer bore the name of the second lord, william. he was born in in kirkendbrightshire in the galloway district of scotland, and he was destined to play no small part in his own particular sphere. he brought the integrity and industry of his native land to the new world shores, and was one of that band of scotsmen of whom president madison said, "their commercial edicts served the colony as substantial legislation for many years."[ ] these traits, added to vision, wisdom, sound morality and a tender nature, formed the character of the future first citizen of alexandria. the year found william ramsay settled in business with john carlyle, trading under the name of carlyle & ramsay in the village of belle haven. this little settlement lay on the banks of the upper potomac behind the great hunting creek warehouse. ramsay early sensed that the large harbor of belle haven with its deep water and fine approach was a better situation for a town than many then being agitated before the burgesses. forming friendships with colonel fairfax, lawrence washington, george mason, george johnston, and other large planters, he impressed them with the importance of this situation as a site of great promise for a city and a port.[ ] when this dream became an accomplished fact it was a natural conclusion that william ramsay was one of the seven men chosen by the virginia assembly for the purpose of laying out the town at hunting creek warehouse.[ ] his faith in alexandria was supported by his pocketbook. at the first auction of lots on july , , he bought lots nos. and ; and he never lost an opportunity to invest his hard and dangerously earned money in the soil of his begotten city. at the outbreak of the french and indian war he was appointed (on george washington's recommendation) commissary in . many letters dealing with commissary affairs, and more interesting, the movement of troops, written from rays town are among the washington papers. his partnership with carlyle was followed by one with john dixon which was dissolved in , when dixon returned to england and his native whitehaven. ramsay incurred a large debt by buying dixon's interests. he wrote to washington in july , saying he had been extremely unfortunate in all his affairs, and asking for a loan of £ , saying, "i have made application to the monied ones--my l^d fx, m^r speaker, m^r corbin, m^r cary and many others with^t success wch i put to the acco^t of my perverse fortune, not to the want of ability to serve me." these gentlemen were among the richest and most influential men in the colony, but george, a young colonel of militia, scraped up £ in august and another £ in september, to lend his good friend and mentor. william ramsay had given washington some sound advice in september , when the young colonel was somewhat upset by criticism of militia officers and not too happy in his official duties. ramsay wrote, "... know sir, that ev'ry gent^n in an exalted station raises envy & ev'ry person takes the liberty of judging or rather determining (with judging) from appearances (or information) without weighing circumstances, or the proper causes, on wch their judgem^t ought to be founded.... upon the whole, s^r, triumph in your innocency, your disinterestedness, your unwearied application & zeal for your country's good, determine you to continue in its service at a time there may be the greatest call for you, & when probably some signal day may mark you the bravest (as hitherto you have been) of persons ..."[ ] ramsay served alexandria some thirty-six years as a public servant. he was town overseer, census taker, postmaster, member of the committee of safety, colonel of the militia regiment, adjuster of weights and seals with john carlyle at hunting creek warehouse in , town trustee, mayor, and did his duty as gentleman justice for many years, beginning that service prior to the settlement of alexandria. tradition has it that he was the most beloved citizen of alexandria, which is certainly confirmed. in he was elected by his fellow townsmen their first and only lord mayor. the enthusiastic inhabitants decorated him with a golden chain bearing a medal. "upon one side was represented the infant state of alexandria and its commodious harbour, with these words in the legend, '_alexandria translate et renate auspice deo_,' and in the exerque, '_condita reg^o geo. ii. an. dom. _.' the reverse has this inscription: '_dig^mo dom^no guilielmo ramsay. romulo alexandriae urbisque patri, consuli primo. bene merenti. an. dom. _.'"[ ] the election and investment over, the _maryland gazette_ tells us, "the lord mayor and common council preceded by officers of state sword and mace bearers and accompanied by many gentlemen of the town and county, wearing blue sashes under crosses, made a grand procession ... with drums, trumpets and a band of music, colors flying." the shipping in the harbor displayed "flags and banners while guns fired during the afternoon." a "very elegant entertainment was prepared at the coffee house," where the new lord mayor and his entourage sat down to a sumptuous repast. this was followed by a ball given by the scottish gentlemen "at which a numerous and brilliant company of ladies danced." ceremonies ended with fireworks, bonfires, and "other demonstrations." perhaps this enthusiasm may be somewhat explained by the fact that this celebration took place on st. andrew's day.[ ] in ramsay went back to scotland, whether to see again his family or on business is not revealed. but that he had a most remarkable reception cannot be questioned. dumfries and kirkendbright conferred extraordinary honor upon him. yellowed by age, two pieces of engraved parchment are treasured by his descendants. these towns each made him a "burgess," the most signal distinction to be conferred upon a visitor. besides the original lots which william ramsay purchased on july , (nos. and for forty-six _pistoles_), he later purchased lot no. . augustine washington forfeited his lots, nos. and , for neglecting to build within the required time, and ramsay bought this property. when william seawell, the peruke-maker, lost his holdings for indebtedness, ramsay also acquired lot no. . he owned the royal george, a tavern of importance, and had numbers of slaves and indentured workmen. in he paid taxes on seven blacks and seven whites. in he owned twenty-one blacks, four horses and a coach. his will, dated the month before his death, enumerated seven slaves by name, specifying special considerations for two, _viz_: "that they may be better cloathed both in winter and summer than is common for slaves, and that they be particularly taken good care of as a reward for their long and faithful services." william ramsay married ann mccarty, daughter of dennis mccarty sr. and his wife sarah ball, who was a kinswoman of george washington and sister of mrs. george johnston. ann mccarty ramsay was one of those women of the day who by the laws of the land lost their property and identity with marriage. yet, when this retiring, gentle person was called upon to raise funds in alexandria and fairfax county, no modern matron working for bond drive or red cross ever did a more successful work. thomas jefferson, as governor of virginia, in a letter from richmond written on august , , to general edward stevens, attached a list of "female contributions, in aid of the war, probably in ." among the thirteen ladies who gave their watch chains, diamond drops and rings is the name of "mrs. anne ramsay (for fairfax), one halfjoe, three guineas, three pistareens, one bit. do. for do. paper money, bundle no. , twenty thousand dollars, no. , twenty-seven thousand dollars, no. , fifteen thousand dollars, no. , thirteen thousand five hundred and eighteen dollars and one third."[ ] this excellent wife took her presbyterian husband into the established church and we find washington crediting him with £ for pew no. in alexandria (christ) church in january . but the presbyterian citadel of learning was the choice over william and mary college when time came for the eldest son, william jr., to prepare for a professional career. the strict discipline of old nassau was more to the liking of scottish conservatism than the laxness reported among students and faculty at the williamsburg institution. at princeton young william studied medicine under dr. benjamin rush. in , after joining the general in winter headquarters at cambridge, mrs. washington wrote the family that she had seen young ramsay as she passed through princeton and that "he was very well but did not talk of comeing home soon."[ ] maybe this was a woman's subtle way of breaking the news of young william's plans to follow the continental cause wherever it might lead. as surgeon in the army, he served throughout the revolutionary war. following the custom, the elder william ramsay placed his second son in trade with the firm of jennifer & hooe in dumfries. from alexandria, on december , , he sent young dennis, then a lad of eighteen years, the following letter brimming with sound parental advice and scottish business acumen: dear dennis tho' you have been but a short time from us, i cannot help informing you that we are all well--but as a parent, i must say more but i hope you are so well grounded in the principals i would inculcate, that it need only put you in mind of the duties we owe to the supreme being & our fellow men--your first duty my dear son, is to your god, do not by any means neglect your duty in paying your adorations & supplications to him for a blessing on your endeavors, & your gratefull acknowledgements for every benefit and money you receive, which you & i every day experience--your next duty is to your parents, who, i hope you will pay that respect to, you always have done, & continue to listen to their advice with proper attention, because you must be assured, it flows from the parental and affectionate regard they have for you and your welfare here & hereafter. your next duty is to your fellow men, more especialy to your employer, his interest demands your justice, your diligence and utmost attention to his business and interest, your secrets & his relating to your affairs you must religiously keep, mind his business only, do not intermedle with that of other peoples, and avoid entering into any dispute with them: you may gain much observation & society, but nothing by disputetation. let your intimates be few and those well chosen, for the formation of youth depends on the companions they chuse, therefore in this be very cautious. i will not say any more to you on this head but hope that you will conduct yourself as hitherto you have done & shun even the appearance of evil. when y^o lodge by yourself be cautious in securing your windows and doors, and if you cou'd, as probably you may, get some agreeable young fellow to sleep with you if not always, very often; he wou'd be company to you, and made your time less lonesome, but your own prudence will suggest to you these things better than i can--when your bed and chest comes down, i will send anthony down to you, he can make your fire, clean your shoes, fetch you water &c.... as i mentioned to you, that what you now get from your industry shall be your own, besides, i will help you all that i can 'till you are of age, please god to bless me & you with the sight of that day, i will strain every nerve to set you forward in the world, your behavior i hope will entitle you to it, and give your mother and me the highest pleasure we can hope for here, that is, your doing well--if you want a waistcoat and breeches you may get them in town yourself. mr. hooe says that he will immediately send you some rum & sugar on their acco^t to dispose off in the wholesale way, that you may take your choice out of it to retain on your own account--be cautious and do not trust. i do not know my dear dennis anything i can say more to you at this time. i expect to hear from you next post and that you will be particular with regard to your situation &c. your mother gives her blessing to y^o, all your sisters, i am, my dear dennis, your most affectionate father, wm ramsay[ ] [illustration: bill of lading to william ramsay at bellehaven, dated . (ramsay papers)] when war came, denny ramsay, like his brother, threw his lot with the cause of liberty and served with distinction in the army, reaching the rank of colonel. dennis ramsay closely followed in the footsteps of his father. both served as mayor of the town and it was the official duty of both to address general washington upon commemorative occasions--william in after yorktown, and dennis in when the general paused in alexandria on his way to be inaugurated as president of the new republic. both father and son were freemasons and members of the sun fire company. after the death of martha washington's little daughter, patsy custis, her empty heart sought solace in association with the young daughters of her friends. the girls of alexandria kept the carriage wheels rolling to mount vernon, where they were joyfully received, and where they were nearly always numerous enough to make a gay evening. the young ladies from the houses of carlyle, dalton and ramsay were near neighbors in alexandria and frequenters of mount vernon, as were the misses craik, herbert, fitzhugh, lee, and fendall, whose presence brightened the mansion house with girlish laughter and confidences. at these gatherings none was held in more affection than the young daughter of william and ann mccarty ramsay. where could a more charming letter be found than this written by the hand of martha washington one hundred and seventy-four years ago, within the sounds of the guns of bunker hill, to mistress betty ramsay: cambridge december the th dear miss i now set down to tell you that i arrived hear safe, and our party all well--we were fortunate in our time of setting out as the weather proved fine all the time we were on the road--i did not reach phila^d till the tuesday after i left home, we were so attended and the gentlemen so kind, that i am lade under obligations to them that i shall not for get soon. i dont dout but you have seen the figuer our arrival made in the philadelphia paper--and i left it in as great pomp as if i had been a very great some body. i have waited some days to collect something to tell, but allass there is nothing but what you will find in the papers--every person seems to be chearfull and happy hear--some days we hear a number of cannon and shells from boston and bunkers hill, but it does not seem to surprise any one but me; i confess i shuder everytime i hear the sound of a gun--i have been to dinner with two of the generals, lee & putnam and i just took a look at pore boston--& charlestown--from prospect hill charlestown has only a few chimneys standing in it, there seems to be a number of very fine buildings in boston but god knows how long they will stand; they are pulling up all the warfs for fire wood--to me that never see any thing of war, the preparations are very terable indead, but i endevor to keep my fears to my self as well as i can. your friends mr harrison & henly are boath very well, and i think they are fatter than they were when they came to the camp--and capt. baylor is a lusty man to what he was when you see him. the girls may rest satisfied on mr. harrisons account for he seems two fond of his country to give his heart to any but one of his virginia friends, there are but two young laidis in cambridge, and a very great number of gentlemen so you may guess how much is made of them--but neither of them is pritty i think. this is a beautyfull country, and we had a very pleasant journey through new england, and had the pleasure to find the g[eneral] very well--we came within the month from home to the camp. i see your brother at princeton he was very well but did not talk of comeing home soon. plese to give my love and good wishes to your mamma & grand mamma, mr. ramsay and family, my compliments to all enquiring freinds, the good gentlemen that came with me up to baltimore, and mrs. herbert--in which the general and mr. and mrs. custis join, please to remember us to mr. and mrs. mccarty and family. i am dear miss your most affectionate friend and well &c martha washington.[ ] ramsay did not wait for death to close his eyes ere he provided for his children. as early as , and probably before, he divided his original purchase of lots nos. and among his eight children. there is a much-worn old plat still in the hands of his descendants showing this division; on file at fairfax court house there is a deed to his youngest son, dennis, for that part of his lot no. fronting on fairfax and king streets, "beginning at the s.w. corner of said lot extending north up fairfax feet more or less to ramsay's alley, then east down said alley feet more or less, then south feet to king street, and then west with king feet to the beginning with all houses warehouses buildings, etc." to his eldest son and namesake he gave his dwelling house and lot lying to the north of the alley. as the custom of primogeniture prevailed it was but natural that william jr. fell heir to the dwelling house of his father. at the time of this gift in december , william reserved to himself an "absolute right and title to take away as much earth or dirt from said ground even up to my dwelling house, if necessary without prejudice to the said house to be applied towards filling up my wharf and peers until they are finished ..."[ ] after the death of his father, william jr., bachelor, "farm let" to his brother, the married dennis, for the full term of ten years from the th day of may last [ ], "the rent to be fixed by robert mccrea, john allison, or any other person whom they shall choose--the lot lying and being on the north side of king street and the east side of fairfax, beginning upon fairfax street ten feet south of the south end of the kitchen, which stands upon the said street belonging to william ramsay, then running east sixty-six feet parallel to king, then north parallel with fairfax twenty-five feet, then with a line parallel to king west twenty-two feet, including a brick smoke house, then with a line parallel to fairfax north to a four-foot alley lately laid out in the said lott by william ramsay, esq., deceased, then east with the line of the alley feet, then south to ramsays alley then west parallel to king until it reaches fairfax street, then with fairfax and binding there upon to the beginning and all buildings, houses, yards, gardens, stables, to the said premises belonging or in any wise pertaining. furthermore dennis ramsay may erect upon the premises a kitchen in such part as will be most convenient, and at the expiration of the lease dennis ramsay has liberty to remove the same from the premises."[ ] ten years later, on july , , william ramsay jr. sold this property to guy atkinson. this gentleman owned the property until his death in and requested in his will, probated july of that year, that his children reside "in my present mansion." this is the house standing today at north fairfax street,[owner: miss frona matthews.] and unless other research at a later day denies the assumption that this brick mansion was the last home of the romulus of alexandria, it is so declared. the little white frame clapboard house with the dutch roof, standing on the northeast corner of king and fairfax streets was certainly the property of william ramsay--probably his office or kitchen, and later occupied by the descendants of his son, dennis, after additions and improvements. the architect who is restoring this ancient and quaint house thinks that it is far older than the town of alexandria, and that it is not now established upon the original foundation, but has been moved over from another location. it is interesting to think that it might have been part of carlyle & ramsay's original office in belle haven in . on february , , george washington was at mount vernon happily engaged in planning his garden and planting his shrubs when he "received an invitation to the funeral of willm. ramsay, esqr., of alexandria, the oldest inhabitt. of the town; and went up. walked in a procession as a free mason, mr. ramsay in his life being one, and now buried with the ceremonies and honors due to one."[ ] a few days later the town's newspaper carried the following tribute: memorial on the th, instand departed this life, in the th year of his age, william ramsay, esq., a gentleman generally esteemed for the humane and generous sentiments of his heart, as well as for his uprightness and integrity, throughout a long and active life. this gentleman first proposed and promoted the establishment of the town of alexandria, and was its first inhabitant. he was consoled on the verge of life, with the reflection of having acted his part well, and of having reared and leaving to represent him a numerous and amiable family, in possession of as much happiness as generally falls to the lot of humanity. thus he met the lingering, but certain approach of death with a composure and resignation of mind very remarkable and truly exemplary. his remains were interred on the th, in the episcopal church yard, and attended by a very numerous and respectable company, preceeded by the brotherhood of free masons in procession with the solemnities usual on such occasions.[ ] within less than two months, washington, still at work upon his garden, grafting cherry trees, was interrupted to go to alexandria to "attend the funeral of mrs. ramsay who died (after a lingering illness) on friday last.... dined at mr. muir's and after the funer^l obseques were ended, returned home."[ ] again was spread upon the sheets of the town paper an obituary: memorial on saturday last departed this life, mrs. ann ramsay, relect of the late wm. ramsay, esq., in the th years of her age. the amiable character of this lady, exemplified in her conduct as a wife, a mother, and a neighbour, as it procured her through life the general esteem and affection of all who knew her, will render her loss long regretted not only by her nearer relations, but by the inhabitants of this town, and neighbourhood of every rank and description, to whom her benevolence and humanity displayed in numberless good offices, and her agreeable deportment have heretofore been a social blessing and comfort. on monday her remains were interred with every mark of respect, contiguous to the grave of her late deceased husband.[ ] [illustration: mr. and mrs. dennis ramsay] the general had seen the "romulus of alexandria" to the grave. fourteen years later the latter's son served as honorary pallbearer for the father of his country at mount vernon, on that fateful december , . [illustration] chapter john carlyle and his house [like nearby ramsay house, the home of john carlyle has also been threatened by business interests and was in danger of demolition just before the outbreak of world war ii. it was saved by mr. lloyd l. scheffer who acquired the property from the wagar estate and continues to maintain the residence as a historic house museum. entrance to the carlyle home is through the lobby of the wagar apartments at north fairfax street.] in an ancient will book at fairfax court house is the inventory of a gentleman's estate--household fabrics, mahogany and walnut furniture, family pictures, maps, prints, books, silverware, glassware, chinaware, and all manner of utensils, and drawers of "trumpery!" more personal items imply a rich wardrobe and a man who doubtless cut a figure in society, for the list of apparel is long, containing, " scarlet cloth jacket with broad gold lace," " crimson velvet jacket with broad gold lace," " pair scarlet breaches with gold knee bands," " silver tobacco box," " tortoise shell ditto with silver top," " pair silver shoe buckles and pair gold studds," " silver large coat buttons and stock buckle," " box with wiggs," etc.[ ] another entry in a more ancient tome reads: at a court held for the county of fairfax, th march, . present john colvill, geo. wm. fairfax, john west, william ramsay and thomas colvill, gentlemen justices. mr. john carlyle produced a commission from the honorable the governor under the seal of the colony appointing him commissary of provisions and stores for an expedition intended to the river ohio pursuant to which he took the oaths according to law, repeated and subscribed to the test.... lieutenant col^o george washington, lieutenant john west jr. and james townes pursuant to their military commissions from the honorable the governor took the oaths according to law and subscribed to the test.[ ] [illustration: john carlyle's alexandria mansion] military echoes are not lacking from the inventory of his possessions. is it possible that " blue cloth coat with vellam holes"[ ] related to his military service as major of virginia militia? was this perchance the coat worn by major carlyle in when the redcoats of his britannic majesty's forces and the virginia militia fought under general edward braddock and met defeat at great meadows at the hands of the french and indians? major carlyle was quartermaster in those days, with the mission of scouring the countryside for horses and forage. objects of military use more easily picked out of the list taken by his executors include a spyglass, guns, pistols, swords, saddles, saddlebags, holsters, a powder horn and " spontoons." it is a local tradition that a store of these latter antique weapons were left behind in alexandria by braddock's direction and that they constituted part of the equipment of the town watchmen until the outbreak of the war between the states. [illustration: mantel in the dining room] john carlyle was a scotsman of gentle birth, of the limkilns branch of carlyles of torthorwald castle. he left his home in dumfrieshire for dumfries in virginia at the age of twenty to enter one of the scottish shipping firms in that town in the year . foreseeing the end of that port, he moved to the village of belle haven, and with john dalton set up in the mercantile and shipping business by . this firm, under the name of carlyle & dalton, was destined to become the most important one in the new port, and john carlyle the leading citizen. he was one of the influential men in fairfax county who agitated for a town at belle haven, at the hunting creek warehouse. he was selected by the assembly as one of the incorporators of the town of alexandria, and as one of the first trustees. active in the town from the beginning, he helped build the courthouse and market place. he was the town's first "overseer." in he was ordered to build a warehouse at point lumley, a hundred feet long, twenty feet wide, with thirteen-foot pitch, as well as to build roads and clear streets. [illustration: john carlyle's shell and silver snuffbox. listed and described in the inventory of his estate] carlyle bought the third lot put up for auction on july , , no. , paying thirty _pistoles_. as the auction continued, he purchased another lot adjoining the first for sixteen _pistoles_. upon his two lots he erected in the greatest private house in alexandria for two or more decades, and furnished it with the best his ships could carry. the carlyle house stands high above the river and so strong and thick are the foundations that tradition has it they were early fortifications against the indians. the house of stone is oblong, being almost as long again as it is wide and is believed originally to have had connecting wings. two-and-a-half stories high, large twin chimneys rise out of the hipped roof and three dormer windows break the front and back. double galleries stretch across the river end, and before modern buildings obstructed the view, the river could be viewed for miles in each direction. [illustration: portrait of john carlyle's mother, rachel carlyle, which hung always above her son's bed] inside, a large hall divides the house. a stairway that has neither the appearance nor character of so old a house, and is doubtless an "improvement," winds up to the second floor. four rooms open into this hall--fine rooms, too--but the blue or drawing room is the gem, architecturally and historically. this is paneled from floor to ceiling. there are three windows with low window seats and heavy paneled blinds which become a part of the jambs when closed. over the doorways are elaborate pediments, with broken arches. the chair rail is carved in a fret pattern and the dog-eared fireplace mold in the familiar egg-and-dart design. in the overmantel, double dog-eared molding outlines the center panel and two flat fluted pilasters reach from mantelshelf to the heavy modillioned cornice which is carved in alternating modillions and rosettes. the room is sixteen by eighteen feet, painted a light slate blue with white or cream trim. on the second floor five comfortable bedchambers open upon a narrow hall. to this home carlyle brought his first wife, sarah fairfax, whom he married in . she was the daughter of colonel william fairfax of belvoir, sister of ann fairfax washington and george william fairfax. after her death in , when carlyle married sybil west, he named their only son for his well loved brother-in-law, george william fairfax. when his will was opened, it was by the side of sarah he wished to be buried: "as to my body, i desire it may be interred under the tombstone in the enclosed ground in the presbyterian yard near where my first wife and children are interred."[ ] this house was the social and political center of alexandria. such men as charles carroll, aaron burr, john paul jones, john marshall, thomas jefferson, george mason, george washington, and the two fairfaxes are but a few of those who gathered here for good food, good wine, and better talk. any visitor of importance was entertained at "coffee"; the house was often filled with music, and "balls" were common. the "congress of alexandria" met here monday, april , , and on the following tuesday and wednesday, when with braddock and the five colonial governors plans were made for concerted action against the french and indians. here that famous letter, still in existence, was written, urging upon the british government the necessity of taxing the colonies. this letter set into movement a chain of events disastrous to the mother country. it resulted in the loathed stamp act and led ultimately to the revolution of . [illustration: mantel in the music room. probably a later "improvement"] carlyle was appointed collector of his majesty's customs on the south potomac in , succeeding his father-in-law, william fairfax. in he was importing race horses into the colony. these were imported, "just as they imported madeira wine and other luxuries." one of the early maryland gazettes of july , carries the following advertisement: imported by carlyle & dalton in the ship _christian_, captain stanly, and for sale, three horses [thorne's starling: smith's hero, and leary's old england] and three mares [the other two being the rock-mares nos. and ] of full blood, viz: a _ch. m._ with a star and two white heels behind, eight years old: got by wilson's chestnut arabian: her dam by slipby, brother to snap's dam; and out of menil [sic] the dam of trunnion. menil was got by partner: out of sampson's-sister, which was got by greyhound: her grandam by curwen's bay barb: her g. grandam by ld. d'arcy's arabian: her dam by whiteshirt: out of a famous mare of ld. montagu's. john carlyle[ ] alexandria, va., july . in carlyle took over the incompleted work on christ church and carried it to completion. in he bought pew no. . in he built the presbyterian meetinghouse. in between times he was hunting at belvoir and mount vernon, dancing at alexandria assemblies, sitting as town trustee and gentleman justice, journeying to england and back, laying out and planting his garden, taking part in long, hot arguments with his family and neighbors in the ever-widening breach between the colonies and the mother country, breeding race horses, and joining in the frolics of the jockey club. heir to a title old and honorable as it was, he ardently espoused the cause of the colonies. too ill for active military service, he nevertheless served as a member of the committee of safety until his death in , at the age of sixty. john carlyle divided his lands, named after the scottish family holdings, limkiln, bridekirk, torthorwald taken, between his two grandsons, carlyle fairfax whiting and john carlyle herbert. to his daughter, sarah herbert, he left thirty feet on fairfax street and one hundred feet on cameron street, to include his dryware house. the mansion and all other property were for a brief period the property of his only son. in his will he expressed the utmost concern for the education of this boy, george william carlyle, and urged his executors to spare no expense and to send him to the best schools. alas, for the plans of men! the lad, fired by the talk of father and friends, was serving in lee's legion in , and ere john carlyle was moldering in his grave this boy of seventeen years, spirited, brave, heir to large estates, great fortune and honorable name, and to the title of lord carlyle, was dead at eutaw springs, led by that boy hardly older than himself "light horse harry" lee. enough of serious and sad history; let us in lighter vein go once more into the lovely paneled blue room where not only weighty conferences occurred, but where, in lace and satin, noble figures threw aside the cares of state and trod a measure to the tinkling of the spinet; where games of cards were indulged in and the _pistoles_ changed hands. let us go into the dining room with its fine adam mantel and its mahogany doors, and visualize again the terrapin and the canvasback, the madeira and port so abundantly provided from that great kitchen below, and the most famous wine cellar of its day in alexandria. let us stroll in the still lovely garden where the aroma of box and honeysuckle mingle, and turn our thoughts once more to the inmates of this fine, old house. built in the days when virginia was a man's world, when men who wore satin, velvet and damask were masters of the art of fighting, riding, drinking, eating, and wooing. when a man knew what he wanted, and got it by god's help and his own tenacity, enjoying himself right lustily in the getting. perchance major john carlyle, clad in saxon green laced with silver, will be wandering up and down his box-bordered paths with his first love, sarah fairfax, watching the moon light up the rigging of carlyle & dalton's great ships at anchor just at the foot of the garden. [illustration] [illustration] chapter the married houses [ - north fairfax street. owner: mrs. herbert e. marshburn.] when the new town of alexandria was laid out, john dalton purchased, on july , , the first lot put up for sale (no. ) for the sum of nineteen _pistoles_. the lot faced the potomac river and was bounded by water (now lee) street, fairfax street and lot no. . when the latter lot, which lay on cameron and fairfax, was put up later in the day, it was purchased by dalton for sixteen _pistoles_. within three years dalton had finished a small frame-and-brick cottage, neatly paneled, in which he is purported to have lived and died. the house faced on cameron street, standing about the middle of lot no. , with an extensive garden running the depth of the premises to the river, surrounded by outbuildings, orchards, wells, and so on, as was the custom of the times. his will mentioned the fact that he lived on this lot and left to his daughter, jenny dalton (later mrs. thomas herbert), his new brick building on the corner of fairfax and cameron. his will further stated that the house must be finished out of his estate. to his daughter, catherine (later mrs. william bird), he left the remainder of the lot which included his dwelling and another house on that same lot, at the time occupied by john page. on february , , john dalton succeeded richard osborn as a trustee of the town. his appointment was the first after the original selection of trustees by the assembly in williamsburg. john dalton was a partner of john carlyle in the firm of carlyle & dalton, which for many years acted as agent for the mount vernon produce. he was a pew owner with george washington at christ church, which he served as vestryman. with his wife and daughter, he was a frequent visitor at mount vernon and a later chronicler has asserted that he barely missed becoming the general's father-in-law. a fox-hunter and horse-lover, in a company of alexandria gentlemen or alone, he hunted with washington and bred his mares to the blooded mount vernon stud. [illustration: the old clapboard house on the john dalton property and believed to have been his original house. (_courtesy of mr. frank mccarthy_)] on january , , washington went up to alexandria to "ye monthly ball." he lodged with captain dalton and the next day being very bad he was "confined there till afternoon by rain."[ ] sometimes when attending court he "lodged at captn. dalton's."[ ] john dalton's bequest to his daughter, catherine, included the home place. on april , , catherine and her husband, william bird, sold to jonah thompson and david findley for £ , (about $ , ) the property described as being in fairfax street, feet to the north of cameron, and extending north upon fairfax street feet inches to the line of herbert, potts and wilson, thence east parallel to cameron to cross water and union streets into the potomac river, thence with a line parallel to fairfax south feet inches, and included houses, buildings, streets, lanes, alleys, and so on. but the birds reserved the right to the "use and occupation of the dwelling house now occupied" and the kitchen and garden, until the " st day of october next" and also reserved unto lanty crowe the house "demised unto him to the end of his term, he paying the annual rent thereof unto the said jonah thompson and david findley."[ ] findley died within the year and jonah thompson bought from amelia findley, the mother and heir of david findley, equal and undivided portion of the already described lot and paid her the sum of £ _s._ [illustration: jonah thompson's house purchased from john dalton's daughter, catherine bird] jonah thompson was an important citizen of alexandria. he was a shipping merchant, banker and large property owner. he married margaret peyton and they had three sons, israel, william edward, and james; a daughter, mary ann, married a mr. popham, and another daughter, eugenia, married a mr. morgan. in jonah thompson mortgaged this property to the bank of alexandria for $ , , which he paid within four years. in may , the heirs of jonah thompson sold to benjamin hallowell for $ , a lot beginning at the south side of the alley which divided the block, running south feet inches. benjamin hallowell, in turn, sold to james s. hallowell for nine thousand dollars in april , and from james s. hallowell and his wife the property passed through various hands until it became st. mary's academy. the jonah thompson house, part of it at least already built in , is one of the most interesting houses to be found anywhere. it is unusually large and has two handsome arched stone entrances. one, although similar, obviously was added, as the line of demarcation is plainly visible between the bricks. the house has been sadly abused with no thought given its architectural merits and much of the woodwork has been removed. the stair is perhaps the finest in alexandria, with spindles and risers carved in a more elaborate fashion than was the practice of the thrifty scotsmen of alexandria. at the rear of this large house, separated only by a narrow area, stands another house, facing the long garden and originally the river. the front of this house boasts the loveliest bit of georgian architecture left in the old seaport. a pure adam loggia, executed in stone, runs across the garden façade. while arches are now filled in and clothes hung to dry flap on the gallery, the outline is so chaste in its classic form that nothing can destroy the illusion of beauty. no search of records reveals how or why these two houses stand back to back. whether jonah thompson built the first for his bank or business offices, or whether his family outgrew the house and he needed more room is not known. the two are treated as one house in all the documentary evidence, and one's curiosity, interest, and imagination are excited by the twin or married houses. one story has it that jonah thompson built the rear or twin house for his eldest son so that the two families might be together but with separate ménages. [illustration: the adam loggia. originally open between column and pilaster] captain john dalton forged a link between mount vernon, his family, and his posterity that was stronger than he knew. it was his granddaughter who was so deeply distressed at the ruin and desolation of the home of washington that she fired her daughter's imagination with an idea that saved the spot for the nation. this great-granddaughter of john dalton was ann pamela cunningham, whose name will ever be indissolubly connected with mount vernon. in she formed the mount vernon ladies' association, and as its first regent stirred the women of america with her ardor and directed the entire campaign until adequate funds were collected. in john augustine washington sold the mount vernon estate to miss cunningham for two hundred thousand dollars--after the virginia legislature and the federal government had both refused to acquire it. this sale was negotiated by the alexandria banker, john w. burke, who was appointed executor and guardian of john augustine washington's estate after he was killed during the civil war while on active duty as a member of general robert e. lee's staff. when the war broke out, alexandria was occupied by union troops. the union authorities knew of the sale of mount vernon and repeated but futile efforts were made to find the securities. mr. burke's home was searched no less than three times. the funds were never found in their hiding place of the soiled-clothes basket. there they reposed until mrs. burke (_née_ trist, great-granddaughter of thomas jefferson) and mrs. upton herbert (_née_ tracy), both philadelphia-born ladies, sewed the bonds in their petticoats and with high heads carried them through the union lines to washington and delivered them to george w. riggs, who held them for the duration of the war, when he returned them to alexandria--and mr. burke. an interesting sequel to the story occurred only a short time ago when the last of john augustine washington's children died. mr. taylor burke, grandson of john w. burke, and president of the burke & herbert bank, administered the estate of the late mrs. eleanor washington howard, and distributed her estate, composed of the remainder of that purchase price, among her heirs.[ ] [illustration] [illustration] chapter the fairfaxes of belvoir and alexandria of the families in virginia closely associated with george washington, none bore so intimate a relation as that of fairfax. william fairfax, founder of the virginia branch of the family, was born in in towlston in yorkshire, england, the son of the honorable henry fairfax, sheriff of yorkshire, and grandson of the fourth lord fairfax. educated as a member of the governing classes, he began his career in the navy, later entering the colonial service. before he was twenty-six he had acted as chief justice of the bahamas and governor of the isle of providence. prior to he married sarah walker of nassau, daughter of colonel walker, by whom he had four children, george william, thomas, anne, and sarah. in , colonel fairfax was appointed collector of the port of salem, massachusetts, and removed to that colony. in his wife died, and very shortly afterward he married deborah, widow of francis clarke and daughter of colonel bartholomew gedney of salem, by whom he had three children, bryan, william henry, and hannah. in fairfax came to virginia as agent for his first cousin, thomas, sixth lord fairfax (who, by direct inheritance from a royal grant of charles ii, had come into possession of some five million acres of virginia land lying between the rappahannock and the potomac, and extending from chesapeake bay to the foothills of the blue ridge mountains, known to virginians as the northern neck); and to serve as collector of customs for the south potomac. fairfax first went to westmoreland, where he was associated with the washington and lee families. next he moved to king george, and lived at falmouth. by he was representing prince william county in the house of burgesses. colonel fairfax was elevated to "his majesty's council of state" three years later. becoming president of the council in , he continued in that office until his death. about this time william fairfax completed his dwelling house, belvoir, situated on a high bluff overlooking the potomac river, halfway between mount vernon and gunston hall. it was described by washington in an advertisement as having "four convenient rooms and a wide hall on the first floor." in one of these "convenient rooms," more than two hundred years ago on july , , anne, eldest daughter of colonel fairfax was married to lawrence washington of mount vernon. a few years after his marriage, lawrence (to whom george washington owed his start in life) took his impecunious young half-brother into his home at mount vernon, whereupon the in-laws became intimately concerned with george's future. young george was wise enough to realize that the way of advancement led through this important family and he never lost an opportunity to cultivate the president of the council. colonel fairfax became a benefactor of the young man's fortunes, an inspiration to his ambition, and was truly and wholeheartedly attached through his affections to the gangling youth. to the end of his life fairfax signed his letters to george, "y^r very affect^e & assur^d friend." in george william fairfax, the colonel's eldest son, returned home from england, where he had received his education, with the promise from lord fairfax of falling heir to his father's agency of the northern neck. the fifteen-year-old george took a great liking to young fairfax, and despite a difference in age, a friendship began which was destined to last throughout their lives. a letter from george william fairfax to lawrence washington stated, "george has been with us, and says he will be steady and thankfully follow your advice as his best friend. i gave him his brother's letter to deliver with a caution not to show his."[ ] doubtless this was the occasion when george was seriously considering the navy. lawrence had served under admiral vernon, william fairfax was trained for the navy, and lord fairfax was in virginia to add either persuasion or influence as needed. mary washington was set in her determination that george should not become a sailor. thus it was decided that surveying or engineering was the best outlook for the young man's future career, and mount vernon and belvoir the seat of his further learning. lord fairfax would employ the embryo engineer as soon as he had sufficient instruction to be useful. the pupil was adept, the instructors efficient, and we see young washington setting out with his new friend, george william, in march of , upon his first surveying mission in the employment of thomas, sixth lord fairfax. on his return from this mission, serious, sober young fairfax (he was twenty-three at the time) offered himself as a burgess for frederick county and was duly elected. he followed his father to williamsburg, where he found attractions more absorbing than lawmaking. after "several opportunities of visiting miss cary" he fell a victim to the wiles and graces of the belle of the season. _the virginia gazette_ for december carried this bit of social news: "married on the th inst., george william fairfax, esqr., eldest son of the honorable william fairfax of his majesty's council to sarah, eldest daughter of colonel wilson cary of ceelys." of all the colonial belles whose shades furnish theme for pæan and lighten the pages of history, none is more colorful than sally cary. this girl, only seventeen, with head of red-brown hair, great intelligent eyes shaded by long, thick lashes, long rounded throat and beautifully modelled hands, arms and shoulders, had an intellect which far surpassed her husband's. when not at williamsburg attending the assembly, the young fairfaxes resided at belvoir, where sally acted as hostess for her widowed father-in-law or the bachelor lord from greenway court. this house, after the palace at williamsburg, was the center of the social and political life of virginia. the fairfaxes were of ancient, noble lineage, with ample fortune, representing the very best in old world culture. william fairfax, as president of the council, was second only in importance to the royal governor, serving as head of the state during the absences of his excellency. naturally, his home was the gathering place for men of eminence in the colony, as well as visitors of state. [illustration: colonel george william fairfax] belvoir was a rendezvous for neighborhood gaiety. overflowing with the young people of the family, more were attracted. george washington was a daily visitor--sally, but two years older than himself, filled him with delight. at belvoir he met with the heads of government and gleaned from these meetings knowledge and inspiration to carry him through ordeals never experienced by his preceptors. here, too, the feminine contacts smoothed the rough edges; george learned to turn the music for young ladies performing upon the harpsichord, to rescue times without number skeins of silk and balls of wool as well as lacy bits of linen continually dropped by fair hands; he was taught the latest dance step from london and learned the most elegant of court bows. in those days the turn of a wrist and the flip of a lace ruffle were not considered inconsequential. it was here he acquired that never-failing interest in the "newest taste and the latest fashion." [illustration: mrs. george william fairfax. (sally cary)] under this hospitable roof in early and formative years, associated with the cavaliers in daily intercourse, washington developed an ease of manner and a dignity of deportment that became him well. in the library of this home he became familiar with the best in literature, his love of beauty was aroused, his knowledge of homemaking and gardening acquired, for this household wielded a highly civilizing influence, and awakened george washington to the charms of culture and refinement. to appreciate the influence of this family upon washington, it is only necessary to recall how brief was his schooling, how limited his prospects, how poor his pocket when, at the age of fifteen, he came to make his home at mount vernon. at belvoir and at mount vernon, george washington first learned of the new port to be built at hunting creek warehouse. long and often the talk was concerned with the progress being made before the assembly by lawrence washington and the two colonels fairfax. the latter gentlemen, being engineers, were both familiar with the construction of the towns in great britain and on the continent. to belvoir came colonel carlyle and colonel ramsay, as well as other gentlemen from dumfries and the county, occupied with the same interest, who hoped to better their fortunes by the shipping trade which they expected the new town to attract, and willing to gamble time and money upon the erection of dwellings, warehouses, and docks. these men were all purchasers of lots at the first auction on july , , and at once began carrying out the mandate of the assembly, _i.e._, to build within two years or forfeit their holdings. within six years the town, so neatly built, so strategically situated, was "honoured with governors in consultation; a happy presage i hope, [wrote george washington to william fairfax at williamsburg] not only of the success of this expedition, but for our little town; for surely such honours must have arisen from the commodious and pleasant situation of this place the best constitutional qualitys for popularity and increase of a (now) flourishing trade."[ ] that sally fairfax was in residence in alexandria and evidently in her own house taking part in the festivities arranged for general braddock at the carlyle house, dancing at the assembly balls, attending reviews, is indicated by a communication from her friend, young washington: fort cumberland may , dear madam: i have at last with great pains and difficulty discovered the reason why mrs. wardrope is a greater favorite of gen^l braddocks than mrs. fairfax; and met with more respect at the late review in alexandria. the cause i shall communicate, after rallying you for neglecting the means that introduced her to his favour which ... to say truth were in [?] a present of delicious cake, and potted woodcocks; that wrought such wonders [?] upon the heart of the general as upon those of the gentlemen that they became instant admirers, not only the charms but the politeness of this fair lady.[ ] after his father's death on september , , george william fairfax came a step nearer the title of lord fairfax. he went on a very curious mission to england to refute in person a rumor that he was a black man, and to show any doubting relations the hue of his skin was exactly the same as theirs. this was especially strange, for william fairfax had taken sarah walker fairfax, his wife and mother of george william, to england in , and certainly they must have met representatives of the family on that visit. nevertheless, it is to sally that the knowledge of this peculiar circumstance is due. in , writing to her nephew in virginia in reference to an inheritance of her husband's she says, "he [henry fairfax, william fairfax's older brother] would have left it to your uncle william henry fairfax [george william fairfax's younger half-brother] from an impression that my husband's mother was a black woman, if my fairfax had not come over to see his uncle and convinced him he was not a negroe's son."[ ] while in england on this or other equally private affairs relating to his inheritance, george william wrote his wife from london on december , : dear sally: i am sorry to say i have not succeeded and that it is uncertain whether i shall. but be as it may, i find it was necessary to be here, and i should not have excused myself if i had not. mr. fairfax went down to leeds castle yesterday and left me to push my own way, and then to follow to spend my xmas and to prepare for his embarking with me in march. therefore i beseech you'll employ old tom, or get some person to put the garden in good order, and call upon mr. carlyle for his assistance in getting other necessary things done about the house in order to receive so fine a gentleman. and i must further recommend, and desire that you'll endeavor to provide the best provision for his nice stomach, altho i suppose he will spend chief of his time with his brother. however to make his and other company more agreeable i shall endeavour to engage a butler to go over with me at least for one year. my dear, i have often wished for your company to enjoy the amusements of this metropolis, for i can with truth say, they are not much so to me in my present situation and that i now and then go to a play only to kill time. but i please myself with my country visits imagining the time there will pass more agreeable. permit me sally to advise a steady and constant application to those things directed for your welfare, which may afford me the greatest satisfaction upon my arrival. your affect. and loving husband go. wm. fairfax[ ] back in america within the year, at a court held for fairfax county on august , , george william fairfax "presents a commission from his honor the governor appointing me lt. colonel of militia" of the county and at the same court he took the oaths according to law as a vestryman for truro parish.[ ] in he went back to england again and remained nearly two years. on this occasion sally accompanied him. all the while, george william fairfax was occupied with his english inheritance, he was gradually losing interest in his virginia life. although he is credited with being loyal to the colonial cause (certainly he never failed in loyalty to his colonial friends) it is more than possible that the friction between the two countries swayed him somewhat in his determination to quit virginia for the more settled state of the old country. on a june afternoon in , george william and sally set out from belvoir to mount vernon for the last time to take leave of george and martha washington. dr. craik arrived in time to meet them and say goodbye. the next day, june , in the afternoon, martha and george went to belvoir to see these old and devoted friends "take shipping."[ ] as the breeze lifted the sails and the sturdy little ship faded out of sight down the potomac, it carried the fairfaxes away from belvoir forever. until his own affairs became too involved, washington supervised george fairfax's virginia interests. in august , a year after the master's departure from virginia, the contents of belvoir house were sold. washington himself bought many things--the sideboard, card tables, and other things. other fairfax furnishings came to alexandria; dr. craik became the possessor of a wilton carpet which washington bought for him. george and sally fairfax settled in bath in a red-brown sandstone house at lansdown crescent, where they became a part of the gay parties taking the waters at the pump room and attending assembly balls in the fashion of jane austen's most aristocratic characters. friendly letters went back and forth between bath and mount vernon. after the revolution, fairfax wrote to washington: "i glory in being called an american," regretted his inability to contribute to the "glorious cause of liberty" and offered his "best thanks for all your exertions ... to ... the end of the great work ..."[ ] washington replied from new york on july , : "your house at belvoir i am sorry to add is no more, but mine (which is enlarged since you saw it) is most sincerely and heartily at your service till you could rebuild it" and expressed his pleasure at george william's approbation of his revolutionary actions.[ ] fairfax, after becoming involved in lawsuit after lawsuit and dissension with his relatives, died in before inheriting his title. sally lived on at bath for twenty-five years after her husband's death. the damp english climate crippled her joints with rheumatism, but did not distort her slender, erect figure, and she maintained her beauty to the end. a year before his death, washington penned his last letter to sally, his affection for her undiminished, and his pride in alexandria growing: mount vernon, may, my dear madam, five and twenty years have nearly passed away, since i have considered myself as the permanent resident at this place, or have been in a situation to indulge myself in a familiar intercourse with my friends by letter or otherwise. during this period, so many important events have occurred, and such changes in men and things have taken place, as the compass of a letter would give you but an inadequate idea of. none of which events, however, nor all of them together, have been able to eradicate from my mind the recollection of those happy moments, the happiest of my life, which i have enjoyed in your company. worn out in a manner by the toils of my past labor, i am again seated under my vine and fig-tree, and wish i could add, that there were none to make us afraid; but those, whom we have been accustomed to call our good friends and allies, are endeavoring, if not to make us afraid, yet to despoil us of our property, and are provoking us to acts of self-defence, which may lead to war. what will be the result of such measures, time, that faithful expositor of all things, must disclose. my wish is to spend the remainder of my days, which cannot be many, in rural amusements, free from the cares from which public responsibility is never exempt. before the war, and even while it existed, although i was eight years from home at one stretch (except the en passant visits made to it on my march to and from the siege of yorktown) i made considerable additions to my dwelling-house, and alterations in my offices and gardens; but the dilapidation occasioned by time, and those neglects, which are coextensive with the absence of proprietors, have occupied as much of my time the last twelve months in repairing them, as at any former period in the same space;--and it is matter of sore regret, when i cast my eyes towards belvoir, which i often do, to reflect, the former inhabitants of it, with whom i lived in such harmony and friendship no longer reside there; and that the ruins can only be viewed as the memento of former pleasures; and permit me to add, that i have wondered often, (your nearest relatives being in this country), and that you should not prefer spending the evening of your life among them, rather than close the sublunary scenes in a foreign country, numerous as your acquaintances may be, and sincere, the friendships you may have formed. a century hence, if this country keeps united (and it is surely its policy and interest to do it), will produce a city--though not as large as london--yet of a magnitude inferior to few others in europe, on the banks of the potomack, where one is now establishing for the permanent seat of government of the united states (between alexandria & georgetown, on the maryland side of the river) a situation not excelled, for commanding prospect, good water, salubrious air, and safe harbour, by any in the world; & where elegant buildings are erecting & in forwardness for the reception of congress in the year . alexandria, within the last seven years (since the establishment of the general government), has increased in buildings, in population, in the improvement of its streets by well-executed pavements, and in the extension of its wharves, in a manner of which you can have very little idea. this shew of prosperity, you will readily conceive, is owing to its commerce. the extension of that trade is occasioned, in a great degree, by opening of the inland navigation of the potomac river, now cleared to fort cumberland, upwards of two hundred miles, and by a similar attempt to accomplish the like up the shenandoah, one hundred and eighty miles more. in a word, if this country can steer clear of european politics, stand firm on its bottom, and be wise and temperate in its government, it bids fair to be one of the greatest and happiest nations in the world. knowing that mrs. washington is about to give an account of the changes, which have happened in the neighborhood and in our own family, i shall not trouble you with a repetition of them. i am g^o washington[ ] [illustration] [illustration] chapter the george william fairfax house [ prince street. owners: colonel and mrs. charles b. moore.] the block of prince street is probably the finest left in old alexandria, in that it has suffered less change. no less than seven brick eighteenth century town dwellings remain in almost pristine condition. a small and fine classical revival building, and mordecai miller's "double three storied wooden buildings" make for diversity, while the old textile mill, later green's furniture manufactory, adds the practical scottish note to the locality. on the north side of the street, on lot no. , separated today from lee street on the east by garden and the former old dominion bank building, and flanked by john harper's gift to his daughter elizabeth on the west, stands a three-storied dormer windowed town dwelling, battered by time and the elements. it stands after nearly two hundred years, a silent sentinel--the fairfaxes' contribution to the erection of the town at hunting creek warehouse. the house was originally nearly square. the wing, added after the main structure was built, was standing in at which time the house is described as it stands today. due to the loss of one deed, that of father to son, it can be questioned whether the house was built by william fairfax before or by george william, to whom it was deeded at that time. like most old houses occupied by a succession of owners, much damage has been done to these old walls. the brick is worn and soft; paint is necessary to preserve them. the front door and stairway were changed a hundred and fifty years ago, as well as mantels and much of the trim and woodwork. the chimneys and dormers were blown down in and replaced in . when the house was renovated at that time and the plaster removed from the drawing-room walls, wooden blocks or stobs were exposed in the bricks, indicating paneled walls. the house has had some fourteen owners, each with his own idea of "improvements." the occupants of the house for the first hundred years are interesting as having been the founders and builders of the old trading port. let us begin with the original purchaser of lots nos. and and learn a little of the early inmates of the premises identified in alexandria today as the fairfax or the george william fairfax house. william fairfax and his son, colonel george william fairfax, both purchased lots at the first auction held on july , . the former had purchased the lots numbered and for thirty-five _pistoles_, while the latter had acquired two others across the street, lying south and designated nos. and on the plat of the town. at the meeting of the trustees held the following day, it was ordered that deeds be made for september , , for all lots disposed of. george william fairfax retained his property until march , when he sold the lots to willoughby newton, gent., for £ _s._ _d._ newton conveyed them, on november , , to george johnston for £ . lot no. , adjoining colonel fairfax's purchases on the west, was early the property of colonel champe, but the fact that it soon passed to fairfax ownership can be established by two references in the minutes of the trustees. on may , , it was "ordered that robert adam gent^n be overseer of the main street [now fairfax] from the upper part of mrs. chews lott to the lower part of her lotts and that he make so much of the said main street dry and fitt for traveling for waggon & foot people by the first of septem^r next or pay for his failure twenty shillings to the trustees for the use of the town ... and that w^m ramsay gent. in like manner and under the same penalty put the said main street in order from the upper part of his own lott to the lower part thereof together with half the next street and that william ramsay continue his district down to col george fairfaxes lott ... and that john carlyle in like manner and under the same penalty put the main street in order from the corner of mr. fairfaxes lott to the lower corner of the said fairfax's lott and one half of the adjacent street."[ ] [illustration: entrance hall and stair detail] on december , , it was resolved that, "whereas deeds were granted by william ramsay and john pagan two of the trustees of the town of alexandria bearing date of the th day of march anno domini to the hon geo w^m fairfax esq^r for two lotts of land in the said town no. & , on the motion of geo w^m fairfax esq^r it appears to us the above mentioned trustees that no. should have been included in lott no. as one lott liable to the conditions of improvement by act of assembly--and that he never having had a deed in his name or his fathers for lott no it is now ordered that one deed of conveyance be made out to the said geo w^m fairfax his heirs and assigns and that m^r w^m ramsay and m^r john carlyle be appointed and are hereby authorized to make good the said deed of conveyance for these lotts being improved agreeable to the act of assembly for constituting and erecting the said town."[ ] that deed, bearing date of january , , cited that on march , , lots nos. and were conveyed to george william fairfax, esq., and that as lot no. was only part of a lot it should be holden as parcel of the lot numbered and that the purchaser hold the same without being compelled to make any improvements other than what was by law required on one whole and entire lot. in , when fairfax by reason of prospective inheritances of land and titles, was contemplating removal to england he turned to robert adam, a successful businessman, for assistance in disposing of his alexandria property. court records reveal that george william fairfax and sarah, his wife, sold on november , , to robert adam, lots nos. and with all "houses, buildings, orchards, ways, waters, water courses" for £ current money of virginia.[ ] the transaction deed was witnessed by george washington, anthony ramsay, and james adam, and it is interesting that the entry for that day in washington's diary reads: "went a hunting in the morning with jacky custis. returned about o'clock and found colo. fairfax and lady here, mrs. fanny ballendine and her nieces, miss sally fairfax, and mr. r. adam, mr. jas. adam, and mr. anthy. ramsay, all of who went away in the afternoon, when miss scott came."[ ] this deed was recorded at fairfax court on september , , with another deed from john carlyle and george william fairfax, executors of the estate of william fairfax, to convey lot no. with all houses, building, etc., to robert adam for £ . up to this time only one house stood on lots and . it may well be that adam acted only as agent for george william fairfax, or that he assured title to the property for cash advanced. within the month he had sold half of the lots to andrew wales, a brewer, for £ _s._ _d._, nearly as much as he paid for the entire property. the other portion he sold to john hough, gentleman, of loudoun county, virginia. robert adam was quite the man of affairs in alexandria. born in kilbride, scotland, in , the son of the reverend john adam and wife (_née_ janet campbell), he came to maryland at about twenty years of age and was in alexandria before , associating himself with that merchant prince of the town, john carlyle, as early as . the firm of carlyle & adam acted as agents for mount vernon as well as belvoir, handling the wheat and tobacco from these plantations. washington was close to both men until he was outraged by treatment accorded his wheat and bags, though he afterward did adam the honor of dining with him. following colonel william fairfax's death, robert adam succeeded to his place as a town trustee. in , with others from alexandria, he was active in founding the masonic lodge. at the opening of the lodge in , he was elected and served as its first worshipful master, along with robert mccrea as senior warden, elisha c. dick as junior warden, william herbert as secretary, and william ramsay as treasurer. the year saw the erection of the alexandria academy and robert adam laying the cornerstone. like adam before him john hough had only a passing interest in the property of george william fairfax. he disposed of two small lots, one to benjamin shreve, a hatter, and one to george gilpin, the colonel-to-be. he sold the remainder of lots nos. , and , fronting on prince street to john harper, a sea captain of philadelphia, in june for the munificent sum of £ , with all and every improvement and all houses, buildings, and so on. [illustration: the small parlor, restored. a blending of old and new] it is possible that harper occupied george william fairfax's house, but it is certain that he let it to colonel william lyle of prince georges county, maryland, in --probably before--and also as late as , when lyle returned to maryland. tax records show that lyle was renting from harper on prince street during this time. in he was taxed for " whites, blacks, horses, and cattle."[ ] he is mentioned several times in washington's diaries as being at mount vernon, and at least once washington came to alexandria and dined with colonel lyle. for a time colonel lyle was associated with colonel john fitzgerald in the shipping trade under the firm name of lyle & fitzgerald. during the revolution he served on the alexandria committee of safety. from until his departure to maryland, lyle was an active member of the sun fire company. he owned considerable property in alexandria. at one time he determined to build a dwelling house on part of lot no. on the corner of prince and water [now lee] streets, which he had purchased from john harper, but he sold the lot without fulfilling his intentions. when peace came in , captain john harper, whose real-estate plans had been deferred by hostilities, began the division of his fairfax property into building lots. at amazing speed and increasing prices he sold off what had formerly been gardens and orchards, and as soon as george william fairfax's house was vacated by colonel lyle, harper disposed of it to william hodgson of whitehaven, england, in . now our story of the hodgson tenure must leave alexandria to combine for a brief moment with the great house of lee. [illustration: the front room: the excellent adam mantel from the jonah thompson house is an improvement to replace a later one with a latrobe stove] among the famous sons of the sire of stratford hall (westmoreland county, virginia), thomas lee, and his wife hannah ludwell, was william lee, who was born in . he went to england about as a virginia merchant selling tobacco and acting as london agent for his virginia clients. in london in , william lee married his cousin, hannah phillipi ludwell (daughter of philip ludwell and frances grymes of green spring). william lee took an active interest in politics and was elected as an alderman of london in . this did not prevent him from doing all in his power to aid the american colonists. we find him going to paris in april as commercial agent for the continental congress and working with his brother, arthur lee, on various diplomatic missions. while serving at the hague he was ordered to the courts of berlin and vienna, but his services were thought to be so valuable it was decided to leave him in holland. arthur lee was sent on to berlin in his place, but later william lee was appointed to the austrian capital. [illustration: block of prince street. the old dominion bank and the houses of george william fairfax, dr. james craik and dr. elisha cullen dick] the four children of william and hannah phillipi lee were born abroad. the first child, william ludwell ( - ) was born in london; portia ( - ) either in london or at the hague; brutus ( - ) at the hague; and cornelia ( - ) at brussels. william lee remained abroad until , when he returned to his plantation, green spring, near williamsburg. peace had not then been concluded and he had such difficulty in obtaining passage for himself and family to virginia that he was forced to purchase a ship for the voyage. the lees set sail from ostend on june , arriving home september .[ ] while living in london william lee was thrown into contact with william hodgson, formerly of whitehaven. this gentleman was an "active friend" of america, a "fire-eating radical," and a member of "the honest whigs," a supper club of which benjamin franklin was a member, and the "presiding genius." hodgson, also a member of the royal society, then composed of the intellectuals of the day--the premier scientific society of the english world--rendered valuable aid to the american commissioners in paris by correspondence with franklin in which he passed on much useful information. an enthusiastically outspoken recalcitrant, hodgson was not content with his contribution to the american cause, but took up the cudgels for the french, and was promptly launched into very hot water. two years in newgate prison followed his hearty toast "the french republic," and the epithet he applied to his majesty, george iii, of "german hogbutcher."[ ] after this experience, it is not surprising that hodgson removed himself beyond the seas. he turns up at dinner at mount vernon in june . two years later we find him buying a house and lot for £ , from john harper on prince street. the evidence is that he was already in this house as a tenant. here he set up in the dry-goods business, using the first floor for his store and countinghouse, and the upper part as his dwelling. what could be more natural than mr. hodgson looking up his friends, the lees, on his arrival in virginia? his old friend, william, had died. portia, now an orphan, was a young lady of handsome estate. mr. hodgson was dining rather frequently at mount vernon in , and the general was writing of him always as "mr. hodgden."[ ] twice he was in company with portia, the last time appearing in a diary entry of june with his wife at dinner. mrs. hodgson was, of course, the former miss portia lee. sometime this same year he brought her to his dry-goods store and dwelling house on prince street. built some forty-odd years before, this house was doubtless in need of numerous repairs. the hodgsons resided for upward of twenty-five years in the old town house of the fairfaxes. they were the parents of eight children, so many that hodgson found it necessary to give over to his family the lower floor of the house that he had been using as his store and countinghouse and to confine his activities to his warehouse and wharf on union and prince. about this time the house seems to have undergone many changes. a new front entrance was added, the stairway changed, a fashionable arch and reeded mantels appeared. in other words, the house was "done over" in the newest taste and latest fashion. in hodgson was forced to sell his house due to his inability to meet a trust placed on the property in . it was purchased in by john gardner ladd, senior partner of john gardner ladd & company. ladd appears to have come to alexandria from providence, rhode island, late in the eighteenth century. he is mentioned in washington's diary as dining at mount vernon on february , . a little glimpse into his private affairs is revealed by an old customs house record for the year . under the entry for thursday, january , we discover that the ship _america_, captain luckett in command, sailed for the west indies and that "john g. ladd, esq., of the house of j.g.l. & co. goes out in this ship, with a view of benefitting his health." his will, bearing date of february , , and leaving to his wife, sarah, for her life "the entire use and emoluments of my dwelling house and lotts on prince and water streets (formerly the property of william hodgson)," seems to indicate that this wish was not realized. the home remained in the ladd family for the better part of thirty-five years. * * * * * to alexandrians of later days, prince street was known for many years as the home of the honorable lewis mackenzie. this house had the first bathroom and tub in alexandria. a niece of mackenzie has stated that her childhood had no more enthralling experience than leaning out of the third story window and watching the water pour into prince street from a hole in the wall. it was hit or miss with the pedestrians below! mackenzie also had the first heated halls in alexandria, and nearly burned up the house in consequence. he simply bricked up a small chimney in a corner of the hall and installed wood stoves. despite the hazard, the warm halls were a great luxury in those days, for before the advent of central heating all virginians regarded halls in the wintertime as places to pass through as quickly as possible. lewis mackenzie, who owned the fairfax house until , was one of the eight children of captain james mackenzie, mariner. the unique wedding of his father and mother had been reported by the _times and alexandria advertiser_ almost a century earlier ( ). its nautical motif arrests our attention and carries us to the wharves of alexandria in the time of george washington: we have to record an event of unusual interest which took place in our harbor yesterday, on board the good ship "lexington" which lay in the stream opposite the town. the "lexington," dressed in her gayest rig, was loaded with a full cargo of tobacco, in hogsheads, and only awaited the arrival of her commander, capt. james mackenzie, before proceeding on her voyage to holland. the wind was fair, and the sun shone brightly. the jolly tars had donned their holiday garb, and as the first officer walked the deck and looked anxiously towards the town, it was evident that an unusual event was about to occur. the shipping in port showed the flags of all nations, and on the british man-of-war, which lay close to the "lexington," could be seen the bright uniforms of the marines marshalled by their officers. precisely at ten o'clock several boats put off from conway's wharf, and on rounding under the stern of the "lexington," the rolling of the frigate's drums could be heard as the crew manned the yards. a gay company passed up the gangway, led by the commander of the "lexington" who was accompanied by miss margaret steel and a clergyman from maryland. on the order of the officer on board the frigate, the marines came to "present arms" in handsome style. it was then that capt. mackenzie received his bride, the fine band of the frigate discoursing its sweetest music as the guests departed. the order to "weigh anchor" was then given, and the gallant captain, accompanied by his youthful bride, "squared away" for his port of destination, with many good wishes for his safe return. [illustration] [illustration: gadsby's tavern doorway comes home after four decades in the metropolitan museum of art, new york, as alexandria celebrates its th anniversary] [illustration] chapter john gadsby and his famous tavern [gadsby's tavern is controlled today by the gadsby's tavern board, inc., under the auspices of the american legion. the patriotic organizations of alexandria have joined in the restoration of this building. in the alexandria chapter of the colonial dames of america, the alexandria chapters of the daughters of the american revolution and the washington society, restored the first floor, which included the famous dining rooms of the city hotel. due to the untiring efforts of the late mrs. c.a.s. sinclair, state regent of the virginia d.a.r., and mrs. robert m. reese, one of the most worthwhile restorations in virginia was completed in the fall of in the replacement of the woodwork in the ballroom. happily, the floor is original. the inventory called for a coal grate, and in the attic the original grate, of adam design, was found. in - , the alexandria association made a careful restoration of the roof, cornice and dormers, enabling other much needed work to go forward and before this book goes to press the original doorway in which washington stood to receive his last official tribute in alexandria will have been brought back from the metropolitan museum of art (where it has been for four decades) to its rightful location. this patriotic restoration of the doorway by the alexandria association has been made possible by the past president and honorary president of the association, colonel charles b. moore, u.s.a., ret.] when alexandria was one of the three largest seaports in america, a busy city of shipping merchants, a rendezvous for travelers, soldiers, and people of note, it was from necessity a city of taverns and hotels. many are the tales, handed down from the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century travelers, and from the advertisements of the journals of that time, that, put together, form a very complete picture of this early american hostelry. the most famous tavern in alexandria, perhaps in america, are the buildings on the corner of cameron and royal streets, generally known and spoken of today as gadsby's tavern. built in , the smaller of these buildings was known for fifty years or more as the city tavern, and sometimes as the coffee house. john wise built the large brick addition adjoining the city tavern in . on february , , the _alexandria gazette_ carried the following announcement of mr. wise's city tavern: sign of the bunch of grapes the subscriber informs the public in general that he has removed from the old house where he has kept tavern for four years past to his new elegant three story brick house fronting the west end of the market house which was built for a tavern and has twenty commodious, well-furnished rooms in it, where he has laid in a large stock of good old liquors and hopes he will be able to give satisfaction to all who may please to favor him with their custom. * * * * * david rankin barbee says that the hotel was opened on february with festivities commemorating the birthday of general washington: "as the guests assembled they were amazed as well they might be, at the internal arrangements of the new hostelry."[ ] * * * * * in wise's new hotel, alexandria architecture reaches its highest expression. for its day and time it was the ultimate in comfort and elegance; more than that, it was in exquisite taste. a well known architectural historian has written of the ballroom, "one can sense that it was built as an assembly room for gentlefolk";[ ] and gentlefolk used it for near a century. when the jockey club races were run on november , , we find the members dining at wise's inn, "the dinner to be on the table at three o'clock."[ ] for the better entertainment of the guests, "mr. card performed wonderful feats at the tavern every evening during the races. feats in cards, slack-wire, celebrated equilibrist, ground and lofty tumbling."[ ] and for the benefit of the ladies, november : "information is hereby given that there will be a dancing assembly this evening at mr. wise's, to which are invited the ladies of alexandria and its vicinity on both sides of the river. tickets for the gentlemen, without which none can be admitted, may be had at the bar."[ ] out turned crimson velvet breeches, green damask coats laced with silver, or cinnamon damask with broad gold lace, while ladies in failles, lena gauzes, velvets, lace and ribbon took their places beside the dandies. logs and coals glowed, candles burned, while the gossips sat against the wall and passed on the grace of this or that gallant and his lady. when the gentry came to the races, they remained for the dance! high above the floor, attached to the wall, hung the musicians' gallery[ ] and to the strains of fiddle, flute, and banjo, the quality of the neighborhood bowed and glided. upon these boards skipped little satin slippers and many times the heavy tread of the first citizen of america, for this gentleman was ever fond of the dance. here gathered the masons from gunston hall and hollin hall; the lewises from woodlawn; the dulanys from shuters hill; the lears from wellington; the ramsays, herberts, fairfaxes, craiks, browns, roberdeaus, lees, fitzhughs, diggeses, custises, swifts and many other of the town's scottish gentry and their neighbors across the river. [illustration: the doorway from hall to ballroom stands invitingly open] in an englishman, one john gadsby, took over the tavern under a long lease. as fine as the tavern had been under wise, it was to reach new heights of public entertainment. running the two taverns as one, under the name of gadsby's, he brought its culinary fame to such a state of perfection that the odors of his dinners linger in the memory and titillate the palate to this day. there was always a fine stock of game, fish, oysters, terrapin, turkey and ham; madeira, port and brandy on hand for the traveler. our own great washington sat down to a very good dinner in his last days, if his adopted son, george washington parke custis be correct, for on being assured of a plentiful supply of canvasback ducks about which he had just made inquiry, he gave the following order: "very good, sir, give us some of them with a chaffing-dish, some hommony, and a bottle of good madeira, and we shall not complain."[ ] the fame of the tavern went out through the country and from boston to new orleans the traveler bent his efforts to make gadsby's. john gadsby established his own coach line from alexandria to philadelphia, and it was necessary to be a guest in city tavern or his associated inns to get seat or ticket. then he inserted the following notice in the _gazette_: march st, .--john gadsby informs the gentlemen of alexandria that he has fitted up a large and convenient stable well provided with hay, oats, etc., and an attentive hostler, and those who may send their horses may depend on proper attention being paid to them on moderate terms. this was very enticing to gentlemen traveling by horseback as well as those in the city not having private stables. such men as george mason, thomas jefferson, alexander hamilton, george clinton, benjamin franklin, braddock, the byrds, grymeses, fitzhughs, lees and washingtons are among those who came here. one fine old tale has it that in , in the old tavern courtyard, john paul jones met two bewildered frenchmen in a dreadful dilemma--strangers in a strange land, speaking a strange tongue, unable to make themselves understood and doubtless very cross. by his knowledge of french, our brave privateer was enabled to smooth the way for these gentlemen, none other than baron de kalb and the marquis de la fayette, and the tale goes on that this assistance was so gratefully received that a friendship lasting a lifetime resulted from the encounter. the two taverns housed and fed most of the important persons visiting the country from for the next hundred years. [illustration: ballroom of gadsby's tavern, purchased and taken from alexandria by the metropolitan museum of art of new york, where it is now on exhibit] the fairfax resolves were prepared here--those resolves that eventually grew into the virginia bill of rights. in this tavern met the little convention called by general washington to settle the import duties upon the potomac river commerce which led in time to the convention in philadelphia which prepared the constitution of the united states. in gadsby entered into a new lease with wise for fifteen years. in the indenture, reference is made to a three-story brick house and a two-story brick house, a brick kitchen and several wooden houses. gadsby at this time was granted permission by wise to erect at his own expense a brick stable one hundred feet long and twenty-seven feet wide and of a suitable height. he was also given permission to erect at his own expense another brick house forty-five feet long and fifteen or sixteen feet wide and two stories high, finished in a neat and decent manner so as to be habitable, and he also agreed to extend a wall thirty feet long and of the same height. the annual rent was to be two thousand dollars, and gadsby agreed to paint the three-story brick house and the two-story house outside and inside, and he had permission to remove what wooden buildings were necessary and to keep the remainder in good repair. [illustration: in the ballroom the musicians played from the balcony suspended from the ceiling. this is the restored ballroom] that gadsby did not desire to keep the tavern so long is borne out seven years later when on november , , john wise, n.s. wise, and r.i. taylor leased the tavern to william caton for three months and then for nine years for two thousand dollars a year, and stated the tavern was "formerly occupied by john gadsby."[ ] but the following year caton had had enough and the _alexandria gazette_, on march , , carried the following advertisement: to the public the subscriber has taken for a term of years that noted and eligible establishment known by the name of the city hotel, and once occupied by mr. gadsby whose distinguished abilities as a publican gave it an éclat which the subscriber hopes to preserve by his unremitting exertions.... james brook. [illustration: ballroom fireplace containing original grate before which the gentry were wont to stand on winter nights] in an englishman traveling incognito, put up at the tavern, formerly gadsby's, became ill, and after it was discovered that he belonged to the masonic fraternity, he was nursed by the gentlemen of the alexandria lodge. making a happy recovery, the gentleman departed, and apparently that was the last of him. four years passed. one day there arrived by ship an enormous packing box for the lodge. it contained twenty-five hundred pieces of cut glass, decanters of all sizes, and glasses for any liquor distilled. the bottom of each piece was engraved with the masonic emblem and the initials and number of the lodge. the enclosed card read simply: "from an english gentleman and brother in appreciation for fraternal courtesies." one hundred and seventy-five pieces remain in the masonic museum today, after more than a hundred years of use, and excellent crystal it is. one of the most romantic stories told of gadsby's, a true one at that, is the mysterious tale of the female stranger. on a day in early autumn of a ship docked at the wharf in alexandria, purported to have come from the west indies. down the ways came a striking couple. luxuriously apparelled, they presented figures of great elegance. the handsome young "milord" was all tender solicitude for the fragile beauty clinging weakly to his arm in a state of collapse. bystanders were considerably intrigued and greatly impressed by the distinguished strangers. unquestionably they were rich, and certainly noble. it was indeed curious that such important people had no attendants, neither manservant nor maidservant, and the young lady sadly in need of assistance. even while the sailors were busy with the great ropes and anchors the handsome stranger was making arrogant inquiries for the best tavern in the town and demanding a carriage for transporting the lady there with the least delay. first impressions were borne out, the gentleman was undoubtedly english, and he was a person of importance! [illustration: in the coffee house. a fine mantel and panelled chimney breast] [illustration: doorway to coffee house or city tavern] naturally the strangers were directed to the best the town afforded, and to "mr. gadsby's city hotel" the young people came looking for rooms. the gentleman evidently took mine host into his confidence and was provided with the most elegant accommodations. the young woman was put to bed and a physician ordered in attendance. she was truly very ill. two of alexandria's good samaritans were informed of the pitiful little sick girl's condition and mrs. john s. wise and mrs. james stuart took their turns with the invalid. the husband proved himself devoted and fairly daft with anxiety, and 'twas said rarely left the bedside. the young woman grew rapidly worse. the skillful nursing, the constant and faithful attendance of the physicians were all useless, and after an illness of several weeks, the female stranger died. thus she has been remembered in alexandria, for a very curious thing had occurred. the doctors and volunteer nurses were asked to take an oath before ever they entered that sick chamber, and swore never to reveal aught that they heard, saw, or learned. that oath they kept. the young woman's name, her destination, her former habitation, have never been revealed, and her secrets lie buried with her. [illustration: the coffee house or city tavern which later was run as one with gadsby's tavern and city hotel. headquarters for washington and the alexandria militia in ] many are the stories that survive. some say the husband decamped without paying his host, doctors, and nurses. others that he had eloped with this girl of good family and destroyed her reputation, and so brought about her death. one story claims that he was a criminal and was seen in prison by a gentleman from alexandria, and others far more romantic tell of his reappearance at stated intervals in alexandria when he was observed prostrate upon the tomb. whatever his own story, he placed the mortal remains of the little stranger in st. paul's cemetery and covered her with a table tomb which is inscribed with the equally mysterious inscription: to the memory of a female stranger whose mortal sufferings terminated on the fourteenth day of october, . this stone is erected by her disconsolate husband in whose arms she sighed out her last breath, and who under god did his utmost to sooth the cold, dull hour of death. how loved, how honor'd once avails thee not, to whom related or by whom begot. a heap of dust remains of thee 'tis all thou are, and all the proud shall be. in the celebrated actress, anne warren, known as the "ornament of the american stage," was acting at the new theatre, liberty hall, just across from the tavern on cameron street. while stopping at gadsby's she became ill and died. (not all the tavern's patrons were so afflicted.) it is said that her interment was the last in old christ church yard. on october , , la fayette was entertained by the alexandrians "amid the wildest popular demonstration of joy and affection,"[ ] and again in february , he returned to alexandria and gadsby's for a farewell entertainment by the masonic lodge. the tavern at this time was run by a mr. claggett. washington's association alone is sufficient fame for gadsby's. in the little tavern he recruited his first military command, when as colonel of virginia militia in he set out to protect the virginia frontier from the french and indians. again in , as aide to general braddock, he established headquarters at the city tavern. here, prior to the revolution, he celebrated the king's birthday anniversary balls, an institution subsequently replaced by festivities of his own birthnight anniversaries: february th, [ nd, new style] went up to alexandria to the celebration of my birthday. many manoeuvres were performed by the uniform corps, and an elegant ball and supper at night.[ ] at gadsby's he was entertained right royally by proud and patriotic citizens on his way to new york to be inaugurated as president, and on his return to mount vernon and private life. throughout his life he attended the assembly balls, and from the steps of the new building he gave his last military order and took his last military review. john gadsby left alexandria for greater fields--his hotels in baltimore and washington were in time more important than the city hotel. he had a positive talent for presidents, and knew them all from washington to polk. on the least provocation, it was said, he could put on an entertainment that would furnish food for gossip for a week. in gadsby bought the decatur house in washington, and proceeded to entertain the élite of the town with the finest his kitchen and wine cellar could produce. president and mrs. polk often attended these functions. again to quote barbee: "the chevalier adolph bacourt, minister from france, attended one of these functions."[ ] the gentleman was not very happy about it, and denouncing gadsby, he wrote of him: he is an old wretch who has made a fortune in the slave trade, which does not prevent washington society from rushing to his house, and i should make myself very unpopular if i refused to associate with this kind of people. this gentleman's house is the most beautiful in the city, and perfect in the distribution of the rooms; but what society, my god![ ] gadsby died in the decatur house in washington in his seventy-fourth year, leaving his widow (a beautiful third wife!) to reign in this mansion some years after his death. he is buried in the congressional cemetery, surrounded by his children and grandchildren. [illustration] [illustration] chapter the michael swope house [ prince street. owners: mr. and mrs. hugh b. cox.] there is an ancient house in alexandria whose rusty rose brick façade and beautifully hand-carved eighteenth century doorway add ornament and distinction to the block of prince street. not many years ago mrs. alexander murray (the daughter of a former owner) who had spent her girlhood in this old house remarked to the author, "you know, the house has a ghost. there is a story that an american revolutionary spy who was executed by the british haunts the place." every proper old mansion should have a ghost--and what could be nicer than an american patriot--blue coat and cocked hat? time passed. mrs. murray's story remained to be written, when about general dalton came into possession of prince street. hearing that his house had been broken into, he requested his friend, mrs. sheen, the wife of colonel sheen, to examine the house and have the lock repaired. mrs. sheen with her son, gordon, and a negro went to general dalton's empty house to repair the door and to lock the mansion. while the negro was working on the lock, he said, "i certainly does feel funny. there's something strange about this house. let's hurry and get out o' here." whereupon gordon sheen pooh-poohed the idea, standing by the negro to reassure him. suddenly he saw (or said he saw) in the doorway at the end of the hall a soldier in revolutionary uniform walking toward him. when the apparition reached the music room or library, it turned sharply to the right into the room and disappeared. [illustration: doorway to colonel michael swope's house] some time after this mrs. sheen was showing general dalton's house to friends who had been living abroad and wanted a home. the two ladies had been through the lower floors and started to the third story. at the top of the steps the visitor said, "i can't go farther. something is pushing me back." mrs. sheen at once descended the stairs, thinking her friend ill. when they reached the first floor the lady from abroad said, "a force was pushing me backward. i am quite psychic, you know, and the ghost who inhabits this house would make it impossible for me to live here. i love the house and should like to own it, but i should not be permitted to do so." at the second auction of lots held on july , , augustine washington, brother of lawrence washington and half-brother of george, bought lots nos. and for fifteen _pistoles_. at a meeting of the trustees on june , , lots nos. and , the property of augustine washington, along with other lots were ordered to "be sold to the highest bidder at a public vendue, the several proprietors thereof having failed to build thereon according to the directions of the act of assembly in that case made and provided and it is further ordered that the clerk do give public notice that the sale of the said lotts will be at the town aforesaid on the first day of august next."[ ] in the minutes of the trustees for september , , lots nos. and were entered as sold to william ramsay for - / _pistoles_, or £ _s._ _d._ the next document in regard to these lots is an indenture made july , , between william ramsay, of the county of fairfax and the colony of virginia, merchant, and anne, his wife, of the one part, and john dixon of the county of cumberland in the kingdom of england, merchant, of the other part, whereby william ramsay in consideration of the sum of £ _ s._ sterling money of great britain to him in hand paid by john dixon releases, grants, confirms, etc. to john dixon certain lands described fully ( , acres) and "also the following lotts or half acres of land situate lying and being in the town of alexandria in the county of fairfax to wit lott number thirty-four, forty, forty-six, forty-seven, and the lotts number _sixty-four_, _sixty-five_ [author's emphasis] as the same are numbered in the plan and survey of the said town originally made by john west junr., as also the following negro and mulatto slaves with their increase (to wit) peter the joyner, jacob, sophia, whitehaven, moll, sall, peter, imanuel, winnifrid and her child, zilla, phillis, and clarisa, all which said lands and tenements lotts of land and slaves are now in the actual possession of the said john dixon by virtue of one indenture bearing date the day before the date of these presents and by force of the statute for transferring uses into possessions to have and to hold the said lands tenements and all and singular other premises with them and every of their appurtenances together with the aforesaid slaves unto the said john dixon, his heirs and assigns forever,"[ ] provided always that if william ramsay shall pay or cause paid to john dixon of the town of white haven, england, the just sum of £ _s._ with interest at five per cent per annum on the first day of july next, he will again come into possession of this vast property. [illustration: the great room] in the following august, dixon appointed harry piper of alexandria his true and lawful attorney to collect and receive for him all sums of money or tobacco which might become due, "and furthermore for as much as i have taken a deed of mortgage from mr. william ramsay of the town of alexandria in the colony of virginia, merchant, for sundrie lotts or half acres of land in the town of alexandria with ye houses, gardens and other improvements thereon, together with sundrie slaves as also one tract or parcel of land...."[ ] in by a letter of attorney, dated august , john dixon, merchant, of the town of white haven in the kingdom of great britain, authorized and empowered his attorney, harry piper of alexandria, to take all legal means of foreclosure to receive the sum of £ from william ramsay who had mortgaged certain part of lots nos. and with sundry slaves to secure that amount. john dixon in turn sold this property to the scottish firm of shipping merchants, robert mccrea, robert mease, & john boyd in , and in boyd released his part of the property to mccrea and mease for the sum of £ , with all houses, alleys, profits, commodities, and so on. that william ramsay built at least a part of this house seems almost indisputable. first, augustine washington had forfeited the property by not complying with the law to build thereon, and it seems hardly possible that ramsay should have owned the property from to without complying with this act of the assembly. furthermore, in the appointment of piper as dixon's attorney on august , , the property is referred to as consisting of houses, gardens, and other improvements thereon. dixon disposed of the property in to mccrea, mease & boyd, and four years later boyd released his part for £ , with all houses, alleys, and so on. little construction was done in alexandria from to , for this was the period of the revolutionary war and no capital was going begging in the colonies at this date. besides this evidence, the house has every appearance of a colonial building and the woodwork is all mid-eighteenth century in design. william ramsay was an original trustee, appointed by the assembly for laying out the town. for a time he was successful and prosperous, owning much property, until overtaken by great misfortunes and compound interest! all of which brings us to michael swope of york, pennsylvania, a worthy gentleman of ancient lineage, patriotic inclinations, and distinguished service. the family bible attests the fact that he held many offices of trust--judge of the orphans' court; justice of the peace; member of the assembly; colonel, first battalion, first brigade, pennsylvania flying camp regiment, being but some of them. he was captured at fort washington and kept a prisoner of war for a number of years, suffering great hardship and privation. [illustration: stairway and kitchen at colonel michael swope's] when the revolutionary war was over, colonel swope's health was undermined and he found the severe pennsylvania winters unbearable. with his wife and family he moved south to alexandria, where he set up in the ship chandlery business with his sons. he purchased from robert and ann mccrea and robert mease the property already described as a residence in . in a later deed of june , , it is recited that michael swope erected a large three-story brick building on these premises in . this house at prince street is a fitting memorial to this officer. the doorway to the dignified old town mansion is one of the best examples of georgian woodwork in alexandria, and remains, save for one small patch and a new fanlight, in its original state. the back drawing room is splendidly proportioned. the paneled mantel flanked by fluted pilasters is in keeping with the other woodwork which is good throughout the house. some of the best, a cupboard, was found on the third floor and brought down to replace one missing in the great room. since it fitted perfectly, it is quite possible that it has only been returned to its original place. the rear wing of the house seems older and more worn than the front, giving the feeling of earlier construction. during colonel swope's occupancy fine furniture filled these rooms. in the alexandria clerk's office an inventory of colonel swope's possessions, taken in , fills several pages of legal paper when copied in its entirety. such things were listed as "one clock and case, one mahogany dining table and eight chairs, one spinnett, one large looking glass, four small ones, one dressing table, one desk and drawers, five beds with all their furniture and linen belonging to them and bedsteads, two franklin stoves, one riding chair and harness, sundry china and queensware, eight decanters, pounds of pewter, sundry silver furniture, to wit, two cream pots, five tablespoons, six teaspoons, two soup laddles, one tankard, and also one negro woman and her child named jude."[ ] these are but a few of the colonel's possessions, scattered these many years among his descendants. michael swope and his sons were successful in the thriving seaport of alexandria, and when adam walter, the second son, was married he moved to philadelphia, where he set up in the shipping business as a partner of his father. his father built for him a home at catherine street and 'tis said that the architecture very much resembles the prince street house. michael swope died in , aged eighty-four years. the body of the old hero was taken by boat from the port of alexandria to the port of philadelphia where he was interred in the swope family vault in union cemetery at sixth and federal streets. about , during the yellow fever epidemic, the city board of health issued orders to have this vault cleaned out. it is said that the metal casket containing the earthly remains of michael swope was then in good condition. perhaps, after all, colonel swope is the ghost that haunts this old house and chooses its inmates. [illustration] chapter dr. william brown and his dwelling [ south fairfax street. owners: honorable and mrs. howard r. tolley.] between george mason's house, gunston hall, and mount vernon, on highway , about seventeen miles south of alexandria, stands the colonial church of pohick. there is an old cemetery behind a brick wall, beginning at the very door of the church and rambling over an acre or so of the yard. among the tombs is that of one man peculiarly and intimately connected with the town of alexandria. he was one of the forty-odd officers of the revolution to go from here, one of the twelve or more charter members of the society of the cincinnati, prominent for his contribution to his profession, and remembered for his friendship and association with washington. his tomb was not originally placed at pohick. it stood for many years in the private graveyard at preston, now the site of the potomac railroad yards, and was removed when that vandal of our port, "progress" claimed the site. let us trace the worn letters on the old stone: in memory of/william brown, m.d./(formerly physician general to the hospital of the united states)/who died on the th day of jan'y /in the th year of his age;/this tablet is inscribed/by/his affectionate & afflicted widow/his zeal & fidelity as a patriot/his patience, diligence & skill as a physician/his benevolence, curtesy & integrity as a man/secured him/the applause of his country/the honor & emoluments of his profession/the respect of the wealthy/and/the veneration of the poor/let/the grateful witness of his virtues in domestic life/add/that as a husband, father & master he was tender, instructive & humane/that he lived without guile/and died without reproach. dr. brown's grandfather was dr. gustavus brown who emigrated to maryland in and in married frances, the daughter of colonel gerard fawke. their son, richard brown, returned to england to prepare himself for the church. richard's son, william, was born in scotland in ; was educated at the university of edinburgh, graduated in , and came to america. this is alexandria's dr. brown. this young scotsman, gentle born, learned, traveled, handsome, came to virginia at the age of twenty-two. he began to explore the south side of the potomac, and his path often led to dumfries and to the homes of his relations there, the reverend james scott's family, at the rectory, and the blackburns at rippon lodge. sometimes the carriage was brought out, or the horses saddled, or even the barge manned, and off to mount vernon the family would go. it was always pleasant at mount vernon for young people. never the week went by but some of them gathered for dinner or to spend the night, and often both. when washington returned from alexandria, where he was attending court on may , , he found his guests included colonel blackburn and lady, from rippon lodge, miss scott, mrs. blackburn's sister (both were daughters of james scott, rector of the church at dumfries), miss brown and young dr. brown. "this company spent the night and went away the next morning."[ ] whether this was the beginning or the culmination of the romance, none now can tell, but by miss scott was already mrs. brown, and the mother of two very small sons, william jr. being born that year. the young family was doubtless residing in general washington's town house, and for this there is the authority of the general himself. in a letter to his nephew, bushrod, dated november , he writes, "if you could accomodate yourself to my small house in town (where doctr. brown formerly lived) you shall be very welcome to the use of it rent free."[ ] previous to this, in , lund washington's ledger reveals that he had received £ from dr. brown on account of gen^l washington for "rent of house in alexandria."[ ] in the general's own account ledger he refers to dr. brown's rent as having been fixed by "m^r l^d washington at £ a year for my house," and the sum is cancelled due to advances made by dr. brown and for professional services.[ ] in july , dr. brown purchased from john mills the white clapboard house that has been identified as his alexandria home. he purchased twenty-six additional feet south on fairfax street adjoining his dwelling house, from robert townshend hooe and richard harrison, merchants, on july , . this property became his garden. [illustration: dr. william brown's clapboard residence] an alexandria tradition and the brown family belief is that the house was built by him prior to the revolution. it is, indeed, very old and probably dates between , when the property was mortgaged by william ramsay to john dixon of white haven, england, and , when the property was sold to dr. william brown by john mills, for the sum of £ , indicating a substantial structure. there was at least one house on lot no. , and dr. brown's house is the only one standing on that lot today at all indicative of a pre-revolutionary dwelling. if the house was not built by ramsay, the probability is that it was built by mills between and , which is doubtful, as building during the revolution was so difficult as to make it almost impossible. the home of the young browns was the gathering place for the élite of alexandria and the countryside. the washingtons dined and passed the evening frequently. the blackburns came often from rippon lodge, the brown cousins from port tobacco, and of course dr. craik from around the corner. colonel fitzgerald, colonel swope, and colonel lyles were all near neighbors. the doctor was a man of fine attainments. active in the church, he served as vestryman at christ church; public spirited, he was the moving force in the founding of the sun fire company; and the alexandria academy was largely his idea. it was in great part due to his efforts that washington was aroused to take an active part in this project, to contribute £ annually, and at his death to will £ , to this institution. at the outbreak of the war with england, washington showed his confidence by appointing dr. brown physician-general and director of hospitals of the continental army. he served throughout the revolution. brown wrote and published the first _american pharmacopoeia_ in , "for the sake of expedition and accuracy in performing the practice, and also to introduce a degree of uniformity therein throughout the several hospitals," the title pages read. it was due to hardships suffered at valley forge that he died in at the age of forty-four years. the following notice appeared in the _virginia gazette and alexandria advertiser_ for thursday, january , : on friday, last, after a tedious and excrutiating illness, the iron hand of relentless death arrested and hurried that amiable citizen, dr. william brown, to the world of spirits, "from whence no traveller returns!" all the love we bore him could not add one "supernumerary gasp." he long felt the approaches of vital dissolution--no vain laments--but sustained it with religious intrepidity, such as marks the dignity of a christian hero. he felt the force of republican principles early in life, and stept forth, in the infancy of the american war, to oppose the british king.--how often have i heard him, with the ardour of a patriot, expatiate on the firmness and virtues of a hampden and a sidney! viewing with horror the piteous situation of our virtuous and wounded soldiery--the derangement of the hospitals and medical department--he relinquished his domestic ease and lucrative employment, and offered his services to the continental congress. they were accepted--how he conducted the interesting and important charge, the testimony of that respectable body and his grateful country have long declared. having arranged and reformed the constitution of the army allocated to his care, and reduced the wild and extravagant practice to system and order, he left the service, and resumed his vocation in this town; in which he discovered the most exemplary tenderness, and unusual depth of professional knowledge. he was sagacious by nature, inquisitive and comprehensive, improved by study, and refined by sentiment. he was equalled by few in the social and domestic virtues of politeness and benevolence. he was the accomplished gentleman, and finished scholar--the best of husbands, and the best of parents. the poor and needy ever experienced the humanity of his tender and sympathetic soul. he was a man to hear "afflicktion's cry." the loss of so much charity, friendship and beneficence but claims the tributary tear; but, temper your grief, ye pensive relatives, and afflicted friends-- "the toils of life and pangs of death are o'er; and care, and pain, and sickness are no more." he is gone, we fondly hope, to chant anthems of praise to an approving god! though the struggles of nature are agonizing and prevailing, yet disturb not his gentle shade by impassioned woe!--"the lord gave, and the lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the lord." [illustration: hall and stairway in dr. brown's house] there are not many reminders left of the good doctor. in the library of congress a few bills rendered to colonel john fitzgerald for outfitting ships' medicine boxes and attending sick sailors; a letter from one thomas bond of philadelphia written in april to colonel fitzgerald stating that his brother "goes to virginia to study physic under dr. brown." in the virginia state library is a tax report showing that for the year he owned eight slaves and one cattle, and that in the doctor had three blacks and two horses. the minutes he wrote as clerk and treasurer of the sun fire company are preserved and, of course, a few copies of his _pharmacopoeia_. the dr. william brown house stands today much as it stood during his lifetime. architecturally and historically it is one of the most interesting in alexandria. no great house, this modest home built of white clapboard over brick and sitting close to the ground, rises two and one-half stories, hiding behind its stout doorway some of the best and certainly the most original woodwork in the old town. one enters a spacious hall, the wide board floors of which are worn with the passing of many years, and colored by use and time a deep amber. running around the hall is paneled wainscoting in alternating vertical and horizontal panels. the stairway rises from about the middle of the hall in easy steps to the second floor, the spindles are rather primitive and the entire stairway has a provincial air. the white baluster rail is matched by a handrail and supported by half a matching newel post; wherever the cornice breaks, it turns against itself. an amusing feature, one found sometimes in old houses, is an inside window opening from the back drawing room into the hallway. if the stair is simple, certainly the woodwork in the upstairs front room is most ambitious. mantel, overmantel and matching cupboards cover one entire wall, the chimney end of the room. the mantel is flanked by two fluted pilasters, reaching from floor to denticulated cornice. above the shelf is a rectangular dog-eared panel, in each of the four ears of which is a rosette. under the shelf, oblong panels carry out the same design, divided by a carved half urn. the shelf is supported by consoles and decorated by a fret that returns around the urn. the cupboards on each side of the mantel have, at the top, circular glass doors, surmounted by an arch and keystone. the bottom doors are wood paneled. the remainder of the woodwork is conventional, plain chair rail, baseboard and trim. [illustration: dr. brown's upstairs parlor] the kitchen with its dutch oven in the great brick chimney; the large fireplace where the old crane still hangs sturdily enough to support mrs. brown's best dinner, are in an excellent state of preservation. one is intrigued by some very ancient and peculiar waterworks that formed a part of the sanitary equipment in the culinary department and which function to this day. there is a heavy hand-hewn stone sink and a copper caldron with its own firebox and ashpit. formerly a large oaken bathtub stood in the back room off the kitchen and the water heated in the copper caldron was available to both rooms. an old brass spigot that served the bathtub remains. at dr. brown's death the house passed to his widow. she left it in trust for her daughter, sarah maynadier, and the maynadier grandchildren at her death in . the house remained in the maynadier family until april , , when the property was purchased by james green for seventeen hundred dollars. in , the present owners, the honorable and mrs. h.r. tolley, acquired the property. dr. brown's home has fallen into sympathetic hands. today queen anne chairs and piecrust tables grace the parlor. from the hall comes the vibrating tick-tock of a fine old clock. logs blaze cheerfully in open fireplaces, the flames reflected in old and polished silver. the hall window frames catherine brown's garden, which is divided into three sections, one shut off from the other by wall or fence, making private living areas of each. old trees, brick walks, ivy and flowering shrubs add their attractions. a tall brick smokehouse stands sentinel, all that remains of a number of outbuildings which clustered, village fashion, about the dwelling. [illustration: dr. william brown. from a miniature. (_courtesy mrs. bessie wilmarth gahn_)] [illustration] chapter the peruke shop [ prince street. owners: the moore family.] this house is completely surprising. many years ago the owners put on a new pressed-brick front and changed the sash from the usual small lights to two single lights of large dimensions. the transition from this front to an eighteenth century interior in a perfect state of preservation, produces upon one crossing the threshold the sensation of walking straight through the looking glass. and whither does the looking glass lead? right into the parlors of mr. william sewell! the stairway rises on the far side of a fine arch in the entrance hall. halfway up, it becomes obscured from view, leaving one gazing at a paneled ceiling, as it makes an abrupt about-face. the rooms on the second floor are quaint. low-pitched, sloping ceilings, off-center mantels with odd panels and chimney closets and six-paneled doors with h&l hinges, are amusing as well as charming. two parlors on the ground floor, opening off the hall, are formal and elegant. fine paneled chimney breasts dominate these rooms. dentils and fret trim cornices and mantels. chair rails, six-panel doors, wide board pine floors, and double doors opening flat against the walls, making the two rooms into one, are found here. in the front room the interesting feature is a franklin stove set in the fireplace--quite the last word in comfort in the s. on july , the reverend john moncure bought lot no. for £ _ s._ on march , , the deed for this property was filed at fairfax court house and described as lot no. , a half acre of land on royal and prince streets, as surveyed and platted by john west. two years later, june , , the reverend john moncure, along with other gentlemen of prominence in the colony, lost his lot for having failed to comply with the directions of the assembly to build thereon within three years. the following september there took place an auction of these forfeited lots, and no. passed to william sewell for £ _s._ _d._ at a court held at fairfax, on april , , with five gentlemen justices presiding; _to wit_, john carlyle, john west jun., john hunter, robert adam, and william bronaugh: william sewell brings into court his servant elizabeth mcnot for having a base born child. ordered that she serve for the same one year and she agrees to serve her said master six months in consideration of his paying her fine.[ ] thus out of the mist of one hundred and ninety years emerges again the dim figure of william sewell. and who, pray, was william sewell? peruke-maker! so called in a deed of trust dated , "william sewell peruke maker," and elizabeth, his wife. the same elizabeth? nearly two hundred years have passed since william dressed a wig or powdered a head, but if these parlors were his shop, and certainly they were, all the gentry in the town waited his pleasure here. visitors who came to alexandria and took part in the balls testified to the elegance of the ladies' apparel (almost always) and a lady to be elegant must have a well dressed head. it was rare, too, to see a gentleman without his peruke. william must have had a very large business. one likes to think that major washington dealt with sewell, and it is not difficult to imagine on ball evenings mrs. carlyle's maid rushing in, making a hasty curtsy and breathlessly demanding madam's wig; or perhaps mrs. fairfax's maid presents mrs. fairfax's compliments and "please, will mr. sewell come at two o'clock to dress mistress fairfax's hair?" nor, is it difficult to picture william, when the shop day is over, with his apprentices bent over the fine net, meticulously crocheting, by candlelight, the white hair into a lofty creation that will, in about six months time, take a lady's breath away. alas! alack! peruke-making and hair-dressing were not all they ought to be. poor william owed a lot of money. he was indebted with interest to john carlyle and john dalton for £ _s._ _d._; william ramsay for £ _s._ _d._; john muir for £ _s._ _d._--all merchants of alexandria. but that was not all; the kingdom of great britain was concerned. he owed one henry ellison, of white haven, merchant, £ _s._ _d._, and joshua pollard of liverpool, shipmaster, £ . poor william put up for security lot no. , with all buildings thereon, water rights, watercourses, etc., which led, eventually, to a sheriff's sale. by due process of law, and to satisfy and pay sundry mortgages, lot no. fell to william ramsay. [illustration: mantel in home of william sewell, peruke-maker] ramsay sold a part of this lot on prince and royal streets in to colin mciver, and the property was described as bounded today: "beginning feet inches west of royal and running west on prince feet, inches, thence feet north to a six foot alley, etc., for £ , with all houses, buildings, streets, lanes, allies, profits, etc." in colin mciver's son, john, sold the property to a philadelphia merchant named crammond for £ and crammond agreed to give up the house and land within a stated time to anyone paying more, or to pay the difference. after twenty-three years the property was bought by another merchant of philadelphia, thomas asley, for $ . , and within two years mr. asley sold it to john gird of alexandria, in the district of columbia, for $ , . in september , john gird had a note endorsed for $ , by isaac entwistle, and mortgaged some of his personal possessions which were listed as "one clock, one sideboard, two mahogany dining tables, two tea ditto, one pair card tables, one secretary, two bureaus, one writing desk, one dozen rush bottom chairs, one ditto with settee to match, one sofa, two looking glasses, carpets, brass andirons, two fenders, shovel, tongs, window curtains, three bedsteads and beds, chair, wash stand, chest, house linen, one set gilt tea china, four waiters, one half dozen silver teaspoons, one set plated castors, sundry glass and earthen ware, kitchen furniture, etc."[ ] six years later this debt was not cleared up and john gird secured the debt with his house and lot. thus ended gird's tenure and the property passed on through other hands for twenty-four years to the miller family; thence to isaac rudd, until the moore family purchased the house about . [illustration] [illustration] chapter historic christ church earliest parish records shed little light upon the spiritual life of the infant settlement of alexandria. first mention of services held in the town turns up in the old truro parish vestry book, under date of june , , when it was "ordered that the rev. mr. charles green do preach every third sunday."[ ] later entries in and respectively for "building the desk at alexandria"[ ] and "to have seats made for the church at alexandria"[ ] are puzzling since no mention occurs for any levies or appropriations for building or repairing. the inference would seem that some individual had provided a meeting place for services, though local tradition is firmly entrenched that a chapel of ease stood on pitt street near princess. fairfax parish emerged in as a daughter of the mother parish of truro. whatever previous arrangements for church attendance were provided for in alexandria, an increasing population now demanded a more appropriate and commodious place of worship. james wren, gentleman, designed the church and a contract to build it was originally let to one james parsons in for the sum of £ . for some reason, parsons failed to fulfill his contract and in the vestry appropriated an additional £ and gave colonel john carlyle the task of finishing the building. wren proved himself an able architect and carlyle a great builder. no cathedral in europe conveys greater serenity than this little church. cherished by alexandrians for one hundred and seventy-seven years, the ancient interior expresses all the spiritual and sacred qualities of man. the reredos is centered upon a palladian window, included as an element of the design. the window is flanked by the tablets for which james wren was paid eight pounds "to write" the lord's prayer, the creed, and the golden rule. fluted pilasters frame the windows and the tablets. a hexagonal wine-glass pulpit rising on its slender stem is surmounted by a hexagonal canopy. the pews, originally square, were divided in . the balcony was added much later, but is in perfect harmony with the earlier woodwork. the brick tower and interesting "pepper pot" steeple were built in . in an old deed at fairfax court house, dated , between john alexander of stafford county, gentleman, of the one part, and charles broadwater and henry gunnell, church wardens, of the other part, alexander, for and in consideration of the sum of one penny, current money, gave to the parish: all that piece or parcell of land situate lying and being near the town of alexandria in the parish of fairfax aforesaid where the new church built by james parsons stands, containing one acre, beginning at a locust post in a north west corner from the northwest corner of the church standing on the said land and at the distance of twenty three and one half feet from the said corner thence south seventy eight degrees east and parallel to the north wall of the church, twelve poles and sixteen and a quarter links, thence south deg. w. poles and and / links, thence n. deg. w. poles and and / links, thence n. deg. e. poles and and / links to the beginning to have and to hold the aforesaid piece or parcell of land with all and singular its appurtenances unto them the said charles broadwater and henry gunnell and their successors church wardens of the said parish of fairfax forever, to and for the use and benefit of the said parish, and the said john alexander for himself his heirs executors and administrators the aforesaid piece or parcell of land against the right, title interest, claim and demand of him the said john alexander and his heirs, and of any person claiming or to claim by from or under him the said john alexander or his heirs, to them the said charles broadwater and henry gunnell and their successors church wardens of the said parish of fairfax, to and for the use of the said parish of fairfax, will warrent and for ever defend by these presents. in testimony whereof he the said john alexander hath hereunto set his hand and affixed his seal the day and year aforesaid. john alexander [seal] signed, sealed and delivered in presence of i. kirk, david henley, rd. harrison, rob. h. harrison. received this day of october of the within named charles broadwater and henry gunnell church wardens of fairfax parish the consideration money in the within deed. john alexander witness i. kirk, david henley, rd. harrison, rob. h. harrison. at a court held for the county of fairfax th march this deed and receipt was proved by the oath of david henley, james kirk and robert hanson harrison to be the act and deed of john alexander and ordered to be recorded. test p. wagoner, cl. ct. [illustration: christ church where both washington and lee worshipped] as early as , general washington was chosen vestryman for truro parish and at the first election held in march , for the newly created fairfax parish (including alexandria) he was elected to that office. this development stemmed from the terms of an act of the virginia assembly which set the boundaries in such a way that mount vernon lay within the new parish. as repealed and revised four months later, legislation returned mount vernon to truro. technically, then, washington was vestryman-elect in the new parish for less than three months, yet his association with the alexandria church was always close. even before the new church (later to be known as christ) was finished and delivered to the vestry, he had purchased pew no. , for which he paid £ _s._, thought to be the highest price paid for any pew. pohick church in truro parish was completed about the same time as christ church in alexandria. it was washington's home church until after the revolution, when it was practically abandoned by the episcopal congregation. the general's habitual attendance at christ church apparently dates from about april , when he bound himself to pay an annual pew rent of "five pounds, virginia money."[ ] an anecdote told in alexandria of how a group of girls tried to save the silver marker from the washington pew during the war between the states is worth repeating. the town was under union jurisdiction. a group of half-grown girls of whom the leaders were molly gregory (mrs. robert powell) and connie [constance] lee (mrs. george e. peterkin, wife of bishop peterkin) banded together to help the confederate cause in any way they could. one of their ideas was to go to christ church and remove the silver plate marking washington's pew and take it home for safekeeping. no one was taken into their confidence. in very short order the yankee provost marshal arrived at cassius lee's house and demanded the return the plate. of course, lee knew nothing whatever of the removal, but he summoned his children, lined them up, and demanded if any of them had any knowledge of the plate. there was silence for some time. the provost marshal became threatening before admission was made that the removal of the plate was not a theft, but had been taken for safekeeping. the plate was returned to the church. the next day it disappeared and nothing has ever been known of it since. [illustration: the holy interior of the old church] interesting and distinguished men have occupied the pulpit of christ church, beginning with the reverend townsend dade, rector ( to ); and including such men as david griffith ( - ), bryan fairfax ( - ), and thomas davis ( - ). the last named officiated at general washington's funeral. but in the second year of davis' ministry, president washington had received the following solicitation: alexandria. ^d feb^y sir the episcopal congregation of this town and neighborhood, being extremely pleased with the induction of that respectable character and accomplished preacher, mr. davis, wish to compleat their satisfaction by the acquisition of an organ. as no one can be more desirous of obtaining it than myself, i have been requested to undertake the collection of subscriptions; and i have been instructed to leave a place at the head of my paper for a name which has always been foremost in every undertaking both of private and public munificence. i think it necessary to mention my being only an agent in this business, that, should there be any impropriety in the present application, no more than a due share of it may be imparted to me. i may have been mislead by the opinions of others, and seduced by my own eagerness to accomplish a favorite purpose, but i beg of you sir, to be persuaded that no earthly consideration should tempt me to violate, wittingly, those sentiments of perfect respect with which i am sir your most obliged & obedient servant sm hansen of sam^l docket: from col^o sam^l hanson ^d feb. [ ] the letter was long in passage, but it elicited the desired result the following april. the president entirely approved this measure and affixed his name to the paper, regretful at the same time that public subscriptions of all sorts limited the size of his contribution. this instrument, now preserved in the smithsonian institution, has had an engaging history. built in england in , it was first used in the colonial church at port royal and from thence was acquired for alexandria. after considerable service at christ church, it went to the episcopal church at shepherdstown, west virginia, and about the middle of the nineteenth century passed to st. thomas episcopal church at hancock, maryland. it was presented to the smithsonian by the vestry of the latter church in . christ church is proud of its association with the reverend william meade, afterward the virginia bishop of beloved memory. his pastorate was short, from to , but his fame as preacher, gentleman, and scholar forecast his later attainments. the reverend charles b. danna was another nineteenth century divine who faithfully served the congregation. dr. danna occupied the pulpit from to , when he left to take a church at port gibson in mississippi. he later removed to natchez, mississippi, in to be rector of trinity church. he was a trusted friend of mrs. george washington parke custis and mrs. robert e. lee, and he baptized the children at arlington house. it was during his pastorate that robert e. lee was confirmed on july , , by bishop johns. when word was received in alexandria of dr. danna's death, in , christ church was draped in mourning. there is an odd and sad sequel to dr. danna's pastorate in natchez. some years ago there occurred an astounding and mysterious death in natchez, mississippi. a very prominent woman whose father had represented his country at a foreign court was found in her own home brutally murdered. suspicion at once fell upon her nearest neighbors, a man and a woman, eccentric characters, who shared the same house. they were arrested and tried for murder. their house immediately attained notoriety as "goat castle" and was so known over the united states from the manner in which the inmates lived. the strange fashion in which dogs, goats, chickens, or any animal on the place was made welcome in the drawing room was very queer and gave cause for the name. [illustration: the open door marks robert e. lee's pew. here he came for spiritual guidance] the murdered woman had objected to the presence of her neighbors' pets on her place, especially the goats, which were prying and curious, as well as other tame animals which belonged by right in the barnyard, but preferred the drawing room. ill feeling sprang up, quarrels, lawsuits, all the dreadful sequel of a neighbors' feud. at the trial circumstantial evidence piled up and up. it was not enough for conviction. the inmates of "goat castle" were acquitted. even so, black distrust was their portion from many of their fellow townsmen. some people from alexandria were making the natchez pilgrimage and came unwarned upon "goat castle." lovely strains of music could be heard, coming from an old piano, sometimes improvised, sometimes a bit of bach, mozart, chopin, played with much feeling. as the strangers approached the house they were shocked at the dilapidation--sash missing in the windows, doors off hinges, boards decayed and missing from the house and porch. embarrassed, they hesitated to enter when to the door came a man, the musician. speaking in a quiet voice, he asked them in. upon the piano a large hen was standing, perfectly at ease. the deterioration of the interior was more pronounced than that of the outside--springs bursting through upholstery, beds unmade and without linen, neither carpets upon the floors nor curtains at the windows. animals wandered in and out at will. yet upon the walls hung some portraits and the furniture had been good. there were many books. the man was obviously cultivated in his speech and manner. the host collected the stipend for entering the place and proceeded to show the tourists the house, which was interesting, and his inventions, which were not; a collection of senseless, pitiful, useless things. upstairs, and downstairs, into this room and that they were taken to be shown an "invention." each room was more squalid than the last. finally the end in sight, escape near at hand, the gentleman said, "i'll show you something," and took the alexandrians into a room opening off the hall. there was a large mahogany bookcase, sealed by a court order, which the host opened at will, carefully replacing what he took out after it had been examined. one of the strangers, flipping the pages of an old book, saw the signature of robert e. lee, alexandria, virginia. startled, she asked where the book had come from. "it was my father's," was the simple reply. "that is my father," pointing to an old oil portrait of a clergyman. "he lived in alexandria. he was rector of christ church." not long after this a negro, arrested in the west, but formerly employed in natchez, was purported to have confessed to the murder for which these people had been tried and acquitted. [illustration] [illustration] chapter the presbyterian meetinghouse [in the church was restored as a shrine and the cemetery put in order by a group of persons, many of whom were descendants of the original society members. in the alexandria association replaced the missing pulpit with one, which while not a replica, conveys the spirit if not the pattern of that destroyed. ecclesiastical settlement has vested the property in the name of the second presbyterian church of alexandria. before this book goes to press the old presbyterian meetinghouse will have opened its doors again for regular services.] one does not associate religious intolerance with america; nevertheless, the act of toleration which permitted religious freedom of worship was not signed until . french presbyterians were seeking refuge in the new world as early as . the church of england was the official form of worship in virginia from until after the revolution. prior to worship not of the established church was done secretly and behind closed doors, generally in the fastness of a citizen's private home or place of business, though from time to time one finds permission given to preach. for example, in , francis makemie was granted permission from the colonial authorities to preach presbyterianism at pocomoke and onancock on the eastern shore of virginia. francis doughton preached in virginia as early as - , and is considered the father of british presbyterianism in the middle colonies, having begun his work as early as . here in the little town of alexandria, the population was largely composed of scottish agents, shipping merchants, and sea captains, sincere followers of dr. john knox. outwardly they conformed to the episcopal church, punctually attending services, by compulsion or otherwise. at the same time they adhered to the scottish faith they had brought with them, meeting where and when it was expedient, until the day came when unmolested they were free to emerge from secret places and publicly worship as they pleased. that they practiced the liberty of conscience, which they won the hard way, is proclaimed in an announcement carried in _the columbian mirror and alexandria gazette_ of november , : "at o'clock on friday the th instant a charity sermon will be preached in the presbyterian church, by the rev. james muir, for the benefit of the poor without respect to country or sect." major john carlyle, after completing christ church in for his church of england friends, undertook the direction of the presbyterian meetinghouse, so-called, doubtless, to distinguish it from the church of england. according to a report written in by the pastor, dr. james muir, "no church was yet built ... to accomodate them in worship [_i.e._, in ]. it was determined to build one; mr. richard arrell and his wife, eleanor, presented the society with a lot of ground ... the members of the society came forward with generous subscriptions and loans; some assistance was afforded by their brethren of other denominations; they were thus enabled to erect and cover in a brick building sixty feet long and fifty feet broad."[ ] this was partially completed by . not until after the revolution was the church plastered and finished off. the first minister of the congregation, the rev. william thom, was ordained in pennsylvania in and called to alexandria. but in one year the "little minister" was dead of a pestilential fever. further steps to improve the house and organize the society were interrupted, according to dr. muir's report, by the war which commenced between great britain and the colonies. in the rev. isaac stockton keith was invited to remain with the society during the winter. he remained nine years. the "contract for the erection of the manse was let in july, , to mr. robert brockett."[ ] in march , dr. muir was called to the pastorate and remained until his death, serving for thirty-one years. dr. muir was a trustee of the alexandria academy. as president of the board of trustees, he rendered to washington satisfactory accounting on how his donations were being applied and what good was being accomplished, after a rather sharp letter of inquiry. as chaplain of the masonic lodge, he assisted dr. dick with the masonic ceremonies at the funeral of george washington on december , . ten days later the _gazette_ carried the following notice: "the walking being bad to the episcopal church the funeral service for george washington will be preached at the presbyterian meeting house tomorrow at o'clock." this was a memorial service, one of a countless number held throughout the length and breadth of the land. the rev. james muir's "funeral sermon on the death of george washington" was widely circulated in its day by means of a printed broadside. when dr. muir died on august , , he was held in such great affection and respect that it was decided to bury him under the pulpit and to erect a suitable monument to his memory. the committee appointed for this purpose was working at least five years and submitted reports again and again on the cost of altering the pulpit for the memorial. the last mention of the subject in the committee book reads: "mr. mark reports that the bannisters of the cupola have been taken away as ordered at last meeting ... rev'd e. harrison, mr. jno. adam & mr. jos. b. ladd are appointed a committee to make all necessary arrangements for procuring and erecting a suitable monument to the memory of the late dr. muir."[ ] an old table gravestone with its inscribed eulogy formerly marked the spot where dr. muir was buried under the pulpit. it was removed to the burying ground to the lot beside the tombs of his wife and children after the restoration of the church building following the fire of . a mural tablet under the gallery on the north wall now bears eloquent testimony to his beloved memory. dr. muir's widow was allowed to continue on in the manse where she conducted a school for several years. near the end of her life she moved from the manse with expressions of gratitude, and her daughters took up and continued the school for some years after her death. these ladies might have stepped out of the pages of barrie's _quality street_ so gentle and so inadequately equipped were they to battle with cold dollars and cents and naughty children. eleven years after the good doctor's death, this announcement in the _gazette_ shows dr. harrison and mr. hallowell giving a helping hand: female board school (the misses muir) tendering to the public their grateful acknowledgements for the liberal patronage hitherto received, take this method of giving notice that their school will re-commence, on monday next the th of september. the course of instruction will be as heretofore, and very similar to that of all other respectable female seminaries in the district. the higher classes besides being examined twice a week by the rev. mr. harrison, will have also the privileges of attending the lectures of mr. hallowell on astronomy and chemistry. and in addition to all the ordinary branches of a solid education, they are prepared to teach and do teach, the more ornamental ones of music, drawing, painting, and french. terms of boarding and tuition, as usual, moderate.[ ] on a hot sunday afternoon in july , during an electrical storm, the meetinghouse was struck by lightning. on that day the pastor, dr. harrison, had been invited to georgetown to preach, and the usual sunday afternoon services were postponed. imagine his horror upon returning to discover the "severe and awful calamity which had befallen the church and congregation." in the session book of the meetinghouse, we find this vivid description: it has pleased god in his inscrutably mysterious yet wise and adorable providence to permit that on this day consecrated to holy rest, and to public services of devout worship in his earthly sanctuary, their venerable church edifice--for so many years, the place of hallowed devotion for their fathers and themselves, should be totally consumed by the lightening of heaven. this melancholly event took place about a quarter before three o'clock in the afternoon--a few minutes previously to the time ordinarily set apart for the ringing of the bell for the exercises of public worship. it was just at the close of a refreshing shower of rain, attended as is usual at this season of the year, with peals of thunder and flashes of vivid lightening. the electric fluid seems to have been attracted by the spire of the steeple, which--running up from the centre of a four-sided roof rising in the form of a pyramid--was rapidly conducted by means of a large quantity of iron used for the security of the timbers, to the shingles and other combustible materials of three of the corners of the building, almost directly under the eave. there entirely inaccesible for some minutes to any efforts which could be made use of for the purpose of quenching it, and continually fed by the qualities of the matter with which its work of desolation, with a rapidity which was truly awful and appalling. in a space of time too brief almost to be deemed credible by such as were not witnesses of the sublime and fearful spectacle, the entire roof exhibited to the immense multitude gathered around to mingle their sympathies and tender their assistance, nothing but one mighty map of living fire--curling in rapid and terrific volumes around the still suspended tho tottering steeple; and smiling at every effort towards extinction, save that of him--that dread and aweful being, by whom the flame had been enkindled. a period of two hours had not elapsed from the commencement of the conflagration, before the whole edifice except the walls, was involved in one shapeless mass of smoking ruin, presenting a scene, as desolating and repulsive to the common citizen, as it was tearful and heart-rending to the church and congregation. our holy and beautiful house where our fathers praised the lord--to use the language of the prophet,--was thus burned up with fire; and all our pleasant things laid waste. with the exception of the lamps, a venerable clock in front of the gallery opposite, the pulpit, the books and cushions, a part of the windows, the stoves, a large proportion of the pipes of a splendid organ which was split open with an axe for that purpose, and some of the plank broken from the pews--all was destroyed; and but for the real and practical sympathy of many of our esteemed citizens in braving dangers of no common magnitude, a like destruction had been the fate of these also. the house had been standing for more than years--the steeple and galleries had been built somewhat later--and except the episcopal church on washington street, generally known by the name of "christ's church"--was the oldest of all the ten places of religious worship in town. for many years its bell was the only church-going signal within the limits of the corporation; and owing to this circumstance, connected with its peculiarly clear and inviting tones, the destruction of it--which was caused by its fall from so lofty an eminence--seemed the occasion of regrets to the public at large, more immediately expressed than for the edifice itself. to the congregation, no loss besides the house, was more deeply deplored than that of the large and richly toned organ. not only because of its superior worth as an instrument of music, the difficulty of replacing it by another, and the sacred uses to which it was applied, but equally because it had been presented by a few venerated and much esteemed individuals, most of whom are now sleeping in the dust. for several years, there had been an insurance effected on the building to the amount of five thousand dollars--two thousand five hundred on each of the offices in town. but it so happened in providence, that one of these policies, which had expired about four or five months previous, had never been renewed;--so that with the exception of twenty-five hundred dollars, the loss to the congregation was total. yet there was one circumstance which ought to be recorded with emotions of adoring gratitude. the calamity took place at a time when on ordinary occasions, some individuals would have been in the house--as it was so near the hour of the afternoon's service,--and had that been the case now, there is much reason to fear, that it would have been attended, if not with loss of life, at any rate with serious injury to not a few. but it had been so ordered by infinite wisdom no doubt, that, for the first sabbath in more than two years, the church was closed during the whole of that day--the pastor having been providentially called away to supply the pulpit of a sick brother in the neighboring city of georgetown. so that no individual was in the house, and no serious injury occurred to any individual during the progress of the fire--and thus, while there is much to produce sadness and to call for deep humiliation before god, the session would feel, that there is still something to awaken emotions of gratitude and praise; and that however severely the loss may be felt, yet it has not been unattended with significant expressions of kindness and regard. [illustration: the old presbyterian meetinghouse showing the new tower] dr. harrison's lamentations, while justified, were not for complete demolition. in the minutes of the trustees, the fact is stated that the roof and cupola burned and fell in, destroying much of the interior woodwork, but not all. the walls and part of the galleries remained intact, dr. muir's tablet was uninjured, many windows were not broken, and the organ, at first thought destroyed, was very little injured; it remains in use to this day, and likewise the old clock. however, the damage was terrific and there was only a nominal insurance to cover the loss. part of the congregation wished a new building site and it was given some thought, but the "siller" [silver] was found to be inadequate for the purpose. the amount in the treasury did cover the cost of restoration, and on april , , it was "resolved, that the congregation of the church be called to meet at the lecture room on friday evening next at / past o'clock, to decide permanently on the location of the church."[ ] in november the committee minutes recorded that "the location of the church was permanently fixed on the old site,"[ ] and on february , , "mr. smith, from the committee appointed to consult on the propriety of lowering the gallery, reported that it was thought to be inexpedient to do so."[ ] the final notation on the new church read: "it was, on motion resolved that our new house of worship, be solemnly dedicated to the worship of almighty god on the last sabbath of july next--it being on that day two years before, that our former house of worship was consumed by fire...."[ ] it is distressing to think of the eighteenth century interior destroyed on that hot afternoon of july , but we must be grateful for what the rebuilders of preserved as an outstanding example of georgian architecture. in the tower was added: it was in the approximate location that the pulpit had stood for many years. in the front vestibule was constructed. dr. harrison was a delicate man and for a long time his health was far from good. in he was so wretched that it was recommended he go south for his health. the firm of lambert & mckenzie offered dr. harrison a free passage to and from the barbados on the barque _archibald gracie_. the minutes of the committee record the motion of appreciation to the owners. mr. robert bell of the old printing firm of that name made a gift of letter paper to dr. harrison every christmas for many years. in his latter years the doctor in thanking mr. bell always said that he never expected to see another christmas. he saw at least three after the first of these communications, for that many letters exist containing the same mournful allusion. in the civil war disrupted the church. dr. elias harrison died in after forty-three years of ministering to his congregation and with his death the church ceased to function and its congregation scattered. during the battle of bull run, it was used as a hospital for wounded soldiers, and from time to time it was used by other faiths, including a negro baptist congregation. neglected, uncared for, the prey of thieves and vandals, the doors were finally closed. the cemetery lies between the church and the manse. here john carlyle sleeps. cofounder and trustee of alexandria in ; son-in-law to colonel william fairfax; brother-in-law to lawrence washington; commissary of the virginia forces under braddock in ; collector of customs on the south potomac, and major in the revolution; a scottish gentleman, heir to a title, he cast his fate with the colonies. nearby lies the tomb of william hunter, founder of st. andrew's society, and that beloved friend and physician of general washington, dr. james craik. ramsay, mckenzie, muir, vowell, harper, hepburn and balfour are among the names found inscribed upon the old stones. their dust makes of this soil a part of old scotland. [illustration] [illustration] chapter presenting the sun fire company in the eighteenth century calamities visited alexandria, and of these nothing was more feared than fire. to prevent and control such catastrophes the gentlemen of the town formed themselves into several companies of fire fighters. how and with what means the raging holocausts were controlled is revealed in an old, mutilated, leather-bound minute book of the sun fire company.[ ] the first entry in this treasure is part of the damaged record for the march meeting in . the next page is numbered and contains the minutes for the april meeting. this is evidence that the company was formed in between august and december. at this march meeting it was agreed to limit the number of the company to forty-five persons. the clerk for this meeting was john dalton; members served as clerks in rotation. absent members were fined one shilling three pence. members were to be provided with two buckets, a brown linen or oznaburg bag containing at least four yards of material, and a wicker basket as soon as possible after admittance. these were to be hung up in good order and always in place. there was a forfeiture of money for any neglect. the company took some several months to acquire proper ladders and hooks. in april the "propriety of purchasing an engine" was discussed and at the june meeting it was agreed to postpone the matter. three ladders were then finished but most of the buckets were at the painters being marked with owners' names and numbers. by august the ladders had been completed by thomas flemming, and john dalton was ordered to procure locks with proper staples for securing the ladders under the "piazza of the court house." as the revolutionary war got under way many of the members were excused, "being frequently abroad on the servis of their country." among these were captain valentine peirs, captain john allison, colonel john fitzgerald and j. windsor brown. unfortunately the clerks took for granted that everybody knew when there had been a fire and rarely are these important events mentioned in the minutes. in january , "william wilson lost a bucket at the late fire" and he was authorized to purchase another at the company's expense; robert adam, who was clerk, forgot to "warn the company and was fined ten shillings"; several members neglected to put up lights when the late fire happened at zael cooper's and the fine was two shillings. the next clerk was "desired to enquire of the several members if they had candles at their windows and to collect fines from such of them as had not." the light begins to break--at the first hint of fire the company member must, at the fastest possible speed, put lighted candles in the front windows of his dwelling. this was alexandria's first alarm system! the member then dashed for four yards of material in an oznaburg bag, two leather fire buckets (they each weighed as much as a saddle) and a wicker basket and, without stopping, he raced to the fire, where he either pumped water, formed spectators in ranks for passing buckets, removed goods from burning houses in his bag or basket, climbed ladders or pulled down adjoining houses when necessary; and last but not least watched to "prevent evil minded persons from plundering sufferers." the only tranquil occupation was that of the "sentinels" who kept watch over goods removed from the conflagration wherever such goods were deposited. what a spectacular sight a fire in alexandria presented when one remembers the elegant dress of the day; short clothes, elaborate jackets or vests, ruffled linen, full skirted coats, perukes, queues braided and beribboned, powdered heads in three-cornered hats, silken and white hose, buckled shoes; and that fires generally occurred in winter upon the coldest days and in the worst weather, often at night, and that these firemen were the élite of the town, the serious, responsible merchants, doctors, masters, ship captains and owners. there was some reward now and then for their efforts. at the april meeting in , the "succeeding clerk is desired to warn the company to meet next month at the _ball room_ and to desire the treasurer to purchase ten gallons of spirits, and one loaf of sugar candles etc. the clerk to have the ball room cleaned and put in order." alas, the members were either not warned or invited for only six showed up. the next month was worse, again no warning and only four came. the clerk was ordered to warn again and provide what spirit, sugar and candles may be necessary for the next meeting and "that the same be held in the town house." the clerk was reimbursed "one pound two shillings for white washing and cleaning the ball room." on february , , a resolution was passed to fine the clerk refusing or neglecting his duty forty-two shillings, and absent members three shillings. there was a fine called the "moreover fine," which was increased from five shillings to nine shillings, and the company voted to dispose of any sum not exceeding £ "when less than / of the members are met." besides funds in cash, the company had , pounds of tobacco on hand. the following july the company ordered the tobacco sold. on monday, october , , nine years after the founding of the company, the succeeding clerk is ordered to give notice that at the next meeting a proposal will be made to dispose of the money in stock in the purchase of an engine. two months later, undaunted by the recent unpleasantness, the treasurer was requested to "import from london on account of this company a fire engine value from seventy to eighty pounds sterling." it took two years for the engine to arrive. preparatory to its reception, officers were appointed for its direction. nine stalwart members were chosen, and they were ordered to serve nine months. six shillings each was collected from the members to help make up the deficiency, and a committee was appointed to wait upon the county court with a petition requesting ground sufficient for building an enginehouse upon the courthouse lot. this was granted and the enginehouse was built on fairfax street "adjoining the school house." the members were called on for a dollar each for this purpose and it was later necessary to borrow another dollar. two keys were ordered labeled "sun fire company." the april minutes in contain the invoice for the engine: to a fire engine imported from london with dozen buckets amt p. invoice £ . commission on shipping d^o-- % . . insurance on £ @ - / pc . freight from london . ---------- £ . . exchange pc^ . . ---------- . . freight from baltimore . ---------- £ . . . it was incorporated into the articles that the engine was to be worked for two hours every monday of the meeting, and anyone neglecting to attend and work the engine was penalized nine pence. moreover william herbert, dennis ramsay and isaac roberdeau were charged with getting the engine to fires. about this time ( ) the virginia assembly passed an act authorizing the different towns in the state to elect fire companies. in may , dr. william brown was elected treasurer to succeed william hartshorne. the first mention by the sun of other fire companies in alexandria is in the minutes of february , . in july specific reference is made to the friendship fire company and the relief fire company. in may , the sun company was dissatisfied with the english engine, and they began correspondence with a mr. mason of philadelphia with the intention of selling the old engine and acquiring a new one. mason manufactured three engines. they contained , and gallons of water, respectively, which they discharged in one minute and a half and they were worked by twenty-four, twenty-two and eighteen or twenty men, respectively, and varied in price accordingly. the sun fire company purchased the smallest engine for £ . it seems to have arrived in april . later the old engine "with the suction pipe" was thoroughly repaired by mason and returned to the sun fire company. by such confusion reigned at fires that the three companies associated themselves together to make and sustain certain plans and rules for the management of fires. it was decided to have three directors or commanders, one chosen from each company, only one of whom was to act at a time, who were to have control of the engines, fire hooks, ladders and to be the judges of the expediency of pulling down adjacent buildings. in order that these gentlemen be more conspicuous (distinguished was the word) it was decided to "elevate their voices above the ordinary clamour on such occasions," each of them in action was ordered to carry in his hand a "_speaking trumpet, painted white, and not less than three feet long_." each company was to keep such an affair in the enginehouse. there were then chosen three subordinate directors who had immediate charge of the engine under the commander, then four persons from each company, to be called regulators, who were to "_be diligent in searching for the most convenient source of water_, in forming lanes for the supply of the engines, and _preventing the use of dirty puddle water_." upon these gentlemen fell the unpleasant task of "noticing remisness in the members and others and being obliged to give information to their respective companies whenever such shameful instances occured to their observation." trustees were responsible for the removal of property, and the entire company was obliged to wear "at times of fire" by way of distinction, black caps with white fronts with letters thereon designating their company. moreover these companies pledged themselves to "respect" the other companies when their property was in danger from fire, "in preference to persons who are members of neither." doctor dick stated that he lost his fire bucket at the fire at william herbert's house, then occupied by edmund edmunds, and the treasurer reimbursed the good doctor eighteen shillings on october , . in july , dennis ramsay was ordered to lower and enlarge the engine house to receive the old engine; the floor had given way in . he presented his bills the following february for a total of £ _s._ _d._ in it was decided to hold meetings at the courthouse, from may to october at half after seven o'clock, and from november to april at six o'clock. one of the last mentions of the engines was in . the engines were both worked at the january meeting, found to be in good order, except that the old one leaked a little. governed by a set of "articles" framed by themselves, to which they faithfully adhered, these firemen fined themselves and paid their fines, cheerfully or otherwise (they were mostly scotsmen) when neglectful of their duty. a roster was kept each year, month by month, marking the members present or absent. the a's predominate. it was from these fines, plus others for neglect of duty that the company's funds were formed. many of these rosters have been destroyed, but enough remain to give an idea of the citizens who were members of the sun fire company and lived near each other within a certain radius of the water front. * * * * * list of members of the sun fire company of alexandria for january --being the first intact roster in the minutes: william ramsay john dalton robert h. harrison james hendricks thomas fleming richard conway william hartshorne james kirk patrick murray mathew campbell james buchannan william hunter david jackson (doctor) john mills john carlyle john harper (capt.) george gilpin robert mease mccrea william rumney richard harrison william wilson thomas kirkpatrick andrew steward james stewart josiah watson william herbert robert mease john finley william brown (dr.) william hepburn cyrus capper robert allison james muir robert adam george hunter edward owens _added _ dennis ramsay (col.) john fitzgerald (col.) david arrell valentine piers _added _ james adam william hunter, jr. colin maciver david steward (doctor) peter dow daniel roberdeau (gen.) _added _ [_pages from to missing_] william bird r. hooe (col. robert t. hooe) william lyles (col. committee of safety) samuel montgomery brown joseph white harrison jesse taylor charles simms dr. elisha cullen dick _added _ john sutton henry lyles john hendricks (col.) george richards john oliphant michael ryan (col.) john allison john hawkins daniel mcpherso _added _ thomas williams jonathan swift randle mitchel william baker (doctor) william lowry michael madden william ramsay (doctor) edward harper jonah thompson _added _ james woodward (capt.) w.h. vowel philip marsteller joseph greenway william h. powell cleon moore john rumney john potts robert donaldson _added _ baldwin dade francis peyton john long john love george deneale _added _ joseph m. perrin richard harrison john gill john forster _added _ jonathan mandeville john carson seton bernard ghequiere james lawrason gustavus brown campbell (doc.) joseph riddle _added - - _ james douglas john d. orr (doc.) stephen cook (doc.) robert young henry rose (doc.) leven powell, jr. james mcrea augustine j. smith (doc.) jesse wherry robert hamilton john dunlap charles r. scott abraham faw _added _ william s. thompson joseph saul james russell william hodgson nicholas voss amos allison, jr. charles i. stur john t. ricketts cuthbert powell john ramsay william byrd page joseph mandeville guy atkinson jacob hoofman antony vanhavre peter wise, jr. (doctor) thomas magruder james bacon john watts alexander kerr walter jones thomas swann _added _ william groverman john dunlap _added _ michael flannery (note: _not all members at the same time._) by the turn of the century, the city of alexandria boasted three fire companies whose membership rosters included the most responsible citizens. the year , marking the formation of the sun fire company, also saw the organization of the better-known friendship fire company, claiming washington as honorary member. the star fire company was founded in . alexandria property owners were quick to realize the advantages of membership in the mutual assurance society, established in december and offering protection "against fire on buildings in the state of virginia." at the alexandria office, leading citizens enthusiastically subscribed to a plan so soundly conceived and efficiently administered that the company which pioneered it is in operation to this day. the archives of the mutual assurance society of virginia constitute a mine of valuable information for the researcher. from general washington's own files derives a broadside listing early subscribers throughout the state.[ ] the alexandria section includes a number of citizens whom we know to have been conscious of the ever-present danger of fire: _number_ _buildings_ _name_ _insured_ _value_ wm. hartshorne john potts isaac mcpherson rob. hamilton j. b. nickols ch. simms lemuel bent thomas rogerson r. t. hooe john dunlap wm. hodgson rob't young & co. tho's patten & co. john r. wheaton john mandeville charles lee wm. herbert john longden richard weightman r. weightman for the heirs of ray's estate wm. summers wm. brown henry stroman diedrich schekle e. deneale korn & wisemiller rob. lyle wm. ramsay henry mccue philip wanton ephriam evans dennis foley wm. hartshorne philip g. martsteller joseph thornton stump, ricketts & co. samual davis thomas richards adam lynn mathew robinson & co. wm. hoye john harper benjamin shreve john dundas henry walker john & tho's vowell ricketts & newton george m. munn jonah thompson adam s. swoope mordecai miller wm. bushby philip richard fendall wm. hepburn tho's white richard conway wm. m. mcknight charles mcknight p. marsteller adam faw wm. halley jacob schuch peter wise john fitzgerald thomas forrell wm. wright james kennedy joseph riddle & co. guy atkinson james patton james lawrason shreve & lawrason geo. hunter jacob cox geo. gilpin isaac mcpherson for n. elliot george slacum geo. slacum for gabriel slacum samuel harper jamieson chapin [illustration] [illustration] chapter captain john harper and his houses the streets of the old port of alexandria bear royal names. prince is one of those streets, shown in the first map of the town as surveyed in . the block is still paved with cobblestones "big as beer kegs" purportedly laid by hessian prisoners during the revolution. the brick houses which sprang up in early days set the standard for the town. many of these houses were erected prior to the revolution and immediately after the signing of the peace in . all original lots had been built upon by but there remained between these first houses empty spaces. there was a constant effort to have all vacant spaces of the lots built upon, so as to present an unbroken front. by the and blocks of prince street stood, very much as they stand today, the visible expression of the scottish and english towns that our ancestors had left behind them. these houses were nearly all built by captain john harper, and when not built by him, built on his land at a stipulated ground rent. the north side of the block was part of lot no. and until after no houses stood there. the ground rose here in a high bank above the potomac, and the original lot contained less ground than a quarter of an acre. bought by the honorable william fairfax at the first auction in , in he was released from building thereon, as it was stated the improvement on his lot no. was adequate for the two lots and "such was the true intent and meaning of the trustees."[ ] the honorable william fairfax deeded this property to his son, colonel george william fairfax, who sold it on november , , to robert adam. adam in turn sold to john hough of loudoun county on december and , ; and hough, after disposing of several parts of the fairfax lots, sold in june , the remaining parts of lots nos. , and , fronting on prince street, to captain john harper of philadelphia. this is our first introduction to john harper in the records of alexandria. apparently he must have made this purchase through someone else, for nearly a year later washington received the following letter: philadelphia, may th esteemed friend colonel washington from the little acquaintance i had with thee formerly, i take the liberty of recommending the bearer cap^t john harper who is in partnership with william hartshorne--john harper comes down in order to see the country, if he likes, they propose to come down and settle with you; they are men that have a verry pretty interest--w^m hartshorne lived with me some time--they are industrious, careful, sober men; if cap^t harper should want to draw on this place for five hundred pounds, i will engage his bills shall be paid--any civilitys shewn him will be returned by thy friend reese meredith[ ] harper did nothing with these newly purchased lots until after the revolution, when he began to sell and to build at astonishing speed. the number of deeds in the clerk's office in fairfax and in alexandria of property transferred to or from him fill page after page in the records. a book on john harper's activities would be a good history of early town housing. twice married, he had twenty-nine children--and to every one he left a house and lot. [illustration: prince street was john harper's gift to his daughter, peggy harper vowell, april , . here dr. dick lived from to . as he was here in it is safe to assume that he occupied this house for nineteen years. he paid john harper £ a year rent.] john harper's property housed many of alexandria's important citizens. two of washington's physicians occupied adjoining houses built by him on prince street, though not at the same time. dr. craik lived at least three years and probably five at prince street--from to , and doubtless until , when he moved to the house he purchased on duke street. dr. dick lived at prince street from certainly until , and then again at the same house in . surely it is safe here to domicile the restless doctor, for these ten undocumented years between and . the doctor paid for this house £ per annum. [illustration: the harper-vowell houses or the sea captains' row] the early harper houses which fill lower prince street are known in alexandria today as "the sea captains' houses" or "captains' row" and in truth they were either owned or occupied by captains or masters of vessels. after weathering the storms of a hundred and fifty years or better, their sea legs, or foundations, are well established in the soil of alexandria, and they present one of the attractive sights of the town. the street slopes at a steep angle from the top of the hill, at lee street to the river, and the quaint old houses go stair-step down toward the potomac in an unbroken line; sometimes a roof or a chimney sags with age, or a front façade waves a bit. the first house in the block on the northwest corner of prince and union was our stout captain's warehouse and his wharf jutted out into the potomac across the street from his place of business. a few years ago a great oil tank buried in the ground forced its way to the surface, bringing with it the enormous beams of john harper's wharf and part of an old ship rotting in the earth. real estate was only a side issue with the captain. his main interest was the sea, his ships, and their cargoes. on february , harper sold to john crips vowell and thomas vowell, jr., for £ , that part of lot no. fronting on prince street, feet inches, feet - / inches in depth, which begins on the "north side of prince, fifty feet to the eastward of water street, upon ye eastern line of a ten-foot alley, and all houses, buildings, streets, lanes, alleys, etc...." the vowells agreed to lay off and keep open forever an alley upon the northern back line of the premises, nine feet wide "extending from the aforesaid ten-foot alley to the line of ... william wright."[ ] this described property was one of those houses built by harper. the two vowells were his sons-in-law and both gentlemen in the shipping trade. by this circuitous route we arrive at prince street,[owner: miss margaret frazer.] the house with a pure _directoire_ tent room, practically a duplicate of that at malmaison, and another room with a magnificent painted renaissance ceiling. how such work became a part of the sturdy two-story "sea captains' houses" is one of alexandria's mysteries. it is true that both rooms were in a deplorable state of repair, and it was necessary to trace the work on paper, repair the plaster and then continue the interrupted design. naturally, the colors were freshened. it was exciting to watch this discovery unveiled, when sheets of shabby paper were pulled from the walls, and the artist repaired and restored the work of some itinerant master whose name has vanished with his dust these hundred years or better. john harper, a quaker, was born in philadelphia in , and he was living in alexandria in , if not before. by his first wife, sarah wells of pennsylvania, he had twenty children. he married at her death mrs. mary cunningham, a widow, the daughter of john reynolds of winchester. by this lady he had nine children. in he was living at his residence on prince street, for william hodgson's property was described in his insurance record as being next door to john harper on the west. captain harper's house is now known as prince street and today bears, erroneously, a plaque to the memory of dr. dick. this is the house in which dr. craik was living in - . incidentally, no record viewed in a search of hundreds mentions dr. dick as occupying prince street. on the contrary, dr. dick in was paying insurance on his dwelling on duke street. in his old age captain john harper built two brick houses on the east side of washington street, south of prince. in one of these he died in , aged seventy-six years. dr. dick attended john harper in his last illness and was paid sixty-five dollars by the executors for this service. wine for the funeral was eleven dollars, the coffin and case cost twenty-six dollars, and the bellman received one dollar for crying property to be sold. captain john harper lies buried in the cemetery of the old presbyterian meetinghouse near two of his daughters, mrs. john c. vowell and mrs. thomas vowell. captain harper was an ancestor of mrs. mary g. powell, author of _the history of old alexandria_. she tells of his patriotic action in procuring ammunition from philadelphia for the independent companies of prince william and fairfax counties: "eight casks of powder, drums and colors for three companies."[ ] his religion prohibited his taking part in combat, but his sympathy was manifested in a very practical fashion. john harper was a member of the first city council in and of the congregation of the old presbyterian meetinghouse. he was one of general washington's alexandria agents for mount vernon produce, doing an extensive business with the general in the matter of "herring." at washington's death he took part in the masonic ceremonies at the funeral, and his son, captain william harper, commanded the artillery company on that eventful day. this son took an active part in the revolution at the battles of princeton, monmouth, brandywine, and valley forge, and crossed the delaware with washington. he succeeded to the business at prince and union. john harper's third son, robert, was a lawyer and married a daughter of john w. washington, of westmoreland county. john harper, jr., married margaret west of west grove, daughter of john west, and while acting as foreign agent for the harper firm in the west indies, was drowned in . alexandria's malmaison, or the harper-vowell house, listed as prince street, was the residence of the eminent architect, ward brown, until his death in . [illustration] [illustration] chapter dr. elisha c. dick and the fawcett house [ prince street. owners: the fawcett family.] the dashing dr. dick first appeared in alexandria fresh from the tutelage of drs. benjamin rush and william shippen of philadelphia. he was just twenty-one and of a figure to set feminine hearts aflutter; five feet ten inches, of commanding presence, very handsome, "playing with much skill upon several musical instruments" and singing in a sweet voice of great power; skilled and learned in his profession, "a strong and cultivated intellect," a genial spirit, witty and charming.[ ] the son of major archibald dick (deputy quartermaster general in the revolutionary army in ) and his wife, mary barnard, elisha cullen dick was born on march , , at his father's estate near marcus hook, in chester county, pennsylvania. his primary education was gained at the philadelphia academy, in the home of the rev. robert smith, d.d., at pegnea, and in his father's home, tutored by the rev. samuel armor. in he began the study of medicine, graduating on march , . two days later he lost his father and came into his inheritance of half the estate. a year later he disposed of his pennsylvania interest to isaac dutton and started for charleston, south carolina, with the expectation of settling there. [illustration: floor plan of house] armed with letters of introduction to general washington, colonel fitzgerald, and colonel lyles, he stopped en route in alexandria "to call upon a female relative" and to present his letters. he got no farther. "influential persons" caused him to abandon his plans and remain in alexandria, where the recent death of old dr. rumney left an opening which dr. dick filled for better than forty years. alas, for the belles of alexandria! in october , dr. dick married miss hannah harmon, the daughter of jacob and sarah harmon of darby in chester county, pennsylvania. two years after beginning his professional life in alexandria, he pulled a tooth for one of the mount vernon house servants, and the following entry taken from washington's diary for february , , tells the results which do not seem to have been entirely satisfactory: sunday, th, doctr. brown was sent for to frank (waiter in the house), who had been seized in the night with a bleeding of the mouth from an orifice made by a doctr. dick, who some days before attempted in vain to extract a broken tooth, and coming about o'clock stayed to dinner and returned afterwards.[ ] so far as washington's diaries show, dr. dick never crossed the threshold of mount vernon again until fourteen years later on a raw, cold day in december when the snow lay thick on the ground, he was sent for by dr. craik to attend washington in his last illness. it was dr. dick who advised against additional bleeding and it was he, who, when washington's last breath escaped, walked to the mantel and stopped the hands of the clock. this clock, with arrested hands, stands today in the george washington national masonic memorial in alexandria. on march , , dr. dick was offering a reward of eight dollars for a runaway servant: i will give the above to any person who will secure in alexandria gaol a negro fellow named ned, who ran away from me about three weeks ago. he is between thirty and forty years of age, about feet or inches high and was formerly the property of mrs. clifford of whom i bought him. having a wife in maryland, belonging to mr. samuel h. bean, i imagine ned will be inclined to make a nightly resort to her quarters. his winter clothes were made of a mixed cloth of a gray color and it is probable he will be found with a soldier's old napsack upon his back in which he carries his provisions. dr. dick was one of the founders of the alexandria masonic lodge, to which washington belonged. in he was worshipful master when the cornerstone of the district of columbia was laid. arm in arm with the president of the united states, who acted as master, dr. dick led the procession with george washington in at the laying of the cornerstone of the capitol. this same year, as master of the lodge, he solicited the president to "set" for the portrait by william williams, which still graces the lodge room. in he commanded a company of cavalry raised in alexandria and under "light horse harry" lee marched into pennsylvania to help quell the famous whiskey rebellion. in he was superintendent of quarantine, an office he held for many years. in he was appointed coroner; in , justice of the peace. dr. dick amassed a great deal of property and was constantly buying and selling land, houses, ships, and so on. in april he disposed of the brig _julia_ to robert mease for ten thousand dollars, "with all her rigging and materials, together with the cargo of flour and corn now on board as she lies at ramsay's wharf in the port of alexandria."[ ] two letters to the governor, written during his service as quarantine officer reveal the fact that he was alert to his responsibilities and give some idea of how grave they were: alexandria th sept, hon robert brooke sir: having received from various persons pretty certain information that a malignant fever is now prevalent in the town of norfolk, i take the liberty of soliciting your instructions with regard to the propriety of interrupting the intercourse by water between that place and this. the inhabitants of alexa. discover considerable signs of apprehension, and the corporation have entered into some temporary arrangements until more permanent ones can be obtained. i have not yet received a compensation for the last year on account of my services as superintendent of quarantine. such sum as you may think me entitled to for last year as well as the percent you will oblige me by placing in the hands of mr. thomas majore [?] subject to the order of mr. charles turner of this place. i am with great regard your excellys obed servt elisha c. dick * * * * * alexander, th july hon james monroe sir: the ship two brothers on her voyage from new orleans to this point having put into charleston s.c. there contracted the yellow fever or some other infectious disease, by which two of her crew have died. exercising a discretionary power given by the quarantine laws to the superintendant, i have caused this ship to commence her quarantine near this place between rozins bluff and jones point. as the removal of vessels from this port to the mouth of elizabeth river has been found to be attended with considerable inconvenience, the executors have hitherto authorized me to use the situation above mentioned as the anchorage ground for all vessels bound here. i shall thank you sir for such instruction as you may deem it advisable to communicate on this subject, as well with regard to my present and future government. i have the honor to be with the highest regard your obed. servt. elisha c. dick superintend. of quar. port of alexa. in dr. dick was declared bankrupt, but in he was setting free his negro slave, nancy, aged about forty. during these years he tended the sick (a bill for sixty-five dollars was tendered to john harper's widow in ), fought the plague and fever, epidemics, and prescribed for his friends with time out for a song or a sketch. his copy of james sharples' george washington, now in the mount vernon collection, is a competent, artistic portrait. he was fond of good food, good talk, people and music. his genial spirit and charming wit graced many a festive board, and that he was hospitable as well needs no further proof than the following invitation: if you can eat a good fat duck, come up with us and take pot luck. of white backs we have got a pair, so plump, so sound, so fat, so fair, a london alderman would fight, through pies and tarts to get one bite. moreover we have beef or pork, that you may use your knife and fork. come up precisely at two o'clock, the door shall open to your knock. the day 'tho wet, the streets 'tho muddy, to keep out the cold we'll have some toddy. and if perchance, you should get sick, you'll have at hand, yours, e.c. dick[ ]. surely this friendly medical advice is well worth including in any sketch of dr. dick. a mature physician, he wrote to james h. hooe: alexandria of nd month respected friend: i am in great hopes that the instructions i shall be able to give thee with regard to the general treatment of the prevailing disease, will be found on trial to be so far successful as to quiet in a good measure thy present apprehensions. having received applications by letter from several physicians at a distance requesting information as to the character of the disease and the plan of treatment possessed by myself, i have thrown together a few practical remarks, which i shall here transcribe, and then add such other observations as may seem more especially necessary for thee in the present emergency. the disease usually commences with a chill, succeeded by fever and accompanied either in the beginning or at a subsequent stage with pain in the head back breast or sides, and sometimes with an affection of the throat. though it is a disease attended sometimes if not generally with signs of local inflammation, yet owing to some peculiar affection or tendency of the nervous system, blood letting is in my opinion inadmissible. of those who have been bled it has appeared that they either die or have tedious recoveries. the disease is frequently though not always of a bilious character--that is an abundance of bile is found floating in the stomach or intestines. there seems to be neither torpor nor enlargement of the liver which have characterized the diseases of this country for years past; hence culomel especially in the beginning has been avoided. emetics, if employed at all, (and in some cases they may be necessary) should not be given till the intestines have been well evacuated. the leading curative indication is purging, for which purpose glaubers salt has been preferred as acting upon the bowels with most ease and certainty. the purging process to be diligently persisted in, day and night or day after day according to the force and duration of the disease. warm, stimulating drinks such as toddy, made of whiskey, is frequently, though not in every case, indispensible. this stimulus, is to be resorted to whenever there are signs of prostration of body or mind, both in the beginning and after stages of the disease. excessive pain in the trunk may be generally mitigated in every stage of the disease by anodyne injections; for an adult two or three teaspoonsful of laudunum with a half pint of warm water. a beneficial persperation often follows this exhibition. spontaneous sweats are commonly useful, but i have not found them critical. blisters may be employed for the mitigation of pain, and perhaps ought not to be omitted when ... is either fever [?] is obstinate, but i have not found them in this disease to evidence their usually efficacy. if the disease be attended with sore throat, swelling of the tonsils or palate, stricture of the trachea, with or without external swelling, a gargle of warm strong toddy, in the water of which has been boiled a pod of red pepper, will it is believed from past experience, be found uniformly and promptly effectual even in cases when suffacation seems immediately threatened. when this affection has existed to any considerable extent, i have generally with the use of the gargle also applied a blister around the throat. in order that thou may not easily be discouraged in the prosecution of the purging plan, it is necessary to inform thee that i often find it expedient to give to ounces of salts in hours. i usually divide ounces into three portions giving one every two hours dissolved in a teacupful thin gruel. when the bowels are brought readily and freely into operation i have little difficulty in the management of the case--but i never discontinue the process till all fever and pain have subsided. sometimes when the salts appear to be in operation i interpose with or grains of the cathartic powder repeated at intervals of two or three hours. when there is a despression of the pulse and something of coldness of the extremities, especially of the feet, i use with advantage mustard plaster to the feet, to which in such cases may be added with advantage hot bricks or bottles of hot water to various parts of the body. there is one thing which particularly deserves thy notice and that is that this disease is in a majority of instances i believe preceeded by certain premonitory signs; such as flying pains about the chest or some other part, head ache, etc. a reasonable resort under such circumstances to one or two cathartics will pretty certainly avert a more serious attack. i have directed archy to forward thee a supply of salts and cathartic powder and i feel a persuasion that by the aid of the foregoing observations thou wilt be able to manage this disease to thy satisfaction. it indeed may be not expected that none should die of so formidible an epidemic, but i think i can with truth state to thee, that under this treatment / s of those who fall under my care recover. with regard to thy wife's present situation, i think it would be advisable for her to take occasionally a gentle laxative, and for that purpose i send a package or two of my saline purgative powders. let her take one in a cup of gruel and repeat it as may be necessary. hoping that thou may be at least as successful as i have been in thy future management of this complaint, and that thy family may furnish no more victims is the sincere wish of thy friend elisha c. dick tobacco magnesia . newspaper ginger cake tavern . turnpike . tablespoon vingar with gns of salts of tartar in teacup swallowed in effervescent state--slight sweat. [illustration: the fawcett house where dr. dick lived] dr. and mrs. dick were the parents of two children, julia and archibald. julia married gideon pearce of maryland and their son, james alfred pearce, became a united states senator from maryland. dr. dick, who began life as an episcopalian, became a quaker and mrs. dick became an episcopalian. his dueling pistols are among the curios in the masonic museum, but if he ever used them, it is not known in alexandria. writing to her son, smith lee, april , , mrs. r.e. lee commented: "poor alexandria has suffered much by fire this winter. mr. dulaney will give you the particulars, it has lost some of its old inhabitants too. capt. dangerfield, mr. irvin, dear dr. dick, and sam thompson ..."[ ] dr. elisha cullen dick rests in the friends burial ground in an unmarked grave, but his spirit hallows several houses in alexandria. with such a wealth of dwellings to choose, it has been difficult to settle dr. dick for long; nor really does he want to be settled. he was full of surprises during life, and it will be another to most alexandrians when we place him in the old clapboard house known for better than a century as "the fawcett house." on december , , john alexander sold to patrick murry a certain lot or half acre of land situated and adjoining the west side of a lot or half acre of land lying in the town of alexandria and represented by lot no. . this lot, lying on the north side of prince street, between pitt and st. asaph streets, was described as: "beginning on the southwest corner of the said lott no. and running thence with it to the northwest corner thereof feet inches, thence westerly with a line at right angles with the last feet inches thence southerly with a line parallel to the first one and of the same extent thence easterly with a straight line to the beginning."[ ] there was a ground rent upon this property every year forever of £ _s._, and the provisions that patrick murry or his heirs should build within the space of two years from the date of purchase a brick, stone or wooden house, twenty feet square, to cover four hundred square feet, with a brick or stone chimney or chimneys. at the same time john alexander bound himself to lay out and keep free forever a street sixty-six feet wide binding on the west side of the granted lot or half acre of land, by the name of st. asaph street: "beginning at a straight line produced and extended from the termination of cameron street in the said town of alexandria until it extends sixty-six feet to a direct line to the westward beyond the breadth of the other lott or half acre of land, thence southerly and parallel to pitt street in the said town, until it intersects a street of the same width called wilkes street ..."[ ] patrick murry built and resided in this completely charming clapboard house until the year , when the wheels of fortune forced him to dispose of all houses, yards, gardens, ways, advantages, and so on, to ann english and william mckenzey, executors of samuel english to secure the payments of the sum of £ , virginia currency, with interest from august , . alas, for compound interest! ann english and her husband, james currie, did convey and sell the lot with all improvements unto elisha cullen dick on april , . two years later dr. dick and his wife, hannah, disposed of the house and grounds to john thomas ricketts and william newton for and in consideration of £ current money. [illustration: patrick murray's parlor. the picture over the mantel is needleworked, a polite accomplishment taught to females and the product of the gentle hands of a fawcett ancestor] on july , , william newton and wife conveyed the property "including all that framed dwelling house lately occupied by the said william newton" for the sum of four thousand dollars to william smith;[ ] thence again in the smiths, william and margaret, disposed of the frame dwelling house for three thousand dollars to john d. brown. the descendants of john douglas brown have occupied the home for the past one hundred and thirty-three years. his great-grandchildren, the fawcett family, are the present owners of the house. the fawcett house has been little changed, and is kept in excellent repair. the woodwork in the drawing room is true to the period; that throughout the house is quaint and interesting. in the great room the fire breast is outlined with a dog-eared mold. the mantelshelf, attached without brackets, has a punch-work motif. the heavy raised panels on each side of the chimney, and the paneled closets enclose the entire west wall. [illustration: dear dr. dick. by saint mèmin. (_courtesy corcoran gallery of art_)] there are many levels, and the house goes back in a surprising brick ell that is not seen from the street. the exterior presents the appearance of a story-and-a-half cottage. two windows, with their uncommon blinds, break the wood-shingled roof. the blinds' slats are wide and heavy, and the shutters are held in place when opened by the traditional molded iron holdbacks. the east gable end of the house is shiplap. from this side projects the entrance porch, added about , and protected by "jalousies." portraits, old silver, glass, and china, prints and mahogany, with great grandmama's best brocade dresses, are the fruits of more than a century of the family's inheritance. the picture over the mantel is done in embroidery--the product of one of the fawcett ancestors, worked in , while a pupil at one of alexandria's schools where young ladies were taught the fine arts, and the curriculum included every form of needlework. [illustration: benjamin dulany's town house] [illustration] chapter the benjamin dulany house [ duke street. owners: mr. and mrs. john howard joynt.] on february , , george washington wrote to a friend, "our celebrated fortune miss french, whom half the world was in pursuit of, bestowed her hand on wednesday last, being her birthday (you perceive i think myself under the necessity of accounting for the choice) upon mr. ben dulany, who is to take her to maryland in a month from this time."[ ] miss french, the heiress, was a ward of washington and lived at rose hill, not far from mount vernon. benjamin dulany sr., a wealthy and cultured gentleman of maryland, born of distinguished irish parentage, was of the third generation in america. he and the celebrated miss french moved to alexandria before the revolution and settled at shuter's hill overlooking the town, where they reared a large family. ben dulany is often mentioned by general washington in his diaries. he was a frequent visitor at mount vernon, a companion in the chase and the race, at dinner and overnight, sometimes with his lady, but more often without. [illustration: benjamin dulany of shooter's hill and alexandria] in washington concluded a bargain for the exchange of some land with the dulanys and made several references to the transaction in his diary. under the entry for monday, february , , he wrote: went to alexandria with mrs. washington. dined at mr. dulaney's and exchanged deeds for conveyances of land with him and mrs. dulaney, giving mine, which i bought of messrs. robert adam, dow and mciver, for the reversion of what mrs. dulaney is entitled to at the death of her mother within bounds of spencer and washington's patent.[ ] [illustration: entrance hall, dulany house. fine woodwork in arch and cornice] tradition says dulany served with washington as steward of the jockey club. an amusing anecdote has come down to us of a race in which both gentlemen had entered horses. the race was close--washington's horse won. for some reason the governors awarded the prize to dulany. the general left in high dudgeon and wrote a letter resigning from the club, saying that he was under the impression that he belonged to a club the members of which were gentlemen. whereupon the governors reversed their decision and awarded the general the prize! this extraordinary action is reported to have placated him, for he appears to have continued a member of the jockey club. mr. dulany's house, now duke street, is one of those famous houses where it is claimed general washington slept. an agent of the general, peyton gallagher, occupied this house at one time, and--so the story goes--when washington had sat too long at accounts and the evening was bad, his man of business put him up for the night. the tradition is firmly entrenched that the marquis de la fayette addressed the citizens of alexandria from the front steps of this house in . the general was occupying the house across the street, which was given to the marquis and his party by the owner, mrs. lawrason, for the duration of his visit. alexandria was more excited by this visit than any other occurrence in her history, and gave la fayette a resounding welcome. when citizens came surging in great crowds around the lawrason mansion to do him honor, the old gentleman, finding the steps too low for speechmaking, walked across the street, climbed the steps of duke street, where he could be seen, and there made his expressions of good will and appreciation in broken english to "the assembled multitude." tradition also reports that benjamin dulany was a handsome, arrogant gentleman, a fine horseman, superbly mounted. in those days the streets of alexandria were not as smooth nor as dry as today. irate pedestrians often found themselves bespattered and befouled by some passing horseman or vehicle and in danger of their very lives. "bad ben" dulany thundered up and down the streets, riding a spirited horse, sparing no wayfarer, causing men to rush for safety to the nearest doorway. at shuter's hill, his estate just outside alexandria, he maintained well appointed stables and owned fine-blooded horses. a "stranger" traveling in america records a rather interesting horse story in connection with one of mr. dulany's sons: throughout his campaign he [washington] was attended by a black man, one of his slaves, who proved very faithful to his trust. this man, amongst others belonging to him, he liberated, and by his will, left him a handsome maintenance for the remainder of his life. the horse which bore the general so often in battle is still alive. the noble animal, together with the whole of his property, was sold on his death under a clause in his will, and the charger was purchased by daniel dulaney, esquire, of shuter's hill, near alexandria, in whom it has found an indulgent master. i have often seen mr. dulaney riding the steed of washington in a gentle pace, for it is now grown old. it is of a cream color, well proportioned, and was carefully trained to military manoeuvres.[ ] * * * * * [illustration: the beautiful drawing room] [illustration: the original dining room at mr. dulany's, now the library] the dulanys were hospitable folk, and many were the guests entertained both at their country estate and at their alexandria home. a revengeful guest, or a malicious wit, startled the town one morning by the following poem entitled the ball at shooter's hill by a.x.--georgetown ben dulany of shooter's hill, once said to his wife, "our rooms we'll fill with all the beauty, and all the style and all of the rank and some of the file that flourish in alexandria alias 'botany bay'," (which was ever his subsequent say when speaking of alexandria). mrs. dulany said with a sigh "if such is your fancy, so will i". ben dulany of shooter's hill said to his wife, "we will fulfill our social trust and invite them all, the great and the wealthy to come to our ball, the handsome and ugly, the pretty and plain, the learned and the silly, the wise and the vain." he was a man of great learning and wealth and the name that he bore was a power itself, for his tory father was great among men and smote hard on the rebels with voice and pen, but mrs. dulany said with a sigh, "this fancy of his, i cannot tell why". ben dulany of shooter's hill said to his wife, "i wish you to fill the pantry and larder, the shelves and the table with all the most excellent things you are able, and spare neither trouble or money, for when (tobacco remember was currency then), i offer a banquet my guests must behold something more on my table than china and gold" and mrs. dulany said with a deep sigh, "this fancy of his, i cannot tell why". ben dulany of shooter's hill, said to his wife, "of course we will have music, the best that can be found and we, dear wife, will dance one round. many years have passed since you agreed to slide down from your window and marry with speed, and we'll show our children how to dance after the fashion i learned in france". mrs. dulany sighed and said "what could have put this whim in his head". the guests arrived at shooter's hill, names of renown the chambers filled, masons and carters, stevens and balls, rosiers and fendals, marshalls and halls, daingerfields, herberts, craiks, tuckers a few, platers, custis, and randolph and washingtons, too, blackburns, hunters and forrests and taylors a lot, lees, seldons, fitzhughs, wests, dandridge and scott, pope, ramsey and graham, french, lewis and key, lloyd, taylor and wellford, ridout, beverly, simms, peters and lightfoot, lyles, murray and beall, fauntleroy and grey and carroll they tell, berkley, fairfax and bladen, powell, chase, montague, bassett, harrison, tasker, gant, stoddert and chew, spotswood, lomax and taliaferro, grymes, rutherford, snowden, fontaine and pendleton, moncure and bushrod, but if all were put down, the unlearned might insist, the names had been taken from off the tax list. ben dulany of shooter's hill, received them with grace and courtly skill, when all of a sudden he started to dance, and teach them the lessons he learned in france, he drew them up in a regular line and marched them around while he kept time, shouldered a blunderbuss, stuck on a hat, called it a helmet, and drilled them in that. thundered and threatened and ordered them all to know he was giving a marching ball. round through the parlors, out on the grass down through the garden and back did they pass, not for a moment he left them to rest, forward and backward, and wearied he pressed. mrs. dulany appealed to his pride, but unceremonious he thrust her aside. many the terrors, the words and the fright, but he marched them and marched them till far in the night. mrs. dulany again essayed to urge him to cease his desperate raid, then bending before her his handsome form, he declared no lovelier woman was born than she, his own, his beautiful wife then he vowed to love and cherish through life; and to prove to all how he loved her then, he'd embrace her before all those women and men, which he certainly did, for he clasped her waist, and raising her high, strode off in haste. in vain she screamed, in vain besought, all her entreaties he set at nought, into the pantry he quickly passed and stuck her up on the vinegar cask then locking her in, he lovingly said, "dear wife you are tired, 'tis time for bed". and away he stalked to pick up his gun for a panic and flight had already begun, he ordered a halt, but they faster ran, urging each other, woman and man. wholly regardless of dresses and shoes, thorns or stones, or damps or dews. halt! he cried again more loud then fired his blunderbuss into the crowd, which only helped to increase their speed. they thought he was crased, and he was indeed! into the town at dead of night forlorn and weary, half dead with fright, into the town the company came, draggled and straggling, half dead with shame, that they should have marched and tramped about at a lunatic's whim, now in, now out, the livelong night, through garden and hall, would they ever forget ben dulany's ball! mrs. dulany in grief had passed the rest of the night on the vinegar cask. trembling the servants unlocked the door, and the wrathful lady stood before her ... lord, but never a word between them passed, or afterward was heard. he ordered his horse and from that day, as i have heard the old people say, he rode unceasing, nor ever still, was ben dulany of shooter's hill.[ ] [illustration: the front bedroom, dulany house] on august , , the executor of john alexander, william thornton alexander, granted by deed to david arrell the tract of land located at the northwest corner of duke and st. asaph streets, which held an annual ground rent of £ _s._ on september , , david arrell of alexandria and fairfax county in the dominion of virginia, sold this same lot on duke and st. asaph streets for £ to benjamin dulany of the same place, charged with an annual ground rent of £ _s._, payable on the fifth of august forever. very shortly thereafter the house now known as duke street was completed for a town residence. during some recent repairs letters and bills for purchases made by mrs. dulany were found under a partition, bearing dates from to . two of these are quoted:[ ] mrs. delasia balto. feby for mrs. dulaney bo^t of george wily pair of sattin shoes / £ . p^c roses d . . ---------- rec^d payment £ . . benjamin dulany esq. * * * george wily bo^t of bennett & watts pr slippers /-- - / yds lute string @ / £ . . alex^a may ^th probably the best example of georgian architecture in alexandria, the plan of the house is common to this town. two-storied, dormer-windowed, detached brick, the house faces south with a large garden to the left taking up half a square. a hall runs the length of the house. two large parlors, one behind the other, on the right, open into the hall. the dining room, in an ell at the rear, is entered from the hall by a small flight of steps leading to a lower level. the long, narrow, low-pitched room has an off-center fireplace and is papered at both ends in old wallpaper of chinese design. when seen from the front doorway, the room presents an unexpected and charming view. this wing was added after , probably . a very nice tradition exists about the building of this wing. robert i. taylor bought the house from the dulanys in . he was a vestryman of st. paul's church and very much interested in its construction. benjamin h. latrobe was the architect for the church and it is believed that he designed the wing connecting the kitchen with the big house. the story is more than plausible since the high, narrow arches and pilasters are characteristic of his work. the woodwork in the two parlors is massive. the heavy cornice is similar to that in the blue room at the carlyle house. a thick dentil cornice is surmounted by modillions, and they in turn are surmounted by a heavy molding. the drawing room mantels, capped by the traditional broken arch, dominate these rooms. all openings are dog-eared, as well as the panels of the chimney breasts. the hall arches, wainscoting, handrails, and stairways are noble examples of early craftsmanship. upstairs the woodwork is equally good, though more delicate, while the paneled mantels lack the broken arch. it is a satisfaction to see these old rooms, graced by fine furniture, draperies, portraits, and silver of local origin, restored again to the dignity and graciousness of days long past. [illustration] chapter dr. james craik and his dwelling [ duke street. owner: mr. merle colby.] of the many quaint, historical figures whose memories haunt the old streets and houses of alexandria, none is more interesting than dr. craik. he is remembered as a "stout, hale, cheery old man, perfectly erect, fond of company and children, and amusing himself with gardening work." but this was when the sands were running out. the good doctor had passed fourscore years, and his share of history-making was over. let us turn back some two hundred years and begin. there is a little village near dumfries in scotland called arbigland or obigland. in the year on a cold december day a baby boy began an eventful life. he was destined to bring to the new world the skill to heal and succor the wounded, to ease the dying, to administer the primitive hospitals of the american revolution, and to move for a span of forty-five years as the close and intimate friend of george washington. the names of his parents have been lost in the scottish fogs. a story that his father employed a gardener by the name of john paul, sire of another young scotsman who distinguished himself in our naval history under the patronymic of john paul jones, is all we can glean of our craik's paternal parent.[ ] the scottish baby, christened james craik, grew to young manhood in his native country, going in proper time to the university of edinburgh and there was educated in medicine for service in the british army. after leaving the university he set sail for the west indies; from there he came to virginia in and settled in or near winchester. we pick up his trail four years later on an april morning in the town of alexandria. the occasion is both historic and dramatic. the market square was filled with "two companies of foot," a hundred and twenty soldiers; a drummer wielding his sticks fiercely; two wagons, loaded with provisions, and well guarded by officers and soldiers; a captain, a lieutenant, five subalterns and a "swedish gentleman" going along as a volunteer, and one _surgeon_. this military assembly under the command of lieutenant colonel george washington was marching out of alexandria for points west "to the ohio" to fight the indians and the french, to build forts, and to defend the possessions of his majesty. the commander of the purposeful outfit was twenty-two years old, and the surgeon, dr. james craik, twenty-four. did the two meet in the city tavern, in the market square, or upon that first day's march of six miles when the troops bivouacked for the night? wherever the acquaintance was made, the beginning of a friendship that was to last the lives of both men was cemented on this expedition. from the battles of great meadows and fort necessity, our warriors returned to accompany braddock to the monongahela and fort duquesne where dr. craik nursed washington through an illness and was with braddock from the time he was wounded until his death. in august dr. craik was back from two unsuccessful expeditions. he was one of a group of officers addressing the august assembly sitting at williamsburg, by letter, who informed the burgesses that they had lost horses, furniture, tents, marquees, clothes, linens--in short, all their field equipage--and asking that body to compensate in some measure for their misfortunes, reminding the house that it was customary among british troops by way of a contingent bill, and suggesting that the colonial troops were equally deserving. the letter was ordered tabled, but later £ was voted as compensation. after this second disastrous campaign, dr. craik was lured into domesticity by miss marianne ewell, whom he married in . this young lady drew the ties closer to mount vernon. her mother, first cousin to george washington, was sarah ball conway, who married charles ewell. after his marriage, dr. craik moved across the potomac to port tobacco, maryland, where he built a house and proceeded to raise a family of six sons and three daughters. in governor dinwiddie offered as bait to officers who would enlist for service in the french and indian wars, two hundred thousand acres of land in the ohio country. sixteen years later this land had not been distributed. washington was selected as agent to represent the officers of the first virginia regiment, and at their request, he left early in october to inspect and locate lands to be patented in their names. he was accompanied by dr. craik. the two set off on horseback with three negro servants, two of the general's and one of dr. craik's, and a pack horse, spending two months in surveying and plotting these wild lands. despite bad weather, cold, and early snow, it was a journey enjoyed by both men. the route was charged with memories of fry and braddock's campaign. washington wished to retrace these rivers and streams. the possibility of connecting the potomac with the west by canals, opening up the country for settlement and trade had come to the engineer even while the soldier was fighting. as they rode he dreamed of tilled fields and settled communities in the path of his horse and used his instruments to measure distances and to plumb the depth of streams. that he revealed his plans to this congenial friend of his travels seems certain. fourteen years later, in , he took dr. craik over the same terrain when these dreams appeared to attain realization in the contemplated canal to connect the potomac with the ohio. during his entire life, dr. craik was a steady visitor at mount vernon, on social occasions or on professional calls. he could be counted on for a visit at least once a month; sometimes he remained four or five days at a time, but more frequently he only passed the night. it is rather strange that the good doctor is never mentioned as a companion of washington's favorite sport. that he was an able horseman, covering the roughest terrain in arduous campaigns, a seasoned sportsman, a hardened athlete but no fox-hunter, seems borne out by the fact that he is never mentioned as sharing in the chase, although the gentleman to whom it meant so much noted almost every hunt and rider in his daily journals. politically the two friends were united. when virginians were becoming dissatisfied and impatient with england, dr. craik and washington thought alike, attending county meetings and councils, acting together. when the colony was disrupted by revolt and washington appointed commander in chief of the continental forces, he at once had dr. craik appointed surgeon-general in the continental army. in he was made assistant director general of the hospital of the middle department of the army. throughout the war he was part of washington's military family. at cornwallis' surrender, dr. craik was in command of the hospital corps at yorktown and present on that occasion. it was his painful duty to attend the fatally injured hugh mercer at princeton, to dress the wounds of la fayette at brandywine, to nurse during his last hours young jacky custis, only surviving child of martha washington. it was dr. craik who learned of the conway cabal in and warned washington of the conspiracy to remove him from command. to him we also owe the indian legend of washington's immortality. when braddock was defeated and killed at monongahela, washington, with four bullets through his coat and two horses shot from under him, the chosen target of the indian chief and his braves, was unharmed, and the indians believed him immune to poisoned arrow or blunderbuss. it is said that washington persuaded dr. craik to move to alexandria after the revolution. we find him renting a house on fairfax street from one robert lyles in for £ . in he rented a house on prince street from john harper for £ , and in one on the same street for £ . he rented and occupied a house belonging to john harper from to, or through, , for £ , a residence which has been so closely associated with dr. dick that it bears a memorial tablet in his memory. in october , dr. craik bought the property on duke and water (now lee) street, which he occupied for several years, and owned until . tradition, in this case false, says the house was built by george coryell, and the story of how he came to alexandria as a builder is a very interesting anecdote. on one of washington's trips to philadelphia after the revolution, the story goes, he admired a well designed and constructed gate at the house of benjamin franklin, and inquired the name of the artisan. it was the work of one george coryell of coryell's ferry. the young man's father, cornelius coryell, had acted as guide during the new jersey campaign and the family had rowed washington across the delaware in that surprise attack upon the hessians on christmas night, . the general, interested in building, and something of an architect himself, with an eye to securing competent workmen near home, is said to have persuaded george coryell to move to alexandria. here coryell bought a lot on duke street in where he lived for many years. that coryell set up in the building and lumber business and was very active is better documented, for this advertisement appeared in the _gazette_ for october , : george coryell has for sale at his board yard on mr. mease's wharf and at his dwelling house on duke street two-inch, inch, and half-inch and etc. plank. house frames of different sizes, cypress shingles locust and red cedar post scantling many houses in the town are perhaps his handiwork, but the statement that he built dr. craik's house or the frame cottage next door, which tradition says was his alexandria home, is open to grave doubt. recorded deeds at fairfax court house testify that the house and lot east of dr. craik were owned by joseph robinson, a sailmaker, in , and used descriptively in a deed dated . coryell's lot was two doors below dr. craik's house (the lot now in possession of general carl spaatz) which coryell purchased from william and sarah lyles of prince georges county, maryland. coryell served for a time as clerk of the market and sealer of weights and measures. he did some repair jobs on washington's town house. at the general's funeral, when lieutenant moss was unable to carry the heavy weight of the casket, george coryell took his place as one of the pallbearers. he remained in alexandria some fifty-odd years, returning to coryell's ferry a few years previous to his death in , at the advanced age of ninety-one. at the first auction of lots in alexandria town in , the lots numbered and were sold to anne west. the trustees upset this sale in , reselling lot no. to george mercer for £ _s._ _d._ and lot no. going to daniel wilson for £ _s._ by devious transactions these parcels of land were divided and sold. the property of dr. craik was in the ownership of john short, a watchmaker, in . due to inability to repay john harper money advanced, short, then of the borough of norfolk, sold his house and lot at auction on november , to john murry for £ . this same property was sold by john b. murry and patty, his wife, of the city and state of new york on october , , along with another lot belonging to murry, to dr. james craik for £ , . allowing for the additional lot, for which murry had paid £ _s._ _d._ in , and on which dr. craik's stable stood, for inflation and increase in value of property in alexandria following the revolution, this price of approximately $ , indicates beyond question that john murry made very substantial improvements upon this property. it was subject to a ground rent of £ forever, and it is only within the last few years that the present owners have satisfied this rent. [illustration: rear of house and courtyard built by john b. murray and bought by dr. james craik. the leanto at right replaces the frame building of joseph robinson, sailmaker] the house is a typical alexandria town mansion. with three stories, dormer widows, of salmon brick, laid in flemish bond, it faces the street as sturdily as when first built. all the chimneys in dr. craik's house are handsomely paneled, as well as the window frames. cornices, chair rails, stairway, six-panel doors, old pine floors, h&l hinges are part of its attractions. it is believed that dr. craik used the front rooms on the first floor of his house as his office. washington was a visitor in this house. he frequently mentions in his journal dining or supping with his friend. the last time seems to have been in july , when he "went up to alexa. with mrs. w. and miss cus[tis] dined at doct^r craik's, ret^d in y^e aft^n." one of the craik boys was named after george washington. in september , washington makes this entry in his diary: "wed. st.... this day i told dr. craik that i would contribute one hundred dollars pr. ann. as long as it was necessary towards the education of his son, george washington, either in this country or in scotland." * * * * * george washington craik studied medicine, and was, for a time during washington's second administration, his private secretary. he was one of the young people of the town who was a constant visitor at mount vernon up to washington's death. in and he was postmaster at alexandria. he married maria d. tucker, daughter of captain john tucker, and their son, james craik, was an episcopal clergyman. another son, william, married the daughter of william fitzhugh and became the brother-in-law to george washington parke custis. william craik was a member of congress, judge of the district court of the united states, and chief justice of the fifth maryland judicial circuit court. craik lost two sons, james and adam. james craik jr. set up in the drug business in alexandria, dissolving his current business of james craik & company in , but continued "the drug business at his store next door to col. ramsays'." at the time of this announcement he advertised for a young man well recommended as an apprentice for the druggist profession. he died, poor young man, without attaining any great success. the doctor was appointed administrator and failed to give any accounting of the estate. as a result dr. craik was haled before the court to show the cause of his failure to comply with the order. he was somewhat riled as appears from the following: james craik this day appeared at the register office and being duly sworn, gave the following statement: that when the said james craik, jr., departed this life all the personal estate he had consisted of a medical shop furniture, and medicine, to what amount or value he cannot ascertain, nor did he ever think it necessary he should render any appraisement of them, as he was security for the payment of the money they were purchased for, and since the deceased death has paid the same, and every debt he owed; in speaking of the said shop furniture and medicine being all the personal estate of the deceased his cloathes are excepted of which the said administrator saith he considered it unnecessary to render any account for the reasons above mentioned. sworn to before me at the register office on tuesday, the th day of april, . clem moore james craik adms.[ ] [illustration: "to my compatriot in arms, and old intimate friend, dr. craik i give my bureau, (or as the cabinet makers call it, tambour secretary) and the circular chair--an appendage of my study." (_mount vernon ladies' association_)] of the three daughters, one married a mr. harrison, one daniel of st. thomas jenifer, and the third married colonel roger west of west grove. the daughter of this union married john douglas simms, son of colonel charles simms of revolutionary fame. mrs. james craik jr., was sarah harrison, daughter of robert hanson harrison, one of washington's military secretaries. on november , a little over two weeks before washington's death, dr. craik delivered nellie custis, wife of washington's nephew and private secretary, lawrence lewis, of a daughter, her first child. december , , was a bad day. general washington, making the usual rounds of his farms, was not deterred by snow, sleet, nor the cold rain that followed. coming in late to dinner, which was awaiting him, his clothes soaked, snow clinging to his hair, he did not take time to change his wet things. the next day he had a sore throat and was very hoarse. during the night he felt ill and awoke his wife. as soon as it was daylight, mrs. washington sent a messenger posthaste for dr. craik. before he arrived, washington insisted upon being bled, and his secretary, tobias lear, sent across the river to port tobacco for dr. gustavus brown. when dr. craik arrived he was alarmed at the condition of his friend, bled him twice, and asked to have dr. dick called for consultation. the three doctors battled with their primitive knowledge as best they knew how. dr. craik rarely left the room, sitting by the fire, his hand cupped over his eyes. mrs. washington sat at the foot of the bed, while tobias lear noted every passing moment for posterity and gave what aid he could to make the patient comfortable. about five o'clock washington said to craik, "doctor, i die hard but i am not afraid to go. i believed from my first attack that i should not survive it. my breath cannot last long." life dragged five hours more, and when the end came dr. craik closed the eyes of him who was his best friend.[ ] the watch which ticked off these awful moments is preserved in the museum at mount vernon. when the general's will was opened one of the clauses read: to my compatriot in arms, and old & intimate friend, doct^r craik, i give my bureau (or as the cabinet makers call it, tambour secretary) and the circular chair--an appendage of my study.[ ] [illustration: mantel in the house at prince street which john harper rented to dr. craik from to at £ per annum and which bears a plate erroneously marking the domicile of dr. dick, who lived next door] this desk and chair migrated with a later generation of craiks to kentucky and afterward the heirloom chair was presented as a token of esteem to general andrew jackson. happy to relate, both pieces are again united in the library at mount vernon. there remained for dr. craik one more duty to perform at mount vernon. in may , two and a half years after the death of her husband, martha washington fell ill. this old friend of her married life of forty years watched over her for the seventeen days that remained and was with her, too, when she breathed her last. doctor craik lived for fifteen years after the death of his friend and patron, hale and hearty to the end. in he put up his alexandria house as security for a loan and it was sold at public auction march , , to rebecca taylor. doctor craik died on february , , in his eighty-fourth year at his country estate, vauclause, near alexandria. he lies in the graveyard of the old presbyterian meetinghouse. his house in alexandria, at duke street, was fittingly enough in made habitable once again by another physician, dr. laurence a. thompson, and mrs. thompson. [illustration: dr. james craik and dr. elisha dick] [illustration] chapter alexandria's old apothecary shop [with the settlement of the leadbeater estate in , these two adjoining buildings were acquired by the landmarks society of alexandria and the contents purchased by the american pharmaceutical association. under the direction of mrs. robert m. reese the buildings have been restored and opened to the public as a museum with displays generously lent by the american pharmaceutical association. entrance at south fairfax street.] among the quakers who settled in alexandria there was a young man by the name of edward stabler, who came from petersburg, virginia. by he had established himself in the drug business on fairfax street between king and prince. the major portion of his first stock of drugs came from london and cost about £ . today his shop is famous as the second oldest apothecary shop in the united states in continuous operation and has been conducted by five generations of stabler's descendants, the name of the proprietor changing to leadbeater in . always the proprietors maintained the most unique relations, business and social, with their patrons. extant today are orders for one quart of castor oil from martha washington, an order for paint from george washington parke custis, and many other curious and historical records, including the comments on a bad debt. in mr. stabler ordered from his dealer in london: one medicine chest, complete with weights, scales, bolus knives, etc. i want this to be mahogany, of good quality as it is for the granddaughter of the widow of general washington, the cost to be about guineas. [illustration: alexandria's old apothecary shop, where georgian and victorian meet] there is a story in alexandria that it was in this shop that the messenger, lieutenant j.e.b. stuart, from the war department, found general r.e. lee chatting with the proprietor, his old friend, the senior leadbeater, and delivered to the then colonel lee sealed orders from general winfield scott ordering him to harpers ferry to take command during john brown's raid. it may be safely said that this shop was commonly used as a place of meeting by the gentlemen of the town who gathered there to exchange views and hear the latest news. there remain in the old pharmacy early hand-blown bottles, counters and showcases, weights and scales, mortars and pestles, prescriptions, old ledgers, and much unidentified impedimenta of these early apothecaries. the decoration of the interior is indicative of the five generations who have lived and worked here. georgian and victorian blend in a harmonious whole. the exterior has been admirably restored to eighteenth century correctness--semicircular windows and all. the shop proper is the ground floor of a three-story business structure. adjoining is an associated gift shop, also on the ground floor of a three-story building, and the two structures must appear very much as they did when built. [illustration] chapter spring gardens [ franklin street. owners: mr. and mrs. harry w. harris.] the stranger arriving in alexandria by ship, coach, or horse could be sure of a welcome. the old port was noted for her taverns. they were numerous and good. at the taverns the gentlemen of the town were wont to gather for an oyster supper, a turtle feast, or a cockfight. the masonic brothers sought these places for their banquets, and often for their meetings. here stagecoaches drew up with bustle and excitement to put out the mail, change the horses, set down and take up the passengers, and let the traveler call for a draught of ale. here the mail was collected and distributed. here sailors could find a berth, the stranger a roaring fire, a glass of grog, food, bed and forage for his weary horse. in at a court held at fairfax, the rate for a night's lodging with clean sheets was fixed at _d._, "otherwise pence." for a quart of punch with loaf sugar, _s._ _d._; for a quart of punch with brown sugar, _d._ for a hot dish with small beer or cider, _s._; for a cold dish, _d._ stablage and fodder for a horse for twenty-four hours, _d._; pasturage for twenty-four hours, _d._ it was ordered that "the several and respective ordinary keepers in this county do sell according to the above rates in money or tobacco at the rate of twelve shillings and six pence per cubic weight, and that they do not presume to demand more of any person what so ever."[ ] among the alexandria taverns of note that flourished in the late eighteenth century was spring gardens or yates' tavern, as the place was known in comparatively recent years. the little brick buildings were surrounded by spacious grounds, the walks edged in box, arbors covered with vines, grapes, fruit and shade trees all but hiding it from view. in the _columbia mirror and alexandria gazette_ of saturday, january , , the following advertisement appeared: oyster house--spring gardens. the subscriber informs his friends and the gentlemen of alexandria that he intends providing oyster suppers at his house this winter on the most moderate terms and at the shortest notice. those who may incline to favor him with their custom, may rest assured that there shall be nothing wanting on his part to give general satisfaction. abel willis again spring gardens figured in the news of october , , when this advertisement appeared in the _virginia gazette and alexandria advertiser_ of that date: to be sold by private contract. the unexpired term of the lease or covenant of that desirable lot called spring gardens with all its extensive improvements. the lease or covenant has many and great advantages annexed to it. apply to the proprietor on the premises. h. wilbur. some time previously, in , h. wilbur in the same publication announced that the "late master of the steine house academy brighthelm-stone, begs leave respectfully to inform the public in general that his academy will open on monday next, the th, inst. for the reception of ten young ladies at two dollars per month, pens and ink included." was spring gardens a young ladies academy as well as oysterhouse, tavern and jockey club? the tradition that spring gardens was the second jockey club seems to be borne out in the announcement of the spring races which appeared on saturday, may , : red house spring races to be run for on thurs. th inst. over jockey club course. a subscription purse of dollars, three mile heats, free for any horse, mare or gelding. aged horses to carry lbs; six year old ; years old ; years and three years old feather. on friday, a purse of $ . , mile heats, saturday a purse of $ . , mile heats. the purses shall be at the post. the horses to be entered the day preceding each race with me or pay double on entrance; the winning horse on each preceding day only excepted. i have expended a great deal of money in altering and improving the course it is now approved by the best judges of racing. no exertion shall be wanting to give satisfaction by the publics devoted servent. james gardiner last day a feather. n.b. the jockey club races will commense on wed. th, sept. next. the races were intended for the th, th, and th, but the commencement of the district court being altered from the th to the th inst. was only known this day by the public's obedient servant. james gardiner n.b. on the th june following a colts purse or sweepstake will certainly be run for; each subscriber putting five guineas in the purse the day before starting. several are already entered. the colts that are admissable may be known by an application to j.g. [illustration: rear of spring gardens or yate's tavern] general washington was a visitor many times and on july , , he recorded in his diary: "went up to the celebration of the anniversary of independance and dined in the spring gardens near alexa. with a large compa. of the civil and military of fairfax county."[ ] his cash accounts for the day set his expenses in alexandria "at the anniversary of independance" as £ _s._[ ] a philadelphia newspaper gave a full account of the festivities: _alexandria_, july --the rd [_sic_] anniversary of american independence was celebrated by the inhabitants of this town, on wednesday last, with the greatest harmony and conviviality.--every thing conspired to render the business of the day a varied scene of patriotism and social joy; and the dignified presence of the beloved washington, our illustrious neighbor, gave such a high colouring to the tout ensemble, that nothing was wanting to complete the picture. the auspicious morning was ushered in by a discharge of sixteen guns. at o'clock the uniform companies paraded; and, it must be acknowledged, their appearance was such as entitled them to the greatest credit, while it reflects honor on their officers and the town--it was perfectly military: ... the different corps were reviewed in king street by general washington, and col. little, who expressed the highest satisfaction at their appearance and manoeuvring; after which they proceeded to the episcopal church, where a suitable discourse was delivered by the rev. dr. davis. of this discourse i may say, with the expressive collins, it was "warm, energetic, chaste, sublime." a dinner was prepared at spring gardens by mr. john stavely; which, considering the number of citizens and military that partook of it (between and ) was conducted with the greatest propriety and decorum.--ludwell lee, esq. presided at the head of the table--the foot was honored by col. charles little.... gen. washington was escorted into town by a detachment from the troop of dragoons. he was dressed in full uniform, and appeared in good health and spirits. the troops went through a number of military evolutions during the day, with all of which the general was particularly pleased, and bestowed many encomiums on their martial appearance.--_claypoole's american daily advertiser_, july .[ ] in the last years of his life, the general again "went up to alexa. and dined with a number of the citizens there in celebration of the anniversary of the declaration of american independence."[ ] and again the philadelphia newspaper reported: _alexandria_, july .--the rd anniversary of the american independence was celebrated in this town with the greatest harmony and decorum. the military commands agreeably to orders previously given, mustered in the court house square, and the line was formed in fairfax street. after going through the manual, which was performed with the strictest exactitude, col. john fitzgerald, accompanied by john potts, esq., passed the line in review, and expressed his satisfaction at their military and elegant appearance. the battalion then marched, by sections, up king street, and formed the line there to receive their beloved chief general george washington. on his passing the line the usual military honors were paid; and it is with pleasure i remark, that the cincinnatus of america appeared in excellent health and good spirits. lieutenant general washington dined at col. kemp's tavern, with a select party of friends.--_claypoole's american daily advertiser_, july .[ ] whether colonel kemp at this time kept the spring gardens tavern, the deponent sayeth not! * * * * * thrilling tales of long departed patrons who haunt the old red house are told by the misses lewis and evans, who lived in this house for several years. when the family of three sat down for their evening meal, they were disturbed by the consciousness of the presence of unseen persons. often they raised their wine glasses in a silent toast to the invisible guests and empty chairs. on several occasions a brave spirit clad in buff and blue was clearly seen, only to vanish into the heavy six-panel door--to the utter astonishment of three pairs of eyes. once on a clear moonlight night, a great brick barn appeared in the place of a modest wooden structure which stands today. the lady who first saw it called her companion and asked her what she saw. the immediate reply was "an enormous brick barn." for a while they thought it an optical illusion produced by moonlight and clouds and waited at the window to see the bricks disintegrate into the factual wooden structure. but the ladies retired leaving the great brick apparition still standing. colonel w.h. peake, the recent owner, when told this story, confirmed it to the extent of admitting that there was a large brick foundation under the present frame building. colonel and mrs. peake added a half story to the two wings and increased the length of the ell. the old tavern faces the street bravely, and the sturdy, paneled front door swings on h&l hinges as in days long past. in the brick-walled garden behind, arbors are fragrant with grape and wisteria. hollyhocks flourish in the borders. a modern garage replaces the stables where the gentry of alexandria and the neighborhood put up their horses when they frequented the "oyster house." in this mellowed atmosphere of spring gardens, it is pleasant to turn one's thoughts backward and reflect on the gay evening when it cost the general £ _s._ to celebrate "independance." [illustration] chapter william fitzhugh and robert e. lee another fine example of late eighteenth century federal architecture in alexandria is the residence at oronoco street,[owners: mr. and mrs. robert c. goodale.] commonly spoken of as the boyhood home of robert e. lee. this house abounds with memories of alexandria. her history, romance, and past are interwoven here in a perfect pattern. washington, perhaps, frequented this house more than any other save dr. craik's after the fitzhughs moved to alexandria from chatham near fredericksburg. built by john potts in on land purchased from charles alexander, the date is attested by the stone fixed high in the wall under the carved cornice. potts and his wife, elizabeth, deeded the property to william fitzhugh in for the sum of twelve thousand dollars. the house and garden occupy half a city block. a central hall runs through the house and every room opens by window or door into the garden. the woodwork in the house, while simple, is in the best tradition and, save for two missing mantels, is undisturbed. the stairway rises on the left of the hall in a series of easy steps to a landing that crosses one end of the hall and then mounts on the right side to the second floor. the decoration of the risers and landing, in a diamond motif paneled in a delicate mold, is reminiscent of the designer, adam. two superb rooms open off the hall on each side, and the dining room and offices are in an ell on a lower level. there are adam mantels of great beauty in the two master bedrooms on the second floor. the doors, chair rails, cornices, floors, and locks are in a fine state of preservation throughout the house. in the kitchen is the brick oven with patent doors made in england and inserted in the chimney about the time the house was built. a few years ago, the former owners, dr. and mrs. r.r. sayers, went to the address of the manufactory at stratton, cheapside, london. it was still in operation and there they were able to purchase needed parts for the faithful old oven. virginia is more like the mother country in the relations that exist between her aristocratic classes, than any other part of the union save, perhaps, south carolina. these people moved in one large circle, marrying and intermarrying, related and associated as one enormous family. welcome in one another's homes, they kept alive family ties by visits and letters, both of considerable length. it was quite possible to go away from home for several years for a series of visits, moving from one estate to another and remaining for the season--all the while renewing associations within the chosen orbit. of this hierarchy was william fitzhugh. a man of charm and culture, reared in the days and traditions of the great planters, he kept open house at chatham, near fredericksburg, the year around. travelers en route to and from williamsburg and richmond were entertained in a lavish fashion. with the formation of the new government, the stream of visitors increased to such an extent that the fitzhughs were being eaten out of house and home, and found it necessary to escape from their friends. they selected alexandria as a place of domicile. chatham was placed on the market in . a lifelong friend and associate of george washington, there was great intimacy between the two families. fitzhugh contributed two fine does to the mount vernon deer park in , and the same year forwarded a supply of orchard grass seed for the general's use. a year before washington's death his good offices as neighbor and friend were directed toward the acquisition of a horse that would best serve washington's purpose. entries in george washington's diaries attest the many times that the fitzhughs were at mount vernon, and the washingtons at chatham or alexandria. on january , : "mrs. washington, myself, etc., went to alexandria and dined with mr. fitzhugh,"[ ] and on april , , "went to alexandria and lodged myself with mr. fitzhugh";[ ] the next day he "returned to alexandria and again lodged at mr. fitzhugh's."[ ] the last mention in washington's diary of his old friends is in the last month of his life, dated november , , "went to church in alexandria and dined with mr. fitzhugh."[ ] [illustration: the alexandria home bought by william fitzhugh of chatham to escape from his friends] to fitzhugh's house came washington custis wooing, and successfully, too, mary lee fitzhugh. george washington did not live to see the marriage between the daughter of this old friend and his adopted son, george washington parke custis; nor the splendid arlington mansion, following that new fashion of likeness to a greek temple, that was to house the custis and lee families for three generations. he knew those rolling acres of the arlington plantation, but never dreamed they were destined to become the emerald pall for america's warrior dead. in the _alexandria daily gazette, commercial and political_ of friday, january , , appeared the following advertisement: on wednesday, the th instant will be sold between the hours of ten and eleven at the house of william fitzhugh, esquire, deceased, a quantity of household furniture consisting of carpets, chairs, tables, bedsteads, etc., as also a carriage and one or two horses. of all sums of twenty dollars or under, immediate payment will be expected, on all over a credit of six months will be given, and bond with approved security required: robert randolph executor of wm. fitzhugh [illustration: the alexandria home of "light horse" harry lee's widow. the house that general lee loved] william fitzhugh's will was probated on december , . to each of his two daughters who had "made themselves as dear as children can be to an affectionate father," he left the sum of two thousand pounds, certain slaves (about sixteen) and lands containing eight hundred acres, for since they were "equal in his affections" he wished them to have an equal quantity. after other bequests, the residue of his estate passed to his only son, william henry fitzhugh, with the admonition and hope that he would make proper use of it. he appointed his two sons-in-law, william craik and george washington parke custis, also edmund i. lee and robert randolph, as guardians of his son's estate until he came of age, and as executors of his will. the inventory of the contents of his house is that of a rich man, who lived in the comfort and elegance of his time. appropriately enough, a pair of his knife boxes have found their way to mount vernon. [illustration: general lee's bedroom, showing the railing of the little stair leading to his mother's room] william henry fitzhugh married anna maria goldsborough of maryland and built the house on the ravensworth estate so intimately associated with the fitzhughs and lees. in september , he sold the house in alexandria to william brent of stafford for ten thousand dollars. william brent jr., lost the house by indebtedness to the mechanics bank of alexandria in . the bank was the highest bidder at $ , . young fitzhugh met an early death shortly after his marriage when thrown by his horse. he was an only son and he died childless so that branch of the clan ended with the death of mrs. george washington parke custis. fitzhugh's widow lived for forty years at ravensworth. [illustration: the mantel in mrs. harry lee's bedroom] later william hodgson and his family owned the oronoco street house for a couple of generations and in turn sold the house to william c. yeaton, who owned it for some twenty-odd years. this family planted many tropical trees, the unique magnolia and the lemon trees among them. in the house was sold at public auction for one thousand dollars to mary e. fleming, widow of dr. robert f. fleming, "she being the highest bidder." it is a strange coincidence that to this alexandria home of the fitzhughs came, about , the widow of a gentleman active in the affairs of the nation. he had commanded, during the revolution, a legion bearing his own name; he had served as governor of his state from to ; as a member of congress from to , and he it was who prepared the memorial resolutions which were presented when word reached philadelphia of washington's decease, declaring him in immortal words: "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his fellow citizens." in fact, he liked the phrase himself and used it with a slight modification in the halls of congress when making his celebrated eulogy of washington. this widow then resident in the former home of william fitzhugh was mrs. henry lee, born anne carter of shirley. exiled from stratford when her eldest stepson came into his patrimony, she and her husband, general lee, known to all virginians as "light horse harry," moved to alexandria. the lees occupied several houses from time to time, but on october , , mrs. lee was at home in the house on the northwest corner of st. asaph and oronoco streets and she received a visitor of such importance that it made history. the guest, who was no less a personage than general the marquis de la fayette, came to pay his respects to the wife of his friend. this visit was witnessed by the young quaker, benjamin hallowell, who had moved into the house next door with his bride of a day, and stood in the doorway to watch the marquis go by. moreover, the marquis saw the young couple and "made a graceful bow." mrs. henry lee, with her family of boys, occupied this house for seven years. robert edward's room adjoined hers, on a lower level, being connected by a small stairway. shortly after mr. hallowell opened his school, robert e. lee went to him in february , for instruction in mathematics, preparatory to going to west point to prepare himself for the army. naturally the friendliest intimacy existed between the family at arlington and the house on oronoco street. and so, two years after leaving west point, lieutenant robert e. lee, corps of engineers, married, on june , , mary custis, granddaughter of william fitzhugh, and great-granddaughter of martha washington. general lee always loved this house and after defeat he came back to alexandria, which for some time had been in command of the union forces, to take farewell of his family and friends and went again to look once more upon the scenes of his childhood. the story is told that people next door were startled to see a man peeping over the wall. upon investigation, it proved to be general lee, who had climbed upon the wall to look into the garden. he apologized, saying, "i just wanted to see if the snowballs were in bloom." to this day the garden, as the house, retains its integrity. all the growing things associated with old gardens are there--the lilacs, boxwood, magnolias, lemon trees, iris, syringa, lilies, jonquils, jasmine, honeysuckle--and general lee's remembered snowballs. [illustration: george washington parke custis; grandson of martha; adopted son of george washington; husband of mary fitzhugh; father-in-law of robert e. lee. by saint mèmin. (_courtesy corcoran gallery of art_)] [illustration] chapter george washington's tenements [ south pitt street. owners: mr. and mrs. fred latimer hadsel. south pitt street. owners: mr. and mrs. harlan trott.] on the corner of pitt and prince streets stand two little frame houses that possess the distinction of being the only buildings in alexandria built on george washington's lots and dating back to his time. their history is fairly complete and may be compiled by anyone taking the trouble to search the records housed in the alexandria clerk's office and balancing those data against the well kept accounts and writings of general washington. alexandria had outgrown her swaddling clothes by when the trustees petitioned the assembly for permission to extend the limits of the town. this was promptly granted. new acreage was added, divided into lots and sold at auction as formerly. general washington bought, at the sale held on may , , two half-acres of ground, numbered on the plat as and , which he took up later for approximately £ . for the former, the subject of this sketch, on the northwest corner of pitt and prince, he paid £ . on the latter lot at pitt and cameron streets he built his town house six years later. as early as washington spoke of "my house in town," but this earliest reference[ ] is believed to have related to lawrence washington's estate, for which he was one of the executors. its subsequent story has not been unwound, but all facts point to the house at south lee street as having been built by lawrence. general washington acquired the deed to lot no. in and mention was made of it in his will and in the accompanying inventory of his property. at the time of his death the lot had been subdivided for building and let on ground rent, for purposes of revenue. the two small frame houses standing today at pitt and prince streets unquestionably date from this period. time did not deal gently with these little houses and a few years ago they were condemned by the city council as unfit for habitation and ordered to be destroyed as they created a fire menace. former owners succeeded in allaying the ultimatum of the council, reclaiming them from oblivion. unaware that the story of washington's ownership was true, the wing of one was demolished, the other is a new addition and replaces a smaller one too dilapidated to restore. the floors, mantels, much of the trim, some hardware and two chimneys are original. the uprights were found to be mortised together and numbered in roman numerals. handmade nails and split wood laths formed part of the original construction. preservation of the structure was the urgent concern. in her _history of old alexandria_ mrs. powell tells an interesting anecdote relating to the construction of these houses. the mention of "mr. la fayette" identifiable as the son of the marquis, fixes the period at . it seems that the coach had been sent to alexandria from mount vernon for repairs and stood in the courtyard of the coachmaker's waiting to be called for. two little children, hannah taylor and joe peters, were playing hide-and-seek in the courtyard. the little girl opened the door and hid in the coach. joe failed to find her, and she fell asleep. the carriage was called for, the horses hitched and driven to mount vernon, without awakening the child. only when the coach came to a standstill in the stable yard did she awake, much frightened and in tears. she was carried at once to the house, soothed and petted. the general dispatched a servant on horseback to tell mr. and mrs. taylor that the little girl was safe and would be returned in the morning. she dined with the family, sat next to miss nelly, and was laughed at by a young man called "mr. la fayette" whom she did not like. she was put to bed by the negro maid, caroline brannum, in a little room at the head of the stairway, wearing one of miss nelly's gowns, much too large, but with beautiful lace on neck and sleeves, her sheets warmed by the first copper warming pan she had ever seen. caroline left the candle burning until hannah fell asleep, to keep the little girl from being frightened. she had a splendid breakfast and was returned home in the coach wrapped in a large shawl and with a piece of cake as booty. after that she frequently saw general washington on the streets of alexandria. "he often walked past her father's shop to the corner of pitt and prince, where two small frame houses were being built, and he seemed to be giving some directions to the carpenters, but he did not recognize hannah who stood in too much awe of the great man to make herself known."[ ] hannah was all of seven years old at the time of the visit. her trip to mount vernon furnished her with conversational matter for the rest of her life. [illustration: washington identified this sketch: "col^o fitzgerald respect^g my vacant lot-in-alexandria" and the notation under prince street is also in his handwriting. this rough draft seems to have been done by fitzgerald pursuant to the general's letter to him, dated june , . (_courtesy library of congress_)] the little houses, known in alexandria for many years as the washington tenements, fell to the lot of his nephew, lawrence washington, in the division of the estate. now to explore the title for those whose time does not permit or whose inclination does not incite to delving into old and dusty records. in february washington, in an irate letter to carlyle & adam, who had neglected to pay for some wheat, soundly berates them, complaining that in september , he passed his bond for the wheat for "some lotts in alexandria as payment," only to have the money demanded again with interest and "was at some pains to convince mr. john alexander of the unreasonableness of paying twice for the same thing."[ ] [illustration: the washington tenements] writing to his friend, the secretary of war, henry knox, in january , he says, "... rents have got to such an amazing height in alexandria, that (having an unimproved lot or two there) i have thoughts, if my finances will support me in the measure, of building a house, or houses thereon for the purpose of letting."[ ] later in that same year he confides to knox that his finances were not equal to undertaking the projected building in alexandria. ten years later the lot was still unimproved, when halley, who owned abutting property, was desirous of acquiring ten feet of washington's land for an alley. the deal did not go through and a year later william summers offered the owner three thousand dollars for the lot in question, which was declined. president washington wrote tobias lear, his secretary, under date of march : i have no wish to part with the lot unless i can do it upon advantageous terms, and can dispose of the money in a more productive manner. i had thoughts of building on it, but this would be attended with trouble, and perhaps a good deal of impositions; as it could not be properly attended to in the execution of the work. and besides workmens wages and materials are very high at this time.[ ] shades of a later postwar era! by june , washington had determined upon the subdivision as a solution. this was time-honored practice locally. to john fitzgerald, on june he wrote, "if you have had leizure to examine my unimproved lot in alexa, more attentively, and have digested any plan in your own mind for an advantageous division of it, i would thank you for the result, as i wish to fix on a plan." a plot plan, docketed by washington "my vacant lot in alex" has been found among his papers preserved in the library of congress,[ ] and is worthy of reproduction. that this plan was carried out almost to the letter is revealed by the text of an advertisement prepared in july to be set up in the gazettes: the subscriber having resolved to lay off the half acre lot which he holds in the town of alexandria (bounded by prince and pitt streets) into convenient building squares, gives this public notice thereof; and of his intention to lease them forever, on ground rent. five and a half feet extending from prince street, will be added to the alley already left by mr. rickets, across to mr. halleys lot; and another alley of ten feet will be laid out about midway the lot from pitt street until it intersect the former alley. all the lots on prince street will extend back to this alley, and be about or feet in depth. and the lots north thereof will extend from pitt street to the first mentioned alley, and be four in number of equal front (about feet each). the other lot will have a breadth of feet on prince street and about or on pitt street, or may be divided into [illegible] remaining front on the former street will be divided into [illegible] lotts, equal in size and abt. or feet front each. if any persons should be inclined to make offers for the lots here described, or any of them, mr. jas. anderson (my manager) will receive the same [illegible] shortly, the lotts will be exposed at public sale, of which notice will be given.[ ] the following september, writing to james harrison, he said, "the ground rent of the lot i have offered to lease, in alexandria, is three dollars a foot, for what it measures on _each_ street. this i must obtain as an annual rent or the lot will not be disposed of in that way."[ ] washington died on december , , and his will, written july , , was probated january , . in an annexed schedule of property which he directed be sold (some conditionally disposed of) with explanatory notes relative thereto appears this entry: alexandria corner of pitt & prince stts. half an acre--laid out into build[in]gs or of wch. are let on grd. rent at $ pr. foot. , (t)[ ] under the note "t" the property is further described: "for this lot though unimproved, i have refused $ .--it has since been laid off into proper sized lots for building on--three or of which are let on ground rent--forever--at three dollars a foot on the street,--and this price is asked for both fronts on pitt & princes street."[ ] these lots were included in the estate left to his wife for her lifetime. martha washington died on may , . on june , , the executors of washington's estate sold this half-acre lot divided into nine lots, nos. to on pitt and nos. to on prince. an alley ten feet wide separated the prince street lots from those on pitt. only one lot was unimproved. the executors submitted this sale along with others made the same day to be recorded at fairfax july , . the lot at the intersection of pitt and prince, bearing the number in the division, was sold to l.a. washington for $ , . , bringing more by nearly four hundred dollars than any of the other eight. lawrence augustine washington's deed for this property was dated august , , and calls for "twenty-five feet four inches on prince street, beginning at the intersection, running in depth parallel to pitt eighty-three feet to a ten-foot alley, and all houses, buildings, improvements, streets and allies."[ ] on the death of lawrence a. washington the little houses and the lot on the corner of prince and pitt streets became the property of his son, robert w. washington. he in turn sold the property to alexious johnson, at whose death it was sold at public auction by samuel bartle, commissioner, to william gregory for $ . on july , . three years later, september , , will and mary gregory sold the same property to benjamin huges. benjamin and susan huges divided the property, selling feet inches on pitt street to joseph francis cook on july , , and on july , , the huges sold the house and lot on the corner of prince and pitt, running feet west on prince and feet north on pitt to j. frank taylor. on july , , joseph francis cook and his wife, georgeanna, conveyed to taylor the part they had previously bought from the huges. on april , , j. frank taylor conveyed this same property to walter g. rogers, and on april , , walter g. rogers and his wife, matilda a. rogers, sold to george t. klipstein. in the property was purchased by charles b. and gay montague moore, and in the property was again divided, and the house on pitt street was sold to mr. charles francis alexander, and the prince street house to colonel hubbard. [illustration: in england a georgian cottage, but in alexandria a great house] [illustration] chapter the georgian cottage [ prince street. owner: mrs. andrew pickens.] alexandria was never a large town. the thrifty merchants of this scottish trading center built well, and their dwellings abound in architectural interest, but really great houses are rare. on the block of prince street, behind a picket fence, guarded by a tall magnolia and several gnarled box trees stands what is called in england a "georgian cottage," which in alexandria is an important house. on november , , william thornton alexander and lucy, his wife, sold to james patron, of fairfax county, half an acre of land situated in fairfax county in the state of virginia, adjacent to the town of alexandria and bounded as follows: vizt: on the south by prince street, on the west by columbus street. beginning at the corner formed by the intersection of the east side of columbus street and with the north side of prince street and running eastwardly with prince street feet inches, thence northerly and parallel with columbus street one hundred and seventy six feet seven inches, thence westerly and parallel with prince street feet inches thence southerly with columbus street to the point of beginning.[ ] this was subject forever to a ground rent of £ in good and lawful money of virginia. on this lot james patton erected a type of house well known locally as a "flounder," because of its narrow width. such a building was usually set back from the street, anticipating fuller architectural development when the flounder became the ell of the larger house. patton's home, though diminutive, was comfortable and it had convenient gardens and pleasant surroundings. here he lived until overtaken by that ogre of all alexandria shipping merchants--compound interest. he became indebted to the firm of marsteller & young to the amount of ten thousand dollars and sundry notes discounted for his use at the bank of alexandria to the amount of nine thousand dollars. to afford full indemnity, he sold in november , to robert i. taylor, twenty-five shares of potomac bank stock, six shares of little river turnpike stock, ten shares of great hunting creek bridge stock, a house and lot on fairfax street, and two squares of ground under the charter of alexandria, adjoining spring gardens, bought of jesse sims, and the brig _john_ of alexandria. also relinquished to taylor in the settlement of his debts was the half-acre on prince and columbus streets "with the buildings and improvements thereupon erected."[ ] a year later william fowle with "the consent and concurrance of all parties," purchased the said lot of ground and improvements from james patton at the price of $ , . william fowle had come to alexandria in from boston to enter, as a partner, the important shipping firm which became lawrason & fowle. he married miss esther taylor, daughter of george taylor of broomalaw and they are purported to have had eighteen children, eight of whom they reared to maturity. fowle's father-in-law is remembered as the last gentleman in alexandria to hold to the fashion of knee breeches and silk stockings. as he lived well into the nineteenth century, his figure clad in "short clothes" and leaning upon a high cane (similar to those associated with the court of louis xvi) was a familiar sight upon the streets of alexandria long after such a costume had become a curiosity. taylor entertained no idea of giving up the habits of his ancestors, nor of complying with any such folderol as high choker collars and pantaloons so tightly strapped under a gentleman's gaiters that someone had to invent a machine for jumping into them. the fowles were agreeable hosts and the georgian cottage was the scene of many gay gatherings and fine dinners. the family took part in all the festivities of the town--balls at gadsby's, the theatre; trips to boston, doubtless in their own ships, were frequent. william fowle was senior warden at christ church for many years. [illustration: elegance and grace, harmony and beauty in brick and wood and iron. regency at its best in alexandria] thirty-six years after fowle moved to alexandria the following notice appeared in one of the papers. it is interesting to observe that the firm was now "william fowle & co." the splendid ship alexandria, about tons burthen, built under the superintendence of captain william morrell, for william fowle & co., and others, and to be commanded by capt. charles w. turner was launched in beautiful style on thursday. [illustration: the stair sweeps up, circular wall, window and door in hall] william fowle was a man of taste as well as means. he improved his garden by acquiring adjoining property and extending his grounds as far east as washington street and as far north as king, adding several new outbuildings. nor did he stop with horticulture. he took up architecture and deftly transformed his home to the ample size and satisfactory design all admire. the earlier flounder house became one of the fine houses of alexandria--and one of the loveliest. by the addition of a wing to the left of the present doorway, a beautiful palladian window, and new entrance porch set in a gabled bay, fowle changed the front façade into the latest mode. the house has an individuality and appeal unlike anything else in town. the outstanding architectural interest is in this entrance. inside as well as out the design and wood carving are chaste and elegant. four slender columns support a shallow balcony whose grace and lightness is produced in a great measure by the fragile spindles carrying the weight of the projection. the delicate inclosure of wrought iron is regency at its best in this medium. it is said he imported the plans for this arresting doorway from new england. the interior focal point is again the doorway, for here the beauty in design and wood carving equal the elegance of the exterior. an added interest is the circular wall, window and door in the entrance hall. the drawing room mantel is of gray marble, early empire in design, a style which dominates the lower floor. the walls support the original old whale-oil lamps, complete with engraved shades and prisms. interesting family portraits and fine furniture have occupied the same places for over a century and a quarter. the sheraton sideboard is exceptional. in the garden court, box bushes cluster close to the doorway, perfuming the air after a summer's shower. enormous pink poppies, phlox, and roses grow in riotous abandon, while old-fashioned periwinkle covers the roots of ancient trees. it is a satisfactory thought that fowle's descendants still inhabit his house, using many of his possessions, for this is one of the few old residences in alexandria still in the family. five generations have called it home. two wings, or dependencies, of this house have been demolished and the garden reduced by time and the inroads of "progress." what is still a large city garden, no longer touches washington and king streets. [illustration] chapter the vowell-snowden house [ south lee street.] presently the residence of mr. justice and mrs. hugo l. black, this house has been known in alexandria for about a hundred years as the snowden home; and so it was from to when it passed from the hands of that family. the snowdens have long been prominent in the old town. samuel snowden became sole owner and editor of the _alexandria gazette_ in , a paper that traces its ancestry back to , and boasts of being the oldest daily newspaper printed continuously, still in circulation in the united states. edgar snowden succeeded his father as editor, at the age of twenty-one years. active in civic affairs, interested in politics, he was the first representative of alexandria to the virginia assembly after the retrocession of alexandria to virginia in . he ran for congress on the whig ticket when henry clay was defeated for the presidency and went down with his party. he was mayor of alexandria in , and mrs. powell states in her _history of old alexandria_ that in a collection of silhouettes in london is one of "edgar snowden, mayor of alexandria." snowden married louisa grymes of the prominent family of grymesby, brandon, and marmion on the rappahannock. from this union there were three sons, edgar, jr., harold and herbert, "each of whom in turn upheld the traditions and honor of the old paper."[ ] [illustration: the vowell-snowden house. the widow's walk is missing] edgar snowden purchased the lee and franklin streets property from lawrence b. taylor, who had the house from thomas vowell jr. in a deed granted august , , william thornton alexander and lucy, his wife, let this property with all houses, buildings, streets, lanes, alleys, and so on, to thomas vowell jr., for the yearly ground rent of $ . . the fact is cited that william thornton alexander had the property from his father, john alexander. in thomas vowell was released from this obligation upon payment of £ . in , in a deed of trust, the house is referred to specifically as a two-story brick dwelling, with other buildings and improvements. there is doubt as to whether the present house was built by alexander or by vowell. william thornton alexander mentions in the deed of , "all houses, buildings, streets, lanes, alleys, etc." the front of the house is a typical federal house, hardly earlier than to , and similar to the new city hotel, built in . the doorway is almost a replica of the doorway taken from the tavern to the metropolitan museum of art and since restored. the transom above the entrance door, in a deeply recessed arch, is interesting in design. the unusual cornice excites attention. thomas vowell, in partnership with his brother, john, operated for a long while a successful mercantile business. the firm of john & thomas vowell owned a large wharf on the east side of union between prince and king streets and sent out its own ships to the far corners of the earth, advertising its wares upon their return. george washington ran an account with the vowells and receipts preserved at mount vernon tell of purchases made by james anderson, his manager. one of anderson's dockets, dating from , reaffirms in the inscription the age-old system of barter, "for lint seed sold them & salt in exchange." lean and hard times were thomas vowell's lot. he overreached himself in speculation--buying and selling property until "by reasons of losses and misfortunates in trade" we find him mortgaging his warehouse and wharf, even his house; finally he was forced to part with his home. thomas vowell's first wife, mary harper, died in , aged twenty-three years, and was buried in the old presbyterian meetinghouse graveyard. she was the daughter of captain john harper; her sister, margaret, married thomas vowell's brother, john. the graves of the two sisters lie near the north wall of the church, while their father's remains rest within. the vowell-snowden house, in splendid condition, stands flush with the street, surrounded by a half-acre of garden, defying the elements as well as the hand of time. much of the fine woodwork has been removed or destroyed, but the perfect proportion of the rooms is indestructible. the hall arch and stairway remain untouched and convey some idea of the former beauty of the woodwork and elegance of the house. there are people still living in alexandria who as children played on the "widow's" or "captain's walk" that formerly topped the old mansion. a magnificent view up and down the potomac river could be had from that vantage spot, long since disappeared. [illustration] chapter the edmund jennings lee house [ north washington street. owners: mr. and mrs. franklin f. korell.] many of the citizens of this community bore the greatest names in the commonwealth. henry cabot lodge's description of virginia society in the eighteenth century might aptly be applied to alexandria: "we must go back to athens to find another instance of a society so small in numbers and yet capable of such an outburst of ability and force." among the great virginia names closely associated with alexandria is that of lee. virginia's (and america's) patriot, arthur lee, was born at stratford, in westmoreland county, on december , , and died at his residence, lansdown, in the old town of urbanna, middlesex county, on december , . these fifty-two years he filled with deeds and action. his primary education was gotten at eton. from there he went on to the great university of edinburgh to study medicine. for a while he practiced this profession in williamsburg, but in we find him reading law at the temple in london. by he had begun his role as a barrister in london and there he practiced until . for five years of this time he acted as london agent for virginia and massachusetts. thus began his diplomatic career. with benjamin franklin and silas deane he was one of the commissioners to france in , and from this he went on to other negotiations between america and europe. arthur lee returned to america in , and from to he served as a member of congress. during these years he entered somewhat into the real-estate business in alexandria. when his will was probated, he left to his niece, hannah washington, wife of corbin, a half-acre lot on washington and oronoco streets. hannah and corbin washington sold a half-acre lot to charles lee on march , . it is described as beginning at the intersection of washington and oronoco on the southwest side, running west on oronoco feet inches and south on washington feet inches. charles lee and anne, his wife, sold this property to their brother, edmund i. lee, for five thousand dollars in january . part of the lot was rented at that time to henry zimmerman, subject to a ground rent, and part to howard beale, and there were houses, ways, advantages, and so on. edmund jennings (always called edmund i., following the eighteenth century usage of i for j) lee was born just prior to the revolution in , when great events were stirring. he grew to young manhood in the post-revolutionary days, and developed into an able lawyer, one of those stalwart citizens, giving his time and energy to his family, his church, and his city. he has been overshadowed by his more famous brothers, "light horse harry" and charles lee, attorney general in washington's cabinet, and his immortal nephew, robert edward lee. at twenty-four, edmund jennings lee married sarah lee, daughter of richard henry lee of stratford, his near cousin, and that same year, , settled in alexandria. nearly everyone of local prominence dined at mount vernon on some occasion or another--and so did edmund lee and his wife. washington's diaries record three dates when the former was present and one when the latter accompanied attorney general charles lee and his wife. mrs. edmund lee as "miss lee" had visited general and mrs. washington innumerable times with her father. as a matter of statistical interest, the general's diaries enumerate more than one hundred visits of various virginia lees to mount vernon. edmund i. lee is remembered in his native city for saving the glebe lands for christ church. glebe lands were property belonging to the church of england, and used for the support of the rector and the needs of the parish. after the revolutionary war the virginia assembly confiscated these lands for the use of the poor. on behalf of the alexandria church, now called christ church, edmund i. lee took this case to the united states courts in , protesting the unconstitutionality of the act. his eloquence, legal knowledge and labors resulted in the return of the glebe lands to christ church. the case was won on a technicality, _i.e._, the virginia assembly had no jurisdiction over the district of columbia, and alexandria lay in the district. in lee was president of the common council of the city, a thankless task which he performed faithfully and cheerfully. the year saw "his house and half an acre lot at washington and oronoco streets in which he now resides for sale or rent." it was not sold, for in his will, lee left this dwelling and lot to his two daughters, sally lee and hannah stewart, jointly. to his son he left the family bible and a cane-bottom settee, formerly owned by william lee of green spring, and a house and lot at the "bottom of his garden" on washington street, and the "arm-chair" from his drawing room. his son, cassius lee, fell heir to his father's home and there brought up a large family of handsome children. family tradition names edmund i. lee as the builder of his home, which would fix the date of the house at or later. everything about the house is typical of a late eighteenth century federal building. it is certain that charles lee built the mansion around and that edmund i. lee lived there from the time of his marriage. the price of five thousand dollars at the time of purchase is also indicative of a substantial and elegant residence. this house is a fine federal example and is handsomely fitted out. the lee family seems to have had a leaning toward brass hardware, and like the hinges in the great hall at stratford, unusual brass latches and locks are here plentiful. unquestionably the handsomest brass locks in alexandria are in this house. a rare latch in addition to the great locks is attached to the washington street door. this double doorway, deeply recessed, in a hand-carved georgian frame, arched and paneled, challenges the attention of every passer-by. the colonnaded rear gallery is hung with festoons of wisteria and is the most picturesque and lovely spot when the great lavender bunches of bloom are scattered and draped around the vine and against the white columns and railings. the woodwork throughout the house is in keeping with the dignified exterior. the rooms are large and inviting; the mantels' trim and stairway are better than pleasing. [illustration: edmund i. lee's doorway, an inviting entrance] robert e. lee was first cousin to cassius lee. they grew up together, were of the same age and generation, devoted and sympathetic friends throughout their lives. for advice and counsel they sought each other. on april , , the sunday following general lee's resignation from the united states army, he attended christ church in alexandria, and left his carriage and horses at cassius lee's house. sometime during the morning, commissioners sent by the virginia convention arrived at arlington house and found general lee gone to church in alexandria. they followed him to the home of cassius lee, and there awaited his return from church. when the two lee gentlemen, who had walked home from church together, entered the house, they found the waiting delegation. realizing at once that only grave considerations had brought these gentlemen to his home, cassius lee left the room, and dispatched his family of children to the house of his sister, mrs. lloyd. general lee had written to general scott only the day before--on april : since my interview with you on the th inst. i have felt that i ought no longer to retain my commission in the army. i therefore tender my resignation, which i request you will recommend for acceptance. it would have been presented at once but for the struggle it has cost me to separate myself from a service to which i have devoted the best years of my life, and all the ability i possessed.... save in the defense of my native state, i never desire again to draw my sword.[ ] for this purpose the commissioners from the governor and convention had come, to ask robert e. lee to draw his sword--to accept the office of commander in chief of the virginia forces. general lee arrived in richmond on april , and the next day accepted from the secession convention the command just offered him: trusting to almighty god, an approving conscience and the aid of my fellow citizens, i will devote myself to the defense and service of my native state, in whose behalf alone would i ever have drawn my sword.[ ] [illustration] [illustration] epilogue washington in glory--america in tears the effect of the sudden news of his death upon the inhabitants of alexandria can better be conceived than expressed. at first a general disorder, wildness, and consternation pervaded the town. the tale appeared as an illusory dream, as the raving of a sickly imagination. but these impressions soon gave place to sensations of the most poignant sorrow and extreme regret. on monday and wednesday the stores were all closed and all business suspended, as if each family had lost its father. from the time of his death to the time of his interment the bells continued to toll, the shipping in the harbor wore their colors half mast high, and every public expression of grief was observed. on wednesday, the inhabitants of the town, of the county, and the adjacent parts of maryland proceeded to mount vernon to perform the last offices to the body of their illustrious neighbor. all the military within a considerable distance and three masonic lodges were present. the concourse of people was immense. till the time of interment the corpse was placed on the portico fronting the river, that every citizen might have an opportunity of taking a last farewell of the departed benefactor.--_the alexandria times and district of columbia advertiser_, december , . [illustration] part three five sketches of the nineteenth century [illustration] chapter the yeaton-fairfax house [ cameron street. owners: the misses crilly.] william yeaton was born in portsmouth, new hampshire, in , and migrated to alexandria to enter the shipping business when a young man. in the early nineteenth century he launched into the building trade--an "undertaker" he would have been called in the eighteenth century--an architect and contractor today. on july , , he purchased from cuthburt powell a part of a lot, granted unto levin powell by james irvine in a deed dated september , , and described as situated at the intersection of cameron and st. asaph streets, running west on cameron for the distance of one hundred feet and north on st. asaph for ninety-eight feet. the consideration involved one thousand one hundred dollars. [illustration: recessed and panelled doorway to my lord fairfax's town house] the elegant three-storied square brick house which william yeaton erected upon his land is a monument to his talent as a designer. his residence is an individualized interpretation of the best georgian traditions. the façade of the house is broken in the middle by a long recessed shallow arch, beginning flush with the first belt line, and continuing nearly to the modillioned cornice. in this recess the middle, second and third story windows, are centered, giving the effect of a very high palladian window. large arched windows flank each side of the entrance, while windows of the second and third stories are quite ordinary, save in proportion. every window has outside shutters and molded iron holdbacks. [illustration: washington's tomb at mount vernon. from a sketch appearing in a letter of william yeaton to lawrence lewis under date of april , . (_courtesy mount vernon ladies' association_)] the entrance, a flat arch flush with the house, opens into a deeply recessed and paneled vestibule. side lunettes, leaded transom, double doors supported by reeded half columns, and an elaborate fret decorate the arch and door trim, making the doorway a very important element of the design. stone front steps and double flights of outcurving steps, banded by iron railings, contribute emphasis. the watersheds and belt lines are white, as is the recessed arch, adding a dramatic touch to the dull red masonry. to the right, upon entering, runs a long room the entire length of the house; to the left a small chamber faces the street. a large arch frames a graceful stair, which winds up to the third floor in a circular movement. newel post and stair ends are carved. while woodwork throughout the house is elaborate, the difference between the first and second floors is marked. that of the first floor is massive, rather more dull than interesting, but the second floor, especially the large room, is startling in that mantel, door trim, chair rail, and baseboard are carved with the delicate lightness of adam. the feature of this room is, of course, the mantel which is centered between two large shell-like shallow recessed arches, reaching from the floor to the ceiling. the room might have been done by mcintire at his best. in the yeatons sold their home to a man who immediately disposed of his interest in the property to the bank of the potomac for ten thousand dollars. sixteen years later, on december , , the house was purchased as a town residence by thomas, ninth lord fairfax, for five thousand dollars, and remained in the fairfax family for thirty-four years. thomas, ninth lord fairfax, in married margaret herbert, eldest daughter of william and sarah carlyle herbert and granddaughter of john carlyle. they had ten children. mrs. robert e. lee (_née_ custis) was an intimate of the girls of this family and a frequent visitor in the house. [illustration: william yeaton produced this fine federal mansion. a sample of the interior woodwork] doctor orlando fairfax succeeded his father as owner from to . he bore the title of the "beloved physician." the following advertisements, taken from the files of the _alexandria gazette_, give a brief glimpse of his activities in the s: dr. fairfax has returned to alexandria, and is ready to resume the practice of his profession in the town and its neighborhood. his office is at the n.w. corner of pitt and cameron streets. dr. fairfax in his late absence of five months, has been constantly engaged at philadelphia in increasing his medical acquirements. [ ] dr. fairfax has returned to alexandria and is ready to resume the practice of his profession. he has, during his late absence from alexandria, witnessed many cases of the epidemic cholera. [ ] in dr. fairfax had married mary randolph cary, daughter of wilson jefferson cary. they had nine children. [illustration: arch and staircase in the yeaton-fairfax house] in a deed of april , , the fact is revealed that this property was condemned according to an act of congress in "to suppress insurrection, to punish treason and rebellion to seize and confiscate property of rebels and for other purposes."[ ] it further records that on the preceding day, april , , gouverneur morris, attorney for patsy j. morris, of westchester county, new york, purchased for four thousand dollars, he being the highest bidder therefor, all the right, title, interest and estate of dr. orlando fairfax. gouverneur morris was a brother-in-law of dr. orlando fairfax, and while living in france sent the fairfaxes from the palace at versailles a very large and elegant mirror which hung in the drawing room, filling one of the alcoves from floor to ceiling. this mirror is still in existence and in the possession of dr. fairfax's granddaughter, mrs. donald maccrea. mrs. burton harrison in her _recollections, grave and gay_, relates the wartime experiences of her uncle and his family who were forced to seek refuge in richmond, of their sufferings and privations, and of the death of the young son of the family, randolph, barely twenty, killed in action in mid-december . during the years of fairfax occupancy, this mansion was one of the social and cultural centers of the town; the fairfaxes were the important noble family of the "upper reaches of the potomac." they intermarried with the carlyles, washingtons, herberts, and carys. their contribution to alexandria cannot be overrated, for in their personal lives and public service, they set an example of chivalry and courage. they have been distinguished by handsome men and beautiful women, by gentleness and courtly bearing. they have had great wealth and used it generously; have lost great wealth and borne it nobly. the family is represented in england today by thomas brian, thirteenth lord fairfax, great-great-grandson of thomas, ninth lord fairfax. let us return to william yeaton, builder of the mansion on cameron street. it is of vital interest that he was the designer and contractor for the inclosure of the tomb of the _pater patriae_.[ ] the archives at mount vernon contribute a number of papers dealing with this construction. here is the proposal which yeaton addressed to major lawrence lewis, of woodlawn, general washington's nephew and the executor who supervised the work: alex april th . dear sir i have sent you a sketch of the wall & have anticipated a _gate_ way on one of the sides which i expect will be necessary. if you wish the gate, one something like the sketch will be appropriate, you may have the gate made solid--or open as you prefer, to releive the dead wall, between the arch and copen there may be placed a slab of stone feet long & one foot wide, or a pannell may be formed in the wall. i will engage to have the wall erected and find all materials, say forty five feet square, ten feet high, from the bottom of the foundation, which is to be two bricks thick feet high, the peirs to continue the same thickness to the copen, the pannells between the piers to be one brick & one half thick, the copen to be formed with best brick three courses above the square--the gateway & gate similar to the sketch the work to be well done, & materials of the best quality--for six hundred dollars,-- very respectfully your obed servt w. yeaton this addition was completed by the end of the year at a cost just slightly in excess of the original six-hundred-dollar estimate. designed primarily as a protective wall to inclose the burial vault built in , it contributed an appropriate architectural character to the tomb lot. the gothic arch of the completed entrance was in sympathy with a funereal scene enhanced by willowlike foliage observable in certain views of the period. alterations were made in which created a vestibule between the vault and the outer wall and gateway constructed by william yeaton. it is not known whether yeaton again participated in the construction. it was in that the bodies of general and mrs. washington were removed from this closed vault behind and permanently entombed in marble sarcophagi, which the visitor views today in the outer chamber at mount vernon. [illustration: william yeaton, builder and "undertaker" (architect) of alexandria. by saint mèmin. (_courtesy corcoran gallery of art_)] [illustration] chapter the la fayette-lawrason-cazenove house [ south st. asaph street. owners: mr. and mrs. nathan wallack.] the presence of la fayette was nothing new to alexandria, yet his official visit in , as the nation's guest, created a turmoil in the town. as soon as the news was received of his arrival in new york (it took two days to reach alexandria) captain a. william's company of artillery arose before dawn to fire a national salute at sunrise, and at noon the same company fired seventy-six rounds. during the day the harbor presented the spectacle of all ships displaying their flags at masthead. when the marquis reached baltimore, on october , representatives from the alexandria city council were on hand to extend an invitation (in the form of an address) to visit the town, which the distinguished visitor was pleased to accept. he was met on the south side of the potomac river on the th by that same captain williams and his company, firing a salvo in salute, and was addressed in a "neat and handsome" manner by general jones and suite. he "then entered a splendid barouche, drawn by four fine grays, with postilions dressed in white with blue sashes," and thus was escorted by a company of cavalry under the command of captain andrews and a civilian escort led by captain james carson, dressed in blue "with sashes of the same color." to this splendor add marines, fire companies, the alexandria battalion ( , men) all saluting, firing salvos, presenting arms--two bands playing, reception committees, constant alighting from and entering the barouche, and you have some idea of the excitement as the procession passed under the triumphal arch spanning washington street. [illustration: _left_: thomas lawrason, builder, and the first owner of the la fayette house. _right_: mrs. thomas lawrason _née_ elizabeth carson] this arch was a masterpiece. it has been described by benjamin hallowell in his _autobiography_ and by the _alexandria gazette_ at the time, and memories of it linger in old tales told in many homes. built in three sections, a large arch spanned the street, with smaller ones the sidewalks. the columns were decorated with portraits of washington and la fayette. noble and patriotic sentiments were inscribed: "welcome la fayette--a nation's gratitude thy due"--"for a nation to be free, it is sufficient that she wills it." a fully rigged ship hung beneath the central span, and the whole was decorated with cedar, laurel and oak, set off by a liberty cap and "a real mountain eagle which had been politely furnished by mr. timothy mountford of the museum." when the column passed under the arch, the eagle "politely furnished" opened wide his wings and gave a mighty screech, produced, 'tis said, by a small boy and a pin placed in close proximity for this very purpose. from the windows of the houses ladies waved handkerchiefs and threw nosegays in fiesta fashion. [illustration: the doorway to the elegant house built by thomas lawrason and loaned by his widow to la fayette] when the parade reached royal street and gadsby's tavern, we are told that a ceremony took place there which, "in sublimity and moral effect surpassed all." "one hundred young girls and one hundred boys from seven to twelve years of age were arrayed in lines extending to the reception room." they were neatly dressed, the "females" in white with blue sashes and badges and leghorn bonnets, the boys in blue with pink sashes and badges. as the general approached, a little girl, rosalie taylor, stepped out and "spoke with becoming grace and manner" a poem several verses long that began: fayette, friend of washington. _freedom's_ children greet thee here; fame for _thee_ our hearts has won flows for thee the grateful tear. chorus happiness today is ours; strew, ye fair! his way with flowers! after being wined and dined at claggett's hotel, formerly gadsby's, the barouche was again brought forward and general la fayette, escorted by the procession, "moved on to the house which had been procured for his accomodation."[ ] and so we arrive at the home of mrs. thomas lawrason, the most elegant house of its day and time in alexandria, lent by this charming irish lady to the great frenchman, thereby endowing it with imperishable fame as the la fayette house. on august , , the executors of john alexander sold to thomas wilkinson "a half acre lott lying and being upon the south side of duke street and the west side of st. asaph street and described by the number ," the ground rent of which was £ _ s_. in september , william thornton alexander, one of the heirs of john alexander, released benjamin shreve and james lawrason from this ground rent upon the payment of the sum of £ , and in this indenture of september , the fact is cited that this was the property sold by thomas wilkinson and that shreve and lawrason divided the property. [illustration: the hall] on september , , in an indenture between james lawrason and alice, his wife, and elizabeth lawrason, widow of thomas lawrason, son of the said james, lately deceased, and their five children, the fact is cited that thomas lawrason bought for five hundred dollars the lot at the intersection of st. asaph and duke streets, described as running "west on duke feet to an alley feet wide inches to be held in common with the heirs of benjamin shreve, thence on said alley south feet, thence east, parallel to duke feet to st. asaph and thence on st. asaph north to the beginning." this same document further described that "the said thomas entered on said lott and erected thereon a three story brick tenement and other buildings and improvements and afterwards departed this life intestate without having received a deed for the same," which deed james was at this time executing, conveying this property to his son's widow and orphans. the three-story brick tenement, built by thomas lawrason for his young wife, is one of the important federal houses in this ancient seaport. high upon the roof a white railing incloses the "captain's walk" from which point of vantage the fowle & lawrason ships could be sighted far down the potomac. the doorway is the outstanding feature of the house. the fanlight over the door is a true fan in shape and design, and the lunettes on each side of the double doors are unique. the interior of the mansion is commodious and comfortable with well proportioned rooms of agreeable size and beautiful woodwork. james lawrason of sussex county, new jersey, married alice levering. their son, thomas lawrason, builder of the house, was born in norfolk, virginia, in . the lawrasons lived for a while in canada, where life for those with tory sympathies was more agreeable, but after the revolution, and prior to , the family returned to virginia and settled in alexandria, where the senior lawrason was associated for a time with benjamin shreve. thomas lawrason, a member of the important shipping firm of lawrason & fowle, married elizabeth carson, the sixteen-year-old daughter of dr. samuel carson of armagh, ireland, in october . to them were born five children: samuel carson, october , ; james thomas, july , ; william wilson, ; george carson, ; and anne carson, . thomas lawrason died on june , , before he could enjoy his fine, new home, leaving elizabeth to struggle with a house and family. she never remarried, remaining in alexandria until her children were reared and settled in life. then she followed her youngest son, george carson lawrason, to new orleans. an entry in the family bible reads: "elizabeth lawrason, consort of thomas lawrason died at the residence of her son george c. lawrason in new orleans on the th of april, , aged years." a curious and sad sequel to her death is that some years later her grave was washed away and swallowed by the mississippi. when general lee's body lay in state at washington college (now washington and lee university) her grandson, samuel mccutcheon lawrason, then a student at virginia military institute, was one of the bodyguards at the bier. [illustration: the rear parlor. these rooms are spacious and well proportioned, the woodwork in style of mcintire after adam is worthy of the master builders] the original portraits of elizabeth and thomas hang in the lawrasons' louisiana plantation home at st. francisville. some of the family silver, made in alexandria by i. adam, belongs to her granddaughter, mrs. kirkpatrick. the la fayette-lawrason association rightfully includes the name cazenove to commemorate the role played by alexandria's noble french-speaking citizen on the happy occasion of la fayette's visit. really his name was de cazenove for his family was both huguenot and noble. they had fled france in and settled in geneva, switzerland, where they were prominent bankers for over one hundred years. when the french revolution broke out, the radical swiss threw the french aristocrats into jail; then, becoming frightened at their tyranny, they released the patricians. among those incarcerated were the de cazenove family. after their release antoine charles de cazenove and his elder brother were sent by their parents to america to avoid the revolution. they landed in philadelphia and were the guests of some cousins there by the same name. the two brothers married sisters, the misses hogan of philadelphia. later, the elder brother returned to geneva. antoine charles cazenove (for by this time our young frenchman had become imbued with the spirit of republicanism and dropped the de as un-american), moved to alexandria about and founded the banking house of cazenove & company. head of a large shipping business, he maintained his own wharf and warehouses; was french consul; one of the founders of the alexandria water company and of the cotton factory; and an active member of the old presbyterian church. he owned three or four black slaves who spoke only french. during the yellow fever epidemic in , when forty to fifty people were dying in a day, cazenove refused to leave alexandria. he contracted yellow fever and was one of the few persons to have the disease and survive. after mrs. lawrason put her alexandria home at the disposal of general la fayette, antoine charles cazenove was invited to act as host. when the alexandrians crowded outside the lawrason house demanding a sight of and a speech from la fayette, cazenove introduced him. la fayette was "_chez lui_"; the whole visit passed off with great _éclat_. the great general on departure referred to his entertainment in alexandria as "the most pleasing hours of his life." a gratified city council presented mrs. lawrason with a silver cup in recognition of her generous and hospitable act. this, duly inscribed, is cherished to this day by her great-granddaughter, mrs. donald m. hamilton of georgetown, in washington, d.c. [illustration] [illustration] chapter enter the quaker pedagogue: benjamin hallowell benjamin hallowell came to alexandria in to open a school for boys. he was then twenty-five, with no fortune, a large debt, a dependent mother, a new and young bride. for his first school he rented the building on the northeast corner of oronoco and washington streets, next to the house where the widow of general harry lee resided! alexandria was in a turmoil of hospitality, welcoming the marquis de la fayette. hallowell and his wife of a few hours stood in their front door the morning after their marriage and saw the famous frenchman paying his _devoirs_ to mrs. lee. hallowell's autobiography pictures the occasion: "when he got opposite," he wrote, "he looked at us, took off his hat, and made a graceful bow, not knowing it was to a lady who had been married the day before." nor that his liking for a fresh smiling face inspired the schoolmaster to immediately express his emotions in the following verse: each lover of liberty surely must get something in honor of lafayette there's a lafayette watch-chain, a lafayette hat, a lafayette this, and a lafayette that. but i wanted something as lasting as life as i took to myself a lafayette wife.[ ] the school of benjamin hallowell filled slowly at first. the ninth boy to enroll was mrs. harry lee's son, robert edward. edmund lee and thomas swann sent their boys, who were "ten dollar" scholars. the time was to come when hallowell would turn away more than a hundred applicants, but that was after robert edward lee had gone to west point and distinguished himself. at the end of his year in alexandria, hallowell's child was born. both he and the mother were very ill, "seemingly with bilious fever." then, for the first time, hallowell heard that the "situation on oronoco street, on the edge of town as it was, had always been regarded as unhealthy."[ ] he could not bear the idea of his wife and family continuing in a place that was so evil, or of inviting his scholars to share such an environment. then it was that he got in contact with the widow hooe, made arrangements to give up his first schoolhouse and immediately engaged the more healthy situation on washington street. the house which was so "unhealthy" is a replica in almost every respect of mrs. harry lee's house, but there is no record of mrs. lee complaining of the situation nor of the health of her boys. the new schoolhouse, so commonly spoken of as the lloyd house [ north washington street.] by alexandrians, was built by john hooe in . in , benjamin hallowell rented it from the widow hooe and in the spring vacation with his ill wife in his arms, moved into this building so admirably adapted to his purpose. "my school room," he tells us, "was on the first floor, north end, all across the house. i having obtained permission of my landlady, in our arrangements, to remove the partition on condition of replacing it by one with folding doors, when i should leave the property, which was done. my lecture room was the back room over the school room.... the very day the quarter's rent was due the widow hooe's carriage was at the door, and this continued to be her custom as long as she lived. if i had not the money, which was generally the case, i would frankly tell her so, and add that the first money i could get, and could possibly spare, i would take to her, with which she was always satisfied. she never said a word like urging me, or being disappointed in not getting the rent due, and i did take her the very first i received, never permitting it to be in my possession over night."[ ] the frail mrs. hallowell opened a school for girls in the front room over the schoolroom, and hallowell lectured to her scholars. money being very scarce with them at this time, they could not afford two stoves, so hallowell and the servant, nancy, carried the stove from schoolroom to lecture room as needed. [illustration: entrance to benjamin hallowell's first school. a fine type of georgian doorway] "on the th of ninth month, ," the autobiography continues, "commenced giving private lessons to angela lewis, daughter of major lawrence lewis (who was a nephew of general washington, and it was said a good deal resembled him in appearance). these lessons continued through the year, for which i charged fifty dollars, and the major promptly sent me his check for the amount. eleanor lewis, angela's mother, always attended at her daughter's recitations in english grammar, parsing, natural philosophy, etc., so that her influence, which she afterwards exerted in my favor, and her praise of my method of teaching, was of greater value to me than the amount i received in hand for teaching her daughter."[ ] [illustration: the lloyd house and benjamin hallowell's second school] in the meantime, he struggled along with debt, with illness, with sorrow. scarlet fever wiped out three of the four little hallowells in nearly the same number of weeks. he witnessed the cholera in alexandria and had the unhappy experience of seeing a man drop dead of the plague before his eyes; he heard the market square echo to the feet of soldiers mustering and drilling in preparation for war in mexico. this man had the most singular relationships in his business dealings. when he bought the lot and buildings of his school from the bank, it was two years before any papers were signed, interest paid, or deed given, although he had made extensive improvements during that time. he never failed to meet an obligation although at the beginning it took him ten years to pay back the two hundred dollars plus five per cent interest, that he had from his uncle comly in philadelphia. everyone trusted him, the merchants in philadelphia from whom he had his school supplies and chemical apparatus; his grocer in alexandria, john p. cowman, not only never dunned him, but invited him to come to his store and get what was necessary, and never sent bills unless requested. [illustration: when the blast of winter chilled the great rooms at woodlawn the lawrence lewises came into warmer quarters in alexandria and occupied this cottage. 'twas here that benjamin hallowell came to improve the mind of nelly custis' daughter] hallowell was city surveyor, but accepted no fee because it afforded a fine opportunity to instruct his pupils in "field practice with the odolite and level." he was something of an architect, improving every place he occupied, and building two fine structures in the town. in the widow hooe died and in the spring of the house which he had acquired for a school in , was put up at auction. hallowell hoped to possess this property, having put both his time and money into the remodeling. he had already enlarged and improved a sugar house adjacent to the building. his school was growing in reputation and size, he becoming more prosperous. gathering together all the cash he could put his hands on, he attended the auction where he had the misfortune to be outbid. the property was purchased by john lloyd, and remained in the lloyd family for nearly one hundred years. [illustration: early nineteenth century mantel in the home of mr. and mrs. ford swetnam at franklin street. the original use of reeded work to form a beautiful design, the shell-like ornamentation and diagonal bands make this an attractive piece of wood carving. (nelly custis town house)] ancient mahogany filled the rooms, portraits of ancestors lined the walls. general lee was a frequent visitor in this house. the lloyds intermarried with the lees, and mrs. lloyd was general lee's first cousin. his daughter, miss mary custis lee, always stayed here when visiting in alexandria. the last lloyds to live in this house were two very old ladies. what follows will serve to reveal why their neighbors considered them "quaint." following the death of prince albert, queen victoria's consort, a fashion grew up in virginia affecting widows. at the death of the husband a real victorian virginia lady simply went to bed and awaited death. it did not always follow that a broken heart put her in her grave as readily as was anticipated, and many of these brokenhearted widows lived to a ripe old age. such was the case with one of these piously saddened ladies. when she heard the doorbell, she at once put herself between the sheets of her high poster and covered herself to the chin. under the cover went such things as high button shoes, a "reticule" and any other regalia that was in service at the moment. if the caller was familiar, or after the formalities had been observed, proper sympathy for the heart palpitating between the sheets, the head languishing upon the pillow noticed and condoned, the sufferer would arise, hop out of bed fully clothed and partake of cookies and wine passed by the black dwarf, selena. this small creature, after fulfilling her part in the social amenities, seated herself upon a small stool, joined in the conversation, and when amused (which was often) broke into a high falsetto laugh. in the last years of these two ladies she gained a most unholy influence over her charges and took cruel advantage of their helplessness. another peculiarity of this household was the fashion of being admitted to the mansion. after repeated ringing of the bell, a second-story front window would open--those not in the know often left--and in a leisurely fashion a grape basket was lowered by a long string. inside the basket, those who were familiar with the proceeding would find the front-door key, a large, heavy iron affair, somewhat like that to the bastille, now on display at mount vernon, and with this they let themselves in. the lloyd house, a large rectangular brick building, divided by a central hall with rooms on each side, is two and a half stories high. three dormer windows pierce the roof, front and back, and four great chimneys rise from the gable ends. flush with the street, on a corner, with a handsome garden behind a pale and paneled fence adjoining to the left, the house is a model federal town mansion. pedimented doorway, window caps, keystones, cornice and dormer trim follow the best mid-georgian tradition. this house is one of alexandria's finest homes. it was for many years the residence of mr. and mrs. w.a. smoot. [illustration] chapter the alexandria lyceum [ south washington street.] benjamin hallowell, our quaker pedagogue, was not content with improving the minds of the young. he soon realized the necessity of furbishing up the cranial contents of his associates. an able propagandist, hallowell set himself to interest his friends in founding a lyceum. this was accomplished in , just ten years after his entrance as a schoolmaster. naturally he was the first president and naturally the early lectures were held in his school. here the erudite of the town were wont to gather to express themselves in lecture and debate. hallowell does not give the date of the actual building of the lyceum, saying merely: at length a lot was purchased on the southwest corner of washington and prince streets, on which was erected a fine building, a little back from the street, with a pediment front supported by four fluted doric columns with a triglyph cornice, and surrounded by an iron railing, and a beautiful yard of flowers and ornamental shrubbery. in this building was placed the alexandria library, and there was besides, on the first floor a large reading room, and a room for a cabinet of minerals, and specimens in natural history. on the second floor was a well arranged and handsome lecture room, with marble busts of cicero and seneca, one on each side of the president's desk and seat. in this room lectures were given by john quincy adams, caleb gushing, dr. sewell, samuel goodrich (peter parley), daniel bryan, robert h. miller, william h. fowle and several others. i gave the introductory lecture (which was published) and several others afterwards. attending the lyceum was a very interesting and improving way of spending one evening in the week (third-day evening), and the citizens would adapt their visiting and other arrangements so as not to have them come on lyceum evenings.[ ] thus came into being one of the finest examples of the classical revival in american architecture. when the portico was under construction, bricks salvaged from old st. mary's catholic church were used for the columns (afterwards plastered). this is an interesting fact, but another quaker-catholic relationship merits recalling here. old st. mary's church stood on south washington street on land donated by robert townsend hooe, a quaker. built in , it was abandoned in when the new church on royal street was opened, but the early graveyard which adjoined the old church continues in use. a small detail this of the bricks--yet it commemorates the friendly ties ever maintained in alexandria between the two congregations. it was appropriate that the new lyceum should provide facilities for the alexandria library company, the city's first organization for the advancement of learning dating back to . insight into the early efforts to establish a library and the bid made for its public support is revealed through announcements of the type which follow. this one appeared in the local gazette for the year : alexandria library company the president and directors of the alexandria library company desirous of promoting the influence which they conceive eminently calculated to diffuse useful knowledge, establish the morals of the rising generation, and afford rational entertainment for a vacent hour, earnestly recommend it to the attention and support of their fellow citizens. the utility of a public circulating library is too obvious to need arguments to demonstrate it. the friends of literature, of virtue, and refinement of manners, will, no doubt duly appreciate its value, and interest themselves in its advancement. the addition of a number of valuable books has lately been made to the former selections; to which the american edition of the encyclopoedia is directed to be super added as soon as it can be procured. the president and directors have ordered a catalogue of all the books in the library forthwith to be printed, with their respective prices annexed; to which will be prefixed the existing laws of the company, together with the names of all the actual subscribers to the institution. as they can determine between real and nominal members only by the fulfillment of their engagements, they solicit those who are in arrears to come forward and pay their respective balances to samuel craig, treasurer, before the fifteenth of the next month, otherwise their names will be omitted in the list and their shares, agreeably to the condition, will be deemed forfeited to the company without respect of persons. also all such as incline to become subscribers are desired to call on mr. craig on or before the above date, and pay their subscriptions, that their names may be inserted with the rest. signed by order james kennedy, librarian. that the alexandria library company merited and met with cordial and generous support is shown by the fact of its perpetuation to this day within the structure of the alexandria library system. the library company has been called one of the "time-honored heirlooms of the town."[ ] the alexandria library has had a nomadic existence from the time it was called into existence in until it was moved into its new home on queen street in . at least five buildings other than the lyceum have doubled for home during this period; but the lyceum is the first location mentioned in the extant minutes of the company. the author nostalgically hopes the lyceum may know a renaissance and that it may again serve as the city's library and a historical museum. hallowell tells us that the books were housed on the first floor. his autobiography also contributes an interesting note on the busts of cicero and seneca which stood in the lecture room upstairs: "the marble busts spoken of above," he added, "were purchased in italy in the time of cromwell by one of the fairfax family; they were brought to this country by lord fairfax, and had come into the possession of daniel herbert, whose mother was a fairfax. i purchased them of him for the price he asked (one hundred and twenty-five dollars), but permitted them to remain in the lyceum while it continued in operation." benjamin hallowell served as president of the lyceum until . after the war between the states, the lyceum was abandoned, the society dissolved. the town was rife with rumors that a negro organization was making plans to acquire the building. by order of the court in , the stockholders of the alexandria lyceum company were compelled to sell the property. advertisements were set up in the _gazette_. w. arthur taylor and reuben johnston were appointed commissioners, and having given thirty days' notice of the time and place of sale, the building was offered at public auction in front of the mayor's office on may , and "struck off" to john b. daingerfield for the sum of $ , . , being the highest bid. the sale was confirmed by the court and the deed ordered executed, describing the lot of ground with buildings and improvements, southwest corner of prince and washington streets, commonly called the lyceum hall, fronting on washington street feet inches and on prince feet inches and bounded on the south by the property of h.w. vandergrift and on the west by mr. henry daingerfield's estate.[ ] john bathurst daingerfield and his brother, henry, owned almost the entire square bounded by prince, duke, columbus and washington streets, where now stands the alexandria hospital. [illustration: the old lyceum and library] john b. daingerfield turned the lyceum into a residence for his daughter, mary, at the time of her marriage to captain philip beverly hooe, th virginia regiment, c.s.a. the house remained in the hooe family until , when john daingerfield hooe and his wife, mary, the daughter of colonel arthur herbert, sold the property to sara j. mcguire. in mrs. mcguire transferred the property to her husband, the late dr. hugh mcguire. the lyceum was used for many years as a private residence by dr. and mrs. mcguire, and the interior has been much changed. the exterior is quite untouched, triglyph cornice, doric columns, all well past the century mark. it stands today one of the best examples of the classical revival in architecture, not only in alexandria but in america. the corner of prince and washington streets is hallowed ground to alexandria. from here the th virginia regiment, c.s.a., marched gallantly off to war, and when the fighting and turmoil died, the remnant of this regiment was wont to gather on confederate memorial day and hold services for those left behind on virginia's bloody battlefields. this custom continued long after the bronze monument of a confederate soldier was placed in the center of the street. if, today, hurrying automobiles are forced to slow up to pass the circle enclosing the confederate warrior, it is well. for this spot, while marking a lost cause, does not mark a forgotten one. [illustration] [illustration] chapter the sea captain's daughter and her house [ south washington street. owners: mr. and mrs. malcolm westcott hill.] this large, almost square house, rises three stories in a stately pile of soft red brick, flanked by two ancient tulip trees towering twenty-five feet above the pavilion roof, while a great box hedge partially hides the front façade and large garden. five generations of the same family have called it home. it is a romantic and interesting house. built prior to by reuben roberts on a half-acre of unimproved ground, it lay "in the country" for some years. roberts, a quaker of the family of cameron farms, died in ; his widow moved to new jersey, and the house stood new and tenantless until , when it was purchased by captain samuel bancroft hussey of portland, maine, as a bridal gift for his only daughter, melissa ann. and thereby hangs a tale. gallant captain hussey is reported to have been a descendant of that christopher hussey who arrived in charlestown, massachusetts, in and became one of the large proprietors. intended for the navy at an early age he ran away to sea and became a master of clipper ships that raced the seas in the china trade. captain in succession of the _reindeer_, the _strabo_, earlier and smaller vessels, he became captain of the _westward ho_ on which, in , he made a record trip of eighty-five days from canton to new york. in he speeded the same vessel from boston around the horn to san francisco in a hundred days. two years later he died on the _stag hound_ of which he was master and part owner. [illustration: _the stag hound_, one of the great clipper ships in the china trade] the _westward ho_ was a great and beautiful ship of sixteen hundred tons, outfitted with every comfort and luxury of her day, including crystal, books, silver, and a melodeon on which to while away the hours at sea. captain hussey was frequently accompanied on his voyages by his wife, and for a time they lived in india, as well as many other far-off and curious ports. melissa ann hussey[ ] after her graduation from the charlestown female seminary, near boston, made the grand tour with her father. this was not her first voyage, as he had entrusted her to captain creesy, master of the _flying cloud_ on a long journey from china. but on the occasion of this grand tour graduation gift, he directed the _westward ho_ up the potomac and anchored in the then busy port of alexandria. the city of washington was not very sophisticated in those days, so the official and social set of the capital sought the theatres, taverns, and balls of alexandria. statesmen had apartments at the new and elegant braddock house or green's mansions on fairfax street, and at this hotel the captain engaged a suite for himself and daughter. [illustration: to this house came the portsmouth bride, melissa ann hussey wood, with parakeets and nonpareils] while in alexandria, a romance developed which resulted, in , in the marriage of melissa hussey and robert lewis wood. their wedding took place in new york, and the young couple returned to take up life in alexandria. no colonial house was desired by this bride of nineteen. she must have something new and fresh and modern, and as though preordained, they came upon the large red brick house at franklin and washington streets, much like those so well known to her in portland, longfellow's "beautiful town that is seated by the sea." with melissa came to her new home a collection of rare birds in such numbers that the room over the kitchen was devoted to the cages of cockatoos, parakeets, parrots and nonpareils. here these feathered friends in spectrum-hued plumage lived among the potted plants and charmed the little bride with their beauty and sweet tricks. other appendages included a chimpanzee, and a small chinese slave boy, bought by her father from one of the innumerable sampans in the harbor of canton. "chinese tom" was reared and educated by melissa wood and after the war between the states she gave him his freedom. for years he was the only chinaman in alexandria. mrs. wood's granddaughter remembers the visits of this man to her grandmother. he would station himself at the entrance to her door and a long conversation would go on between the guttural-voiced oriental and the gentle little "missey" whom he adored. almost unchanged is melissa hussey wood's house. her exquisite wax flower arrangements, colored and molded by her hands, her mother's tête-à-têtes, made in england and purchased in india, paintings of her father's ships and his ivory chessmen, her silver wedding bouquet holder, her baby's shoulder clips, her brass and crystal girandoles, her pictures, books and chairs, have all been used by her two daughters, her granddaughter, and her great-granddaughters. old pressed brass cornices decorate the windows above the lace curtains. unusual, too, are the very large silver daguerreotypes, made in california for the new house, and the haircloth "pouf" rocking chairs. an italian clock, bought by her father in florence, which arrived in bangor, maine, on the day melissa ann was born in , stands on its original music box base upon the dining-room mantel. strangest contrast of all, above the doors of this high-ceilinged room are steel engravings in their contemporary oval frames of generals joe johnston, stonewall jackson, and robert e. lee, placed there by the yankee bride, who after three years in alexandria became an ardent champion of the confederacy and never took the oath of allegiance while alexandria was under union jurisdiction. acknowledgments it would be impossible to write a book of this kind without a great deal of help from many sources. this help was given by very busy people with knowledge or documents, which inspired the historian to further impositions upon their useful persons. an expression of appreciation, always banal, is nevertheless an attempt to express gratitude--and this is my only means of acknowledging my obligations to friend and stranger. without such help this book, such as it is, would never have been written and so my lasting gratitude goes: first, to my father, who said i would never finish it, and to my husband, who said i would. to mr. walter wilcox, american photographical society, and royal photographical society, for his labors and beautiful photographs which illustrate this book. to mrs. george kirk, for endless and patient typing and sustained enthusiasms. to miss virgila stephens, for intimating that i might be able to write anything that anybody would ever care to read, and to mrs. worth bailey, who said i had. to mr. worth bailey, curator of mount vernon, for numerous historical contributions, rare and authentic, for the finished seal of alexandria, the endpapers, the charming drawings, for editing; and lastly, for wise and useful advice. mr. bailey's historical knowledge and artistic training have been invaluable. to mrs. louis scott, for permission to see the scrapbook of her mother, mrs. mary g. powell, and family papers; for the harper family records, for her gracious assistance and advice, and for the use of her late mother's _the history of old alexandria, virginia_. to mrs. robert m. reese, for long and helpful hours and the generous use of the ramsay family records, and historical documents. to the lady regents of mount vernon and to mr. wall, the superintendent, for the use of the mount vernon library, the photograph of lawrence washington, the choice bill of lading, and dr. dick's _george washington_. to miss frances herbert, for information about the carlyle, herbert and fairfax families, and for the photograph of john carlyle's mother, rachel carlyle. to the late mrs. charles r. hooff, for loan of the carlyle genealogy and for permission to photograph john carlyle's snuffbox. to mrs. william boothe, for lee family notes and christ church anecdotes. to mrs. charles baird, and her sister, mrs. gerhard dieke, for permission to quote from the books of their father, the late fairfax harrison, and from the books of their late grandmother, mrs. burton harrison; for photographs of sally gary, george william fairfax and ben dulany. to mr. taylor burke, for the anecdote of the purchase money for mount vernon. to judge walter t. mccarthy, for permission to open court-sealed deed books. to the late clerk and assistant clerk of the fairfax court house, messrs. f.w. richardson and alton r. holbrook, and to the present clerk, mr. thomas p. chapman jr., for documents, photostats and unfailing patience and courtesy. to the attendants of the manuscript division, the map room and the rare book room of the library of congress. to the attendants of the virginia state archives in richmond, for assistance in uncovering alexandria records. to the ladies at the alexandria library. to miss s. frances leary, for the michael swope family notes. to the late mr. charles callahan, and to mrs. callahan, for permission to quote from mr. callahan's works and for many inspirational talks with mr. callahan. to captain george h. evans for old photographs. to mrs. arthur herbert, for photographs of herbert furniture from the carlyle house. to mr. courtland davis, for generous aid and valuable alexandria records and the use of his personal manuscripts and to mr. davis and the reverend doctor william b. mcillwayne, for access to the old presbyterian meetinghouse session books. to miss cora duffy, for the records of the sun fire company. to mrs. margaret gill davis, for use of an old customs house journal. to the late mr. ward brown, for loan of architectural documents. to messrs. i.d. matthews and milton grigg, for floor plans. to mrs. howard tolley, for the photograph of dr. brown and his obituary. to mr. gardner l. boothe and the vestry of christ church, for permission to photograph the church. to mrs. helen lawrason kirkpatrick, miss margaret lawrason and mrs. edward butler, for a wonderful day at the lawrason plantation, greenwood, in louisiana, and the photographs of the lawrason portraits. to the misses carne, for the loan and use of valuable alexandria documents. to miss belle da costa green, of the pierpont morgan library, for use of an important martha washington letter. to dr. st. george l. sioussat, chief of the division of manuscripts of the library of congress. to mr. allen l. reese, for exciting finds among the washington papers in that library. to mrs. andrew pickens, for notes on the fowle family. to mr. louis de cazenove, for information on the cazenove family. to the late mr. cazenove lee, for the story of general robert e. lee and the edmund i. lee house. to mr. w.b. mcgroarty, for the letters and biographical information on dr. dick and permission to quote from his works. to the corcoran gallery of art for photographs of st. mèmin's alexandrians. to mr. john o. brostrup, mr. thomas neil darling, mr. lewis p. woltz, and others, for the use of photographs. and last but not least, to lena harris, my old and faithful maid, who made it all possible. chapter references part one: prologue _an account of the first century of the seaport of alexandria._ [footnote : caton, _jottings from the annals of alexandria_, - ; and powell, _the history of old alexandria, virginia_, .] [footnote : hening, _statutes at large_, iv, .] [footnote : _journals of the house of burgesses of virginia_, session - , - , .] [footnote : _ibid._] [footnote : _ibid._, session - , - , .] [footnote : fairfax county was formed from prince william in (_journals of the house of burgesses, virginia_, - , ; and hening, v, - ) after numerous petitions to this effect had been presented to the burgesses, beginning as early as (_ibid._, - , - , ), with a request to divide the county into two parishes.] [footnote : _journals of the house of burgesses of virginia_, - , - , .] [footnote : _ibid._, .] [footnote : _ibid._, - .] [footnote : hening, _statutes at large_, vi, ; and caton's _jottings_, - .] [footnote : caton's _jottings_.] [footnote : _ibid._] [footnote : _ibid._] [footnote : _ibid._] [footnote : _ibid._] [footnote : in george washington made a survey of the site of belle haven, and the following year, , a plan of the town, doubtless for his brother, lawrence, who purchased lots. now with the washington papers in the library of congress.] [footnote : _minutes of the trustees of alexandria_, - .] [footnote : _ibid._] [footnote : from data contributed by robert c. gooch, chief of general reference and bibliography division, library of congress, letter dated april , .] [footnote : _minutes of the trustees of alexandria_, - .] [footnote : _ibid._] [footnote : _ibid._] [footnote : _journals of the house of burgesses of virginia_, - , - , , and .] [footnote : _ibid._, .] [footnote : _ibid._, .] [footnote : analoston island, formerly my lords island, was part of the alexander purchase.] [footnote : _minutes of the trustees, recorded deeds_; and carne's _tiny town_ notes.] [footnote : fitzpatrick, _diaries of george washington_, i, .] [footnote : _ibid._] [footnote : _fitzpatrick, writings of george washington_, i, - , washington's report to governor dinwiddie, july , .] [footnote : burnaby, _through the middle settlements in north america_ ( - ), .] [footnote : fitzpatrick, _diaries of george washington_, i, .] [footnote : _ibid._, .] [footnote : _ibid._, .] [footnote : fitzpatrick, _writings of george washington_, ii, .] [footnote : _minutes of the house of burgesses_, november , , , (vol. - ); _minutes of the trustees of alexandria,_ - .] [footnote : _minutes of the trustees of alexandria,_ - .] [footnote : _house of burgesses journal,_ - , .] [footnote : _minutes of the trustees of alexandria,_ - .] [footnote : _order book_, fairfax court house, - , .] [footnote : _the charter and laws of alexandria, va._, .] [footnote : harrison, _landmarks of old prince william_, ii, , note .] [footnote : letter to george washington from lund washington, april , . _toner transcripts_, library of congress. copied from notes in mount vernon ladies association library.] [footnote : wilstack, _mount vernon_, .] [footnote : _ibid._] [footnote : fitzpatrick, _diaries of george washington_, ii, .] [footnote : letter of olney winsor to his wife in providence, rhode island. original in archives, state library, richmond, virginia.] [footnote : harrison, _landmarks of old prince william_, ii, .] [footnote : morse, _the american geography_, .] [footnote : harrison, _landmarks of old prince william_, ii, .] [footnote : _ibid._] [footnote : _ibid._] [footnote : _a stranger in america_ (anonymous), .] [footnote : snowden, _the laws of the corporation of the town of alexandria from to _, .] [footnote : fitzpatrick, _writings of george washington_, iii, .] [footnote : caton, _jottings_, .] part two: the presence of george washington, - . chapter . william ramsay: _romulus of alexandria_. [footnote : harrison, _landmarks of old prince william_, ii, , quoting president madison in .] [footnote : harrison, _landmarks of old prince william_, ii, .] [footnote : _ibid._, . alexandria, . record hening, i, , c.o. , , no. . description: " acres ... parcel of the land of philip alexander, john alexander, and hugh west, situate ... on the south side of potomack river about the mouth of great hunting creek in the county of fairfax." trustees: thomas, lord fairfax, william fairfax, george william fairfax, richard osborne, lawrence washington, william ramsay, john carlyle, john pagan, gerard alexander, hugh west, philip alexander.] [footnote : hamilton, _letters_, ii, .] [footnote : harrison, _landmarks_, ii, ; hayden, _virginia genealogies_, ; _william and mary college quarterly historical magazine_, iv, ; _maryland gazette_ (_copy in ramsay family records_).] [footnote : _maryland gazette_, december , ramsay family records.] [footnote : lipscomb, _the writings of thomas jefferson_, iv, , memorial edition.] [footnote : letter of martha washington to betty ramsay, dated cambridge, december , . courtesy pierpont morgan library.] [footnote : _ramsay family records._] [footnote : see reference no. , _supra_.] [footnote : _deed book p_, , december , . fairfax court house.] [footnote : _deed book b_, , july , . alexandria land records.] [footnote : fitzpatrick, _diaries of george washington_, ii, .] [footnote : from a newspaper clipping in _ramsay family records_.] [footnote : fitzpatrick, _diaries_, ii, .] [footnote : from a newspaper clipping in _ramsay family records_.] _alexandria deed book f_, . _alexandria will book _, . _fairfax deed books_: _d_, no. , part i, ; _d_, ; _m_, no. , . chapter . john carlyle and his house. [footnote : _will book i-d_, . fairfax court house.] [footnote : _minute book_, fairfax court house.] [footnote : _will book, i-d_, . fairfax court house.] [footnote : _will book i-d_, - . fairfax court house.] [footnote : harrison, _early american turf stock_, i, , - .] chapter . the married houses. [footnote : fitzpatrick, _diaries_, i, .] [footnote : _ibid._, .] [footnote : _deed book e_, . alexandria.] [footnote : from information furnished by mr. taylor burke.] _alexandria deed books_: _ _, ; _e_, , ; _l- _, ; _p- _, ; _q- _, ; _t- _, ; _v- _, ; _w_, ; _w- _, . _alexandria will book _, . _fairfax will book d_, - . chapter . the fairfaxes of belvoir and alexandria. [footnote : neill, _the fairfaxes of england and america_, .] [footnote : fitzpatrick, _writings_, i, .] [footnote : _ibid._, - .] [footnote : cary, _sally cary_, .] [footnote : neill, _the fairfaxes of england and america_, - .] [footnote : _minute book_, court held august , , - .] [footnote : fitzpatrick, _diaries_, ii, .] [footnote : fitzpatrick, _writings_, xxvii, ]. [footnote : _ibid._, .] [footnote : _ibid._, xxxvi, - .] chapter . the george william fairfax house. [footnote : _minutes of the trustees of alexandria, - _; _deed book g- _, . fairfax court house.] [footnote : _minutes of the trustees of alexandria, - _.] [footnote : fairfax court house records. missing liber k (now in the library of congress), - .] [footnote : fitzpatrick, _diaries_, ii, .] [footnote : personal property tax, fairfax county ( - ). virginia state library archives, no. .] [footnote : lee, _lee of virginia_, - .] [footnote : shepperson, _john paradise and lucy ludwell_, .] [footnote : fitzpatrick, _diaries_, iv, , .] _alexandria deed books_: _b_, ; _d_, no. , . _alexandria will book _, (orphans' court). _fairfax deed books_: _c- _, ; _g- _, . _fairfax deed book k_, - ; - , , . now in library of congress. chapter . john gadsby and his famous tavern. [footnote : _tyler's quarterly historical and genealogical magazine_, xvi, no. , .] [footnote : so-called by thomas t. waterman, author of _the mansions of virginia_.] [footnote : _columbia mirror and alexandria gazette_, october , .] [footnote : _ibid._, november , .] [footnote : _ibid._] [footnote : a number of years ago the metropolitan museum acquired by purchase the woodwork of the great ballroom, where so many of alexandria's social events had taken place. it is an outstanding exhibit in the american wing.] [footnote : custis, _recollections and private memoirs_, - .] [footnote : _liber r_, _no. _, . . alexandria.] [footnote : _alexandria gazette_, october , .] [footnote : fitzpatrick, _diaries_, iv, .] [footnote : _tyler's quarterly historical and genealogical magazine_, xvi, no. , .] [footnote : _ibid._] _alexandria liber p_, no. , . indenture, july , . chapter . the michael swope house. [footnote : _minutes of the trustees of alexandria,_ - .] [footnote : _liber d_ ( - ), . fairfax court house.] [footnote : _ibid._] [footnote : _liber b_, . july , . alexandria.] _alexandria deed book x_, . _fairfax liber i_, no. , - ; _n_, no. , . chapter . dr. william brown _author of the first american pharmacopoeia_ and his dwelling. [footnote : fitzpatrick, _diaries_, ii, .] [footnote : fitzpatrick, _writings_, xxx, .] [footnote : lund washington's ledger, . manuscript collection of the mount vernon ladies association.] [footnote : washington's papers, ledger b, . library of congress.] _alexandria liber b_, no. , ; h, no. , . _fairfax deed books_: _d_, no. , part , ; _m_, no. , , ; _o_, no. , . _fairfax liber m_, ; _s_, no. , . chapter . the peruke shop. [footnote : _order book_, - . (april , .) fairfax court house.] [footnote : _liber j_ (i), . alexandria.] _alexandria deed books_: _f_, ; _s_, ; _v_, . _alexandria liber o_, no. , . _fairfax deed books_: _c_, ; _g_, ; _p_, no. , . _fairfax liber d_, . chapter . historic christ church. [footnote : truro parish vestry book (manuscript), _sub._ june , .] [footnote : _ibid._, november , .] [footnote : _ibid._, november , .] [footnote : slaughter, _truro parish_, - .] [footnote : papers of george washington, library of congress, vol. .] chapter . the presbyterian meetinghouse. [footnote : dr. muir's report, in the files of the presbyterian historical society, philadelphia.] [footnote : _minutes of the session._] [footnote : _committee book_, october , , .] [footnote : _alexandria gazette_, .] [footnote : _committee minutes_, .] [footnote : _ibid._, .] [footnote : _ibid._, .] [footnote : _session book_, session , (april , ).] _fairfax liber l_, no. , . chapter . presenting the sun fire company [footnote : _minutes of the sun fire company._ courtesy of miss cora duffey.] [footnote : papers of george washington. library of congress. vol. (august -october , ), _sub._ october , .] chapter . captain john harper and his houses. [footnote : _minutes of the trustees of alexandria, - _; _deed book g. no. _, . fairfax court house.] [footnote : hamilton, _letters to washington_, iv, .] [footnote : _liber g_, _no. _, , fairfax court house.] [footnote : powell, _old alexandria_, - .] _alexandria deed book e_, . _alexandria land book_ ( - ), virginia state library and archives. _alexandria will book b_, - . _fairfax liber k_, no. , - . chapter . dr. elisha c. dick and the fawcett house. [footnote : letters of his great-grandson, j.a. pearce, to dr. a.m. toner, august , . from copies given the author by mr. w.b. mcgroarty.] [footnote : fitzpatrick, _diaries_, ii, .] [footnote : _deed book i_, . alexandria.] [footnote : lindsey, _historic homes and landmarks of alexandria, virginia_, .] [footnote : freeman, _r.e. lee_.] [footnote : _liber m_, . fairfax court house.] [footnote : _ibid._] [footnote : _liber n, no. _, . fairfax court house.] _alexandria deed books_: _a_, ; _b_, ; _c_, ; _v_, . _fairfax deed books_: _b_, ; _g_, - . _fairfax liber d_, no. , . chapter . the benjamin dulaney house. [footnote : fitzpatrick, _writings_, iii, . letter to burwell bassett.] [footnote : fitzpatrick, _diaries_, ii, and .] [footnote : _a stranger in america_ (anonymous), .] [footnote : contributed by mr. w.b. mcgroarty.] [footnote : courtesy mr. and mrs. john howard joynt.] _alexandria deed book t_, . _fairfax deed book o_, . chapter . dr. james craik and his dwelling. [footnote : from an address on james craik, physician general, by major general robert a. patterson in _the military surgeon_, february .] [footnote : will book a, , april , . alexandria.] [footnote : ford, _writings of washington_, xiv, - ; callahan, _washington: the man and the mason_, - .] [footnote : prussing, _the estate of george washington, deceased_, .] _alexandria deed book bb_, . _fairfax deed book y_, no. , . chapter . alexandria's old apothecary shop. chapter . spring gardens. [footnote : _order book_, . fairfax court house.] [footnote : fitzpatrick, _diaries_, iv, .] [footnote : washington's cash memorandum book, toner transcript in library of congress.] [footnote : baker, _washington after the revolution_, .] [footnote : fitzpatrick, _diaries_, iv, .] [footnote : baker, _op. cit._, .] chapter . william fitzhugh and robert e. lee. [footnote : fitzpatrick, _diaries_, iv, .] [footnote : _ibid._, .] [footnote : _ibid._, .] [footnote : _ibid._, . _alexandria deed books_: ( - ), ; _k_, no. , ; _m_, ; _m_, no. , ; _o_, no. , . _alexandria will book c_, , .] chapter . george washington's tenements. [footnote : fitzpatrick, _diaries, sub._ april , , i, .] [footnote : powell, _old alexandria_, - .] [footnote : fitzpatrick, _writings_, ii, .] [footnote : _ibid._, xxviii, .] [footnote : _ibid._, xxxiv, - . george washington to tobias lear.] [footnote : papers of george washington, . library of congress.] [footnote : fitzpatrick, _writings_, xxxv, .] [footnote : _ibid._, xxxvi, .] [footnote : prussing, _estate of george washington, deceased_, (page of will).] [footnote : _ibid._, (page of will).] [footnote : _liber m_. _folio _ ( ). deed recorded june , . fairfax court house.] _alexandria deed books_: _ _, , ; _ _, ; _ _, ; _ _, ; _ _, ; _ _, , ; _g_, ; _i_, no. , . _alexandria liber f_, no. , - ; _m_, ; _x_, no. , . chapter . the georgian cottage. [footnote : _liber m_, . alexandria.] [footnote : _deed book w_, and . alexandria.] chapter . the vowell-snowden house. [footnote : powell, _old alexandria_.] _alexandria deed books_: _b_, , ; _b- _, ; _l_, ; _q- _ ( ), . chapter . the edmund jennings lee house. [footnote : lee, _lee of virginia_, ; lee, _recollections and letters of general lee_, .] [footnote : lee, _recollections and letters_, .] _alexandria deed books_: _a_ ( ), ; _h_, . _alexandria will book _, . part three: five sketches of the nineteenth century. chapter . the yeaton-fairfax house. [footnote : _deed book k_, . alexandria.] [footnote : information contributed by mr. worth bailey. the author is indebted to the mount vernon ladies' association for permission to quote yeaton's letter which follows in the chapter text.] _alexandria deed books_: _d_, ; s- , . _alexandria liber v- _, . chapter . the la fayette-lawrason-cazenove house. [footnote : _alexandria gazette_, october , .] _fairfax deed books_: _g_, , ; k, . chapter . enter the quaker pedagogue: benjamin hallowell. [footnote : hallowell, _autobiography_, and .] [footnote : _ibid._, .] [footnote : _ibid._, .] [footnote : _ibid._, .] chapter . the alexandria lyceum. [footnote : hallowell, _autobiography_, - .] [footnote : _alexandria gazette_, december , .] [footnote : _liber y_, no. , . alexandria.] _alexandria deed book _, . _alexandria will book _, . chapter . the sea captain's daughter and her house. [footnote : the material for this sketch was contributed by mrs. george r. hill, sr., daughter of mrs. melissa hussey wood.] bibliography i. manuscripts _alexandria court records_; deed books, will books. [alexandria], _custom record journal of the port for the year_ - . privately owned. [alexandria], _minutes of the trustees and the council_, - ; - . [alexandria], _minutes of the sun fire company_. privately owned. [alexandria], personal tax list, . _virginia state library and archives._ _fairfax county court records_; deed books, will books, minutes and order. [fairfax county], census and list of tithables for ; personal tax list, - . _virginia state library and archives._ [fairfax county], liber k. _library of congress._ [fairfax county], truro parish vestry book. _library of congress._ lawrason family bible. privately owned. letter, olney winsor to his wife. _virginia state library and archives._ letters of j.a. pearce to dr. a.m. toner, his great-grandfather. typescripts prescribed by mr. william b. mcgroarty to the author. _mount vernon ladies' association_, miscellaneous manuscripts. _mutual assurance society of virginia._ microfilm records. _virginia state library and archives._ _presbyterian historical society_, philadelphia, pa., dr. muir's report; _minutes_ of the session ( ); committee minutes. _ramsay family records._ _stabler-leadbeater apothecary shop_, archives. courtesy of the alexandria landmarks association. washington, george, accounts, cash memoranda; ledgers a and b. _library of congress._ washington, george, papers. _library of congress._ washington, lund, ledger in the collection of the _mount vernon ladies' association._ washington, martha, letter to miss betsy ramsay, dated december , . _pierpont morgan library._ ii. periodicals _alexandria gazette_, established as _the virginia journal and alexandria advertiser_ and underwent many changes of proprietors and names. _american turf register and sporting magazine_, march, . carne, william e., "tiny town notes," _from ramsay family records._ carne, william e., "washington as a burgher," _harper's new monthly magazine._ february . _the magazine antiques_, special issue devoted to alexandria, february . _maryland gazette_, annapolis, md. _records of the columbia historical society_, washington, d.c. _tyler's quarterly historical and genealogical magazine_, richmond, va. _virginia magazine of history and biography_, richmond, va. _william and mary college quarterly historical magazine_, series i and ii. williamsburg, va. iii. published sources & general works [alexandria], _the charter and laws of the city of alexandria, va., and historical sketch of its government_, published by the city council, alexandria, . baker, william spohn, _washington after the revolution_, philadelphia, . blanton, wyndham b., _medicine in virginia in the eighteenth century._ richmond, . brockett, f.l., _the lodge of washington_, - , alexandria, . burnaby, rev. andrew, _travels through the middle settlements in north america, - _, london, . callahan, charles h., _the memorial to washington: an historical souvenir_, alexandria memorial committee, c. . callahan, charles h., _washington: the man and the mason_, published under the auspices of the memorial temple committee of the george washington masonic national memorial association, . cary, wilson miles, _sally cary, a long hidden romance of washington's life. with notes by another hand_. new york, . privately printed. caton, james r., _legislative chronicles of the city of alexandria, or jottings from the annals of alexandria_, alexandria, . conway, moncure d., _barons of the potomack and the rappahannock_, new york, . custis, george washington parke, _recollections and private memoirs of washington_, new york, . davis, deering, stephen p. dorsey, and ralph cole hall, _alexandria houses_, - , new york, . _dictionary of american biography._ edited by allen johnson and dumas malone, new york, - . vols. and supplement. fairfax, thomas, _journey from virginia to salem, massachusetts_, , london, . privately printed. fitzpatrick, john c., ed., _the diaries of george washington - _. published for the mount vernon ladies' association. new york, . vols. fitzpatrick, john c., ed., _the writings of george washington. bicentennial edition_. washington, d.c., . vols. and index. ford, worthington chauncey, ed., _the writings of george washington_. new york and london, - . vols. freeman, douglas southall, _r.e. lee_, new york, . vols. hamilton, s.m., ed., _letters to george washington_, boston and new york. vols. harrison, constance (cary), "mrs. burton harrison," _crow's nest and belle haven tales_. new york, . harrison, constance (cary), "mrs. burton harrison," _recollections grave and gay_. new york, . harrison, fairfax, _the background of the american stud book_. richmond, . privately printed. harrison, fairfax, _early american turf stock, - _. richmond, . vols. privately printed. harrison, fairfax, _the equine f.f.v.'s_, richmond, . privately printed. harrison, fairfax, _landmarks of old prince william_, richmond, . privately printed. vols. harrison, fairfax, _virginia land grants, richmond_, . privately printed. hayden, rev. horace edwin, _virginia genealogies_, washington, d.c., . hening, william waller, comp., _the statutes at large being a collection of all the laws of virginia, from the first session of the legislature in the year _. richmond, - . vols. hallowell, benjamin, _autobiography_, philadelphia, pa., . jackson, rev. eugene b., _the romance of historic alexandria_. alexandria, . janson, charles william, _the stranger in america_. london, . kettell, russell howes, ed., _early american rooms ..._ portland, me., . knox, katharine mccook, _the sharples, their portraits of george washington and his contemporaries_, new york, . lee, edmund jennings, _lee of virginia_, - . philadelphia, . lee, robert e. jr., _recollections and letters of robert e. lee_, new york, . lindsey, mary, _historic homes and landmarks of alexandria, virginia_. . privately printed. lipscomb, andrew adgate, ed., _the writings of thomas jefferson_. washington, d.c. (_memorial edition_) - . vols. lossing, benson j., _mount vernon and its associations_. new york, . macdonald, rose mortimer e., _mrs. robert e. lee_, boston, . mcgroarty, william buckner, _the old presbyterian meeting house at alexandria, virginia_ - . richmond, . mcilwaine, h.r., ed., _journals of the house of burgesses of virginia_. vols. mcilwaine, h.r., ed., _legislative journals of the council of colonial virginia_, richmond, - , vols. morrison, a.j., ed., _travels in virginia in revolutionary times_, lynchburg, va., . morse, jedidiah, _the american geography_, london, . mount vernon ladies' association, _annual reports_, - . neill, edward d., _the fairfaxes of england and america_. albany, n.y., . norfleet, fillmore, _st. mèmin in virginia_, richmond, . powell, mary g., _the history of old alexandria, virginia_. richmond, va., . privately printed. prussing, eugene e., _the estate of george washington, deceased_, boston, . ramsay, a.m.h., _a short life of sir alexander ramsay of dalhousie_. from ramsay family records. ritson, mrs. a., _a poetical picture of america being observations made during a residence of several years at alexandria and norfolk in virginia_, london, . scott, sir walter, _historical passages in the life of sir a. ramsay_. from ramsay family records. _the scottish tartans_, edinburgh and london, . from ramsay family records. shepperson, archibald bolling, _john paradise and lucy ludwell_, richmond, va., . slaughter, rev. philip, _the history of truro parish in virginia_, philadelphia, . smoot, mrs. betty carter (mcguire), _days in an old town_, alexandria, virginia, . privately printed. snowden, samuel, _the laws of the corporation of the town of alexandria from to _. alexandria, . snowden, w.h., _some old historical landmarks_, philadelphia, . spencer, richard henry, _carlyle family_, richmond, va., . swem, earl g., _virginia historical index_, roanoke, va., - . vols. wedderburn, alexander j., _historic alexandria, va., past and present, souvenir of virginia tercentennial_, . wilkes, marion r., _rosemont and its famous daughter_, mimeographed edition, . wilstach, paul, _mount vernon_, garden city, n.y., . index acton, r.c., adam, james, adam, john, adam, robert, , ; disposition of property, ; real estate transactions, , ; masonic activities, ; migration to virginia, adam silversmiths, f adam, william w., advertisements, , , , , , , , , , , , alexander, charles francis, alexander, gerard, alexander, john, ; donation of land to christ church, ; real estate transactions, , , alexander, philip, alexander, william thornton, ; real estate transactions, , , alexandria academy, alexandria, town of. _see_ town of alexandria amusements, f anderson, james, apothecary shop, f apprentices, architecture (_see_ entry of specific structure); ability of citizens, ; influence of english design, arrell, david, barcourt, adolph, bakeries, balls, , barbee, david rankin, bartle, samuel, barton, benjamin, beale, howard, belhaven, name rejected, belle haven, belvoir, settlement by fairfax, ; visitors to, berkeley, sir william, bird, thomas, black, hon. & mrs. hugo l., bounties of land, braddock, gen. edward, ; expedition, braddock house, brissot de warville, brockett, robert, , brook, james, brown, dr. gustavus, brown house, f; visitors to, brown, john, raid of, brown, john douglas, brown, ward, brown, dr. william, antecedents, ; civic services, ; epitaph, ; medical writings, ; migration to virginia, ; necrology, ; real estate transactions, ; treasurer of fire company, building, delinquency in, buildings, municipal. _see_ public works burke, john w., burnett, charles, capital, national, establishment, . _see_ also district of columbia. capitol, cornerstone laid, captains' row, captains' walk, carlyle house, f; visitors to, carlyle, john, , , , ; ability as architect, , ; bequests, , ; builds christ church, ; civic services, , , f, ; death, ; mercantile activities, ; real estate, carlyle, sarah fairfax, carlyle, sybil west, caton, william, cazenove, antoine charles de, civic services, ; migration to virginia, chatham, christ church, f; attended by r.e. lee, ; lands of, - cincinnati, society of the, circuses, city tavern. _see_ gadsby's tavern civil war, effect on town, f claggett's hotel, coachmaking, cockfights, coffee house. _see_ gadsby's tavern cohen, william, committee of safety, confederate states army, contribution to, conway cabal, cook, joseph francis, coryell, george, , ; civic services, coryton, josiah, cox, mr. & mrs. hugh b., craik, george washington, craik house, f craik, dr. james, ; antecedents, ; attends mrs. washington, ; attends gen. washington, ; children of, ; death, ; migration to virginia, ; militia service, ; real estate transactions, ; revolutionary services, crilly, misses, cunningham, ann pamela, currency, use of pistoles, currie, james, customs, taboos, custis, george washington parke, custis, nelly, custis, washington, dade, rev. townsend, daingerfield, john b., acquires lyceum, dalton, general, dalton house, f dalton, john, , ; bequests, , ; civic services, ; mercantile activities, ; real estate transactions, ; visits by washington, danna, rev. charles b., davis, rev. thomas, dawe, philip, decatur house, bought by gadsby, de cazenove. _see_ cazenove de kalb, baron, delacour, joshua, de lancey, governor, delarue, joseph, dick, dr. elisha cullen, ; attends washington, , ; masonic services, ; medical advice, ; migration to virginia, f; militia service, ; real estate transactions, dick, hannah harmon, dinwiddie, governor, district of columbia, cession of land to, ; withdrawal from, dixon, john, real estate transactions, domestic economy, f doughton, francis, dowdney, william, duffey, george, duffey, john, dulany, benjamin, acquaintance with washington, ; behavior, ; poem dedicated to, ; steward of jockey club, dulany house, f dunmore, governor, du quesne, fort, education, early, . _see_ also schools english, samuel, epidemics, , fairfax, anne, fairfax, bryan, , , fairfax, deborah gedney clarke, fairfax family, antecedents, ; contribution to alexandria, ; intermarriages of, fairfax, george, , fairfax, george william, , ; aspersions on birth, ; letter to sally, ; move to england, ; real estate transactions, fairfax, hannah, fairfax (george william) house, f fairfax, henry, fairfax, dr. orlando, fairfax, sally cary, social activities, fairfax, sarah walker, fairfax, thomas, , , ; incensed with washington, ; real estate transactions, fairfax, william, , , ; civic services, ; fairfax street home, ; migration to virginia, ; real estate transactions, , fairs, ; source of income, fawcett, house, f female stranger, legend of, f fire companies, fire engines, purchase of, f fire fighting techniques, fire insurance, list of properties covered, fires, first virginia regiment, fitzhugh house, f fitzhugh, mary lee, fitzhugh, william, , , f; association with washington, ; bequests, ; real estate transactions, fitzhugh, william henry, fleming, mary e., fleming, thomas, , fowle, william, , fox hunting, frazer, margaret, freemasons, lodge of, , ; contribution to, ; entertains la fayette, french, hostile attitude of, friendship fire company, , fry, joshua, gadsby, john, f; buys decatur house, gadsby's tavern, , f; fame of, ; fare, ; meetings held in, ; patrons, f, ; visit of female stranger, ; washington's association, f galt, james, galt, william, ganet, james, georgian cottage, f ghost, of spring gardens, ; of swope house, f glebe lands, goat castle, goldsborough, anna maria, goldsmiths. _see_ silversmiths gooch, governor, governors, conference of, great hunting creek warehouse, green, rev. charles, green's mansions, greetner, margaret, gregory, william, griffith, rev. david, hadsel, mr. & mrs. fred latimer, halket, col. peter, hallowell, benjamin, , , ; civic services, ; describes la fayette's visit, f; early difficulties, ; financial difficulties, ; migration to virginia, ; reputation grows, ; sponsors lyceum, hamilton, mrs. donald m., hansen, samuel, hardware merchants, harper houses, f harper, john, ; civic services, ; family history, ; division of fairfax property, ; real estate transactions, , harrison, mrs. burton, harrison, rev. elias, herbert, william, hill, mr. & mrs. malcolm westcott, hodgson, william, disposition of fairfax property, ; migration to virginia, ; political offenses, ; real estate transactions, hog, peter, homes, designed layouts, hooe, james h., hooe, john daingerfield, hooe, robert townsend, horse racing, , , horses, importation of, , hough, john, real estate transactions, houses, distinguished: apothecary shop, f; braddock house, ; brown house, f; captains' row, ; carlyle house, f; christ church, f; coffee house, ; craik house, f; dalton house, f; dulany house, f; fairfax house, f; fawcett house, f; fitzhugh house, f; gadsby's tavern, f; harper houses, f; la fayette-lawrason-cazenove house, f; lee house, f; lloyd house, ; married houses, f; marsteller house, ; peruke shop, f; presbyterian meetinghouse, f; ramsay house, f; sea captain's daughter's house, f; sea captains' houses, ; spring gardens, f; stratford hall, ; swope house, f; thompson house, f; vowell-snowden house, f; washington public school, ; yeaton-fairfax house, f howsing, robert, huges, benjamin, hussey, melissa ann (wood), f hussey, capt. samuel bancroft, imports, f indians, hostile attitude of, industries, janney, john, jefferson, thomas, ability as architect, jewelers, jockey club, , ; washington's disagreement with, johns, bishop, johnson, alexious, johnson, thomas, johnston, george, , , jones, charles, jones, john paul, joynt, mr. & mrs. john howard, , keith, rev. isaac stockton, klipstein, george t., knox, henry, letter from washington, korell, mr. & mrs. franklin f., ladd, john gardner, la fayette, marquis de, ; entertained by masonic lodge, ; toast to town, ; visit to alexandria, , ; visit described by hallowell, f; visit to henry lee, ; visit to lawrason home, f la fayette-lawrason-cazenove house, f lamphire, going, latrobe, benjamin h., laundries, lawrason, mrs. elizabeth, , lawrason family, origin of, lawrason house, visit of la fayette to, f lawrason, james, lawrason, john, leadbeater, mr., lear, tobias, lee, arthur, bequest, ; civic services, f lee, cassius, , lee, charles, ; real estate transactions, lee, edmund (i.) jennings, ; bequests, ; civic services, ; real estate transactions, , ; visitor to mount vernon, lee (edmund jennings) house, f lee, francis, lee family, connection with mount vernon, lee, henry ("light horse harry"), , lee, ludwell, lee, mary custis, lee, robert edward, , , f, ; accepts confederate command, ; association with lloyds, ; attends hallowell school, ; confirmed at christ church, ; member of christ church, ; resigns from army, lee, thomas, lee, william, civic services, lewis, lawrence, lewis, lorenzo, library, municipal, lloyd family, association with lees, ; idiosyncrasies, lloyd house, lloyd, john, lodge, henry cabot, description of virginia society, lodging, cost of, london company, lots, auction of, f; division of town into, ; prices paid for, lotteries, source of income, , lyceum, municipal, f; sold to daingerfields, lyle, william, ; civic services, ; mercantile activities, lynn, adam, maccrea, mrs. donald, mackenzie, lewis, madison, james, comment on immigrants, makemie, francis, married houses, f marshburn, mrs. herbert e., marsteller house, mason, george, , ; ability as architect, matthews, miss frona, mcguire, dr. hugh, mcguire, sara j., mciver, colin, real estate transactions, mckenzey, william, meade, rev. william, mercer, george, merchants, activities of, meredith, reese, letter to washington, merryman, joshua, militia, attachment to braddock's command, ; composition, miller, mordecai, moncure, rev. john, real estate transactions, moore, col. & mrs. charles b., , , moore family, ; acquisition of sewell property, moore, cleon, morris, governor, morris, gouverneur, morris, patsy j., mount vernon, associated with lee family, ; funds hidden, ; visitors to, f, mount vernon ladies' association, muir, rev. james, ; burial of, murray, mrs. alexander, murry, john, murry, patrick, real estate transactions, mutual assurance society, new theatre, newspapers, ; _alexandria gazette_, oldest, newton, william, o'conner, eliza harriot, organ, christ church, orme, lt. robert, osborne, richard, pagan, john, pain, william, parsons, james, ; builds christ church, pastors, distinguished, f patterson, james, patton, james, ; indebtedness, peake, col. w.h., peruke shop, f peterkin, constance lee, pew marker, washington's, pickens, mrs. andrew, piper, john, pistole, use in colony, pittman, john, pohick church, port of alexandria, activity, ; decline in activity, f; importance of, f porter, thomas, potomac navigation company, f potomac river, navigation of, potts, john, powell, mary g., , , , powell, molly gregory, presbyterian cemetery, presbyterian manse, presbyterian meetinghouse, , , f public works, , publishers, railroads, ramsay, alexander, ramsay, ann mccarty, memorial to, ; patriotic activities, ramsay house, f ramsay, william, , , , ; activities of sons, f; bequests, ; civic services, ; family, ; funeral, ; initial founder, f; letter to dennis, ; memorial to, ; mercantile activities, ; real estate transactions, , f, reese, mrs. robert m., , relief fire company, religious tolerance, revolution, aftermath of, ricketts, john thomas, riddle, joseph, , roberts, reuben, robinson, joseph, rochambeau, count de, rochefoucauld, duc de la, rogers, walter g., roofers, rush, dr. benjamin, , saint mary's church, saint paul's church, salkeld, henry, sandford, edward, sayers, dr. & mrs. r.r., scheffer, lloyd l., schools, , ; hallowell's, f scott, gen. winfield, sea captain's daughter's house, f sea captains' houses, servants, , seventeenth virginia infantry, , sewell, william, indebtedness, ; real estate mortgaged, ; real estate purchases, sharpe, governor, sheen, gordon, shipbuilding, shippen, dr. william, shipping. _see_ port of alexandria shirley, governor, short, john, , shreve, benjamin, shuter's hill, anonymous poem, f silversmiths, sinclair, mrs. c.a.s., slaves, , , , smith, william, smoot, mr. & mrs. w.a., snowden, edgar, civic services, snowden, samuel, spaatz, gen. carl, sports, spring gardens, f stabler, edward, star fire company, stratford hall, stuart, dr. david, stuart, lt. j.e.b., sun fire company, f; membership, swope house, f swope, michael, civic services, ; migration to alexandria, ; real estate transactions, taverns, fame of, taylor, e.p., taylor, george, taylor, j. frank, taylor, lawrence b., taylor, robert i., , , theatres, erection of, thom, rev. william, thompson house, f thompson, jonah, ; real estate transactions, tobacco, supplanted by wheat, ; use as exchange, , tolley, hon. & mrs. howard r., , town of alexandria, building of, f; capital of west virginia, ; decline and resurgence, f; early growth, f; effect of civil war, ; effect of war of , f; enlargement, ; establishment, ; genesis, f; name adopted, ; paradox of location, ; part of federal district, ; post-revolution building, ; re-ceded to virginia, towns, colonial, authority asked to erect, tradesmen, activities of, trott, mr. & mrs. harlan, turner, charles, twining, thomas, van braam, jacob, virginia bill of rights, virginia colony, development of, f vowell, john cripps, vowell-snowden house, f vowell, thomas jr., ; real estate transactions, warren, anne, washington, augustine, , ; letter to lawrence, ; real estate transactions, washington, city of. _see_ district of columbia washington, george, ; ability as architect, ; activities as farmer, ; advice to braddock, ; association with fitzhughs, ; attends ramsay funeral, ; bequests, , , ; association with fairfaxes, f; disposition of real estate, ; domestic purchases, f; education as surveyor, ; elected town trustee, ; encourages navigation, ; envisions waterways, ; last illness, ; letter from meredith, ; letter to cary & company, ; letter to knox, ; letters to sally fairfax, , ; masonic funeral, ; mercantile interests, ; necrology, ; patron of gadsby's, f; patron of learning, ; patron of spring gardens, ; pew marker saved, ; real estate transactions, f; resigns commission, ; service as vestryman, ; steward of jockey club, ; supervises fairfax interests, ; tenements owned by, ; tomb designed by yeaton, ; visit to french commandant, ; warned of cabal, washington, george steptoe, washington, john augustine, washington, lawrence, , , washington, lawrence augustine, ; real estate transactions, washington, lund, washington, martha, ; attended by dr. craik, ; letter to betty ramsay, washington public school, washington, robert w., washington, samuel, watchmakers, watson, josiah, weld, isaac, west, anne, west, hugh, , west, john, , west, thomas wade, west virginia, town becomes capital of, weylie, john, wheat, supplants tobacco, wheat brokers, widows, fashion affecting, wilkinson, thomas, williams, william a., wilson, daniel, wise, john, f wise, n.s., wood, melissa ann hussey, f wood, robert lewis, wormley, ralph, wren, james, ; designs christ church, wren, william, yates tavern. _see_ spring gardens yeaton, william, ; designs washington's tomb, ; migration to virginia, ; real estate transactions, , yeaton, william c., yeaton-fairfax house, f yellow fever epidemic, zimmerman, henry, virginia: the old dominion as seen from its colonial waterway, the historic river james, whose every succeeding turn reveals country replete with monuments and scenes recalling the march of history and its figures from the days of captain john smith to the present time. by frank and cortelle hutchins with a map, and fifty-four plates, of which six are in full color, from photographs by the authors. [illustration: the portico of brandon, from the garden. (see page )] to the honourable francis e. hutchins, the father of one author, the more than father-in-law of the other, and the ever-staunch friend of gadabout, this book is affectionately dedicated. this volume was formerly published under the title, "houseboating on a colonial waterway"; but its appropriateness for inclusion in the "see america first series" to represent the state of virginia is so obvious that the publishers have, in this new edition, changed the title to "virginia: the old dominion," and reissued the book in a new dress, generally uniform with the other volumes in the series. contents chapter i. all about gadabout ii. our first run and a cozy harbour iii. land, ho! our country's birthplace iv. a run around jamestown island v. fancies afloat and ruins ashore vi. in the old churchyard vii. seeing where things happened viii. pioneer village life ix. good-bye to old james towne x. a short sail and an old romance xi. at the pier marked "brandon" xii. harbour days and a foggy night xiii. old silver, old papers, and an old court gown xiv. a one-engine run and a forest tomb xv. navigating an unnavigable stream xvi. in which we get to weyanoke xvii. across river to fleur de hundred xviii. gadabout goes to church xix. westover, the home of a colonial belle xx. an old courtyard and a sun-dial xxi. an underground mystery and a ducking-stool xxii. a bad start and a view of berkeley xxiii. the right way to go to shirley xxiv. from creek harbour to colonial reception xxv. an incongruous bit of houseboating. xxvi. the end of the voyage index list of illustrations the portico of brandon, from the garden (in full color) (see page ) frontispiece map of the james river from richmond to its mouth the houseboat gadabout in the forward cabin.--looking aft from the forward cabin along the shore of chuckatuck creek (in full color) "just the wild beauty of the shores, the noble expanse of the stream, ... and gadabout" jamestown island from the river (in full color) in back river.--the beach at jamestown island wharf sign at jamestown island.--the "lone cypress" the bridge across back river.--the road across the island the ruined tower of the old village church a corner in the old graveyard (in full color) view from the confederate fort.--looking toward the first landing-place locating what is left of the site of the first settlement an excursion day at jamestown island gadabout looking for the lost isthmus.--a visit to the "lone cypress" one of the earliest excavations.--hunting for the first state house entrance to chippoak creek.--cove in chippoak creek riverward front of brandon (in full color) a side path to the manor-house.--the woodsway to brandon in the drawing-room "venerable four-posters, richly carved and dark" a corner in the dining-room.--the drawing-room fireplace treasured parchments, including the original grant of the ancient garrison house miss harrison in the court gown of her colonial aunt, evelyn byrd sturgeon point landing.--at the mouth of kittewan creek the forest tomb.--the old kittewan house hunting for the channel.--approaching a narrow place lower weyanoke an ancestress of weyanoke.--chief-justice john marshall upper weyanoke.--at anchor off weyanoke present-day fleur de hundred a fishing hamlet.--a river landing "little boats were nosing into the bank here and there" riverward front of westover the hall, with its carved mahogany staircase the hepplewhite sideboard with butler's desk.--"four-posters and the things of four-poster days" the romantic centre of westover; evelyn byrd's old room the colonial courtyard gates.--tomb of colonel william byrd the drawing-room mantelpiece at westover tombs in the old westover churchyard (in the foreground is the tomb of evelyn byrd) a trapper's home by the river bank.--"often ... the wandering houseboat comes along to find only an empty pier" berkeley; the ancestral home of a signer of the declaration of independence and of two presidents of the united states the field road and the quarters riverward front of shirley (in full color) the old "great hall" the drawing-room the kitchen building, fifty yards from the manor-house a brick oven in the bake-room some noteworthy pieces of old shirley plate peale's portrait of george washington varina dutch gap canal.--falling creek the voyage ended, gadabout in winter quarters chapter i all about gadabout it was dark and still and four o'clock on a summer morning. the few cottages clustering about a landing upon a virginia river were, for the most part, sleeping soundly, though here and there a flickering light told of some awakening home. down close by the landing was one little house wide awake. its windows were aglow; lights moved about; and busy figures passed from room to room and out upon the porch in front. suddenly, with a series of quick, muffled explosions, the whole cottage seemed carried from its foundations. it slipped sidewise, turned almost end for end, then drifted slowly away from its neighbours, out into the darkness and the river. its occupants seemed unconscious of danger. there was one of them standing on the porch quite unconcernedly turning a wheel, while two or three others were watching, with rather amused expressions, two little engines chugging away near the kitchen stove. and thus it was that the houseboat gadabout left her moorings in the outskirts of old norfolk, and went spluttering down the elizabeth to find hampton roads and to start upon her cruise up the historic james river. but to tell the story we must begin before that summer morning. it was this way. we were three: the daughter-wife (who happened to see the magazine article that led to it all), her mother, and her husband. the head of the family, true to the spirit of the age, had achieved a nervous breakdown and was under instructions from his physician to betake himself upon a long, a very long, vacation. it was while we were in perplexed consideration as to where to go and what to do, that the magazine article appeared--devoted to houseboating. it was a most fetching production with a picture that appealed to every overwrought nerve. there was a charming bit of water with trees hanging over; a sky all soft and blue (you knew it was soft and blue just as you knew that the air was soft and cool; just as you knew that a drowsy peace and quiet was brooding over all); and there, in the midst, idly floated a houseboat with a woman idly swinging in a hammock and a man idly fishing from the back porch. that article opened a new field for our consideration. landlubbers of the landlubbers though we were, its water-gypsy charm yet sank deep. we thirsted for more. we haunted the libraries until we had exhausted the literature of houseboating. and what a dangerously attractive literature we found! how the cares and responsibilities of life fell away when people went a-houseboating! what peace unutterable fell upon the worn and weary soul as it drifted lazily on, far from the noise and the toil and the reek of the world! all times were calm; all waters kind. the days rolled on in ever-changing scenes of beauty; the nights, star-gemmed and mystic, were filled with music and the witchery of the sea. it made good reading. it made altogether too good reading. we did not see that then. we did not know that most of the literature of houseboating is the work of people with plenty of imagination and no houseboats. we resolved to build a houseboat. there was excitement in the mere decision; there was more when our friends came to hear of it. their marked disapproval made our new departure seem almost indecorous. it was too late; the tide had us; and disapproval only gave zest to the project. as a first step, we proceeded to rechristen ourselves from a nautical standpoint. the little mother was so hopelessly what the boatmen call a fair-weather sailor that her weakness named her, and she became lady fairweather. the daughter-wife, after immuring herself for half a day with nautical dictionaries and chocolate creams, could not tell whether she was rudderina or maratima; she finally concluded that she was nautica. it required neither time nor confectionery to enable these two members of the family to rename the third. they viewed the strut of plain mr. so-and-so at the prospect of commanding a vessel, and promptly dubbed him commodore. an earnest quest was next made for anybody and everybody who had ever used, seen, or heard of a houseboat; and the commodore made journeys to various waters where specimens of this queer craft were to be found. all the time, three lead pencils were kept busy, and plans and specifications became as autumn leaves. we soon learned that there was little room for the artistic. once nautica had a charming creation, all verandas and overhanging roofs and things; but an old waterman came along and talked about wind and waves, and most of the overhanging art on that little houseboat disappeared under the eraser. "that's all good enough for one of those things you just tie to a bank and hang chinese lanterns on," he said. "but it would never do for a boat that's going to get out in wide water and take what's coming to it." when we concluded that we had the plans to our satisfaction (or rather that we never should have, which amounted to the same thing), we turned over to a builder the task of making them into something that would float and hold people and go. the resulting craft, after passing through a wrecking and some rebuilding, we called gadabout. she was about fifty feet long and twelve feet wide over all, as the watermen say; and was propelled by twin screws, driven by two small gasoline engines. though not a thing of beauty, yet, as she swung lazily at her moorings with her wide, low windows and the little hooded cockpit that we tried hard not to call a porch, she looked cozy and comfortable. her colouring was colonial yellow and white, with a contrast of dark olive on the side runways and the decks. inside, gadabout was arranged as house-like and, we thought, as homelike as boating requirements would permit. there were two cabins, one at either end of the craft. between these, and at one side of the passageway connecting them, was what we always thought of as the kitchen, but always took care to speak of as the galley. at first glance, each of the cabins would be taken as a general living-room. each was that; but also a little of everything else. at customary intervals, one compartment or the other would become a dining-cabin. again, innocent looking bits of wall would give way, and there would appear beds, presses, lavatories, and a lamentable lack of room. both cabins were finished in old oak, dark and dead; there is a superabundance of brightness on the water. the ceilings showed the uncovered, dark carlines or rafters. the walls had, along the top, a row of niches for books; and along the bottom, a deceptive sort of wainscoting, each panel of which was a locker door. between book niches above and wainscoting below, the walls were paneled in green burlap with brown rope for molding. the furnishing was plain. [illustration: the houseboat gadabout.] the kitchen or galley was rather small as kitchens go, and rather large as galleys go. it would not do to tell all the things that were in it; for anybody would see that they could not all be there. perhaps it would be well to mention merely the gasoline stove, the refrigerator, the pump and sink, the wall-table, the cupboards for supplies, the closet for the man's serving coats and aprons, the racks of blue willow ware dishes, and the big sliding door. one has to mention the big sliding door; for it made such a difference. it worked up and down like a window-sash, and always suggested the conundrum, when is a galley not a galley? for when it was down, it disclosed nothing and the galley was a galley; but when it was up, it disclosed a recess in which two little gasoline motors sat side by side, and the galley was an engine-room. it was a very ingenious and inconvenient arrangement. operating the stove and the engines at the same time was scarcely practicable; and we were often forced to the hard choice of lying still on a full stomach or travelling on an empty one. there yet remains to be described the crew's quarters. the crew consisted of two hands, both strong and sturdy, and both belonging to the same coloured man. though our trusty tar, henry, had doubtless never heard "the yarn of the 'nancy bell'" and had never eaten a shipmate in his life, yet he had a whole crew within himself as truly as the "elderly naval man" who had eaten one. there was therefore no occasion for extensive quarters. fortunately, an available space at the stern was ample for the crew's cabin and all appointments. all these interior arrangements were without the makeshifts so often found in houseboats. there were no curtains for partition walls nor crude bunks for beds. people aboard a houseboat must at best be living in close quarters. but, upon even the moderate priced craft, much of the comfort, privacy, and refinement of home life may be enjoyed by heading off an outlay that tends toward gilt and grill work and turning it into substantial partitions, real beds, baths, and lavatories. gadabout was square at both ends; so that the uninitiated were not always sure which way she was going to go. indeed, for a while, her closest associates were conservative in forecasting on that point. but that was for another reason. the boat was of extremely light draft. while such a feature enables the houseboater to navigate very shallow waters (where often he finds his most charming retreats), yet it also enables the houseboat, under certain conditions of wind and tide, to go sidewise with all the blundering facility of a crab. [illustration: in the forward cabin.] [illustration: looking aft from the forward cabin.] at first, in making landings we were forced to leave it pretty much to gadabout as to which side of the pier she was to come up on, and which end first, and with how much of a bump. but all such troubles soon disappeared; and, as there seemed no change in the craft herself, we were forced to believe that our own inexperience had had something to do with our difficulties. to gadabout and her crew, add anchors, chains and ropes, small boats, poles and sweeps, parallel rulers, dividers and charts, anchor-lights, lanterns and side-lights, compasses, barometers and megaphones, fenders, grapnels and boathooks--until the landlubberly owners are almost frightened back to solid land; and then all is ready for a houseboat cruise. chapter ii our first run and a cozy harbour daylight came while gadabout was lumbering down the elizabeth, and in the glory of the early morning she followed its waters out into hampton roads, the yawning estuarial mouth of the james emptying into chesapeake bay. she would probably have started in upon her cruise up the historic river without more ado if we had not bethought ourselves that she was carrying us into the undertaking breakfastless. the wheel was put over hard to port (we got that out of the books) and the craft was run in behind craney island and anchored. while our breakfast was preparing, we all gathered in the forward cockpit to enjoy the scene and the life about us. the houseboat was lying in a quiet lagoon bordered on the mainland side by a bit of virginia's great truck garden. here and there glimpses of chimneys and roof lines told of truckers' homes, while cultivated fields stretched far inland. the height of the trucking season was past, yet crates and barrels of vegetables were being hauled to the water's edge for shipment. the negroes sang as they drove, but often punctuated the melody with strong language designed to encourage the mules. one wailing voice came to our ears with the set refrain, "o feed me, white folks! white folks, feed me!" the crates and barrels were loaded on lighters and floated out to little sailing boats that went tacking past our bows on their way to norfolk. it was a pretty scene, but there was one drawback to it all. everything showed the season so far advanced, and served to remind us of the lateness of our start. we had intended to take our little voyage on the james in the springtime. it had been a good deal a matter of sentiment; but sentiment will have its way in houseboating. we had wished to begin in that gentle season when the history of the river itself began, and when the history of this country of ours began with it. for, whatever may have gone before, the real story of the james and of america too commences with the bloom of the dogwood some three hundred years ago, when from the wild waste of the atlantic three puny, storm-worn vessels (scarcely more seaworthy than our tub of a houseboat) beat their way into the sheltering mouth of this unknown river. that was in the days when the nations of europe were greedily contending for what columbus had found on the other side of the world. in that struggle england was slow to get a foothold. neglect, difficulty, and misfortune made her colonies few and short-lived. by the opening of the seventeenth century spain and france, or perhaps spain alone, seemed destined to possess the entire new hemisphere. in all the extent of the americas, england was not then in possession of so much as a log fort. apparently the struggle was ended and england defeated. no one then could have imagined what we now behold--english-speaking people possessing most and dominating all of that newfound western world. this miracle was wrought by the coming of those three little old-time ships, the sarah constant, the goodspeed, and the discovery. it was in the year that the quaint, high-sterned caravels, representing the forlorn hope of england, crossed the ocean to found a colony on roanoke island. storm-tossed and driven out of their reckoning, they turned for refuge one april day into a yawning break in the coast-line that we now call chesapeake bay. following the sheltering, inviting waters inland, they took their way up a "greate river," bringing to it practically the first touch of civilization and establishing upon its shore the first permanent english settlement in the new world--the birthplace of our country. the civilizers began their work promptly. even as they sailed up the river looking for a place to found their colony, they robbed the stream of its indian name, powhatan, that so befitted the bold, tawny flow, bestowing instead the name of the puerile king of england. that was the first step toward writing in english the story of the james river, the "greate river," the "king's river." it was later by three hundred years lacking one when our houseboat came along to gather up that story. but to our regret it was not springtime. the dogwood blossoms had come and gone when gadabout lay behind craney island; and she would start upon her cruise up the james in the heart of the summertime. in some way that only those who know the laze of houseboating can understand, the hours slipped by in that tiny, tucked-away haven, and it was the middle of the afternoon when gadabout slowly felt her way out from behind the island and started up the james in the wake of the sarah constant, the goodspeed, and the discovery. that historic wake we were to follow for the first thirty miles of our journey, when it would bring us to the spot on the bank of the river where those first colonists landed and built their little settlement which (still honouring an unworthy king) they called james towne. as gadabout sturdily headed her stubby bow up the wide, majestic waterway, we looked about us. after all, what had three centuries done to this gateway of american civilization? surely not very much. keeping one's eyes in the right direction it was easy to blot out three hundred years, and to feel that we were looking upon about the same scene that those first colonists beheld--just the primeval waste of rolling waters, lonely marsh, and wooded shore. but eyes are unruly things; and, to be sure, there were other directions in which to look. glances northward took in a scene different enough from the one that met the eyes of those early voyagers. upon the low point of land along which they at last found a channel into the james and which (in their relief) they named point comfort, now stood a huge modern hostelry. to the left of this, the ancient shore-line was now broken by a dull, square structure that reared its ugly bulk against the sky--a strangely grim marker of the progress of three centuries. for this was the grain elevator at newport news, spouting its endless stream to feed the old world, and standing almost on the spot where those first settlers in the new world, sick and starving, once begged and then fought the indians for corn. lying in the offing were great ships from overseas that had come to this land of the starving colonists for grain. beyond all these could be seen something of the town of newport news itself. towers and spires and home smoke-wreaths we saw, where those beginners of our country saw only the spires of the lonely pines and the smoke from hostile fires. as our houseboat skirted the southern shore of the james in the sunny afternoon, our engines chugging merrily, our flags flying, and our two trailing rowboats dancing on the boiling surge kicked up astern, we felt that our cruise was well begun. not that we were misled for a moment by that boiling surge astern into the belief that we were making much progress. we had early perceived that gadabout made a great stir over small things, and that she went faster at the stern than anywhere else. yet all that was well enough. so long as the sun shines and the water lies good and flat, dawdling along in such a craft is an ideal way to travel. if the houseboat is built with the accent on the first syllable, as it ought to be, the homey feeling comes quickly to the family group aboard. day after day brings new scenes and places, yet the family life goes on unbroken. it is as though aladdin had rubbed the wonderful lamp, and the old home had magically drifted away and started out to see what the world was like. now, just ahead of us where the chart had a little asterisk, the river had a little lighthouse perched high over the water on its long spindling legs. gadabout ran just inside the light and quite close to it. it is an old and a pretty custom by which a passing vessel "speaks" a lighthouse. in this instance perhaps we were a trifle tardy, for the kindly keeper greeted us first with three strokes of his deep-toned bell. gadabout responded with three of her bravest blasts. it was not long before the sun got low, and with the late afternoon something of a wind whipped up from the bay, and the wide, low-shored river rolled dark and unfriendly. we found our thoughts outstripping gadabout in the run toward a harbour for the night. that word "harbour" comes to mean a good deal to the houseboater who attempts to make a cruiser of his unseaworthy, lubberly craft. a little experience on even inland waters in their less friendly moods develops in him a remarkable aptitude for finding holes in the bank to stick his boat in. sometimes the vessel is seaworthy enough to lie out and take whatever wind and waves may inflict; but that is usually where much of the charm and comfort of the houseboat has been sacrificed to make her so. then too the houseboater is usually quite a landlubber after all; so that even if the boat is strong enough to meet an angry sea, the owner's stomach is not. and, over and above all this, is the fact that miserably pitching and rolling about in grim battle with the elements is not houseboating. it is easy then to see that snug harbours count for much when cruising in the true spirit of houseboating, and in the charming, awkward tubs that make the best and the most lovable of houseboats. so, as gadabout was passing barrel point and the wind was freshening and the waves were slapping her square bow, we were thinking not unpleasantly of a small tributary stream that the chart indicated just ahead, and in which we should find quiet anchorage. there seemed something snug and cozy about the very name of the stream, chuckatuck. in this case the pale-face has left undisturbed the red man's picturesque appellation; and we knew that we should like--chuckatuck. just before we reached the creek, two row-boats put out from the river shore filled with boys and curiosity. a cheery salute was given us as the houseboat passed close by the skiffs, and we thought no more of them. but after a while footsteps were heard overhead and we found that we had a full cargo of boys. they had made their boats fast to gadabout's stern as she passed, and were now grouped in some uncertainty on the upper deck. a nod from nautica put them at ease, and in a moment they were scattered all over the outside of the boat, calling to one another, peering into windows, and asking no end of questions. the boys proved helpful too. they were fisher-lads, well acquainted with those waters, and were better than the chart in guiding us among the shoals and into the channel of the creek. [illustration: along the shore of chuckatuck creek.] a low headland prevented our getting a good view up the stream until gadabout swung into the middle of it. we seemed to be entering a little lake bordered by tree-covered hills. at the far end of the blue basin was a break and a gleam of lighter water to show that this was not really a lake but a stream. there it made the last of its many turnings and spread its waters in this beautiful harbour before losing them in the james. on the hills to our right, houses showed among the trees, some with the ever-pleasing white-pillared porticoes; and on the hills to our left was a village that straggled down the slope to the wharf as if coming to greet the strangers. in this little harbour was quite a fleet, mostly fishing craft, and all bowing politely on the swell of the tide. there was such diversity of opinion among our self-constituted pilots as to the best place for us to drop anchor, that the commodore turned a deaf ear to them all and attempted to run alongside a schooner to make inquiries. she was a good sized craft, and it did not seem as if he could miss her. he claimed that he did not. he explained that when we got up there, our ropes fell short and we drifted helplessly past because the blundering captain of the schooner had anchored her too far away from us. kindly overlooking this error of a fellow navigator, the commodore patiently spent considerable of the beautiful summer evening in getting gadabout turned around; and then again bore down upon the schooner. this time her being in the wrong place did not seem to matter; for we reached her all right, and there probably was no place along that side where we did not remove more or less paint. the captain of the schooner gave us the needed information about the harbour; our lines were cast off, and the houseboat was soon anchored in a snug berth for the night. then, sitting upon our canopied upper deck, enjoying the last of our city melons cooled with the last of our city ice, we looked out over what we supposed was but the first of many such beautiful creek-harbour scenes to be found along the river. we did not know that there was to be no other like chuckatuck. after a while, a small steamer came in from the james, a boat plying regularly between norfolk and landings along this creek. it was just the kind of steamer, any one would say, to be running on the chuckatuck--a fat, wheezy side-wheeler that came up to its landing near us with three hearty whistles and such a jovial puffing as seemed to say, "now, i'm certainly mighty glad to get back again to you all." just the sort of steamer that wouldn't mind a bit if the pretty girls were "a right smart time" kissing goodbye; or if the colonel had to finish his best story; or if old maria had to "study a spell" because she had "done forgot" what miss clarissa wanted the steward to bring from the city next day. as the sun sank behind the hills (or rather some time after, for we never could be nautically prompt), our flags were run down and the anchor-light was hoisted on the forward flagstaff. the summer night closed in softly; the blue waters grew dark, and caught from the sky the rich lights that the setting sun had left behind. we could see figures sitting upon the white porticoes looking out over the miniature harbour. somewhere were the music of a merry-go-round and the calls and laughter of children. in from the wider waters came more boats, their white sails folding down as they neared their haven. all the beautiful mystery of the deepening twilight touched water and masts, and shadowed the circling shore. then came the long hours of darkness when, with all aboard asleep, gadabout lay quietly at anchor, the riding-light upon her flagstaff gently swaying throughout the night. silently, with none to heed and none to know, was enacted again in the gloom the play that is as old as the first ship upon tideway. with bow turned up-stream, gadabout sank slowly lower and lower, as even little chuckatuck heard the voice of the far-away ocean calling its waters home. then, crossing slowly over her anchor and turning to head the other way, gadabout rose once more higher and higher, as the night wore on and as the great recurring swell rolled landward again the waters of the sea. chapter iii land, ho! our country's birthplace when we hoisted our anchor next day, it came up reluctantly; and we sailed away with faces often turned backward toward the little harbour of chuckatuck, with its blue of wave and sky, its white of cloud and beach, its green of circling hills, and the picturesque life on its waters. out again in the james (still some four miles wide), we felt that nature had almost overdone the matter of supplying us with a waterway for our voyage. we should willingly have dispensed with a mile or so on either side of our houseboat. there was a wind that kept steadily freshening, so that after rounding day's point we noticed that the river was getting rather rough; and we soon found that gadabout was equally observing. she rolled and pitched; but with both engines and the tide to help her along she made good enough headway. and in navigating the broad stream what advantages we had over those early mariners upon the sarah constant, the goodspeed, and the discovery! their passage up this river was upon unknown waters through an unknown land. we knew just where we were, and where we were going. they even fancied that they might be upon an arm of the ocean that would lead through the new-found world and open a direct route to the south sea and to the indies. our maps showed us that even this wide waterway was but a river; and that while it flowed some four hundred miles from its source beyond the blue ridge mountains, yet we could ascend it only about one hundred miles, as we should then come upon a line of falls and rapids that would prevent farther navigation. in the case of those early voyagers, savages lurked along the wooded shores and greater dangers lay in the unknown, treacherous currents and hidden bars of the stream itself. we should have to imagine all our savages; and there, on the table in gadabout's little cockpit, close to the man (or, quite as likely, the woman) at the wheel, lay charts that told the hidden features of the river highway. quaint old-time sarah and her sister ships could not have sailed up this waterway very far before finding navigation difficult. even small as they were, they must often have found scant water if the james of that time, like the james of to-day, had its top and bottom so close together every here and there. a majestic river several miles wide, often fifty to seventy-five feet deep, yet barred by such tangles of shoals as one would not expect to find in a respectable creek. and shoals too that the colour of the water hides from the keenest eyes. to be sure, for us it was all plain sailing. the charts told where the shoals were and how to avoid them. our chief danger lay in presuming too much upon our light draft and in venturing too far from the indicated channels. but how about those deeper-draft, chartless sailing craft? well, they managed to get along anyway, and our houseboat must on after them. one more straight reach of the river, one more great sweeping bend, and we should come upon the site of that old village of james towne. still the tawny powhatan, like many another proud savage, showed small sign of succumbing to civilization. there seemed scarce any mark of human habitation. the life of the people, where there were people, must have been back from the banks. the river itself was empty. nowhere was there wreath of smoke or shimmer of sail. just the wild beauty of the shores, the noble expanse of the stream, the cloudless blue of the summer sky, and gadabout. yet, we were not seeing quite the james that those first english eyes beheld. for them the slopes and headlands were covered with far nobler forests and nature wore her may-time gown. life and colour were everywhere. in the clear atmosphere of the virginia spring, the woodland was a wealth of living green radiantly starred with flowers. what a canaan those weary, storm-tossed colonists must have thought it all! we can well imagine the little family groups gathered on the decks, eagerly planning for their new life. we can see the brightening in the tired eyes of women and of children as the ships tack near to the flowery shore; as schools of fish break the river into patches of flashing silver; as strange, brilliant birds go flaming in the sunlight; as beauty is added to beauty in this wondrous new home-land. no! we blunder in our history. there were no women and children on the sarah constant, nor on the goodspeed, nor on the discovery. the story of these ships is not like that later one of the mayflower. the colour dies out of the picture; and there remains only the worn, motley band of men--men who have taken possession of the country by the sign of the cross, fit omen of the fate awaiting them. [illustration: "just the wild beauty of the shores, the noble expanse of the stream ... and gadabout."] at last our houseboat came about the bend in the river and before us along the northern shore lay jamestown island, the site of old james towne. we could make out little yet but the low wooded shore and the wide opening that we knew was the mouth of back river, the waterway that cuts off from the mainland that storied piece of soil. now gadabout's steering-wheel was counting spokes to starboard; she headed diagonally up the river toward the northern shore, and we were soon nearing the historic island. so, here was where those three little ships, that we had been following at the respectful distance of three centuries, terminated their voyage; here was where that handful of colonists founded the first permanent english settlement in the new world; here was the cradle of our country. however, the place in those old days was not exactly an island, although even the early colonists often called it so. there was a low isthmus (that has since been washed away) connecting with the mainland; so that the site of the settlement was in reality a peninsula. it was a low and marshy peninsula, an unhealthful place for the site of a colony. the settlers had a hard time from the beginning. they would have had a harder time but for the presence of a remarkable man among them. he was one of the best of men, or he was one of the worst--dependent upon which history you happen to pick up. at all events, he was the man for the hour. but for him the colony would have perished at the outset. this man of course was the schoolboy's hero, captain john smith. the chief hardships of the colonists at first were scarcity of food and frequent indian attacks. to these were soon added a malarial epidemic caused by the unhealthful surroundings. as if there were yet not suffering enough, the "supplies" (the ships that came over with reinforcements and food) brought bubonic plague and cholera from english ports. often, if they had touched at the west indies, they brought yellow fever too. the sufferings in that little pioneer settlement of our country have scarcely been equalled in modern colonization. time went on; and the population waxed and waned as reinforcements built it up and as the terrible mortality cut it down again. all the while there seemed no outcome to the struggle. james towne had in it not even the promise of a successful colony. the settlers did not find the gold and precious stones that were expected, nor did they find or produce in quantities any valuable commodities. they were not even self-supporting. the colony held on because constantly fed with men and provisions by the "supplies." there was dissatisfaction in london; in james towne misery and often despair. the climax of disappointment and suffering was reached in the spring of , ever since known as the "starving time." in that season of horror, the settlement almost passed out of existence. after that matters improved, and chiefly because of a single development: james towne learned to grow tobacco; europe learned to use it. from that time the place took on new life and made great strides toward becoming self-supporting. more and better settlers arrived, and the colony even put out offshoots, so that soon there were several settlements up and down the river and upon other rivers. and of all, james towne was the seat of government, the proud little capital of the colony of virginia. but trouble was still in store for this pioneer village, and this time final disaster. the very cause of prosperity became the chief cause of downfall. tobacco and towns could not long flourish together. the famous weed rapidly exhausted the soil, and there was constant need for new lands to clear and cultivate. the leading virginians turned their backs upon james towne and upon the other struggling settlements too, and established vast individual estates along the river to which they drew the body of the people. to be sure there still had to be some place as the seat of government; and in that capacity the village hung on a good while longer, though with few inhabitants aside from colonial officials and some tavern-keepers. it was not to be allowed to keep even these. despite every effort to force the growth of the town, it dwindled; and in it received its deathblow upon the removal of the seat of government to williamsburg. the rest is a matter of a few words. the pioneer village was gradually abandoned and fell to ruins. as though natural decay could not tear down and bury fast enough, the greedy river came to its aid. besides eating away the ancient isthmus, the james attacked the upper end of the island, devouring part of the site of the old-time settlement. between decay and the river, james towne, the birthplace of our country, vanished from the face of the earth. chapter iv a run around jamestown island now gadabout, her engines slowed down, drifted almost unguided among the shallows beside jamestown island; for our eyes were only for that close-lying shore and our thoughts for what it had to tell us. the end of the island toward us was well wooded though fringed with marsh. all of it that could be seen was just as we would have it--without a mark of civilization; wild, lonely, and still. in keeping with the whole sad story seemed the gloom of the forest, the loneness of the marsh, and the surge of the waves upon the desolate shore. when we took gadabout in hand again, we did not keep along the front of the island to where the colonists "tied their ships to the trees" and made their landing; but, instead, we turned from the james and ran up back river in behind the island. our plan was to sail up this stream to a point where the chart showed a roadway and a bridge, and to tie up the houseboat there. that would be convenient for us and for gadabout too. the roadway we should use in crossing the island to visit the chief points of interest, which were on the james river side; and gadabout would have a more protected harbour than could be found for her in front. [illustration: jamestown island from the river.] though nothing serious came of the matter, we were not taking a good time to run up the little stream behind jamestown island, as the tide had long since turned and we were going in on a falling tide. we did not relish the idea of running aground perhaps, and of having the ebbing waters leave our craft to settle and wreck herself upon some hidden obstruction. so gadabout took plenty of time to run up back river, feeling her way cautiously with a sounding-pole, like some fat old lady with a walking-stick. there must once have been a better channel here; for in the early days of the colony, vessels did not always land at the front of the island, but sometimes ran up back river as our houseboat was now doing. indeed, we were expecting to come soon to the wooded rise of land once called "pyping point," where of old a boat in passing would sound "a musical note" to apprise the townspeople of its coming. and but a little way beyond that again, near the present-day bridge where we expected to stop, we should find the site of the ancient landing-place which was called "friggett landing." as gadabout slowly moved along, she occasionally got out of the channel into the shallows, in spite of chart and sounding-pole; and more than once she struck bottom. but she always discovered the channel and scrabbled back into it before the soft mud, even aided by the falling tide, could get a good hold of her. no, not quite always was she so fortunate. for at last, in following a turn of the channel toward the island, she went too far; her stern swung about and grounded in the shallows; her propeller clogged in the mud, and she came to a stop. we accepted that stop as final. no attempt was made to put out a kedge anchor and to "haul off" with the windlass. we simply walked around the houseboat on the guard taking soundings. finding that the boat was settling upon fairly level bottom, and feeling that the farther she went the worse she would fare, we took our chances as to what might be under her and made no further effort. [illustration: in back river.] [illustration: the beach at jamestown island.] nautica had a good motto, which was, "when in trouble, eat." so the next thing was dinner. then nautica and the commodore embarked in a shore-boat on a voyage of discovery, a search for the lost channel. by this time the water was but a few inches deep around the houseboat. evidently, the explorers would not dare to go far or to be gone long for fear the ebbing tide would prevent their getting back. but it was not necessary to go far to find the channel. indeed it was found unpleasantly near. the houseboat had stranded on a safe, level shoal, but almost on the edge of a steep declivity leading down into twelve feet of water. we felt that if gadabout had to go aground, she at least might have done it a little farther away from precipitous channel banks. sitting on the upper deck, we talked and read, and watched the water slowly drawing away from our houseboat until all about us was bare ground; to starboard a narrow strip of it between us and the channel, and to port a wide stretch of it between us and the shore. we thought most and talked most of the historic island on the edge of which we had become squatters. it was a small stage for the world-shaping drama that had been enacted upon it. toward evening the tide turned again and the truant waters came back, lapping once more the sides of our boat. the commodore had to see that anchors were run ahead and astern, and all made snug for the night. then, in the enjoyment of one of the most charming features of houseboating, an evening meal served on the upper deck, we watched the sun dip down behind the island and the twilight shadows gather in. still about us was no sight or sound of human life. the shadows deepened and darkness came. then gradually a faint silvery light stole over water and marsh and wooded shore; and the stillness was broken by a burst of faint, high, tremulous tones, as though a host of unseen hands swept tiny invisible mandolins. the silvery light came from the rising moon; the rest was just mosquitoes. next day, as soon as gadabout was afloat, she started up stream again to find the bridge and a landing-place. there was no trouble about the channel this time. the waterway, as if taking pity upon indifferent navigators, suddenly contracted to a very narrow stream, deep almost from bank to bank, so that we could not well have got out of the channel if we had tried. in such a place, we were stout-hearted mariners and the good houseboat stemmed the waters gallantly. already we were thinking of how we too, in passing "pyping point," should sound a blast most lustily. perhaps it would not be exactly a "musical note" such as the townspeople were used to; but being two or three centuries dead, they probably would not notice the difference. however, we did not subject them to the experiment. instead, we suddenly reversed our engine; gadabout tried to stop in time; the ladies tried to look pleasant; the commodore tried to shun over-expressive speech. there, just ahead, was a row of close-set pilings, blocking the stream from shore to shore. there was nothing to do but to turn back, run around the island, and attempt to get in behind it at the other end. we probably should have tried the upper entrance in the first place had it not been that our chart showed by dotted lines some sort of obstruction there, while it did not at all indicate the barrier we had just encountered. fortunately, as the tide was now rising and as we had got some knowledge of the channel, gadabout made good progress in returning down the stream, and was soon out in the wide james again, sailing along the front of the island. as we proceeded, the marshes gave way to a bank of good height edged with a gravel beach. buildings were now in sight, and horses and cattle grazing. we passed a pier with a warehouse on it, bearing a sign which read, "jamestown island, site of the first permanent english settlement in america, ." now, a glimpse could be had of a relic of old james towne, the ruined church tower, deep-set among the trees. could our eyes have pierced the water under us, we might have seen more of the ruins of the ancient village. for gadabout was holding in quite close to shore where no vessel could have gone in james towne days, as the place was then solid land and a part of the settlement. now, that part lay buried at the bottom of the river, and our boat was passing over it. coasting around the end of the island, we came upon a tree standing out in the water a hundred yards from shore. it was the famous "lone cypress," once growing on the island, now spreading its green branches in the midst of a watery waste--silently attesting the sacrifice of historic soil to the greedy river. a little way beyond the tree was what we were seeking, the upper entrance into the waterway behind the island. [illustration: wharf sign at jamestown island.] [illustration: the "lone cypress."] in the days of the old settlement, there was no such entrance at this end; for here the narrow isthmus extended across, connecting with the mainland. but the same resistless wash of waves that had carried part of james towne into the bed of the river, had broken down and submerged the isthmus too; and our chart showed that there was water enough for our houseboat to sail over where the colonists used to walk dry-shod. as to the obstruction we had seen indicated on the chart, that proved to be the ruins of an old bridge extending out from the mainland along the submerged isthmus. but the island end of it had been carried away, and we readily passed through the opening left and got again into back river behind the island. following this for a few hundred yards, we found ourselves at last beside the bridge we long had sought. standing on the upper deck, we could look down stream to the place where our houseboat had been stopped by the row of pilings. we had practically circumnavigated the island. while making gadabout fast to some convenient pilings, we heard gay voices and the rumble of wheels on the bridge. "look! look!" cried one of a carriage-full of hatless girls in white muslins. "there's a houseboat. how in the world did it get in here?" and we rather wondered ourselves. chapter v fancies afloat and ruins ashore it was midday when we tied gadabout to the pilings beside the bridge, and the weather was hot and sultry. so, we deferred until evening the long walk across the island. but already, sitting under our own awning, we were in the thick of historic association. where our houseboat lay, the early colonists used to find haven for their vessels, "lashed to one another and moor'd a shore secure from all wind and weather whatsoever." as they found back river at this point so we found it, a stream without banks; instead, on either hand stretched lonely marshes, jungles of reeds and rushes, now as then more than man high. but our thoughts, busy with scenes two or three centuries gone, kept stumbling over two features of the landscape that were out of keeping with those old times. back of us, where an isthmus should be stretching from island to mainland, was the open water gateway through which we had come; and in front of us, where there should be nothing but river and marsh, that modern bridge reached from shore to shore. our quickened fancy made short work of such anachronisms. we promptly raised the submerged isthmus, tying the island to the mainland once more. then we attacked the bridge; and, as the pilings to which our boat was fastened did not have any connection with that structure, we felt no misgivings as the troublesome modernism faded away. the bridge disposed of, we bethought us that the road with which it had connected was also a latter-day feature. to be sure, our maps showed us that in colonial times too a road had crossed the island, and along much the same lines; but it had come out a little farther down back river, at the point already referred to as "friggett landing." to put the roadway right, then, we had first to locate the site of the old landing. and in this important matter what painstaking archeologists we were! not by guesswork, but by a long string, did we locate "friggett landing." after reading all that our authorities had to say on the subject (and understanding part of it), we sent our man down stream in a rowboat, confident that he would find the landing at the end of the measured string. when the string ran out, the rowboat was opposite a point on the marshy edge of the island about one hundred feet below the present-day road. the correctness of our work was at once evident. all the indications pointed to that; for the place showed not the slightest sign of ever having been used as a landing-place--which is just what you would expect after the lapse of two or three centuries. after that, it was but the work of a moment to crook the end of the modern road, where it approached the river through a bit of elevated woodland (the only piece of solid land anywhere near us), and so make it come out, like the road of old, at the "landing." now, our man held aloft a stick with the houseboat's burgee on it, and a photograph was taken that we might not forget where our diverted road came out and where to go to meet the "friggetts" that might be coming in almost any time. our trifling bits of restoration made all satisfactory: an isthmus more, a bridge less, a crook in the end of a road--and the scene went back, as our thoughts went back, to those old james towne days. to be sure, the village itself was still clear across the island on the "maine river" side, and we could not catch a glimpse of the colonists in their little streets nor even of the english colours flying over the fort. however, there was enough taking place on our own side of the island. we had no sooner got the isthmus up out of the water than figures began to move across it. but such figures! was there a mistake somewhere? these were not englishmen, and they were not indians. behold, crossing our isthmus, dutchmen, italians, and poles! suddenly, from the midst of the group, came a glint and a flash of blue. then we understood. these were the "skilful workmen from foreign parts" early sent over to the colony to make glass beads, preferably blue ones, for barter with the indians. now, there were only two people on our isthmus--an indian and a red-headed man. the indian was tall and "a most strong stout salvage"; the red-headed man was short but a most strong, stout englishman. the indian was wowinchopunk, chief of the paspaheghs; the red-headed man was captain john smith. a desperate hand-to-hand struggle ensued. we remembered that fight in the school-books, but we had never expected to really see it. our sympathies were of course largely with the captain, but more with the isthmus. we had raised it out of the water for temporary purposes only, and with no idea of its being subjected to a strain like this. it was a relief when the two fighters rolled off into the water. by the time they had struggled out again, the white man was victor. as dripping captor and captive set off toward james towne, we saw fame stick another laurel leaf in the wet, red hair in commemoration of the single combat in which captain john smith defeated the "strong, stout salvage," wowinchopunk, on the james towne isthmus. for a while after that, nothing much happened over our way. indians occasionally passed and repassed; now striding openly across to the island on friendly visit, now skulking over to pick off unwary settlers. once we caught, in a hazy way, the most touching picture associated with the old isthmus--the little savage maiden, pocahontas, with heart divided between her own people and the pale-faces, crossing over at the head of her train of indians bearing venison and corn for the half-famished settlers. pathetic little figure! often all that seemed to stand between the colonists and destruction. it was the sound of voices that now made us turn and look the other way. many people were following the crook in our road, passing through the bit of woodland and coming out at "friggett landing." we had heard no "musical note," but evidently the townspeople had; and there, surely enough, was a queer little vessel stopping right where we had marked the spot. it was a pleasure to see that she so readily took our measurements for it. but how she got there perplexed us not a little, as we remembered the row of pilings across the stream that had stopped the houseboat, and which, even in our ardour to restore the colonial setting, we had not once thought to remove. back and forth across our isthmus played the old-time life of the colony. rather sombre figures for a while, and all afoot. then colour came, and colour on horseback too. they were seeing more prosperous times in the little village across the island. prancing by went the "qualitye" in flaming silks, and high dignitaries in glittering gold lace. there was even a coach or two. that one attended by soldiers in queer "coats of mail" must belong to sir william berkeley, governor of the colony. however, we watched and waited long before anything of importance happened--probably several years. but time does not count for much in house-boating. at last, some soldiers marched across the island from the james towne side to ours, and built a fort near the isthmus. some more soldiers appeared on the mainland and began to build a fort on their side, near the isthmus. then we knew that james towne was seeing its most stirring days. stubborn old governor berkeley and hot-headed young nathaniel bacon had fallen out over the indian question. the people were divided; and here were the preparations for the trial of arms. while the bacon fort, the one on the mainland, was yet incomplete, we beheld a strange line of white objects fluttering from the top of it. with the aid of field-glasses and some historical works, we at last made out that it was a row of women in white aprons. as our eyes became accustomed to the trying perspective of over two hundred years, we were able to recognize the charming wives of some of the most prominent men in the other fort. the ungallant bacon had sent out and captured these excellent ladies, and now placed them in plain sight of their husbands, thus preventing the other fort from opening fire upon him until he had his fortification completed. after the ladies had been helped down from the rough earthworks and had spoken their minds and taken off their white aprons and gone home, the battle began. soldiers from the island fort made a sally across our isthmus, were repulsed, and later abandoned their works and fled pell-mell toward james towne. at the height of our interest, the flow of life across the historic isthmus lost colour, then died away. no more painted savages; no more soldiers; no more gay groups of mounted men and women in bright london dress; no more worshipful personages in rich velvet and gold lace. instead, a slow sombre train crossing heavily over and disappearing along the forest road on the mainland leading to williamsburg. here, colonial records going by, telling that the brave little capital is a capital no more; there, a quaint church service, bespeaking abandoned holy walls and sacred doors flapping in the idle wind; and all along, those shapeless loads, telling of forsaken firesides, empty streets, a village deserted. after that, came only an occasional ox-cart, a load of hay, or (from the other direction) a carryall filled with strangers curious to visit the site of a little village that was once called james towne. sadly we let our isthmus sink back beneath the waters; we straightened the old roadway, and rebuilt the bridge. then we went ashore to visit the island, knowing that we should find only a few ruins and one of the best truck farms on the river. landing from our shore-boat near the end of the bridge at a little cove that made in through a greenery of fox grape and woodbine, we reached the road and started off through the woodland. it was a pleasant walk among the fragrant pine trees and in the soft light and the lengthening shadows of the waning summer day. abruptly the grove ended, and thereafter the road led across a succession of marshy hollows and cleared ridges on its way to the other side of the island. about midway in its course it divided; one branch passing into a large enclosure, the other making a detour around it. the enclosed land, twenty-three acres at the southwest corner of the island, belongs to the association for the preservation of virginia antiquities. it was given to that society by the present owner of the island, mrs. edward e. barney. [illustration: the bridge across back river.] [illustration: the road across the island.] passing within the enclosure and following the caretaker, we approached with interest, and something of reverence too, a grove near the river bank. it was a grove in whose shadowy depths is all of james towne that remains above ground--a ruined church tower and some crumbling tombs. as we walked along the curving road, we caught glimpses now and then of the venerable tower; and gradually it emerged as out of the shadows of the past, and we stood facing it. silently we gazed at the ancient pile, the most impressive ruin of english colonization. a hollow shaft of brick, with two high arched openings, a crumbling top, and a hold on the heart of every american. how fitting that the four little broken walls alone remaining of all that the colonists built, should be not the walls of house or tavern or fort, but of the tower of the village church! almost with the solemn significance of a tomb above the ashes of the dead, stands the sacred pile over the buried remains of old james towne. the ruin is about thirty-six feet high, though doubtless originally several feet higher. near the top are loopholes that perhaps suggest the reason why the tower is of such massive build; in those days the red man influenced even church architecture. excavations to the east of the tower have disclosed the foundation walls of the remainder of the church, and have helped to fix the date of erection as about . within these foundations, the ruins of a yet older building have been unearthed. they are doubtless the remains of a wooden church with brick foundations that was built about . so, in the contemplation of these little ruins within ruins, the mind is carried back to the very beginnings of our country, to within ten years perhaps of the day when those first settlers landed. what this old wooden church looked like probably nobody can tell; but much has been determined as to the general appearance of the brick church, that to which the venerable tower belonged. the visitor will not be far wrong if, as he stands in the presence of these ruins, he sees in fancy a picture like this: the old tower with several feet of lost height regained, and with a roof sloping up from each of the four sides to a peak in the middle surmounted by a cross; behind the tower, those crumbling church foundations built up into strong walls, bearing a high-pitched roof; each side of the church with four flying buttresses and three lancet windows; the entrance, a pair of arched doorways, one in the front and one in the back of the tower; above the doorway in the front, a large arched window; and, yet higher, the six ominous loopholes; all the walls of the structure composed of brick in mingled red and black, and the roofs of slate. now, if the visitor will enter the quaint old church that his fancy has thus restored--moving softly, for truly he is on holy ground and every step is over unknown dead--he may see in vague vision a very little of the ancient interior: the nave lighted by diamond-paned windows, not stained; the aisles between the rows of pews paved with brick; the chancel paved with tile; a gallery at the end next the tower; and, over all, the heavy timbers of the high-pitched roof. perhaps beyond this fancy can not safely go. pilgrims to this broken shrine will be of two opinions as to a work of preservation that the society owning this part of the island has entered into. about and within the church ruins, we saw evidences of building in progress, and learned that preparation was being made for a memorial structure or chapel, to be erected not on but over the old church foundation walls, to preserve them from the elements. it was to be a gift to the association for the preservation of virginia antiquities from the national society of the colonial dames of america. within the building, the ancient church foundations were to be left visible. though the broken tower was to be untouched, yet this building was to be placed practically against it--to be, in fact, a restoration of the main body of the church. from what we learned then and later, it was evident that the work was undertaken after the most careful study and in the most painstaking spirit. the structure has since been completed, and is doubtless as desirable a one as could be erected for the preservation of the church foundations. still, there will be the difference of opinion as to the wisdom of placing a building of any kind close to the old tower. and this, even though the hard alternative should be to preserve the foundations with a cement covering merely, and to place some inconspicuous protection over the chancel. [illustration: the ruined tower of the old village church.] to the unimaginative visitor, the plan that has been adopted will appeal. to him the ancient broken tower, standing alone, would have little charm in comparison with this faithful restoration of the old church, that enables him to see what he never could have seen but for its being shown to him in brick and mortar. but to the pilgrim of the other sort--day-dreamer, if you will--there must come a sense not of gain but of loss. he will feel that, for a questionable combination of a restoration with a ruin, there has been sacrificed the most impressive spectacle on the island--the ancient church tower of vanished james towne, standing in the shadow of the little grove by the river, broken, desolate, alone. as we stood amidst ruins and building stuff, we tried to bear in mind that, of the two pilgrims, the unimaginative one is much the bigger; but we were so hopelessly a part of the other fellow. chapter vi in the old churchyard for two or three days after our visit to the church ruins, rain kept us prisoners within the houseboat. such times are good tests to determine how much one possesses of the houseboating spirit. all the charms usually associated with such a life are blotted out by the lowering clouds, washed away by the falling water. and how the houseboat shrinks when it gets so wet! with decks unavailable, what a little thing the floating home suddenly becomes! then there is the ceaseless patter overhead, and so close overhead that one almost feels like raising an umbrella. but to the true houseboater there is a charm in it all. with water above, below, and all around, the little craft is yet tight and snug. there is plenty of food for the mind on the book-shelves above and plenty for the body in the lockers below. lady fairweather found a diversion of her own. she sat for a good part of one wet afternoon, with a short pole thrust out of a window, a baited hook in the water, and an expectant look on her face. but we had an omelet for supper. on the first bright morning we made preparations to visit the island again. as we were about to start, the sailor rushed into the forward cabin with story enough in his eyes, but only one word on his lips--" fire!" then there was commotion. nautica ran into the galley and lady fairweather ran for the commodore, who was out on deck. he reached the galley to find one end of it in flames and himself half buried under a shower of boxes, cans, paper bags, and packages of breakfast food. nautica, suddenly remembering one of the best things for extinguishing burning gasoline, was making everything fly as she frantically sought to reach a stowed-away bag of flour. the bag and the commodore appeared about the same time, and together they made toward the gasoline stove from which the blaze was flaming across the galley. in an instant all of the flour was cast into the flames. it proved wholly insufficient, though warranted on the bag to go farther than any other brand. already the blaze was about the gasoline font. all knew that there was over a barrelful of the inflammable liquid in the tank on the upper deck. calling to the sailor to get the shore-boat ready, the commodore scooped up the fallen flour and cast it again on the fire. distracted lady fairweather suddenly rushed to her cabin and back again, and she too wildly cast a shower of something white into the blaze. then she stood pale and speechless, all unconscious of the dainty, empty pink box clasped in both hands, and of her own heroism in sacrificing her complexion to save the houseboat. as it turned out, we had no need to row ashore. with little or nothing to account for it, except the perversity of gasoline, or perhaps the contents of the little pink box, the flames with a final flare went out. then we took account of the situation. flour was everywhere. nautica had eyebrows and hair singed, though she found that out only when she got the flour off. it was hard to tell what was the matter with the commodore, or to take his troubles seriously. he had slightly scorched hands of course. but then one forgot them in looking at his expressive face made out of flour and soot, and in watching him spill breakfast food and tapioca when he walked. we never knew how the fire came to start, any more than how it came to go out. when fairly presentable again, we went up on the upper deck to find a cool place under the awning. evidently, we were adapting ourselves promptly to the ways of the country. having fires seems to have been one of the chief diversions in old james towne, and we had no sooner got to the island than we fell in with the custom. it was not a good custom. even with the fire out we were in trouble; for gadabout hadn't a piece of bread to her name, and we had thrown on the fire the last bit of flour aboard. we were falling in with more than one of the ways of the colonists--it was fire and famine too. the commodore suggested that we send a message to the owner of the island praying that a "supply" be despatched to the starving new colonists. but nautica held that such an appeal should be made in person; that the commodore, like a true captain john smith, should start out himself to get food for his famishing little colony. thus put upon his mettle, the commodore, trailed by the sailor with his basket, soon set off along the island road. upon reaching the neighbourhood of the church ruins he met an old negro. "mornin', suh." and the shapeless hat came off in a way that told that this was a survival of the old school. "good morning, uncle. can you tell me which way to go to find the big house?" "yas, suh. i don' b'long heah myse'f, suh; but you see dat brick house down de road yondah, what's done been burn down? well, dat was de big house, yas, suh. but it ain' no good to stop dere now, no, suh. you go right on by, and de big house now is de firs' little house you comes to." according to these directions, the way was now along a road leading down the island. it ran not far from the river bank and through grounds having a border of trees skirting the water's edge. at last the "little big" house was reached. all the members of the family were away for the summer except one daughter who, with a friend from richmond for company, was in charge of the servants and managing the island. the commodore introduced himself and his sad story of fire and famine. he explained that it would be two or three days before supplies could be got from norfolk, and darkly hinted at a new chapter of suffering that might be added to the woeful history of the island unless something were done at once. the gloomy picture did not seem to impress the young woman very painfully, for her reply was a laughing one; but a sack of flour went into the basket and a big loaf of bread besides. upon its coming out in the conversation that we wished to remain at our anchorage for some time and should like to know of any limitations placed upon visitors, the freedom of the island was most kindly extended to us. the commodore proudly returned with his supplies to the houseboat. "saved by the daughter of the island!" exclaimed lady fairweather. and by that name we came to speak of our benefactress. after we had broken bread, borrowed bread and good too, another and more successful attempt was made to go on the island. our object was to visit the old graveyard. crossing again to the grove on the james river side, we entered in among the shadows that enwrap the ruined church and the crumbling tombs of the village dead. the graveyard, or what remains of it, is coextensive with the grove. when most of the deserted church crumbled and fell a hundred years ago, some of the bricks were used to build a wall around the old burying-ground. parts of it are standing yet in picturesque, moss-covered ruins. this time we found workmen engaged on the foundations for the memorial building. so we were prevented from seeing satisfactorily some of the tombs, as they were boxed over to protect them while this work was in progress. however, the caretaker did all that he could for us. pitifully few are the stones remaining to mark the graves of that vanguard of english colonization. for most who lie here, the last record has crumbled away. proud knight, proud lady, gentlemen, gentlewomen, and unknown humble folk, in common brotherhood at last, "dust to dust" and unmarked level ground above them. one of the most notable of the remaining tombs is that of lady frances berkeley, who rests beneath the shadow of the great hackberry tree that is said to have been brought over, a slender sapling, from england. but a few parts of words remain on the broken stone, and the date is gone. though after the death of her husband, sir william berkeley, this lady became mrs. philip ludwell, yet she clung to the greater name and insisted that her long sleep should be under its carven pomp. [illustration. a corner in the old graveyard.] peeping into a shed that temporarily covered the old chancel floor, we caught a glimpse of the mysterious tomb of the island. it is an ironstone tablet, once doubtless inlaid with brass, as the channellings for the metal are yet clearly defined. they show a draped figure and some smaller designs that have been taken as indications of knighthood, and have led to the conjecture that this is the tomb of sir george yeardley, governor of the colony of virginia, who died here in . it is said to be the only tomb of the kind in america. evidently, the stone has become somewhat displaced; for instead of being orientated as it must once have been, it now lies almost north and south. we were not able to see the grave of william sherwood, that humble but hopeful wrong-doer who lies under the chiselled words, "a great sinner waiting for a joyfull resurrection." the old graveyard, like the hoary tower, awes the mind and touches the heart. and this partly because of its pitiful littleness. a handful of cracked and broken stones to tell of all that terrible harvest that death reaped in the ruined village! but perhaps they tell it all as hosts of tombs could not do. one reads between the stones, then far out beyond them where mouldering bones are feeding the smiling fields; and there is borne in upon him the thought that our country had life through so much of death that this whole island is a graveyard. after leaving the old tombs, we crossed a roadway and entered a ruined fort. in those few steps we made a long plunge down the years of history, and passed far away from old james towne. none of the colonists ever saw those walls of earth. they are the remains of a confederate fort. but, modern as they are, they have done what they could to put themselves in harmony with the ancientness all about. the slopes are grass-grown and even tree-grown. within the walls is the caretaker's cottage in the midst of such a wealth of trees, flowering shrubs, and vines as makes a greenwood retreat. the grass-grown embrasures and the drooping branches over them form frames for river views that seem set there in place of the rusty cannon pieces. it was toward evening when we started back across the island, houseboatward. we sauntered slowly at first, turning for a backward glance at the old church tower and pausing again to look out over the water at the island's outer sentinel, the "lone cypress." we paused yet another time down where the marsh reeds lined the way. grasping handfuls of the coarse grass, the commodore started to illustrate how the colonists bound thatch, doubtless from that very marsh, to make roofs for their flimsy cabins. but the marsh furnished something besides grasses; and before the commodore's explanation had gone far, his auditors had gone farther. he valiantly slew the snake, the whole six inches of it, and hastening forward found those more progressive houseboaters safely ensconced in the shore-boat. as the little skiff moved out upon the river, a carriage rattled across the bridge. sightseers who had driven over from williamsburg were returning. however satisfied they may have felt with their short visit, we could only pity them. yet such a visit, of a few hours at most, is all that is possible here except for one who brings his home with him, for there is no public house on the island. stepping aboard gadabout, we congratulated ourselves that she enabled us to live indefinitely right in the suburbs of old james towne. however, as days went on, lady fairweather became somewhat daunted by the dire predictions of chills and fever as a result of our long lying in the marshes; and one day she deserted the ship and sailed away on a bigger one. we thought she was to be gone only a little while, but she proved a real deserter and gadabout saw no more of her to the end of the cruise. but chills and fever never came to gadabout's household, though the dog-day sun beat upon the waste of reeds and rushes about us and though striped-legged mosquitoes were our nearest and most attentive neighbours. fortunately, the mosquitoes did not feel that hospitality required them to call upon the strangers or to show them any attention except in the evening. even then they were more or less distant, rarely coming into the houseboat, but lingering in a neighbourly way about doors and windows, and whispering assurances of their regard through some crossed wires that we happened to have there. one of the chief causes of illness among the colonists, impure water, we did not have to contend with. in the early days of james towne, the river was the only water supply; later, shallow wells were dug; both the river and the wells furnished impure, brackish water. to-day, two artesian wells are flowing on the island. as we got our supply from them, we often thought of how those first settlers suffered and died for want of pure water, when all the while this inexhaustible supply lay imprisoned beneath their cornfields. but even the water from the artesian wells we took the precaution to boil. so, pitting screens against mosquitoes and the teakettle against water germs, we lived on, chill-less and fever-less in the marshes of back river. chapter vii seeing where things happened we were fortunate in visiting jamestown island after considerable had been accomplished in the way of lessening the number of its historic sites. for a long while, almost every important event in its story had occurred at so many different places that it was scarcely possible for the pilgrim to do justice to them all. but, some time before our visit to the island, an era of scientific investigation set in; researches were made among old musty records; and even the soil was turned up in order to determine the place where this or that event really did happen. the reduction in the number of places of interest was astonishing. in every instance, it was found that the historic event in question had happened at but a single place; and consequently all its other time-honoured sites suddenly became unhistoric soil. an instance or two will serve to illustrate. upon our visit to james towne, we found that the site of the colonists' first fort (long variously fixed at several points along the river front) was now limited to a single spot near the caretaker's cottage; so that all the brave fighting that had been going on at those other sites, had been for nothing. in like manner, it had long been well established that pocahontas and john rolfe were married in the church whose tower is yet standing; also in the brick and wood church that just preceded this one; also in a rough timber church that just preceded that one. each of these edifices was the true, genuine scene of the romantic event. but, under the new arrangement, we found only one church where rolfe and pocahontas were married--just the old timber one. indeed, in this instance, the work of elimination seemed almost unduly rigorous. the other churches were set aside upon circumstantial evidence merely; there being nothing against them except that they were found to have been built some years after the ceremony. on the whole, however, the work of fixing sites authoritatively was doubtless just. in any event, there was no opportunity for us to protest; for by the time we got to the island, they had everything down on a map in a book. we bought a copy of the book, and resolved to stage by it the events of the james towne story. we resolved also to be most methodical from now on; and to "do" things as nearly as possible in the same order as the colonists had done them. so one morning we gathered up our authorities and started out to see where the settlers first landed and where they first lived. according to the map, that historic, first landing-place would be anything but a landing-place to-day; for figure " " (that was it) stood well out in the river. the loss by erosion had been great along that part of the shore since those first settlers arrived. but even though the landing-place could not be seen, one could look out on the waters anyway and see where it used to be. at first we feared that there might be some trouble in telling where the " " on the map would be on the water. but it was a very simple thing to do, largely owing to the thoughtfulness of the settlers in landing almost opposite a jetty that runs out from the shore a little above the confederate fort. [illustration: view from the confederate fort.] [illustration: looking toward the first landing-place.] upon reaching the river front of the island, we took our bearings from the map and walked slowly toward the water's edge, being careful not to walk too far as the water's edge is so much closer in now than it used to be. going to the uppermost of the several jetties, we sighted along it straight out over the water and kept on looking, in accordance with the measurements on the map, until we had looked one hundred and thirty-five yards; then, turned our eyes sharply to the right and looked thirty-three and one third yards more. we then had the satisfaction of feeling that the spot our eyes rested upon was, in , on the shore of the island, and was the place where the original settlers first landed. nor was our satisfaction at all dampened by the discovery that the spot was two spots--nautica gazing spellbound at one place, and the commodore at another. after all, it made very little difference, for the settlers did not stay where they landed anyway. they seem to have built their fort and their little settlement within it about five hundred feet farther down stream and some distance back from the shore. it was in the form of a triangle and had an area of about an acre. its entire site has been generally supposed to be washed away, but the recent researches show that such is not the case. a considerable part of it is left and is now safe behind a protecting sea-wall. as, at the time of our visit, nothing marked this remnant of the historic acre, we undertook to locate it. fortunately, the confederate fort stands in such position as to help in running the boundaries by the map. for a rough approximation, all we had to do was to get mr. leal, the caretaker, to stand at the most westerly angle of the fort, and his son on the sea-wall at the lower end of the fort, and henry on the sea-wall a hundred yards farther up stream; then, straight lines connecting these three men enclosed all that is left of that first little fortified settlement where anglo-saxon america began. while the three men stood at the three corners, we took a photograph of the historic bit of land; and long after they had gone we lingered reflectively about it. here, in that spring of , within the strong palisade, the settlers built their first cabins. here, captain newport left them, and sailed back to england. here, too, he found them again--a pitiful few of them--when he returned the next winter with reinforcements for the colony. by another winter, the palisaded village had extended somewhat, mostly eastward. it then included, so far as we could make out, all the land now within the confederate fort and probably also the site of the present ruined church and graveyard. upon this little four-acre settlement hung the destiny of a hemisphere for the next few years. [illustration: locating what is left of the site of the first settlement.] we trudged about within the old town limits and tried to picture the chief events of those years; but we could not remember what they were; so we sat down on the grassy fort, regardless of ticks and redbugs, to read up some more. for a while there was no sound but the twitter of the birds and the murmur of the river. then the commodore found something in his book, and he began very solemnly to tell of how on that very spot the colonists endured the horrors of the "starving time." at this there was such a genuine exclamation of pleasure from nautica that the commodore knew he was too late; she had not even heard. she had found something in her book too, and was already announcing that it was right there that john rolfe and pocahontas were married. but the commodore insisted that his story came first, as nautica's romantic event was not until , while his famine was in - . nautica sighed resignedly as she agreed that we should starve first and get married afterward. after all, we found that we could not speak lightly, sitting there in the midst of the scene of the "starving time." by the winter of - there were perhaps five hundred persons in this little settlement by the river, including now, unfortunately, some women and children. when there was no more corn, the people managed for a while to keep alive on roots and herbs; then, half-crazed by starvation, they fell to cannibalism. gaunt, desperate, de-humanized, they crouched about the kettle that held their own dead. a bible fed the flames, cast in by a poor wretch as he cried, "alas! there is no god!" the succeeding spring brought two ships, a belated portion of one of the "supplies." but sixty of the five hundred colonists were found alive--sixty haggard men, women, and children, hunger-crazed, huddled behind the broken palisades. sadly suggestive must have seemed the names of the two vessels that appeared upon that awful scene--patience and deliverance. but the deliverance that they brought was of a poor sort. they had not on board provisions enough to last a month. it was decided that it was vain for the colony to try to hold out longer. james towne, upon which so much blood and treasure had been spent and that had seemed at last to give england a hold in the new world, must be abandoned. to the roll of drums, the remnant of the colony boarded the vessels, sails were set, and the little ships dropped down the river bound for far-away england. the last sail passed around the bend in the stream, and only a desolate blotch in the wilderness was left to tell of england's attempt to colonize america; only a great gash in the forest, there in the quiet and the sunlight, at the edge of the river. within it were the shapeless ruins of those queer things the pale-faces had made--broken palisades, yawning houses, the tottering thing they called a church; and, all about, the hideous, ghastly traces of living and of dying. the sun went down; and, in the gloom of the summer night, from the forest and the marsh wild things came creeping to the edge of the clearing, sat peering there, then ventured nearer--curious, suspicious, greedy. soft, noiseless, and ghost-like was the flight of the great owl through the desolation, and his uncanny cry and the wail of the whippoorwill filled the night as with mockery and mourning. quick, startling, and almost miraculous was the next change in the scene: a change from the emptiness of desolation to the bustling fulness of life and colour--the harbour dotted with ships, the little village crowded with people, james towne alive again. for even in the dark hour of abandonment, it was not destined that the settlement should perish. even as the colonists sailed down the james, a fleet bearing reinforcements and stores of supplies was entering the mouth of the river. the settlers were turned back; and following them came the fleet, bringing to deserted james towne not only new colonists, but pomp, ceremony, and the stately, capable new governor, lord delaware. "he was the one who went to church with so much show and flourish, wasn't he?" asked nautica. "yes," answered the commodore confidently, as he happened to have his book open at the right page. "lord delaware attended the little church in the wilderness in all state, accompanied by his council and guarded by fifty halberd bearers wearing crimson cloaks. he sat in a green velvet chair and--" "where do you think that church was?" interrupted nautica. "right near here. they say it stood about a hundred yards above the later one whose ruins are over there in the graveyard. and in that church lord delaware and his council--" "yes," nautica broke in again. "that was the church that they were married in--john rolfe and pocahontas." "to be sure," said the commodore. "let the wedding bells ring. it is time now for the ceremony." and a strange ceremony it must have been that the little timber church saw that april day in the year , when the young colonist of good english family linked his fate with that of the dark-skinned girl of the tepee. it was the first marriage of englishman and indian in the colony, and meant much to the struggling settlers in furthering peaceful relations with the savages. speaking in the society-column vernacular of a later day, the occasion was marred by the absence of the bride's father. the wary old chieftain was not willing to place himself within the power of the english. but the bride's family was represented by two of her brothers and by her old uncle, opachisco, who gave her away. other red men were present. doubtless the governor of the colony, sir thomas dale, who much approved the marriage, added a touch of official dignity by attending the ceremony resplendent in uniform and accompanied by colonial officials. it was a strange wedding, party. while the minister (was it the reverend richard buck or the good alexander whittaker?) read the marriage service of the church of england, the eyes of haughty cavalier and of impassive savage met above the kneeling pair and sought to read each other. and a strange fate hung over the pale-face groom and the dusky bride--that in her land and by her people he should be slain; that in his land and among his people she should die and find a lonely grave beside an english river. "that is just one marriage that you have been so interested in, isn't it?" the commodore's tone was one to provoke inquiry. "just one?" repeated nautica, "why, to be sure, unless it takes two weddings to marry two people." "just one wedding," persisted the commodore. "now, i am interested in dozens and dozens of weddings that happened right here, and all in one day." there were several things the matter with james towne from the outset. prominent among them was the absence of women and children. after a while a few colonists with families arrived; but, to introduce the home element more generally into the colony, "young women to make wives ninety" came from england in . the scene upon their arrival must have been one of the most unique in the annals of matrimony. the streets of james towne were undoubtedly crowded. the little capital had bachelors enough of her own, but now she held also those that came flocking in from the other settlements of the colony. the maids were not to be compelled to marry against their choice; and they were so outnumbered by their suitors that they could do a good deal of picking and choosing. with rusty finery and rusty wooing, the bachelor colonists strove for the fair hands that were all too few, and there was many a rejected swain that day. we might have forgotten the other important events that had happened round about where we were sitting, in that first little town by the river, if a coloured man had not wandered our way. he had driven some sightseers over from williamsburg, and while waiting for them to visit the graveyard, he seemed to find relief in confiding to us some of his burden of colonial lore and that his name was cornelius. we had over again the story of rolfe and pocahontas, but it seemed not at all wearisome, for the new version was such a vast improvement upon the one that we got out of the books. however, his next statement eclipsed the pocahontas story. "de firs' time folks evah meek dey own laws for dey se'fs was right heah, suh, right in dat ole chu'ch." while again facts could not quite keep up with cornelius, yet it was true that our little four-acre town had seen the beginnings of american self-government. so early did the spirit of home rule assert itself, that it bore fruit in , when a local lawmaking body was created, called the general assembly and consisting in part of a house of burgesses chosen by the people. on july of that year, the general assembly met in the village church--the first representative legislature in america. the place of meeting was not, as is often stated, the church in which rolfe and pocahontas were married, but its successor--the earliest of the churches whose ruined foundations are yet to be seen behind the old tower. perhaps our thoughts had wandered some from cornelius, but he brought them back again. "dey set in de chu'ch an' meek de laws wid dey hats on," he asserted. and as the house of burgesses had indeed followed in this respect the custom of the english house of commons, we were glad to see cornelius for once in accord with other historians. then, nautica spoke of how the very year that saw the beginning of free government in america saw the beginning of slavery too; and she asked cornelius if he knew that the first coloured people were brought to america in and landed there at james towne. "yas'm; ev'ybody tole me 'bout dat. seem like we got heah 'bout as soon as de white folks." it was a comfortable view to take of the matter, and we would not disturb it. cornelius told us other things. "dis, now, is de off season for touris'," he explained. "we has two mos' reg'lar seasons, de spring an' de fall, yas, suh. i drives right many ovah heah from willi'msburg. i's pretty sho to git hol' of de bes' an' de riches'. an' i reckon i knows 'bout all dere is to be knowed 'bout dis firs' settlemen'. i's got it all so's i kin talk it off an' take in de extry change. i don' know is you evah notice, but folks is mighty diffrunt 'bout seem' dese ole things. yas, suh, dey sut'n'y is. some what i drives jes looks at de towah an' nuver gits out de ker'ige; an' den othahs jes peers into ev'ythin'. foh myse'f, now, i nuver keers much 'bout dese ole sceneries; but den i reckon i would ef i was rich." chapter viii pioneer village life that first little four-acre james towne, located in the neighbourhood of the present confederate fort, soon outgrew its palisades. in what may be called its typical days, the village stretched in a straggling way for perhaps three quarters of a mile up and down the river front, and with outlying parts reaching across the island to back river. it usually consisted of a church, a few public buildings, about a score of dwellings, and perhaps a hundred people. one of the principal streets (if james towne's thoroughfares could be called streets) ran close along the water front. while it must once have had some shorter name, it has come down in the records as "the way along the greate river." here and there traces of this highway can still be found; and the mulberry trees now standing along the river bank are supposed to be descendants of those that bordered the old village highway. next came back street upon which some prominent people seem to have lived. apparently leading across the head of the island from the town toward the isthmus was the "old greate road." there still appear some signs of this also near the graveyard. besides these highways there were several lanes and cart-paths. the eastward extension of the village, called new towne, was the principal part. it was the fashionable and official quarter. here lived many "people of qualitye." royal governors and ex-governors, knights and members of the council had their homes along the river front, where they lived in all the state that they could transplant from "london towne." the buildings, in the early days of wood and later of brick, were plainly rectangular. the later ones were usually two stories high with steep-pitched roofs. some of the dwellings, or dwellings and public buildings, were built together in rows to save in the cost of construction. probably most of the homes had "hort yards" and gardens. the colonists were not content with having about them the native flowers and fruits and those that they brought from england; but they made persistent efforts for years to grow in their gardens oranges, lemons, pomegranates, and pineapples. usually there was not much going on in old james towne, but periodically the place was enlivened by the sessions of the general assembly and of the court. at such times the planters and their following gathered in; and then doubtless there were stirring days in the village capital of "his majesty's colony of virginia." barges of the river planters were tied alongshore, and about the "tavernes" were horses, carts and a very few more pretentious vehicles. many of the people on the streets were in showy dress; though only the governor, councillors, and heads of "hundreds" were allowed to wear gold on their clothes. james towne, in her later days, seems to have had a "taverne" or two even when she had scarcely anything else; and doubtless these "alehouses" were the centres of life in those bustling court and assembly days. for not only was deep drinking a trait of the times, but many of the sessions both of the assembly and of the court were held in the "tavernes." three or four state-houses were built; but with almost suspicious regularity they burned down, and homeless assembly and court betook themselves and the affairs of the colony to the inns. there, in the ruddy glow of the great fireplaces, the judges could sit comfortably and dispense justice tempered with spirits. so life in james towne went on until the village had completed almost a hundred years of existence. but this was accomplished only by the most strenuous efforts. when at last, in , the long struggle was given up and the seat of government was removed to williamsburg, nothing but utter dissolution was left for james towne. the fated little village had played its part. through untold suffering and a woeful cost of human life, it had fought on until england obtained a firm hold in america--a hold that was to make the new world essentially anglo-saxon. then this pioneer colony's mission was ended. it was not destined to have any place in the great nation that its struggle had made possible. one by one the lights in the poor little windows flickered and went out. the deserted hearthstones grew cold. abandoned and forgotten, the pitiful hamlet crumbled away. james towne dead, the island gradually fell into fewer hands until it became, as it is to-day, the property of a single owner; simply a plantation like any other. and yet, how unlike! even were every vestige of that pioneer settlement gone forever, memory would hold this island a place apart. but all is not gone. despite decay and the greedy river, there yet remains to us a handful of ruins of vanished james towne. despite a nation's shameful neglect, time has spared to her some relics of the community that gave her birth--a few broken tombs and the crumbling, tower of the old village church. every year come many of our people to look upon these ancient ruins and to pause in the midst of hurried lives to recall again their story. [illustration: an excursion day at jamestown island.] chapter ix good-bye to old james towne two or three times we ran the houseboat around in front of the island. on one occasion we took the notion to stop at places of interest along the way. upon coming out from back river, we spent some time poking about in the water for the old-time isthmus. we were not successful at first and almost feared that, after raising it for our own selfish purposes some days before, we had let it go down again in the wrong place. this troubled us the more because we had hoped to settle a vexed question as to how wide an isthmus had once connected the island with the mainland. nautica insisted that the width had been ten paces because a woman, mrs. an. cotton, who once lived near james towne, had said so. but the commodore pointed out that we had never seen mrs. cotton, and that we did not know whether she was a tall woman or a little dumpy woman; and so could not have the slightest idea of how far ten paces would carry her. on his part, he pinned his faith to the statement of strachey, a man who had lived in james towne and who had said that the isthmus was no broader than "a man will quaite a tileshard." but this nautica refused to accept as satisfactory because we did not know what a "tileshard" was nor how far a man would "quaite" one. so we were naturally anxious to see which of us was right. [illustration: gadabout looking for the lost isthmus.] [illustration: a visit to the "lone cypress."] after a while we found traces of the isthmus. and the matter turned out just as most disputes will, if both parties patiently wait until the facts are all in--that is, both sides were right. the soundings showed the isthmus to shelve off so gradually at the sides that we found we could put the stakes, marking its edges, almost any distance apart. so, the width across the isthmus could very well be ten of mrs. cotton's paces, no matter what sort of a woman she was; and it could just as well be the distance that "a man will quaite a tileshard," be a tileshard what it may. now, coasting along the end of the island, we had designs on the "lone cypress" for a sort of novel sensation. we approached the hoary old sentinel carefully, for it would be a sin to even bark its shaggy sides; and, dropping a rope over a projecting broken "knee," we enjoyed a striking object lesson on the effects of erosion. in several feet of water, and nearly three hundred feet from land, our houseboat was tied to a tree; tied to a tree that a hundred years before stood on the shore--a tree that likely, in the early days of the colony (for who knows the age of the "lone cypress"?), stood hundreds of yards back on the island. but it may never be farther from shore than we found it; for there, glistening in the sunshine, stood the sea-wall holding the hungry river at bay. carefully slipping our rope from the tree, we let the tide carry us out a little way before starting an engine. then, bidding goodbye to the old cypress, we moved on along the shore. we were aware from our map of ancient holdings that we were ruthlessly cutting across lots over the colonial acres of one captain edward ross; but, seeing neither dogs nor trespass signs, we sailed right on. the captain would not have to resort to irrigation on his lands to-day. while dawdling about this submerged portion of old james towne, we thought we would make a stop at the spot where those first settlers landed. after consulting the map, we manoeuvred the houseboat so as to enable us to do some rough sort of triangulation with the compass, and finally dropped anchor, satisfied that we were at the historic spot, even though it was too wet to get out and look for the footprints. and there, well out on the yellow waters of the james, gadabout lay lazily in the sunshine where sarah constant was once tied to the bank; where those first settlers stepped ashore; where america began. after following the island a little farther down stream, we cast anchor in a hollow of the shore-line near the steamboat pier. it was not much of a hollow after all and really formed no harbour. when the west wind came howling down the james, picking up the water for miles and hurling it at gadabout, our only consolation lay in knowing that it could not have done that if we had only got there two or three centuries earlier. at that time, the point, or headland, upon which the colonists landed reached out and protected this shallow bay below. doubtless, throughout james towne days, the smaller vessels found fair harbour where gadabout one night rolled many of her possessions into fragments, and her proud commander into something very weak and wan and unhappy. in the last few years, there has been an awakening of interest in long-forgotten james towne. to mrs. edward e. barney for her generous gift of the southwest corner of the island to the association for the preservation of virginia antiquities, and to that society for its work in staying the course of decay and the hand of vandalism, our country is indebted. the recent researches of mr. samuel h. yonge too have added new interest. it had long been supposed that almost the entire site of the ancient village was lost in the river. mr. yonge has shown that in fact but a small part of it is gone. he has even located on the island the exact sites of so many of the more important village buildings that, it is said, old james towne could be practically reproduced in wood and brick from his map, based upon the ancient records. to verify his work, mr. yonge undertook (in ) to discover the buried ruins of a certain row of buildings that the records described as made up of a state-house, a "country house," and three dwellings. the search was begun with a steel probe, which struck the hidden foundations within twenty-five feet of their position as indicated on his plat. then the association began excavating; the foundations were uncovered, and are now among the things to see on the island. [illustration: one of the earliest excavations.] [illustration: hunting for the first state house.] as mr. yonge's map shows the larger part of the site of james towne to be lying to the east of the church tower and outside of the a.p.v.a. grounds, the daughter of the island was interested too in seeing what probe and pick and shovel could do. it was at one of james towne's old homes that we next met her. the meeting, judging from our map of the village, was probably at captain roger smith's, though one could not be sure. there was no name on the door, nor indeed any door to put a name on, nor indeed any house to put a door on--just an ancient basement that the daughter of the island had discovered and was having cleaned out. it badly needed it, nothing of the kind having been done perhaps for over two hundred years. "come and see my find," she cried. the testing probe having struck something that indicated a buried foundation, there in the black pea field, this young antiquarian had put men at work and was being rewarded by finding the ruins of some ancient house. portions of two rooms had been disclosed and the stairway leading down into one of them. "come down the stairs," said the proud lady in the cellar. "oh, what narrow steps!" nautica exclaimed. "they used to build out those brick treads with wood to make them wider," explained our hostess. "you can see where the wooden parts have been burned away." the two rooms were paved with brick, and in one a chimney-place had come to light. everywhere were bits of charred wood. did no place in james towne escape the scourge of fire? a kitten came springing over the mounds of excavated earth and began to prowl about the old fireplace. except for a skittish pebble that she chased across the empty front, she found nothing of interest; no hint of savoury odours from the great spit over the blazing logs that may have caused a james towne cat to sit and gaze and sniff some two centuries or more ago. but we suddenly left the frivolous kitten upon being told of what had been found in the other room just before we came. it was a heavy earthen pot sunk below the floor. we crouched about it with great interest, chiefly because we did not know what it was for. perhaps it was merely to collect the drainage. anyway it was not what the daughter of the island had fondly thought when it was first uncovered. "i was sure," she laughed, "that i had found a pot of money." standing down there in the ruins we wondered what was the story of the old house. what feet had trod those paved floors? what had those walls seen and known of being and loving, of hopes and fears, of joys and griefs, of life and death? of all this the uncovered ruin told nothing. while we were at the island, three or four excavations were made and we watched them all with interest. when the steel probe had located the ruin, the digging and the excitement began. slowly the buried walls came to light. within the walls was usually a mass of debris to be thrown out--bricks of various sizes, shapes, and colours; cakes of the ancient shell lime; pieces of charred wood, and relics of all sorts. some of the bricks were quite imperfectly made and had a greenish hue. we supposed them to be the oldest ones and to have been baked or dried in the sun before the colonists had kilns. some of them had indentations that were evidently finger imprints. "i wants to fin' dey ole papahs," said big john, digging heartily. "dis hyer is a histoyacal ole place; an' i rathah fin' a box of dey ole papahs than three hunderd dollahs." among the coloured people was an unquenchable hope of finding a pot full of money. it was a most interesting experience to sit in the brick rubbish and watch for the queer little relics that were thrown out now and then. no great finds were made, but the small ones did very well. there appeared an endless number of pieces of broken pottery; and the design of a blue dog chasing a blue fox was evidently a popular one for such ware in james towne. but where was the blue dog's head? the question grew to be an absorbing one. each handful of dirt began or ended with a wrong piece of the blue dog mixed with bits of brass and iron and pottery that brought vividly to mind the scenes and the folk of that vanished village. handful after handful of dirt ran through our ringers like hourglass sands of ancient days, and the clicking relics were left in our hands in the quest of the blue dog's head. and this was the way things went. a piece of a bowl bearing most of the blue dog's tail; a woman's spur, gilt and broken, worn when merry eyes peeped through silken riding masks; a bit of indian pottery with basketry marks upon it; a blue fox and the fore legs of the blue dog; a shoe-buckle, silver too--must have been people of "qualitye" here; a piece of a cream white cup that may have been a "lily pot" such as the colonist kept his pipe tobacco in; pieces and pieces of the blue dog, but never a bit of a head; a tiny red pipe and a piece of a white one--so that must have been a "lily pot"; a door key, some rusty scissors, and a blue head--of the fox; glass beads, blue beads, such as john smith told powhatan were worn by great kings, thus obtaining a hundred bushels of corn for a handful of the beads; a pewter spoon, a bent thimble, and a whole blue dog--no, his miserable head was off. we never became discouraged and are quite sure yet that we should have found the blue dog's head if we could have gone on searching. but by this time the summer was waning, and on up the river was much yet for gadabout to see. it was a long visit that we had made at the island, yet one that had grown in interest as in days. indeed only in the passing of many days could such interest come--could old james towne so seem to live again. lingeringly we had dreamed along its forgotten ways, by its ruined hearthstones, and among its nameless tombs; and so dreaming had seemed to draw close to the little old-time hamlet and to the scenes of hope and of fear, of joy and of despair, that had marked the planting of our race in america. now, on the last evening of our stay at the island, we walked again the familiar paths; looked for the hundredth time down the great brown river that had borne our people to this place of beginning; stood once more beside the graveyard wall; then started toward the houseboat, turning for a last look at the broken church tower and to bid good night and good-bye to old james towne. chapter x a short sail and an old romance next day, bustling about with making all things shipshape, we could scarcely realize that we were actually getting under way again. but when our mooring-lines were hauled in, gadabout backed away from her old friend, the bridge, swung around in the narrow marsh-channel, and soon carried us from back river out into the james. and by this time how impressed we had become with the significance of that wide, brown flood--that nestor of american rivers! when is the james to find its rightful place in american song and story? our oldest colonial waterway--upon whose banks the foundations of our country were laid, along whose shores our earliest homes and home-sites can still be pointed out--and yet almost without a place in our literature. other rivers, historically lesser rivers, have had their stories told again and again, their beauties lauded, and their praises sung. but this great pioneer waterway, fit theme for an ode, is to-day our unsung river. gadabout, with the wind in her favour and all the buoys leaning her way, made good progress. it was not long before we were looking back catching the last glimpses of the white sea-wall of jamestown island. we now were on our way to pick up other bits of the river story, and especially those concerning the peculiar colonial home life on the james. when tobacco culture, with its ceaseless demand for virgin soil, led many of the colonists to abandon james towne and to build up great individual estates, each estate had to have its water front; and old powhatan became lined on both sides with vast plantations. later, the lands along other rivers were similarly occupied. so pronounced was the development of plantation life that it affected, even controlled, the character of the colony and determined the type of civilization in virginia. the great estates became so many independent, self-sufficient communities--almost kingdoms. each had its own permanent population including, besides slaves and common labourers, many mechanics, carpenters, coopers, and artisans of various kinds. an unbroken water highway stretched from each plantation wharf to the wharves of london. directly from his own pier, each planter shipped his tobacco to england; and in return there was unloaded upon his own pier the commodities needed for his plantation community. thus was established the peculiar type of virginia society, the aristocracy of planters, that dotted the old dominion with lordly manor-houses and filled them with gay, ample life--a life almost feudal in its pride and power. in this day of our nation's tardy awakening to an appreciation of its colonial homes, a particular interest attaches to these old virginia mansions, once the centres of those proud little principalities in the wilderness. and the particular interest of gadabout's people, as jamestown island faded from sight, attached to a few of the earliest and most typical of those colonial homes that we knew yet stood on the banks of the "king's river." from kindly responses to our notes of inquiry, we also knew that long-suffering virginia courtesy was not yet quite exhausted, and that it still swung wide the doors of those old manor-houses to even the passing stranger. our next harbour was to be chippoak creek, which empties into the river about twelve miles above jamestown island. there we should be near two or three colonial homes including the well-known brandon. it seemed good to be under way again. there was music in the chug of our engines and in the purl of the water about our homely bows. the touch of the wind in our faces was tonic, and we could almost persuade ourselves that there was fragrance in the occasional whiffs of gasoline. we soon came to an opening in the shore to starboard where the james receives one of its chief tributaries, the chickahominy, memorable for its association with the first american romance. though the tale is perhaps a trifle hackneyed, yet the duty of every good american is to listen whenever it is told. so here it is. of course the hero was captain john smith. how that man does brighten up the record of those old times! well, one day the captain with a small party from james towne was hunting in the marshes of the chickahominy for food, or adventure, or the south sea, or something, and some indians were hunting there also; and the indians captured the captain. they took him before the great chief powhatan; and as john lay there, with a large stone under his head and some clubs waving above him, the general impression was that he was going to die. but that was not john's way in those days; he was always in trouble but he never died. suddenly, just as the clubs were about to descend, soft arms were about the captain's head, and pocahontas, the favourite daughter of the old chief, was pleading for the ever-lucky smith. the dramatic requirements of the case were apparent to everybody. powhatan spared the pale-face; and our country had its first romance. to be sure, some people say that all this never happened. indeed the growing skepticism about this precious bit of our history, this international romance that began in the marshes of the chickahominy, is our chief reason for repeating it here. it is time for the story to be told by those who can vouch for it--those who have actually seen the river that flows by the marshes that the captain was captured in. on we went with tide, wind, and engines carrying us up the james. dancing point reached sharply out as if to intercept us. but the owner of those strong dark hands that happened to be at the wheel knew the story of dancing point--of how many an ebony tam o'shanter had seen ghostly revelry there; and gadabout was held well out in the river. again, how completely we had the james to ourselves! we thought of how, even back in those old colonial days, our little craft would have had more company. here, with slender bows pushing down stream, the indian canoes went on their way to trade with the settlers at james towne; their cargoes varying with the seasons--fish from their weirs in the moon of blossoms, and, in the moon of cohonks, limp furred and feathered things and reed-woven baskets of golden maize. returning, the red men would have the axes, hatchets, and strange articles that the pale-faces used, and the cherished "blew" beads that the cape merchant had given them in barter. here sailed the little shallops of the colonists as they explored and charted this unknown land. a few years later and, with rhythmic sway of black bodies and dip of many oars, came the barges of the river planters. right royally came the lords of the wilderness--members of the council perhaps, and in brave gold-laced attire--dropping down with the ebb tide to the tiny capital in the island marshes. and up the stream came ships from "london towne," spreading soft white clouds of canvas where sail was never seen before; and carrying past the naked indian in his tepee the sweet-scented powders and the rose brocade that the weed of his peace-pipe had bought for the lady of the manor. now, gadabout began to sidle toward the port bank of the river as our next harbour, chippoak creek, was on that side. here the shore grew steep; and at one point high up we caught glimpses of the little village of claremont. at its pier lay a three-masted schooner and several barges and smaller boats. along the water's edge were mills, their steam and smoke drifting lazily across the face of the bluffs. on a little farther, we came to the mouth of chippoak creek with the bluffs of claremont on one hand, the sweeping, wooded shores of brandon on the other, and, in between, a beautiful expanse of water, wide enough for a river and possibly deep enough for a heavy dew. we scurried for chart and sounding-pole. following the narrow, crooked channel indicated on the chart, we worked our way well into the mouth of the stream and cast anchor near a point of woods. from the chart we could tell that somewhere beyond that forest wall, over near the bank of the river, was the old manor-house that we had come chiefly to see--brandon, one of america's most noted colonial homes. next morning we were ready for a visit to brandon. but first, we had to let the sailor make a foraging trip to the village. one of the troubles about living in a home that wanders on the waters, is that each time you change anchorage you must hunt up new places for getting things and getting things done. while it is charming to drop anchor every now and then in a snug, new harbour, where nature, as she tucks you in with woodland green, has smiles and graces that you never saw before, yet the houseboater soon learns that each delightful, new-found pocket in the watery world means necessity for several other new-found things. there must be a new-found washerwoman, and new-found somebodies who can supply meats, eggs, vegetables, ice, milk, and water--the last two separate if possible. true, the little harbour is beautiful; but as you lie there day after day watching waving trees and rippling water, the soiled-clothes bags are growing fatter; and then too, even in the midst of beauty, one wearies of a life fed wholly out of tin cans. [illustration: entrance to chippoak creek.] [illustration: cove in chippoak creek.] henry was a good forager; and we were confident, as his strong strokes carried him from the houseboat shoreward, that he would soon put us in touch with all the necessary sources of supply, so that in the afternoon we could make our visit to the old manor-house. and he did not fail us. his little boat came back well loaded, and he bore the welcome news that "sally" (whoever she might be) would take the washing. but now, a matter of religion got in between us and brandon. a launch came down the creek; and, as we were nearly out of gasoline, the commodore hailed the craft and made inquiry as to where we could get some. one of the two men aboard proved to deal in gasoline, and appeared to be the only one about who did. he had some of it then on the pier at claremont; and would sell it any day in the week except saturday. the rather puzzling exception he explained by saying that he was a seventh-day adventist. to be sure, it was then only thursday; but as it seemed making up for bad weather that might prevent our running down to the pier next day, we arranged to take on a barrel of the gasoline that afternoon. we started after a rather late dinner; and ran back down the river to where we had seen the schooner and the barges the day before. just as the commodore made a nice, soft-bump landing at the pier, a man informed him that the gasoline had been carried to the adventist's mill by mistake. so, we cast off our ropes again, and went farther down to where the little mills steamed away at the foot of the bluffs. off shore, several sloops and rowboats were tied to tall stakes in the water. we went as close to shore as we dared; and gadabout crept cautiously up to one of the stakes, so as not to knock it over, and was tied to it. then, the commodore went ashore and arranged to have the gasoline brought out to us. presently, two negroes rolled the barrel into a lighter. they poled their awkward craft out to gadabout and made fast to a cleat. it took a long time to pump the gasoline into cans, and then to strain it into our tank on the upper deck. the day was about over. relinquishing our plan of visiting brandon, we ran back to our chippoak harbour, and our anchor went to bed in the creek as the sun went down. chapter xi at the pier marked "brandon" it was late on the following afternoon when gadabout was out of the creek, out in the river, and bound for the little pier marked _brandon_. a belated steamboat was swashing down stream, and a schooner, having but little of wind and less of tide to help it along, was rocking listlessly in the long swell. in the shadow of the slack sails a man sprawled upon the schooner's deck, while against the old-fashioned tiller another leaned lazily. gadabout had to make quite a detour to get around some shad-net poles before she could head in toward the brandon wharf; and her roundabout course gave time for a thought or two upon the famous old river plantation. starting but a few years after those first colonists landed at jamestown island, the story of brandon is naturally a long one. but, working on the scale of a few words to a century, we may get the gist of it in here. among those first settlers was one captain john martin, a considerable figure of those days and a member of the council appointed by the king for the government of the colony. he seems to have been the only man who believed in holding on at james towne after the horrors of the "starving time." he made vigorous protest when the settlers took to the ships and abandoned the settlement. about , he secured a grant of several thousand acres of land in the neighbourhood of this creek that we were now lying in, and the estate became known as brandon--martin's brandon. the terms of the grant were so unusually favourable that they came near making the captain a little lord in the wilderness. he was to "enjoye his landes in as large and ample manner to all intentes and purposes as any lord of any manours in england dothe holde his grounde." and he certainly started out to do it. but soon the general assembly attacked the lordly prerogatives of the owner of martin's brandon. it did not relish the idea of making laws for everybody in the colony except john martin, and he was requested to relinquish certain of his high privileges. this he refused to do, saying, "i hold my patente for my service don, which noe newe or late comers can meritt or challenge." after a while, however, he was induced to surrender the objectionable "parte of his patente," and manorial brandon became like any other great estate in the colony. after several changes of ownership, brandon came into the possession of another prominent colonial family, the harrisons. the founder of this virginia house (the various branches of which have given us so many men prominent in our colonial and national life) was benjamin harrison, one of the early settlers, a large land holder, and a member of the council. his son benjamin (also a man of position in the colony and a member of the council) was probably the first of the family to hold lands at brandon. but it was not until the third generation that the harrisons became thoroughly identified with the two great plantations that have ever since been associated with the name; benjamin harrison, the third, acquiring berkeley, and his brother nathaniel completing the acquisition of the broad acres of brandon. berkeley passed to strangers many years ago; but brandon has come down through unbroken succession from the harrisons of over two centuries ago to the harrisons of to-day. that makes a great many harrisons. and as it happened, while gadabout was on her way that day to visit their ancestral home, a genealogical chart with its maze of family ramifications was lying on a table in the forward cabin, and henry saw it. "king's sake!" he exclaimed. "that must be the host they couldn't count. don't you know john say how he saw a host no man could number? that's cert'nly them!" as we approached the brandon pier, we saw a man on it who proved to be the gardener and who helped to handle our ropes as we made our landing. then, with the aid of a beautiful collie, he led us up the slope toward the still invisible homestead. entering the wooded grounds through quaint, old-fashioned gateways, we followed our guide along a trail that topped the river bluff, where honeysuckle ran riot in the shrubbery and tumbled in confusion to the beach below. the trail ended in a cleared spot on the crest of the bluff--a river lookout, where one could rest upon the rustic seat and enjoy the ever-varying picture of water, sky, and shore. [illustration: riverward front of brandon.] but we turned our backs upon it all, for to us it was not yet brandon. now, our course lay directly away from the river along a broad avenue of yielding turf, straight through an aged garden. above were the arching boughs of giant trees; below and all about, a wealth of old-fashioned bloom. the sunlight drifted through shadowing fringe-trees, mimosas, magnolias, and oaks. hoary old age marked the garden in the breadth of the box, in the height of the slow-growing yews, and in the denseness of the ivy that swathed the great-girthed trees. it all lay basking in the soft, mellow light of sunset, in the hush of coming twilight, like some garden of sleep. suddenly, the grove and the garden ended and we were over the threshold of a square of sward, an out-of-door reception room, no tree or shrub encroaching. beyond this was a row of sentinel trees; and then a massive hedge of box with a break in the middle where stood the white portal of brandon. we could tell little about the building. the eye could catch only a charming confusion: foliage-broken lines of wall and roof; ivy-framed windows; and, topping all, just above the deep green of a magnolia tree, the white carved pineapple of welcome and hospitality. in the softened light of evening, the charm of the place was upon us--old brandon, standing tree-shadowed and dim, its storied walls in time-toned tints, its seams and crannies traced in the greens of moss and lichen, its ancient air suggestive, secretive, "in green old gardens hidden away from sight of revel and sound of strife." we entered a large, dusky hall with white pillars and arches midway, and with two rooms opening off from it--the dining-room on the one hand, the drawing-room on the other. in the old chimney-pieces, fire leaped behind quaint andirons taking the chill from the evening air. and there in the dusk and the fire-glow, where shadows half hid and half revealed, where old mahogany now loomed dark and now flashed back the flickering light, where old-time worthies fitfully came and went upon the shadowy, panelled walls--we made our acquaintance with brandon and with the gracious lady of the manor. our talk ran one with the hour and the dusk and the firelight--old days, old ways, and all that brandon stands for. when our twilight call was over, it was with dreamy thoughts on the far days of queen anne and of the georges that we went from the white-pillared portico down the worn stone steps and followed a side path back toward our boat. in the gloaming the side-lights were being put in place, and gadabout turned a baleful green eye upon us, as though overhearing our talk of such unnautical things as gardens and heirlooms and ancestral halls. next morning there was much puffing of engines and ringing of signal bells down in chippoak creek. gadabout went ahead and backed and sidled. and it was all to find a new way to go to brandon. mrs. harrison had told us of a landing-place in the woods at the creek side from which a sort of roadway led to the house. fortunately, our charts indicated, near this landing, a small depression in the bed of the creek where there would be sufficient depth of water for our houseboat to float even at low tide. at last, we got over the flats and into the hole in the bottom of the creek that seemed to have been made for us. we rowed ashore to a yellow crescent of sandy beach shaded by cypresses where a cart-path led off through the woods. we called it the woods-way to brandon. it followed the shore of the creek a little way, and through the leafy screen we caught glimpses of gadabout out in the stream, now with a cone-tipped branch of pine and again with a star-leaved limb of sweet gum for a foreground setting. farther along were many dogwood trees; and in the springtime these woods must be dotted with those white blossom-tents that so charmed the first settlers on their way up the river. here, for the first time, we came upon the trailing cedar spreading its feathery carpet under the trees. ferns lifted their fronds in thick, wavy clusters. the freshness from a night storm was upon every growing thing; a clearing northwest wind was in the tree-tops; and the air was filled with the spicy sweetness of the woodland. the way led out of the shadow of the trees into the open, and we came upon "the quarters"--long, low buildings with patches of corn and sweet potatoes about them. two coloured women were digging in the gardens and another was busy over an out-of-door washtub. a group of picaninnies played about a steaming kettle swung upon a cross-stick above an open-air fire. one fat brown baby sat in a doorway poking a pudgy thumb into a saucer of food and keeping very watchful eyes on the strangers. beyond the quarters were barns and some small houses. [illustration: a side path to the manor-house.] [illustration: the woods-way to brandon.] and here was our first reminder of a distressing chapter in the story of brandon. we knew that but few of these buildings were old-time outbuildings of the estate. the civil war bore hard upon this as upon other homes along the james. it left little upon the plantation except the old manor-house itself, and that injured and defaced. on ahead, we could see the great grove in which the manor-house stands, looming up in the midst of the cleared land like a small forest reservation. our route this time brought us to the homestead from the landward side through an open park, and we got a better view of the building than the dense foliage on the other side had permitted. the house is of the long colonial type, consisting of a square central building, two large flanking wings, and two connecting corridors. it is built of brick laid in flemish bond, showing a broken pattern of glazed headers. each front has its wide central porch and double-door entranceway. the emblem of hospitality that tops the central roof is truly characteristic of the spirit within. old colonial worthies, foreign dignitaries, presidents and their cabinets, house-parties of "virginia cousins," and "strangers within the gates"--all have known the open hospitality of brandon. and the two latest strangers now moved on assured of kindly welcome at the doorway. entering brandon from the landward front, we found ourselves again in the large central hall. it is divided midway by arches resting on fluted ionic columns and has a fine example of the colonial staircase. this hall and the drawing-room and the dining-room on either side of it cover the entire ground floor of the central building. offices and bedrooms occupy the wings. the rooms are lofty, and most of them have fireplaces and panelled walls. through the east doorway one looks down a long vista to the river. in the sunlight it is striking: the shadows from the dense foliage before the portal lie black upon the grass; beyond is the stretch of sunny sward; and then the turf walk under meeting boughs, a green tunnel through whose far opening one sees a bit of brown river and perhaps a white glint of sail. in drawing-room and dining-room are gathered numerous paintings forming a collection well known as the brandon gallery. it represents the work of celebrated old court painters and of notable early american artists. [illustration: in the drawing-room.] in the drawing-room, a canvas by charles wilson peale may be regarded as the portrait-host among the shadowy figures gathered there, its subject being colonel benjamin harrison. he was friend and college roommate of thomas jefferson, and a member of the first state executive council in . against the dense background is shown a slender gentleman of the old school, with an intellectual, kindly face and expressive eyes. about him is a distinguished gathering--dames and damsels in rich attire and languid elegance; gallants and nobles in court costume and dashing pose, jewelled hand on jewelled sword. in the dining-room, the portrait hostess is found, the wife of the colonel harrison who presides in the drawing-room. she was the granddaughter of the noted colonial exquisite and man of letters, colonel william byrd, whose old home, westover, we should soon visit on our way up the river. it was through her marriage to colonel harrison that there were added to the brandon collection many of the paintings and other art treasures of the byrd family, including a certain, well-known canvas that carries a story with it. it is an old, old story--indeed the painting itself is dimmed by the passing of nearly two centuries; but just as the sweet face looks out from its frame ever girlish, so does perennial youth seem to dwell in the romance of the "fair maid of the james." the portrait is by sir godfrey kneller. it shows a beautiful young woman. her gray-blue gown is cut in a stiff, long-waisted style of the eighteenth century, yet still showing the slim grace of the maiden. the head is daintily poised. a red rose is in her hair and one dark curl falls across a white shoulder. her face is oval and delicately tinted. she follows you with her soft, brown eyes, and her lips have the thought of a smile. such was the colonial beauty, evelyn byrd, daughter of colonel william byrd. though her home was not here but at westover, and there she sleeps under her altar-tomb, yet the girlish presence seems at brandon too, where the winsome face looks down from the wall, and where we must pause to tell her story. this virginia girl was educated in london where she had most of her social triumphs. there she was presented at court and there began the pitiful romance of her life in her meeting with charles mordaunt. in all youth's happy heedlessness these two fell in love--the daughter of "the baron of the james" and the grandson and heir of london's social leader, lord peterborough. it seemed a pretty knot of cupid's tying; but just here william byrd cast himself in the role of fate. some say because of religious differences, some say because of an old family feud, he refused to permit the marriage. he brought his daughter back to virginia where, as the old records say, "refusing all offers from other gentlemen, she died of a broken heart." that day when we left the manor-house, we started homeward, or boatward, with our faces set the wrong way; for we wandered first into the old garden. it is a typical colonial garden that lies down by the river--a great roomy garden where trees and fruit bushes stand among the blossoming shrubs and vines and plants. it is a garden to wander in, to sit in, to dream in. all is very quiet here and the world seems a great way off. only the birds come to share the beauty with you, and their singing seems a part of the very peace and quiet of it all. the old-fashioned flowers are set out in the old-fashioned way. there are (or once were) the prim squares, each with its cowslip border, and the stiffly regular little hedgerows. one may hunt them all out now; but for so many generations have shrub and vine and plant lived together here, that a good deal of formality has been dispensed with, and across old lines bloom mingles with bloom. the old garden calendars the seasons as they come and go. as an early blossom fades, a later one takes its place through all the flowery way from crocus to aster. trifling, cold, and unfriendly seem most gardens of to-day in comparison with these old-fashioned ones. perhaps the entire display in the modern garden comes fresh from the florist in the spring, and is allowed to die out in the fall, to be replaced the next spring by plants not only new but even of different varieties from those of the year before. not so at brandon. here, the garden is one of exclusive old families. its flower people can trace their pedigrees back to the floral emigrants from england. the young plants that may replace some dead ones are scions of the old stock. strange blossoms, changing every spring like dwellers in a city flat, would not be in good standing with the blue flags that great- (many times great-) grandmother planted, nor with the venerable peonies and day lilies, the lilacs and syringas that remember the day when the elms and magnolias above them were puny saplings. even a huge pecan tree, twenty-one feet around, whose planting was recorded in the "plantation book" over a century ago, is considered rather a new-comer by the ancient family of english cowslips. here is restful permanence in this world of restless change. loved ones may pass away, friends may fail, neighbours may come and go; but here in the quiet old garden, the dear flower faces that look up to cheer are the same that have given heart and comfort to generations so remote that they lie half-forgotten beneath gray, crumbling stones with quaint time-dimmed inscriptions. chapter xii harbour days and a foggy night day after day, we lay in our beautiful harbour of chippoak creek as the last of the summer-time went by and as autumn began to fly her bright signal flags in the trees along the shore. sometimes we moored in the little depression that nature had scooped out for us close by the brandon woods; sometimes we scrambled out from it at high tide and went across and cast anchor by the claremont shore. now and then we would go for a run up the creek, or out for a while on the broad james. it is well to stay in a pretty harbour long enough to get acquainted with it. by the time we could tell the stage of the tide by a glance at the lily pads, and could get in and out over the flats in the dark, and could go right to the deep place in brandon cove without sounding, we had learned where the late wild flowers grew, that the washing would get scorched on one side of the creek and lost on the other, that the best place for fishing was around behind the island, and that the claremont "butcher" had fresh meat on tuesdays and fridays. gradually, our neighbours of marsh and woodland lost their shyness, and some of them paid us the compliment of simply ignoring us. most of the blue herons flew high or curved widely past gadabout--long necks stretched straight before, long legs stretched straight behind. but the tragedian (he was the longest and the lankest) minded us not at all. at the last of the ebb, a snag over near the shore would suddenly add on another angle and jab down in the water, coming up again with a shiver and a fish. then, it would approach the houseboat and stalk the waters beside our windows. the stage stride of the creature won for it the name of the tragedian. knowing the shyness of his kind we felt especially pleased by a still further proof of his confidence. one morning, in response to a cautious whisper from the sailor, we stole stealthily upon the after deck and saw that the tragedian was, truly enough, "settin' on an awnin'-pole pickin' hisself." there was a dead tree on our brandon shore-line. it stood among tall pines and sweet gums and beeches as far up as they went, after that it stood alone in the blue. we called it old lookout. a bald eagle used it for a watch-tower. lesser birds dared plume themselves up there when the king was away: crows cawed and sidled along the smooth branches; hawks and buzzards came on tippy wing and lighted there; and even little birds perched pompously where the big eagle's claws had been. but when the snowy head above the dark, square shoulders tipped old lookout, the national emblem had it all to himself. occasionally he preened his feathers; but he did it in a bored, awkward way, as if forced on account of his valet's absence into unfamiliar details of toilet quite beneath his dignity. now and then he would scream. it is hard to believe that such a bird can have such a voice. he always lost caste in our eyes when he had his little, choked-up penny whistle going. the attractions of harbour life did not keep us away from the old manor-house. once when gadabout ran around to the river front, she found a yacht from philadelphia at the pier; and so passed on a little way and cast anchor in a cove opposite the garden. few other notable houses in america, still used as homes, are the objects of so many pilgrimages as the historic places on the james. indeed, few people but the hospitable virginians would so frequently and so courteously fling wide their doors to strangers. when the yachting visitors were gone that day and we were at the old home engrossed in the architecture of the harrison colonial cradle, there came the long blasts of the steamer pocahontas blowing for the brandon landing. not that she had any passengers or freight for brandon perhaps, or brandon for her, but because all these river estates are postoffices and the pocahontas carries the river mail. after a considerable time (for even the united states mail moves slowly through the sleepy old garden), a coloured boy brought in a bag with most promising knobs and bulges all over it. the postoffice at brandon is over in the south wing where there are pigeon-holes and desks and such things. but the family mail is brought into the great dining-room and there, in the good plantation way, it is opened on the old mahogany. the mail that morning made a very good directory of the present-day family at brandon. there were letters and packages for the mistress of the plantation and for the daughter and the son living in the manor-house with her, and also for the other daughter and her husband, mr. randolph cuyler, who live across the lawn in brandon cottage with its dormer windows and wistaria-draped veranda. mrs. harrison is the widow of mr. george evelyn harrison, and the daughter of the late william washington gordon, who was the first president of the central railroad of georgia and one of the most prominent men in that state. [illustration: "venerable four-posters, richly carved and dark."] brandon to-day keeps up correspondence with relatives and friends in england and on the continent, reads english papers and magazines, sends cuttings from rosebushes and shrubs across seas, makes visits there and is visited in turn. so, it was pleasant to have the reading of our own welcome letters diversified by bits of foreign news that came out of the bag for brandon. we could imagine an expression of personal interest on the handsome face of colonel byrd, as he stood in court costume on the wall above us, when the wrappings were taken from a volume containing the correspondence of his old friend, the earl of orrery, and sent by the present earl to mrs. harrison. in it were some of the colonel's letters written from his james river home, and in which he spoke of how his daughters missed the gaieties of the english court. the torn wrappings and bits of string were gathered up and a little blaze was made of them behind the old fire-dogs. then we were shown more of brandon. up quaint staircases in the wings we went to the roomy bedrooms with their ivy-cased windows, mellow-toned panelling, and old open fireplaces. as daily living at brandon is truly in the paths of ancestral worthies, so, at night, there are venerable four-posters, richly carved and dark, to induce eighteenth century dreams in the twentieth century harrisons. massive mahogany wardrobes, bureaus, and washstands are as generations of forebears have used them. some of the bedrooms once had small rooms opening off from them, one on either side of the fireplace, each having a window. an english kinswoman of the family says that such rooms were called "powdering rooms." through holes in the doors, the colonial belles and beaux used to thrust their elaborately dressed heads into these rooms, that they might be powdered in there without the sweet-scented clouds enveloping silks and velvets too. from bedrooms to basement is a long way; but we would see the old stone bench down there where used to sit the row of black boys to answer bells from these rooms above. just over the bench hangs still a tangle of the broken bell wires. when colonial brandon was filled with guests, there must often have been a merry jangle above the old stone bench and a swift patter of feet on the flags. standing there to-day, one can almost fancy an impatient tinkle. is it from some high-coiffured beauty in the south wing with a message that must go post-haste--a missive sanded, scented, and sealed by a trembling hand and to be opened by one no steadier? or is it perhaps from some bewigged councillor with knee-buckles glinting in the firelight as he waits for the subtle heart-warming of an apple toddy? now, we were ready to go home; but we did not start at once. a stranger going anywhere from brandon should imitate the cautious railways and have his schedule subject to change without notice. at the last moment, some new old thing is bound to get between him and the door. in our case, two or three of them did. somebody spoke of a secret panel. that sounded well; and even though we were assured that nothing had been found behind it, we went to the south wing to look at the hole in the wall. at one side of a fireplace, a bit of metal had been found under the molding of a panel in the wainscoting. it was evidently a secret spring, but one that had long since lost its cunning; stiff with age and rust, it failed to respond to the discovering touch. in the end, the panel had to be just prosaically pried out. and, worst of all, the dim recess behind it was empty. when we had peered within the roomy secret space and had wondered what had been concealed there and what hands had pressed the hidden spring, we might really have started for the houseboat if it had not been for the skull story. but there, just underneath a window of the secret-panel room, was another place of secrets. it was a brick projection from the wall of such peculiar form as to have invited investigation. when some bricks had been removed and some earth taken out, a human skull showed white and ghastly. then, at the touch of moving air, it crumbled away. that was no story to start anywhere on, even in broad daylight; so we had another. we were taken into the drawing-room and there, sharing honours with the portraits, was a little gold ring hanging high from the chandelier rosette. while not a work of art like one of the canvases on the wall, it has its own sufficient charm--it is a mystery. the dainty gold band has hung above the heads of generations of harrisons, and somewhere in the long line its story has been lost. who placed the ring where it hangs, and whether in joy or in grief, nobody longer knows. but it will swing safely there while brandon stands, for in this ancient house, down the ages undisturbed, come the mysteries and the ghosts. that evening a wind came up and rain set in from a depressing dark-blue-calico sky. gadabout did not take the trouble to run back into her creek harbour; but put down a heavier anchor and made herself comfortable for the night in the cove above the brandon pier. the cradling boat and the patter upon the roof soon put us to sleep. then something put us very wide awake again. we listened, but there was nothing to hear. the wind had died out and the boat had stopped rolling. in a moment, the long blast of a steamer whistle told what was the matter. in blanket-robe and slippers, the commodore got quickly to a window, and found the river world all gone--swallowed up in fog. [illustration: a corner in the dining--room.] [illustration: the drawing-room fireplace.] another weird, warning call out of the mysterious, impenetrable mist; the steamer for richmond was groping her way up the river. to be sure, anchored as we were so far inshore of the channel, we were well clear of the steamer's course; but in such heavy fogs the river boats often go astray. as succeeding blasts sounded nearer, the commodore became anxious and, without waiting to turn out the crew, he started for the fog-bell. but where was the fog-bell? not where it ought to be, we well knew. some changes in the cockpit had crowded it from its place, and for some time it had been stowed away--but where? the commodore scurried from locker to locker. "couldn't we just as well whistle?" asked nautica. "no, no. a boat under way whistles in a fog, but one at anchor must ring a bell." one more locker, and, "i've found it!" triumphantly cried the commodore; but then, in dismay, "there goes the tongue out of the thing." suddenly came another blast from the steamer. she sounded almost atop of us, and the whistling was followed by a swashing of water as though her propeller had been reversed. "why don't you call henry?" asked nautica. "no time now," said the commodore. "i must find something to pound this bell with." of course there seemed nothing available. the commodore seized a whisk broom, but dropped that in favour of a hair-brush; and then in the excitement some harder object was thrust into his hand and he started for the door. nautica hurried to a window, and now saw a blur of light through the fog, showing that the steamer had safely passed us; but, though she called joyously, she was not in time to stay the commodore, who had already dashed into the cockpit beating the tongueless bell with her curling-irons. when he was at last caught and silenced, we could hear voices on the steamer, orders being given, and then the rattle of running chain. she had given up trying to make headway in the fog, and was coming to anchor just above us. we heartened up the hickory fire and dressed after a fashion; and sat down to talk things over. the steamer did not ring her bell, so we did not summon the sailor to apply dressing-table accessories to ours. going to a window now and then, we noticed that the fog was thinning; and at one place there seemed a luminous blur, indicating perhaps where the steamer lay. we wondered whether running so close upon gadabout was what had determined the captain to cast anchor. and then we wondered other things about fogs and mists and bewildered ships. nautica sat studying the firelight (not exactly in a dreamy old fireplace, but through a damper-hole in the stove), and at length voiced the inspiration that she got. "if only one could see things in a fog, it wouldn't be so bad," she said conclusively. "no," came the answer dryly, "a fog that one could see in would be quite an improvement." "wait a moment," laughed nautica. "i mean it isn't merely the dangers lurking in a fog, but the way you go into them that is so terrible. the dangers of a storm you can meet, looking them straight in the face; but those of a fog you have to meet blindfold." "i thought of that when i got up to-night and stood by the window," said the commodore. "as the steamer's whistle kept sounding nearer, i could imagine the great, blinded creature slowly groping its way up the river. i think i quite agree that it would be nicer to have fogs that people could see in." and we felt that gadabout would be of the same way of thinking. indeed, could we not hear her joining in as we talked, and good naturedly grumbling that if we couldn't have that kind of fogs, why then we ought to get close in shore among the crabs and the sand-fiddlers, where the big boats could not come; or else go into a quiet little creek with a sleepy little houseboat. but by this time no one was listening to gadabout. any further fussy complaining of this little craft was drowned by the commodore reading aloud. he had bethought him of a book containing some chapters on brandon that we had got from the manor-house. and reading made us hungry; and there were two apple tarts on the upper shelf of the refrigerator (for had not the cook provided them "in case an' you should wish 'em befo' you retiah"?); and by the time the tarts were gone, so was the fog; and the steamer headed again for richmond and we for dreamland. chapter xiii old silver, old papers, and an old court gown toward the last of our stay in chippoak creek, the weather was bad; but it was surprising how agreeable disagreeable days could be at brandon. it was dark and gloomy that afternoon when we got to looking at the old family silver, and even raining dismally by the time we were carefully unfolding the faded court gown; but on we went from treasure to treasure oblivious of the weather. fine and quaint pieces of old silver are among the family plate. many of them bear the harrison crest--a demi-lion rampant supporting a laurel wreath. and who would know what the weather was doing, when those ancient pieces were passing from hand to hand, and the fascinating study of hall marks was revealing dates more than two centuries past? there is even some ecclesiastical silver in the old home--the communion service once used in the martin's brandon church, a building no longer standing. the inscription tells that the service was the gift of major john westhrope, and the marks give date of about . but no one form of the antique can hold you long at brandon. from out some drawer or chest or closet, another treasure will appear and lure you away with another story of the long ago. with the inimitable sheen of old silver still in our eyes, our ears caught the crackle of ancient parchment; and we turned to the fascinations of venerable records and dingy red seals and queer blue tax stamps. the papers were delightfully quaint and yellow and worn, but from their very age a little awesome too. the most valued one of them all is the original grant of martin's brandon bearing date --four years before the pilgrims landed at plymouth. the grant covers a page and a half of the large sheets of heavy parchment, and the ink is a stronger black than that on records a century younger. [illustration: treasured parchments, including the original grant of .] on a worn paper dated is a plat of brandon plantation. it shows that at that time the central portion of the manor-house had not been built as only two disconnected buildings (the present wings) are given. a part of the sketch is marked "a corner of the garden." so, for two hundred years (and who knows how much longer?) there has been that garden by the river. off at one side of the old map, we found our landing-place in the woods beside some wavy lines that, a neat clerkly hand informed us in pale brown ink, were the "meanderings of chippoak creek." poring so intently over those ancient papers with their great old english capitals, their stiff flourishes, their quaint abbreviations, we should scarcely have been startled to see a peruked head bend above them and a hand with noisy quill go tracing along the lines of those long-ago "whereases" and "be it knowns." but, instead, something quite different came out of the past: something very soft and feminine fell over the blotched old papers--the treasured silk brocade in which evelyn byrd was presented at the court of george i. like a shadowy passing of that famous colonial belle, was the sweep of the faint-flowered gown. a fabric of the patch-and-powder days is this, with embroidered flowers in old blues and pinks clustered on its deep cream ground. its fashioning is quaint: the watteau pleat in the back with tiny tucks each side at the slim waist line, the square low neck, the close elbow sleeves, the open front to display the quilted petticoat. mingled feelings rise at sight of the soft brocade whose bodice once throbbed with the happy heartbeats of this virginia maiden, making pretty curtsy in rosy pleasure, the admiration of the english court. perhaps in this very gown she danced the stately minuet with young charles mordaunt; perhaps hid beneath its fluttering laces his first love sonnet. so, in those far colonial days it knew the life of her. the grace of the young body seems still to linger in the pale, shimmering folds; and the clinging touch of the old court gown is like a timid appeal for remembrance. after that rainy afternoon at the manorhouse, we were storm-bound aboard gadabout for a few days. at last the weather cleared and we again thought of a trip ashore. there was yet a brisk wind; and for some time our rowboat rocked alongside, industriously bumping the paint off the houseboat, while we sat on the windlass box enjoying the fresh breeze in our faces and watching the driftage catch on our anchor chain. of course one can sit right down on the bobby bow itself with feet hanging over, and poke with a stick at the flotsam. but that is only for moments of lazy leisure, not for a time when one is about to visit brandon. at last, we were ashore and again in the "woods-way." that was the day we got into trouble, all owing to nautica's passion for ancient tombstones. we were half way to brandon when she concluded that it was not the manor-house that she wished to visit first, but the old graveyard. we stopped at the manager's house to inquire the way. the road led inland. it soon dipped to a bridge over a little stream, where the banks were masses of honeysuckle whose fragrance followed us up the slope beyond. on a little farther was a field with a grove in the centre of it that we knew, from the directions given us, contained the cemetery. we entered the field, and had got almost to the grove when nautica suddenly stopped, stared, and turned pale. the commodore's glance followed hers; whereupon, he uttered brave words calculated to reassure the timid feminine heart, and in a voice that would have been steady enough if his knees had kept still. the bull said nothing. very soon, and without his moving at all, that bull was far away from us. we recognized at once that the field was properly his preserve and that we really had no right there; but we trusted that our intrusion in coming in would be atoned for by our promptness in getting out. in the absorbing process of putting space between the bull and the houseboaters, the restlessness of the commodore's knees was really an advantage. they moved so fast that he was able to keep in advance of nautica, and so be ready to protect her if another bull should appear on ahead. when he felt satisfied that he need no longer expose himself in the van (and, incidentally, that the bull in the rear had been left out of sight), he slackened his pace. we managed to get down to a walk in the course of half a mile or so; and at last approached brandon at a quite decorous gait. there, we learned that we had gone to the wrong cemetery anyway--to the one that had belonged to the old brandon church whose communion service we had seen. the harrison burying-ground was not far from the home. so, with members of the household, we went out across the lawn and around a corner of the garden to the family graveyard. the first benjamin harrison, the emigrant, who died about , is not buried here. his tomb stands near the great sycamore tree in the churchyard at james towne. however, the tombs of his descendants, owners of brandon, are (with one exception) in this old plantation burying-ground. [illustration: the ancient garrison house.] in the walk back to the house, we stopped to see what is probably the oldest, and in many respects the most interesting, building on the plantation. it is just an odd stubby brick house with a crumbling cellar-hut at one end. but family tradition says that it is one of the old garrison houses, or "defensible houses," built in early times for protection against the indians. it certainly looks the part, with its heavy walls, its iron doors and shutters, and the indications of former loopholes. upon those first scattered plantations, a characteristic feature was such a strong-house or "block-house" surrounded by a stockade or "palisado" of logs. while this strong-house at brandon must have been built after the terrible indian massacre of , yet it doubtless served as a place of refuge in later attacks. many a time that dread alarm may have spread over this plantation. we thought of the hurrying to and fro; of the gathering of weapons, ammunition, bullet-molds, food, and whatever necessities there may have been time to catch up; and of the panic-stricken men, women and children fleeing from field and cabin to the shelter of the stockade and of the strong-house. back again in the manor-house, we spent our last hour at brandon; for gadabout was to sail away next day. it was a colonial hour; for brandon clocks tick off no other, nor would any other seem natural within those walls. sitting there in the old home, we slipped easily back into the centuries; back perhaps to the day of the great mahogany sofa that we sat upon. it all seemed very real. the afternoon sun--some eighteenth century afternoon sun--came in through deep-casemented windows. it lighted up the high, panelled room, falling warmly upon antique furniture about us, upon by-gone worthies on the wall, and (quite as naturally, it seemed) upon a colonial girl, who now smilingly appeared in the doorway. bringing the finishing touch of life to the old-time setting, she came, a curl of her dark hair across a white shoulder and her gown a quaintly fashioned silk brocade. this eighteenth century presentment was in kindly compliance with a wish that we had expressed on that rainy day when we were looking over brandon treasures. it was brandon's daughter in the court gown of her colonial aunt, evelyn byrd. and we thought in how few american homes could this charming visitor from the colonies so find the colonial waiting to receive her. [illustration: miss harrison in the court gown of her colonial aunt, evelyn byrd.] nowhere in the world, it is said, are there so many new, comfortable homes built for the passing day as in america; but also in no civilized country are there so few old homes. more and more, as this fact comes to be realized, will americans who care for the permanent and the storied appreciate such colonial homesteads as brandon, the ancestral home of the harrisons. chapter xiv a one-engine run and a forest tomb by the time we had finished our visit at brandon, we were in the midst of the beautiful virginia autumn. though much of the warmth of summer was yet in the midday hours, the mornings were often crisp and the evenings seemed to lose heart and grow chill as they saw the sun go down. part of the houseboat was heated by oil stoves, but the forward cabin had a wood stove, and above it on the upper deck was our little sheet-iron chimney. it had a hood that turned with the wind and creaked just enough for company. so, during mornings and evenings and wet days, gadabout smoked away, cozy and comfortable. she was smoking vigorously on the day that we bade good-bye to chippoak creek. that was a glorious morning--one of those mornings when the sun tries to warm the northwest wind and the northwest wind tries to chill the sun, and between the two a tonic gets into the air and people want to do things. we wanted to "see the wheels go round" (not knowing then that only one would go round); and we prepared to start for kittewan creek, a few miles farther up the james. kittewan creek is no place in particular, but near it are two old plantations that historians and story-writers have talked a good deal about. these two estates, weyanoke and fleur de hundred, having no longer pretentious colonial mansions, are often overlooked by the traveller on the james, who thereby loses a worthy chapter of the river story. when our anchors came up out of the friendly mud of chippoak creek, we let the northwest wind push us across the flats and into the channel. then we summoned the engines to do their duty. the port one responded promptly, but the other would do nothing; and as we ran out of the creek and headed up the river, the commodore was appealing to the obdurate machine with a screwdriver and a monkey-wrench. the tide was hurrying up-stream and the wind was hurrying down-stream, and old powhatan was much troubled. gadabout rolled awkwardly among the white-caps but continued to make headway. pocahontas, the big river steamer, was coming down-stream. we could see her making a landing at a wharf above us where a little mill puffed away and a barge was loading. evidently, the steamer was to stop next at a landing that we were just passing, for there men and mules were hurrying to get ready for her. now the starboard bank of the river grew high and sightly, but on the port side there was only a great waste of marsh. the commodore spent much time with the ailing motor. once he lost a portion of the creature's anatomy in the bottom of the boat. nautica found him, inverted and full of emotion, fishing about in the bilge-water for the lost piece. she offered him everything from the toasting-rack to the pancake-turner to scrape about with; but he would trust nothing of the sort, and kept searching until he found the piece with his own black, oily fingers. "i believe the man that built this boat was a prophet!" he exclaimed as his face, flushed with triumph and congestion, appeared above the floor. "he said that if we put gasoline motors in, we should have more fun and more trouble than we ever had in our lives before; and we surely are getting all he promised." [illustration: sturgeon point landing.] [illustration: at the mouth of kittewan creek.] as we rounded the next bend in the river, we got the full force of the wind and, with but one engine running, it was a question for a while whether we were going to go on up the river or to drift back down stream. fortunately, the james narrowed at this point, thus increasing the sweep of the tide that was helping us along, and slowly gadabout pushed on, slapping down hard on the big waves and holding steady. a short distance beyond sturgeon point was the indentation in the shore marking the mouth of kittewan creek. old cypress trees stepped out into the river on either side, while a row of stakes seemed to indicate the channel of the little waterway. sounding along we went in with four feet of water under us. our plan was to find an anchorage a little way up the creek, and then next day to start with the rising tide for a run on up to weyanoke. of course weyanoke fronted upon the james, but our idea was to make a sort of back-door landing by running up this stream and in behind the plantation. there was no sheltering cove to lie in on the river front; and besides, to make the visit at the regular pier was so hopelessly commonplace. any of the ordinary palace yachts could do the thing that way. but it took a gypsy craft like gadabout to wriggle up the little back-country creek and to land among the chickens and the geese and--bulls perhaps; but then all explorers must take chances. kittewan creek is a marsh stream; yet for some distance in from the mouth tall cypresses stand along the reedy banks. these trees protected us from the high wind and made it easy for us to take gadabout up the narrow watercourse. as she moved slowly along, we were looking for an ancient tomb that we had been told stood on the left bank of the stream not far from the mouth--"the mysterious tomb of the james" some one had called it. while we could see nothing of it then, we resolved to search for it upon returning from our run up the creek to visit weyanoke. but we were destined to see the tomb before seeing weyanoke. [illustration: the forest tomb.] [illustration: the old kittewan house] upon reaching the first bend in the stream, our tree-protection failed us and gadabout became so absorbed in the antics of wind and tide that she paid no further heed to any suggestions on our part as to the proper way to navigate kittewan creek. her notion seemed to be to run down a few fish-nets whose corks were bobbing about on the water, and then to go over and hang herself up on some cypress stumps at the edge of the marsh. we insisted upon her going a little way farther up the creek. but a compromise was all that could be effected; anchors were dropped and operations temporarily suspended on both sides. we had a much belated dinner, and then all went ashore to make inquiries and to get supplies at a house that stood on a bluff above the bend in the stream. it proved to be a very old building and quite a landmark. it was called the kittewan house. there, we learned that the tomb we were looking for was on the bank almost opposite where our houseboat lay. we found it close to the creek. it was an altar-tomb, broken and timeworn and almost covered with an accumulation of earth and moss and leaves. one corner support and one side of the caving base were gone, letting ferns and lichens find a home within, tender green fronds touching the shadowing slab above them. the strange, unremembered grave was that of a woman. for, when we had scraped clear a little of the slab, we came upon the name elizabeth. our floating home was near enough to lend shovel and broom; and we undertook to free the tomb (that was itself being slowly buried) and to bring to light again the chiseled story of the long-ago elizabeth who lay in this lonely place. when the granite slab was uncovered and swept clean, we were able to read most of the words upon it, although the stone was cut almost as deep by the little fingers of rain and of frost as by the graver's heavy hand that had itself gone to dust long ago. slowly we found the words telling that there rested the body of elizabeth hollingshorst, whose husband, thomas hollingshorst, was a shipmaster; that her father was mr. piner gordon of the family of tilliangus in aberdeenshire, scotland; and that she died november , . the father's name, gordon (so proud a one in aberdeenshire), and the use before it of the prefix mr. (a term then synonymous with "gentleman" and never lightly given in those days of well-defined rank) show that this elizabeth was of gentle birth. the words "ship master" tell of how the breath of the old north sea had called thomas hollingshorst from the banks and braes and led him to point the bow of his merchant ship across seas, bound for england's far-away colony. little would he dream--crowding canvas to speed his cargo to the virginia plantations--that his gentle-born elizabeth was to find a grave in that feared american wilderness. the longer we worked over the ancient stone the more we came to feel the pitiful meaning of it. we felt that this elizabeth was a true heart and a brave one, who ventured the perilous sea-voyage of the early days with her shipmaster husband. she did not come as other women came--to make a home in the new land and to have friends and neighbours there. she came, a passing stranger, upon her husband's trading ship; a ship that would anchor but to exchange its english wares for the planter's tobacco, and then turn prow again to the perils of the sea. when illness came in the new, wild land, how distant must have seemed aberdeenshire in those days of the little ship and the slow sail! and here, longing for one more sight of scottish heather, this elizabeth died. seeking for her a last resting-place, the stranger ship moved up the river and came to anchor at the mouth of this creek. they lowered her gently over the ship's side into a long-boat and then rowed up the stream into the forest. here by the creek's side they buried her, and (doubtless by the ship's own compass) they orientated the forest grave. then again the ship sailed across seas and bore sad tidings to some family of gordons in aberdeenshire. in those days it must have been long before the returning vessel could sail up the james, this time bearing the graven tomb from scotland. for a little while, the stillness of the forest was once more broken, startling the timid woodland folk; and then these strangers from overseas were gone. again the great silence fell and the wilderness took the grave to itself. slowly it set upon the tomb its seal of moss and lichen and vine. unmindful of the mark of human loss and grief, the wild folk came and went. joyously the cardinal flashed his crimson wing above the darkening stone; the deer came to drink from the stream and lifted their heads to scent the breeze that came with the dawn through the cypress trees, across a forgotten grave; hard and incurious, the weyanoke indians slipped by like darker shadows in the forest gloom; and only the little night birds seemed to know or to care as they called plaintively in the marshes at twilight. as we were about to leave the tomb, we bethought us that the anniversary of the death of this elizabeth was drawing near. we heaped the holly with its glowing berries above the crumbling stone. and still we lingered; for the gordons of tilliangus seemed very far away from this daughter of their house. as the sunset lights were fading, we saw a new moon pale on the tinted sky; and we thought of how for almost two centuries crescent moons had trembled from silver to gold above this forlorn grave on the bank of the kittewan. a short row in the dusk out upon the stream, and we stepped aboard gadabout. she never seemed more cozy and homelike. a great bowl of pink and yellow chrysanthemums from brandon's old garden and trailing cedar and ferns and red-berried holly added to the cheer. soon our home-lights streamed from the broad windows out across the water, and some faint glow must have touched that lonely tomb on shore. chapter xv navigating an unnavigable stream in the morning the sun and the mist filled our little harbour with a golden shimmer, and all the marsh reeds were quivering in the radiance. the blue herons were winging out to the river, and the doves were weaving spells round and round the dormer-windowed cottage on the hill. gadabout's household was early astir ready for the run up kittewan creek. we had only to get a chicken or two at the house on the bluff, and then we should be ready to start at the turn of the tide. imagine, then, our chagrin when the sailor returned with not only the chickens but the information also that we could not get the houseboat any farther up the stream, on account of numerous shallows and submerged cypress stumps. once more the charts were got out and spread upon a table. we still felt that if the sounding-marks were right gadabout could navigate the stream. however, at two places islands were shown where there seemed scarcely room in the creek for islands and gadabout too; and if we had also to throw in a few cypress stumps for good measure, our prospects for visiting weyanoke by the chickens-and-geese route were indeed not promising. but we knew gadabout and how we had taken the craft almost everywhere that people had told us she could not go. for, to our minds, one of the chief charms of houseboating lay in poking about in such out-of-the-way places. let the yacht reign supreme as the deep-water pleasure craft, that trails its elegance perforce ever up and down the same prescribed channels. the ideal houseboat is the light-draft water gypsy, that turns often from the buoyed course and wanders off into the picturesque world of little waters; along streamlets that lead in winding ways to quaint bits of nowhere, and into quiet shallows of forgotten lagoons that have fallen asleep to the lullaby of their own rushes. so it was settled that our houseboat was to try to go up the creek to weyanoke's back door, and again we were waiting only for the turn of the tide. when sticks and straws and frost-tinted leaves, floating down past us toward the james, changed their minds and started back up the kittewan, gadabout went with them. after a while the creek began to shallow rapidly and we kept the sailor on ahead in a shore-boat sounding, while we tried to keep the houseboat from running over him. the southerly breeze was gradually freshening and gadabout began to show a corresponding partiality for the northern bank of the stream. but, on the whole, she was behaving very well and apparently the mutinous spirit of the day before had entirely disappeared. we had to stop just before coming to an island standing in a sharp turn of the little waterway. "looks like we can't make this bend, sir," called the sailor from the shore-boat. "there's a sure enough bar 'cross here." by keeping at it, he managed to find a channel for going round on the port side of the island. then he came aboard, started an engine, and we moved on again. but gadabout had been deceiving us; she still had no notion of going up the creek. we were just starting to go around the island when she suddenly transferred her allegiance from the steering-wheel to the wind, and sidled off in the marshes till she brought up hard aground. there was nothing to do but to wait for the rising tide. nautica got out the chart again to see where we were. at weyanoke there are two plantations, an upper one and a lower one; and for a while she was busy measuring between the stream and the little black dots that indicated the plantation buildings. at last, after a final counting up on her fingers, she announced, "if we can get around six more bends of this curly stream, we shall be within less than half a mile of the house at lower weyanoke." as the water rose around the houseboat, we threw out a kedge anchor, hauled off, and got under way again. now, gadabout started at once to go around the island--but (mutiny again!) she was going around on the wrong side. the commodore and the sailor, with long poles, pushed frantically in the mud striving to set the unruly craft in the way she should go; but she was determined to take the wrong channel and was slowly getting the better of us. "she's gittin' away from us, sir," called the sailor. "i see she is," said the commodore, "and i don't believe she can get around the island on this side." but away she went, wind and tide carrying her up the wrong channel. laughing at the amusing persistence of the craft, all we could do was to keep her away from the marshes and let her go. the creek rapidly narrowed; the marsh gave way to woodland; and just ahead was but a small passage between island and mainland for us to go through. we pushed in between waving walls of autumn foliage. branches tapped on our windows, and crimson sweet gum leaves pressed against the panes as if to make the most of their little moment for looking in. gadabout passed through the narrow opening without a stop, though carrying twigs and bright leaves away with her. we ran the next straight stretch of the creek, and at the bend came upon another island. here shoals and cypress stumps quite blocked the channel. in a good, old landlubberly manner we hitched gadabout to a tree and waited to see if the rising tide would make a way for us. [illustration: hunting for the channel.] [illustration: approaching in a narrow place.] houseboating was taking us into strange places. and yet what a comfortable way to journey into the world in the rough! many are the advantages of houseboating over camping or any other form of outing. in a floating home one goes into the wild without sacrificing the comforts or even the essential refinements of life. for women it is an ideal way to visit dame nature. but now the houseboaters upon gadabout were becoming fearful lest dame nature had closed her doors on ahead of them and would not receive them up the kittewan. it was good news when the sailor called from his rowboat that he had found a channel for going on around the island. this tune gadabout showed a willingness to go just where we wished her to go, but insisted upon doing it stern-foremost or broadside. we ran her forward and backward and poled most vigorously; but after all had the humiliation of drifting around the island wrong end first. after that there was little trouble in going up the stream. before long an old homestead came in sight on a hill to our left, and we knew that it must be lower weyanoke. but an impassable marsh stretched along the stream, and there was no sign of a landing or of a roadway that might lead to the house. we kept on, curious now to see how far our houseboat could go. suddenly we found out. she turned a bend and, there ahead, hummocks and stumps occupied about all there was left of kittewan creek. the head of navigation had been reached for even our presumptuous craft. an anchor was cast; whereupon gadabout swung to one side, bumped against a tree, and then settled herself comfortably in the marshes to await our pleasure. it would not do to let the falling tide catch us in that place. fortunately, there was a marshy cove on one side of us, and by backing into that we got turned around and headed down stream again. we found a deep place that would do for an anchorage nearly opposite lower weyanoke, and close beside a little company of trees that showered gadabout with red and yellow leaves. when the tide fell, it disclosed many roots and stumps in the channel; and the sight of each one added to our sense of importance in having successfully navigated the stream. later, some of the men from the kittewan farm came along in a rowboat. "well, you did make it after all," they said. "we've been looking for you all along the creek, expecting to find you hung up on a cypress stump." chapter xvi in which we get to weyanoke as gadabout lay moored in kittewan creek, the houses of weyanoke were not very far from us, and one of them was in plain sight; but the question was how to get to them. wide stretches of marsh bordered the stream and a wire fence ran along the reedy edge. we began to be impressed with the advantage of approaching such a plantation in the customary way, by the river front. but we had not lost zeal for the unconventional, and fortune favoured us. a man passing in a skiff told us that a road leading to the weyanoke houses could be reached by rowing up a tiny bayou that joined the creek a short distance above us. this bayou, he explained, was not one of those ordinary waterways that you can travel on just any time. in fact, for a good deal of the time it was not a waterway at all. but usually, when a half tide or more was in, a rowboat could be taken up to the landing near the road. so, one afternoon an untenanted houseboat was left lying in the sunshine and the marshes, all aboard having taken to the shore-boats and gone in search of the more solid portions of weyanoke. weyanoke is an indian name and means "land of sassafras." in the indian chief, opechancanough, gave this land of sassafras to sir george yeardley, afterward governor-general of the colony; and his ownership gave early prominence to the place, though he did not live upon the plantation that he had here. after several transfers of title, weyanoke came into the possession of joseph harwood in . through many generations both the upper plantation and the lower one remained in the harwood family; and upper weyanoke is still owned by descendants of joseph harwood, the family of the late mr. fielding lewis douthat. [illustration: lower weyanoke.] in our search for this land of sassafras, a short row up the creek took us to the opening into the bayou. here, there was a break in the wire fence along the creek guarded by a queer water-gate that hung across the entrance to the side stream. holding the water-gate open and pushing our boats through, with what skill might be expected from persons who had never seen a water-gate before, we started up the tiny, winding channel. on either hand the reeds were so tall that we were quite shut in by them; but reeds are never so beautiful as when outlined against the sky. here and there, a stump or a cypress tree stood out in the water almost barring the way. ducks were swimming about or absurdly standing on their heads in the shallows, and at our coming went paddling off into the sedges quacking their disapproval. before the water quite gave out, we reached the little landing. now our way led up from the lowland between hazy autumn fields where crows were busily gleaning and insects shrilled in shock and stubble. the road ended in front of the house at lower weyanoke. the building is a large frame one and very old. it has had its full share of distinction, being for so many generations the home of the colonial family of harwoods and of their descendants, the lewises and the douthats. some years ago the plantation passed to strangers. from the riverward portico, we saw traces of an old garden whose memory is kept green by the straggling box that long ago bordered the fragrant flower-beds. on beyond was a glint of the sun-lit river. a group of towering cottonwood trees, standing in the dooryard, is so conspicuous a feature of the landscape that it serves as a guide for the pilots on the river boats. leaving the sailor here to do some foraging in the neighbourhood, we went on to upper weyanoke. we followed a road that skirted corn fields and pasture lands, busy plantation life on every hand. one could but think of the very different scene that was here in the days of the civil war. few places suffered at that time more than did weyanoke. here, part of grant's army crossed the james in the march upon petersburg. while bridges were building, the federal forces were scattered over the plantation; and when at last they crossed the river, they left devastation behind. as we came upon the outbuildings of the upper plantation, we heard singing and laughter. corn-husking was going on in the big barn. the doors were open, and from the distant roadway we could see the negroes at work, bits of their parti-coloured garb showing bright against the dark interior. and at last, truly enough, our pathway led among the chickens and the geese. indeed, one blustering gander "quite thought to bar our way." but, taking courage from the stirring old couplet, "we routed him: we scouted him, nor lost a single man." there were other fowl in sight too; fowl that had a special significance just then. for, despite the bright, warm days, the last thursday in november was near at hand; and we wondered whether our thanksgiving dinner could be found in this flock of plump, bronze birds. the early plantation house at upper wey-anoke was long ago destroyed by fire, and a modern house of brick now stands upon the old site. a broad, shaded lawn slopes to the river. here one gets an impressive view of the james as it broadens into a curving bay below windmill point. when we entered the home, our interest centred in its mistress, the little lady of old-time grace and courtesy sitting by the open fire. it was later that we noticed the two portraits hanging near her--one of chief-justice marshall and one of a beautiful dark-eyed young woman. the relationship of these three--mrs. douthat, the chief-justice, and the beautiful young woman--added to the charm of our talk. for the great john marshall had a son john who married elizabeth alexander, a descendant of the colonial house of thomas; and that elizabeth alexander was the girl in the picture. john and elizabeth had a daughter, and that daughter was the sweet little lady sitting there beneath the portraits. her grandfather, the chief-justice, named her mary willis in memory of his cherished, invalid wife. this mary willis marshall married fielding lewis douthat, of the harwood family, and went as a bride to lower weyanoke when the home there yet spoke bravely of colonial dignity, and the garden was still fragrant with trim bordered beds of bloom. some years later, they moved to upper weyanoke where mr. douthat died. in the family circle as we found it were mrs. douthat, three daughters, and two sons. [illustration: an ancestress of weyanoke.] [illustration: chief-justice john marshall.] while the conversation ranged wide, from seventeenth century plantation grants to twentieth century houseboats, we found our attention drawn most to the reminiscences of mrs. douthat, told in the charming speech of a day that had time for the art of conversation. she had childhood recollections of the great chief-justice, and had treasured the family traditions concerning him. we got all too little both of the personal recollections and of the traditions; but they made it seem a very real john marshall that this granddaughter of his was talking about. mrs. douthat could not add much to the little that we already knew about a small brick building on the plantation that has long been pointed out from the steamers' decks as one of the oldest buildings in the country. it stands on the river bluff near the present home. if as old as is usually supposed, it is doubtless one of the early garrison houses, and must have seen desperate days on this indian-harassed peninsula. in this house, up to the time of her death a few years ago, lived the old mammy of the family. she was one of the last of a type developed through generations of plantation life, and now disappearing with it. her place was at the end of a long line of dusky nurses, the first of whom landed nearly three centuries ago at james towne, and crooned to the children of the royal governors the weird minor lullabies of jungle-land. at present, elias, a gray-haired negro, lives in the little old house. every morning he goes to see mrs. douthat; and he seldom varies the greeting: "how is you dis mawnin', miss mary? i sut'n'y is glad to see you able to be up an' 'roun'. you know you an' me is chil'en of de same day." weyanoke, like most of the large plantations on the james, has a postoffice in the house. our visit over, we gathered up quite a promising lot of mail and started homeward with the commodore looking like a peripatetic branch of the rural free delivery. evening was gathering in as we walked back along the field roads. the air was warm, a gentle breeze went rustling through the corn, and the autumn haze just veiled field and marsh and distant woods. upon reaching our shore-boat, we pushed out upon the marsh waterway. in our absence the tide had been slowly creeping up on reeds and rushes, had reached its height, and (leaving a brown, bubbly line upon each slender stalk to show that the law had been fulfilled) had started slowly down again. but the ebb had only begun. the marsh was yet almost tide-full, and all its channels were water-lanes. each little way was like every other, and one could well wander amiss down between those winding walls of sedges. we paddled very slowly, often stopping to let the boat drift on the ebb tide. why might we not find out the secret of the marshes if we went very softly through the heart of them?--that secret of which the slender reeds are always whispering; that mystery that keeps them always a-shiver. is it something they have hidden from the searching tide? is it known to the little marsh-hen that cunningly builds her nest at the foot of the sedges? is it guessed by the restless finny folk that slip and search beneath the brown waters? holding our boat quiet in the ebbing bayou, we looked and listened. there were sounds of sibilant dripping in the dim sedges; of alewives jumping by the side of our boat; of a sudden rush of blackbird wings; and of the evening breeze as it freshened in the bending blades. we could see the many rivulets, wine-red now in the sunset light; and the graceful swaying of great grasses, pale green and silver and tan; and the red and golden sky above: ebbing rivulets, rippling reeds, drifting clouds, and sunset shades. and that was all. nor had we guessed the secret of the marshes. yet, we should have been content still to look and to listen, down in the hidden tiny ways of the marshland, but for the fading light that warned us homeward. what would night be among the sedges with the wandering rivulets full of twinkling stars, with the soft calling of wakeful birds, and with the skurrying of little creatures in their shadowy forest of reeds? slowly we paddled on in the twilight; on through the little water-gate and out upon the kittewan, where images of the bordering trees lay sharp and black on the strangely purple water. from down-stream where gadabout waited, came such a fervent burst of song that we knew that the entire crew was urging its soul to be on guard-- "te-en thou-san' foes ah-rise." chapter xvii across river to fleur de hundred the next day we determined to run around to the river front of weyanoke. we were yet charmed with the idea of being back-door neighbours of the old plantation; but not at quite such long range. when the tide served, gadabout dropped down the twisting kittewan. though she paused involuntarily in trying to round the island where the sweet gum flamed against the pines, and caught her propeller on a cypress stump as she sighted the dormer windows of the old house on the hill, yet she came in good time to the clear channel and, passing the tangled underwood that hid the forsaken tomb, she reached the mouth of the creek before the tide turned and started up the james on the last of the flood. weyanoke plantation is a peninsula lying in a sharp elbow of the river, so that it was a run of a few miles from the mouth of kittewan creek, on one side of the peninsula, around to the weyanoke pier on the other side. upon reaching the sharp bend in the river at the point of the peninsula, we could see one reason anyway why grant should have chosen this as a place for crossing the james. here, the banks of the river suddenly draw close so that the stream is less than half a mile wide. however, it makes up in depth what it has lost in width, the channel at this point being from eighty to ninety feet deep. even at the last of the tide the water here flowed swiftly and with ugly swirls and oily whirlpools that made the river seem vicious. now, we ran toward the southern shore to look at the ruins of a fort built in the war of . the sun was setting beyond the high bluff that backed the fort, and the place lay blurred in the shadow; but apparently time, and perhaps the hard knocks of war, had not left much of fort powhatan. two creeks that enter the james near the old fort received our close scrutiny, for every side stream tempted us. we would wonder how far gadabout could follow each winding way, and what she might find up there. [illustration: upper weyanoke.] a short run farther up the river took us abreast the pier at upper weyanoke; and, passing around it, we cast anchor within a stone's throw of the plantation home. [illustration: at anchor off weyanoke.] we sat out in the cockpit a long time that night enjoying the strangely quiet mood of the powhatan. the old river flowed so peacefully that it mirrored all the sky above; and we looked down into a maze of stars with the sea-tide running through. then a blinding light put out all our stars as the night boat from richmond came down the river and trained her searchlight so that it picked gadabout out of the darkness. our whistle saluted with three good blasts. the searchlight responded by making three profound bows--so profound that they reached from the high heavens down to the water at our feet. then, it suddenly whipped to the front to pick out the steamer's course again through the darkness of the night. while lying at anchor in front of upper weyanoke, we made further visits at the plantation home. despite the ravages of war and of two destructive fires, relics of old-time life are at this plantation too. it was pitiful, but amusing as well, to hear how some of these escaped the war-time vandalism. the soldiers who had stripped the home--even of carpets--when they left the plantation to cross the james, would have been chagrined could they have looked back over the river and have seen old family treasures coming out from secret nooks and old family silver from a hollow tree. mrs. douthat told us how nature favoured grant in the crossing of the james. though comparatively the river is so narrow at the point of the weyanoke peninsula, yet to get to the stream at that point it was necessary for the federal forces to traverse an extensive swamp. apparently the swamp was impassable; but the officers found, running through it, a most peculiar formation--a natural ridge of solid earth. it was a ready-made military roadway upon which the troops could pass through the swamp and reach the river. mr. douthat always declared that "the almighty had built it for them." across the james from weyanoke lies fleur de hundred. one day, with a daughter and a son of the weyanoke household aboard, we sailed over to visit the old plantation. we knew that we should find nothing in the way of plantation life there, as the estate has long lain idle; and we knew also that no mark was left on the broad acres to tell of the life of colonial days. but the broad acres themselves were there, and they would remember the old times no doubt; and perhaps, lying in the sunshine and with nothing in the world to do, they might tell us things. we knew somewhat about fleur de hundred ourselves. in sir george yeardley, governor of the colony (the same who owned weyanoke), patented these lands and gave them the name that has scarcely been spelled twice alike since. sir george sold the plantation to captain abraham piersey. we sought to trace the successive owners on beyond abraham; but they married and died at such a rate that we got lost in the confusion somewhere between the altar and the tomb, and gave the matter up. two well established customs among the early colonists seem to have been to die early and to marry often. perhaps they usually reversed the order; but, at any rate, dying in middle age after having married "thirdly" or "fifthly"--yes, even "sixthly"--makes top-heavy family trees and puzzling lines of descent. in this instance, we were quite content to skip to the opening of the nineteenth century when fleur de hundred became the property of john v. willcox, in whose descendants it has ever since remained. landing upon a pebbly beach beside the ruins of a pier, we took a long walk inland to the present-day home. while historic fleur de hundred is now allowed to lie idle, its plantation life all gone, yet its home life continues and the old-time hospitality remains, as we found in that afternoon visit. and when we set our faces toward gadabout again, nautica had roses and lavender and violets from an old garden that refused to stop blooming with the rest of the plantation, and the commodore treasured a rare pamphlet upon early virginia that only virginia courtesy would have entrusted to a stranger. through the quiet of the sleeping plantation, we took our way toward the river. some bees had found late sweetness along the overgrown roadway. the air was still and sweet with the scent of sun-drying herbs. a lagging sail was on old powhatan. about us on every hand lay the historic soil of fleur de hundred. we wondered where the manor-house had stood in those early colonial days when sir george yeardley, the governor, made his home here, with many indented servants and half the negroes in the colony to serve him; and where had been the several dwellings and store-houses, stoutly palisaded, that had formed quite a village for his day. [illustration: present-day fleur de hundred.] it is not recorded that the governor was a great smoker, but he was an enthusiastic grower of tobacco and may almost be said to have been the father of the industry. doubtless, in his time, most of these fertile acres were covered with the strange weed that the englishmen had got from the village gardens of the red man. but here were grown maize and wheat also; and to grind these sir george built--over there on the point of the plantation--the first windmill in america. in the eyes of the savages, he must have waxed to the stature of a great medicine man, when he made of wood the long arms that beckoned to the winds and made them come to grind his grain. through all time, had not their fathers (or rather their mothers) had to steep grain for twelve hours; then laboriously pound it in stone mortars; and then sift it through baskets woven of river reeds? less matter for wonderment was that long-armed creature on the point of land to hans houten and heinrich elkens, sailing up the james in the white dove with good holland sack for barter. these sturdy mariners from the dyke-and-windmill country would regard the contrivance with more critical eyes than could the red man from the bow-and-arrow wilderness. but we saw nothing of windmill or of palisaded village or of royal governor; and field and meadow and woodland all seemed too sleepy to tell us much about them. they only served to recall the tantalizing, broken bits that the records give of the picturesque life that was here--of colonial pomp and savage dignity, of london trade and indian barter, of english games and merriment, of colonial trials and tragedies: all this of which we know, yet know so little. and so we left the old plantation dreaming in the autumn sunshine--left it to the poets and to the story-tellers, who seem to have adopted it. they know how to weave the spells that bring back old manor-houses and gallants and ladies and tall london ships and the vanished scenes of love and of war. the place belongs to them; old fleur de hundred--half real and half ideal--an old-time bit of story-land. chapter xviii gadabout goes to church it was the day before thanksgiving when the houseboat gadabout, with her good-byes all said, fished up her anchor from the river bottom in front of weyanoke, and started off to find another place to drop it farther up the stream. she was ready for the holiday. the material for her thanksgiving dinner was all aboard: part of it canned and boxed as the steamer had just brought it from norfolk; and the rest of it, and the best of it, plump and gobbling on the stern. but gadabout's preparations for the day had not stopped here. not only had she provided the season's feast, but she had diligently inquired of her chart and of her neighbours where she might take her family to church. the chart had told her of a little stream, called herring creek, a few miles farther up the james, and had shown her a mark upon the bank of the creek that it called westover church. the neighbours had said that the chart was right; and had added that the church was a colonial one still in use, and doubtless thanksgiving services would be held there. fortunately, herring creek was a stream that gadabout had intended running into anyway, as it would be the anchorage most convenient to the next colonial estate that she should visit--the plantation of westover from which the church had taken its name. from weyanoke to the old church was not very far; but, as gadabout had one or two things to stop for on the way and as she might be delayed by the tide, this bright wednesday morning found her bustling up the river almost afraid that she would be late for service. doubtless, in her haste, she was quite put out when we threw the wheel to starboard as she was passing court house creek, and carried her somewhat out of her way. all that we did it for was to run in close to look at some "stobs" just showing above the water. at the mouths of most of the creeks along the james are such "stobs" or broken pilings. they are the ruins of old-time piers, the last vestige of a vanished, picturesque river trade. ancient pilings have lasted well in the james; and these evidently once belonged to the piers of up-creek colonial planters. they tell of the day when ships from england, holland, and the indies sailed up the river for barter with the colonists. while the planters whose estates fronted directly on the james received their importations upon wharves before their doors and delivered their tobacco in the same convenient manner, the planters up the creeks were at more trouble in the matter. the bars at the mouths of the streams kept the ships from entering; and they had to wait outside while the planters brought their produce down upon rafts and in shallow-draft barges, pirogues, and shallops. some of the most picturesque of the colonial river trade was at these little creek-mouth piers. here came not only the tall ships from england bearing everything used upon the plantations from match-locks and armour to satin bodice and perfumed periwig, from plow and spit to turkey-worked chairs and silver plate, from oatmeal, cheese, and wine to nutmegs and shakespeare's plays; but here came also tramp craft--broad, deep-laden bottoms from the netherlands, and english and dutch boats from the west indies. these picturesque vagrant sails sought their customers from landing to landing, and sold their cargoes at comparatively low prices. such a ship was assort of bargain boat for these scattered settlers up the creeks of the james; a queer, transient department store at the little cross-roads of tidewater. there would be exchange of news as well as of commodities, and a friendly rivalry in the matter of tales of adventure--the planter's story of indian attacks being pitted against the captain's yarn of the "pyrats" that gave him chase off the "isle of devils." then up the masts of the trading ship the sails would go clacking, and the prow that had touched the warm wharves of the indies would point up the river again, bound for the next landing. and the shallops of the planter--after loading from the little pier with casks and bales still strong of the ship's hold, of the tar of the ropes, of the salt of the sea--would disappear up the forest stream. a short distance above court house creek, gadabout stopped at a landing to get some oil. she was rather hurried and flustered about the matter, as the steamer from petersburg was coming around the point above and would soon be making this same landing, and a schooner that was loading was right in the way, and the first line that was thrown out broke, and the engine stopped at the wrong time, and--all those people looking on! besides, this was supposed to be an interesting fishing point; but how was a little houseboat to get a look at it, lying there alongside a big schooner that she couldn't see over? altogether, gadabout fumed and fussed so much here, pitching about in the choppy water, jerking her ropes, and battering her big neighbour, that it was a relief to all concerned when she got her oil aboard, cast off her ropes, and, giving the schooner a last vindictive dig in the ribs, set off up the river. even after getting away from the schooner there was not much to be seen at the landing. yet, in season, the little place would be quite quaint and bustling; for it was one of the many fishing hamlets along the river. the james has always been a favourite spawning-ground for sturgeon. those first colonists, writing enthusiastically of the newfound river, declared "as for sturgeon, all the world cannot be compared to it." they told of a unique and spirited way the indians had of catching these huge, lubberly fish. in a narrow bend of the river where the sturgeon crowded, an adroit fisherman would clap a noose over the tail of a great fish (a fish perhaps much larger than himself) and go plunging about with his powerful captive. and he was accounted "cockarouse," brave fellow, who kept his hold, diving and swimming, and finally towed his catch ashore. the colonists early turned their attention to sturgeon fishing. the roe they prepared and shipped abroad for the russians' piquant table delicacy. the grim irony of it--half famished colonists shipping caviar! to-day the coming of the sturgeon puts life into the little hamlets like the one we had just passed, and dots their sandy beaches with the bateaux and the drying nets of the fishermen. [illustration: a fishing hamlet.] we passed the down-bound steamer near buckler's point and her heavy swell came rolling across toward us. almost instinctively we turned our craft crosswise to the river to face the coming waves; for to take them broadside meant a weary picking up of fragments from the cabin floors, and a premature commingling of the contents of the refrigerator. just beyond buckler's point we came to the opening into herring creek and, passing readily over the bar, went on up the little stream. as we sailed along we caught glimpses to port of the warm, red walls of a stately building that we knew to be westover. [illustration: a river landing.] we found herring creek a good, lazy houseboating waterway; a brown ribbon of marsh stream wandering aimlessly among the rushes. turn after turn, and the marshes still kept us company--the quiet, lone marshes that had come to have such a charm for us. evidently, they were beginning to feel that the year was growing old. greens were sobering into browns, and near the water's edge were tips of silvery white. the frowsy-looking grassy bunches, here and there, were ducking blinds, where hunters soon would be in hiding with their wooden decoys floating near. like some great marsh creature herself, gadabout followed the winding way, puffing along contentedly. sometimes, when the turns were too sharp for her liking, she swung to them lazily, with a long purr of water at bow and stern, and seemed about to wallow off through the rushes. now something of a bank developed along our starboard side. it grew into a bluff covered with pines and thick-coated cedars and white-trunked sycamores and gray beeches. this woodland too had the year writ old. the surviving green of cedar and pine could not hide the telltale leafless trees that stood between. but more significant than leafless trees was the luxuriant holly with its ripe, red berries, gayly ready for christmas decorations and to grace the birth of a new year. and yet, these were among the most glorious days for houseboating: tonic days with a hint of winter in the chill, crisp air, and dreamy days with a lingering of summer in the sun's warm glow. the enervating heat was over, and the worrisome insects were gone. in peace we could sail in the marsh stream or climb the banks for ferns and holly. gadabout moved with masses of pale reeds, spicy boughs of cedar, bay branches, and glowing holly nodding on her bow. the air was no longer filled with the song of birds; but it was alive and cheerily a-twitter with their fat flittings from seeds to berries, from marsh to woodland. heartily we declared that it was better to go an-autumning than a-maying. after a while there were signs of people about. little boats were nosing into the bank here and there, and occasionally a white farmhouse would peep over the bluff above our water-trail. [illustration: "little boats were nosing into the bank here and there."] it was along toward dinner time when, according to our count, the houseboat had rounded as many bends as the chart seemed to require, and ought to be near westover church. so, upon catching sight through the trees of a brick building up on the bluff, we concluded that gadabout had reached her journey's end, and an anchor was dropped. toward evening nautica and the commodore went ashore. at the top of the hill was a little graveyard, and standing in it was the old church that we had come to see. it was a small building and plain, but of historic interest. as originally built, about the middle of the seventeenth century, it stood not here but down on the shore of the james at westover. one of the earliest churches in the country, and then standing on one of the greatest estates in virginia, it was a typical centre of colonial life; and gathered about it, in the little graveyard by the river, were the tombs of noted colonial dead. about the middle of the eighteenth century the church was moved to its present site. enclosed within a brick wall and with the tombs of generations of worshippers again clustering about it, westover church had settled down once more to revered old age when the ravages of war swept over the land. in that sad war of brothers over a union that this church had seen formed, over soil that it had seen won from great britain, the humble old house of god was left dismantled, its graveyard walls thrown down, and its tombs broken. after the war, the church was repaired, and it is still the place of worship for the countryside. the rectory stood on a bluff near by, overlooking the wide stretch of marsh and the far windings of the stream. we found that the latest of the long line of rectors and equally important rectors' wives that westover church has known were the reverend and mrs. cornick, who told us of the hopes of the little community that the government would yet pay indemnity for the injury done by federal soldiers to the old church. the next morning brought so fine a thanksgiving day that our gratitude rose up with the sun--though the rest of us awaited a more convenient hour. the air was crisp; the sky was unclouded. when, in good time for morning service, we went up the hill to the old brick church, we saw horses and carriages lined along the fence. inside the building some of the people who had come early were having neighbourly confidences over the backs of the pews. naturally our thoughts went wandering between service and sermon and church. sometimes (and through no fault of the good rector either), we would find ourselves far back in the story of that colonial house of worship, and full two hundred years away from the text. we would see this old church as it stood at first on the wild bank of the james, and the families of those early planters gathering in. they would come from up and down the river; some in pirogues and pinnaces and sloops, and some on horseback with the fair dames on pillions behind. or, somewhat later, lordly coaches would roll to the door bearing colonial grandees. the plain little church had seen brave attire in those days, when the parish worshipped in flowered silks and embroidered waistcoats and laced head-dresses and powdered periwigs. then, after the services, would come the social hour, when dinner invitations went round, parties were planned, and there was a general changing about of the guests that were always filling virginia homes. doubtless, the lavish hospitality of the master of westover, who attended this church, caused quite a sunday pilgrimage to that mansion of his that we had glimpsed through the trees as gadabout entered herring creek. we went out past chatting groups (stopping for the greeting of the rector and his wife); past horses that were being unhitched and vehicles that were cramping and creaking; on down to the stream where geese were paddling in the marshes, and overhead the rectory doves were wheeling in the sunny air. rowing down the creek toward the houseboat, we stopped here and there to gather reeds and holly. "this is the first time that we have ever gone to church by boat," said the commodore. "yes," answered nautica, "and it was just the way to do it. we have attended a colonial church in a quite colonial way." when we sat down to our thanksgiving dinner, we felt almost like landlubbers again; for while our home acre was a watery one and gadabout, boat-like, swung and swayed, yet we had real neighbours up on the bluff and there was even a church next door. later, we saw coming down the stream some good after-dinner cheer--our rowboat with mail that had been accumulating for days at westover. letters and papers and packages and magazines were welcomed aboard. comfortably we settled down for an evening of catching up with the world. next morning gadabout made an uneventful run down the stream, anchored just within the mouth of the creek, and sent henry off into the country foraging. of course certain provisioning arrangements followed gadabout from harbour to harbour. boxes of groceries came up from norfolk or down from richmond by steamer; and also every few days a big cake of ice arrived in a travelling suit of burlap lined with sawdust. but that still left many things to be obtained along the way. as most of the country stores were back from the river, the sailor, on horseback or in a cart, made many a long provisioning trip. toward evening when there came a gentle bump upon gadabout's guard and the rattle of a chain upon her cleat, we went out to see what the supply boat had brought. as soon as we heard the troubled sputtering, "an' i mos' give up gittin' anything," we knew that the little shore-boat was a nautical horn of plenty. and so she proved as her cargo came aboard to an accompaniment of running comment. "i don' know _where_ i been, an' if i had to go back, i couldn' do it. that's butter there--that'll do till the nex' box comes. the store didn' have much of anything; an' i struck out into the country, i did, an' mos' los' myse'f. but the horse he knowed the way. i got another turkey, anyhow. i'm cert'nly glad we jes' begun to eat 'em if we got to eat 'em steady. the man had done sold him; but i used my silver tongue, i did, an' he let me have him. there's some apples an' turnips an' sweet potatoes. i got them at the store. an' where i got them eggs at, i could get a couple of chickens nex' week if i could jes' fin' the place." so the fruits of the foraging came tumbling aboard--a promising, goodly array. and gadabout had no troubled dreams that night of a wolf swimming up to her door. chapter xix westover, the home of a colonial belle on the following day, gadabout scrambled across the flats out into the james again, intent upon a visit to westover. unlike brandon, westover stands within sight from the river; and we had a good view of the old homestead as we passed by to make our landing at the steamer pier which is a little above the house. there was a break in the tree-fringe on the north bank of the james. a sea-wall extended along the water's edge, and from either end of it a brick wall ran far inland. within the spacious enclosure, the grounds swept back and up from the river, with noble trees and close-cut lawn; and crowning the slope stood the beautiful old mansion. a stately central building of red brick, with dormer windows in its steep-pitched roof, rose between low flanking corridors and wings like some overlord with his faithful vassals in attendance. in neutral brown the quiet river, in shadowy green the sloping lawn, in dull red and gleaming white the lofty, many-windowed front of westover--a picture that drew gadabout in close to the shoals that day. the bit of history that goes with the picture gives us many glimpses of old-time elegance and romance, and helps us to a good idea of some of the pretentious phases of colonial life. it runs in this way. back in the beginnings of things american, when the dissatisfied planters at james towne were starting out to establish their estates along the river, these lands by herring creek attracted attention. under the name of westover they soon became the property of the byrd family, and rose to prominence among colonial estates in connection with the fortunes of that distinguished house. the golden age of westover was in the days of the second william byrd, who was one of the most striking figures of colonial times. handsome, learned, witty, and capable; with exquisite taste and elegant culture fashioned in the friendship of english noblemen; with almost endless acres and boundless wealth--a cavalier of cavaliers was this london-bred virginian. [illustration: riverward front of westover.] it is surprising that this _beau-ideal_ should have remained spouseless for two years after coming into his estate. he must have been considered the most fascinating matrimonial possibility in the colony. one can imagine how in a gathering of virginia maidens intent upon their tambour embroidery, when the name of westover's young master came up, a circle of eyelashes went down and a circle of tender hearts went both up and down. the prize was finally won by lucy parke, daughter of colonel daniel parke whose portrait hangs at brandon. some years later, family litigation called colonel byrd to england, where his wife and little daughter, evelyn, joined him, and where his wife soon died. the residence in london continued for a number of years; and resulted in giving the colonel a new wife in the person of a rich young widow, and in giving social finish and a broken heart to evelyn byrd. under the guidance of her father, she was educated after the manner of the fashionable life of that day. it must have been a time quite to the elegant colonel's liking when london turned in admiration to his daughter; when, but sixteen and already crowned with social successes, the cultured beauty from the plantation on the james was presented at the english court. the stories of evelyn byrd's london experiences bring many noted names into the train of those who did her honour: the lords chesterfield and oxford, and pope at the height of his glory, and the cynical lord hervey, and beau nash, the autocrat of bath. there should be mentioned too that old courtier (whoever he was) whose admiration was expressed in the rather mild witticism, "i no longer wonder that young men are anxious to go to virginia to study ornithology, since such beautiful _birds_ are to be found there." it was in the midst of this london gayety that evelyn byrd so literally met her fate in meeting the grandson of lord peterborough, charles mordaunt. the story of that unhappy love affair--the devoted pair, the opposition of the maiden's father, and the separation of the lovers--has become an oft-told but ever attractive romance. about , colonel byrd returned with his family to virginia; and it was then, it seems, that he built the present mansion at westover, and entered upon the almost sumptuous life there that was to make the plantation famous. and westover was a worthy setting for the worthy colonel. without the home, were lawns and gardens beautiful with native and imported trees, shrubs, and vines; and within the home, spacious rooms with rich furnishings and art treasures gathered in england and on the continent. here too was one of the largest and most valuable collections of books in the colonies. as a matter of course, this home was a distinguished social centre, drawing to itself the most brilliant colonial society. colonel byrd died in , and was buried in the old garden when it was in all its summer glory. in the next generation, westover passed to strangers, having been for a century and a quarter the home of the byrds, who for three successive generations had held proud position in colonial america. since then, the plantation has suffered from many changes of ownership, and from the civil war. the mansion was held several times by the federal forces, being used as headquarters and as an army storehouse. among the war injuries it sustained was the destruction of one wing. the destroyed portion has been rebuilt recently by the present owner of the estate, mrs. c. sears ramsay. under her ownership, westover has had added interest, especially for lovers of the colonial, on account of such extensive restoration as has made the old home one of the finest examples of eighteenth century architecture and furnishing in america. surely while we have been telling the story of westover, gadabout has had time to reach the steamboat pier above the house; and we may take it that she is safely tied to the pilings. once ashore, nautica and the commodore found that a short walk along the river bluff brought them to an entrance to the westover grounds. gates of wrought iron, with perhaps a martlet from the byrd coat of arms above them, swung between tall pillars in the wall. from this entrance, a pathway approached the homestead diagonally, and afforded charming views of the house and its surroundings. to our right as we walked, the lawn, thick set with trees, sloped gently to the river wall. to our left, the views came in broken, picturesque bits; a stretch of shrubbery, a reach of garden wall, some quaint outbuildings in warm, dull red, a glimpse of courtyard beyond a corner of box, and then the old home itself. [illustration: the hall, with its carved mahogany staircase.] the riverward portal of westover stands tall, white, and finely typical of its day. above squared stone steps, the double doors with the fanlight above them are framed by two engaged columns supporting an elaborate pediment that has the symbolic pineapple in the centre. we stood before the fine entrance, fancy painting the old-time scene within; that scene of eighteenth century elegance which is the traditional picture of colonial westover. the door opened, and we entered upon perhaps quite as charming an eighteenth century scene, which is the westover of to-day. a panelled hall extended through the house, the double doors at the farther end opening upon a glass-enclosed vestibule. about midway, and from beneath a heavy crystal chandelier, the stairway of carved mahogany rose to a landing, where an ancient clock stood tall and dark, then turned and wound to the rooms above. to the right of the hall was the drawing-room. passing over its threshold, we thought of those old colonial days, the days of colonel byrd. as in his time, the light came subdued through the deep-casemented windows. it fell upon the walls that he had so handsomely panelled, upon the ceiling that he had ornamented in the delicate putty-work of his day, and upon furniture in carved mahogany that was of the period of his ownership of westover. at the farther end of the room was the noted mantelpiece imported from italy by colonel byrd. it is an elaborate creation of italian marble with relief design in white upon a black background. in front of it, on either hand, stood handsome brass torcheres, with their suggestion of the mellow candle-light that was wont to fall in this same room upon the courtly colonel, the lovely evelyn, and those brilliant assemblages of colonial times. opening also from the hall are the dining-room with its high colonial mantel and typical virginia buffet, the french morning-room with its gray green tints and its touches of gilt, and the library with its old chimney-piece, high black fire-dogs, and quaint fire-tending irons. all the rooms have their colonial panelling, deep window-seats, and open fireplaces. [illustration: the hepplewhite sideboard with butler's desk.] in the dining-room our interest was quickened upon our being told that the handsome sideboard had belonged to the byrd family. it is believed to be a hepplewhite, though similar in lines to a rare design of sheraton's. above the sideboard a circular, concave mirror of elaborate eighteenth century type accentuates the period furnishing of the room. [illustration: "four-posters and the things of four-poster days."] up-stairs even more than below, we felt the atmosphere of the olden time. perhaps passing the ancient clock on the landing helped to set us back a century or two. we were quite prepared for the quiet, old-fashioned upper hall, with its richness half lost in the shadows and with its sleepy night-stand holding a brass house lantern and a prim array of candles in brass candlesticks. in the bedrooms were four-posters and the things of four-poster days. wing-cheek chairs of cozy depths told of old-time fireside dreams; a work-table with attenuated legs called to mind the wearisome needlework of our foremothers; and a brass warming-pan carried us back to the times when only such devices could make tolerable the frigid winter beds of our ancestors. one of the riverward bedrooms is the romantic centre of westover. it now belongs to the little daughter of the house; but nearly two centuries ago it was the room of evelyn byrd. doubtless, in a sense, it will always be hers. the soft toned panelled walls, the old fireplace opposite the door, and the cozy little dressing-room looking gardenward, all seem to speak of her; and the imaginative visitor can quite discern a graceful figure in colonial gown there in one of the deep window seats that look out upon the pleasance and the river. here the unfortunate colonial beauty lived and died with the grief that she brought from over the sea. here she laid away the rich brocade, the old court gown of brilliant, bitter memories that was shown to us at brandon. through these windows she looked with ever more wistful eyes out upon the river, her thoughts hurrying with its waters toward the ocean and the lover beyond. and one day, it is said, a great ship from london came, and it touched at the pier before her windows, and charles mordaunt plead his cause with the stern father once more. but he plead in vain, and the ship and the lover sailed away. for a while longer, the colonial girl waited and looked out upon the river, then she too went away and the romance was over. [illustration: the romantic centre of westover; evelyn byrd's old room.] in the family circle at westover to-day are mrs. ramsay, two sons, and the little daughter, elizabeth. among well-known families appearing in mrs. ramsay's ancestry are the sears and the gardiners of massachusetts, she being a descendant of lyon gardiner of gardiner's island. she also claims kinship with the randolphs and the reeveses of virginia, and a collateral and remote connection with the byrds. when we returned to the steamer pier after our visit at westover, we found quite a wind on the river and the houseboat fretfully bumping the pilings. we hastened aboard, ran down stream before a stiff wind, and skurried back into our harbour in herring creek, where gadabout settled to her moorings as contented as a duck in the marshes. chapter xx an old courtyard and a sun-dial for some time that little anchorage was our watery home acre. we came to call it our sunrise harbour. the opening where creek and river met faced to the east; and it was well worth while, if the morning was not too chill, to have an eye on that opening when the sun came up. breaking through the mist veil that hung over the james, he cast a golden pontoon across the river, and then came over in all his splendour. he made straight for the mouth of our little creek, flooding wood and marsh with misty glow, and fairly crowding his glory into the narrow channel. one morning, quite in keeping with the splendid burst of dawn, a loud report rang out over the marshes like the sound of a sunrise gun. but it was no salute to the orb of day. somebody was poaching. more shots followed; and ducks, quacking loudly, fluttered up out of the marshes. later, when we were at breakfast, a long rowboat, containing a man and a pile of brush and doubtless some ducks with the fine flavour of the forbidden, came out from a break in the marshes and went hurriedly up the stream. as we lay in our harbour, we found ourselves almost unconsciously listening for a sound that seemed to belong to those chill, gray days. at last, from somewhere high up in the air, it came ringing down to us--the stirring "honk, honk" of the wild goose. though our eyes searched the heavens, we could see nothing of the living wedge of flight up there that was cleaving its way southward with the speed of the wind. but we felt the thrill of that wild, stirring cry and were satisfied. whether the geese brought it or not, bad weather came with them. half a gale came driving the rain before it down the river. gadabout lay with her bulkheads closed tight about her forward cockpit, and must have looked most dismal. but inside, dry and warm, she was a very cheery little craft. we listened quite contentedly to the uproar, looking out from our windows upon windswept marsh and scudding clouds and the fussy little wavelets of our harbour. it added to our sense of coziness to look through a stern window out upon the river where the waters piled and broke white, in their midst an anchored schooner with swaying masts, tipsy between wind and tide. one day when the heavens had gone blue again, though tattered clouds were still racing across, we hoisted anchor for another visit to westover. when gadabout poked her head out of the creek, she saw a queer looking craft busy on the james. it was a government buoy-tender, an awkward side-wheeler with a derrick forward, and big red sticks and black ones lying on deck. as we passed the tender, it was moving the red buoy at the mouth of our creek farther out into the river. evidently the shoals were encroaching upon the channel. gadabout showed little interest in the strange boat and its doings; and, unconcernedly turning her back, headed up the river. of course buoys were all very well and she found them quite a help in getting about; but all this fussy shifting of them by a few feet mattered little to her, for she was on the wrong side of them most of the time anyway. however, we thought of how differently the watchful buoy-tender would be regarded by the heavy laden freighters that would pass that way, their rusty hulls plowing deep. to them how important that each buoy, each inanimate flagman of the river route, should stand true where danger lies and truly point the fairway. reaching the little cove below the steamboat pier, gadabout ran close in and cast anchor. she may well have been proud of the quite perceptible waves that she sent rolling to the shore and of the quite audible swish that they made on the beach. that morning we saw the landward front of westover, and straightway forgot all about the more pretentious river front. you step from the house down into an old-time courtyard. at first you do not see much of the courtyard itself, for you have heard of its noted entrance gates, perhaps the first example of ornamental iron-work in the colonies, and they stand quite conspicuously in front of you. these gates were imported from england by colonel william byrd, whose initials, w.e.b., appear inwrought in monogram. two great birds standing on stone balls top the gate-posts. with a fine disregard of both ornithology and heraldry these birds have often been spoken of as martlets--the martlet appearing in the byrd coat of arms. they are evidently eagles, and pretty well developed specimens. american eagles, we might call them, if they had not lighted upon these gate-posts before the american nation adopted its emblem--indeed before the american nation was born. when, in the days of the civil war, the federal troops came along, the soldiers seem to have stood strictly upon chronology, and to have determined that these fine prerevolutionary birds were not entitled to any immunity as national emblems nor even as kinsfolk of "old abe." and so their tough feathers flattened many a bullet, and one eagle had to be sent to richmond to get some toes and a new tail. turning from the gates, your eyes follow down the courtyard toward the garden. walls, outbuildings, the quaint cellar-hut, even the diamond-shaped stepping-stones along the way, all help to make up a characteristic colonial scene. and for what striking bits of colonial life has this old courtyard been the setting! now the exquisite colonel and his ladies would visit the little capital of williamsburg; so, at his door, stands ready his "lordly coach and six with liveried outriders in waiting." again, the great gates are thrown open to guests arriving on horseback and in chariots and chairs. pompous, beruffled dignitaries vie with gay gallants in obeisances and compliments to the ladies, and in assisting them to alight without harm to brocades and laces and rich cloaks and wide-hooped petticoats. and, yet again, all is a-bustle here with scarlet-coated horsemen and baying hounds and hurrying black boys and all that goes to "proclaim a hunting-morning." when the ancient courtyard is left empty again--the colonial coaches rolled off through the gates; the colonial huntsmen up and away and now but distant points of red, fading to the music of hounds and horns--we fall to wondering about those early virginians. such, largely, was their life--abundant leisure, elegant display, exuberant merrymaking. just such a life, by all the rules, as would produce a useless race devoid of any solidity of mind or of character. just such a life as in fact produced a race of high-minded, intelligent, and capable men; a race that gave us washington, jefferson, henry, madison, marshall, monroe, and the scarcely lesser names on down the long list of those wonderful sons of the old dominion. it would do no good to ask even that colonial courtyard for an explanation of all this. it simply recalled what it had seen and heard. nor could we of to-day understand the explanation were we to get it. unable to reconcile industry and leisure, we underrate the real work that went with the idling of those early virginians; and as to the gayety, we long ago lost sight of the fact that merrymaking is man-making. turning from the gateway, we went down the old courtyard. we followed a walk that led past the kitchen and the dairy, skirted a wall, and then turned through a box-shaded gateway into the garden. those december days were not the season of gardens, even in virginia. the paths led us not where bloom was, but where bloom had been. yet, truly all times are garden times where warm red walls shut you in with shadowing trees and shrubs, and where ancient box and ivy hedge the prim old ways. how much our colonial forefathers thought of their gardens! and how much their english forefathers thought of theirs! it was in the blood to have a garden, and to have it walled, and to sit and to walk and to talk in it. [illustration: the colonial courtyard gates.] walking and talking that day with westover's mistress in westover's garden, we soon came upon the tomb of the noted william byrd. representative as was this master of westover of all that was most elegant in the colonial life of his day, he was much more than merely a man of the fashionable world. ability of a high order went with the beauty and the ruffles and the powder. he was statesman, scholar, and author; and in england he had been made, for his proficiency in science, a fellow of the royal society. [illustration: tomb of colonel william byrd.] we owe a great deal to this old-time grandee for the glimpses his writings give us of colonial life in the south during the generation just preceding that of washington. unlike the northern colonists, the southern ones left little record of themselves. so much the more valuable, then, the accounts given by this remarkable man of the times. we seemed turning from an impressive text as we left the tomb; left the old grand seignior in his little six feet of earth--six feet out of , acres! but, after all, it was a rueful text; not one for morning sunshine and blue sky, for hearts that yet beat strong, that yet gloried in a boundless estate--all the bright world ours. and the birds were holding carnival over by the stone basin under the ram's head on the wall; and the river was dancing in the sunlight; and besides, we had caught sight of a sun-dial there in that old colonial garden by the banks of the "king's river"! to he sure we were told that this was not an ancient timepiece of the sun. we were much too late to see the original sun-dial of this garden. that old colonial worthy had found time too long for its marking. worn with the years that it had told, it had leaned and dozed, and lost count, and was gone. but it is not so much that a garden should have an _old_ sun-dial, as that it should have a sun-dial. for the matter of that, they are all old. venerableness is their birthright. whoever thinks of youth in a sun-dial? were you unboxing one just from the maker would you not expect to find it moss-grown? indeed, are these timepieces of sun and shadow made at all, or do they just occur here and there like hoary rocks and mossy springs? and what a charming provision of nature it is that they so often occur in gardens! sun-dials and gardens! sunshine-and-shadow time for plants to grow by; sunshine-and-shadow time for flowers to bloom by. surely this is the only time by which a morning-glory should waken, by which a four-o'clock should know its hour, by which an evening primrose should time its fragrant bloom. sun-dials and gardens! sunshine-and-shadow time for birds to sing by; sunshine-and-shadow time for mortals to laze and dream by. beautiful, silent, peaceful time; where no clocks strike the passing hours, no whistles scream the round of toil. what time like that of the noiseless, scarce-moving shadow upon the dial for a sleepy old garden and a day-dreamer in the sunshine? and if, perchance, the garden-lover is not building castles in spain, but has crept into the garden only for brief rest from the fray, or to give a weary clock-driven soul an hour with its maker, then truly again--sun-dials and gardens! sun-dial time to rest the fainting heart by; sun-dial time for the troubled soul to reach up to god by. sun-dials and gardens! be the garden-lover what he may--day-dreamer, fainting heart, troubled soul--how gently the shadow-finger on the dial points the time for him! how softly, almost lingeringly, it lets the moments slip from gold to gray, seeking to give him, to the full and unfretted, his little hour in the sunshine! and yet, the gentlest marker of time must mark. it may mark very softly those passing moments of life's lessening span; but when we come to look again, the shadow has moved on. nor can childish interference avail. spread your rebellious hands upon the dial; you shall only see the shadow come stealing through your fingers. stand defiantly in the path of the sunlight, and blot out the telltale dial shadow with your own; it but waits until you step aside, then leaps across the moments you have wasted. not for you shall the boon to the sick and penitent king of judah be repeated; not for you shall the shadow turn backward on the sun-dial of ahaz. chapter xxi an underground mystery and a ducking-stool for a day or two gadabout lay out in the james in front of westover. one evening it turned cold and a strong wind set in, coming straight at us across the river. as usual, when gadabout was anchored on a stormy night near a lee shore, we cast a lead out ahead, so as to be able to tell (after it should become too dark to see the land) whether or not we were dragging anchor. that is, we called it casting a lead, though in reality the process consisted in throwing out into the river (as far ahead of us as we could) a piece of old iron with a string tied to it. then, at any time, by gathering up the loose end of the string that lay in the cockpit, one could detect by the outgo of the line any tendency on the part of gadabout to run away with her anchor. it was a very simple device and not exactly original, having doubtless been used a little earlier by christopher columbus and noah and those people. but we never permitted any question of priority to dampen our interest in the thing. as the evening wore on the storm held steadily; steadily and rapidly the barometer kept counting backward; and we took the river's width in wind and sea for half the night. we could not sleep, and sat bolstered up in our chairs. the commodore quite likely did breathe audibly now and then; but nautica was wide awake, as shown by her announcing with feeling and frequency that "she knew we were dragging anchor and were just about to be horribly wrecked upon rocks or 'stobs' or something or other." the commodore arose and busied himself about cockpit and cabin mysteriously. when he finished his labours, the string from the piece of iron out in the river came into the cabin through a hole in the wall made for an engine bell cord. it ran along the ceiling to the after end of the cabin, where a weight kept it taut. a handkerchief that could be plainly seen even in the dim light, was fastened to the string just where it passed above nautica's head. by this time, the commodore's mystery was a mystery no longer; and nautica was laughing. "so that is to put an end to all my anxieties, is it?" "just so," said the commodore. "when that anxious feeling comes, watch the handkerchief. if it is moving toward the door, you may know that your fears are better grounded than the anchors; but if it is not, try to get a wink of sleep." and the wind howled and the boat pitched; but nautica gazed in such relief at the immovable handkerchief that she fell asleep in her chair. when she wakened with a start and looked anxiously at the handkerchief, it was too late--the storm was over. in the morning there was nothing to show for all that night's commotion. smooth, peaceful, and lazy, old powhatan was loitering in the sunlight to the sea. but gadabout was not to be soothed into forgetfulness of those night hours. as soon as she had her morning work done up, she hoisted anchor and headed again for her quiet harbour in herring creek. after that, when we had a mind to go to westover, we usually had no mind to take gadabout with us. instead, we were more likely to row up the river or to walk up the beach at low tide. on the occasion of our last visit to the manor-house, we determined to go "beachway." we ran our rowboat on a sandy point jutting into the mouth of the creek, and took our way along the narrow strip of solid land that lay between river and marsh. white-limbed sycamores and tangled undergrowth went along with us, and sometimes inclined to take up more than their share of the narrow way. brilliant berries gleamed on some bare, brown bushes, and the green leaves of the smilax pretended that they grew there too. along the beach, tall bunches of reeds stood out against the brown of the river and the blue of the sky in their waving slenderness. looking backward across the marshes, we could see the white railing on gadabout's upper deck and could catch the flutter of her flags through the openings in the trees. as we neared westover, a slope led to higher land and to a riverward, side entrance to the grounds. passing through this, a tangle of vines swinging with the great iron gate, we followed the walk toward the house. just before reaching the ballroom wing, we paused in front of a small brick outbuilding to have a few appropriate shivers over what was under it. from reading and from our talks at westover, we knew about the mysterious subterranean chambers down there. to be sure, we had not seen them yet (one thing and another having got in the way of our making a visit to them); but surely one need not always wait to see; one can shiver a little anyway upon hearsay. and the hearsay was like this. somewhere underneath that brick outbuilding was an opening down into the earth, like a dry well, some fifteen or twenty feet deep. at the bottom, arched doorways on opposite sides of the shaft opened into two small square rooms. the walls of the well and of the rooms were cement; and the floors were paved with brick. a round stone table used to stand in one of the rooms. from this well once ran two passages or tunnels, large enough for people to go through; one connecting with the house by a curious stairway in the old wing that was destroyed in the war, and the other leading to the river. we stood looking blankly at the closed outbuilding trying to imagine the hidden rooms and passages beneath it. tradition told us that they were for refuge from the indians. that explanation seemed well enough at first. but before we could get into the spirit of it enough to catch even the faintest bit of a warwhoop and to scuttle for the subterranean chambers, we made up our minds that that was not what the things were for anyway. there had ceased to be much danger from indians along that part of the james by the time even this old home at westover was built. so, casting about for a better explanation, we hit upon the idea that william byrd had constructed the underground rooms in imitation of pope's famous grotto, which the colonel and his daughter evelyn must have seen when entertained by the poet in his villa at twickenham. but even after we had pictured the mysterious chambers all hung round with mirrors, just like pope's, and candles everywhere, we could see that so tame a thing as the grotto theory would never do. there were so many nice, awful things that such a place would be good for. spurring our jaded fancy with bits from ali baba and the forty thieves, we got on famously for a while with a pirates' den. we had a long, low, rakish ship lying in the river just off the tunnel's mouth; black-bearded ruffians, with knives between their teeth, stealing ashore and disappearing within the dark underground passage; the great stone table down there heaped with spanish gold; good jamaica rum pouring down wicked throats; the dark tunnels ever echoing the rollicking chorus, "six men sat on the dead man's chest"--when suddenly it occurred to us that we were somewhat compromising the old colonial grandee, colonel byrd. with that we gave the matter up. we quit staring at a closed brick outbuilding with unseeable things down under it, and went on our way. and, as it turned out that we never visited the underground rooms after all, this was as near as we ever came to solving the colonial mystery. that day, sitting about the fireplace in colonel byrd's library, we listened to a pleasant chapter in the story of an old manor-house--the account of the recent restoration of westover. as in most cases where extensive rehabilitation of colonial homes has been attempted, an interesting part of the work was the opening up of goodly old-time fireplaces that the changing fashions of changing generations had filled in with brick and mortar. sometimes they had shrunk to the dimensions of a modern grate; sometimes even to that of a stovepipe hole. indeed, what chronological mile-stones are the various forms of our american fireplaces! as the historic dates grow larger, the fireplaces grow smaller. of course westover never had the hugest of fireplaces. even when this old home was built, the shrinkage in chimney-pieces had been going on for some time. no longer was most of the side of a room in a blaze. no longer was the flame fed by a backlog so huge that "a chain was attached to it, and it was dragged in by a horse." how far removed westover was from the day of such things, is shown by the noted mantelpiece in the drawing-room. only with the coming of smaller fireplaces came those elaborate mantelpieces. but the great fireplaces of our ancestors yielded slowly, inch by inch, as it were; and something of the goodly proportions they yet had in colonel byrd's day, the hammer and chisel have shown at westover. if the exquisite colonel's doubtless exquisite ghost haunts this home, we can imagine his pleasure when, one wintry night, he found reopened this fine old library fireplace, and sat him down to toast his shapely calves (even ghostly, they must yet be shapely) in the genial old-time glow. some of the most interesting features of the work of putting an old homestead back into a period from which it has strayed, grow out of the very limitations. at westover, while conformity to colonial times is carried far, even to the exclusion of rocking-chairs, yet there has been no shrinking from anachronisms that comfort or convenience demand. eighteenth century fireplaces may blaze and crackle, and quite imagine themselves to be still heating the old house; but somewhere down below is a twentieth century furnace that is quietly doing most of the work. [illustration: the drawing-room mantelpiece at westover.] and what a shock it must be to the colonial ghosts when they stumble in the dark over great claw feet, cold even as their own; the feet of monstrous hollow things, white and awesome as themselves--the things that moderns call bathtubs! over in the kitchen, unfortunately for the picturesque, all has to be modern. there the eighteenth century furnishing breaks down altogether. not from the glowing heart of the old chimney-place, but from a huge, homely range comes the gastronomic hospitality of present-day westover. no devotion to the eighteenth century can bring the colonial kitchen back again; send the roaring blaze up the wide chimney; swing the crane with the great kettle into the glow; and rebuild the quaint row of skillet and gridiron and broiler, perched on their little legs over the hot embers of the old hearthstone. westover has an interesting reminder of the colonial in a copy of an old survey of the plantation that we saw that day. our eyes quickly caught the suggestive name given on the map to the low, sandy point at the mouth of herring creek, where we had left our shore-boat to wait for us. we had not known that it was a place of such associations as the words "ducking-stool point" indicated. upon first landing there, we had been impressed with the unusual depth of water just off that point; but we had not suspected how, in colonial tunes, many a too-talkative woman had also been impressed with it. it was the law, made and provided, that a ducking-stool should be set up "neere the court-house in every county." so, doubtless, in accordance with that law, a long pole used to reach out from our sandy point, having a seat on the end of it, right over the deep water. and, also in accordance with law, the end of the pole sometimes went down into the water, and a shivering woman went with it. but what would you, when "brabbling women slander and scandalize their neighbours, for which their poore husbands are often brought into chargeable and vexatious suits and cast in great damages"? the survey showed, also, where westover church stood in colonial days. near the river a little way above the house, stood not only the church but a court-house and a brewing-house, all in sociable and suggestive proximity. we walked up the river bank to visit the spot. [illustration: tombs in the old westover churchyard. (in the foreground is the tomb of evelyn byrd.)] it is still marked by a few gravestones that remain in the deserted churchyard. among these is the altar-tomb of evelyn byrd. it stands with an iron band about it, holding the aged stones in place. the time-dimmed inscription tells us to "be reminded by this awful tomb" of many dismal things with which we refuse to associate our thoughts of this lovely colonial girl. rather, we recall the story of her intimacy with mrs. anne harrison of berkeley, and of the compact the two friends made, that whichever should die first should appear at some time to the other. the tale goes on to tell that mrs. harrison, after the death of her friend, was walking over to westover one evening, and as she passed the churchyard she saw the ethereal figure of evelyn byrd there by the altar-tomb, smiling in happy fulfilment of the strange tryst. it was late afternoon when we were ready to take our way for the last time down the strip of sandy beach that led from william byrd's old home to ours. the sun slanted low over the powhatan; in its glow the old manor-house stood out in all its stateliness. we reflected that just as westover looked then, it had looked when colonel byrd himself used to step out from the marble portal to saunter among his trees and flowers, or to take his faultless self out upon the pier perhaps to watch the unloading of the ship from london towne. just so the old house had looked through all those days when it was the scene of a luxurious colonial life not excelled by that of the patroons of the hudson. looking from the home out upon the river we saw a low-laden vessel, all sail spread to the soft, faltering breeze, coming slowly up stream on the last of the tide. how she fitted into the old-time setting! she was one of colonel byrd's freighting ships just in from overseas. after a tempestuous voyage, and a narrow escape from the spanish too, she had safely entered chesapeake bay and now, the wind serving but ill, she was slowly drifting up the river. soon she would touch at the old colonial pier swarming with plantation negroes. to the rhythm of african melodies the cargo would come out of the hold--mahogany furniture, a new statue for the garden, cases of wine, casks of muscovado sugar, puncheons of rum, plantation machinery, sweetmeats and spices, and some bewildered irish cows. quite likely, picking their way daintily in the midst of the exciting scene, would come the lady of the manor and mistress evelyn to make anxious inquiry for boxes of london finery. and then--but, no! that vessel out on the james, without stopping at all, had sailed on past the old plantation front. just a common fishing schooner of to-day bound for richmond! we turned and closed behind us the ancient iron gate of westover. chapter xxii a bad start and a view of berkeley on the next morning, we exercised one of the most enjoyable prerogatives of the houseboater, one that belongs to him as to but few other travellers--that of changing his mind and his destination. we sat down to breakfast with the intention of moving on up the james to eppes creek; we rose from the table with the determination to make a run up powell's creek, which was a little above us on the other side of the river. we always enjoyed these changes of mind. they added so much the more to our sense of freedom and independence. there were no bits of cardboard with the names of stations printed on them to predestine our way; no baggage checks to consign our belongings to fixed destinations. even at the last moment a change of mind, a change of rudder, and a new way and a new destination would lie before us. now, our thoughts headed toward powell's creek, because up that stream was another colonial church, called merchants' hope church; and the next day would be sunday. necessarily, such houseboat voyagers as we, that the sundays usually found up forgotten bits of tidewater, were a trifle irregular in the matter of church-going. our houseboat would have had to have a church-boat for a consort to make it otherwise. yet, as sunday after sunday gadabout lay in her quiet creek harbours, the spirit of the day seemed to find her there without the call of church chimes. though it was morning when we changed our minds and determined to seek a high-backed pew in old merchants' hope church, it was evening by the time we got under way. and in this case, changing our minds did not work well. we should have come just as near getting to a church and should have saved ourselves trouble, if we had clung to our first intention and had spent that saturday in moving on up the james. as we crossed the river on the way to powell's creek, a closer study of the sounding-marks on the chart showed a depth of but one half foot at several places on the flats at the mouth of the stream. evidently, getting into that creek was bound to be a problem in fractions; and gadabout was not good at fractions and the day was waning and the tide was setting out. it seemed that the way to get the best depth of water would be to go to the lower side of the wide, shallow creek-mouth, and then to enter the stream in that affectionate style of navigation called "hugging the shore." and that is the way we did it. but with all the affection that could be put into the matter, we could not find along that shore any such water as the chart indicated; and gadabout was beginning to need it sorely. so, we sent the sailor out to see where it had gone to. he found it over on the other side of the creek. our confidence in the chart had been betrayed. depending upon it, we had been hugging the wrong shore. at first, we thought little of the matter; for, our side of the stream having played us false, we felt no hesitancy in transferring our affections to the other side. but we found that poor gadabout took things much more seriously. she could not so lightly "off with the old love and on with the new." for her the affair had already gone too far; already, for the side she was now on, she had formed a serious, a hopeless, a lasting attachment. our craft aground, our prospects of attending church next day vanished. slowly the tide went down; slowly the moon came up; and nautica made some candy. by the time it was ready to be put out on the guard to cool, even what little we had found of powell's creek had disappeared--all about us was just moonlight and mud. and ahead of us and behind us (sticking down a little way in the mud, but sticking up more in the moonlight) were the two anchors that we had put out to hold us in position when the tide should rise in the night. they looked like great crabs sitting there and watching us. of course, sometime in the darkness, gadabout rose on the flood tide, and perhaps was even ready to cross to the other side of the creek and proceed to church. but nobody else was ready then; and so, finding all asleep, she slowly settled down once more, and we found her in the morning again hard aground. the good minister of merchants' hope church must surely have reached "seventhly, my brethren," before our houseboat was afloat. now, we moved her out in deeper water (for it would not do that she should be aground next day when we ought to be starting for eppes creek); and it was gratifying this time when we cast our anchors, to see them go plumping out of sight as anchors should, instead of looking so distressingly unnautical with flukes sticking up in the air. but mooring a boat (securing her between two anchors, one ahead and one astern) is rather unsatisfactory at the best. often it is necessary so to hobble your floating home where there is danger of her swinging upon hidden obstructions; but it is hard on the poetry of houseboating. to be held in one position, with unvarying scenes in your windows, is too much like living in a prosaic land home set immovable in sameness. your gypsy craft should ride to a single anchor; free to swing to wind and tide in the rhythm of the river. it is of the essence of home life afloat to sit down to dinner heading up-stream, and to rise from table heading down-stream; to open a favourite book with a bit of shore-view in the casement beside you, and to close the chapter with the open river stretching from under your window, your half-drawn shade perhaps cutting the topsail from a distant schooner. monday morning dawned bright and fair (as we afterward learned from the sailor); and bright and fair it certainly was when we made its acquaintance. the day was yet young when everything was ready for the trip up the river, and the shores of the little creek were echoing the harsh clicks of our labouring windlass. "she's hove short, and all ready to start whenever you are, sir," announced the sailor at the bow door. nautica snipped a thread and laid down her sewing; the commodore tossed his magazine aside. a moment more and we were off. when well out in the river, we headed toward the left bank, for we were to make a landing at the pier above westover to take on two boxes of provisions that had been left there for us by the pocahontas. the steamer had gone; everybody about the wharf had gone; but we had arranged to have the boxes left out for us, and there they stood on the end of the pier. aboard gadabout was the stir and bustle usually incident to the making of a landing. clear and sharp rose the voice of the commodore; now issuing his orders, now taking them back again. when he could think of nothing more to say, he went below and relieved nautica at the wheel as our good ship swung beautifully in toward the wharf. it must be remembered that a houseboat does not come up to piers like a steamboat, always finding men waiting to catch lines and to help in making landings. often, as was the way of it that morning, the wandering houseboat comes along to find only an empty pier; and if she wishes to establish any closer relations with it, she must make all the advances herself. the wind may be blowing strong; the tide running strong--everything strong but the qualifications of the commanding officer; in which case, it is well that preparations for the landing begin early. there should be a coil of rope made ready at either end of the boat, and also a light line with a grapnel attached to it. what is a grapnel? how strange that question sounds to us now, mighty mariners that we have become! but of course we should remember that there was a time when we did not know ourselves. well, a grapnel is much like one of those fish-hooks that have five points all curving out in different directions, only it usually weighs several pounds. [illustration: "often ... the wandering houseboat comes along to find only an empty pier."] the value of the grapnel was shown that day at the pier above westover. though gadabout swung to the landing finely, a strong off-shore wind caught her; our ropes fell short; and we should have made but sorry work of it if a grapnel had not shot out into the air and saved the day. as it fell upon the wharf, the line attached to it was hauled in hand over hand; and though the grapnel started to come along with it, sliding and hopping over the pier, soon one of its points found a crack or a nail or a knot-hole to get hold of; and the houseboat was readily drawn up and made fast to the pilings. the boxes aboard, our lines were cast off and gadabout moved on up the james. [illustration: a trapper's home by the riverbank.] soon we were approaching one of the most historic points on the river. we could tell that by a deserted old manor-house occupying a fine, neglected site on the left bank of the stream. while the main structure still stood firm, and would for generations to come as it had for generations gone, yet the verandas about it had been partially burned and had collapsed, and the place looked dilapidated and forlorn. in front, the spacious grounds, once terraced gardens, stretched wild and overgrown down to the river, where the straggling ruins of a pier completed the picture of desolation. but, even neglected and abandoned, this sturdy colonial home, nearly two centuries old, still wore a noble air of family pride; still looked bravely out upon the river. and why should it not? what house but old berkeley is the ancestral home of a signer of the declaration of independence and of two presidents of the united states? this plantation became the colonial seat of the elder branch of the harrison family about the beginning of the eighteenth century. it passed to strangers less than half a century ago. from its founding, berkeley was the home of distinguished men. here lived benjamin harrison, attorney general and treasurer of the colony; and his son, major benjamin harrison, member of the house of burgesses; and his son, benjamin harrison, member of the continental congress and signer of the declaration of independence; and his son, william henry harrison, famous general and the ninth president of our country; whose grandson, benjamin harrison, became our twenty-third president--a striking showing of family distinction, and including the only instance, except that of the adamses, of two members of the same family occupying the presidential chair. [illustration: berkeley. (the ancestral home of a signer of the declaration of independence and of two presidents of the united states.)] very different from the berkeley that we saw, was that fine old plantation of colonial times. imagine it, perhaps upon a summer's day in that memorable year of . there are the great fields of tobacco and grain, the terraced gardens gay with flowers, the boats at the landing, and the manor-house standing proudly, "an elegant seat of hospitality." the master of berkeley, that tall, dignified colonial, colonel benjamin harrison, is not at home. he is at philadelphia attending the continental congress. perhaps even now he is affixing his signature, with its queer final flourish, to the declaration of independence. in the meantime, in front of the old home, a pretty woman in quaint taffeta "watteau" and hooped petticoat and dainty high-heeled slippers is playing with a little boy, among the sweet old shrubs and the english roses upon the terraces. that little boy is to bring added honour to old berkeley; and one day, as general william henry harrison, president-elect of the united states, his love for this mother shall bring him back to this home of his boyhood to write, amidst the tender associations of "her old room," his inaugural address. after passing berkeley, we left the buoyed course and ran the rest of the way to eppes creek in a narrow side channel that threads among the shallows close along shore. it is what the river-men call a "slue channel"; and we had to take frequent soundings to follow it. looking back at dejected old berkeley, we were glad to know that a new owner of the place was about to restore it. gadabout soon approached an opening in the river bank that we knew was the wide mouth of eppes creek. we were going to turn into this stream, not merely for the stream itself, but for a convenient anchorage from which to reach the last of the noted river homes that we should visit--shirley, the colonial seat of the carters. our chart showed the mansion as standing just around the next bend of the james. but we were not going around that bend, because the chart showed also this little creek cutting across the point of land lying in the elbow of the river and apparently affording an inside route to shirley. we should soon learn whether or not gadabout could navigate it and how near it would take her to the old home. as we moved slowly into the creek it was between banks in strange and attractive contrast. the starboard side (that from which we hoped to find a way to shirley) was high and covered with trees of many kinds. the bank to port was low and covered with a marsh forest of cypresses. it was a dark and gloomy forest, but the spell of its sombre depths drew our eyes quite as often as the cheerfuller charm of the woodland on the other side; and so was equally responsible for the zigzag course that gadabout was taking. but it was the high bank that, after a while, was responsible for gadabout's ceasing to take any course at all. we came about a bend and saw, just ahead, a little cove. there were trees crowding close, rich pines and cedars and bright-beaded holly. one tree leaned far out over the water, and beneath it two row-boats were drawn up to the bank. we thought it must surely be the landing-place for shirley. gadabout sidled to starboard, and grapnels were thrown up into the trees to hold her alongshore. stepping out on the bank we went up the hill through the woods. on the way we turned and glanced down upon the houseboat. she looked pretty enough, little white and yellow cottage, snuggling close to the bank with a holly tree at her bow and her flags stirring gently in the warm sunny air. at the top of the hill, we came out upon the edge of a cornfield. everything was cornfield as far as we could see. no house, no road in sight. back aboard gadabout, we got under way again. but the creek soon lost even its one solid bank and, finding ourselves running between two lines of marsh woods, we turned about and headed back for the place where we had stopped, "leaning tree landing," as we called it. we had gone but a little way when our rudder-cable snapped, the steering-wheel turned useless, and gadabout headed for the marsh woods. she minded none of our makeshift devices to shape her course; and we were forced to stop the engine and resort to a more primitive motive power. the sailor dropped an end of a long pole into the water at the bow of the houseboat and, bending heavily upon the other end, slowly pushed her forward as he walked aft along the guard. steadily back and forth he paced the rail; steadily, silently, we floated down the stream. and the silence of our going took hold of us, as we sat lazily in the bow. how in keeping it all seemed with the quiet of the day, the calm of the stream, and the stillness of the woods! and how out of keeping now seemed gadabout's noisy entrance into that tranquil scene! "i feel quite apologetic," said nautica. "look at these great solemn trees, just like an assemblage of forest philosophers in the hush of silent deliberation." "we must have stirred them up a bit," replied the commodore, "with our puffing and ringing. but i don't think they are deliberating. i believe they are asleep. it seems more like the hush of poppy-land in here to me." "yes, that is just it." and the answer really came quite dreamily. "this is the hush of poppy-land, and we are drifting on the quiet brown waterway that leads through the sleepy, endless afternoon." and the notion pleased, and so did the languor and the heavy content. slowly and steadily the sailor and the long pole went up and down the guard; slowly and steadily the houseboat moved down the stream. now we were skirting the bolder bank where the pines bent heavy heads over the water, the holly crowded close to the shore, and pale tinted reeds made border at the water's edge. now in rounding a curve, we passed close to the cypress wood fringed with bush and sedge. delicate brown festoons of vines hung from the branches; and, high out of reach, mats of mistletoe clung. it seemed one with our mood and our fancy when two round yellow eyes stared out of the shadows, two wide lazy wings were spread, and the bird of daylight slumber took soft, noiseless flight. we were just getting fully in the humour of our new way of travel, drifting on in the world of laze-and-dream, when the whole thing came to an end. a familiar voice from the world of up-and-do was in our ears, and there was leaning tree landing just ahead. we anchored out in the channel until low tide; then, after sounding about the landing and finding a good depth of water and no obstructions, we drew gadabout in, bow to the bank, and made fast. we felt almost as though she were a real, true cottage, with that solid land at her door and her roof among the branches. when we looked from gadabout's windows next morning, a dense fog had blotted out all of our creek country except that which was close in about us. but what was left was so beautiful as to more than make up for the loss. nature, like most other women, looks particularly well through a filmy veil. we feared that the mist would soon clear away, but it did not and we sat down to breakfast with our houseboat floating in one of the smallest and fairest worlds that had ever harboured her. a beautiful white-walled world with some shadowy bits of land here and there, a piece of a misty stream that began and ended in the clouds, and everything most charmingly out of perspective and unreal. some ghostly trees were near us, delicate veils of mist clinging about their trunks and floating up among the bare branches. nearer yet, a blur of reeds marked the shore-line. from somewhere out along the river, probably from the lighthouse at jordan's point, came the tolling of a fog-bell. as we watched the scene, a faint glow filtered in through the whiteness, and made it all seem a fairy-land. indeed, was it not? and were not the little swaying mist-wreaths that wavered in at our windows some dainty elves timidly come to give us greeting? all day the fog held, and the sad tolling of the bell went on. now and then, the calls of the river craft would come to our ears. toward evening the fog thinned and let the moonlight in. then we were quite sure that gadabout had indeed come to fairy-land. now, if only there were a way leading from fairy-land to shirley! and it turned out that there was. chapter xxiii the right way to go to shirley everybody goes to shirley the wrong way. we found that out by ourselves happening to go the right way. when you are sailing up the james in your houseboat (you haven't one? well, a make-believe one will do just as well, and in some ways better), do not pass eppes creek, as everybody does, and go to the shirley pier; but, instead, enter the creek and tie up at leaning tree landing as we did. [illustration: the field road and the quarters.] then, instead of taking that trail up the hill that leads only into a cornfield, look for a path leading to the left through the woods. it is not much of a path; and unless you love nature in even her capricious moods, when she now and then trips the foot of the unwary and mayhap even scratches, it is too bad after all that you came this way. to love of nature should be added a certain measure of agility, so that you will be all right when you come to the fence. fortunately, you can let down the upper rails--being careful to put them back again when you are safe on the other side. beyond the fence, a great pasture-field stretches away endlessly. but then everything is on a large scale at shirley. ampleness is the keynote; it pervades everything. before you have half crossed the field, you will come upon a road that will lead you to a little eminence near the quarters. no, it is not a village that you now see peeping out through the grove over there by the river; it is the group of buildings constituting the homestead of shirley. in the bright sunlight, you can pick out bits of the mansion through the trees, of the dairy, of the kitchen, and of the smaller buildings; while farther out stand the roomy barns and the quaint turreted dove-cote. all the buildings are of brick and show a warm, dull red. time has left few such scenes as this--the completely equipped home-acre of a great; seventeenth century american plantation. the scene is not exactly a typical one; for few of such early colonial estates, and indeed not many of the later ones, had homesteads as complete, as substantially built, and on as large a scale as this of shirley. now, as you can need no further guidance, we are going off some two or three hundred years into the past, to see if we can get hold of the other end of the story of this plantation. perhaps the start was "about christmas time" in the year , when sir thomas dale, high marshal of the colony of virginia, sailed up the river from james towne; killed or drove away all the indians hereabout; and then, thinking it ill that so much goodly land should be lying unoccupied, took possession of a large tract of it for the colony. but the part that came to be called shirley is soon lost sight of in the fogs of tradition. later, we catch a glimpse of it in the possession of lord delaware. but it is not until the middle of the seventeenth century that we get a firm hold of this elusive colonial seat and of its colonial owners. at that time, in the colony of virginia, two of the proud families on two of the proud rivers were the hills, who had recently acquired the plantation of shirley on the james, and the carters, who were establishing their seat at corotoman on the rappahannock. in the story of these two houses is most of the story of shirley. the hills became one of the leading families in the colony. it was edward hill, second of the name, who built the present mansion. he was a member of the king's council; and his position is indicated, and his fortune as well, by the building in those early times of such a home. antedating almost all of the great colonial homes, it must long have stood a unique mark of family distinction. the exact date of the building of the manor-house is not known, but doubtless it was not far from the middle of the seventeenth century. in the meantime, the carters had become notable. this family reached its greatest prominence in the days of robert carter, who was one of the wealthiest and most influential men in the colony. in person he was handsome and imposing; in worldly possessions he stood almost unequalled; and in offices and honours he had about everything that the colony could give. his estate included more than three hundred thousand acres of land and about one thousand slaves. either because of his imposing person or of his power or of his wealth, or perhaps because of all three, he was called "king" carter. he does seem to have been quite a sovereign, and to have known considerable of the pompous ceremony that "doth hedge a king." it was in the fourth generation of the houses of shirley and of corotoman, and in the year , that the families were united by the marriage of john, son of "king" carter, and elizabeth, daughter of the third edward hill. john carter was a prominent man and the secretary of the colony; elizabeth hill was a beauty and the heiress of shirley. in the descendants of this union the old plantation has remained to this day. the first time that we went from our creek harbour up to shirley was a strange time perhaps for people to be abroad in woods and field-roads. the day was one of struggle between fog and sun, neither being able to get his own way, but together making a wonderful world of it. we walked in a luminous mist; the road very plain beneath our feet, but leading always into nothingness, and reaching behind us such a little way as to barely include the tall, following, hazy figure that was henry. there was little for us to see, but that little was well worth seeing; only a tree or a clump of bushes or a hedge-row here and there, but all dimmed into new forms and graces for that day and for us. as we neared a ridge of meadowland, a pastoral for a schenck took shape in the fog cloud before us. scattered groups of sheep appeared close at hand, and, faintly visible beyond them, a denser mass of moving white. no tree nor landmark was to be seen; just set into the soft whiteness, showing mistily, was the snowy flock itself. sheep grazed in groups, the tan shaded slope in faint colouring beneath them. here and there a mother turned her head to call back anxiously for the bleating lambkin lost behind the white curtain; and, dim and grotesque, the awkward strayling would come gamboling into sight. near by on a little hillock, a single sheep stood with its head thrown up, a ghostly lookout. the hidden sun made the haze faintly luminous about this wandering flock of cloudland. we were not the first to move and to break the picture. as we gained higher ground, a breeze was stirring and the fog was beginning to lift. when we reached the edge of the shirley homestead and passed the turreted dove-cote, the near-by objects had grown quite distinct. but out on the river the fog yet lay dense; and two boats somewhere in the impenetrable whiteness were calling warningly to each other. now we went on toward the manor-house that loomed against a soft background of river fog. the mansion is wholly unlike either brandon or westover, being a massive square building without wings. it is two and a half stories high, with a roof of modified mansard style pierced with many dormer windows. it has both a landward and a riverward front, and both alike. each front has a large porch of two stories in georgian design with doric columns. the walls of the house are laid in flemish bond, black glazed bricks alternating with the dull red ones. while both the roof and the porches are departures from the original lines of the house, yet they are departures that have themselves attained a dignified age of about a century and a quarter. always, in the consideration of colonial homes, shirley is regarded as one of the finest examples. this means much more than at first appears. for the mansions with which shirley is usually compared, were built from half a century to a century later. continuing along the road as we studied the home, we were led around to the landward front and into the midst of the ancient messuage. [illustration: riverward front of shirley.] we stood in a great open quadrangle, having the house at one end, the distant barns at the other; on one side the kitchen, a large two-story building, and on the other side a similar building used for storage and for indoor plantation work. a high box hedge ran across from one of these side buildings to the other, dividing the long quadrangle into halves, one part adjacent to the house and the other to the barns. the village effect produced by the grouped buildings must have been even more striking in colonial times; for then the manor-house was flanked by two more large brick buildings, forming what might be called detached wings. one of these was still standing up to the time of the civil war. the visitor is conscious of two dominant impressions, as he stands thus in the midst of this seventeenth century homestead. the massive solidity of the place takes hold of one first; but, strangely enough, the strongest impression is that of an all-pervading air of youthfulness. doubtless the oldest homestead on the river, and one of the oldest in the country, it utterly refuses to look its age. perhaps the solid, square compactness of the buildings has much to do with this. they appear as though built to defy time. even the shadow of the venerable trees and the ancient ivy's telltale embrace seem powerless to break the spell of perennial youth. in the home, we met mrs. bransford, widow of mr. h.w. bransford, commander and mrs. james h. oliver, u.s.n., and miss susy carter. mrs. bransford and mrs. oliver are the daughters of the late mr. and mrs. robert randolph carter, and are the present owners of the plantation, mrs. bransford making her home there. commander oliver represents the third consecutive generation of naval officers in the shirley family. upon entering the house in the usual way, from the landward side, the visitor finds himself in a large square hall occupying one corner of the building. this room discloses at a glance the type and the genius of shirley. it begins at once to tell you all about itself; and when you know this old hall, you have the key to the mansion and to its story. it is truly a colonial "great hall." it tells you that by its goodly old-time ampleness, its high panelled walls with their dimming portraits, its great chimneypiece flanked by tall cupboards, and its massive overshadowing stairway. [illustration: the old "great hall."] the chief architectural feature of the room is this stairway. starting in one corner, it rises along the panelled wall until half way to the ceiling, then turns sharply out into the room for the remainder of its ascent to the second floor, thus exposing overhead a handsome soffit. the effect, in connection with the great panelled well of the staircase, is one of rich and goodly ancientness. indeed, though you may enter shirley feeling that the house, like some long-lingering colonial belle, is perhaps not quite frank with you about its age, you will not find the hall taking part in any such misrepresentation. despite some modern marks and even the fact that the fireplace has been closed, this room says in every line that it is very old. it stands true to the memory of its seventeenth-century builder who had known and loved the "great halls" of "merrie england." it tells of the time when the life of a household centred in the spacious hall; when there the great fire burned and the family gathered round--of the time when halls were the hearts, not the mere portals, of homes. and so in this room, as in few others in our country, does the visitor find the setting and the atmosphere of manor-house life in early colonial days. he can well fancy this "great hall" of shirley in the ruddy light of flaming logs that burned in the wide fireplace two centuries and a half ago. dusky in far corners or sharply drawn near the firelight, stood, in those days, chests and tables and forms and doubtless a bed too with its valance and curtains. in a medley typical of the times in even the great homes, were saddles, bridles, and embroidery frames, swords, guns, flute, and hand-lyre. here, in a picturesque and almost mediaeval confusion, the family mostly gathered, while favourite hounds stretched and blinked in the chimney-place beside the black boy who drowsily tended the fire. here, the long, narrow "tabull-bord" was spread with its snowy cloth, taken from the heavy chest of linen in the corner, of which my lady of the manor was prodigiously proud. upon the cloth were placed soft-lustred pewter and, probably almost from the first, some pieces of silver too. the salt was "sett in the myddys of the tabull," likely in a fine silver dish worthy its important function in determining the seating about the "bord." as family and guests gathered round, the host and hostess took places side by side at one end; near them the more important guests were given seats "above the salt," while lesser folk and children sat "below the salt." then, from the distant kitchen in the quadrangle, came slaves or indentured servant bearing the steaming food in great chargers and chafing-dishes. doubtless, in those earliest days, the food was eaten from wooden trenchers, not plates; while from lip to lip the communal bowl went round. knives and spoons were plentiful, but even in such a home as shirley forks were still a rarity; and the profusion of napkins was well when helpful fingers gave service to healthy appetites. but that was the hall life of very early days. gradually, in the colonies as in england, the evolution of refinement specialized the home; developed drawing-rooms, dining-rooms, libraries; and so took away from the "great halls" almost all of this intimate life of the household. there is something pathetic in this desertion of the ancient, central hearthstone. we thought of shirley's old hall growing sadly quiet and chill as it lost the merry chatter about the "tabull-bord"; as saddles and bridles jingled there for the last time on their way to some far outbuilding; as the gentlewomen carried their needlework away, and the little maids followed with their samplers. at last, all the old life was gone. even the master himself came no longer to mull his wine by the andirons; and the very dogs stretched themselves less often and with less content at the chimney-side. all the rooms at shirley are richly panelled to the ceiling, and have heavy, ornate cornices and fine, carved mantelpieces and doorways. the examples of interior woodwork especially regarded by connoisseurs are the panelling in the morning-room, the elaborately carved mantel in the drawing-room, and the handsome doorway between that room and the dining-room. upstairs, a central hallway runs through the house, double doors opening at both riverward and landward ends upon broad porticoes. the bedrooms on either hand are panelled to the ceiling. they have deep-set windows, open fireplaces, and quaint old-time furnishings. and people slept here back in the seventeenth century; dreamed here in those faraway times when james towne, now long buried and almost forgotten, was the capital of the little colony. here, in succeeding generations, have slept many notable guests of shirley. tradition includes among these the duke of argyle, lafayette, our own george washington, and the prince of wales. [illustration: the drawing--room.] here, too, are some of the oldest ghosts in america. most of these are quiet, well-behaved members of the household; but one ancient shade, aunt pratt by name, seems to presume upon her age as old people sometimes will, and is really quite hard to get along with. listen to an instance of her downright unreasonableness. her portrait used to hang in the drawing-room among those of the hills (she is or was, or however you say it, a sister of the colonel hill who built the mansion); but having become injured it was taken down and put away face to the wall. immediately, this ghostly aunt pratt showed deep resentment. womanlike, she threw herself into a chair in one of these bedrooms and rocked and rocked violently. of course she disturbed the whole household; but no matter how noiselessly people stole in to catch her at her tantrums, she was always too quick for them--the room was empty, the chairs all still. at last the picture was got out, repaired, and rehung. at once all was peace and quiet; aunt pratt had had her way. chapter xxiv from creek harbour to colonial reception eppes creek was the most remote and isolated of all our james river harbours. gadabout was like a bit of civilization that had got broken off and had drifted away into the wild. the stream was such a mere ribbon with such tall trees along its banks, that we looked upward to but a narrow lane of open sky. sometimes the lane was blue, sometimes gray, and sometimes dark and set with twinkling stars. the wood across the creek from us was a dismal looking place. the trees were swamp cypresses that had lost their summer green, and stood drooping and forlorn in the low, marshy soil. nautica wasted a good deal of sympathy upon them as she compared them with the richly clothed pines and the luxuriant holly upon our side of the stream. there doubtless was game in that desolate wood; although about the only living things that we saw in it, even when we rowed close along its ragged shore, were owls. at night, strange, uncanny cries came out of the wood, and probably out of the owls also; but such sad and querulous cries as may well have been the plaints of the mournful marsh forest itself. upon our shirley shore too, there lived an owl, evidently of a different kind. we never saw him; but at night he worked untiringly upon a voluminous woodland edition of "who's who." in this harbour, we heard often the stirring cry out of the high heavens that our ears had caught once in our anchorage at westover. and now we saw the wild geese themselves. each time, at the first faint "honk," we got quickly to the windows or out on deck, and stood waiting for the beautiful v-shaped flight to come swinging into our sky-lane. and with what a glorious sweep the birds came on! and to what gloriously discordant music! sometimes they went over in v's that were quite regular; but often the diverging lines would grow wavy, the beautiful flying letter still holding but swinging in and out as though blown about on the face of the sky. perhaps we had something to do with those variants of the wild goose's favourite letter. quite likely the sight of gadabout, fluttering her flags down there in eppes creek, made those wise old gander leaders veer in a way somewhat disconcerting to their faithful followers. but on they came, and on they went in their wonderful flight through sunshine and through storm, by day and by night; leaving a strangely roused and quickened world behind them. just a fleet passing of wings, a clamour of cries--why should one's heart leap, and his nerves go restless, and joy and sadness get mixed up inside him? a few birds flying over--yet stirring as a military pageant! a jangle of senseless "honks"--yet in it the irresistible urge of bugle and drum! one cannot explain. one can only stand and look and listen, till the living, flying letter is lost in the sky; till his ear can no longer catch the glorious, wild clangour of "the going of the geese." isolated as our anchorage was, we had a connecting link between gadabout and civilization. it was about three feet long, of a sombre hue, and its name was bob. bob brought us milk and eggs and our mail, and ran errands generally. he was usually attended by such a retinue that only the smallest picaninnies could have been left back at the quarters. sometimes, bob lightened his labours by having a member of his following carry a pail or the mail-bag. this worked badly; for it was only by such badges of office that we were able to tell which was bob. but after several small coins had gone into the wrong ragged hats, bob grasped the situation; and, in a masterly way, solved the question of identity without losing the services of his satellites. henceforth, when we heard the chattering boys coming through the woods, if we looked out promptly enough, we would see bob relieving some one of his doubles of pail or mail-bag; and by the time he reached the houseboat, he would be in full possession of all means of identification. "would you like to go to meet the ladies and gentlemen on the walls?" mrs. bransford asked one day at shirley. the invitation was accepted with as much alacrity as if we had feared that the reception hours were almost over. but there was really no need of haste; for the lines of notables on shirley's walls stand there from generation to generation, yet receiving always with such dignity and courtesy as permit not the slightest sign of weariness or expression of being bored. in meeting those old-time owners and lovers of shirley, the visitor is passed from one hand-clasp to another, as it were, down through the generations of colonial times. giving precedence to age, we made our first fancied obeisance before two distinguished looking people who, however, did not seem entitled to any consideration whatever on the ground of age, being both in the prime of life. and yet, these were colonel and mrs. edward hill, second of the name at shirley, and the first master and mistress of the present manor-house. we were a little surprised at the colonel's appearance; for he was clean shaven and wore a wig. now, we had been hobnobbing long enough with those beginners of our country--captain john smith, sir edwin sandys, lord delaware, and the rest--to know that they were a bearded set and hadn't a wig amongst them. fortunately, we remembered in time that this portrait-gentleman, old as he was, did not quite reach back to the days of those first settlers; and that he had lived to see the great change of fashion (in the reign of charles ii) that made englishmen for generations whiskerless and bewigged. though our land was settled by bearded men, with just the hair on their heads that nature gave them (and sometimes, when the indians were active, not all of that), yet the country was developed and made independent and set up as a nation by smooth-faced men, most fuzzily bewigged. that reign of the razor that began in the days of colonel hill, was a long one, and, later, determined the appearance of the father of our country. imagine george washington with a van dyck beard! of course it was bad form for us to stand there staring at the colonel while we reasoned out all this matter of the beards and the wigs. now the commodore, at a suggestion from nautica's elbow, shifted to the other foot and cleared his throat to say something. but what was there to say? it is a little trying, this meeting people who cannot converse intelligently upon anything that has happened since the seventeenth century. at last, we murmured something about charles ii; and, to make sure, let the murmuring run over a little into the reigns of james ii and of william and mary, and then passed on; though the commodore felt there should have been at least some slight allusion to the pyramids and the cave-dwellers. we must have taken very slowly the few steps that carried us to the next member of the receiving party; for in that time the world moved on a generation, and we found ourselves paying respects to no less a personage than "king" carter himself. too modest to suppose that he had come over from corotoman on our account, we strongly suspected that the matter of alliance between the families of hill and of carter was in the air; which would account for the presence of the potentate of the rappahannock. he looked very imposing in his velvets and his elaborate, powdered periwig, standing ceremoniously, one hand thrust within his rich, half-open waistcoat. now was the time for all that we knew about queen anne and king george the first, and about the recent removal of the colonial capital from james towne to williamsburg. the next dignitaries were very near; but again it took a generation to get to them, the names being john carter (usually called secretary carter from his important colonial office) and elizabeth hill carter, his wife. these were the young people who united the houses of shirley and corotoman. so, even yet, we had got down only to the days of george the second. secretary and mrs. carter were a handsome pair; she, fair and girlish, with an armful of roses; he, dark and courtly and one of the most attractive looking figures we had met in our travels in colonial-land. these people could not tell us much about the old manor-house; for, while possessing two of the finest plantations in the colonies, shirley and corotoman, they made their home chiefly at williamsburg. however, they were especially interesting people to meet because of their familiarity with the first half of the eighteenth century, that brightest and most prosperous period of colonial life. they could tell us at first hand of those happy, easy-going times that lay between the long struggle to establish the colonies and the fierce struggle to make them free. though neither mr. nor mrs. carter exactly said so, yet we gathered the idea that those were days of much dress and frivolity. it seems that ships came from everywhere with handsome fabrics and costly trifles; and that rich colonials strove so manfully and so womanfully to follow the capricious foreign fashions (by means of dressed dolls received from paris and london) that usually they were not more than a year or two behind the styles. we could not help feeling that the matter of wigs must have been an especially troublesome one. as styles changed in england, these important articles of dress (often costing in tobacco the equivalent of one hundred dollars) had to be sent to london to be made over. between the slowness of ships and the slowness of wig-makers, it must often have happened that even such careful dressers as the fastidious secretary himself would be wearing wigs that would scarcely pass muster at the court of st. james or at bath. indeed, secretary carter did not deny there being some truth in this; but he appeared so at ease that day at shirley that we knew, on that occasion at least, he was sure of his wig. one more progression along the receiving line, one more generation passed by the way, and we came upon charles carter, with his strong, kindly face, a gentleman of the days of george iii and of the last days of colonial times. and what days those were! the days of stamp acts and "tea parties" and minute men; of state conventions and continental congresses; of lexington and valley forge and the surrender of cornwallis; of the articles of confederation and the formation of the union. this charles carter saw our nation made and, in the councils of his colony, helped to make it. here, in old shirley, he put down the cup from which he had right loyally drunk the colonial toast, "the king! god bless him!" and he took it up again to loyally and proudly drink to "george washington and the united states of america." we met still other old-time people at the manor-house that day; but it would not do to try to tell about them all. the omitted ones do not count much, being chiefly wives. everybody knows that in meeting colonial people it is scarcely worth while considering a man's wife, for so soon she is gone and he has another. truly, shirley's colonial reception was very enjoyable, we thought, as we took a last glance at the serene, old-time faces and caught a last whiff of ambergris from the queer, old-time wigs. chapter xxv an incongruous bit of houseboating by this time, we were becoming anxious about the lateness of the season. of course it was only through some mistake that we were getting all those fine warm days in december. perhaps nature had not had her weather eye open when father time wet his thumb and turned over to the last page of the calendar. but now, there was something in the look of the sky and in the feel of the air to make us fearful that the mix-up of the seasons had been discovered, and that winter was being prodded to the front. still we lingered in eppes creek, and soon we could not do otherwise than linger; for we wakened one morning to find the stream frozen over, and gadabout presenting the incongruous spectacle of a houseboat fast in the ice. all that day and the next the coldness held; and the ice and the tide battled along the creek with crackings and roarings and, now and then, reports like pistol shots. this surely was strange houseboating. it was a serious matter too. we knew that we might be held in the grip of the ice indefinitely. we did not care to spend the winter in eppes creek; nor could we abandon our boat there. throwing on our heavy wraps and trying to throw off our heavy spirits, we went above and paced the deck. in mockery our flags rippled under the northwest wind; from our flower-boxes, leafless, shrivelled little arms were held up to us; while our bright striped awning, with all its associations of sunshine and summer-time, was close furled and frozen stiff and hung with icicles. we were surprised enough when the weather suddenly changed again, and the bright, warm sun set up such a thawing as soon sent the ice out of the creek and our anxieties with it. but no time was to be lost in getting away from that beautiful, treacherous stream. we should make one more visit to shirley and then head again up river. but that last visit should be a quite conventional one; we should run the houseboat around to the regular steamboat pier in front of the old manor-house. it was a warm, hazy afternoon down in eppes creek when we untied our ropes from the trees (cast them off, we ought to say), and gadabout pulled her nose from the reedy bank and slowly backed out into the stream. she was obeying every turn of the steering-wheel perfectly (as indeed she always did except when the mischievous wind put notions into her head); and it was not her fault at all when her bow swung round under the tree that leaned out over the water and almost knocked her little chimney off. we dropped down the stream and passed out into the river where everything was softened and beautified by the light fog. skirting the low northern shore, we looked across the river at the high southern one where, through the mist, we could see the town of city point and the bold promontory that marked where the appomattox was flowing into the james. upon the tip of the promontory was the home of the eppes family, "appomattox." while the present house is not a colonial one, the estate is one of the oldest in the country. now, just ahead of us was the shirley pier on one side of the river and the village of bermuda hundred on the other. we headed first for the village, our intention being to get some supplies there. we could not see much of bermuda hundred, perhaps because there was not much to see. it consists principally of age, having been founded only four years after the settlement of james towne. still, we let the sailor go ashore for butter and eggs, trusting that both would be as modern as possible. our supplies aboard, gadabout quickly carried us across the river and landed us at shirley. [illustration: the kitchen building, fifty yards from the manor-house.] in that last visit to the old home, we went across the quadrangle and into the kitchen building, with its cook-room on one side of the hall and its bake-room on the other. of course most of the colonial kitchen appointments had long since disappeared; but we were glad to see, in the stone-paved bake-room, the old-time brick ovens. with their cavernous depths, they were quite an object lesson in early virginia hospitality. and can any modern ranges bake quite as perfectly as did those colonial brick ovens? after a fire of oven-wood had flamed for hours in one of those brick chambers, and at last the iron door had been opened and the ashes swept out, the heated interior was ready to receive the meats and breads and pastry, and to bake them "to a turn." when, in the restoration of mount vernon, the kitchen was reached, recourse was had to shirley's kitchen. drawings were made of an unusual colonial table, of a pair of andirons with hooks for spits to rest on, and of several other old-time cookery appointments; and, from these drawings, were constructed the duplicates that are now in the mount vernon kitchen. it was on our way from the kitchen to the mansion that we came upon another visitor to shirley. she was short and round and black and smiling and "feelin' tol'ble, thank you, ma'am." this, we learned, was aunt patsy. she had "jes heard dat miss marion done come home"; and so, arrayed in her best clothes including a spotless checked apron, she had come to "de gre't house" to pay her respects to mrs. oliver. drawn out somewhat for our benefit, she gave her views upon the subject of matrimony. "i been married five times," she said. we were not particularly surprised at that; but were scarcely prepared for the added statement, "an' i done had two husban's." however, no one could fail to understand aunt patsy's position, and to heartily agree with her, when she came to explain her marital paradox. "de way 'tis is dis way," she said. "what i calls a _husban_' is one dat goes out, he do, an' gethahs up" (here, a sweeping gesture with the apron, suggestive of lavish ingathering), "gethahs up things an' brings 'em in to me. but what i calls _havin' a man aroun'_ is whar he sets by de fiah and smokes he pipe, while i goes out an' wuks an' brings things home, an' he eats what i gives him. an' dat's how come i been married five times, an' i done had two husban's." [illustration: brick oven in the bake-room.] before the old oak chest was opened for us, that day at shirley, we knew that this colonial home was rich in antique silver. yet, the family speak of the many pieces as "remnants," because of the still greater number lost at the time of the war. the plate was sent for safe-keeping to a man in richmond who was afterward able to account for but a small part of it. evidently, the hills and the carters went far in following the old colonial custom of investing in household silver. and as an investment the purchase of this ware was largely regarded in those days; family plate being deemed one of the best forms in which to hold surplus wealth. different periods are represented in the old pieces yet remaining at shirley. there are the graceful, classic types of the days of the georges; the earlier ornate, rococo forms; and the yet earlier massive styles of the time of queen anne and long before. among the most ancient pieces, are heavy tankards that remind one of the long ago, when such great communal cups went round from merry lip to merry lip--microbes all unknown. the numerous spoons too speak of the time when there were no forks to share their labours. most of the silver remaining to-day is engraved with the coat of arms of the carters. suggestive of the days when colonial belles were toasted about shirley's table, are the old punch bowl and the punch strainer and the wine coasters; though a more noteworthy object, having the same associations, is an antique mahogany wine chest with many of the original cut glass bottles still in its compartments. [illustration: some noteworthy pieces of old shirley plate.] and looking at shirley's old silver in shirley's old dining-room, we thought of the lavish colonial entertainments in which both had played their part. what hospitable places were those early planters' homes! as courts, assemblies, races, funerals, weddings, and festivals took the people up and down the country, they found few inns; but, instead, at every great plantation, wide-spreading roofs and ever-open doors. the spirit of welcome even stood at the gates and laid hands upon the passing traveller, drawing him up the shady avenues and into the hospitable homes. in the days of the colonial carters (who, through a complicated network of intermarriages, were cousins to all the rest of virginia), shirley must often have been full to overflowing. and, along with our thoughts of shirley's hospitality, came the recollection of a pretty story that had been told to us one day at brandon by miss mary lee, daughter of general robert e. lee. it was a story of one of the merry, old-time gatherings about charles carter's long table in the shirley dining-room. among the guests was a dashing young cavalry officer who had won fame and the rank of general in the revolutionary war; and who, in his unsatisfied military ardour, was contemplating joining the revolutionary army of france. but just now, he was contemplating only his host and his dinner. suddenly, he became aware of a flushed and charming maiden in distress. she had lifted a great cut glass dish filled with strawberries, and it was more than her little hands could hold. she strove to avert a crash; and, just in time, the gallant young general caught the appealing look from the dark eyes and the toppling dish from the trembling hands. but in saving the bowl and the berries, he lost his heart. and the maiden was anne hill carter, daughter of the genial host; and the young general was "light horse harry" lee. the dreams of further glory on french battlefields were abandoned; and there was another feast at shirley when bridal roses of june were in bloom. the young people went to live at stratford, the ancestral home of the lees; and there was born their famous son, robert e. lee. as shirley's old dining-room thus brought to our minds that greatest virginian of our day, so it brought to mind the greatest virginian of all days; for, even as we looked at silver and thought of love stories, a life-size portrait of george washington, by charles wilson peale, stood looking down upon us from the panelled wall. [illustration: peale's portrait of george washington.] it is a noted and invaluable canvas that hangs there at shirley, and it is doubtless a good likeness of the father of our country; but it is not just the george washington that most of us have in our mind's eye. when the average american thinks of hatchets and cherry trees and abnormal truthfulness, the face that rises before him is that benign and fatherly one that he has seen a thousand times in the popular reproductions of the portrait by gilbert stuart. just as for generations only the good has been told of george washington, so has this handsomest picture (doubtless a trifle flattering) always been the popular one. however, in this day, when the ideal george washington of story is being ruthlessly brushed aside in the search for the real flesh-and-blood man, any canvas also that has idealized him is somewhat in jeopardy. it is well that the washington of sparks and of irving and of stuart should be superseded by the truer washington of mitchell and of ford and of peale; but the result will be that, for a while, the country will scarcely recognize its own father. always at shirley our interest came back to the old colonial hall. of course, to get the good of it, one had to set one's eyes so as to throw out of focus many marks of modernism; but that adjustment would almost come of itself with a little study of quaint transoms, or of ancient hatchments, or, above all, of the time-worn stairway. why is it that the spirit of the long-ago so clings about an old stairway? why should the empty stair seem to remember so much, to suggest so much, of a life that came to it only in fitful passings and that left nothing of itself behind? there were no signs of that long by-gone life upon shirley's stairway, save for a dimming of the old rail where countless hands--strong, feeble, fair--had lightly rested or, more helpless, clung; and save for that worn trail of the generations that followed up the dull, dark treads. but even these had much to tell of the passings for nearly two centuries and a half up and down this household highway: of the masterful tread of spur-shod boots, the dancing of the belle's slim-slippered feet, the pompous double steps of bumpy baby shoes, the gouty stump of old grandsire, and the faithful shamble of the black boy at his heels. that day (regretfully our last in this colonial home) not only the stairway but all of the old house seemed inclined to become reminiscent. nautica noticed this in the quiet drawing-room that would keep bringing up by-gone times, and, she insisted, by-gone people too. in the great hall, even the commodore felt the mood of old shirley and the presence of a life that all seemed natural enough, but that must have come a good ways out of the past. on the staircase, despite the dim light over there (or because of it), one could even catch sight of a shadowy old-time company. there were stately figures passing up and down: the old lords of the wilderness in velvet coats and huge wigs, and ladies of the wilderness too in rich brocades and laced stomachers. there were many slender and youthful figures. charmingly odd and quaint were the merry groups of girls, catching and swaying upon the shadowy stair; dainty ruffles peeping through the balusters; laughing faces bending above the dark, old rail. and fine indeed were the gallants that did them homage; those young colonials of bright velvets and flowered waistcoats and lace ruffles and powdered periwigs. now, from the stairway the old-time life spread throughout the old-time home. shirley was living over again some merry-making of colonial days. that was the governor that just passed with the glint of gold lace and the glint of gold snuff-box; and that, a councillor's lady that rustled by in stiff silks, her feet in gold-heeled slippers and her powdered head dressed "dutch." and quite as fine and quite as quaint were the ladies that followed in their gay flowered "sacques" looped back from bright petticoats and point lace aprons. it was all as london-like as might be: rich velvets and brocades, wide-hooped skirts and stiff stomachers, laced coats and embroidered waistcoats, broad tuckers and mechlin ruffles, high-heeled shoes and handsome buckles, powdered wigs and powdered puffs, and crescent beauty patches. evidently, by colonial time, twilight was coming on; for now the fragrant bayberry candles were lighted. there was the faint tinkle of a harpsichord. dim figures moved in the stately minuet; their curtsies, punctiliously in keeping with the last word from london, were "slow and low." little groups gathered about the card tables, where fresh candles and ivory counters were waiting. lovers found their way to deep window-seats; and lovers of yet another sort to brimming glasses and colonial toasts, and perhaps to wigs awry. it was the old-time shirley, the strange, incongruous shirley that was a bright bit of english manor life within; and, without, wilderness and savages and tobacco-fields and africans. in from the life of the old messuage, came a touch of the barbaric; weird minor songs that belonged with the hot throb of the african tom-tom floated in through the deep windows, and strangely mingled with the thin tinkle of the harpsichord and the tender strains of an old english ballad. the green bayberry candles grew dim, and in their fragrant smoke the old colonials faded away. our visit at shirley was over. out in the quadrangle, we turned for a last look at the homestead, and were almost forced to doubt that old colonial scene that we had just left within. there stood the fine buildings in perfect preservation, insisting at last as they had insisted at first that this matter of old age was but a huge mistake--that they had been built but yesterday. chapter xxvi the end of the voyage before daylight on the following morning gadabout was awake and astir. she had resolved to catch the early tide and finish her james river cruise that day by a final run to the head of navigation at richmond. for the last time the clacking windlass was calling the sleeping anchor from its bed in the river; the commodore was hanging out the sailing-lights; and nautica (who could not find the dividers) was stepping off the distance to richmond on the chart with a hairpin. how dreary a start before dawn sounds to a landsman! the hated early call; the hasty breakfast with coffee-cup in one hand and time-table in the other; the dismal drive through dull, sleeping streets; the cheerless station; the gloomy train-shed with its lines of coaches wrapped in acrid engine smoke. but the houseboater knows another way. for him, the early call is the call of the tide that finds ready response from a lover of the sea. does the tide serve before dawn, man of the ship? then before dawn its stir is in your blood; your anchor is heaved home; your sailing-lights, white and green and red, are bravely twinkling; your propellers are tossing the waters astern; and you are off. you are off with the flood just in from the sea, or with the ebb that is seeking the sea; and with it you go along a way where no one has passed before--an evanescent way that is made of night shades and river mists. and after a while you come upon a wonderful thing--almost the solemn wonder of creation, as, from those thinning, shimmering veils, the world comes slowly forth and takes shape again. when the real world took shape for gadabout that morning on the james, she was some distance above shirley and the river was a smaller river than we had seen at any time before. by the chart, we observed that it was a comparatively narrow stream all the rest of the way to richmond. we had now entered upon a portion of the old waterway that nautica insisted had been done up in curl-papers. here, the voyager must sail around twenty miles of frivolous loops to make five miles of progress. upon coming to a group of buildings indicated on the chart and standing close to the right bank, we knew that gadabout had navigated the first of the fussy curls. around it, we had travelled six miles since leaving shirley, and now had the satisfaction of knowing that the old manor-house itself stood just across from these buildings, less than a mile away. on a little farther, we passed a fine plantation home called curle's neck. a long while after that, another large plantation, meadowville, came alongside. but the curious thing was that, at the same time, alongside came curle's neck again. we had travelled something over four miles since leaving it, yet there it stood directly opposite and less than three quarters of a mile from us. [illustration: varina.] perhaps the river observed that we were getting a little out of patience; for, almost immediately, it sought to beguile us by bringing into view one of its show points, a landing on the left bank with a large brick house near by. the chart told us that this was varina; and the guide-books told us a pretty story about how here, in their honeymoon days, lived john rolfe and pocahontas. although that honeymoon was almost three centuries gone, and there was nothing left at varina to tell of it, yet somehow our thoughts quickened and gadabout's engines slowed as we sailed along the romantic site. to be sure, to keep up the spirit of romance one has to overlook a good deal. the fact that john rolfe had been married before and the report that pocahontas had been too, somewhat discouraged sentiment. and then, was it love, after all, that built the rude little home of that strange pair somewhere up there on the shore? or, had cupid no more to do with that first international marriage in our history than he has had to do with many a later one? can it be that politics and religion drew john rolfe to the altar? and that a broken heart led pocahontas there? poor little bride in any event! a forest child--wrapped in her doe-skin robe, the down of the wild pigeon at her throat, her feet in moccasins, and her hair crested with an eagle's feather; bravely struggling with civilization, with a new home, a new language, new customs, and a new religion. how many times, when it all bore heavy on her wildwood soul, did she steal down to this ragged shore, push out in her slender canoe, and find comfort in the fellowship of this turbulent, untamable river! and how often did she turn from her home to the wilderness, slipping in noiseless moccasins back into the narrow, mysterious trails of the red man, where bended twig and braided rush and scar of bark held messages for her! then came the time when the river and the forest were lost to her. the princess of the wilderness had become the wonder of a day at the court of king james. almost mockingly comes up the old portrait of her, painted in london when she had "become very formall and civill after our english manner." the rigid figure caparisoned in the white woman's furbelows; the stiff, heavy hat upon the black hair; the set face, and the sad dark eyes--a dusky woodland creature choked in the ruff of queen bess. when varina was left behind, we fell to berating the tortuous river again. of course we did not think for a moment that the troublesome curlicues we were finding had always been there. when the river was the old, savage powhatan, we may be sure it never stooped in its dignity of flow to such frivolity. these kinks were silly artificialities that came when the noble old barbarian was civilized and named in honour of a vain and frivolous foreign king. now, just ahead of us, was the most foolish frizzle of all. it was a loop five miles around, and yet with the ends so close together that a boy could throw a stone across the strip of land between. at a very early day, sensible folk lost patience and sought, by digging a canal across the narrow neck, to cut this offensive curl off altogether. some dutchmen among the colonists were the first to try this (and dutchmen understand waterway barbering better than anybody else); but they were unsuccessful. their efforts seem to have resulted only in giving the place the name of dutch gap. many years ago, the united states government took up the work and, in , the five-mile curl was effectually cut off by the dutch gap canal. a good deal of interesting history is associated with this loop of the james. here, but four years after the coming of those first colonists, the town of henrico or henricopolis was founded. the place made a somewhat pretentious beginning and was doubtless intended to supersede james towne as the capital of the colony. steps were taken to establish a college here. if they had been successful, harvard college could not lay claim to one of its present honours, that of being the earliest college in america. but the indian massacre of caused the abandonment of the college project and of henricopolis too. we passed into the canal, which was so short that we were scarcely into it before we were out again and headed on up the river. the banks of the stream grew higher and bolder, and we were soon running much of the time between bluffs with trees hanging over. on some of the bald cliffs buzzards gathered to sun themselves; and they lay motionless even as we passed, their wings spread to the full in the fine sunshine. it was almost the sunshine of summer-time. in its glow we could scarcely credit our own recollections of some wintry bits of houseboating; and as to that story in our note-books about our being ice-bound in eppes creek, it was too much to ask ourselves to believe a word of it. [illustration: dutch gap canal.] in colonial times there were a number of fine homes along this part of the james, but most of them have long since disappeared. just after passing falling creek we came upon one colonial mansion yet standing. it belonged in those old times to the randolphs, and is best known perhaps as the home of the colonial belle, mistress anne randolph. among the beaux of the stirring days just before the revolution, she was a reigning toast under the popular name of "nancy wilton." the second benjamin harrison of brandon was among her wooers; and it is to his courtship that thomas jefferson refers when expressing, in one of his letters, the hope that his old college roommate may have luck at wilton. he did have. and we remembered the sweet-faced portrait at brandon of "nancy wilton" harrison. [illustration: falling creek.] soon, our course was along a narrow channel saw-toothed with jetties on either hand. the signs of life upon the river told that we were nearing richmond. we passed some work-boats, tugs, dredges, and such craft, and everybody whistled. over the top of a rise of land that marked the next bend of the river, we saw an ugly dark cloud. it had been long since we had seen a cloud like that; but there is no mistaking the black hat of a city. so, there was richmond seated beside the falls in the james--those water-bars that the river would not let down for any ship to pass; there was where our journey would end. to be sure, long years ago, the pale-faces outwitted the old tawny powhatan by building a canal around its barriers. their ships climbed great steps that they called locks; and, passing around the falls and rapids, went up and on their way far toward the mountains. but the river knew the ways of the white man, and kept its water-bars up and waited. after a while the pale-faces took to a new way of getting themselves and their belongings over the country; they went rolling about on rails instead of floating on the water; and before long, they almost forgot the old waterways. nature waited a while and then took their abandoned canals to grow rushes and water-lilies; and she covered the tow-paths with green and put tangles of undergrowth along; and then she gave it all to the birds and the frogs and the turtles. so, it came to pass that river barriers counted once more--that the barrier across our river counted once more. we did not know whether the canal ahead of us was wholly abandoned; but we did know that it was so obstructed as to no longer furnish a way of getting a vessel above the falls. the powhatan was master again; and a little way beyond that next bend it would bar the progress of gadabout just as, three centuries earlier, it had barred the progress of the exploring boats that the first settlers sent up from james towne. well, it was high time anyway for our journey to end. we had been several months upon the river--several months in travelling one hundred miles! one can not always go lazing on, even in a houseboat; even upon an ancient waterway leading through colonial-land. the old river may carry you to the beginning-place of your country; it may bear you on to the doors of famous colonial homes, full of old-time charm and traditional courtesy. but if so, then all the more need for falls and rapids to put a reasonable end to your houseboat voyage. we came about the bend in the stream and, at sight of the city before us, were reminded of the keen prevision of its colonial founder. when colonel william byrd, that sagacious exquisite of westover, came up the river one day in to this part of his almost boundless estate, and laid the foundations of richmond here in the wilderness beside the falls of the james, he foresaw that he was founding a great city. a "city in the air" he called it, and his dream came true. its realization in steeples and spires and chimneys and roof-lines opened before us now upon the slopes and the summits of the river hills. soon we were skirting the city's water front. we passed piers and factories and many boats. we went from the pure air of the open river into the tainted breath of the town. among many odours there came to be chiefly one--that of tobacco from the great factories. and that brought to mind a strange fact. in all our journey up the river, we had not seen a leaf of tobacco nor had we seen a place where it was grown. tobacco, upon which civilization along the james had been built; that had once covered with its broad leaves almost every cultivated acre along the stream; that had made the greatness of every plantation home we had visited--and now unknown among the products of the fertile river banks! at last gadabout was at the foot of the falls and rapids. like those first exploring colonists we found that here "the water falleth so rudely, and with such a violence, as not any boat can possibly passe." [illustration: the voyage ended. gadabout in winter quarters.] of course there was a temptation to do with our boat as the colonists once proposed to do with theirs--take her to pieces and then put her together again above the falls, and so sail on up the old waterway to the south sea and to the indies. but the exploring spirit of the race is not what it used to be, and we simply ran gadabout into a slip beside the disused canal and stopped. an anchor went plump into the water, making a wave-circle that spread and spread till it filled the whole basin--a great round water-period to end our river story. the end. index adams alexander, elizabeth appomattox river, the association for the preservation of virginia antiquities, the back river, the bacon, nathaniel barney, mrs. edward e., owner of jamestown island berkeley, lady frances berkeley, sir william berkeley (the estate) home of elder branch of harrison family ancestral home of a signer of the declaration of independence, and of two presidents of the united states plantation in bermuda hundred, village founded four years after settlement of james towne brandon history of riverward entrance to grounds the "woods-way" to the mansion "the quarters" the landward entrance type of architecture characteristic hospitality interior of mansion colonial portraits the old garden present day family at brandon the bedrooms colonial silver ancient records an old court gown the family burying-ground the garrison house bransford, mrs. h.w., of the carter family of shirley, and one of the present owners of the plantation, living in the manor-house buck, reverend richard byrd, evelyn, portrait and romance of her room at westover tomb of byrd, lucy parke, wife of william byrd of westover byrd, william, the second, of westover portrait at brandon about built present mansion at westover death tomb of ability of this colonial grandee founded the city of richmond carter, anne hill, of shirley, wife of "light horse harry" lee and mother of general robert e. lee carter, charles, portrait at shirley carter, elizabeth hill, of shirley, daughter of the third edward hill, and wife of john carter of corotoman portrait at shirley carter family acquire corotoman reach greatest prominence in days of "king" carter cousins to all the rest of virginia carter, john, son of "king" carter of corotoman, was secretary of the colony married elizabeth hill of shirley in portrait at shirley carter, robert, of corotoman on the rappahannock, one of the wealthiest and most influential colonials his possessions called "king" carter portrait at shirley carter, robert randolph, of shirley carter, mrs. robert randolph, of shirley carter, miss susy chickahominy river, the chippoak creek chuckatuck creek city point claremont colonial river trade constant, sarah cornick, reverend john, rector of westover church corotoman, carter family acquire cotton, mrs. an. court house creek curie's neck cuyler, randolph cuyler, mrs. randolph, of brandon dale, sir thomas dancing point delaware, lord ownership of shirley discovery, ship douthat family of weyanoke douthat, fielding lewis douthat, mrs. mary willis marshall, granddaughter of chief-justice marshall, and present mistress of weyanoke dutch gap canal eppes creek eppes family, home at city point faffing creek fleur de hundred ford, paul leicester fort powhatan "friggett landing" goodspeed, ship gordon family of aberdeenshire gordon, william washington grant, u.s., grant's army crossed the james hampton roads harrison, mrs. anne, of berkeley harrison, miss belle, of brandon in court gown of her colonial aunt, evelyn byrd harrison, benjamin, the emigrant harrison, benjamin, of berkeley, treasurer of the colony harrison, major benjamin, of berkeley, member of the house of burgesses harrison, benjamin, of berkeley, member of the continental congress and signer of the declaration of independence harrison, benjamin, of brandon, member of the council harrison, colonel benjamin, of brandon, portrait by peale harrison, mrs. benjamin. see mistress anne randolph of wilton harrison, benjamin, grandson of william henry harrison of berkeley, and twenty-third president of the united states harrison, george evelyn, of brandon harrison, mrs. george evelyn, present mistress of brandon harrison, nathaniel, of brandon harrison, william henry, of berkeley, ninth president of our country harvard college harwood, joseph henrico or henricopolis, founded four years after james towne site of proposed college which would have been oldest in america henry, patrick herring creek hill family acquire shirley hill, edward, the second, built present mansion at shirley about the middle of the seventeenth century his portrait at shirley hill, mrs. edward, portrait of, at shirley hollingshorst, elizabeth gordon hollingshorst, thomas indian massacre of caused abandonment of henrico irving, washington james river, the width depth historical importance colonial life upon colonial water life grant's army crossed colonial river trade sturgeon in buoy-tender on narrow and crooked from shirley to richmond site of richmond on the falls of the. james towne settlement of development, decline, and abandonment of captain edward ross the typical village streets buildings "alehouses" abandonment of re-settlement final abandonment ancient site not lost unearthing the buried ruins jamestown island settlement of appearance the way across isthmus width of battle upon church churchyard mysterious tomb confederate fort historic sites where pocahontas and john rolfe were married coining of "the maids" beginnings of american self-government the colonists' first landing-place the colonists' first fort the colonists' first village the story of the "starving time" the "lone cypress" jefferson, thomas kittewan creek kittewan house kneller, sir godfrey lee, general robert e. lee, miss mary lee, "light horse harry," married at shirley lee, mrs. henry. see anne hill carter of shirley lewis family madison, james marshall, chief-justice john marshall, john, son of chief-justice marshall marshall, mary willis, wife of chief-justice marshall martin, captain john meadowville merchants' hope church mitchell, dr. s. weir mordaunt, charles monroe, james newport news oliver, commander james h., u.s.n. oliver, mrs. james h., of the carter family, and one of the present owners of shirley opachisco opechancanough, indian chief parke, colonel daniel peale, charles wilson his portrait of washington at shirley peterborough, lord petersburg, march upon piersey, captain abraham, ownership of fleur de hundred pocahontas marriage to john rolfe after marriage lived at varina pope, alexander powell's creek powhatan, indian chief, not at wedding of pocahontas "pyping point" ramsay, mrs. c. sears, present owner of westover ramsay, elizabeth ramsay family at westover randolph, mistress anne, of wilton pre-revolutionary belle, married the second benjamin harrison of brandon her portrait at brandon richmond, at the falls of the james founded by william byrd of westover in rolfe, john marriage to pocahontas after marriage lived at varina shirley, colonial seat of the hills and of the carters right way to go to great seventeenth-century american plantation early owners of the exterior of the mansion and the ancient messuage the oldest homestead on the river and one of the oldest in the country the present owners the colonial "great hall" interior of mansion ghosts colonial portraits kitchen and cook-room colonial furnishings copied in restoration of the mt. vernon kitchen colonial silverware romance of "light horse harry" lee and anne hill carter peale's portrait of washington old-time shirley silverware, colonial, family silver at brandon communion service of martin's brandon church at brandon at shirley smith, captain john stratford, the ancestral home of the lees stuart, gilbert thomas, colonial house of varina, site of early home of john rolfe and pocahontas virginia society, type of war of , fort built in washington, george portrait of, by peale, at shirley water supply of james towne colonists westover became property of the byrds present mansion built its colonial importance, and its successive owners riverward front interior of mansion romantic centre of present owner and family landward front, courtyard, and noted entrance gates garden and sun-dial, and tomb of william byrd mysterious subterranean chambers recent restoration of old survey of plantation graveyard westover church one of earliest churches in the country weyanoke two plantations houses of an indian name upper lower present day family at oldest building at postoffice at williamsburg whittaker, reverend alexander willcox, john v., ownership of fleur de hundred wilton, home of mistress anne randolph windmill point first windmill in america wowinchopunk yeardley, sir george, tomb of ownership of weyanoke ownership of fleur de hundred built first windmill in america yonge, samuel h. "see america first" series each in one volume, decorative cover, profusely illustrated california, romantic and beautiful by george wharton james $ . new mexico: the land of the delight makers by george wharton james $ . three wonderlands of the american west by thomas d. murphy $ . a wonderland of the east: the mountain and lake region of new england and eastern new york by william copeman kitchin, ph.d. $ . on sunset highways (california) by thomas d. murphy $ . texas, the marvellous by nevin o. winter $ . arizona, the wonderland by george wharton james $ . colorado: the queen jewel of the rockies by mae lacy baggs $ . oregon, the picturesque by thomas d. murphy $ . florida, the land of enchantment by nevin o. winter $ . sunset canada (british columbia and beyond) by archie bell $ . alaska, our beautiful northland of opportunity by agnes rush burr $ . virginia: the old dominion. as seen from its colonial waterway, the historic river james by frank and cortelle hutchins $ . a number of additional volumes are in preparation, including maine, utah, georgia, the great lakes, louisiana, etc., and the "see america first" series will eventually include the whole of the north american continent. made available by the million books project. a handbook to agra and the taj sikandra, fatehpur-sikri and the neighbourhood by e.b. havell, arca. preface this little book is not intended for a history or archæological treatise, but to assist those who visit, or have visited, agra, to an intelligent understanding of one of the greatest epochs of indian art. in the historical part of it, i have omitted unimportant names and dates, and only attempted to give such a sketch of the personality of the greatest of the great moguls, and of the times in which they lived, as is necessary for an appreciation of the wonderful monuments they left behind them. india is the only part of the british empire where art is still a living reality, a portion of the people's spiritual possessions. we, in our ignorance and affectation of superiority, make efforts to improve it with western ideas; but, so far, have only succeeded in doing it incalculable harm. it would be wiser if we would first attempt to understand it. among many works to which i owe valuable information, i should name especially erskine's translation of babar's "memoirs;" muhammad latifs "agra, historical and descriptive;" and edmund smith's "fatehpur-sikri." my acknowledgments are due to babu abanindro nath tagore, mr. a. polwhele, executive engineer, agra, and to mr. j.h. marshall, director-general of the archæological survey of india, for kind assistance rendered. i am particularly indebted to messrs. johnston and hoffman, of calcutta, for allowing me to make use of their valuable collection of photographs for the illustrations. in quoting from "bernier's travels," i have used constable's translation, with messrs. a. constable & co.'s kind permission. to the editor of the _nineteenth century and after_ i owe permission to make use of my article on "the taj and its designers," published in that review, june, . calcutta, _january_, . contents historical introduction the great moguls--i. babar--babar's connection with agra--ii. humayun--interregnum: shere shah--iii. akbar--akbar's connection with agra--iv. jahangir--jahangir's connection with agra--v. shah jahan--the monuments of shah jahan's reign at agra--vi. aurangzîb--agra and the later mogul emperors--agra in the mutiny. the fort the mûti masjid--the dersane darwaza--the dîwan-i-âm--jahangir's cistern--the tomb of mr. colvin--the inner mîna bazar--the chitore gates--the hindu temple--the machhi bhawan--the najina masjid--the dîwan-i-khas--jahangir's throne--the baths--the samman burj--the khas mahal--the underground chambers--the anguri bagh--shish mahal--the "somnath" gates--the jahangiri mahal--the sahmgarh. the jÂmi masjid the taj the building of the taj--the intention of the taj--description. itmÂd-ud-daulah's tomb the chÎnÎ-ka-rauza the ram bagh the zuhara bagh. sikandra akbar's tomb--the kanch mahal--suraj-bhan-ka bagh--mariam zâmâni's tomb. other buildings and tombs at or near agra the kali masjid--alawal bilawal--the hamman--the roman catholic cemetery. fatehpur sikri the agra gate--the naubat khana--the mint--the daftar khana--the palace--the kwâbgâh--the turkish sultana's house--hakim's baths--pachisi board--the dîwan-i-khâs--the ankh-michauli--the yogi's seat--the hospital--the dîwan-i-âm--the panch mahal--miriam's kothi--jodh baí's palace--rajah birbal's house, or birbal's daughter's house--the hathi pol and adjoining buildings--the jâmi masjid, or cathedral mosque--the baland darwaza--the stone-cutters' mosque--the houses of abul fazl and faizi. bharatpur and other places in the vicinity of agra:--bharatpur--govardhan--muttra--bindrâban. index list of illustrations the taj mahal plate i. a state document with shah jahan's "royal hand and seal" plate ii. shah jahan, from an old indian miniature plate iii. the inner delhi gate, or hathi pol, agra fort plate iv. marble balcony, overlooking the inner mîna bazar, agra fort plate v. the samman burj, agra fort plate vi. inner courtyard of the jahangiri mahal, agra fort plate vii. marble screen enclosing the tombs of mumtaz mahal and shah jahan plate viii. itmâd-ud-daulah's tomb, agra plate ix. interior of the upper pavilion, itmâd-ud-daulah's tomb plate x. marble sarcophagus on the upper story of akbar's tomb, sikandra plate xi. interior of the dîwan-i-khâs, fatehpur sikri plate xii. rajah birbal's daughter's house, fatehpur sikri plate xiii. the baland darwaza, fatehpur sikri plans agra fort. plan of the palaces fatehpur sikri. plan showing the position of the buildings fatehpur sikri. plan showing the walls and gates fatehpur sikri. plan of jodh bai's palace agra historical introduction agra has two histories: one of the ancient city on the east, or left, bank of the river jumna, going back so far as to be lost in the legends of krishna and of the heroes of the mâhabhârata; the other of the modern city, founded by akbar in a.d. , on the right bank of the river, and among muhammadans still retaining its name of akbarabad, which is intimately associated with the romance of the great moguls, and known throughout the world as the city of the taj. of ancient agra little now remains except a few traces of the foundations. it was a place of importance under various hindu dynasties previous to the muhammadan invasions of india, but its chequered fortunes down to the beginning of the sixteenth century are the usual tale of siege and capture by hindu or mussulman, and possess little historical interest. in a.d. sultan sikandar lodi, the last but one of the afghan dynasty at delhi, rebuilt agra and made it the seat of government. sikandra, the burial-place of akbar, is named after him, and there he built a garden-house which subsequently became the tomb of mariam zâmâni, one of akbar's wives. the son of sultan sikandar, ibrahim lodi, was defeated and slain by babar at panipat, near delhi, in , and from that time agra became one of the principal cities of the mogul empire which babar founded. the great moguls.--i. babar. though very few memorials of babar's short but brilliant reign still exist at agra, the life of this remarkable man is so important a part of the mogul dynasty that it must not be passed over by the intelligent tourist or student of mogul art. it was babar's sunny disposition, and the love of nature characteristic of his race, that brought back into indian art the note of joyousness which it had not known since the days of buddhism. babar is one of the most striking figures in eastern history. he was descended from tamerlane, or timur, on his father's side, and, on his mother's, from chinghiz khan. in the year , at the age of twelve, he became king of farghana, a small kingdom of central asia, now known as kokand. his sovereignty, however, was of a very precarious tenure, for he was surrounded on all sides by a horde of rapacious, intriguing relatives, scrambling for the fragments of timur's empire. with hardly a trustworthy ally except a remarkably clever and courageous old grandmother, he struggled for three years to retain his birthright. then, acting on a sudden inspiration, he made a dash for samarkand, the ancient capital of timur, and won it. in his delightful memoirs babar describes how, with boyish glee, he paced the ramparts himself, wandered from palace to palace, and revelled in the fruit-gardens of what was then one of the finest cities of asia. but in less than a hundred days, most of his shifty mongol troops, disappointed in not finding as much booty as they expected, deserted and joined a party of his enemies, who straightway attacked andijan, the capital of farghana, where babar had left his mother and grandmother. before he could come to their rescue andijan had fallen, and at the same time samarkand, which he had left, was occupied by another of his numerous rivals. this double misfortune caused still more of his followers to leave him, and he found himself without a kingdom, except the little town of khojend, and with only two hundred men. for almost the only time in his life he gave way utterly to despair. "i became a prey to melancholy and vexation; i was reduced to a sore distressed state and wept much." before long, however, babar, rejoined by his mother and grandmother, whom the captors of andijan had spared, taking advantage of another turn in the wheel of fortune, recovered his kingdom of farghana, but lost the greater part of it again through another desertion of his "mongol rascals." a second time, with only a handful of men, he surprised and captured samarkand (a.d. ). in the following year he rashly sallied out against shaibani, the most formidable of his adversaries, was defeated, and, after vainly trying to hold the city against the victors, was forced to fly under cover of the night. this time he did not weep, but consoled himself next morning by riding a headlong race with two of his companions. reaching a village, where they found "nice fat flesh, bread of fine flour well baked, sweet melons, and excellent grapes in great abundance," babar declared that in all his life he never enjoyed himself so much or felt so keenly the pleasures of peace and plenty. he now took refuge among the hills near uratipa, finding amusement in observing the life of the villagers, and especially in conversing with the mother of the headman, an old lady of a hundred and eleven, whose descendants, to the number of ninety-six, lived in the country round about. one of her relatives had served in the army with which timur had invaded india, and she entertained the future emperor of hindustan by telling him stories of his ancestor's adventures. after several fruitless raids with the few troopers who remained faithful to him, he allied himself with his two uncles, mahmud and ahmad khan, in an attack against tambal, one of the powerful nobles who had revolted against him and set up jahangir, his brother, on the throne of farghana. at a critical moment his uncles left babar to the mercy of his enemy, and he was again forced to fly for his life, hotly pursued by tambal's horsemen. he was overtaken by two of them, who, not daring to pit themselves against babar's prodigious strength and courage, tried to inveigle him into a trap. babar gives a moving description of this great crisis in his life. thoroughly exhausted, and seeing no prospect of escape, he resigned himself to die:-- "there was a stream in the garden, and there i made my ablutions and recited a prayer of two bowings. then surrendering myself to meditation, i was about to ask god for his compassion, when sleep closed my eyes. i saw (in my dream) khwája yakub, the son of khwája yahya, and grandson of his eminence the khwája 'obaid-allah (a famous saint of samarkand), with a numerous escort, mounted on dappled grey horses, come before me and say, '_do not be anxious, the khwája has sent me to tell you that he will support you and seat you on the throne of sovereignty; whenever a difficulty occurs to you, remember to beg his help, and he will at once respond to your appeal, and victory and triumph shall straightway lean to your side_.' i awoke with easy heart, at the very moment when yusuf the constable and his companions (tambal's soldiers) were plotting some trick to seize and throttle me. hearing them discussing it, i said to them, 'all you say is very well, but i shall be curious to see which of you dares to approach me,' as i spoke the tramp of a number of horses was heard outside the garden wall. yusuf the constable exclaimed, 'if we had taken you and brought you to tambal, our affairs would have prospered much thereby; as it is, he has sent a large troop to seize you; and the noise you hear is the tramp of horses on your track,' at this assertion my face fell, and i knew not what to devise. "at this very moment the horsemen, who had not at first found the gate of the garden, made a breach in its crumbling wall, through which they entered. i saw they were kutluk muhammad barlas and babai pargári, two of my most devoted followers, with ten or twenty other persons. when they came near to my person they threw themselves off their horses, and, bending the knee at a respectful distance, fell at my feet, and overwhelmed me with marks of their affection. "amazed at this apparition, i felt that god had just restored me to life. i called to them at once, 'seize yusuf the constable, and the wretched traitors who are with him, and bring them to me bound hand and foot,' then, turning to my rescuers, i said, 'whence come you? who told you what was happening?' kutluk muhammad barlás answered, 'after i found myself separated from you in the sudden flight from akhsi, i reached andijan at the very moment when the khans themselves were making their entry. there i saw, in a dream, khwája 'obaid-allah, who said, "_pádishah babar is at this instant in a village called karmán; fly thither and bring him back with you, for the throne is his of right_." rejoicing at this dream, i related it to the big khan and little khan.... three days have we been marching, and thanks be to god for bringing about this meeting.'" [ ] after this exciting adventure babar rejoined his time-serving uncles, but was forced into exile again in , when, at the battle of akshi, the khans were completely defeated by shaibani. then he resolved to depart out of farghana and to give up the attempt to recover his kingdom. characteristically, when foiled in one enterprise he entered upon another yet more ambitious. joined by his two brothers, jahangir and nasir, and by a motley array of various wandering tribes, he swooped down upon kabul and captured it. the description of the new kingdom thus easily won, which fills many pages of the memoirs, reveals another side of babar's character--his intense love of nature. he gives minute accounts of the climate, physical characteristics, the fruits, flowers, birds, and beasts, as well as of the human inhabitants. in the intervals between his battles, or between his rollicking drinking parties, which for some years of his life degenerated into drunken orgies, we often find babar lost in admiration of some beautiful landscape, or collecting flowers and planting fruit trees. wherever he came, babar's first care was to dig wells and plant fruit and flower gardens. india owes much to the great moguls' love of horticulture. when babar had drilled his unruly afghan subjects into something like order, he made, in , one more unsuccessful attempt to crush shaibani. however, in , when that doughty warrior was defeated and slain by ismail, shah of persia, samarkand fell once more into babar's hands, as a vassal of the shah. eight months afterwards he was driven out again. from that time babar gave up all hopes of re-establishing the empire of his ancestor timur, and turned his face towards india. in he gathered an army for his first expedition, which was, however, more of a reconnaissance than a conquest. four more attempts he made, until at last, in , with only , men, he defeated the hosts of ibrahim lodi, the last of the afghan kings of delhi, who, with , of his troops, were left dead on the field of panipat. thus, after many struggles, babar became "master and conqueror of the mighty empire of hindustan," but he had to fight two more great battles before his sovereignty was undisputed--one in near fatehpur sikri, with the great chief of the rajputs, raja sanga of chitore, and another in near buxar, with the afghans who had settled in bengal. the next year babar died in his garden palace at agra the nobility of his character was conspicuous in his death as it was in his life. he was devotedly attached to his eldest son, humayun, who was seized with malarial fever while staying at his country estate at sambhal. babar had him removed by boat to agra, but his physicians declared that the case was hopeless. babar's own health had suffered much during his life in india, and he was terribly agitated by the news. when some one suggested that in such circumstances the almighty sometimes deigned to accept the thing most valued by one friend in exchange for the life of another, babar exclaimed that of all things his life was dearest to humayun, as humayun's was to him. he would sacrifice his own life to save his son. his courtiers entreated him to give up instead the great diamond taken at agra, said to be the most valuable on earth. babar declared that no stone could compare in value with his own life, and after solemnly walking round humayun's couch, as in a religious sacrifice, he retired to devote himself to prayer. soon afterwards he was heard to exclaim, "i have borne it away! i have borne it away!" humayun began to recover, and, as he improved, babar gradually sank. commending his son to the protection of his friends, and imploring humayun to be kind and forgiving to his brothers, the first of the "great moguls" of india passed away. he was buried at kabul, in one of his beloved gardens, which, according to tartar custom, he had chosen for his tomb, in "the sweetest spot of the neighbourhood." [ ] babar's connection with agra. babar's connection with agra began immediately after the battle of panipat. he sent forward humayun, who occupied the town without opposition. the story of the great diamond referred to above is here recorded in the memoirs. the raja of gwalior, slain at panipat, had left his family and the heads of his clan at agra. in gratitude to humayun, who treated them magnanimously, and protected them from plunder, they presented to him a _peskesh_, or token of homage, consisting of a quantity of jewels and precious stones. among these was one famous diamond which had been acquired by sultan alaeddin. "it is so valuable that a judge of diamonds valued it at about half the daily expense of the whole world. it is about eight _mikkals_" (or about carats). this is generally supposed to be the celebrated koh-i-nur. babar determined to establish the seat of his government at agra, but was almost dissuaded by the desolate appearance of the country. "it always appears to me," he says, "that one of the chief defects of hindustan is the want of artificial watercourses. i had intended, wherever i might fix my residence, to construct water-wheels, to produce an artificial stream, and to lay out an elegant and regularly planned pleasure ground. shortly after coming to agra i passed the jumna with this object in view, and examined the country to pitch upon a fit spot for a garden. the whole was so ugly and detestable that i repassed the river quite repulsed and disgusted. in consequence of the want of beauty and of the disagreeable aspect of the country, i gave up my intention of making a _charbagh_ (garden house); but as no better situation presented itself near agra, i was finally compelled to make the best of this same spot.... in every corner i planted suitable gardens, in every garden i sowed roses and narcissus regularly, and in beds corresponding to each other. we were annoyed by three things in hindustan; one was its heat, another the strong winds, and the third its dust. baths were the means of removing all three inconveniences." as i have mentioned above, there are very few vestiges remaining of babar's city, of his fruit and flower gardens, palaces, baths, tanks, wells and watercourses. the ram bagh (p. ) is one of the gardens laid out either by himself or by one of his nobles, and the zohra, or zuhara bagh, near it, contains the remains of a garden-house, which is said to have belonged to one of babar's daughters. opposite to the taj there are traces of the foundations of the city he built. babar planned, and his successors completed, the great road leading from agra to kabul through lahore, parts of which still remain. some of the old milestones can be seen on the road to sikandra. babar's account of the commencement of it is very characteristic: "on thursday, the th of the latter rebia, i directed chikmak bey, by a writing under the royal hand and seal, [ ] to measure the distance from agra to kabul; that at every nine _kos_ he should raise a _minar_, or turret, twelve _gez_ in height, on the top of which he was to construct a pavilion; that every ten _kos_ he should erect a _yam_, or post-house, which they call a _dak-choki,_ for six horses; that he should fix a certain allowance as a provision for the post-house keepers, couriers, and grooms, and for feeding the horses; and orders were given that whenever a post-house for horses was built near a _khalseh_, or imperial demesne, they should be furnished from thence with the stated allowances; that if it were situated in a _pergunna_, the nobleman in charge should attend to the supply. the same day chikmâk padshahi left agra." the promptness of babar's administrative methods is a striking contrast to the circumlocution of present-day departmentalism. there still exist remains of many splendid _sarais_, or halting-places, built along this road by different mogul emperors for their convenience, from the time of babar down to aurangzîb. one of the finest is the nurmahal sarai, near jalandhar, built by jahangir and named after his favourite wife. edward terry, who accompanied sir thomas roe, james the first's ambassador at jahangir's court, describes "the long walk of four hundred miles, shaded by great trees on both sides," and adds, "this is looked upon by the travellers who have found the comfort of that cool shade as one of the rarest and most beneficial works in the whole world." ii. humayun. humayun, who succeeded babar, had many of his father's amiable qualities, but none of his genius as a leader of men. he utterly failed in the attempt to consolidate the great empire which babar had left him, and in , or nine and a half years after his accession, he was completely defeated at kanauj by shere khan sur, an afghan nobleman, who had submitted to babar, but revolted against his son. humayun found himself a fugitive with only a handful of men, and was eventually driven not only out of hindustan, but even from the kingdom of kabul. he then took refuge with the shah of persia. shere khan sur, under the title of shere shah, ruled at agra until he died, five years afterwards. his son, salîm shah, or sultan islam, succeeded him, and reigned between seven and eight years, but on his death the usual quarrels between his relatives and generals gave humayun, who in the mean time had got back kabul with the aid of a persian army, the opportunity to recover his position in hindustan. this occurred in , but humayun's unfortunate reign terminated the same year through a fatal fall from a staircase in his palace at delhi. humayun left no memorial of himself at agra, but he is to be remembered for two circumstances; the first, that he was the father of the great akbar, who succeeded him; and the second, that the plan of his tomb at delhi, built by akbar, was the model on which the plan of the taj was based. interregnum: shere shah. shere shah was a great builder, and a most capable ruler. in his short reign of five years he initiated many of the great administrative reforms which akbar afterwards perfected. fergusson, in his "history of indian architecture," mentions that in his time there was a fragment of a palace built by shere shah in the fort at agra, "which was as exquisite a piece of decorative art as any of its class in india." this palace has since been destroyed to make room for a barrack, but probably the two-storied pavilion known as the salîmgarh is the fragment to which fergusson refers. the only other building of shere shah's time now remaining in agra is the half-buried mosque of alawal bilawal, or shah wilayat, in the _nai-ki mandi_ quarter (see p. ). shere shah's tomb at sasseram, in bihar, is one of the noblest monuments of the pathan style, or the style of the earliest muhammadan architects in india. iii. akbar. akbar, "the great," was born at amarkot, on the edge of the deserts of marwar, about three years after the battle of kanauj, when his father humayun was a fugitive, driven from place to place by the adherents of shere shah. at this time the treasury of the royal house was so reduced that, when humayun indented on it for the customary presents to his faithful followers, the only thing procurable was a single pod of musk. with the cheerfulness which was the saving grace of humayun, he broke up the pod, and distributed it, adding the pious wish, which seemed like prophetic insight, that his son's fame might fill the world like the fragrance of that perfume. trained in the hard school of adversity, and inheriting the best qualities of his grandfather, akbar was not long in restoring the faded fortunes of the mogul dynasty. like babar, he succeeded to the throne at a very early age, and found himself surrounded by difficulties which would have overwhelmed a weaker character. humayun had, indeed, fought his way back to delhi and agra, but he had by no means settled with all the numerous disputants for the sovereignty of hindustan, which sultan islam's death had left in the field; and his departure from kabul had been the signal for revolt in that quarter. akbar, accompanied by bairam khan, the ablest of humayun's generals, was in sind when he received at the same time the news of his father's death and of the revolt of the viceroy at kabul he was then little more than thirteen years old, but, like babar under similar circumstances, he was prompt in decision and in action. adopting bairam's advice, which was contrary to that of all his other counsellors, he left kabul out of account, and pushed on to delhi against the forces of himu, a hindu general, and the most powerful of his foes, who had assumed the title of raja bikramajit, with the hopes of restoring the old hindu dynasty. on the historic plains of panipat akbar completely defeated himu's army, and thus regained the empire which his grandfather had won on the same field thirty years before. this great battle was the most critical point in his career, and though akbar had to undertake many other hard campaigns before he was absolute master of the empire, his position from that time was never seriously endangered. until his eighteenth year akbar remained under the tutelage of bairam, an able general, but unscrupulous and cruel. the high-minded, generous disposition of akbar revolted against some of his guardian's methods, but he recognized that, for some years at least, bairam's experience was necessary for him. in , however, he took the administration entirely into his own hands. bairam, in disgust, took up arms against his young master, but was soon defeated and taken prisoner. with his usual magnanimity, akbar pardoned him, and sent him off to mecca with a munificent present; but the revengeful knife of an afghan put an end to the turbulent nobleman's life before he could leave india. akbar spent the rest of his long reign in elaborating the administrative reforms which have made him famous as the greatest ruler india has ever had. with the aid of able ministers, both hindu and muhammadan, he purified the administration of justice, keeping the supreme control in his own hands; enjoined absolute tolerance in religious matters; abolished oppressive taxes, and reorganized and improved the system of land revenue introduced by shere shah. a minute account of akbar's reign, of his policy, habits, and character, is given in the "akbar-nama," the history written by his devoted friend and prime minister, abul fazl. no detail of state affairs was too small for akbar's personal attention. ability and integrity were the only passports to his favour, while bigotry and injustice were anathemas to him. like babar, he was fond of horticulture, and imported many kinds of fruit trees and flowers into india. though he could neither read nor write, he had a great library of hindi, persian, arabic, greek, and other books, and abul fazl relates that every book was read through to him from beginning to end. the most remarkable of all this remarkable man's intellectual activities were his attempts to bring about a reconciliation of all the discordant religious elements of his empire. badâyuni, one of his contemporary historians, but, unlike him, a bigoted musalman, comments thus on akbar's religious views: "from his earliest childhood to his manhood, and from his manhood to old age, his majesty has passed through the most various phases, and through all sorts of religious practices and sectarian beliefs, and has collected everything which people can find in books, with a talent of selection peculiar to him and a spirit of inquiry opposed to every (islamite) principle. thus a faith based on some elementary principles traced itself on the mirror of his heart, and, as the result of all the influences which were brought to bear on his majesty, there grew gradually, as the outline on a stone, the conviction on his heart that there were sensible men in all religions, and abstemious thinkers and men endowed with miraculous powers among all nations. if some true knowledge were thus everywhere to be found, why should truth be confined to one religion, or to a creed like islam, which was comparatively new, and scarcely a thousand years old; why should one sect assert what another denies, and why should one claim a preference without having superiority conferred upon itself?" near to his palace at fatehpur sikri he built an ibâdat khana, or hall of worship, for the discussion of philosophy and religion. there he received representatives of all religious sects, muhammadans, brahmans, jains, buddhists, parsis, jews, and christians, and listened attentively to their arguments. he studied deeply religious books, and had the new testament translated into persian. he also invited jesuit priests from goa, and not only allowed them to build a church at agra, but even attended a marriage service and interpreted the words of the sermon to the bride. badayuni says that "his majesty firmly believed in the truth of the christian religion, and wishing to spread the doctrines of jesus, ordered prince murad (his son) to take a few lessons in christianity by way of auspiciousness." the jesuits, however, did not succeed in making akbar a convert, for when his religious convictions were at last settled, he proclaimed as the state religion a kind of eclectic pantheism called din-i-ilâhi, or "divine faith," with himself as the chief interpreter. dispensing with all forms of priesthood, he simply recognized one god, the maker of the universe, and himself as god's vicegerent on earth. he rejected the doctrine of the resurrection, and accepted that of the transmigration of souls. the islamite prayers were abolished, and others of a more general character were substituted for them. the ceremonial was largely borrowed from the hindus. the "divine faith" had no hold on the people, and its influence ceased with the death of its founder. it is even said that akbar, on his death-bed, acknowledged the orthodox muhammadan creed, but the evidence on this point is unreliable. akbar's religious system had an important political bearing, for the keynote of his whole policy was the endeavour to unite with a bond of common interest all the diverse social, religious, and racial elements of his empire. he overlooked nothing which might further the object he had in view. he chose his ministers and generals indiscriminately from all his subjects, without distinction of race or religion. he allied himself in marriage with the royal hindu families of rajputana. he sat daily on the judgment seat to dispense justice to all who chose to appeal to him, and, like the famous harun-al-rashid, he would at times put on disguises and wander unattended among the people, to keep himself informed of their real condition and to check the malpractices of his officials. though akbar unavoidably had bitter enemies among the more bigoted of his muhammadan subjects, his wise tolerance of all beliefs and the generosity of his policy for the most part disarmed hostility from all sides. certainly no ruler of india before or since succeeded so far in carrying out his object. he is still one of the great popular heroes of hindustan; his mighty deeds in war and in the chase, his wise and witty sayings, the splendour of his court, his magnanimity and his justice, still live in song and in story. akbar died in the fort at agra on october , , in the fifty-first year of his reign, aged . he was buried at sikandra, in the mausoleum commenced by himself, and finished by his son and successor, jahangir. akbar's connection with agra. the modern city of agra, as stated previously, was founded by akbar in , opposite to the old city on the left bank of the river. he built the fort, on the site of an old pathan castle, and part of the palace within it. agra was the seat of government during the greater part of his reign. he also built the great mosque and the magnificent palaces and public buildings of fatehpur sikri, which are among the most famous of the antiquities of india. iv. jahangir. the eldest surviving son of akbar, prince salîm, on his accession to the throne in , assumed the title of núr-ud-din jahangir (light of the faith, conqueror of the world). he was passionate, cruel, and a drunkard, but not without ability and force of character. as prince salîm he had instigated the assassination of the prime minister, abul fazl, and probably hastened his own father's death by his violent conduct. there was, however, a reconciliation at the end, and jahangir endeavoured to atone for his behaviour by lavish expenditure on akbar's tomb at sikandra. he has also left many pious tributes to his father's memory in his autobiography. jahangir's favourite wife was the celebrated nur mahal, who for twenty years was almost the supreme power in the imperial court. her beauty attracted his attention while he was still prince salîm, but akbar, disapproving of her as a daughter-in-law, gave her in marriage to sher afsan, "the lion killer," a nobleman of burdwan. after his accession, having treacherously procured the death of her husband, jahangir had nur mahal removed to agra and placed under the care of his mother. for many years she repulsed all jahangir's overtures, but when at last she consented to be his queen she became his most devoted wife. she accompanied him on all his travels, and jahangir consulted her in all important affairs of state. sir thomas roe, james the first's ambassador, describes jahangir at agra taking his wife for an evening drive in a bullock cart, "the king himself being her carter." he affectionately changed her name from nur mahal, "light of the palace," to nur jahan, "light of the world." the imperial coinage bore her name and an inscription, "gold has acquired a new value since it bore the name of nur jahan." she even succeeded to some extent in controlling jahangir's drunken habits. she was a great patroness of the arts, and it is said that the samman burj, her apartments in the agra palace, was decorated after her own designs. her charity was boundless; she was the especial protectress of orphan girls, and provided marriage portions for no less than from her private purse. nur mahal's father, itmâd-ud-daulah, became lord high treasurer, and afterwards wazir, or prime minister. on his death his daughter built for him the magnificent tomb at agra known by his name. during jahangir's reign many europeans, travellers, adventurers and others, flocked to the mogul court. they were allowed free access to the palace, and jahangir frequently admitted them to join in his midnight carouses. he showed great favour to the jesuit priests, and even allowed two of his nephews to be instructed in the christian religion. the violent temper of jahangir was inherited by his son, prince khurram, afterwards shah jahan, and the peace of his reign was frequently disturbed by open rebellion on the part of the prince. in shah jahan actually sacked agra, and his soldiers committed fearful atrocities on the inhabitants. he failed, however, to capture the fort, which contained the imperial treasury, and jahangir, no doubt remembering his own father's leniency towards himself, forgave his unruly son. jahangir died in , and was buried at shahdara, near lahore, in a magnificent tomb prepared by nur mahal. she herself retired to lahore, and, though she lived till , ceased to take any part in state affairs after his death. she was buried by her husband's side at shahdara. jahangir's connection with agra. jahangir for a great part of his reign held his court at lahore, or at kabul. the chief monuments of his reign at, or near, agra are akbar's tomb at sikandra (p. ), and itmâd-ud-daulah's tomb (p. ), already mentioned. part of the agra palace, the jahangiri mahal (p. ), is named after him, though it is most probable that it was really built in akbar's reign. there are a few minor buildings of jahangir's time in agra, such as the baths of ali verdi khan in chipitollah street, the mosque of motamid khan in the kashmiri bazar, and the tower known after the name of boland khan, the chief eunuch of jahangir's palace. these are of purely archæological interest. v. shah jahan. shah jahan, on his father's death, though only fourth in right of succession to the throne, speedily disposed of his brothers by means very commonly adopted in oriental royal families, and was enthroned at agra in . immediately afterwards he wreaked his vengeance on the portuguese, who had taken part against him in his rebellion against jahangir, by destroying their settlement at hughli. the next year, while on an expedition to suppress disorder in the deccan, he lost his favourite wife, mumtaz mahal, the lady of the taj. for a long time the emperor abandoned himself entirely to grief, and he remained faithful to her memory until his death. the actual building of the taj commenced in . from this date until , when aurangzîb usurped the throne, was the most magnificent period of the mogul dynasty. the whole empire enjoyed comparative peace and prosperity. shah jahan's just and liberal government continued his father's and grandfather's policy of tolerance towards the hindus, and his administration, though conducted with great pomp and splendour, did not press hardly upon the people. it was one of the greatest epochs of indian architecture; besides the taj mahal, the buildings erected during these years include four of the masterpieces of the mogul period--the jâmi masjid, or cathedral mosque, of delhi; the mûti masjid, or pearl mosque, of agra; part of the agra palace, and the great palace at delhi, of which only a small portion now exists. it is said that as shah jahan advanced towards old age he abandoned himself more and more to a life of pleasure and self-indulgence, but his last years were darkened by the same kind of family intrigues through which he himself had gained the throne. in the serious illness of the emperor brought these intrigues to a head. his eldest son by mumtaz mahal, called dara shikoh, a gracious and generous prince, but headstrong and intolerant of advice, was appointed regent. on receiving this intelligence, his younger brothers, shuja, viceroy of bengal, and murad, viceroy of gujarat, declared their independence, and marched upon agra. aurangzîb, the third son, a religious bigot, but the ablest and most virile of the brothers, hastened to join them, and being placed in chief command, attacked dara's army close to agra and completely defeated him. three days afterwards he entered the city. shah jahan sent his chamberlain to order him to leave the city at once and return to his post in the deccan, but aurangzîb, affecting to believe that his father was dead, disregarded the order. he succeeded by bribes and promises in bringing over some of the principal nobles to his side, and being well informed by rushanara, his younger sister, who was his equal in cunning and artifice, of all that went on in the palace, he baffled shah jahan's attempts to lay hands on him. at last, under pretence of arranging an amicable meeting with his son mahmud, aurangzîb beguiled shah jahan into withdrawing his troops from the fort. mahmud immediately forced his way in with a picked body of men and seized the person of the emperor. the plan succeeded so well that no attempt at a rescue was made. the french traveller tavernier, who has left a complete record of the time, writes of this event: "it is most surprising that not one of the servants of the grand king offered to assist him; that all his subjects abandoned him, and that they turned their eyes to the rising sun, recognizing no one as king but aurangzîb. shah jahan, though still living, passed from their memories. if, perchance, there were any who felt touched by his misfortunes, fear made them silent, and made them basely abandon a king who had governed them like a father, and with a mildness which is not common with sovereigns. for although he was severe enough to the nobles when they failed to perform their duties, he arranged all things for the comfort of the people, by whom he was much beloved, but who gave no signs of it at this crisis." shah jahan remained confined in a set of apartments of the agra palace for seven years. he died in , and was buried by the side of mumtaz mahal in the taj. his captivity was shared by his favourite daughter, jahanara, who since the death of her mother had ruled the imperial household and taken a prominent part in state affairs. she had actively supported the cause of dara, and thus incurred the resentment of aurangzîb. on her father's death she retired to delhi, and she lived there until . her simple grave, covered with grass, is in a quiet corner of the courtyard of nizamudin's tomb, near delhi, where the memory of her filial piety adds to the poetic charm of all the surroundings. the monuments of shah jahan's reign at agra. the taj mahal (p. ); the jâmi masjid (p. ); and the following buildings in the fort: the mûti masjid (p. ); the dîwan-i-âm (p. ); the dîwan-i-khas (p. ); the khas mahal (p. ). vi. aurangzîb. agra is only concerned with the first seven years of aurangzîb's reign, for, after the death of shah jahan, the court was removed to delhi, and agra was left with only a provincial governor to maintain its former magnificence. the unhappy dara, after his defeat by aurangzîb, made fruitless attempts to retrieve his fortunes, but was at last betrayed into the hands of his brother, who immediately put him to death. aurangzîb lost no time in disposing of his other two brothers, and thus placed his succession to the throne beyond dispute. the princess rushanara, as a reward for her treachery, was raised to the position formerly enjoyed by her sister jahanara. the french physician bernier, who resided twelve years at the mogul court in the time of aurangzîb, has left many minute and graphic records of the times. here is a picture of rushanara when she accompanied aurangzîb on the march from delhi to kashmir:-- "stretch imagination to its utmost limits, and you can conceive no exhibition more grand and imposing than when rauchenara-begum, mounted on a stupendous pegu elephant and seated in a _mikdember_, blazing with gold and azure, is followed by five or six other elephants with _mikdembers_ nearly as resplendent as her own, and filled with ladies attached to her household. close to the princess are the chief eunuchs, richly adorned and finely mounted, each with a wand of office in his hand; and surrounding her elephant a troop of female servants, _tartars_ and _kachmerys_, fantastically attired and riding handsome pad-horses. besides these attendants are several eunuchs on horseback, accompanied by a multitude of _pagys_, or lackeys, on foot, with large canes, who advance a great way before the princess, both to the right and left, for the purpose of clearing the road and driving before them every intruder. immediately behind rauchenara-begum's retinue appears a principal lady of the court, mounted and attended in much the same manner as the princess. this lady is followed by a third, she by a fourth, and so on, until fifteen or sixteen females of quality pass with a grandeur of appearance, equipage, and retinue more or less proportionate to their rank, pay, and office. there is something very impressive of state and royalty in the march of these sixty or more elephants; in their solemn and, as it were, measured steps, in the splendour of the _mikdembers_, and the brilliant and innumerable followers in attendance; and, if i had not regarded this display of magnificence with a sort of philosophical indifference, i should have been apt to be carried away by such flights of imagination as inspire most of the indian poets when they represent the elephants as conveying so many goddesses concealed from the vulgar gaze." [ ] dramatic justice overtook the scheming princess at last. in aurangzîb fell dangerously ill, and, while he was unconscious, rushanara, believing him to be dying, abstracted the signet ring from his finger and issued letters, as under the royal seal, to the various viceroys and governors, setting aside the succession of the emperor's eldest son by a rajput princess in favour of another son, a boy of six, by a muhammadan sultana. she hoped by this means to keep the supreme power in her own hands during the long minority of the new emperor. aurangzîb unexpectedly recovered, and became suspicious of his dangerous sister. the host of enemies she had created at court were not slow in taking advantage of the situation, and rushanara soon afterwards disappeared--removed, it is said, by poison. aurangzîb ruled with a firm hand, and in strict justice according to the law of islam, but though a man of great intellectual powers, of marvellous energy and indomitable courage, he was wanting in imagination, sympathy, and foresight, the highest qualities of a really great ruler. he checked the dissolute conduct of the nobles, and set an example of industry and devotion to duty; but his narrow, bigoted disposition inclined him to distrust even his own ministers, so that, unlike his three predecessors, he was badly served by the lieutenants in whose hands the administration of the provinces rested. he surrounded himself with religious bigots of the sunni sect of muhammadans, who aided him in bitter persecution of the hindus. hardly anything of artistic or architectural interest was created under his patronage. most of the great artists who attended shah jahan's court were dismissed as unorthodox or heretics, and many noble monuments were mutilated by the emperor's fanatical followers on the ground that they contravened the precept of the koran which forbids the representation of animate nature in art. he died in , eighty-nine years of age. the mogul empire, surrounded by hordes of the enemies his bigotry and intolerance had created, was already tottering to its fall, and the star of the british raj was rising. seventeen years before his death he had granted to job charnock a piece of land at sutanati, the site of the future capital of our indian empire. agra and the later mogul emperors agra played a very small part in the history of the weak-minded and dissolute successors of aurangzîb. firokhshiyar, who reigned from to , resided occasionally there. after his death disputes between various claimants to the throne led to agra fort being besieged and captured by husein ali khan, a partisan of one of them, who looted the treasury of all the valuables deposited there during three centuries. "there were the effects of nur jahan begum and mumtaz mahal, amounting in value, according to various reports, to two or three crores of rupees. there was in particular the sheet of pearls which shah jahan had caused to be made for the tomb of mumtaz mahal, of the value of several lakhs of rupees, which was spread over it on the anniversary and on friday nights. there was the ewer of nur jahan and her cushion of woven gold and rich pearls, with a border of valuable garnets and emeralds." (elliott.) in nadir, shah of persia, sacked delhi, carried off shah jahan's famous peacock throne, and laid agra also under contribution. the mahrattas next appeared on the scene. in the jâts of bharatpur, under suraj mal, captured agra, looted the taj, and played havoc with the palaces in the fort. they were joined by walter reinhardt, an adventurer, half french and half german, who sold his services for any work of infamy, and had only recently assisted in the murder of the british resident and other europeans at patna. he afterwards entered the mogul service, and was rewarded by a grant of a tract of country near meerut, which remained in the possession of his family until recent times. he died at agra in , and was buried in the catholic cemetery. for the next thirty-nine years agra was occupied by mahrattas and by mogul imperialists in turn. john hessing, a dutch officer in the employ of the mahrattas, was governor of agra in , and died there in . the next year it was captured by the british under general, afterwards lord, lake, and from that time until its history was uneventful. agra in the mutiny. agra did not take any prominent part in the events of the mutiny. a mob plundered the city, burnt the public offices, and killed a number of europeans; but the rioters left soon to join their comrades at delhi. there was a small engagement outside the city. the british troops and the whole of the european population were afterwards shut up in the fort until the capture of delhi. the lieutenant-governor, mr. john russell colvin, died there, and was buried in front of the dîwan-i-âm. the fort the present fort was commenced by akbar in , on the site of an older one constructed by salîm shah sur, the son of shere shah. its vast walls (seventy feet in height, and a mile and a half in circuit), its turrets, and noble gateways present from the outside a most imposing appearance. it contains within its walls that most exquisite of mosques, the mûti masjid, and the palaces of akbar and shah jahan. the principal or north entrance is the delhi gate, nearly opposite to the railway station and the jâmi masjid. formerly there was a walled enclosure in front of this gate, called the tripulia, or three gates, which was used as a market. this was cleared away by the military authorities in . crossing the drawbridge over the moat which surrounds the fort, the visitor passes the outer gate, and by a paved incline reaches the hathi pol, or elephant gate (plate iii.), so called from the two stone elephants, with riders, which formerly stood outside the gate, on the highest of the platforms on either side of it. the statues and elephants were thrown down by order of aurangzîb. there are four hollow places in each platform, where the legs of the elephants were morticed into it. [ ] the gate is a fine example of the early mogul style; it contains the _naubat khana_, or music gallery, where the royal kettledrums announced the emperor's arrival or departure, and all state functions. it was also a guard-house, and probably the quarters of a high military officer, but it is certainly not, as the guides have it, the "darshan darwaza," or "gate of sights," described by william finch, where the emperor jahangir showed himself at sunrise to his nobles and to the multitude assembled in the plain below. the darshan darwaza was undoubtedly near the old disused water-gate, which was joined to the royal apartments of the palace by a private passage, and answers to finch's description of "leading into a fair court extending along the river." the elephant gate is at a considerable distance from the palace, and was never connected with it, except by the public road. it is worth while to climb the top of the gate by the staircase on the right, inside the fort. there is a fine view of the fort, and beyond the walls the ever-beautiful white domes of the taj appear in the distance. the itmâd-ud-daulah is visible on the left. towards the town you look down into the quadrangle of the jâmi masjid. the pavilions on the summit of the great octagonal towers flanking the gate are finely carved, and bear traces of painting and enamelled tile-work. descending the staircase to the floors beneath, one can wander through the curious small chambers and look out from the balconies on the front of the gate. the mûti masjid. the road to the left after passing the elephant gate leads up to the entrance of the mûti masjid, or "pearl mosque," placed on the highest point of the fort enclosure. [ ] you pass on the left a building known as dansa jât's house, said to have been occupied by the rajahs of bharatpur when the jâts held the fort. it has been made hideous by modern additions which have converted it into officers' quarters. the entrance to the mûti masjid is very plain and unpretending, so that one is hardly prepared for the beauty, purity, and the unaffected expression of an exalted religious feeling which characterize the interior. it is rare to find an indian building in which the effect is produced with hardly any ornament, but solely by the perfection of proportions, beauty of material, and harmony of constructive design. the courtyard, in front of the mosque, with its arcades and gateways, is a noble setting to the pearl, as the mosque is appropriately called. there is a subtle rhythm in the placing of the three domes over the seven arches of the mosque, which saves the whole design from monotony, while the marvellous grace of the contours, which is so characteristic of the finest of shah jahan's buildings, makes each dome grow up from the roof like a flower-bud on the point of unfolding. the octagonal pavilions at the four corners of the mosque, and the dainty little kiosques placed as decoration over the arches and over the gateways of the courtyard, echo the harmonies of the larger constructive details, and give completeness to the composition. the interior of the mosque owes its dignity to the same greatness of style and perfection of the proportions. the three aisles are formed by massive piers of single blocks of marble. with all its simplicity, there is consummate art both in the placing of the ornament and in the beautiful springing of the arches from the supporting piers. the fine workmanship is worthy of the art. on either side of the mosque there is a small chamber for the ladies of the zanana, with a window filled with a carved marble _grille_ looking on to the interior. they could thus attend to the services of the mosque without being seen. the staircases on the right and left of the courtyard give private access to the apartments of the palace. the persian inscription inlaid in black marble under the wide, projecting cornice of the mosque is a poetic tribute to the beauty of the building and a panegyric of its founder. from it we learn that it was built by shah jahan, it took seven years to build, and cost three lakhs of rupees. the dimensions of the courtyard, given by fergusson, are feet by feet; and of the mosque: length, feet; depth, feet, internally. the dersane darwaza. nearly opposite to the mûti masjid, you pass on the left an inclined passage which leads to an old gateway, a part of akbar's buildings. very little remains of the original buildings which connected it with the palace in the time of jahangir, but there cannot be much doubt that this was the locality described by william finch as the "dersane darwaza, leading into a fair court, extending along the river, in which the king looks forth every morning at sun-rising, which he salutes, and then his nobles resort to their _tesillam_ (obeisance). right under the place where he looks out, is a kind of scaffold, whereon his nobles stand, but the _addis_ with others await below in the court. here also every noone he looketh forth to behold _tamâshâh_, or fighting of elephants, lyons, buffles, killing of deare with leopards, which is a custom on every day of the weeke, sunday excepted, on which is no fighting; but tuesday, on the contrary, is a day of blood, both of fighting beasts, and justiced men, the king judging and seeing executions." the dîwan-i-âm. the road now turns towards the right, through the mîna bazar, the old market-place, where merchants displayed jewellery, brocades, and similar stuffs for the nobles and others attending the court. a gateway leads into the great courtyard of the dîwan-i-âm, or hall of public audience, which, with its surrounding arcades, was for a long time used as an armoury for the british garrison. the hall itself was restored in by sir john strachey, then lieutenant-governor of the north-west provinces. the courtyard has recently been put back, as far as possible, into its original condition by lord curzon's orders. a further great improvement has been made by the removal of the hideous modern additions which entirely concealed all the arcades. the present hall, which is an open pavilion formed by a triple row of colonnades, was commenced by shah jahan, but, if we may believe tradition, was not completed until the th year of the reign of aurangzîb. the arcades surrounding the quadrangle are probably of akbar's time. the interior dimensions of the hall are feet by feet. it is constructed of red sandstone, plastered over with a fine white polished stucco, which served both as a protection to the stone and as a ground for coloured decoration and gilding. this plaster-work was carried to the perfection of a fine art by the old mogul builders, but the restoration of it in was very indifferently carried out. the throne of the emperor was in an alcove of inlaid marble at the back of the hall, and connected with the royal apartments behind. here he sat daily to give audience to his court, to receive ambassadors, and to administer justice. at the foot of the alcove is a square slab of marble, about feet in height, on which, it is said, his ministers stood to receive petitions to the emperor, and to convey his commands thereon. on the right and left of the throne are chambers with perforated marble windows, through which the ladies of the zanana could view the proceedings. bernier's lively description, though it properly belongs to the dîwan-i-âm at delhi, will enable us to picture the scene in the days of the great mogul:-- "the monarch every day, about noon, sits upon his throne, with some of his sons at his right and left, while eunuchs standing about the royal person flap away the flies with peacocks' tails, agitate the air with large fans, or wait with undivided attention and profound humility to perform the different services allotted to each. immediately under the throne is an enclosure, surrounded by silver rails, in which are assembled the whole body of _omrahs_ (nobles), the rajas, and the ambassadors, all standing, their eyes bent downwards and their hands crossed. at a greater distance from the throne are the _mansebdhars_, or inferior _omrahs_, also standing in the same posture of profound reverence. the remainder of the spacious room, and, indeed, the whole courtyard, is filled with persons of all ranks, high and low, rich and poor; because it is in this extensive hall that the king gives audience indiscriminately to all his subjects; hence it is called _am khas_, or audience chamber of high and low. "during the hour and a half, or two hours, that this ceremony continues, a certain number of the royal horses pass before the throne, that the king may see whether they are well used and usbec, of every kind, and each dog with a small red covering; lastly, every species of the birds of prey used in field sports for catching partridges, cranes, hares, and even, it is said, for hunting antelopes, on which they pounce with violence, beating their heads and blinding them with their wings and claws." after this parade, the more serious business of the day was attended to. the emperor reviewed his cavalry with peculiar attention, for he was personally acquainted with every trooper. then all the petitions held up in the assembled crowd were read and disposed of before the audience closed. on festivals or other special occasions the pillars of the hall were hung with gold brocades, and flowered satin canopies fastened with red silken cords were raised over the whole apartment. the floor was covered entirely with the most magnificent silk carpets. a gorgeous tent, larger than the hall, to which it was fastened, and supported by poles overlaid with silver, was pitched outside. every compartment of the arcades round the courtyard was decorated by one of the great nobles, at his own expense, with gold brocades and costly carpets, each one vying with the other to attract the attention of the emperor, to whom, on such occasions, an offering of gold or jewels, more or less valuable according to the pay and rank of the giver, must be presented. jahangir's cistern.--just in front of the dîwan-i-âm is a great stone cistern, cut out of a single block, with steps inside and out, known as jahangir's _hauz_, a bowl or bath-tub. there is a long persian inscription round the outer rim; the only part now decipherable shows that it was made for jahangir in a.h. (a.d. ). it is nearly feet in height and feet in diameter at the top. its original place is said to have been one of the courts of the jahangiri mahal. the tomb of mr. colvin.--close by jahangiri's _hauz_ is the grave of mr. john russell colvin, the lieutenant-governor of the north-west provinces, who died in the fort during the disturbances of . the inner mîna bazar. before entering the private apartments of the palace, which are at the back of the dîwan-i-âm, we may pass through the gateway on the left of the courtyard, and enter a smaller one, which was the private bazar where merchants sold jewellery, silks, and costly brocades to the ladies of the zanana, who were seated in the marble balcony which overlooks it (plate iv.). a narrow staircase gave access to the balcony from the courtyard. we may well believe that a considerable part of the ladies' time was spent in this quarter of the palace. sometimes the great mogul and his court would amuse themselves by holding a mock fair, in which the prettiest of the nobles' wives and daughters would act as traders, and the emperors and the begums would bargain with them in the most approved bazar fashion. the emperor would haggle for the value of an anna, and the ladies would feign indignation, scold his majesty roundly, and tell him to go where he could suit himself better. "the begums betray, if possible, a still greater anxiety to be served cheaply; high words are heard on every side, and the loud and scurrilous quarrels of the buyers and sellers create a complete farce. but, when at last the bargains are struck, the begums, as well as the emperor, pay liberally for their purchases, and often, as if by accident, let slip out of their hands a few gold instead of silver roupies, as a compliment to the fair merchant and her pretty daughter. thus the scene ends with merry jests and good humour." (bernier.) the chitore gates.--the further corner of this courtyard, on the left, leads to the chitore gates, the trophies which akbar placed there as a memorial of his capture of that great rajput stronghold in , after a desperate resistance by its gallant defenders. they form the principal entrance to the _machhi bhawan_, the great courtyard behind the dîwan-i-âm, but are generally kept closed. the hindu temple.--beyond the chitore gates you enter into another quadrangle surrounded by arcades, which recalls a different chapter in the chequered history of the palace. here is a hindu temple, built by one of the bharatpur rajahs, who sacked agra about the middle of the th century, and occupied it for ten years. the machhi bhawan. returning now to the dîwan-i-âm, we can ascend by one of the small staircases to the throne-room, and enter the upper arcades which surround the machhi bhawan, or "fish square." the courtyard has suffered so much from ruthless vandalism that it is difficult to realize its former magnificence. it was formerly laid out in marble with flower-beds, water-channels, fountains, and fish-tanks. these were carried off by the jâts to the palace of suraj mai, at dîg. a large quantity of mosaic and exquisite marble fretwork, from this and other parts of the palace, was put up to auction by lord william bentinck, when governor-general of india. the taj only escaped the same fate because the proceeds of this sale were unsatisfactory. on the side opposite to the throne-room is an open terrace, originally roofed over and connected with the dîwan-i-khas. this also was dismantled by the jâts. the najina masjid.--on the left of the throne-room, at the end of the corridor, is a door leading into a small mosque of white marble, built by aurangzîb for the ladies of the zenana. it is something like the mûti masjid, but far inferior in design. the further corner of it opens into a small chamber, overlooking the courtyard of the dîwan-i-âm, which is pointed out by the guides as the prison where shah jahan was confined. this may be accepted or not, according to the choice of the visitor. when distinct historical authority is wanting, it is very difficult to distinguish real tradition and pure fable in the tales of these garrulous folk. the historical evidence seems to show that shah jahan was not kept a close prisoner, but simply confined to certain apartments in the palace. we will now pass over to the river side of the machhi bhawan, and approach that part of the palace which contains the dîwan-i-khas, or hall of private audience, the zanana and mahal-i-khas, all built by shah jahan and occupied by him in the days of his royal state and sovereignty. they rank with the dîwan-i-khas at delhi as the most exquisite of shah jahan's buildings. from this classification i purposely omit the taj, gleaming on the banks of the river lower down. the taj stands by itself. the dîwan-i-khas. the dîwan-i-khas was built in . though much smaller than the dîwan-i-khas at delhi, it is certainly not inferior in the beauty of its proportions and decoration. most of the decorative work of these marble pavilions is directly derived from persian art, and inspired by the persian love of flowers which almost amounted to flower-worship. all the details are charming, but the dados, especially, edged with inlaid work and carved with floral types in the most delicate relief, show to perfection that wonderful decorative instinct which seems to be born in the oriental handicraftsman. the designer has naïvely translated into marble the conventional indian flower-beds, just as they were in every palace garden, but there is perfect art in the seeming absence of all artifice. the dados outside the taj are similar in design to these, though larger and correspondingly bolder in style. the roof of the dîwan-i-khas, with its fine covered ceiling, is interesting for its construction. jahangir's throne.--on the terrace in front of the dîwan-i-khas are placed two thrones, one of white marble on the side facing the machhi-bhawan, and the other of black slate on the river side. from the persian inscription which runs round the four sides of the black throne we learn that it was made in for jahangir. this was two years before the death of his father, akbar, and he was then only prince salîm. the throne was, therefore, probably made to commemorate the recognition by akbar of his son's title to the succession. on this terrace jahangir sat to enjoy the sight of his brigantines on the river, or to watch the elephant fights on the level place beneath the walls. from side to side of his throne there is a long fissure, which opened, so says tradition, when the jât rajah, jawahar singh of bharatpur, in , set his usurping feet on the throne of the great mogul. the tradition holds that blood spurted out of the throne in two places, and red marks in the stone are pointed out as evidence of the truth of the story. the impious chief was shortly afterwards assassinated in the palace. the baths.--on the side of the terrace directly opposite to the dîwan-i-khas are the baths, or the hammam. the water was brought up from a well, outside the walls, feet below. these baths, in their present state, are by no means so fine as those at fatehpur sikri, to be described hereafter. the marquis of hastings, when governor-general of india, broke up one of the most beautiful of the baths of the palace, and sent it home as a present to the prince regent, afterwards george the fourth. the samman burj. a doorway at the back of the dîwan-i-khas leads to the beautiful two-storied pavilion, surmounting one of the most projecting of the circular bastions on the river face, and known as the samman burj, "the jasmine tower" (plate v.). the style of the inlaid work shows it to be earlier in date than the dîwan-i-khas, and supports fergusson's conjecture that it was built by jahangir. in that case it must have been the apartment of his empress, the beautiful and accomplished nur mahal. it was afterwards occupied by mumtaz mahal, the lady of the taj. here, also, in full view of the famous monument he had raised to her memory, died her husband, shah jahan--sensualist, perhaps, but true to his last hours to one great master-passion. the faithful jahanara, who shared his captivity for seven years, attended him on his death-bed, and, as the shades of night closed in and hid the taj from view--praying divine forgiveness for his sins, and with a few consoling words to his daughter--he went to join his beloved! after the rites prescribed by the muhammadan law, the body was placed in a coffin of sandalwood and conveyed by the passage which leads from the samman burj to the low gate beneath it, which was specially opened for the occasion. thence, followed by a procession of mourners, it was carried out of the fort through the sher hâji gate, nearly opposite (now closed), and conveyed across the arm of the river to its last resting-place in the taj. the death of shah jahan and his funeral are minutely described by mulla muhammad kâzim in his "alamgir nama." the guides wrongly point out a pavilion in the jahangiri mahal as the place where he died. in front of the samman burj is a beautiful little fountain hollowed in the floor; on one side of the courtyard is a raised platform laid out in squares of black marble for the game of _pachisi_, an eastern backgammon. [ ] the khas mahal. from the samman burj we step into the next set of apartments of the zanana, connecting with the khas mahal and a similar set on the other side. this part of the zanana forms the east, or river side, of the anguri bagh, or grape garden. there is an indescribable grace and charm about all this quarter of the palace, to which the beauty of the material, the perfect taste of the ornament and elegance of the proportions, the delightful background of the landscape, and the historical associations all contribute. it should be seen towards evening, not in the full glare of the morning sun. when the afterglow fills the sky, burnishes the gilded roofs, and turns the marble to rose-colour, imagination may re-people these lovely pavilions with fair indian women--revel in the feast of colour in _saris_, brocades, and carpets; in the gold, azure, and crimson of the painted ceilings; and listen to the water splashing in the fountains and gurgling over the carved water-shoots--a scene of voluptuous beauty such as the world has rarely known since the wealth and elegance of rome filled the palaces and villas of pompei. in the walls of the khas mahal are a number of niches which formerly contained portraits of the mogul emperors, beginning with timur, which, like so many other things, were looted by the rajah of bharatpur. a number of similar portraits and other fine paintings of the mogul period are preserved in the government art gallery, calcutta. a persian poem inscribed on the walls of the khas mahal gives the date of its construction, . the underground chambers.--a staircase to the south of the khas mahal leads to a labyrinth of underground chambers, in which the emperor and his zanana found refuge from the fierce summer heat of agra. in the south-east corner there is a well-house, called a _bâoli_; this is a set of chambers surrounding a well--a favourite retreat in the hot weather. there were formerly many of the kind round about agra, constructed by the mogul emperors or their nobles. besides these resorts of ease and pleasure, there are gloomy dungeons which tell of misbehaving slaves and indiscreet sultanas, who were hurried down to meet their fate at the hands of the executioner, the silent jumna receiving their lifeless bodies. the anguri bagh. the great quadrangle in front of the khas mahal is the anguri bagh, surrounded on three sides by arcades, probably built by akbar and intended for his zenana. they were occupied in the mutiny days by the british officers and their families who were shut up in the fort. the anguri bagh is a very typical specimen of the old mogul gardens, laid out in geometrical flower-beds, with four terraced walks radiating from the central platform and fountain. a stone trellis formerly enclosed the flower-beds, and probably supported the vines which gave the garden its name. among the many improvements lately made by lord curzon in the fort is the clearance of the wire-netting fernhouses and bedraggled shrubs which formerly disfigured the quadrangle. if it cannot be kept up in the old mogul style, it is certainly better to leave the garden uncultivated. shish mahal.--on the north side of the anguri bagh, close to the zanana, a passage leads to the _shish mahal_, or "palace of glass." this was the bath of the zanana. the marble slabs of the floor have been torn up, and the decoration with a kind of glass mosaic seems to have suffered from clumsy attempts at renovation. a passage from the shish mahal leads to the old water gate. the "somnath" gates.--before entering the jahangiri mahal, on the opposite side of the anguri bagh, we will pause at a corner of the zanana courtyard, where a small apartment contains an interesting relic of the afghan expedition of --the so-called "somnath" gates, taken from the tomb of mahmud of ghazni in the capture of that city by the british. they were the subject of a most extraordinary archæological blunder by the governor-general, lord ellenborough, who, in a grandiloquent proclamation, identifying them with the gates of carved sandalwood which mahmud according to tradition, had taken from the celebrated hindu temple of somnath in , announced to the people of india that "the insult of eight hundred years had been avenged." the gates were conveyed on a triumphal car through the towns of northern india to the agra fort, and deposited there with great ceremony. as a matter of fact, the wood is deodar, and not sandalwood, and from the style of the ornament there can be hardly a doubt that the gates were made at or near ghazni. one glance would convince any expert in oriental archæology that they could not by any possibility have been the gates of a hindu temple. it has been supposed that the original gates were destroyed by fire, and that these were made to replace them, but there seems to be considerable doubt whether mahmud really took away any gates from the somnath temple. it certainly would have been unusual for the great muhammadan plunderer to have burdened himself with an archæological relic which, in those days, was not easily convertible into cash. a horse-shoe which is nailed to the gate is not, as is generally supposed, a propitiation of the goddess of fortune, but a token from the owner of some sick animal that he would bring an offering to the shrine in the event of a cure resulting from his visit. this was an old custom among the tartars and other nomad tribes, who valued horses and cattle as their most precious possessions. the jahangiri mahal. the palace called after jahangir, the jahangiri mahal, is in many respects the most remarkable building of its class in india. nothing could be more striking than the contrast between the extreme elegance, bordering on effeminacy, of the marble pavilions of shah jahan's palaces, and the robust, virile, yet highly imaginative architecture of this palace of akbar; for though it bears jahangir's name there cannot be much doubt that it was planned, and partially, if not completely, carried out by akbar with the same architects who built fatehpur sikri. it is the perfected type of the style which we see in process of evolution at fatehpur, and were it not for the taj, we might regret the new element which came into mogul architecture with itmâd-ud-daulah's tomb. both of these styles, which appear side by side in the agra fort, are intensely typical of the men and the times which produced them. the one is stamped throughout with the personality of akbar, the empire-builder, and distinguished by the stately solidity of jain and hindu architecture. in the other the native vigour of the earlier indian styles has been softened by the cultured eclecticism of persia and arabia, for the manly dignity of akbar's court had given place to the sensual luxury of shah jahan's. on the river side of the palace there is an octagonal pavilion placed similarly to the samman burj, which is very charming in its fresco decoration, though the colour has faded very much. it is possibly this pavilion to which badâyunî, one of akbar's biographers, refers when he describes a brahmin, named dêbi, being pulled up the walls of the castle, sitting on a _charpâî_ (a native bed), till he arrived near the balcony where the emperor used to sleep. "whilst thus suspended he instructed his majesty in the secrets and legends of hinduism, in the manner of worshipping idols, the fire, the sun, and stars, and of revering the chief gods of these unbelievers." the priests of other religions were similarly carried up to converse with akbar. adjoining this is a set of small rooms, known as akbar's apartments, which, even in their present dilapidated state, show that they must have possessed a richness and beauty of decoration inferior to nothing else in the whole fort. the dados were decorated with _gesso_ work on a gold ground. the borders are still almost intact, but the rest of the relief ornament seems to have been wantonly hacked off out of pure mischief. i believe this is the only example of _gesso_ work in any of akbar's buildings. the treatment of the upper part of the walls with the characteristic cuspings of arabian and moorish architects is admirable. passing through these, we enter a long room known as the library, in which a not very successful attempt was made some years ago to restore the painted decoration. it is to be devoutly hoped that this and other dangerous experiments of the kind will not be continued, except under skilled artistic supervision. the restoration of the structural parts of the palace and of the stone carving is a more easy matter, for the descendants of the very men who built and carved the palace still practise their art in agra and round about. this has been admirably carried out by the public works department under lord curzon's orders. the outer courtyard, on the riverside, is very interesting, especially for a very elegant and original porch, in which saracenic feeling predominates; but on entering the inner courtyard (plate vi.) it is more easy to realize that this palace is one of the great masterpieces of mogul architecture. the beauty of this inner quadrangle is derived not so much from its fine proportions and rich ornamentation as from the wonderful rhythmic play of light and shadow, produced by the bracket form of construction and the admirable disposition of the openings for doors, windows, and colonnades. the north side of the quadrangle is formed by a pillared hall, of distinctly hindu design, full of the feeling of mystery characteristic of indigenous indian styles. the subdued light of the interior adds to the impressiveness of its great piers stretching their giant brackets up to the roof like the gnarled and twisted branches of primeval forest trees. a very interesting point of view can be obtained from the gallery which runs round the upper part of the hall. one of jahangir's wives, a hindu princess of jodhpur, hence known as jodh bai, lived in this part of the palace, and the room on the west side of the quadrangle, surrounded by a number of oblong niches, is said to have been her temple, in which the images of hanuman and other hindu deities were kept. on the roof of the jahangiri mahal there are two fine pavilions; also a number of cisterns, which supplied the palace with water. in the side of one of them there are a number of pipe-holes, lined with copper, over each of which is a circular stone label inscribed with the part of the palace to which it gave a supply. the salîmgarh. on the rising ground behind the courtyard of the dîwan-i-âm there formerly existed a palace called the salîmgarh. before jahangir's accession he was known as prince salîm, and tradition associates this palace with him. fergusson, however, states that in his time an exquisite fragment of a palace built by shere shah, or his son salîm, existed here. the salîmgarh at delhi is named after the son of shere shah, salîm shah sur, who built it, and there is some doubt as to which of the two salîms gave his name to the salîmgarh at agra. akbar's fort is known to have been built to replace an older one (known as the badalgarh) by salîm shah sur, but it is quite possible that a part of the palace may have been left, and retained the name of its founder. the only part of the salîmgarh which now remains is a large two-storied pavilion in front of the barracks. the upper half of the exterior is carved with extraordinary richness. the style of design certainly indicates the period of the jahangiri mahal and akbar's buildings at fatehpur sikri, rather than shere shah's work. the jâmi masjid. nearly opposite to the delhi gate of the fort is the jâmi masjid, or cathedral mosque, built by jahanara, shah jahan's eldest daughter. it is in the same style as the splendid mosque built by shah jahan at delhi, but far inferior in merit. there is a tameness about the whole design very unusual in the buildings of this epoch. the zig-zag striping of the domes is decidedly unpleasant. an inscription over the main archway states that it was completed in the year a.d. a cost of five lakhs of rupees. the taj arjumand banu begam the favourite wife of shah jahan, is better known by her other name, mumtaz mahal ("the crown of the palace"). her father was asaf khan, who was brother of the empress nur mahal, jahangir's wife. she was thus the granddaughter of itmâd-ud-daulah, jahangir's prime minister, whose tomb, on the opposite bank of the river, will be described hereafter. in , at the age of nineteen years she was married to shah jahan--then prince khurram--who, though hardly twenty-one, had already another wife. this second marriage, however, was a real love-match, and mumtaz was her husband's inseparable companion on all his journeys and military expeditions. shah jahan, like his father, allowed his wife a large share in the responsibilities of government. like nur mahal, she was famed as much for her charity as for her beauty. her influence was especially exercised in obtaining clemency for criminals condemned to death. she bore him fourteen children, and died in childbed in , or the second year after shah jahan's accession to the throne, at burhanpur, whither she had accompanied her husband on a campaign against khan jahan lodi. the emperor was overpowered with grief. for a week he refused to see any of his ministers, or to transact any business of state. he even contemplated resigning the throne and dividing the empire among his sons. for two years the court observed strict mourning. no music or festivities were allowed; the wearing of jewels, the use of perfumes and luxuries of all kinds were forbidden. the month of zikad, in which she died, was observed as a month of mourning for many years afterwards. the body of mumtaz was removed to agra, and remained temporarily in the garden of the taj while the foundations of the building were being laid. it was then placed in the vault where it now lies. a temporary dome covered the tomb while the great monument grew up over it. the building of the taj. it was one of those intervals in history when the whole genius of a people is concentrated on great architectural works, and art becomes an epitome of the age. for the taj was not a creation of a single master-mind, but the consummation of a great art epoch. since the time of akbar the best architects, artists, and art workmen of india, persia, arabia, and central asia had been attracted to the mogul court. all the resources of a great empire were at their disposal, for shah jahan desired that this monument of his grief should be one of the wonders of the world. the sad circumstances which attended the early death of the devoted wife who had endeared herself to the people might well inspire all his subjects to join in the emperor's pious intentions. according to the old tartar custom, a garden was chosen as a site for the tomb--a garden planted with flowers and flowering shrubs, the emblems of life, and solemn cypress, the emblem of death and eternity. such a garden, in the mogul days, was kept up as a pleasure-ground during the owner's lifetime, and used as his last resting-place after his death. the old tradition laid down that it must be acquired by fair means, and not by force or fraud. so rajah jey singh, to whom the garden belonged, was compensated by the gift of another property from the emperor's private estate. shah jahan next appointed a council of the best architects of his empire for preparing the design for the building. drawings of many of the most celebrated buildings of the world were shown and discussed. it is even believed that one geronimo verroneo, an italian who was then in the mogul service, submitted designs for shah jahan's inspection, a fact which has led many writers into the error of supposing that the taj, as completed, was actually designed by him. [ ] the design eventually accepted was by ustad isa, who is stated in one account to have been a byzantine turk, and in another a native of shiraz, in persia. the master-builders came from many different parts; the chief masons from baghdad, delhi, and multan; the dome builders from asiatic turkey and from samarkand; the mosaic workers from kanauj and from baghdad; the principal calligraphist for the inscriptions from shiraz. every part of india and central asia contributed the materials; jaipur, the marble; fatehpur sikri, the red sandstone; the panjab, jasper; china, the jade and crystal; tibet, turquoises; ceylon, lapis lazuli and sapphires; arabia, coral and cornelian; panna in bundelkund, diamonds; persia, onyx and amethyst. twenty thousand men were employed in the construction, which took seventeen years to complete. [ ] the sarcophagus was originally enclosed by a fence or screen of gold studded with gems. this was removed in , and replaced by the present exquisite screen of pierced marble (plate vii.). the taj also possessed formerly two wonderful silver doors. austin de bordeaux, a french goldsmith, who was employed by shah jahan in making the celebrated peacock throne, may possibly have executed some of this metal-work in the taj; but there is no evidence worthy of consideration to support the common anglo-indian belief that he designed or superintended the _pietra dura_, or inlaid marble decoration of the building, which is entirely of the persian school. these silver doors were looted and melted down by the jâts in . besides the lavish expenditure on the building, lakhs of rupees were spent in providing the richest of persian silk carpets, golden lamps, and magnificent candlesticks. a sheet of pearls, valued at several lakhs, was made to cover the sarcophagus. this was carried off by the amir husein ali khan, in , as part of his share of the spoil of agra. the total expenditure, according to native accounts, amounted to nearly lakhs of rupees. it is said that shah jahan had intended to construct a mausoleum for himself opposite to the taj, on the other side of the jumna and to connect the two by a great bridge. the project was interrupted and never completed, owing to the usurpation of aurangzîb, shortly after the foundations were laid. the intention of the taj. the taj has been the subject of numberless critical essays, but many of them have missed the mark entirely, because the writers have not been sufficiently conversant with the spirit of eastern artistic thought. all comparisons with the parthenon or other classic buildings are useless. one cannot compare homer with the mâhabhâratâ, or kalîdâs with euripides. the parthenon was a temple for pallas athene, an exquisite casket to contain the jewel. the taj is the jewel--the ideal itself. indian architecture is in much closer affinity to the great conceptions of the gothic builders than it is to anything of classic or renaissance construction. the gothic cathedral, with its sculptured arches and its spires pointing heavenwards, is a symbol, as most eastern buildings are symbols. the mogul artists, being prevented by the precepts of the muhammadan religion from attempting sculpture, as understood in europe, succeeded in investing their great architectural monuments with an extraordinary personal character. there is a wonderful personality in the dignity and greatness of akbar's tomb; we see the scholar and the polished courtier in itmâd-ud-daulah's. but the taj carries this idea of personality further than had been attempted in any of the mogul monuments; it represents in art the highest development towards individualism, the struggle against the restraints of ritualism and dogma, which akbar initiated in religion. every one who has seen the taj must have felt that there is something in it, difficult to define or analyze, which differentiates it from all other buildings in the world. sir edwin arnold has struck the true note of criticism in the following lines:-- "not architecture! as all others are, but the proud passion of an emperor's love wrought into living stone, which gleams and soars with body of beauty shrining soul and thought; ... as when some face divinely fair unveils before our eyes-- some woman beautiful unspeakably-- and the blood quickens, and the spirit leaps, and will to worship bends the half-yielded knees, while breath forgets to breathe. so is the taj!" this is not a mere flight of poetic fancy, but a deep and true interpretation of the meaning of the taj. what were the thoughts of the designers, and of shah jahan himself, when they resolved to raise a monument of eternal love to the crown of the palace--taj mahal? surely not only of a mausoleum--a sepulchre fashioned after ordinary architectural canons, but of an architectonic ideal, symbolical of her womanly grace and beauty. those critics who have objected to the effeminacy of the architecture unconsciously pay the highest tribute to the genius of the builders. the taj was meant to be feminine. the whole conception, and every line and detail of it, express the intention of the designers. it is mumtaz mahal herself, radiant in her youthful beauty, who still lingers on the banks of the shining jumna, at early morn, in the glowing midday sun, or in the silver moonlight. or rather, we should say, it conveys a more abstract thought; it is india's noble tribute to the grace of indian womanhood--the venus de milo of the east. bearing this in mind, we can understand how foolish it is to formulate criticisms of the taj based on ordinary architectural principles as practised in europe. many of these criticisms, which might be appropriate enough if applied to a modern provincial town hall, are only silly and impertinent in reference to the taj. some are born tone-deaf, others colour-blind, and there are many who can find beauty in one particular form or expression of art and in no others. so the taj will always find detractors. but whoever tries to understand the imaginative side of eastern thought will leave the critics to themselves, and take unrestrained delight in the exquisitely subtle rhythm of this marvellous creation of mogul art. * * * * * the gateway of the taj faces a spacious quadrangle surrounded by arcades. this is a _caravan serai_, or place where travellers halted. here, also, the poor were provided with food and shelter, and on the anniversary day vast sums were distributed in charity from the funds with which the taj was endowed. it is well to pause before entering, and admire the proportions and perfect taste of the decoration of this gateway; for afterwards one has no eyes for anything but the taj itself. it is much finer in design than the similar gateway of akbar's tomb at sikandra. an arabic inscription in black marble, of passages taken from the koran, frames the principal arch, and invites the pure of heart to enter the gardens of paradise. the first view of the taj is from within this noble portal, framed by the sombre shadow of the great arch which opens on to the garden. at the end of a long terrace, its gracious outline partly mirrored in the still water of a wide canal, a fairy vision of silver-white--like the spirit of purity--seems to rest so lightly, so tenderly, on the earth, as if in a moment it would soar into the sky. the beauty of the taj, as in all great art, lies in its simplicity. one wonders that so much beauty can come from so little effort. yet nothing is wanting, nothing in excess; one cannot alter this and that and say that it is better. the garden, as originally planned, was an integral part of one great design. the solemn rows of cypresses were planted so as to help out the lines of the architecture; the flowering trees and flower-beds completed the harmony with a splendid glow of colour. [ ] beautiful as the first view of the taj is even now, one can hardly realize how glorious it must have been when the whole intention of the design was fulfilled. at present there is not a single spot in the garden itself which gives a view of the composition as a whole. advancing down the main terrace, paved with stone and laid out with geometric flower-beds, we reach a marble platform with its fountain (see frontispiece), [ ] where a nearer view of the taj may be enjoyed. such a platform was the central feature in all mogul gardens. the terraces to the right and left of it end in two fine pavilions of red sandstone, intended for the accommodation of the custodians of the mausoleum and for storehouses. from this point we can admire the effect of the exquisite inlaid decoration, fine and precious as the embroidery on the raiment of mumtaz herself. at the end of the main terrace we reach the steps leading up to the great platform on which the taj and its minarets, "four tall court ladies tending their princess," are raised. let us reverently enter the central chamber, where mumtaz mahal and shah jahan, her lord and lover, lie. fergusson has truly said, no words can express its chastened beauty seen in the soft gloom of the subdued light coming from the distant and half-closed openings. the screen of marble tracery which surrounds the tombs is in itself a masterpiece. even with all the artistic resources which shah jahan had at his command, it was a work of ten years. mumtaz mahal lies in the centre. the white marble of her tomb blossoms with a never-fading garden of persian flowers, which the magic of the mogul artists has created. the inscription on it is as follows: "the illustrious sepulchre of arjumand banu begam, called mumtaz mahal. died in a.h." ( a.d.). at the head of the tomb is the line: "he is the everlasting: he is sufficient;" and the following passage from the koran: "god is he, besides whom there is no god. he knoweth what is concealed and what is manifest. he is merciful and compassionate." on one side of it: "nearer unto god are those who say 'our lord is god.'" the inscription in the tomb of shah jahan is as follows: "the illustrious sepulchre and sacred resting-place of his most exalted majesty dignified as razwan (the guardian of paradise), having his abode in paradise, and his dwelling in the starry heaven, inhabitant of the regions of bliss, the second lord of the qirán, [ ] shah jahan, the king valiant. may his tomb ever flourish; and may his abode be in the heavens. he travelled from this transitory world to the world of eternity on the night of the th of the month of rajab, a.h." ( a.d.). the real cenotaphs containing the remains of shah jahan and his wife are immediately under these tombs, in the vault below. not the least of the wonders of this wonderful building is in its acoustic qualities. it does not respond to vulgar noises, but if a few notes be slowly and softly sung in this vault, and especially if the chord of the seventh be sounded; they are caught up by the echoes of the roof and repeated in endless harmonies, which seem to those listening above as if a celestial choir were chanting angelic hymns. "it haunts the air above and around; it distils in showers upon the polished marble; it rises, it falls.... it is the very element with which sweet dreams are builded. it is the spirit of the taj, the voice of inspired love!" surrounding the central chamber are eight smaller ones for the mullahs who chanted the koran and for musicians who played soft indian and persian melodies. the vault below was only opened once a year, on the anniversary day, when the emperor and all his court attended a solemn festival. even on ordinary occasions none but muhammadans were admitted into the interior. bernier tells us that he had not seen it, on that account, but he understood that nothing could be conceived more rich and magnificent. the two mosques of red sandstone on either side of the taj are in the same style as the entrance gateway, the interiors being decorated with fresco and fine cut plaster-work. the one towards the west was intended for prayers only; the floor is panelled into separate spaces for each worshipper. the opposite mosque was known, as the _jamaat khana_, or meeting-place for the congregation before prayers, and on the occasion of the great anniversary service. standing on the platform in front of this mosque, one has a splendid view of the taj, the river, and the distant fort. as the garden is now arranged; a full view of the magnificent platform, with its two mosques, and the taj itself, can only be obtained from the opposite side of the river, which is not very accessible except by boat. when the traveller leaves agra by rail, going east, the taj in all its glory can be seen in the distance, floating like the mirage of some wondrous fairy palace over the waving tufts of the pampas grass, until at last it sinks into the pale horizon. * * * * * note.--a small museum has been established lately by the archæological department, in the western half of the taj main gateway. it contains an interesting collection of photographs and drawings of the taj at different periods, and specimens of the stones used in the _pietra dura_, or inlay work of the building. there are also samples illustrating the technique of _pietra dura_, and the tools used by native workmen. itmâd-ud-daulah's tomb the tomb of itmâd-ud-daulah, "the lord high treasurer," is on the east or left bank of the river, and is reached by crossing the pontoon bridge. it was built by nur mahal, the favourite wife of jahangir, as a mausoleum for her father, mirza ghîas beg, who, according to one account, was a persian from teheran, and by another a native of western tartary. a story is told of the mirza's early life, of which it can only be said, _se non é vero é ben trovato_. he left his home, accompanied by his wife and children, to seek his fortune in india, where he had some relatives at akbar's court. his slender provision for the journey was exhausted in crossing the great desert, and they were all in danger of perishing from hunger. in this extremity his wife gave birth to a daughter. the unhappy parents, distracted by hunger and fatigue, left the infant under a solitary shrub. with the father supporting his wife and children on the one bullock which remained to them, they pushed on in the hope of finding relief; but as the tiny landmark where the infant lay disappeared in the distance, the mother, in a paroxysm of grief, threw herself to the ground, crying, "my child! my child!" the piteous appeal forced the father to return to restore the babe to her mother, and soon afterwards a caravan appeared in sight and rescued the whole party. the child born under these romantic circumstances became the empress nur mahal, who built this mausoleum. her father reached lahore, where akbar then held his court, and through the influence of his friends attracted the emperor's attention. his talents won for him speedy promotion, and under jahangir he became first lord high treasurer, and afterwards wazir, or prime minister. jahangir, in his memoirs, candidly discusses the character of his father-in-law. he was a good scholar, with a pretty taste for poetry, possessed many social qualities and a genial disposition. his accounts were always in perfect order, but "he liked bribes, and showed much boldness in demanding them." on his death his son, asaf khan, the father of mumtaz mahal, was appointed to succeed him. itmâd-ad-daulah and his wife are buried in the central chamber; his brother and sister and other members of his family occupy the four corners. the pavilion on the roof, enclosed by beautiful marble tracery (plate ix.), contains only replicas of the real tombs beneath. the mausoleum was commenced in and completed in . as a composition it may lack inspiration, but it is exceedingly elegant, and scholarly like the lord high treasurer himself. in construction it marks the transition from the style of akbar to that of shah jahan; from the jahangiri mahal to the dîwan-i-khas, the mûti masjid, and the taj. the towers at the four corners might be the first suggestion of the detached minarets of the taj. the hindu feeling which is so characteristic of most of akbar's buildings is here only shown in the roof of the central chamber over the tomb; in pure saracenic architecture a tomb is always covered by a dome. this change in style greatly influenced the architecture of the whole of the north of india, hindu and jain as well as muhammadan. it must be remembered that comparatively few of the master-builders who actually constructed the most famous examples of mogul architecture were muhammadans. the remarkable decline of the mogul style which set in under aurangzîb was largely due to his bigotry in refusing to employ any but true believers. the family ties of itmâd-ud-daulah and his daughter, the empress, were closely connected with persia and central asia; and no doubt the fashion set by jahangir's court led to the saracenic element becoming predominant in the mogul style, both in construction and in decoration. many authorities have connected the marked difference between itmâd-ud-daulah's tomb and akbar's buildings to italian influence, only on the ground that jahangir is known to have been partial to europeans, and allowed them free access to his palace. there is not, however, a trace of italian art in any detail of the building; there is not a form or decorative idea which had not been used in india or in central asia for centuries. the use of marble inlaid work on so extensive a scale was a novelty, but it was only an imitation, or adaptation, of the splendid tile-mosaic and painted tile-work which were the commonest kinds of decoration employed in persia: wazir khan's mosque at lahore, built in jahangir's time, is a fine indian example of the latter. the art of inlaying stone had been practised in india for many years before this building; but here, for the first time, do we find the inlayers making attempts at direct imitation of persian pottery decoration. all the familiar _motifs_ of persian art, the tree of life and other floral types, the cypress tree, the flower-vases, fruits, wine-cups, and rose-water vessels are here reproduced exactly as they are found in persian mosaic tiles. in shah jahan's palace and in the taj they went a step further, and imitated the more naturalistic treatment of persian fresco painting and other pictorial art; but there is never the slightest suggestion of european design in the decoration of these buildings. it is quite possible that some italians may have shown the native inlayers specimens of florentine _pietra dura_, and suggested to them this naturalistic treatment, but if italians or other europeans had been engaged to instruct or supervise in the decoration of these buildings they would certainly have left some traces of their handiwork. in the technical part of the process the indian workmen had nothing to learn, and in the design they made no attempt to follow european forms, except in the one solitary instance of the decoration of the throne-chamber of the delhi palace, which is much later in date than itmâd-ud-daulah's tomb. [ ] the whole scheme of the exterior decoration is so finely carried out, both in arrangement and colour, that its extreme elaboration produces no effect of unquietness. at a distance it only gives a suggestion of a soft bloom or iridescence on the surface of the marble. the soffits of the doorways are carved with extraordinary delicacy. inside the building there are remains of fresco and other painted decoration. beautifully placed on the river bank, there is a fine little mosque, which at sunset makes a charming picture. the boldness and greater simplicity of the decoration contrast well with the richness of that of the mausoleum. the chînî-ka-rauza beyond itmâd-ud-daulah's tomb, on the same side of the river, is a beautiful ruin, once entirely covered with the same persian mosaic tile-work, which suggested the more costly style of decoration in inlaid marble. it is called chînî-ka-rauza, or the china tomb, and is supposed to be the mausoleum of afzal khan, a persian poet, who entered the service of jahangir, and afterwards became prime minister to shah jahan. he died in lahore in . the weather and ill-treatment of various kinds have removed a great deal of the exquisite enamel colours from the tiles, but enough remains to indicate how rich and magnificent the effect must have been originally. a part of the south façade which has fallen in shows how the builders employed earthen pots to lessen the weight of the concrete filling, a practice followed in the ancient dome construction of egypt and rome. the ram bagh among a number of more or less ruined garden-houses on this bank of the river, there is one, a little beyond the chînî-ka-rauza, of especial interest, on account of the tradition which associates it with the emperor babar. it is called the ram bagh, and is believed to have been one of the "elegant and regularly planned pleasure-grounds" which babar laid out and planted with fruit trees and flowers, as he has described in his memoirs. no doubt this was the scene of many imperial picnics; not the drunken revels of babar's kabul days--for just before the great battle with the rajputs in he smashed all his gold and silver drinking-cups and took a vow of total abstinence, which he kept faithfully--but the more sane and temperate pleasures which music, poetry, and his intense delight in the beauties of nature could furnish. here is a charming picture he has given of another garden he laid out in the istalif district of kabul:-- "on the outside of the garden are large and beautiful spreading plane-trees, under the shade of which there are agreeable spots, finely sheltered. a perennial stream, large enough to turn a mill, runs through the garden, and on its banks are planted plane and other trees. formerly this stream flowed in a winding and crooked course, but i ordered its course to be altered according to a plan which added greatly to the beauty of the place. lower down ... on the lower skirts of the hills is a fountain, named kwâjeh-seh-yârân (kwâjeh three friends), around which are three species of trees; above the fountain are many beautiful plane trees, which yield a pleasant shade. on the two sides of the fountain, on small eminences at the bottom of the hills, there are a number of oak trees. except on these two spots, where there are groves of oak, there is not an oak to be met with on the hills of the west of kabul. in front of this fountain, towards the plain, there are many spots covered with the flowering arghwân tree, and, besides these arghwân plots, there are none else in the whole country. it is said that these three kinds of trees were bestowed on it by the power of these three holy men, beloved of god; and that is the origin of the name sej-yârân. i directed this fountain to be built round with stone, and formed a cistern of lime and mortar ten yez by ten. on the four sides of the fountain a fine level platform for resting was constructed on a very neat plan. at the time when the arghwân flowers begin to blow, i do not know of any place in the world to be compared with it. the yellow arghwân is here very abundant, and the yellow arghwân blossom mingles with the red." the ram bagh was the temporary resting-place of the body of babar before it was taken to kabul for interment in another of the gardens he loved so much. the old mogul style of gardening is a lost art, and one misses in the ram bagh the stately rows of cypress, interspersed with flowering trees, the formal flower-beds glowing with colour like a living carpet, which were planted by babar; but the terraces, the fountain, the water-channels, and the little stone water-shoots--cunningly carved so that the water breaks over them with a pleasant gurgling sound--which may have recalled to him the murmurings of his native mountain-streams--the old well from which the water of the jumna is lifted into the channels, can still be seen, as well as the pavilions on the river-bank, now modernized with modern bad taste. in later times the ram bagh was the garden-house of the empress nur mahal. it was kept up by all succeeding governments, and it is said to have obtained its name of ram bagh from the mahrattas in the eighteenth century. the zuhara bagh.--between the chînî-ka-rauza and the ram bagh there is another great walled enclosure, which contained the garden-house of zuhara, one of babar's daughters, and is named after her the zuhara, or zohra bagh. this formerly contained the largest garden-palace at agra, and is said to have possessed no less than sixty wells. a great well, just outside the enclosure, feet in circumference, and of enormous depth, was filled up some years ago. sikandra sikandra, a village about five miles from agra, and the burial-place of akbar, is reached by two roads. the older one follows, to some extent, the alignment of the great military road to lahore and kashmir, planned by babar and completed by his successors. a few of the _kos-minars_, pillars which marked off the _kos_--a distance of about two and a half miles--can still be seen along the road, or in the adjoining fields. numerous remains of archæological interest are passed on the way of the old road. first the delhi gate of the old city walls. about a mile further on the right-hand side, is a great walled enclosure, named after ladli begam, the sister of abul fazl, akbar's famous prime minister and biographer. it formerly contained her tomb, as well as that of sheikh mubarak, her father, and of faizi, her eldest brother. many years ago the whole enclosure was sold by government. the purchasers, some wealthy hindu merchants of muttra, promptly pulled down the mausoleum, realized the materials, and built a pavilion on the site. in front of the great gateway was a splendid _baoli_, or well-house, the largest in the neighbourhood of agra. this was filled up about five years ago. not far from ladli begam's garden is the kandahâri bagh, where the first wife of shah jahan, a daughter of mozaffar husein, who was the great-grandson of shah ismail safvi, king of persia, is buried. about a mile further along the road, on the left-hand side, is a curious statue of a horse in red sandstone, which, tradition says, was put up by a nobleman whose favourite horse was killed at this spot; the syce who was killed at the same time has his tomb close by. nearly opposite to this is a large dried-up tank, called the guru-ka-tal, which, with the adjacent ruined buildings, are attributed to sikandar lodi, one of the afghan predecessors of the mogul emperors, who has given his name to sikandra. akbar's tomb. akbar's tomb stands in the midst of a vast garden, enclosed by four high battlemented walls. in the centre of each wall is an imposing gateway seventy feet high. the principal one, on the west side, has an inscription in persian, which states that the mausoleum was completed by the emperor jahangir, in the seventh year of his reign, or a.d. it is elaborately ornamented with bold but rather disjointed inlaid patterns, which seem to show that the designers were unaccustomed to this method of decoration. neither are the four minarets at the corners of the roof, which are said to have been broken by the jâts, contrived with the usual skill of the mogul architects. above the gateway is the nakkár khana, an arcaded chamber with a balcony, where at dawn and one watch after sunrise the drums and pipes sounded in honour of the dead. the mausoleum was commenced by akbar himself. it is different in plan from any other mogul monument, and, contrary to the usual muhammadan custom, the head of the tomb of akbar is turned towards the rising sun, and not towards mecca. the whole structure gives the impression of a noble but incompleted idea; both in its greatness and in its incompleteness, it is typical of akbar and his work. the original design was somewhat modified by jahangir. he has stated in his memoirs that on his first visit to the tomb after his accession he was dissatisfied with the work which had been done, and ordered certain parts of it to be rebuilt. fergusson supposes that the original intention was to cover the tombstone and raised platform of the uppermost story with a domed canopy, and in this he is supported by a statement of william finch, who visited the mausoleum when it was being built, that it was to be "inarched over with the most curious white and speckled marble, to be ceiled all within with pure sheet gold richly inwrought." such a canopy is just what is required by æsthetic considerations to complete the curiously truncated appearance of the top story, and there is nothing in the structural design to make it impossible or improbable. the approach to the interior of the mausoleum is through the central archway of the lower story, which opens into a vestibule richly ornamented with raised stucco work, and coloured in blue and gold, somewhat in the style of the alhambra. a part of this decoration has been lately restored. an inclined passage, like the entrance to an egyptian pyramid, leads down into a high vaulted chamber, dimly lighted from above, where a simple sarcophagus of white marble contains the mortal remains of the great akbar. whatever decoration there may have been on the walls is now covered with whitewash. the emperor's armour, clothes, and books, which were placed beside the tomb, are said to have been carried off by those insatiable marauders, the jâts of bharatpur. smaller chambers surrounding the central one, on the level of the platform, contain the tombs of two of akbar's daughters and a son of the emperor shah alam. these also have suffered much from neglect and whitewash, the whole of the façade of the lower story was originally faced with red sandstone, or perhaps with fine stucco decorated in fresco. the present coat of common plaster is modern work, which, except as a protection for the brickwork, would have been better left undone. the lower story is feet square. above this are three others, diminishing in size up to the highest, which is just half these dimensions. the roof of the topmost is surrounded by cloisters, the outer arches of which are filled with very fine marble tracery (plate x.). in the centre, on a raised platform, is a solid block of pure white marble, delicately carved with flowers and sacred texts, representing the real tomb in the vault beneath. at the head is the inscription, "allah-o-akbar" (god is great), and at the foot, "jalli jalalohu" (magnificent is his glory). these sentences were the formula of akbar's new religion, which he called "the divine faith." on the sides the ninety-nine attributes of god are carved in the arabic character. the carved marble pedestal at the end of the tomb was a stand for a golden censer. the kanch mahal.--outside the enclosure of akbar's tomb, a little to the east of the principal entrance, is a rare and remarkably fine example of mogul domestic architecture. this is a two-storied building, known as the kanch mahal, and supposed to have been built by jahangir as a country seat. in its extremely elaborate ornamentation, inlaid stone and enamelled tiles have been most effectively combined with the carving. the repairs lately carried out under lord curzon's orders have been very carefully done, though it is easy to see the inferiority of the new work where the old carving had to be reproduced. our fatuous policy of adopting european styles in all public buildings in india is bound to cause a deterioration in the native art handicrafts, for it closes the principal source from which they have sprung. unless this policy is reversed, nothing will prevent the ultimate extinction of indian art. suraj-bhan-ka bagh.--this is another two-storied building of about the same period, but not quite so fine in style, facing the agra road, at a little distance from the kanch mahal. mariam zÂmÂni's tomb.--a short distance further on, in the direction of muttra, is the building supposed to have been originally the garden house of sikandar lodi, in which mariam zâmâni, one of akbar's wives, is said to have been buried. it has been used for many years as a printing establishment for a mission orphanage. other buildings and tombs at or near agra the tomb of feroz khan, opposite to the third milestone on the gwalior road, is an interesting building of akbar's time, richly carved and decorated with tile-work. close by is the tomb of the pahalwari, where a celebrated wrestler of shah jahan's time is buried. there are a considerable number of buildings and numerous ruins in agra, and round about, which possess only historical or archæological interest. in the town are the following:-- the kali masjid, or black mosque, otherwise called the kalan masjid, or grand mosque, is of the early akbar style. it was built by the father of shah jahan's first wife, the kandahâri begum. this is near to the government dispensary. in the nai-ki-mundi quarter is the mosque of shah ala-ud-din majzub, commonly known as alawal bilawal, a saint who lived at the time of shere shah. he established a school of muhammadan law, and founded a monastery besides the mosque. the accumulations round the mosque have reached up to the springing of the arches, and tradition accounts for this by the following story: a camel-driver in shere shah's service stabled his beasts in the mosque, in spite of the protests of the saint thereupon the building began to sink into the ground, and did not cease descending until the camels and their driver were crushed to death. the hamman, or baths of ali verdi khan, in chipitolla street, built in the time of jahangir. an inscription over the gateway gives the date, a.d. they cannot be compared in interest with the splendid "hakim's baths," at fatehpur sikri. the roman catholic cemetery, in the quarter known as padritollah, near the law courts, is one of the most ancient christian cemeteries in india. the ground was granted to the mission by the emperor akbar. there are a number of portuguese and armenian tombs dating from early in the seventeenth century. it also contains the tomb of the notorious walter reinhardt, or samru, as he was called, the founder of the principality of sirdhana, whose history is given at p. . the dutch general messing, who held agra fort for the mahrattas in , has a very florid mausoleum of red sandstone, more curious than beautiful; the design of which is in imitation of the taj. fatehpur sikri fatehpur sikri is the famous deserted city, about twenty-three miles from agra, built by akbar. it was formerly merely a village, called sikri, celebrated as the abode of sheikh salîm chishti, a muhammadan _pîr_, or saint. in , akbar, returning from a campaign, halted near the cave in which the saint lived. the twin children of his rajput wife, mariam zâmâni, had recently died, and he was anxious for an heir. he consulted the holy man, who advised him to come and live at sikri. the emperor did so, and nine months afterwards mariam, who was taken to chishti's cell for her confinement, gave birth to a son, afterwards the emperor jahangir. he was called sultan salîm in honour of the saint. jahangir, who describes all these circumstances in his memoirs, adds: "my revered father, regarding the village of sikri, my birthplace, as fortunate to himself, made it his capital, and in the course of fourteen or fifteen years the hills and deserts, which abounded in beasts of prey, became converted into a magnificent city, comprising numerous gardens, elegant edifices and pavilions, and other places of great attraction and beauty. after the conquest of gujarat, the village was named fatehpur (the town of victory)." the glory of fatehpur sikri was short-lived. akbar held his court there for seventeen years, and then removed it to agra; some say on account of the badness of the water supply, others that the saint, disturbed in his devotions by the bustle and gaieties of the great city, declared that either he or akbar must go. "then," replied the emperor, "let it be your servant, i pray." the entire city was given up to the beasts of the surrounding jungle. finch, who visited it in the early part of the next reign, describes it: "ruin all; lying like a waste desert, and very dangerous to pass through in the night." this, however, was an exaggeration, for the principal buildings are still in a good state of preservation, probably owing to the remoteness of the place from any great highway or large town. the city, which was some six miles in circuit, was surrounded on three sides by high battlemented walls, which had nine gateways. the fourth side was formed by a great artificial lake, now dry. the principal buildings are on the summit of the high ridge which runs throughout the length of the city. the agra gate.--the visitor usually enters by the agra gate, concerning which an amusing story is told. one night akbar, attended by some of his ministers, was inspecting the ramparts near this gate, when he observed a highway robbery being committed close by the walls. turning severely to those responsible for the peace of the city, he demanded why such an outrage was permitted in the very presence of the emperor. "it is always darkest directly under the shadow of the lamp," was the courtly reply. the naubat khana.--inside the gate the road passes, by the right, a large quadrangle surrounded by a ruined cloister, which was probably used for barracks. beyond this the road was formerly lined on both sides by the houses of the bazar. it next passes through the inner gateway, called the _naubat khana_, or music house, where, as in all mogul fortresses, the court musicians played to announce the emperor's arrival or departure, and various state ceremonials. the mint.--some distance beyond the naubat khana, on the right, is a large building believed to have been the imperial mint. rare specimens of gold, silver, and copper coins from the fatehpur mint are in the british museum. the brick domes of this building are interesting, as they are probably the earliest examples in india of the use of radiating courses instead of horizontal layers in dome construction. opposite to the mint is a smaller building known as the treasury. the daftar khana.--passing through the great quadrangle of the dîwan-i-âm, the visitor arrives at the daftar khana, or record chamber, now adapted for a travellers' rest-house. this was akbar's office, and is immediately opposite to his own sanctum, the kwâbgâh, and the principal buildings of the imperial palace. a staircase in the south-east room leads to the roof, from which a fine view of the city and surrounding country can be obtained. the principal buildings can be easily identified by help of the plan. the palace.--a door in the side of the quadrangle, opposite to the daftar khana, leads into akbar's palace, the mahal-i-khas. the two-storied building on the left on entering contains akbar's private apartments. the first room on the ground floor is panelled into numerous recesses for keeping books, documents, or valuables. there are some remains of painted decoration representing flowers, such as the tulip, poppy, and almond flower, executed with much vigour and technical skill. behind this is a chamber which, according to edmund smith, was used by a hindu priest attached to akbar's court. it contains a stone platform raised on pillars, upon which he is said to have performed his devotions. it was more probably intended for akbar's own gaddi, or throne. a door in the west wall leads into the cloisters, which formerly connected akbar's apartments with the daftar khana and with jodh bai's palace. the kwÂbgÂh, or sleeping apartment, is a small pavilion on the roof. originally the walls were entirely covered by fresco paintings, but only a few fragments now remain. unfortunately, these have been protected by a coat of varnish, which reduces them all to a dull monochrome. it is to be regretted that a more scientific method of preserving them was not adopted. they are all in the persian style, and, except for the chinese element which is often present in persian art, there is no ground for edmund smith's supposition that chinese artists were employed here. on the side window over the eastern doorway is a painting of a winged figure, in front of a rock cave, supporting a new-born babe in its arms. in all probability it refers to the birth of jahangir in the cell of the saint salîm chishti, which akbar, no doubt, thought miraculous. many archæologists make the great mistake of attributing every winged figure in these decorations to some biblical story. heavenly beings with wings, the inhabitants of paradise, spirits of the air, or "angels," are very common in persian and indian painting, and are by no means a monopoly of european artists. it is known that akbar took a great interest in painting. abul fazl, in the "ain-i-akbari," states that "his majesty from the earliest youth has shown a great predilection for the art, and gives it every encouragement, as he looks upon it as a means both of study and amusement. hence the art flourishes, and many painters have obtained great reputations. the works of all painters are weekly laid before his majesty by the daroghas and the clerks; he confers rewards according to the excellence of workmanship, or increases their monthly salaries. much progress was made in the commodities required by painters, and the correct prices of such articles were carefully ascertained." akbar himself remarked, "bigoted followers of the law are hostile to the art of painting, but their eyes now see the truth. there are many that hate painting, but such men i dislike. it appears to me as if a painter had a peculiar means of recognizing god; for a painter, in sketching anything that has life and in drawing its limbs, must feel that he cannot bestow personality upon his work, and is thus forced to think of god, the giver of life, and will thus increase his knowledge." the enlightened court of akbar was evidently a paradise for artists. opposite to akbar's apartments is a large square tank with a platform in the centre, approached by four narrow stone paths. the tank was filled from the waterworks near the elephant gate, and the water was kept constantly fresh by an overflow channel connecting with the tank at the back of the dîwan-i-khâs. the turkish sultana's house.--in the north-east angle of the mahal-i-khas quadrangle is a small, picturesque building, one of the gems of fatehpur, called the turkish sultana's house. it contains only a single apartment, surrounded by a verandah, but in the carving of every surface within and without there is a wealth of invention and decorative skill rarely achieved even by the mogul artists. the dado panels are especially remarkable for the charming conventionalized rendering of trees, flowers, birds, and animals. they have suffered much from the hands of some of aurangzîb's fanatical followers, and all the representations of animate nature have been mutilated. the carving was intended as a groundwork for painting and gilding which were never added, for the fatehpur palace was abandoned even before it was finished. nothing is known with certainty of the lady who inhabited this delightful bower, but she must have been one of akbar's favourites. a covered passage connected the house with the kwâbgâh, and also with another block of buildings of no special interest, known as the girls' school. a staircase from the south verandah leads down to some interesting baths outside the south-west corner of the dîwan-i-âm quadrangle, which were probably for the use of the turkish sultana. they are worth seeing, though not so fine as the so-called hakim's baths. the latter, which are situated just opposite to these baths, on the steep slope of the ridge, are the finest of their kind existing in india. they form an extensive hydropathic establishment, decorated in the most excellent taste with polished plaster and _sgraffito_, or cut-plaster work. undoubtedly they were used by akbar himself, and they derive their present name from their close proximity to the quarters occupied by the hakims, or doctors. pachisi board.--in the northern half of the great palace quadrangle is a _pachisi_ board, cut on the pavement, similar to the one in the samman burj in the agra fort. here akbar and the ladies of the court would amuse themselves by playing the game with slave girls as living pieces. the dice were thrown on the small platform in the centre of the board. the dÎwan-i-khÂs.--further towards the north, immediately opposite to the kwâbgâh, is a square detached building, a fine example of the dignified style of the period, for it owes none of its effects to imposing dimensions, but only to the skill with which the architect has treated a difficult subject. this is the dîwan-i-khâs, or hall of private audience. on the outside it would appear to be a two-storied building, but on entering it is seen to contain only a single vaulted chamber, surrounded halfway up by a gallery. a magnificent carved column, with a gigantic bracket capital (plate xi.), standing alone in the centre of the chamber, supports four branches or railed passages, which meet this gallery at the four corners. this most original construction carried akbar's throne, which was placed immediately over the great column. the ministers attended at the four corners of the gallery; the great nobles and others admitted to the audience thronged the floor beneath. the gallery is approached by two staircases, in the thickness of the walls, which also lead up to the roof. [ ] the ankh-michauli.--close by the dîwan-i-khâs, on the west side, is a building which the native guides, always ready to amuse the innocent tourist, describe as the ankh-michauli, or "blind-man's buff house." there is a legend that akbar here played hide-and-seek with the ladies of the zanana. the same story is told about a set of apartments in the jahangiri mahal in the agra fort, but the only ground for it seems to be that the arrangement of the rooms might lend itself to such diversions. it most probably contained strong-rooms for the safe custody of valuables, either state archives or jewels. the yogi's seat.--at the corner of the ankh-michauli is a square platform covered by a domed canopy. the great carved brackets which support the architraves are very characteristic of jaina construction. this was the seat of one of the yogis, or hindu fakirs, who enjoyed the emperor's favour. akbar devoted much attention to the occult powers claimed by these men. he even practised alchemy and showed in public some of the gold made by him. the hospital.--adjoining the ankh-michauli are the remains of a long, low building, which was the hospital; a few of the wards still remain. possibly this was arranged on the model of the hospital which akbar allowed the jesuit fathers to build in the city. he also permitted them to construct a small chapel. the records of the missionaries tell us that akbar once came there alone, removed his turban and offered prayers, first kneeling in the christian manner, then prostrating himself according to the muhammadan custom, and, finally, after the ritual of the hindus. one of the christian congregation having died about this time, he granted permission for the funeral procession to pass through the streets of fatehpur with all the ceremonies of the catholic faith. many of the inhabitants, both hindus and muhammadans, attended the funeral. akbar was never persuaded to become a convert to christianity, nor does there appear to be any ground for the belief that one of his wives was a christian. the dÎwan-i-Âm.--the west side of the dîwan-i-âm (hall of public audience) and its cloisters coincide for the whole length with the east of the palace quadrangle. the description already given of the dîwan-i-âm at agra will explain the functions for which this building was intended. the throne, or judgment seat, of akbar was placed between two pierced stone screens in the verandah in front of the hall. the panch mahal.--this curious five-storied pavilion is nearly opposite to the dîwan-i-âm. it is approached by a staircase from the mahal-i-khas. each story was originally enclosed by pierced stone screens; this, and the fact that the whole building overlooked the palace zanana, make it tolerably certain that it could only have been used as a promenade by akbar and the ladies of the court. the ground-floor, which was divided into cubicles by screens between the columns, may; as keene suggests, have been intended for the royal children and their attendants. the building is chiefly remarkable for the invention and taste shown in the varied designs of the columns, in which the three principal styles of northern india, the hindu, jain, and saracenic, are indiscriminately combined. miriam's kothi.--another doorway in the west side of the palace quadrangle leads to miriam's house, a very elegant two-storied building showing marked hindu feeling in the design. the râma incarnation of vishnu appears on one of the carved brackets of the verandah. it seems to have derived its name from akbar's hindu wife, mariam zâmâni, the mother of jahangir. her name literally means "mary of the age," a common designation used by muhammadan women in honour of the mother of jesus. this has led to the fable that the house was occupied by a christian wife of akbar. the whole building was originally covered with fresco paintings and gilding, and was hence called the sonahra makân, or "golden house." the frescoes are supposed to illustrate firdousi's great epic, the shahnama, or history of the kings of persia. as in the kwâbgâh, the fragments which remain have been covered with varnish as a preservative, which has had the effect of destroying all the charm of colour they once possessed; and will eventually, when the varnish turns brown with age, obliterate them altogether. the paintings are all in the style of the persian artists who were employed by akbar to illustrate his books and to paint the portraits of his court. over the doorway in the north-west angle of the building is a painting which the guides, perhaps misled by the suggestion of some uninformed traveller, point out as "the annunciation." there would be nothing _primâ facie_ improbable that akbar should have caused some events of biblical history to be painted on the walls of his palaces; but on the other hand, there is nothing whatever to connect this fresco with the annunciation. the winged figures here represented are of the type commonly found in paintings of stories from persian mythology. perhaps the most interesting of all the paintings is a portrait in a panel in one of the rooms. one would like to know whether this was the lady of the house; but there seems to be no tradition connected with it. judging from the style of the frescoes, it would seem probable that this was not the residence of mariam zâmâni, but of one of akbar's first two wives, whose connections were mostly with persia. jodh bai's palace. though "miriam's house" is generally regarded as the abode of mariam zâmâni, there is a great deal to support the view that the spacious palace known as jodh bai's mahal, or jahangiri mahal, was really her residence. it is undoubtedly one of the oldest buildings in fatehpur. we know that akbar went there on mariam's account; and, after jahangir's birth, akbar's first care would be to build a palace for the mother and her child, his long-wished-for heir. mariam was a hindu, and this palace in all its construction and nearly all its ornamentation belongs to the hindu and jaina styles of mariam's native country, rajputana. it even contains a hindu temple. [ ] it is also the most important of all the palaces, and mariam, as mother of the heir-apparent, would take precedence of all the other wives. on the left of the entrance is a small guard-house. a simple but finely proportioned gateway leads through a vestibule into the inner quadrangle. the style of the whole palace is much less ornate than the other zanana buildings, but it is always dignified and in excellent taste. it must be remembered that the severity of the architectural design was relieved by bright colouring and rich purdahs, which were used to secure privacy for the ladies of the zanana and to diminish the glare of the sunlight. archæologically its construction and ornamentation are very interesting. many of the details are of jain origin, and of the same type as the mixed jain and saracenic style, which was being developed about the same period in gujarat. the arrangements of the palace are shown in the annexed plan. one of the most interesting features is the hawa mahal, a pavilion projecting from the north side, enclosed by pierced stone screens. here the ladies could enjoy the cool breezes and the view of the lake with the distant hills beyond, without being exposed to the vulgar gaze. the palace was formerly connected with akbar's private apartments by a covered way, supported on pillars, near the entrance. this was removed some years ago. another private passage led from the hawa mahal to the zanana garden opposite, and, probably, from thence right down to the tower known as the hiran minâr. rajah birbal's house, or birbal's daughter's house. rajah birbal was a brahman minstrel, who came to akbar's court in the beginning of his reign, and by his wit and abilities gained the emperor's favour. he was first created hindu poet laureate; from that dignity he was raised to the rank of rajah, and became one of akbar's most intimate friends and advisers. birbal was one of those who subscribed to akbar's new religion, "the divine faith." when he perished in an unfortunate expedition against some unruly afghan tribes, akbar's grief was for a long time inconsolable. the house which is named after him was originally enclosed within the precincts of the imperial zanana, and a covered way connected it with jodh bai's palace. it is one of the most richly decorated of all the adjacent buildings, and next to jodh bai's palace, the largest of the imperial residences. as in so many other instances, the vague local tradition which assigns this palace to rajah birbal seems to be at fault. abul fazl, that most careful and precise biographer, records that akbar ordered a palace to be built for the rajah, and that when it was finished in the twenty-seventh year of his reign ( ) the emperor honoured it with his presence. an inscription discovered by edmund smith upon the capital of a pilaster in the west façade of the building, states that it was erected in samvat (a.d. ), ten years before this date, and three years after the commencement of the city. though the rajah was one of akbar's most trusted friends, his palace would hardly be placed within the enclosure of the emperor's own zanana and connected with it; nor is it likely that akbar would provide birbal with a residence so incomparably more magnificent than those he gave to his other two intimate friends, abul fazl and faizi, by the side of the great mosque. all the probabilities are that this was one of the imperial palaces occupied by akbar's wives, which were the first buildings erected at fatehpur. fergusson's assumption that birbal's daughter was one of akbar's wives would explain everything; but the fact that abul fazl makes no mention of such a daughter, is very good evidence that akbar was not connected with birbal by marriage. the house is a two-storied building, splendidly ornamented with carving, both inside and out. from the construction, it would appear that hindus were the architects; but the decoration, from which it is easy to discover the taste of the occupants, is nearly all arabian or persian in style, and conveys no suggestion that the palace was built for a hindu rajah or his daughter. though on a much smaller scale, it is of the same type as akbar's splendid palace in the agra fort, and was evidently intended for one of the highest rank in the imperial zanana. [ ] the hathi pol and adjoining buildings. close under birbal's house is the main road leading down to the great lake--now drained, the embankment of which formed the north-west boundary of the city. it passes through the gateway called the hathi pol, or elephant gate, from the two great stone elephants, mutilated by aurangzîb, standing on either side of the outer archway. on the left of the gateway are two buildings, the so-called pigeon's house, probably intended for a magazine; and the sangin burj, a great bastion supposed to be part of the fortifications begun by akbar and left unfinished, owing to the objections of shaikh salîm chishti. a little beyond this, on the right, are the remains of the waterworks which supplied the whole city. opposite to these, is the great traveller's rest-house, or karwân-serai, in a very ruined state. the, furthest of this block of buildings is a curious tower called the hiran minâr, or deer tower, feet in height, ornamented with stone imitations of elephant tusks. according to tradition, it was built by akbar in memory of a favourite elephant, and used by him as a shooting tower; the plain on the margin of the lake being the haunt of antelope and other game. the splendid stretch of water, six miles long and two in breadth, induced many of the princes and nobles to build pavilions and garden houses on this side of the city. this was the place for great tournaments and festivities, and in the palmy days of fatehpur all the chivalry of the mogul court must have made a brave show here. the hiran minâr was connected with the zanana by a covered way, so that the ladies might assist at these spectacles and enjoy the cool breezes from the lake. the jâmi masjid, or cathedral mosque. the great mosque of fatehpur is worthy of its founder's lofty ideals and nobility of soul. it is one of the most magnificent of all akbar's buildings; the historic associations connected with it combine with its architectural splendour to make it one of the most impressive of its kind in the world. it is said to be copied from one at mecca; but this cannot be altogether true, because, though the plan and general design follow muhammadan precedent, many of the details show akbar's hindu proclivities. within the great mosque, akbar frequently held religious discussions with the learned doctors of islam; and here, also, after the chief mullahs had signed the famous document which declared akbar to be head of the church, the emperor mounted the pulpit, and stood before the congregation as the expounder of "the divine faith." he commenced to read a _khutbah_, or litany, which faizi, abul fazl's brother, had composed for the occasion-- "the lord, who gave to us dominion, wisdom, and heart and strength, who guided us in truth and right, and cleansed our mind from all but right, none can describe his power or state, allahú akbar--god is great." but before he could finish three lines of it, the sense of the tremendous responsibility he had undertaken overpowered him. he descended the pulpit trembling with emotion, and left the imam of the mosque to continue the service. there are two entrances, approached by broad flights of steps. the one on the east side is the emperor's gate, by which akbar entered the mosque from the palace, and the other, the majestic baland darwaza, or high gate, which towers above everything on the south side, and even dwarfs the mosque itself with its giant proportions. the latter gate, however, was not a part of the original design, but was added many years after the completion of the mosque, to celebrate akbar's victorious campaign in the deccan. the mosque itself was built in honour of the saint of fatehpur, sheikh salîm chishti, whose tomb, enclosed in a shrine of white marble, carved with the delicacy of ivory-work, glitters like silver on the right of the quadrangle. barren women, both hindu and muhammadan, tie bits of string or shreds of cloth to the marble trellis-work as tokens that if blessed with a son they will present an offering to the shrine. close by is a plainer, but much larger mausoleum, for his grandson, nawab islam khan, who was made governor of bengal by jahangir. this also contains the remains of many other of the sheikh's male descendants. a separate vault, called the zanana rauza, for the women of his family is formed by enclosing a portion of the adjoining cloisters. the mosque proper contains three chapels, crowned by domes. the principal one, in the centre, is screened by the façade of the entrance, the doorway being recessed, in the usual style of saracenic buildings, in a great porch or semi-dome. an inscription over the main archway gives the date of the completion of the mosque as a.d. . the chapels are connected with each other by noble colonnades of a decidedly hindu or jain character. the saracenic arches combine most happily with the hindu construction, and the view down the "long-drawn aisles" is singularly impressive. much of the charm of the interior is due to the quiet reserve and dignity of the decoration, which is nearly all in the style of arabian mosques, and may account for the statement on the central arch, that "this mosque is a duplicate of the holy place" (at mecca). at each end of the mosque there is a set of five rooms for the mullahs who conducted the service; above them are galleries for the ladies of the zanana. spacious cloisters surround three sides of the quadrangle; these are divided into numerous cells for the _maulvis_ and their pupils. the triumphal gateway, called the baland darwaza (plate xiii.), is really a building in itself. it must be seen from the outside of the quadrangle, for, magnificent as it is there, it certainly does not harmonize with the mosque viewed from the quadrangle. this mighty portal, feet in height from the roadway, is a landmark for miles around. from the top of it the taj, twenty-five miles away, and the distant fort of bharatpur are visible. there are three doors recessed in the immense alcove on the front of the gate. one is the horseshoe door, so called from the numerous votive offerings of owners of sick horses, donkeys, and bullocks, which were nailed on in the hope of obtaining the favour of the saint. the doorway on the right of this has the following inscription carved over it in arabic:-- "his majesty, king of kings, heaven of the court, shadow of god, jalâl-ud-din muhammad akbar, emperor. he conquered the kingdom of the south and dandes, which was formerly called khandes, in the th divine year [_i.e._ of his reign] corresponding to the hijira year, [a.d. ]. having reached fatehpur, he proceeded to agra. said jesus, on whom be peace! the world is a bridge, pass over it, but build no house there. he who hopeth for an hour, may hope for eternity; the world is but an hour, spend it in devotion; the rest is worth nothing," over the left doorway is the following:-- "he that standeth up in prayer, and his heart is not in it, does not draw nigh to god, but remaineth far from him. thy best possession is what thou givest in the name of god; thy best traffic is selling this world for the next." akbar himself died four years after this great sermon in stone was written. the stone-cutters' mosque. at the back of the great mosque is a graveyard containing the tomb of an infant son of sheikh salîm. the legend concerning him is, that at the age of six months he addressed his father, telling him that all of akbar's children must die in infancy, unless some child died for them. he therefore had resolved to sacrifice himself for the emperor's sake, and immediately after this miraculous speech he died. jahangir was born nine months afterwards. sceptics have suggested that he was really a son of the sheikh, substituted for a still-born child of mariam zâmâni. some distance beyond this tomb there is a small mosque, built in honour of the saint by the quarrymen of fatehpur, before he had attracted the notice of the great emperor. it is called the stone-cutters' mosque, and is supposed to have been erected on the site of the cave where he lived the life of a hermit it is an unpretending little building; the brackets which support the cornice are the only noticeable architectural features. they are direct imitations of wooden construction, and are copied, with greater elaboration of carving, in the marble shrine inside the jâmi masjid. the cell where the saint is said to have lived is on the right-hand corner of the mosque. the birthplace of jahangir is pointed out in a dilapidated palace not far from this mosque. it is occupied by a lineal descendant of salîm chishti, and is only rarely shown to visitors. the houses of abul fazl and faizi. the houses where these two famous brothers, the friends of akbar, lived, are close under the north wall of the great mosque. their father, sheikh mubarak, was one of the most learned men of the age, and the sons were as distinguished as the father. faizi was the persian poet laureate, and tutor to the royal princes. he was also employed on many diplomatic missions. abul fazl was the author of the celebrated "akbarnâma," a history of the mogul emperors down to the forty-seventh year of akbar's reign. he was for a long time akbar's prime minister; he took a prominent part in the religious discussions inaugurated by the emperor, and often discomfited the orthodox followers of islam with his arguments. sheikh mubarak drew up the famous document declaring akbar to be the head of the church, and both his sons subscribed to it. abul fazl declares that the document "was productive of excellent results: ( ) the court became the resort of the learned men and sages of all creeds and nationalities; ( ) peace was given to all, and perfect tolerance prevailed; ( ) the disinterested motives of the emperor, whose labours were directed to a search after truth, were rendered clear, and the pretenders to learning and scholarship were put to shame." notwithstanding his high character and generous disposition, abul fazl had many enemies at court. he was at last assassinated at the instigation of jahangir, who believed him to be responsible for a misunderstanding between himself and his father. there is nothing architecturally interesting about the two houses, which have been for some time used as a zillah school. * * * * * bharatpur and other places in the vicinity of agra. there are some other places of considerable interest easily accessible from agra, but it would be beyond the scope of this book to describe them in detail. bharatpur.--this place, which has been often alluded to, is the capital of a native state of that name, founded by the jâts under suraj mal about . the origin of the jât race is obscure, but probably they are of scythian descent. some authorities have put forward a theory that the gypsies of europe and the jâts are of the same race. they form a large proportion of the population of north-western india. their religion varies with the locality, but the jâts who occupied agra under suraj mal were hindus. in , the fort at bharatpur resisted for six weeks a siege by general, afterwards lord lake, who withdrew, after four desperate assaults. the palace of suraj mal is at dig, twenty-one miles by road from bharatpur. it was commenced about , and is the finest and most original of the indian palaces of that period. the jât chief carried off to it a great deal of the loot from the agra fort. govardhan.--the tombs of suraj mal and his two ranis are at govardhan, a very picturesque place about eight miles from dig. there are also a number of very interesting tombs and buildings of later date. fergusson [ ] says of one of these, which was in course of construction when he was there in , that he acquired from its native architect more knowledge of the secrets of art as practised in the middle ages than he had learnt from all the books he had read. the same living architectural art is practised all over rajputana at the present day. the preference we show for the incomparably inferior art of the mongrel eclectic styles we have imported into india, is only a proof that there is something wanting in the superior civilization and culture which we believe ourselves to possess. there is also at govardhan a very fine hindu temple, dating from the time of akbar. a great fair is held here every year about the end of october, or beginning of november, on the occasion of the hindu diwâli, or feast of lamps, one of the most beautiful and impressive of all the hindu festivals. muttra, the mathora of the greeks, about fourteen miles from govardhan, and within easy reach of agra by rail, is one of the most sacred places of the hindus, from being the reputed birthplace of krishna. it is a great centre for the worship of vishnu. brindâban, or bindarâban, which is a very short distance further by rail, possesses an old hindu temple, dedicated to govind deva, or vishnu, of the same period as the other at govardhan, and built by the same person, rajah man singh of amber, an ancestor of the present maharajah of jaipur. fergusson describes it as one of the most interesting and elegant temples in india. there is also a great vishnu temple of the last century, in the dravidian style of southern india, built by a hindu millionaire merchant. krishna's childhood and early youth were passed in the vicinity of brindâban, and on that account it is held especially sacred by the followers of the vaishnavite sect of hinduism, who flock there in thousands on the anniversary of krishna's birth, in the month of bhadon (august--september). notes [ ] babar's "memoirs," translated by erskine. [ ] for further particulars of babar's history the reader is referred to the "memoirs," or to stanley lane-poolers admirable "life of babar," in the "rulers of india series" (macmillan & co.). [ ] the state documents of the mogul emperors, "given under the royal hand and seal," were sometimes actually impressed by the royal hand. plate i. reproduces part of a letter, addressed by shah jahan to an ancestor of the present maharajah of gidhour. in this letter the raja dalan singh is informed that "the auspicious impress of the royal hand" is sent as a mark of royal favour, and he is commanded to proceed to court to participate in the festivities and to pay homage to the emperor. [ ] bernier's "travels"--constable's translation. [ ] these elephant statues have been a vexed point with archæologists. bernier, in his description of delhi, refers to two great elephants of stone, with their riders, outside of the fort gates. the riders, he says, were portraits of the famous rajput chiefs jaymal and patta, slain by akbar at the siege of chitore. "their enemies, in admiration of the devotion of the two heroes, put up these statues to their memory." now, bernier does not say that the statues were put up by akbar, but general cunningham, inferring that bernier meant this, propounded a theory that they were originally in front of the agra fort, which akbar built, and removed to delhi by shah jahan, when he built his new palace there. keene, who discusses the question at length in his "handbook to delhi," accepts this suggestion. neither of these authorities seem to have been aware of the existence of the marks of the feet on the platform in front of the agra hathi pol. i have compared the measurements of these marks with the dimensions of the elephant which still exists at delhi, and find that they do not correspond in any way. the delhi elephant is a much larger animal, and would not fit into the platform at the agra gate. general cunningham's theory, therefore, falls to the ground. it is just possible that the delhi elephants were intended to be copies of those placed by akbar at agra. shah jahan is not likely to have intentionally perpetuated the memory of the rajput chiefs, but popular tradition or imagination may have fastened the story told by bernier on to the delhi statues. elephants were so commonly placed in front of indian palaces and fortresses that, except for this story, there would be no need to suppose any connection between those at agra and those at delhi. purchas, quoting william finch who visited agra in jahangir's time, describes the elephants at the hathi pol, but gives a different origin to the statues. "beyond these two gates you pass a second gate, over which are two rajaws in stone. it is said that they were two brother rajputs, tutors to a prince, their nephew, whom the king demanded of them. they refused, and were committed; but drew on the officers, slew twelve, and at last, by multitudes oppressing, were themselves slain, and here have elephants of stone and themselves figured." the expression "over" (the gate) has the meaning of "high up," and not, as keene supposes, its more modern sense of "on the top of." [ ] the old mogul road led directly from the elephant gate to the entrance of the dîwan-i-âm. i understand that this road will be restored shortly by the archæological department. [ ] an ugly modern marble rail, in imitation of wood, probably a reminiscence of the time when the palace was occupied by the british garrison, still disfigures and stunts the proportions of the upper storey of the samman burj. [ ] this question is discussed at length in an article by the author, entitled "the taj and its designers," published in the june number of the _nineteenth century and after_, . [ ] tavernier says twenty-two years probably including all the accessory buildings. [ ] the present garden is a jungle, planted by a european overseer without any understanding or feeling for the ideas of the mogul artists. the overgrown trees entirely block out the view of the mosques on either side, which are an essential part of the whole composition, serving as supporters to the slender, detached minarets. i understand, however, that it is intended to remove some of the more obstructive of the larger trees; but the avenue of cypress trees, which perished from drought some years ago, has been replanted on lines which eventually will clash seriously with the architectural composition. [ ] this represents the condition of the garden twenty or thirty years ago. [ ] the conjunction of jupiter and venus; referring to the circumstance that timur and himself were born at the conjunction of these planets. (keene.) [ ] it is very probable that the black slate or marble panels in the delhi palace, which are purely florentine in design, were imported complete from italy, and fixed in the wall by indian workmen, who only designed the ornamental scrolls surrounding the panels. [ ] it is known that in akbar completed a great building at fatehpur, called the ibadat khana, or hall in which the learned men of all religions assembled for discussion. it was described as containing four halls, the western for the sayyids, or descendants of the prophet; the southern for learned men who had studied or acquired knowledge; the northern for those famed for inspired wisdom: the eastern hall was reserved for the nobles and state officers. thousands of people from all quarters of the world assembled in the courtyard. the emperor attended every friday night and on holy festivals, moving from one to the other of the guests and conversing with them. keene, in his "handbook to agra," suggests that possibly the dîwan-i-khâs may be the building thus described (taking the word _aiwan_, or hall, to mean a side gallery), as no other building at all answering to the description now remains at fatehpur. this supposition is highly improbable, if only for the reason given by edmund smith, namely, that an assembly of this kind would not take place within the precincts of the palace. the description given by abul fazl and badâyûni clearly indicates a building like the dîwan-i-âm, enclosing a great quadrangle. [ ] keene suggests that akbar's first wife and cousin, sultana raqia begam, lived here, but she was a muhammadan. it is quite possible that the name of jodh bai (princess of jodhpur) really refers to mariam, and not to jahangir's rajput wife (the daughter of the raja of jodhpur), as is commonly supposed. miriam's family resided in the province of ajmir, which adjoins jodhpur. she might have been known as the princess of jodhpur. in any case, it is easy to see how a confusion might have arisen between jahangir's mother and his wife, both hindus and rajputs. [ ] birbal's house is now used as a travellers' rest-house for high officials and "distinguished" visitors; which is not only very inconvenient for the undistinguished who may wish to see it, but involves alterations which should never be permitted in buildings of such unique artistic and archæological interest. neither the daftar khana nor this building should be devoted to such purposes, merely to avoid the paltry expense of providing proper dak bungalows. [ ] "history of indian and eastern architecture." little pilgrimages the romance of old new england rooftrees by mary c. crawford illustrated [illustration] boston l. c. page & company mdcccciii _copyright, _ _by_ _l. c. page & company_ (_incorporated_) _all rights reserved_ _published, september, _ colonial press electrotyped and printed by c. h. simonds & co. boston, mass., u.s.a. * * * * * [illustration: sir harry frankland. (_see page _)] foreword these little sketches have been written to supply what seemed to the author a real need,--a volume which should give clearly, compactly, and with a fair degree of readableness, the stories connected with the surviving old houses of new england. that delightful writer, mr. samuel adams drake, has in his many works on the historic mansions of colonial times, provided all necessary data for the serious student, and to him the deep indebtedness of this work is fully and frankly acknowledged. yet there was no volume which gave entire the tales of chief interest to the majority of readers. it is, therefore, to such searchers after the romantic in new england's history that the present book is offered. it but remains to mention with gratitude the many kind friends far and near who have helped in the preparation of the material, and especially to thank messrs. houghton, mifflin & co., publishers of the works of hawthorne, whittier, longfellow, and higginson, by permission of and special arrangement with whom the selections of the authors named, are used; the macmillan co., for permission to use the extracts from lindsay swift's "brook farm"; g. p. putnam's sons for their kindness in allowing quotations from their work, "historic towns of new england"; small, maynard & co., for the use of the anecdote credited to their beacon biography of samuel f. b. morse; little, brown & co., for their marked courtesy in the extension of quotation privileges, and mr. samuel t. pickard, whittier's literary executor, for the new whittier material here given. m. c. c. _charlestown, massachusetts, ._ * * * * * "all houses wherein men have lived and died are haunted houses." _longfellow._ "so very difficult a matter is it to trace and find out the truth of anything by history." _plutarch._ "... common as light is love, and its familiar voice wearies not ever." _shelley._ "... i discern infinite passion and the pain of finite hearts that yearn." _browning._ "'tis an old tale and often told." _scott._ * * * * * contents _page_ foreword iii the heir of swift's vanessa the maid of marblehead an american-born baronet molly stark's gentleman-son a soldier of fortune the message of the lanterns hancock's dorothy q. baroness riedesel and her tory friends doctor church: first traitor to the american cause a victim of two revolutions the woman veteran of the continental army the redeemed captive new england's first "club woman" in the reign of the witches lady wentworth of the hall an historic tragedy inventor morse's unfulfilled ambition where the "brothers and sisters" met the brook farmers margaret fuller: marchesa d'ossoli the old manse and some of its mosses salem's chinese god the well-sweep of a song whittier's lost love list of illustrations _page_ sir harry frankland (_see page _) _frontispiece_ whitehall, newport, r. i. agnes surriage pump, marblehead, mass. summer house, royall estate, medford, mass. royall house, medford, mass.--pepperell house, kittery, maine stark house, dunbarton, n. h. general lee's headquarters, somerville, mass. christ church--paul revere house, boston, mass. robert newman house, boston, mass. clark house, lexington, mass. dorothy q. house, quincy, mass. riedesel house, cambridge, mass. house where doctor church was confined, cambridge, mass. swan house, dorchester, mass. deborah sampson gannett gannett house, sharon, mass. williams house, deerfield, mass. reverend stephen williams old corner bookstore, site of the hutchinson house, boston, mass. old witch house, salem, mass. rebecca nourse house, danvers, mass. red horse tavern, sudbury, mass. governor wentworth house, portsmouth, n. h. fairbanks house, dedham, mass. edes house, birthplace of professor morse, charlestown, mass. oval parlour, fay house, cambridge, mass. brook farm, west roxbury, mass. fuller house, cambridgeport, mass. old manse, concord, mass. townsend house, salem, mass. old oaken bucket house, scituate, mass. whittier's birthplace, east haverhill, mass. the romance of old new england rooftrees the heir of swift's vanessa nowhere in the annals of our history is recorded an odder phase of curious fortune than that by which bishop berkeley, of cloyne, was enabled early in the eighteenth century to sail o'erseas to newport, rhode island, there to build (in ) the beautiful old place, whitehall, which is still standing. hundreds of interested visitors drive every summer to the old house, to take a cup of tea, to muse on the strange story with which the ancient dwelling is connected, and to pay the meed of respectful memory to the eminent philosopher who there lived and wrote. the poet pope once assigned to this bishop "every virtue under heaven," and this high reputation a study of the man's character faithfully confirms. as a student at dublin university, george berkeley won many friends, because of his handsome face and lovable nature, and many honours by reason of his brilliancy in mathematics. later he became a fellow of trinity college, and made the acquaintance of swift, steele, and the other members of that brilliant old world literary circle, by all of whom he seems to have been sincerely beloved. a large part of berkeley's early life was passed as a travelling tutor, but soon after pope had introduced him to the earl of burlington, he was made dean of derry, through the good offices of that gentleman, and of his friend, the duke of grafton, then lord lieutenant of ireland. berkeley, however, never cared for personal aggrandisement, and he had long been cherishing a project which he soon announced to his friends as a "scheme for converting the savage americans to christianity by a college to be erected in the summer islands, otherwise called the isles of bermuda." in a letter from london to his lifelong friend and patron, lord percival, then at bath, we find berkeley, under date of march, , writing thus of the enterprise which had gradually fired his imagination: "it is now about ten months since i have determined to spend the residue of my days in bermuda, where i trust in providence i may be the mean instrument of doing great good to mankind. the reformation of manners among the english in our western plantations, and the propagation of the gospel among the american savages, are two points of high moment. the natural way of doing this is by founding a college or seminary in some convenient part of the west indies, where the english youth of our plantations may be educated in such sort as to supply their churches with pastors of good morals and good learning--a thing (god knows) much wanted. in the same seminary a number of young american savages may also be educated until they have taken the degree of master of arts. and being by that time well instructed in the christian religion, practical mathematics, and other liberal arts and sciences, and early imbued with public-spirited principles and inclinations, they may become the fittest instruments for spreading religion, morals, and civil life among their countrymen, who can entertain no suspicion or jealousy of men of their own blood and language, as they might do of english missionaries, who can never be well qualified for that work." berkeley then goes on to describe the plans of education for american youths which he had conceived, gives his reasons for preferring the bermudas as a site for the college, and presents a bright vision of an academic centre from which should radiate numerous beautiful influences that should make for christian civilisation in america. even the gift of the best deanery in england failed to divert him from thoughts of this utopia. "derry," he wrote, "is said to be worth £ , per annum, but i do not consider it with a view to enriching myself. i shall be perfectly contented if it facilitates and recommends my scheme of bermuda." but the thing which finally made it possible for berkeley to come to america, the incident which is responsible for whitehall's existence to-day in a grassy valley to the south of honeyman's hill, two miles back from the "second beach," at newport, was the tragic ending of as sad and as romantic a story as is to be found anywhere in the literary life of england. swift, as has been said, was one of the friends who was of great service to berkeley when he went up to london for the first time. the witty and impecunious dean had then been living in london for more than four years, in his "lodging in berry street," absorbed in the political intrigue of the last years of queen anne, and sending to stella, in dublin, the daily journal, which so faithfully preserves the incidents of those years. under date of an april sunday in , we find in this journal these lines, swift's first mention of our present hero: "i went to court to-day on purpose to present mr. berkeley, one of our fellows at trinity college. that mr. berkeley is a very ingenious man, and a great philosopher, and i have mentioned him to all the ministers, and have given them some of his writings, and i will favour him as much as i can." in the natural course of things berkeley soon heard much, though he saw scarcely anything, of mrs. vanhomrigh and her daughter, the latter the famous and unhappy "vanessa," both of whom were settled at this time in berry street, near swift, in a house where, swift writes to stella, "i loitered hot and lazy after my morning's work," and often dined "out of mere listlessness," keeping there "my best gown and perriwig" when at chelsea. mrs. vanhomrigh was the widow of a dutch merchant, who had followed william the third to ireland, and there obtained places of profit, and her daughter, esther, or hester, as she is variously called, was a girl of eighteen when she first met swift, and fell violently in love with him. this passion eventually proved the girl's perdition,--and was, as we shall see, the cause of a will which enabled dean berkeley to carry out his dear and cherished scheme of coming to america. swift's journal, frank about nearly everything else in the man's life, is significantly silent concerning esther vanhomrigh. and in truth there was little to be said to anybody, and nothing at all to be confided to stella, in regard to this unhappy affair. that swift was flattered to find this girl of eighteen, with beauty and accomplishment, caring so much for him, a man now forty-four, and bound by honour, if not by the church, to stella, one cannot doubt. at first, their relations seem to have been simply those of teacher and pupil, and this phase of the matter it is which is most particularly described in the famous poem, "cadenus and vanessa," written at windsor in , and first published after vanessa's death. human nature has perhaps never before or since presented the spectacle of a man of such transcendent powers as swift involved in such a pitiable labyrinth of the affections as marked his whole life. pride or ambition led him to postpone indefinitely his marriage with stella, to whom he was early attached. though he said he "loved her better than his life a thousand millions of times," he kept her always hanging on in a state of hope deferred, injurious alike to her peace and her reputation. and because of stella, he dared not afterward with manly sincerity admit his undoubted affection for vanessa. for, if one may believe doctor johnson, he married stella in ,--though he died without acknowledging this union, and the date given would indicate that the ceremony occurred while his devotion to his young pupil was at its height. touching beyond expression is the story of vanessa after she had gone to ireland, as stella had gone before, to be near the presence of swift. her life was one of deep seclusion, chequered only by the occasional visits of the man she adored, each of which she commemorated by planting with her own hand a laurel in the garden where they met. when all her devotion and her offerings had failed to impress him, she sent him remonstrances which reflect the agony of her mind: "the reason i write to you," she says, "is because i cannot tell it you should i see you. for when i begin to complain, then you are angry; and there is something in your looks so awful, that it strikes me dumb. oh! that you may have but so much regard for me left that this complaint may touch your soul with pity. i say as little as ever i can. did you but know what i thought, i am sure it would move you to forgive me, and believe that i cannot help telling you this and live." swift replies with the letter full of excuses for not seeing her oftener, and advises her to "quit this scoundrel island." yet he assures her in the same breath, "que jamais personne du monde a étê aimée, honorée, estimée, adorée, par votre ami que vous." the tragedy continued to deepen as it approached the close. eight years had vanessa nursed in solitude the hopeless attachment. at length (in ) she wrote to stella to ascertain the nature of the connection between her and swift. the latter obtained the fatal letter, and rode instantly to marley abbey, the residence of vanessa. "as he entered the apartment," to quote the picturesque language scott has used in recording the scene, "the sternness of his countenance, which was peculiarly formed to express the stronger passions, struck the unfortunate vanessa with such terror, that she could scarce ask whether he would not sit down. he answered by flinging a letter on the table; and instantly leaving the house, mounted his horse, and returned to dublin. when vanessa opened the packet, she found only her own letter to stella. it was her death-warrant. she sunk at once under the disappointment of the delayed, yet cherished hopes which had so long sickened her heart, and beneath the unrestrained wrath of him for whose sake she had indulged them. how long she survived this last interview is uncertain, but the time does not seem to have exceeded a few weeks." strength to revoke a will made in favour of swift, and to sign another (dated may , ) which divided her estate between bishop berkeley and judge marshall, the poor young woman managed to summon from somewhere, however. berkeley she knew very slightly, and marshall scarcely better. but to them both she entrusted as executors her correspondence with swift, and the poem, "cadenus and vanessa," which she ordered to be published after her death. doctor johnson, in his "life of swift," says of vanessa's relation to the misanthropic dean, "she was a young woman fond of literature, whom decanus, the dean (called cadenus by transposition of the letters), took pleasure in directing and interesting till, from being proud of his praise, she grew fond of his person. swift was then about forty-seven, at the age when vanity is strongly excited by the amorous attention of a young woman." the poem with which these two lovers are always connected, was founded, according to the story, on an offer of marriage made by miss vanhomrigh to doctor swift. in it, swift thus describes his situation: "cadenus, common forms apart, in every scene had kept his heart; had sighed and languished, vowed and writ for pastime, or to show his wit, but books and time and state affairs had spoiled his fashionable airs; he now could praise, esteem, approve, but understood not what was love: his conduct might have made him styled a father and the nymph his child. that innocent delight he took to see the virgin mind her book, was but the master's secret joy in school to hear the finest boy." that swift was not always, however, so platonic and fatherly in his expressions of affection for vanessa, is shown in a "poem to love," found in miss vanhomrigh's desk after her death, in his handwriting. one verse of this runs: "in all i wish how happy should i be, thou grand deluder, were it not for thee. so weak thou art that fools thy power despise, and yet so strong, thou triumph'st o'er the wise." after the poor girl's unhappy decease, swift hid himself for two months in the south of ireland. stella was also shocked by the occurrence, but when some one remarked in her presence, apropos of the poem which had just appeared, that vanessa must have been a remarkable woman to inspire such verses, she observed with perfect truth that the dean was quite capable of writing charmingly upon a broomstick. meanwhile berkeley was informed of the odd stroke of luck by which he was to gain a small fortune. characteristically, his thoughts turned now more than ever to his bermuda scheme. "this providential event," he wrote, "having made many things easy in my private affairs which were otherwise before, i have high hopes for bermuda." swift bore berkeley absolutely no hard feeling on account of vanessa's substitution of his name in her will. he was quite as cordial as ever. one of the witty dean's most remarkable letters, addressed to lord carteret, at bath, thus describes berkeley's previous career and present mission: "going to england very young, about thirteen years ago, the bearer of this became founder of a sect called the immaterialists, by the force of a very curious book upon that subject.... he is an absolute philosopher with regard to money, titles, and power; and for three years past has been struck with a notion of founding a university at bermudas by a charter from the crown.... he showed me a little tract which he designs to publish, and there your excellency will see his whole scheme of the life academico-philosophical, of a college founded for indian scholars and missionaries, where he most exorbitantly proposes a whole hundred pounds a year for himself.... his heart will be broke if his deanery be not taken from him, and left to your excellency's disposal. i discouraged him by the coldness of courts and ministers, who will interpret all this as impossible and a vision; but nothing will do." the history of berkeley's reception in london, when he came to urge his project, shows convincingly the magic of the man's presence and influence. his conquests spread far and fast. in a generation represented by sir robert walpole, the scheme met with encouragement from all sorts of people, subscriptions soon reaching £ , , and the list of promoters including even sir robert himself. bermuda became the fashion among the wits of london, and bolingbroke wrote to swift that he would "gladly exchange europe for its charms--only not in a missionary capacity." but berkeley was not satisfied with mere subscriptions, and remembering what lord percival had said about the protection and aid of government he interceded with george the first, and obtained royal encouragement to hope for a grant of £ , to endow the bermuda college. during the four years that followed, he lived in london, negotiating with brokers, and otherwise forwarding his enterprise of social idealism. with queen caroline, consort of george the second, he used to dispute two days a week concerning his favourite plan. at last his patience was rewarded. in september, , we find him at greenwich, ready to sail for rhode island. "tomorrow," he writes on september to lord percival, "we sail down the river. mr. james and mr. dalton go with me; so doth my wife, a daughter of the late chief justice forster, whom i married since i saw your lordship. i chose her for her qualities of mind, and her unaffected inclination to books. she goes with great thankfulness, to live a plain farmer's life, and wear stuff of her own spinning. i have presented her with a spinning-wheel. her fortune was £ , originally, but travelling and exchange have reduced it to less than £ , english money. i have placed that, and about £ of my own, in south sea annuities." thus in the forty-fourth year of his life, in deep devotion to his ideal, and full of glowing visions of a fifth empire in the west, berkeley sailed for rhode island in a "hired ship of two hundred and fifty tons." the _new england courier_ of that time gives this picture of his disembarkation at newport: "yesterday there arrived here dean berkeley, of londonderry. he is a gentleman of middle stature, of an agreeable, pleasant, and erect aspect. he was ushered into the town with a great number of gentlemen, to whom he behaved himself after a very complaisant manner." [illustration: whitehall, newport, r. i.] so favourably was berkeley impressed by newport that he wrote to lord percival: "i should not demur about situating our college here." and as it turned out, newport was the place with which berkeley's scheme was to be connected in history. for it was there that he lived all three years of his stay, hopefully awaiting from england the favourable news that never came. in loyal remembrance of the palace of his monarchs, he named his spacious home in the sequestered valley whitehall. here he began domestic life, and became the father of a family. the neighbouring groves and the cliffs that skirt the coast offered shade and silence and solitude very soothing to his spirit, and one wonders not that he wrote, under the projecting rock that still bears his name, "the minute philosopher," one of his most noted works. the friends with whom he had crossed the ocean went to stay in boston, but no solicitations could withdraw him from the quiet of his island home. "after my long fatigue of business," he told lord percival, "this retirement is very agreeable to me; and my wife loves a country life and books as well as to pass her time continually and cheerfully without any other conversation than her husband and the dead." for the wife was a mystic and a quietist. but though berkeley waited patiently for developments which should denote the realisation of his hopes, he waited always in vain. from the first he had so planned his enterprise that it was at the mercy of sir robert walpole; and at last came the crisis of the project, with which the astute financier had never really sympathised. early in , walpole threw off the mask. "if you put the question to me as a minister," he wrote lord percival, "i must and can assure you that the money shall most undoubtedly be paid--as soon as suits with public convenience; but if you ask me as a friend whether dean berkeley should continue in america, expecting the payment of £ , , i advise him by all means to return to europe, and to give up his present expectations." when acquainted by his friend percival with this frank statement, berkeley accepted the blow as a philosopher should. brave and resolutely patient, he prepared for departure. his books he left as a gift to the library of yale college, and his farm of whitehall was made over to the same institution, to found three scholarships for the encouragement of greek and latin study. his visit was thus far from being barren of results. he supplied a decided stimulus to higher education in the colonies, in that he gave out counsel and help to the men already working for the cause of learning in the new country. and he helped to form in newport a philosophical reunion, the effects of which were long felt. in the autumn of he sailed from boston for london, where he arrived in january of the next year. there a bishopric and twenty years of useful and honourable labour awaited him. he died at oxford, whence he had removed from his see at cloyne, on sunday evening, january , , while reading aloud to his family the burial service portion of corinthians. he was buried in the cathedral of christ church. of the traces he left at newport, there still remain, beside the house, a chair in which he was wont to write, a few books and papers, the organ presented by him to trinity church, the big family portrait, by smibert--and the little grave in trinity churchyard, where, on the south side of the kay monument, sleeps "lucia berkeley, obiit., the fifth of september, ." moreover the memory of the man's beautiful, unselfish life pervades this section of rhode island, and the story of his sweetness and patience under a keen and unexpected disappointment furnishes one of the most satisfying pages in our early history. the life of berkeley is indeed greater than anything that he did, and one wonders not as one explores the young preacher's noble and endearing character that the distraught vanessa fastened upon him, though she knew him only by reputation, as one who would make it his sacred duty to do all in his power to set her memory right in a censorious world. the maid of marblehead of all the romantic narratives which enliven the pages of early colonial history, none appeals more directly to the interest and imagination of the lover of what is picturesque than the story of agnes surriage, the maid of marblehead. the tale is so improbable, according to every-day standards, so in form with the truest sentiment, and so calculated to satisfy every exaction of literary art, that even the most credulous might be forgiven for ascribing it to the fancy of the romancer rather than to the research of the historian. yet when one remembers that the scene of the first act of agnes surriage's life drama is laid in quaint old marblehead, the tale itself instantly gains in credibility. for nothing would be too romantic to fit marblehead. this town is fantastic in the extreme, builded, to quote miss alice brown, who has written delightfully of agnes and her life, "as if by a generation of autocratic landowners, each with a wilful bee in his bonnet."[ ] for marblehead is no misnomer, and the early settlers had to plant their houses and make their streets as best they could. as a matter of stern fact, every house in marblehead had to be like the wise man's in the bible: "built upon a rock." the dwellings themselves were founded upon solid ledges, while the principal streets followed the natural valleys between. the smaller dividing paths led each and every one of them to the impressive old town house, and to that other comfortable centre of social interests, the fountain inn, with its near-by pump. this pump, by the bye, has a very real connection with the story of agnes surriage, for it was here, according to one legend, that charles henry frankland first saw the maid who is the heroine of our story. [illustration: agnes surriage pump, marblehead, mass.] the gallant sir harry was at this time ( ) collector of the port of boston, a place to which he had been appointed shortly before, by virtue of his family's great influence at the court of george the second. no more distinguished house than that of frankland was indeed to be found in all england at this time. a lineal descendant of oliver cromwell, our hero was born in bengal, may , , during his father's residence abroad as governor of the east india company's factory. the personal attractiveness of frankland's whole family was marked. it is even said that a lady of this house was sought in marriage by charles the second, in spite of the fact that a capulet-montague feud must ever have existed between the line of cromwell and that of charles stuart. young harry, too, was clever as well as handsome. the eldest of his father's seven sons, he was educated as befitted the heir to the title and to the family estate at thirkleby and mattersea. he knew the french and latin languages well, and, what is more to the point, used his mother tongue with grace and elegance. botany and landscape-gardening were his chief amusements, while with the great literature of the day he was as familiar as with the great men who made it. as early as , when he was twenty-two, he had come into possession of an ample fortune, but when opportunity offered to go to america with shirley, his friend, he accepted the opening with avidity. both young men, therefore, entered the same year ( ) on their offices, the one as collector of the port, and the other as governor of the colony. and both represented socially the highest rank of that day in america. "a baronet," says reverend elias nason, from whose admirable picture of boston in frankland's time all writers must draw for reliable data concerning our hero,--"a baronet was then approached with greatest deference; a coach and four, with an armorial bearing and liveried servants, was a munition against indignity; in those dignitaries who, in brocade vest, gold lace coat, broad ruffled sleeves, and small-clothes, who, with three-cornered hat and powdered wig, side-arms and silver shoe buckles, promenaded queen street and the mall, spread themselves through the king's chapel, or discussed the measures of the pelhams, walpole, and pitt at the rose and crown, as much of aristocratic pride, as much of courtly consequence displayed itself as in the frequenters of hyde park or regent street." this, then, was the manner of man who, to transact some business connected with marblehead's picturesque fort sewall, then just a-building, came riding down to the rock-bound coast on the day our story opens, and lost his heart at the fountain inn, where he had paused for a long draught of cooling ale. for lo! scrubbing the tavern floor there knelt before him a beautiful child-girl of sixteen, with black curling hair, dark eyes, and a voice which proved to be of bird-like sweetness when the maiden, glancing up, gave her good-day to the gallant's greeting. the girl's feet were bare, and this so moved frankland's compassion that he gently gave her a piece of gold with which to buy shoes and stockings, and rode thoughtfully away to conduct his business at the fort. yet he did not forget that charming child just budding into winsome womanhood whom he had seen performing with patience and grace the duties that fell to her lot as the poor daughter of some honest, hard-working fisherfolk of the town. when he happened again to be in marblehead on business, he inquired at once for her, and then, seeing her feet still without shoes and stockings, asked a bit teasingly what she had done with the money he gave her. quite frankly she replied, blushing the while, that the shoes and stockings were bought, but that she kept them to wear to meeting. soon after this the young collector went to search out agnes's parents, edward and mary surriage, from whom he succeeded in obtaining permission to remove their daughter to boston to be educated as his ward. when one reads in the old records the entries for frankland's salary, and finds that they mount up to not more than £ sterling a year, one wonders that the young nobleman should have been so ready to take upon himself the expenses of a girl's elegant education. but it must be remembered that the gallant harry had money in his own right, besides many perquisites of office, which made his income a really splendid one. certainly he spared no expense upon his ward. she was taught reading, writing, grammar, music, and embroidery by the best tutors the town could provide, and she grew daily, we are told, in beauty and maidenly charm. yet in acquiring these gifts and graces she did not lose her childish sweetness and simplicity, nor the pious counsel of her mother, and the careful care of her marblehead pastor. thus several years passed by, years in which agnes often visited with her gentle guardian the residence in roxbury of governor shirley and his gifted wife, as well as the stately royall place out on the medford road. the reader who is familiar with mr. bynner's story of agnes surriage will recall how delightfully mrs. shirley, the wife of the governor, is introduced into his romance, and will recollect with pleasure his description of agnes's ride to roxbury in the collector's coach. this old mansion is now called the governor eustis house, and there are those still living who remember when madam eustis lived there. this grand dame wore a majestic turban, and the tradition still lingers of madame's pet toad, decked on gala days with a blue ribbon. now the old house is sadly dilapidated; it is shorn of its piazzas, the sign "to let" hangs often in the windows, and the cupola is adorned with well-filled clothes-lines. partitions have cut the house into tenements; one runs through the hall, but the grand old staircase and the smaller one are still there, and the marble floor, too, lends dignity to the back hall. a few of the carved balusters are missing, carried away by relic hunters. in this house, which was the residence of governors shirley and eustis, washington, hamilton, burr, franklin, and other notables were entertained. the old place is now entirely surrounded by modern dwelling-houses, and the pilgrim who searches for it must leave the mount pleasant electric car at shirley street. yet, though agnes as a maid was received by the most aristocratic people of boston, the ladies of the leading families refused to countenance her when she became a fine young woman whom sir harry frankland loved but cared not to marry. that her protector had not meant at first to wrong the girl he had befriended seems fairly certain, but many circumstances, such as the death of agnes's father and frankland's own sudden elevation to the baronetcy, may be held to have conspired to force them into the situation for which agnes was to pay by many a day of tears and sir harry by many a night of bitter self-reproach. for frankland was far from being a libertine. and that he sincerely loved the beautiful maid of marblehead is certain. he has come down to us as one of the most knightly men of his time, a gentleman and a scholar, who was also a sincere follower of the church of england and its teachings. both in manner and person he is said to have greatly resembled the earl of chesterfield, and his diary as well as his portrait show him to have been at once sensitive and virile; quite the man, indeed, very effectually to fascinate the low-born beauty he had taught to love him. the indignation of the ladies in town toward frankland and his ward made the baronet prefer at this stage of the story rural hopkinton to censorious boston. reverend roger price, known to us as rector of king's chapel, had already land and a mission church in this village, and so, when boston frowned too pointedly, frankland purchased four hundred odd acres of him, and there built, in , a commodious mansion-house. the following year he and agnes took up their abode on the place. here frankland passed his days, contentedly pursuing his horticultural fad, angling, hunting, overseeing his dozen slaves, and reading with his intelligent companion the latest works of richardson, steele, swift, addison, and pope, sent over in big boxes from england. the country about hopkinton was then as to-day a wonder of hill and valley, meadow and stream, while only a dozen miles or so from frankland hall was the famous wayside inn. that sir harry's arcady never came to bore him was, perhaps, due to this last fact. whenever guests were desired the men from boston could easily ride out to the inn and canter over to the hall, to enjoy the good wines and the bright talk the place afforded. then the village rector was always to be counted on for companionship and breezy chat. it is significant that sir harry carefully observed all the forms of his religion, and treated agnes with the respect due a wife, though he still continued to neglect the one duty which would have made her really happy. a lawsuit called the two to england in . at frankland's mother's home, where the eager son hastened to bring his beloved one, agnes was once more subjected to martyrdom and social ostracism. as quickly as they could get away, therefore, the young people journeyed to lisbon, a place conspicuous, even in that day of moral laxity, for its tolerance of the _alliance libre_. henry fielding (who died in the town) has photographically described for all times its gay, sensuous life. into this unwholesome atmosphere, quite new to her, though she was neither maid nor wife, it was that the sweet agnes was thrust by frankland. very soon he was to perceive the mistake of this, as well as of several other phases of his selfishness. on all saint's day morning, , when the whole populace, from beggar to priest, courtier to lackey, was making its way to church, the town of lisbon was shaken to its foundations by an earthquake. the shock came about ten o'clock, just as the misericordia of the mass was being sung in the crowded churches; and frankland, who was riding with a lady on his way to the religious ceremony, was immersed with his companion in the ruins of some falling houses. the horses attached to their carriage were instantly killed, and the lady, in her terror and pain, bit through the sleeve of her escort's red broadcloth coat, tearing the flesh with her teeth. frankland had some awful moments for thought as he lay there pinned down by the fallen stones, and tortured by the pain in his arm. meanwhile agnes, waiting at home, was prey to most terrible anxiety. as soon as the surging streets would permit a foot passenger, she ran out with all the money she could lay hands on, to search for her dear sir harry. by a lucky chance, she came to the very spot where he was lying white with pain, and by her offers of abundant reward and by gold, which she fairly showered on the men near by, she succeeded in extricating him from his fearful plight. tenderly he was borne to a neighbouring house, and there, as soon as he could stand, a priest was summoned to tie the knot too long ignored. he had vowed, while pinned down by the weight of stone, to amend his life and atone to agnes, if god in his mercy should see fit to deliver him, and he wasted not a moment in executing his pledge to heaven. that his spirit had been effectually chastened, one reads between the lines of this entry in his diary, which may still be seen in the rooms of the massachusetts historical society in boston: "hope my providential escape will have a lasting good effect upon my mind." in order to make his marriage doubly sure, he had the ceremony performed again by a clergyman of his own church on board the ship which he took at once for england. then the newly married pair proceeded once more to frankland's home, and this time there were kisses instead of coldness for them both. business in lisbon soon called them back to the continent, however, and it was from belem that they sailed in april, , for boston, where both were warmly welcomed by their former friends. in the celebrated clarke mansion, on garden court street, which sir harry purchased october , , for £ , , our heroine now reigned queen. this house, three stories high, with inlaid floors, carved mantels, and stairs so broad and low that sir harry could, and did, ride his pony up and down them, was the wonder of the time. it contained twenty-six rooms, and was in every respect a marvel of luxury. that agnes did not forget her own people, nor scorn to receive them in her fine house, one is pleased to note. while here she practically supported, records show, her sister's children, and she welcomed always when he came ashore from his voyages her brother isaac, a poor though honest seaman. frankland's health was not, however, all that both might have wished, and the entries in the diaries deal, at this time, almost entirely with recipes and soothing drinks. in july, , he sought, therefore, the post of consul-general to lisbon, where the climate seemed to him to suit his condition, and there, sobered city that it now was, the two again took up their residence. only once more, in , was sir harry to be in boston. then he came for a visit, staying for a space in hopkinton, as well as in the city. the following year he returned to the old country, and in bath, where he was drinking the waters, he died january , , at the age of fifty-two. agnes almost immediately came back to boston, and, with her sister and her sister's children, took up her residence at hopkinton. there she remained, living a peaceful, happy life among her flowers, her friends, and her books, until the outbreak of the revolution, when it seemed to her wise to go in to her town house. she entered boston, defended by a guard of six sturdy soldiers, and was cordially received by the officers in the beleaguered city, especially by burgoyne, whom she had known in lisbon. during the battle of bunker hill, she helped nurse wounded king's men, brought to her in her big dining-room on garden court street. as an ardent tory, however, she was _persona non grata_ in the colony, and she soon found it convenient to sail for england, where, until , she resided on the estate of the frankland family. at this point, agnes ceases in a way to be the proper heroine of our romance, for, contrary to the canons of love-story art, she married again,--mr. john drew, a rich banker, of chichester, being the happy man. and at chichester she died in one year's time. the hopkinton home fell, in the course of time, into the hands of the reverend mr. nason, who was to be frankland's biographer, and who, when the original house was destroyed by fire (january , ), built a similar mansion on the same site. here the frankland relics were carefully preserved,--the fireplace, the family portrait (herewith reproduced), sir harry's silver knee buckles, and the famous broadcloth coat, from the sleeve of which the unfortunate lady had torn a piece with her teeth on the day of the lisbon disaster. this coat, we are told, was brought back to hopkinton by sir harry, and hung in one of the remote chambers of the house, where each year, till his departure for the last time from the pleasant village, he was wont to pass the anniversary of the earthquake in fasting, humiliation, and prayer. the coat, and all the other relics, were lost in april, , when, for the second time, frankland hall was razed by fire. the ancient fountain inn, with its "flapping sign," and the "spreading elm below," long since disappeared, and its well, years ago filled up, was only accidentally discovered at a comparatively recent date, when some workmen were digging a post hole. it was then restored as an interesting landmark. this inn was a favourite resort, legends tell us, for jovial sea captains as well as for the gentry of the town. there are even traditions that pirates bold and smugglers sly at times found shelter beneath its sloping roof. yet none of the many stories with which its ruins are connected compares in interest and charm to the absolutely true one given us by history of fair agnes, the maid of marblehead. footnotes: [footnote : "three heroines of new england romance." little, brown & co.] an american-born baronet one of the most picturesque houses in all middlesex county is the royall house at medford, a place to which sir harry frankland and his lady used often to resort. few of the great names in colonial history are lacking, indeed, in the list of guests who were here entertained in the brave days of old. the house stands on the left-hand side of the old boston road as you approach medford, and to-day attracts the admiration of electric car travellers just as a century and a half ago it was the focus for all stage passenger's eyes. externally the building presents three stories, the upper tier of windows being, as is usual in houses of even a much later date, smaller than those underneath. the house is of brick, but is on three sides entirely sheathed in wood, while the south end stands exposed. like several of the houses we are noting, it seems to turn its back on the high road. i am, however, inclined to a belief that the royall house set the fashion in this matter, for isaac, the indian nabob, was just the man to assume an attitude of fine indifference to the world outside his gates. when in , he came, a successful antigua merchant, to establish his seat here in old charlestown, and to rule on his large estate, sole monarch of twenty-seven slaves, he probably felt quite indifferent, if not superior, to strangers and casual passers-by. his petition of december, , in regard to the "chattels" in his train, addressed to the general court, reads: "petition of isaac royall, late of antigua, now of charlestown, in the county of middlesex, that he removed from antigua and brought with him among other things and chattels a parcel of negroes, designed for his own use, and not any of them for merchandise. he prays that he may not be taxed with impost." the brick quarters which the slaves occupied are situated on the south side of the mansion, and front upon the courtyard, one side of which they enclose. these may be seen on the extreme right of the picture, and will remind the reader who is familiar with washington's home at mount vernon of the quaint little stone buildings in which the father of his country was wont to house his slaves. the slave buildings in medford have remained practically unchanged, and according to good authority are the last visible relics of slavery in new england. the royall estate offered a fine example of the old-fashioned garden. fruit trees and shrubbery, pungent box bordering trim gravel paths, and a wealth of sweet-scented roses and geraniums were here to be found. even to-day the trees, the ruins of the flower-beds, and the relics of magnificent vines, are imposing as one walks from the street gate seventy paces back to the house-door. the carriage visitor--and in the old days all the royall guests came under this head--either alighted by the front entrance or passed by the broad drive under the shade of the fine old elms around into the courtyard paved with small white pebbles. the driveway has now become a side street, and what was once an enclosed garden of half an acre or more, with walks, fruit, and a summer-house at the farther extremity, is now the site of modern dwellings. [illustration: summer-house, royall estate, medford, mass.] this summer-house, long the favourite resort of the family and their guests, was a veritable curiosity in its way. placed upon an artificial mound with two terraces, and reached by broad flights of red sandstone steps, it was architecturally a model of its kind. hither, to pay their court to the daughters of the house, used to come george erving and the young sir william pepperell, and if the dilapidated walls (now taken down, but still carefully preserved) could speak, they might tell of many an historic love tryst. the little house is octagonal in form, and on its bell-shaped roof, surmounted by a cupola, there poises what was originally a figure of mercury. at present, however, the statue, bereft of both wings and arms, cannot be said greatly to resemble the dashing god. the exterior of the summer-house is highly ornamented with ionic pilasters, and taken as a whole is quaintly ruinous. it is interesting to discover that it was utility that led to the elevation of the mound, within which was an ice-house! and to get at the ice the slaves went through a trap-door in the floor of this greek structure! isaac royall, the builder of the fine old mansion, did not long live to enjoy his noble estate, but he was succeeded by a second isaac, who, though a "colonel," was altogether inclined to take more care for his patrimony than for his king. when the revolution began, colonel royall fell upon evil times. appointed a councillor by mandamus, he declined serving "from timidity," as gage says to lord dartmouth. royall's own account of his movements after the beginning of "these troubles," is such as to confirm the governor's opinion. he had prepared, it seems, to take passage for the west indies, intending to embark from salem for antigua, but having gone into boston the sunday previous to the battle of lexington, and remained there until that affair occurred, he was by the course of events shut up in the town. he sailed for halifax very soon, still intending, as he says, to go to antigua, but on the arrival of his son-in-law, george erving, and his daughter, with the troops from boston, he was by them persuaded to sail for england, whither his other son-in-law, sir william pepperell (grandson of the hero of louisburg), had preceded him. it is with this young sir william pepperell that our story particularly deals. the first sir william had been what is called a "self-made man," and had raised himself from the ranks of the soldiery through native genius backed by strength of will. his father is first noticed in the annals of the isles of shoals. the mansion now seen in kittery point was built, indeed, partly by this oldest pepperell known to us, and partly by his more eminent son. the building was once much more extensive than it now appears, having been some years ago shortened at either end. until the death of the elder pepperell, in , the house was occupied by his own and his son's families. the lawn in front reached to the sea, and an avenue a quarter of a mile in length, bordered by fine old trees, led to the neighbouring house of colonel sparhawk, east of the village church. the first sir william, by his will, made the son of his daughter elizabeth and of colonel sparhawk, his residuary legatee, requiring him at the same time to relinquish the name of sparhawk for that of peperell. thus it was that the baronetcy, extinct with the death of the hero of louisburg, was revived by the king, in , for the benefit of this grandson. [illustration: royall house, medford, mass.] [illustration: pepperell house, kittery, maine.] in the essex institute at salem, is preserved a two-thirds length picture of the first sir william pepperell, painted in by smibert, when the baronet was in london. of this picture, hawthorne once wrote the humourous description which follows: "sir william pepperell, in coat, waistcoat and breeches, all of scarlet broadcloth, is in the cabinet of the society; he holds a general's truncheon in his right hand, and points his left toward the army of new englanders before the walls of louisburg. a bomb is represented as falling through the air--it has certainly been a long time in its descent." the young william pepperell was graduated from cambridge in , and the next year married the beautiful elizabeth royall. in he was chosen a member of the governor's council. but when this council was reorganised under the act of parliament, he fell into disgrace because of his loyalty to the king. on november , , the people of his own county (york), passed at wells a resolution in which he was declared to have "forfeited the confidence and friendship of all true friends of american liberty, and ought to be detested by all good men." thus denounced, the baronet retired to boston, and sailed, shortly before his father-in-law's departure, for england. his beautiful lady, one is saddened to learn, died of smallpox ere the vessel had been many days out, and was buried at halifax. in england, sir william was allowed £ per annum by the british government, and was treated with much deference. he was the good friend of all refugees from america, and entertained hospitably at his pleasant home. his private life was irreproachable, and he died in portman square, london, in december, , at the age of seventy. his vast possessions and landed estate in maine were confiscated, except for the widow's dower enjoyed by lady mary, relict of the hero of louisburg, and her daughter, mrs. sparhawk. colonel royall, though he acted not unlike his son-in-law, sir william, has, because of his vacillation, far less of our respect than the younger man in the matter of his refusal to cast in his lot with that of the revolution. in he was publicly proscribed and formally banished from massachusetts. he thereupon took up his abode in kensington, middlesex, and from this place, in , he begged earnestly to be allowed to return "home" to medford, declaring he was "ever a good friend of the province," and expressing the wish to marry again in his own country, "where, having already had one good wife, he was in hopes to get another, and in some degree repair his loss." his prayer was, however, refused, and he died of smallpox in england, october, . by his will, harvard college was given a tract of land in worcester county, for the foundation of a professorship, which still bears his name. it is not, however, to be supposed that in war time so fine a place as the royall mansion should have been left unoccupied. when the yeomen began pouring into the environs of boston, encircling it with a belt of steel, the new hampshire levies pitched their tents in medford. they found the royall mansion in the occupancy of madam royall and her accomplished daughters, who willingly received colonel john stark into the house as a safeguard against insult, or any invasion of the estate the soldiers might attempt. a few rooms were accordingly set apart for the use of the bluff old ranger, and he, on his part, treated the family of the deserter with considerable respect and courtesy. it is odd to think that while the stately royalls were living in one part of this house, general stark and his plucky wife, molly, occupied quarters under the same roof. the second american general to be attracted by the luxury of the royall mansion was that general lee whose history furnishes material for a separate chapter. general lee it was to whom the house's echoing corridors suggested the name, hobgoblin hall. so far as known, however, no inhabitant of the royall house has ever been disturbed by strange visions or frightful dreams. after lee, by order of washington, removed to a house situated nearer his command, general sullivan, attracted, no doubt, by the superior comfort of the old country-seat, laid himself open to similar correction by his chief. in these two cases it will be seen washington enforced his own maxim that a general should sleep among his troops. in , the royall mansion came into the possession of jacob tidd, in whose family it remained half a century, until it had almost lost its identity with the timid old colonel and his kin. as "mrs. tidd's house" it was long known in medford. the place was subsequently owned by george l. barr, and by george c. nichols, from whose hands it passed to that of mr. geer, the present owner. to be sure, it has sadly fallen from its high estate, but it still remains one of the most interesting and romantic houses in all new england, and when, as happens once or twice a year, the charming ladies of the local patriotic society powder their hair, don their great-grandmother's wedding gowns and entertain in the fine old rooms, it requires only a slight gift of fancy to see sir william pepperell's lovely bride one among the gay throng of fair women. molly stark's gentleman-son of the quaint ancestral homes still standing in the old granite state, none is more picturesque or more interesting from the historical view-point than the stark house in the little town of dunbarton, a place about five miles' drive out from concord, over one of those charming country roads, which properly make new hampshire the summer and autumn mecca of those who have been "long in populous city pent." rather oddly, this house has, for all its great wealth of historical interest, been little known to the general public. the starks are a conservative, as well as an old family, and they have never seen fit to make of their home a public show-house. yet those who are privileged to visit dunbarton and its chief boast, this famous house, always remember the experience as a particularly interesting one. seldom, indeed, can one find in these days a house like this, which, for more than one hundred years, has been occupied by the family for whom it was built, and through all the changes and chances of temporal affairs has preserved the characteristics of revolutionary times. originally dunbarton was starkstown. an ancestor of this family, archibald stark, was one of the original proprietors, owning many hundred acres, not a few of which are still in the starks' possession. just when and by whom the place received the name of the old scottish town and royal castle on the clyde, no historian seems able to state with definiteness, but that the present dunbarton represents only a small part of the original triangular township, all are agreed. of the big landowner, archibald stark, the general john stark of our revolution was a son. another of the original proprietors of dunbarton was a certain captain caleb page, whose name still clings to a rural neighbourhood of the township, a crossroads section pointed out to visitors as page's corner. and it was to elizabeth page, the bright and capable daughter of his father's old friend and neighbour, that the doughty john stark was married in august, , while at home on a furlough. the son of this marriage was called caleb, after his maternal grandfather, and he it was who built the imposing old mansion of our story. caleb stark was a very remarkable man. born at dunbarton, december , , he was present while only a lad at the battle of bunker hill, standing side by side with some of the veteran rangers of the french war, near the rail fence, which extended from the redoubt to the beach of the mystic river. in order to be at this scene of conflict, the boy had left home secretly some days before, mounted on his own horse, and armed only with a musket. after a long, hard journey, he managed to reach the royall house in medford, which was his father's headquarters at the time, the very night before the great battle. and the general, though annoyed at his son's manner of coming, recognised that the lad had done only what a stark must do at such a time, and permitted him to take part in the next day's fight. after that, there followed for caleb a time of great social opportunity, which transformed the clever, but unpolished new hampshire boy into as fine a young gentleman as was to be found in the whole country. the royall house, it will be remembered, was presided over in the troublous war times by the beautiful ladies of the family, than whom no more cultured and distinguished women were anywhere to be met. and these, though tory to the backbone, were disposed to be very kind and gracious to the brave boy whom the accident of war had made their guest. so it came about that even before he reached manhood's estate, caleb stark had acquired the grace and polish of europe. nor was the lad merely a carpet knight. so ably did he serve his father that he was made the elder soldier's aid-de-camp, when the father was made a brigadier-general, and by the time the war closed, was himself major stark, though scarcely twenty-four years old. [illustration: stark house, dunbarton, n. h.] soon after peace was declared, the young major came into his dunbarton patrimony, and in , in a very pleasant spot in the midst of his estate, and facing the broad highway leading from dunbarton to weare, he began to build his now famous house. it was finished the next year, and in , the young man, having been elected town treasurer of dunbarton, resolved to settle down in his new home, and brought there as his wife, miss sarah mckinstrey, a daughter of doctor william mckinstrey, formerly of taunton, massachusetts, a beautiful and cultivated girl, just twenty years old. it is interesting in this connection to note that all the women of the stark family have been beauties, and that they have, too, been sweet and charming in disposition, as well as in face. the old mansion on the weare road has been the home during its one hundred and ten years of life of several women who would have adorned, both by reason of their personal and intellectual charms, any position in our land. this being true, it is not odd that the country folk speak of the stark family with deepest reverence. beside building the family homestead, caleb stark did two other things which serve to make him distinguished even in a family where all were great. he entertained lafayette, and he accumulated the family fortune. both these things were accomplished at pembroke, where the major early established some successful cotton mills. the date of his entertainment of lafayette was, of course, , the year when the marquis, after laying the corner-stone of our monument on bunker hill, made his triumphal tour through new hampshire. the bed upon which the great frenchman slept during his visit to the starks is still carefully preserved, and those guests who have had the privilege of being entertained by the present owners of the house can bear testimony to the fact that the couch is an extremely comfortable one. the room in which this bed is the most prominent article of furniture bears the name of the lafayette room, and is in every particular furnished after the manner of a sleeping apartment of one hundred years ago. the curtains of the high bedstead, the quaint toilet-table, the bedside table with its brass candlestick, and the pictures and the ornaments are all in harmony. nowhere has a discordant modern note been struck. the same thing is true of all the other apartments in the house. the starks have one and all displayed great taste and decided skill in preserving the long-ago tone that makes the place what it is. the second caleb, who inherited the estate in , when his father, the brilliant major, died, was a harvard graduate, and writer of repute, being the author of a valuable memoir of his father and grandfather. he collected, even more than they had done, family relics of interest. when he died in , his two sisters, harriett and charlotte, succeeded him in the possession of the estate. only comparatively recently has this latter sister died, and the place come into the hands of its present owner, mr. charles f. morris stark, an heir who has the traditions of the morris family to add to those of the starks, being on his mother's side a lineal descendant of robert morris, the great financier of the revolution. the present mrs. stark is the representative of still another noted new hampshire family, being the granddaughter of general john mcneil, a famous soldier of the granite state. few, indeed, are the homes in america which contain so much which, while of intimate interest to the family, is as well of wide historical importance. though a home, the house has the value of a museum. the portrait of major stark, which hangs in the parlour at the right of the square entrance-hall, was painted by professor samuel finley breese morse, the discoverer of the electric telegraph, a man who wished to come down to posterity as an artist, but is now remembered by us only as an inventor. this picture is an admirable presentation of its original. the gallant major looks down upon us with a person rather above the medium in height, of a slight but muscular frame, with the short waistcoat, the high collar, and the close, narrow shoulders of the gentleman's costume of . the carriage of the head is noble, and the strong features, the deep-set, keen, blue eyes, and the prominent forehead, speak of courage, intelligence, and cool self-possession. beside this noteworthy portrait hangs a beautiful picture of the first mistress of this house, the mrs. stark who, as a girl, was miss sarah mckinstrey. her portrait shows her to have been a fine example of the blonde type of beauty. the splendid coils of her hair are very lustrous, and the dark hazel eyes look out from the frame with the charm and dignity of a st. cecilia. her costume, too, is singularly appropriate and becoming, azure silk with great puffs of lace around the white arms and queenly throat. the waist, girdled under the armpits, and the long-wristed mits stamp the date - . the portrait of general stark, which was painted by miss hannah crowninshield, is said not to look so much like the doughty soldier as does the morse picture of his son, but gilbert stuart's miss charlotte stark, recently deceased, shows the last daughter of the family to have fairly sustained in her youth the reputation for beauty which goes with the stark women. beside the portraits, there are in the house many other choice and valuable antiques. among these the woman visitor notices with particular interest the fan that was once the property of lady pepperell, who was a daughter, it will be remembered, of the royall family, who were so kind to major caleb stark in his youth. and to the man who loves historical things, the cane presented to general stark when he was a major, for valiant conduct in defence of fort william henry, will be of especial interest. this cane is made from the bone of a whale and is headed with ivory. on the mantelpiece stands another very interesting souvenir, a bronze statuette of napoleon i., which lafayette brought with him from france and presented to major stark. apropos of this there is an amusing story. the major was a great admirer of the distinguished bonaparte, and made a collection of napoleonic busts and pictures, all of which, together with the numerous other effects of the stark place, had to be appraised at his death. as it happened, the appraiser was a countryman of limited intelligence, and, when he was told to put down "twelve bonapartes," recorded "twelve pony carts," and it was thus that the item appeared on the legal paper. the house itself is a not unworthy imitation of an english manor-house, with its aspect of old-time grandeur and picturesque repose. it is of wood, two and a half stories high, with twelve dormer windows, a gambrel roof, and a large two-story l. in front there are two rows of tall and stately elms, and the trim little garden is enclosed by a painted iron fence. on either side of the spacious hall, which extends through the middle of the house, are to be found handsome trophies of the chase, collected by the present master of the place, who is a keen sportsman. a gorgeous carpet, which dates back fifty years, having been laid in the days of the beautiful sarah, supplies the one bit of colour in the parlour, while in the dining-room the rich silver and handsome mahogany testify to the old-time glories of the place. of manuscripts which are simply priceless, the house contains not a few; one, over the quaint wine-cooler in the dining-room, acknowledging, in george washington's own hand, courtesies extended to him and to his lady by a member of the morris family, being especially interesting. up-stairs, in the sunlit hall, among other treasures, more elegant but not more interesting, hangs a sunbonnet once worn by molly stark herself. not far off down the country road is perhaps the most beautiful and attractive spot in the whole town, the old family burying-ground of the starks, in which are interred all the deceased members of this remarkable family, from the revolutionary major caleb and his wife down. here, with grim, towering kearsarge standing ever like a sentinel, rests under the yew-trees the dust of this great family's honoured dead. a soldier of fortune "the only time i ever heard washington swear," lafayette once remarked, "was when he called general charles lee a 'damned poltroon,' after the arrest of that officer for treasonable conduct." nor was washington the only person of self-restraint and good manners whose temper and angry passions were roused by this same erratic general lee. lee was an englishman, born in cheshire in . he entered the british army at the age of eleven years, was in braddock's expedition, and was wounded at ticonderoga in . he also served for a time in portugal, but certain infelicities of temper hindered his advancement, and he never rose higher in the british service than a half-pay major. as a "soldier of fortune" he was vastly more successful. in all the pages of american history, indeed, it would be difficult to find anybody whose career was more interestingly and picturesquely checkered than was his. lee's purpose in coming to america has never been fully explained. there are concerning this, as every other step of his career, two diametrically opposed opinions. the american historians have for the most agreed in thinking him traitorous and self-seeking, but for my own part i find little to justify this belief, for i have no difficulty whatever in accounting for his soldierly vagaries on the score of his temperament, and the peculiar conditions of his early life. a man who, while still a youth, was adopted by the mohawk indians,--who who bestowed upon him the significant name of boiling water,--who was at one time aid-de-camp and intimate friend of the king of poland, who rendered good service in the russian war against the turks,--all before interesting himself at all in the cause of american freedom,--could scarcely be expected to be as simple in his us-ward emotions as an israel putnam or a general john stark might be. general lee arrived in new york from london, on november , , his avowed object in seeking the colonies at such a troublous time being to investigate the justice of the american cause. he travelled all over the country in pursuance of facts concerning the fermenting feeling against england, but he was soon able to enroll himself unequivocally upon the side of the colonies. in a letter written to lord percy, then stationed at boston, this eccentric new friend of the american cause--himself, it must be remembered, still a half-pay officer in the english army--expressed with great freedom his opinion of england's position: "were the principle of taxing america without her consent admitted, great britain would that instant be ruined." and to general gage, his warm personal friend, lee wrote: "i am convinced that the court of tiberius was not more treacherous to the rights of mankind than is the present court of great britain." it is rather odd to find that general charles lee, of whom we know so little, and that little scarcely to his credit, occupied in the military court of the american array a position second only to washington; he was appointed a major-general on june , , a date marked for us by the fact that bunker hill's battle was then fought. not long after his arrival at the camp, general lee, with that tendency to independent action which was afterward to work to his undoing, took up his quarters in the royall house. and lee it was who gave to the fine old place the name hobgoblin hall. from this mansion, emphatically remote from lee's command, the eccentric general was summarily recalled by his commander-in-chief, then, as ever after, quick to administer to this major-general what he conceived to be needed reproof. the house in which general lee next resided is still standing on sycamore street, somerville. when the place was occupied by lee it had one of those long pitched roofs, descending to a single story at the back, which are still occasionally met with in our interior new england towns. the house was, however, altered to its present appearance by that john tufts who occupied it during post-revolutionary times. from this lofty dwelling, lee was able to overlook boston, and to observe, by the aid of a strong field-glass, all the activities of the enemy's camp. [illustration: general lee's headquarters, somerville, mass.] lee himself was at this time an object of unfriendly espionage. in a "separate and secret despatch," lord dartmouth instructed general gage to have a special eye on the ex-english officer. that lee had resigned his claim to emolument in the english army does not seem to have made his countrymen as clear as it should have done concerning his relation to their cause. meanwhile, general lee, though sleeping in his wind-swept farmhouse and watching from its windows the movements of the british, indulged when opportunity offered in the social pleasures of the other american officers. rough and unattractive in appearance,--he seems to have been a kind of cyrano de bergerac, "a tall man, lank and thin, with a huge nose,"--he had, when he chose, a certain amount of social grace, and was often extremely entertaining. mrs. john adams, who first met general lee at an evening party at major mifflin's house in cambridge, describes him as looking like a "careless, hardy veteran," who brought to her mind his namesake, charles xii. "the elegance of his pen far exceeds that of his person," commented this acute lady. in further describing this evening spent at major mifflin's home, in the brattle mansion, mrs. adams writes: "general lee was very urgent for me to tarry in town, and dine with him and the ladies present, but i excused myself. the general was determined that i should not only be acquainted with him, but with his companions, too, and therefore placed a chair before me, into which he ordered mr. spada (his dog) to mount, and present his paw to me for better acquaintance."[ ] lee was very fond indeed of dogs, and was constantly attended by one or more of them, this spada being a great, shaggy pomeranian, described by unbiased critics as looking more like a bear than a harmless canine. in this connection, it is interesting to know that lee has expressed himself very strongly in regard to the affection of men as compared with the affection of dogs. this love for dogs was, however, one of the more ornamental of general lee's traits. his carelessness in regard to his personal appearance was famous, and not a few amusing stories are told of the awkward situations in which this officer's slovenliness involved him. on one of washington's journeys, in which lee accompanied him, the major-general, upon arriving at the house where they were to dine, went straight to the kitchen and demanded something to eat. the cook, taking him for a servant, told him that she would give him some victuals directly, but that he must first help her off with the pot--a request with which he readily complied. he was then told to take a bucket and go to the well for water, and was actually engaged in drawing it when found by an aide whom washington had despatched in quest of him. the cook was in despair when she heard her assistant addressed by the title of "general." the mug fell from her hands, and dropping on her knees, she began crying for pardon, when lee, who was ever ready to see the impropriety of his own conduct, but never willing to change it, gave her a crown, and, turning to the aid-de-camp, observed: "you see, young man, the advantage of a fine coat; the man of consequence is indebted to it for respect; neither virtue nor ability, without it, will make you look like a gentleman."[ ] perhaps the most remarkable episode in all lee's social career, was that connected with sir william howe's famous entertainment at philadelphia, the mischianza. this was just after the affair at monmouth, in the course of which washington swore, and lee was taken prisoner. yet though a prisoner, the eccentric general was treated with the greatest courtesy, and seems even to have received a card for the famous ball. but, never too careful of his personal appearance, he must on this occasion have looked particularly uncouth. certainly the beautiful miss franks, one of the philadelphia belles, thought him far from ornamental, and, with the keen wit for which she was celebrated, spread abroad a report that general lee came to the ball clad in green breeches, patched with leather. to prove to her that entire accuracy had not been used in describing his garb at the ball, the general sent the young lady the very articles of clothing which she had criticised! naturally, neither the ladies nor their escorts thought any better of lee's manners after this bit of horse-play, and it is safe to say he was not soon again invited to an evening party. mrs. hamilton and mrs. mercy warren both call lee "a crabbed man." the latter described him in a letter to samuel adams as "plain in his person to a degree of ugliness; careless even to impoliteness; his garb ordinary; his voice rough; his manners rather morose; yet sensible, learned, judicious, and penetrating." toward the end of his life, lee took refuge in an estate which he had purchased in berkeley county, virginia. here he lived, more like a hermit than a citizen of the world, or a member of a civilised community. his house was little more than a shell, without partitions, and it lacked even such articles of furniture as were necessary for the most common uses. to a gentleman who visited him in this forlorn retreat, where he found a kitchen in one corner, a bed in another, books in a third, saddles and harness in a fourth, lee said: "sir, it is the most convenient and economical establishment in the world. the lines of chalk which you see on the floor mark the divisions of the apartments, and i can sit in a corner and give orders and overlook the whole without moving from my chair."[ ] general lee died in an obscure inn in philadelphia, october , . his will was characteristic: "i desire most earnestly that i may not be buried in any church or churchyard, or within a mile of any presbyterian or baptist meeting-house; for since i have resided in this country i have kept so much bad company that i do not choose to continue it when dead." in this will, our singular hero paid a tribute of affectionate remembrance to several of his intimate friends, and of grateful generosity to the humble dependents who had adhered to him and ministered to his wants in his retirement. the bulk of his property--for he was a man of no small means--was bequeathed to his only sister, sydney lee, to whom he was ever devotedly attached. footnotes: [footnote : drake's "historic fields and mansions of middlesex." little, brown & co., publishers.] [footnote : drake's "historic fields and mansions of middlesex."] [footnote : sparks's "life of charles lee." little, brown & co.] the message of the lanterns [illustration: christ church--paul revere house, boston, mass.] there are many points of view from which this tale of paul revere may be told, but to the generality of people the interest of the poem, and of the historical event itself, will always centre around christ church, on salem street, in the north end of boston--the church where the lanterns were hung out on the night before the battles of lexington and concord. at nearly every hour of the day some one may be seen in the now unfrequented street looking up at the edifice's lofty spire with an expression full of reverence and satisfaction. there upon the venerable structure, imbedded in the solid masonry of the tower front, one reads upon a tablet: the signal lanterns of paul revere displayed in the steeple of this church, april , , warned the country of the march of the british troops to lexington and concord. if the pilgrim wishes to get into the very spirit of old christ church and its historical associations, he can even climb the tower---- "by the wooden stairs, with stealthy tread, to the belfry chamber overhead, and startle the pigeons from their perch on the sombre rafters, that round him make masses and moving shapes of shade"---- to look down as sexton robert newman did that eventful night on---- "the graves on the hill, lonely and spectral and sombre and still." the first time i ever climbed the tower i confess that i was seized with an overpowering sense of the weirdness and mystery of those same spectral graves, seen thus from above. it was dark and gloomy going up the stairs, and if robert newman had thought of the prospect, rather than of his errand, i venture to say he must have been frightened for all his bravery, in that gloomy tower at midnight. but, of course, his mind was intent on the work he had to do, and on the signals which would tell how the british were to proceed on their march to seize the rebel stores at concord. the signals agreed upon were two lanterns if the troops went by way of water, one if they were to go by land. in longfellow's story we learn that newman---- "through alley and street, wanders and watches with eager ears, till in the silence around him he hears the muster of men at the barrack door, the sound of arms and the tramp of feet, and the measured tread of the grenadiers, marching down to their boats on the shore." it had been decided that the journey should be made by sea! the province of massachusetts, it must be understood, was at this time on the eve of open revolt. it had formed an army, commissioned its officers, and promulgated orders as if there were no such person as george iii. it was collecting stores in anticipation of the moment when its army should take the field. it had, moreover, given general gage--whom the king had sent to boston to put down the rebellion there--to understand that the first movement made by the royal troops into the country would be considered as an act of hostility, and treated as such. gage had up to this time hesitated to act. at length his resolution to strike a crippling blow, and, if possible, to do it without bloodshed, was taken. spies had informed him that the patriots' depot of ammunition was at concord, and he had determined to send a secret expedition to destroy those stores. meanwhile, however, the patriots were in great doubt as to the time when the definite movement was to be made. fully appreciating the importance of secrecy, general gage quietly got ready eight hundred picked troops, which he meant to convey under cover of night across the west bay, and to land on the cambridge side, thus baffling the vigilance of the townspeople, and at the same time considerably shortening the distance his troops would have to march. so much pains were taken to keep the actual destination of these troops a profound secret, that even the officer who was selected for the command only received an order notifying him to hold himself in readiness. "the guards in the town were doubled," writes mr. drake, "and in order to intercept any couriers who might slip through them, at the proper moment mounted patrols were sent out on the roads leading to concord. having done what he could to prevent intelligence from reaching the country, and to keep the town quiet, the british general gave his orders for the embarkation; and at between ten and eleven of the night of april , the troops destined for this service were taken across the bay in boats to the cambridge side of the river. at this hour, gage's pickets were guarding the deserted roads leading into the country, and up to this moment no patriot courier had gone out." [illustration: robert newman house, boston, mass.] newman with his signals and paul revere on his swift horse were able, however, to baffle successfully the plans of the british general. the redcoats had scarcely gotten into their boats, when dawes and paul revere started by different roads to warn hancock and adams, and the people of the country-side, that the regulars were out. revere rode by way of charlestown, and dawes by the great highroad over the neck. revere had hardly got clear of charlestown when he discovered that he had ridden headlong into the middle of the british patrol! being the better mounted, however, he soon distanced his pursuers, and entered medford, shouting like mad, "up and arm! up and arm! the regulars are out! the regulars are out!" longfellow has best described the awakening of the country-side: "a hurry of hoofs in the village street, a shape in the moonlight, a bulk in the dark, and beneath, from the pebbles, in passing, a spark struck out by a steed flying fearless and fleet; that was all! and yet, through the gloom and the light, the fate of a nation was riding that night; and the spark struck out by that steed, in its flight, kindled the land into flame with its heat." the porter house in medford, at which revere stopped long enough to rouse the captain of the guards, and warn him of the approach of the regulars, is now no longer standing, but the clark place, in lexington, where the proscribed fellow-patriots, hancock and adams, were lodging that night, is still in a good state of preservation. the room occupied by "king" hancock and "citizen" adams is the one on the lower floor, at the left of the entrance. hancock was at this time visiting this particular house because "dorothy q," his fiancée, was just then a guest of the place, and martial pride, coupled, perhaps, with the feeling that he must show himself in the presence of his lady-love a soldier worthy of her favour, inclined him to show fight when he heard from revere that the regulars were expected. his widow related, in after years, that it was with great difficulty that she and the colonel's aunt kept him from facing the british on the day following the midnight ride. while the bell in the green was sounding the alarm, hancock was cleaning his sword and his fusee, and putting his accoutrements in order. he is said to have been a trifle of a dandy in his military garb, and his points, sword-knot, and lace, were always of the newest fashion. perhaps it was the desire to show himself in all his war-paint that made him resist so long the importunities of the ladies, and the urgency of other friends! the astute adams, it is recounted, was a little annoyed at his friend's obstinacy, and, clapping him on the shoulder, exclaimed, as he looked significantly at the weapons, "that is not our business; we belong to the cabinet."[ ] it was adams who threw light on the whole situation. half an hour after revere reached the house, the other express arrived, and the two rebel leaders, being now fully convinced that it was concord which was the threatened point, hurried the messengers on to the next town, after allowing them barely time to swallow a few mouthfuls of food. adams did not believe that gage would send an army merely to take two men prisoners. to him, the true object of the expedition was very clear. revere, dawes, and young doctor prescott, of concord, who had joined them, had got over half the distance to the next town, when, at a sudden turning, they came upon the second redcoat patrol. prescott leaped his horse over the roadside wall, and so escaped across the fields to concord. revere and dawes, at the point of the pistol, gave themselves up. their business on the road at that hour was demanded by the officer, who was told in return to listen. then, through the still morning air, the distant booming of the alarm bell's peal on peal was borne to their ears. it was the british who were now uneasy. ordering the prisoners to follow them, the troop rode off at a gallop toward lexington, and when they were at the edge of the village, revere was told to dismount, and was left to shift for himself. he then ran as fast as his legs could carry him across the pastures back to the clark parsonage, to report his misadventure, while the patrol galloped off toward boston to announce theirs. but by this time, the minute men of lexington had rallied to oppose the march of the troops. thanks to the intrepidity of paul revere, the north end coppersmith, the redcoats, instead of surprising the rebels in their beds, found them marshalled on lexington green, and at concord bridge, in front, flank, and rear, armed and ready to dispute their march to the bitter end. "you know the rest. in the books you have read how the british regulars fired and fled-- how the farmers gave them ball for ball, from behind each fence and farmyard wall, chasing the redcoats down the lane, then crossing the fields to emerge again under the trees at the turn of the road, and only pausing to fire and load. "so through the night rode paul revere; and so through the night went his cry of alarm to every middlesex village and farm---- a cry of defiance and not of fear, a voice in the darkness, a knock at the door, and a word that shall echo for evermore! for, borne on the night wind of the past, through all our history, to the last, the people will waken and listen to hear the hurrying hoof beats of that steed, and the midnight message of paul revere."[ ] footnotes: [footnote : drake's "historic fields and mansions of middlesex." little, brown & co., publishers.] [footnote : "paul revere's ride:" longfellow's poems. houghton, mifflin & co., publishers.] hancock's dorothy q. the dorothy q. of our present interest is not the little maiden of holmes's charming poem-- "grandmother's mother; her age i guess, thirteen summers, or something less; girlish bust, but womanly air; smooth, square forehead with uprolled hair, lips that lover has never kissed; taper fingers and slender wrist; hanging sleeves of stiff brocade; so they painted the little maid. on her hand a parrot green sits unmoving and broods serene." but her niece, the dorothy q. whom john hancock loved, and was visiting at lexington, when paul revere warned him of the redcoats' approach. this dorothy happened to be staying just then with the reverend jonas clark, under the protection of madam lydia hancock, the governor's aunt. and it was to meet her, his fiancée, that hancock went, on the eve of the th of april, to the house made famous by his visit. one imaginative writer has sketched for us the notable group gathered that april night about the time-honoured hearthstone in the modest lexington parsonage: "the last rays of the setting sun have left the dampness of the meadows to gather about the home; and each guest and family occupant has gladly taken seats within the house, while mrs. jonas clark has closed the shutters, added a new forelog, and fanned the embers to a cheerful flame. the young couple whom madam hancock has studiously brought together exchange sympathetic glances as they take part in the conversation. the hours wear away, and the candles are snuffed again and again. then the guests retire, not, to be sure, without apprehensions of approaching trouble, but with little thought that the king's strong arm of military authority is already extended toward their very roof."[ ] [illustration: clark house, lexington, mass.] early the next morning, as we know, the lovers were forced to part in great haste. and for a time john hancock and his companion, samuel adams, remained in seclusion, that they might not be seized by general gage, who was bent on their arrest, and intended to have them sent to england for trial. the first word we are able to find concerning hancock's whereabouts during the interim between his escape from lexington, and his arrival at the continental congress, appointed to convene at philadelphia, may , , is contained in a long letter to miss quincy. this letter, which gives a rather elaborate account of the dangers and triumphs of the patriot's journey, concludes: "pray let me hear from you by every post. god bless you, my dear girl, and believe me most sincerely, yours most affectionately, john hancock." a month later, june , , we find the charming dorothy q., now the guest at fairfield, connecticut, of thaddeus burr, receiving this letter from her lover: * * * * * "my dear dolly:--i am almost prevail'd on to think that my letters to my aunt & you are not read, for i cannot obtain a reply, i have ask'd million questions & not an answer to one, i beg'd you to let me know what things my aunt wanted & you and many other matters i wanted to know but not one word in answer. i really take it extreme unkind, pray, my dear, use not so much ceremony & reservedness, why can't you use freedom in writing, be not afraid of me, i want long letters. i am glad the little things i sent you were agreeable. why did you not write me of the top of the umbrella. i am sorry it was spoiled, but i will send you another by my express which will go in a few days. how did my aunt like her gown, & let me know if the stockings suited her; she had better send a pattern shoe & stocking, i warrant i will suit her.... i beg, my dear dolly, you will write me often and long letters, i will forgive the past if you will mend in future. do ask my aunt to make me up and send me a watch string, and do you make up another and send me, i wear them out fast. i want some little thing of your doing. remember me to all my friends with you, as if named. i am call'd upon and must obey. "i have sent you by doctor church in a paper box directed to you, the following things, for your acceptance, & which i do insist you wear, if you do not i shall think the donor is the objection: pair white silk } which stockings pair white thread } i think will fit you pair black satin } shoes, the other, pair calem co. } shall be sent when done. very pretty light hat neat airy summer cloak caps fann "i wish these may please you, i shall be gratified if they do, pray write me, i will attend to all your commands. "adieu, my dear girl, and believe me with great esteem & affection, "yours without reserve, "john hancock."[ ] [illustration: dorothy q. house, quincy, mass.] it is interesting to know that while miss quincy was a guest in fairfield, aaron burr, the nephew of her host, came to the house, and that his magnetic influence soon had an effect upon the beautiful young lady. but watchful aunt lydia prevented the charmer from thwarting the hancock family plans, and on the th day of the following august there was a great wedding at fairfield. john hancock, president of the continental congress, and miss dorothy quincy were joined in marriage in style befitting the family situations. the noted couple went at once to philadelphia, where the patriot lived at intervals during the remainder of the session. mrs. hancock seems to have been much of the time in boston, however, and occasionally, in the course of the next few years, we catch delightful glimpses through her husband's letters of his great affection for her, and for their little one. under date of philadelphia, march , , we read: "i shall make out as well as i can, but i assure you, my dear soul, i long to have you here, & i know you will be as expeditious as you can in coming. when i part from you again it must be a very extraordinary occasion. i have sent everywhere to get a gold or silver rattle for the child with a coral to send, but cannot get one. i will have one if possible on your coming. i have sent a sash for her & two little papers of pins for you. if you do not want them you can give them away. "... may every blessing of an indulgent providence attend you. i most sincerely wish you a good journey & hope i shall soon have the happiness of seeing you with the utmost affection and love. my dear dolly, i am yours forever, "john hancock." after two years and a half of enforced absence, the president of the continental congress returned home to that beautiful house on beacon street, which was unfortunately destroyed in , to make room for a more modern building. here the united couple lived very happily with their two children, lydia and washington. judging by descriptions that have come down to us, and by the world's fair reproduction of the hancock house, their mansion must have been a very sumptuous one. it was built of stone, after the manner favoured by bostonians who could afford it, with massive walls, and a balcony projecting over the entrance door, upon which a large second-story window opened. braintree stone ornamented the corners and window-places, and the tiled roof was surrounded by a balustrade. from the roof, dormer windows provided a beautiful view of the surrounding country. the grounds were enclosed by a low stone wall, on which was placed a light wooden fence. the house itself was a little distance back from the street, and the approach was by means of a dozen stone steps and a carefully paved walk. at the right of the entrance was a reception-room of spacious dimensions, provided with furniture of bird's-eye maple, covered with rich damask. out of this opened the dining-room, sixty feet in length, in which hancock was wont to entertain. opposite was a smaller apartment, the usual dining-room of the family. next adjoining were the china-room and offices, while behind were to be found the coach-house and barn of the estate. the family drawing-room, its lofty walls covered with crimson paper, was at the left of the entrance. the upper and lower halls of the house were hung with pictures of game and with hunting scenes. the furniture, wall-papers and draperies throughout the house had been imported from england by thomas hancock, and expressed the height of luxury for that day. passing through the hall, a flight of steps led to a small summer-house in the garden, near mount vernon street, and here the grounds were laid out in ornamental box-bordered beds like those still to be seen in the beautiful washington home on the potomac. a highly interesting corner of the garden was that given over to the group of mulberry-trees, which had been imported from england by thomas hancock, the uncle of john, he being, with others of his time, immensely interested in the culture of the silkworm. of this beautiful home dorothy quincy showed herself well fitted to be mistress, and through her native grace and dignity admirably performed her part at the reception of d'estaing, lafayette, washington, brissot, lords stanley and wortley, and other noted guests. on october , , hancock died, at the age of fifty-six years. the last recorded letter penned in his letter volume was to captain james scott, his lifelong friend. and it was to this captain scott that our dorothy q. gave her hand in a second marriage three years later. she outlived her second husband many years, residing at the end of her life on federal street in boston. when turned of seventy she had a lithe, handsome figure, a pair of laughing eyes, and fine yellow ringlets in which scarcely a gray hair could be seen. and although for the second time a widow, she was as sprightly as a girl of sixteen. in her advanced years, madam scott received another call from lafayette, and those who witnessed the hearty interview say that the once youthful chevalier and the unrivalled belle met as if only a summer had passed since their social intercourse during the perils of the revolution. footnotes: [footnote : drake.] [footnote : _new england magazine._] baroness riedesel and her tory friends the most beautiful example of wifely devotion to be found in the annals connected with the war of the revolution is that afforded by the story of the lovely baroness riedesel, whose husband was deputed to serve at the head of the german mercenaries allied to the king's troops, and who was herself, with the baron and her children, made prisoner of war after the battle of saratoga. riedesel was a gallant soldier, and his wife a fair and fascinating young woman at this time. they had not been long married when the war in america broke out, and the wife's love for her husband was such as to impel her to dare all the hardships of the journey and join him in the foreign land. her letters and journal, which give a lively and vivid account of the perils of this undertaking, and of the pleasures and difficulties that she experienced after she had succeeded in reaching her dear spouse, supply what is perhaps the most interesting human document of those long years of war. the baroness landed on the american continent at quebec, and travelled amid great hardships to chambly, where her husband was stationed. for two days only they were together. after that she returned with her children to three rivers. soon, however, came the orders to march down into the enemy's country. the description of this journey as the baroness has given it to us makes, indeed, moving reading. once a frightful cannonade was directed against the house in which the women and the wounded had taken refuge. in the cellar of this place madam riedesel and her children passed the entire night. it was in this cellar, indeed, that the little family lived during the long period of waiting that preceded the capitulation made necessary by burgoyne's inexcusable delay near saratoga. later the riedesels were most hospitably entertained at saratoga by general schuyler, his wife and daughters, of whom the baroness never fails to speak in her journal with the utmost affection. the journey from albany to boston was full of incident and hardship, but of it the plucky wife writes only: "in the midst of all my trials god so supported me that i lost neither my frolicsomeness nor my spirits...." the contrast between the station of the americans and of the germans who were their prisoners, is strikingly brought out in this passage of the diary: "some of the american generals who were in charge of us on the march to boston were shoemakers; and upon our halting days they made boots for our officers, and also mended nicely the shoes of our soldiers. they set a great value upon our money coinage, which with them was scarce. one of our officers had worn his boots entirely into shreds. he saw that an american general had on a good pair, and said to him, jestingly, 'i will gladly give you a guinea for them.' immediately the general alighted from his horse, took the guinea, gave up his boots, put on the badly-worn ones of the officer, and again mounted his horse." the journey was at length successfully accomplished, however, and in massachusetts the baroness was on the whole very well treated, it would seem. "we remained three weeks in wretched quarters at winter hill," she writes, "until they transferred us to cambridge, where they lodged us in one of the most beautiful houses of the place, which had formerly been built by the wealth of the royalists. never had i chanced upon any such agreeable situation. seven families, who were connected with each other partly by the ties of relationship and partly by affection, had here farms, gardens, and magnificent houses, and not far off plantations of fruit. the owners of these were in the habit of meeting each other in the afternoon, now at the house of one, and now at another, and making themselves merry with music and the dance--living in prosperity united and happy, until, alas! this ruinous war severed them, and left all their houses desolate except two, the proprietors of which were also soon obliged to flee.... "none of our gentlemen were allowed to go into boston. curiosity and desire urged me, however, to pay a visit, to madam carter, the daughter of general schuyler, and i dined at her house several times. the city throughout is pretty, but inhabited by violent patriots, and full of wicked people. the women especially were so shameless, that they regarded me with repugnance, and even spit at me when i passed by them. madam carter was as gentle and good as her parents, but her husband was wicked and treacherous. she came often to visit us, and also dined at our house with the other generals. we sought to show them by every means our gratitude. they seemed also to have much friendship for us; and yet at the same time this miserable carter, when the english general howe had burned many hamlets and small towns, made the horrible proposition to the americans to chop off the heads of our generals, salt them down in small barrels, and send over to the english one of these barrels for every hamlet or little town burned down. but this barbarous suggestion fortunately was not adopted. "... i saw here that nothing is more terrible than a civil war. almost every family was disunited.... on the third of june, , i gave a ball and supper in celebration of the birthday of my husband. i had invited to it all the generals and officers. the carters also were there. general burgoyne sent an excuse after he had made us wait until eight o'clock in the evening. he invariably excused himself on various pretences from coming to see us until his departure for england, when he came and made me a great many apologies, but to which i made no other answer than that i should be extremely sorry if he had gone out of his way on our account. we danced considerably, and our cook prepared us a magnificent supper of more than eighty covers. moreover, our courtyard and garden were illuminated. as the birthday of the king of england came upon the following day, which was the fourth, it was resolved that we would not separate until his health had been drank; which was done with the most hearty attachment to his person and his interests. "never, i believe, has 'god save the king,' been drunk with more enthusiasm or more genuine good will. even both my oldest little daughters were there, having stayed up to see the illumination. all eyes were full of tears; and it seemed as if every one present was proud to have the spirit to venture to this in the midst of our enemies. even the carters could not shut their hearts against us. as soon as the company separated, we perceived that the whole house was surrounded by americans, who, having seen so many people go into the house, and having noticed also the illumination, suspected that we were planning a mutiny, and if the slightest disturbance had arisen it would have cost us dear.... "the americans," says the baroness, further on, "when they desire to collect their troops together, place burning torches of pitch upon the hilltops, at which signal every one hastens to the rendezvous. we were once witnesses of this when general howe attempted a landing at boston in order to rescue the captive troops. they learned of this plan, as usual, long beforehand, and opened barrels of pitch, whereupon for three or four successive days a large number of people without shoes and stockings, and with guns on their backs, were seen hastily coming from all directions, by which means so many people came together so soon that it would have been a very difficult thing to effect a landing. "we lived very happily and contented in cambridge, and were therefore well pleased at remaining there during the captivity of our troops. as winter approached, however, we were ordered to virginia [because of the difficulty of providing provisions], and in the month of november, , set out. "my husband, fortunately, found a pretty english wagon, and bought it for me, so that as before i was enabled to travel comfortably. my little gustava had entreated one of my husband's adjutants, captain edmonston, not to leave us on the way. the confiding manner of the child touched him and he gave his promise and faithfully kept it. i travelled always with the army and often over almost impassable roads.... "i had always provisions with me, but carried them in a second small wagon. as this could not go as fast as we, i was often in want of everything. once when we were passing a town called hertford [hartford, connecticut], we made a halt, which, by the by, happened every fourth day. we there met general lafayette, whom my husband invited to dinner, as otherwise he would have been unable to find anything to eat. this placed me in rather an awkward dilemma as i knew that he loved a good dinner. finally, however, i managed to glean from what provisions i had on hand enough to make him a very respectable meal. he was so polite and agreeable that he pleased us all very much. he had many americans in his train, though, who were ready to leap out of their skins for vexation at hearing us speak constantly in french. perhaps they feared, on seeing us on such a friendly footing with him, that we would be able to alienate him from their cause, or that he would confide things to us that we ought not to know. "lafayette spoke much of england, and of the kindness of the king in having had all objects of interest shown to him. i could not keep myself from asking him how he could find it in his heart to accept so many marks of kindness from the king when he was on the point of departing in order to fight against him. upon this observation of mine he appeared somewhat ashamed, and answered me: 'it is true that such a thought passed through my mind one day, when the king offered to show me his fleet. i answered that i hoped to see it some day, and then quietly retired, in order to escape from the embarrassment of being obliged to decline, point blank, the offer, should it be repeated.'" the baroness's own meeting with the king soon after her return to england, in the autumn of , when the prisoners were exchanged, is thus entertainingly described: "one day when we were yet seated at table, the queen's first lady of honour, my lady howard, sent us a message to the effect that her majesty would receive us at six o'clock that afternoon. as my court dress was not yet ready, and i had nothing with me proper to wear, i sent my apologies for not going at that time, which i again repeated when we had the honour of being presented to their majesties, who were both present at the reception. the queen, however, as did also the king, received us with extraordinary graciousness, and replied to my excuses by saying, 'we do not look at the dress of those persons we are glad to see.' "they were surrounded by the princesses, their daughters. we seated ourselves before the chimney-fire,--the queen, the princesses, the first lady of honour, and myself,--forming a half-circle, my husband, with the king, standing in the centre close to the fire. tea and cakes were then passed round. i sat between the queen and one of the princesses, and was obliged to go over a great part of my adventures. her majesty said to me very graciously, 'i have followed you everywhere, and have often inquired after you; and i have always heard with delight that you were well, contented, and beloved by every one.' i happened to have at this time a shocking cough. observing this, the princess sophia went herself and brought me a jelly made of black currants, which she represented as a particularly good remedy, and forced me to accept a jar full. "about nine o'clock in the evening the prince of wales came in. his youngest sisters flocked around him, and he embraced them and danced them around. in short, the royal family had such a peculiar gift for removing all restraint that one could readily imagine himself to be in a cheerful family circle of his own station in life. we remained with them until ten o'clock, and the king conversed much with my husband about america in german, which he spoke exceedingly well." [illustration: riedesel house, cambridge, mass.] from england the baroness proceeded (in ), to her home in brunswick, where she was joyfully received, and where, after her husband's triumph, they enjoyed together respite from war for a period of four years. in , general riedesel was appointed commandant of the city of brunswick, where he died in . the baroness survived him eight years, passing away in berlin, march , , at the age of sixty-two. she rests beside her beloved consort in the family vault at lauterbach. her cambridge residence, which formerly stood at the corner of sparks street, on brattle, among the beautiful lindens so often mentioned in the "journal," has recently been remodelled and removed to the next lot but one from its original site. it now looks as in the picture, and is numbered brattle street. a little street at the right has been appropriately named riedesel avenue. yet even in history-loving cambridge there is little familiarity with the career of the baron and his charming lady, and there are few persons who have read the entertaining journal, written in german a century and a quarter ago by this clever and devoted wife. doctor church: first traitor to the american cause very few old houses retain at the present time so large a share of the dignity and picturesqueness originally theirs, as does the homestead whose chief interest for us lies in the fact that it was the revolutionary prison of doctor benjamin church, the first-discovered traitor to the american cause. this house is on brattle street, at the corner of hawthorn. built about , it came early into the possession of jonathan belcher, who afterward became sir jonathan, and from till was governor of massachusetts and new hampshire. colonel john vassall the elder was the next owner of the house, acquiring it in , and somewhat later conveying it, with its adjoining estate of seven acres, to his brother, major henry, an officer in the militia, who died under its roof in . major henry vassall had married penelope, sister of isaac royall, the proprietor of the beautiful place at medford, but upon the beginning of hostilities, this sprightly widow abandoned her spacious home in such haste that she carried along with her, according to tradition, a young companion whom she had not time to restore to her friends! such of her property as could be used by the colony forces was given in charge of colonel stark, while the rest was allowed to pass into boston. the barns and roomy outbuildings were used for the storage of the colony forage. [illustration: house where doctor church was confined, cambridge, mass.] it is highly probable that the widow vassall's house at once became the american hospital, and that it was the residence, as it was certainly the prison, of doctor benjamin church. church had been placed at the head of an army hospital for the accommodation of twenty thousand men, and till this time had seemed a brave and zealous compatriot of warren and the other leading men of the time. soon after his appointment, he was, however, detected in secret correspondence with gage. he had entrusted to a woman of his acquaintance a letter written in cipher to be forwarded to the british commander. this letter was found upon the girl, she was taken to headquarters, and there the contents of the fatal message were deciphered and the defection of doctor church established. when questioned by washington he appeared utterly confounded, and made no attempt to vindicate himself. the letter itself did not contain any intelligence of importance, but the discovery that one, until then so high in the esteem of his countrymen, was engaged in a clandestine correspondence with the enemy was deemed sufficient evidence of guilt. church was therefore arrested at once, and confined in a chamber looking upon brattle street. some of his leisure, while here imprisoned, he employed in cutting on the door of a closet: "b church, jr." there the marks still remain, their significance having after a half century been interpreted by a lady of the house to whom they had long been familiar, but who had lacked any clue to their origin until, in the course of a private investigation, she determined beyond a doubt their relation to church. the chamber has two windows in the north front, and two overlooking the area on the south. church's fall was the more terrible because from a height. he was a member of a very distinguished family, and he had been afforded in his youth all the best opportunities of the day. in he was graduated at harvard, and after studying with doctor pynchon rose to considerable eminence as a physician and particularly as a surgeon. besides talents and genius of a sort, he was endowed with a rare poetic fancy, many of his verses being full of daintiness as well as of a very pretty wit. he was, however, somewhat extravagant in his habits, and about had built himself an elegant country house near boston. it was to sustain this, it is believed, that he sold himself to the king's cause. to all appearance, however, church was up to the very hour of his detection one of the leading patriots of the time. he had been chosen to deliver the oration in the old south meeting-house on march , , and he there pronounced a stirring discourse, which has still power to thrill the reader, upon the massacre the day celebrates, and the love of liberty which inspired the patriots' revolt on that memorable occasion. yet two years earlier, as we have since discovered from a letter of governor hutchinson, he had been anonymously employing his venal pen in the service of the government! in , when he was a member of the provincial congress, he was first suspected of communication with gage, and of receiving a reward for his treachery. paul revere has written concerning this: "in the fall of ' and the winter of ' i was one of upwards of thirty, chiefly mechanics, who formed themselves into a committee for the purpose of watching the movements of the british soldiers and gaining every intelligence of the tories. we held our meetings at the green dragon tavern. this committee were astonished to find all their secrets known to general gage, although every time they met every member swore not to reveal any of their transactions except to hancock, adams, warren, otis, church, and one or two others." the traitor, of course, proved to be doctor church. one of his students who kept his books and knew of his money embarrassment first mistrusted him. only treachery, he felt, could account for his master's sudden acquisition of some hundreds of new british guineas. the doctor was called before a council of war consisting of all the major-generals and brigadiers of the army, beside the adjutant-general, washington himself presiding. this tribunal decided that church's acts had been criminal, but remanded him for the decision of the general court, of which he was a member. he was taken in a chaise, escorted by general gates and a guard of twenty men, to the music of fife and drum, to watertown meeting-house, where the court sat. "the galleries," says an old writer, "were thronged with people of all ranks. the bar was placed in the middle of the broad aisle, and the doctor arraigned." his defence at the trial was very ingenious and able:--that the fatal letter was designed for his brother, but that since it was not sent he had communicated no intelligence; that there was nothing in the letter but notorious facts; that his exaggerations of the american force could only be designed to favour the cause of his country; and that his object was purely patriotic. he added, in a burst of sounding though unconvincing oratory: "the warmest bosom here does not flame with a brighter zeal for the security, happiness, and liberties of america than mine." these eloquent professions did not avail him, however. he was adjudged guilty, and expelled from the house of representatives of massachusetts. by order of the general congress, he was condemned to close confinement in norwich jail in connecticut, "and debarred from the use of pen, ink, and paper," but his health failing, he was allowed (in ) to leave the country. he sailed for the west indies,--and the vessel that bore him was never afterward heard from. some people in church's time, as well as our own, have been disposed to doubt the man's treachery, but paul revere was firmly convinced that the doctor was in the pay of general gage. revere's statement runs in part as follows: "the same day i met doctor warren. he was president of the committee of safety. he engaged me as a messenger to do the out-of-doors business for that committee; which gave me an opportunity of being frequently with them. the friday evening after, about sunset, i was sitting with some or near all that committee in their room, which was at mr. hastings's house in cambridge. doctor church all at once started up. 'doctor warren,' said he, 'i am determined to go into boston to-morrow.' (it set them all a-staring.) doctor warren replied, 'are you serious, doctor church? they will hang you if they catch you in boston.' he replied, 'i am serious, and am determined to go at all adventures.' after a considerable conversation, doctor warren said, 'if you are determined, let us make some business for you.' they agreed that he should go to get medicine for their and our wounded officers." naturally, paul revere, who was an ardent patriot as well as an exceedingly straightforward man, had little sympathy with church's weakness, but to-day as one looks at the initials scratched by the prisoner on the door of his cell, one's heart expands with pity for the man, and one wonders long and long whether the vessel on which he sailed was really lost, or whether he escaped on it to foreign shores, there to expiate as best he could his sin against himself and his country. a victim of two revolutions in the life of colonel james swan, as in that of doctor benjamin church, money was the root of all evil. swan was almost a fool because of his pig-headedness in financial adversity, and church was ever a knave, plausible even when proved guilty. yet both fell from the same cause, utter inability to keep money and avoid debt. colonel swan's history reads very like a romance. he was born in fifeshire, scotland, in , and came to america in . he found employment in boston, and devoted all his spare time to books. while a clerk of eighteen, in a counting-house near faneuil hall, he published a work on the african slave trade, entitled, "a discussion of great britain and her colonies from the slave trade," a copy of which, preserved in the boston public library, is well worth reading for its flavour and wit. while serving an apprenticeship with thaxter & son, he formed an intimate friendship with several other clerks who, in after years, became widely known, among them, benjamin thompson, afterward made count rumford, and henry knox, who later became the bookseller on cornhill, and finally a general in the continental army. swan was a member of the sons of liberty, and took part in the famous boston tea-party. he was engaged in the battle of bunker hill as a volunteer aid of warren, and was twice wounded. he also witnessed the evacuation of boston by the british, march , . he later became secretary of the massachusetts board of war, and was elected a member of the legislature. throughout the whole war he occupied positions of trust, often requiring great courage and cool judgment, and the fidelity with which every duty was performed was shown by the honours conferred upon him after retiring to civil life. by means of a large fortune which fell to him, he entered mercantile business on a large scale, and became very wealthy. he owned large tracts of land in different parts of the country, and bought much of the confiscated property of the tories, among other lands the estate belonging to governor hutchinson, lying on tremont street, between west and boylston streets. his large speculations, however, caused him to become deeply involved in debt. in , accordingly, he started out anew to make a fortune, and through the influence of lafayette and other men of prominence in paris, he secured many government contracts which entailed immense profit. through all the dark days of the french revolution, he tried to serve the cause of the proscribed french nobility by perfecting plans for them to colonise on his lands in america. a large number he induced to immigrate, and a vast quantity of the furniture and belongings of these unfortunates was received on board his ships. but before the owners could follow their furniture, the axe had fallen upon their heads. when the reign of terror was at its height, the _sally_, owned by colonel swan, and commanded by captain stephen clough, of wiscasset, maine, came home with a strange cargo and a stranger story. the cargo consisted of french tapestries, marquetry, silver with foreign crests, rare vases, clocks, costly furniture, and no end of apparelling fit for a queen. the story was that, only for the failure at the last moment of a plot for her deliverance, marie antoinette would also have been on the sloop, the plan being that she should be the guest at wiscasset of the captain's wife until she could be transferred to a safer retreat. however true may be the rumour of a plot to bring marie antoinette to america, it is certain that the furniture brought on the _sally_, was of exceptional value and beauty. it found its resting-place in the old swan house of our picture, to which it gave for many years the name of the marie antoinette house. one room was even called the marie antoinette room, and the bedstead of this apartment, which is to-day in the possession of the descendants of colonel swan, is still known as the marie antoinette bedstead. whether the unhappy queen ever really rested on this bed cannot, of course, be said, but tradition has it that it was designed for her use in america because she had found it comfortable in france. colonel swan, having paid all his debts, returned in to the united states, accompanied by the beautiful and eccentric gentlewoman who was his wife, and who had been with her husband in paris during the terror. they brought with them on this occasion a very large collection of fine french furniture, decorations, and paintings. the colonel had become very wealthy indeed through his commercial enterprises, and was now able to spend a great deal of money upon his fine dorchester mansion, which he finished about the year . a prominent figure of the house was the circular dining-hall, thirty-two feet in diameter, crowned at the height of perhaps twenty-five feet by a dome, and having three mirror windows. as originally built, it contained no fireplaces or heating conveniences of any kind. [illustration: swan house, dorchester, mass.] mrs. swan accompanied her husband on several subsequent trips to paris, and it was on one of these occasions that the colonel came to great grief. he had contracted, it is said, a debt claimed in france to be two million francs. this indebtedness he denied, and in spite of the persuasion of his friends he would make no concession in the matter. as a matter of principle he would not pay a debt which, he insisted, he did not owe. he seems to have believed the claim of his creditor to be a plot, and he at once resolved to be a martyr. he was thereupon arrested, and confined in st. pélagie, a debtor's prison, from to , a period of twenty-two years! he steadfastly denied the charge against him, and, although able to settle the debt, preferred to remain a prisoner to securing his liberty on an unjust plea.... he gave up his wife, children, friends, and the comforts of his parisian and new england homes for a principle, and made preparations for a long stay in prison. lafayette, swan's sincere friend, tried in vain to prevail upon him to take his liberty.[ ] doctor small, his biographer, tells us that he lived in a little cell in the prison, and was treated with great respect by the other prisoners, they putting aside their little furnaces with which they cooked, that he might have more room for exercise. not a day passed without some kind act on his part, and he was known to have been the cause of the liberation of many poor debtors. when the jailor introduced his pretended creditor, he would politely salute him, and say to the former: "my friend, return me to my chamber." with funds sent by his wife, swan hired apartments in the rue de la clif, opposite st. pélagie, which he caused to be fitted up at great expense. here were dining and drawing rooms, coaches, and stables, and outhouses, and here he invited his guests and lodged his servants, putting at the disposal of the former his carriages, in which they drove to the promenade, the ball, the theatre--everywhere in his name. at this parisian home he gave great dinners to his constant but bewildered friends. he seemed happy in thus braving his creditors and judges, we are told, allowed his beard to grow, dressed à la mode, and was cheerful to the last day of his confinement. his wife died in , and five years later the revolution of july threw open his doors in the very last hour of his twenty-second year of captivity. his one desire upon being released was to embrace his friend lafayette, and this he did on the steps of the hôtel de ville. then he returned, july , to reinstate himself in prison--for st. pélagie had after twenty-two years come to stand to him for home. he was seized almost immediately upon his second entrance into confinement with a hemorrhage, and died suddenly in the rue d'Échiquier, aged seventy-six. in his will, he donated large sums of money to his four children, and to the city of boston to found an institution to be called the swan orphan academy. but the estate was found to be hopelessly insolvent, and the public legacy was never paid. the colonel's name lives, however, in the maine island he purchased in , for the purpose of improving and settling,--a project which, but for one of his periodic failures, he would probably have successfully accomplished. footnotes: [footnote : "history of swan's island."] the woman veteran of the continental army deborah sampson gannett, of sharon, has the unique distinction of presenting the only authenticated case of a woman's enlistment and service as a regular soldier in the revolutionary army. [illustration: deborah sampson gannett.] the proof of her claim's validity can be found in the resolutions of the general court of massachusetts, where, under date of january , , those who take the trouble may find this entry: "on the petition of deborah gannett, praying compensation for services performed in the late army of the united states. "whereas, it appears to this court that deborah gannett enlisted under the name of robert shurtleff, in captain webb's company in the fourth massachusetts regiment, on may , , and did actually perform the duties of a soldier in the late army of the united states to the twenty-third day of october, , for which she has received no compensation; "and, whereas, it further appears that the said deborah exhibited an extraordinary instance of female heroism by discharging the duties of a faithful, gallant soldier, and at the same time preserved the virtue and chastity of her sex unsuspected and unblemished, and was discharged from the service with a fair and honourable character; therefore, "_resolved_, that the treasurer of the commonwealth be, and hereby is, directed to issue his note to said deborah for the sum of £ , bearing interest from october , ." thus was the seal of authenticity set upon as extraordinary a story as can be found in the annals of this country. deborah sampson was born in plympton, plymouth county, december , , of a family descended from governor bradford. she had many brothers who enlisted for service early in the war, and it was their example, according to some accounts, which inspired her unusual course. if one may judge from the hints thrown out in the "female review," a quaint little pamphlet probably written by deborah herself, and published in , however, it was the ardent wooing of a too importunate lover which drove the girl to her extraordinary undertaking. two copies of this "review" are now treasured in the boston public library. in the first chapters, the author discourses upon female education and the like, and then, after a sympathetic analysis of the educational aspirations of the heroine (referred to throughout the book as "our illustrious fair"), and a peroration on the lady's religious beliefs, describes in miss sampson's own words a curious dream she once had. the young woman experienced this psychic visitation, the author of the "review" would have us believe, a short time before taking her final step toward the army. in the dream, a serpent bade her "arise, stand on your feet, gird yourself, and prepare to encounter your enemy." this, according to the chronicler's interpretation, was one underlying cause of deborah's subsequent decision to enlist as a soldier. yet her mother's wish that she should marry a man for whom she felt no love is also suggested as a cause, and there is a hint, too, that the death in the battle of long island, new york, of a man to whom she was attached, gave the final impulse to her plan. at any rate, it was the night that she heard the news of this man's death that she started on her perilous undertaking. "having put in readiness the materials she had judged requisite," writes her chronicler, "she retired at her usual hour to bed, intending to rise at twelve.... there was none but the invisible who could take cognisance of her passion on assuming her new garb." she slipped cautiously away, and travelled carefully to bellingham, where she enlisted as a continental soldier on a three years' term. she was mustered into the army at worcester, under the name of robert shurtleff. with about fifty other soldiers she soon arrived at west point, and it there fell to her lot to be in captain webb's company, in colonel shepard's regiment, and in general patterson's brigade. naturally the girl's disappearance from home had caused her friends and her family great uneasiness. her mother reproached herself for having urged too constantly upon the attention of her child the suit of a man for whom she did not care, and her lover upbraided himself for having been too importunate in his wooing. the telephone and telegraph not having been invented, it was necessary, in order to trace the lost girl, to visit all the places to which deborah might have flown. her brother, therefore, made an expedition one hundred miles to the eastward among some of the family relations, and her suitor took his route to the west of massachusetts and across into new york state. in the course of his search he visited, as it happened, the very place in which deborah's company was stationed, and saw (though he did not recognise) his lost sweetheart. she recognised him, however, and hearing his account to the officers of her mother's grief and anxiety, sent home as soon as opportunity offered, the following letter: "dear parent:--on the margin of one of those rivers which intersects and winds itself so beautifully majestic through a vast extent of territory of the united states is the present situation of your unworthy but constant and affectionate daughter. i pretend not to justify or even to palliate my clandestine elopement. in hopes of pacifying your mind, which i am sure must be afflicted beyond measure, i write you this scrawl. conscious of not having thus abruptly absconded by reason of any fancied ill treatment from you, or disaffection toward any, the thoughts of my disobedience are truly poignant. neither have i a plea that the insults of man have driven me hence: and let this be your consoling reflection--that i have not fled to offer more daring insults to them by a proffered prostitution of that virtue which i have always been taught to preserve and revere. the motive is truly important; and when i divulge it my sole ambition and delight shall be to make an expiatory sacrifice for my transgression. "i am in a large but well regulated family. my employment is agreeable, although it is somewhat different and more intense than it was at home. but i apprehend it is equally as advantageous. my superintendents are indulgent; but to a punctilio they demand a due observance of decorum and propriety of conduct. by this you must know i have become mistress of many useful lessons, though i have many more to learn. be not too much troubled, therefore, about my present or future engagements; as i will endeavour to make that prudence and virtue my model, for which, i own, i am much indebted to those who took the charge of my youth. "my place of residence and the adjoining country are beyond description delightsome.... indeed, were it not for the ravages of war, of which i have seen more here than in massachusetts, this part of our great continent would become a paradisiacal elysium. heaven condescend that a speedy peace may constitute us a happy and independent nation: when the husband shall again be restored to his amiable consort, to wipe her sorrowing tear, the son to the embraces of his mourning parents, and the lover to the tender, disconsolate, and half-distracted object of his love. "your affectionate "daughter." unfortunately this letter, which had to be entrusted to a stranger, was intercepted. but deborah did not know this, and her mind at rest, she pursued cheerfully the course she had marked out for herself. the fatigue and heat of the march oppressed the girl soldier more than did battle or the fear of death. yet at white plains, her first experience of actual warfare, her left-hand man was shot dead in the second fire, and she herself received two shots through her coat and one through her cap. in the terrible bayonet charge at this same battle, in which she was a participant, the sight of the bloodshed proved almost too much for her strength. at yorktown she was ordered to work on a battery, which she did right faithfully. among her comrades, deborah's young and jaunty appearance won for her the sobriquet "blooming boy." she was a great favourite in the ranks. she shirked nothing, and did duty sometimes as a common soldier and sometimes as a sergeant on the lines, patrolling, collecting fuel, and performing such other offices as fell to her lot. after the battle of white plains she received two severe wounds, one of which was in her thigh. naturally, a surgeon was sent for at once, but the plucky girl, who could far more easily endure pain than the thought of discovery, extracted the ball herself with penknife and needle before hospital aid arrived. in the spring of general patterson selected her for his waiter, and deborah so distinguished herself for readiness and courage that the general often praised to the other men of the regiment the heroism of his "smock-faced boy." it is at this stage of the story that the inevitable dénouement occurred. the young soldier fell ill with a prevailing epidemic, and during her attack of unconsciousness her sex was discovered by the attendant physician, doctor bana. immediately she was removed by the physician's orders to the apartment of the hospital matron, under whose care she remained until discharged as well. deborah's appearance in her uniform was sufficiently suggestive, as has been said, of robust masculinity to attract the favourable attention of many young women. what she had not counted upon was the arousing in one of these girls of a degree of interest which should imperil her secret. her chagrin, the third morning after the doctor's discovery, was appreciably deepened, therefore, by the arrival of a love-letter from a rich and charming young woman of baltimore whom the soldier, "robert shurtleff," had several times met, but whose identity with the writer of the letter our heroine by no means suspected. this letter, accompanied by a gift of fruit, the compiler of the "female review" gives as follows: "dear sir:--fraught with the feelings of a friend who is doubtless beyond your conception interested in your health and happiness, i take liberty to address you with a frankness which nothing but the purest friendship and affection can palliate,--know, then, that the charms i first read on your visage brought a passion into my bosom for which i could not account. if it was from the thing called love, i was before mostly ignorant of it, and strove to stifle the fugutive; though i confess the indulgence was agreeable. but repeated interviews with you kindled it into a flame i do not now blush to own: and should it meet a generous return, i shall not reproach myself for its indulgence. i have long sought to hear of your department, and how painful is the news i this moment received that you are sick, if alive, in the hospital! your complicated nerves will not admit of writing, but inform the bearer if you are necessitated for anything that can conduce to your comfort. if you recover and think proper to inquire my name, i will give you an opportunity. but if death is to terminate your existence there, let your last senses be impressed with the reflection that you die not without one more friend whose tears will bedew your funeral obsequies. adieu." * * * * * the distressed invalid replied to this note that "he" was not in need of money. the same evening, however, another missive was received, enclosing two guineas. and the like favours were continued throughout the soldier's stay at the hospital. upon recovery, the "blooming boy" resumed his uniform to rejoin the troops. doctor bana had kept the secret, and there seemed to deborah no reason why she should not pursue her soldier career to the end. the enamoured maid of baltimore still remained, however, a thorn in her conscience. and one day, when near baltimore on a special duty, our soldier was summoned by a note to the home of this young woman, who, confessing herself the writer of the anonymous letter, declared her love. just what response was made to this avowal is not known, but that the attractive person in soldier uniform did not at this time tell the maid of baltimore the whole truth is certain. events were soon, however, to force deborah to perfect frankness with her admirer. after leaving baltimore, she went on a special duty journey, in the course of which she was taken captive by indians. the savage who had her in his charge she was obliged to kill in self-defence, after which there seemed every prospect that she and the single indian lad who escaped with her would perish in the wilderness, a prey to wild beasts. thereupon she wrote to her baltimore admirer thus: "dear miss ----:--perhaps you are the nearest friend i have. but a few hours must inevitably waft me to an infinite distance from all sublunary enjoyments, and fix me in a state of changeless retribution. three years having made me the sport of fortune, i am at length doomed to end my existence in a dreary wilderness, unattended except by an indian boy. if you receive these lines, remember they come from one who sincerely loves you. but, my amiable friend, forgive my imperfections and forget you ever had affection for one so unworthy the name of "your own sex." no means of sending this letter presented itself, however, and after a dreary wandering, deborah was enabled to rejoin her soldier friends. then she proceeded to baltimore for the express purpose of seeing her girl admirer and telling her the truth. yet this time, too, she evaded her duty, and left the maiden still unenlightened, with a promise to return the ensuing spring--a promise, she afterward declared, she had every intention of keeping, had not the truth been published to the world in the intervening time. doctor bana had been only deferring the uncloaking of "robert shurtleff." upon deborah's return to duty, he made the culprit herself the bearer of a letter to general patterson, which disclosed the secret. the general, who was at west point at the time, treated her with all possible kindness, and commended her for her service, instead of punishing her, as she had feared. then he gave her a private apartment, and made arrangements to have her safely conducted to massachusetts. not quite yet, however, did deborah abandon her disguise. she passed the next winter with distant relatives under the name of her youngest brother. but she soon resumed her proper name, and returned to her delighted family. after the war, she married benjamin gannett, and the homestead in sharon, where she lived for the rest of her life, is still standing, relics of her occupancy, her table and her bible, being shown there to-day to interested visitors. [illustration: gannett house, sharon, mass.] in she made a successful lecturing tour, during which she kept a very interesting diary, which is still exhibited to those interested by her great-granddaughter, mrs. susan moody. her grave in sharon is carefully preserved, a street has been named in her honour, and several patriotic societies have constituted her their principal deity. certainly her story is curious enough to entitle her to some distinction. the redeemed captive of all the towns settled by englishmen in the midst of indians, none was more thoroughly peaceful in its aims and origin than deerfield, in the old pocumtuck valley. here under the giant trees of the primeval forest the whitehaired eliot prayed, and beside the banks of the sluggish stream he gathered as nucleus for the town the roving savages upon whom his gospel message had made a deep impression. quite naturally, therefore, the men of pocumtuck were not disquieted by news of indian troubles. with the natives about them they had lived on peaceful terms for many years, and it was almost impossible for them to believe that they would ever come to shudder at the mere presence of redskins. yet history tells us, and deerfield to-day bears witness to the fact, that no town in all the colonies suffered more at the hands of the indians than did this peaceful village in western massachusetts. in king william died, and "good" queen anne reigned in his stead. following closely upon the latter event came another war between france and england, a conflict which, as in the reign of william and mary, renewed the hostilities between the french and english colonies in america. at an early date, accordingly, the settlement of deerfield discovered that it was to be attacked by the french. at once measures were taken to strengthen the fortifications of the town, and to prepare, so far as possible, for the dreaded event. the blow fell on the night of the twenty-ninth of february, , when major hertel de rouville, with upwards of three hundred and forty french and indians, arrived at a pine bluff overlooking deerfield meadow, about two miles north of the village--a locality now known as petty's plain. here he halted, to await the appropriate hour for an attack, and it was not until early morning that, leaving their packs upon the spot, his men started forward for their terrible work of destruction. rouville took great pains not to alarm the sentinels in his approach, but the precaution was unnecessary, as the watch were unfaithful, and had retired to rest. arriving at the fortifications, he found the snow drifted nearly to the top of the palisades, and his entire party entered the place undiscovered, while the whole population were in profound sleep. quietly distributing themselves in parties, they broke in the doors of the houses, dragged out the astonished inhabitants, killed such as resisted, and took prisoner the majority of the remainder, only a few escaping from their hands into the woods. [illustration: williams house, deerfield, mass.] the house of reverend john williams was assaulted at the beginning of the attack. awakened from sleep, mr. williams leaped from his bed, and running to the door found the enemy entering. calling to two soldiers who lodged in the house, he sprang back to his bedroom, seized a pistol, cocked it, and presented it at the breast of an indian who had followed him. it missed fire, and it was well, for the room was thronged in an instant, and he was seized, bound without being allowed the privilege of dressing, and kept standing in the cold for an hour. meanwhile, the savages amused themselves by taunting him, swinging their hatchets over him and threatening him. two of his children and a negro woman were then taken to the door and butchered. mrs. williams was allowed to dress, and she and her five children were taken captives. other houses in the village were likewise attacked, one of them being defended by seven men, for whom the women inside cast bullets while the fight was in progress. but the attacking force was an overpowering one, and de rouville and his men had by sunrise done their work most successfully with torch and tomahawk. the blood of forty-nine murdered men, women and children reddened the snow. twenty-nine men, twenty-four women, and fifty-eight children were made captive, and in a few hours the spoil-encumbered enemy were en route for canada. through the midwinter snow which covered the fields the poor captives marched out on their terrible pilgrimage. two of the prisoners succeeded in escaping, whereupon mr. williams was ordered to inform the others that if any more slipped away death by fire would be visited upon those who remained. the first night's lodgings were provided for as comfortably as circumstances would permit, and all the ablebodied among the prisoners were made to sleep in barns. on the second day's march mr. williams was permitted to speak with his poor wife, whose youngest child had been born only a few weeks before, and to assist her on her journey. "on the way," says the pastor, in his famous book, "the redeemed captive", "we discoursed on the happiness of those who had a right to an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens; and god for a father and friend; as also it was our reasonable duty quietly to submit to the will of god, and to say, 'the will of the lord be done.'" thus imparting to one another their heroic courage and christian strength and consolation, the captive couple pursued their painful way. at last the poor woman announced the gradual failure of her strength, and during the short time she was allowed to remain with her husband, expressed good wishes and prayers for him and her children. the narrative proceeds: "she never spake any discontented word as to what had befallen her, but with suitable expressions justified god in what had happened.... we soon made a halt, in which time my chief surviving master came up, upon which i was put into marching with the foremost, and so made my last farewell of my dear wife, the desire of my eyes, and companion in many mercies and afflictions. upon our separation from each other, we asked for each other grace sufficient for what god should call us to." for a short time mrs. williams remained where her husband had left her, occupying her leisure in reading her bible. he, as was necessary, went on, and soon had to ford a small and rapid stream, and climb a high mountain on its other side. reaching the top very much exhausted, he was unburdened of his pack. then his heart went down the steep after his wife. he entreated his master to let him go down and help her, but his desire was refused. as the prisoners one after another came up he inquired for her, and at length the news of her death was told to him. in wading the river she had been thrown down by the water and entirely submerged. yet after great difficulty she had succeeded in reaching the bank, and had penetrated to the foot of the mountain. here, however, her master had become discouraged with the idea of her maintaining the march, and burying his tomahawk in her head he left her dead. mrs. williams was the daughter of reverend eleazer mather, the first minister of northampton--an educated, refined, and noble woman. it is pleasant, while musing upon her sad fate, to recall that her body was found and brought back to deerfield, where, long years after, her husband was laid by her side. and there to-day sleeps the dust of the pair beneath stones which inform the stranger of the interesting spot. others of the captives were killed upon the journey as convenience required. a journal kept by stephen williams, the pastor's son, who was only eleven years old when captured, reflects in an artless way every stage of the terrible journey: "they travelled," he writes, "as if they meant to kill us all, for they travelled thirty-five or forty miles a day.... their manner was, if any loitered, to kill them. my feet were very sore, so i thought they would kill me also." when the first sabbath arrived, mr. williams was allowed to preach. his text was taken from the lamentations of jeremiah, the verse in which occurs the passage, "my virgins and my young men have gone into captivity." thus they progressed, the life of the captives dependent in every case upon their ability to keep up with the party. here an innocent child would be knocked upon the head and left in the snow, and there some poor woman dropped by the way and killed by the tomahawk. arriving at white river, de rouville divided his forces, and the parties took separate routes to canada. the group to which mr. williams was attached went up white river, and proceeded, with various adventures, to sorel in canada, to which place some of the captives had preceded him. in canada, all who arrived were treated by the french with great humanity, and mr. williams with marked courtesy. he proceeded to chambly, thence to st. francis on the st. lawrence, afterward to quebec, and at last to montreal, where governor vaudreuil accorded him much kindness, and eventually redeemed him from savage hands. mr. williams's religious experiences in canada were characteristic of the times. he was there thrown among romanists, a sect against which he entertained the most profound dislike--profound to the degree of inflammatory conscientiousness, not to say bigotry. his indian master was determined he should go to church, but he would not, and was once dragged there, where, he says, he "saw a great confusion instead of any gospel order." the jesuits assailed him on every hand, and gave him but little peace. his master at one time tried to make him kiss a crucifix, under the threat that he would dash out his brains with a hatchet if he should refuse. but he did refuse, and had the good fortune to save his head as well as his conscience. mr. williams's own account of his stay in canada is chiefly devoted to anecdotes of the temptations to romanism with which he was beset by the jesuits. his son samuel was almost persuaded to embrace the faith of rome, and his daughter eunice was, to his great chagrin, forced to say prayers in latin. but, for the most, the deerfield captives proved intractable, and were still aggressively protestant when, in , mr. williams and all his children (except eunice, of whom we shall say more anon), together with the other captives up to the number of fifty-seven, embarked on board a ship sent to quebec by governor dudley, and sailed for boston. a committee of the pastor's people met their old clergyman upon his landing at boston, and invited him to return to the charge from which he had, nearly three years before, been torn. and mr. williams had the courage to accept their offer, notwithstanding the fact that the war continued with unabated bitterness. in the town voted to build him a house "as big as ensign sheldon's, and a back room as big as may be thought convenient." this house is still standing ( ), though ensign sheldon's, the "old indian house in deerfield," as it has been popularly called, was destroyed more than half a century ago. the indian house stood at the northern end of deerfield common, and exhibited to its latest day the marks of the tomahawk left upon its front door in the attack of , and the perforations made by the balls inside. the door is still preserved, and is one of the most interesting relics now to be seen in memorial hall, deerfield. for more than twenty years after his return from captivity, mr. williams served his parish faithfully. he took into his new house a new wife, by whom he had several children; and in this same house he passed peacefully away june , , in the sixty-fifth year of his age, and the forty-fifth of his ministry. stephen williams, who had been taken captive when a lad of eleven, was redeemed in with his father. in spite of the hardships to which he had been so early exposed, he was a fine strong boy when he returned to deerfield, and he went on with his rudely interrupted education to such good effect that he graduated from harvard in at the age of twenty. in he settled as minister at longmeadow, in which place he died in . yet his manhood was not passed without share in the wars of the time, for he was chaplain in the louisburg expedition in , and in the regiment of colonel ephraim williams in his fatal campaign in , and again in the canadian campaign of . the portrait of him which is here given was painted about , and is now to be seen in the hall of the pocumtuck valley memorial association, within four-score rods of the place where the boy captive was born, and from which he was carried as a tender child into captivity. [illustration: reverend stephen williams.] it has been said that one of the greatest trials of mr. williams's stay in canada was the discovery that his little daughter, eunice, had been taught by her canadian captors to say prayers in latin. but this was only the beginning of the sorrow of the good man's life. eunice was a plastic little creature, and she soon adopted not only the religion, but also the manners and customs of the indians among whom she had fallen. in fact and feeling she became a daughter of the indians, and there among them she married, on arriving at womanhood, an indian by whom she had a family of children. a few years after the war she made her first visit to her deerfield relatives, and subsequently she came twice to massachusetts dressed in indian costume. but all the inducements held out to her to remain there were in vain. during her last visit she was the subject of many prayers and lengthy sermonising on the part of her clerical relatives, an address delivered at mansfield august , , by solomon williams, a. m., being frankly in her behalf. a portion of this sermon has come down to us, and offers a curious example of the eloquence of the time: "it has pleased god," says the worthy minister, "to incline her, the last summer and now again of her own accord, to make a visit to her friends; and this seems to encourage us to hope that he designs to answer the many prayers which have been put up for her." but in spite of these many prayers, and in spite, too, of the fact that the general court of massachusetts granted eunice and her family a piece of land on condition that they would remain in new england, she refused on the ground that it would endanger her soul. she lived and died in savage life, though nominally a convert to romanism. out of her singular fate has grown another romance, the marvel of later times. for from her descended reverend eleazer williams, missionary to the indians at green bay, wisconsin, who was in visited by the duc de joinville, and told that he was that dauphin (son of louis xvi. and marie antoinette), who, according to history, died in prison june , . in spite of the fact that the evidence of this little prince's death was as strong as any which can be found in history in relation to the death of louis, his father, or of marie antoinette, his mother, the strange story--first published in _putnam's magazine_ for february, --gained general credence, even mr. williams himself coming gradually to believe it. as a matter of fact, however, there was proved to be a discrepancy of eight years between the dates of williams's and the dauphin's birth, and nearly every part of the clergyman's life was found to have been spent in quite a commonplace way. for as a boy, eleazer williams lived with reverend mr. ely, on the connecticut river, and his kinsman, doctor williams, of deerfield, at once asserted that he remembered him very well at all stages of his boyhood. governor charles k. williams, of vermont, writing from rutland under date february , , said of the reverend eleazer and his "claims" to the throne of france, "i never had any doubt that williams was of indian extraction, and a descendant of eunice williams. his father and mother were both of them at my father's house, although i cannot ascertain definitely the year. i consider the whole story a humbug, and believe that it will be exploded in the course of a few months." as a matter of fact, the story has been exploded,--though the features of the reverend eleazer williams, when in the full flush of manhood, certainly bore a remarkable resemblance to those of the french kings from whom his descent was claimed. his mixed blood might account for this, however. williams's paternal grandfather was an english physician,--not of the deerfield family at all,--and his grandmother the daughter of eunice williams and her redskin mate. his father was thomas williams, captain in the british service during the american revolution, and his mother a frenchwoman. thus the reverend eleazer was part english, part yankee, part indian, and part french, a combination sufficiently complex to account, perhaps, even for an unmistakably bourbon chin. new england's first "club woman" even to-day, in this emancipated twentieth century, women ministers and "female preachers" are not infrequently held up to derision by those who delight to sit in the seat of the scornful. trials for heresy are likewise still common. it is not at all strange, therefore, that mistress ann hutchinson should, in , have been driven out of boston as an enemy dangerous to public order, her specific offence being that she maintained in her own house that a mere profession of faith could not evidence salvation, unless the spirit first revealed itself from within. mrs. hutchinson's maiden name was ann marbury, and she was the daughter of a scholar and a theologian--one francis marbury--who was first a minister of lincolnshire and afterward of london. naturally, much of the girl's as well as the greater part of the woman's life was passed in the society of ministers--men whom she soon learned to esteem more for what they knew than for what they preached. theology, indeed, was the atmosphere in which she lived and moved and had her being. intellectually, she was an enthusiast, morally an agitator, a clever leader, whom winthrop very aptly described as a "woman of ready wit and bold spirit." while still young, this exceptionally gifted woman married william hutchinson, a country gentleman of good character and estate, whose home was also in lincolnshire. winthrop has nothing but words of contempt for mrs. hutchinson's husband, but there is little doubt that a sincere attachment existed between the married pair, and that hutchinson was a man of sterling character and worth, even though he was intellectually the inferior of his remarkable wife. in their lincolnshire home the hutchinsons had been parishioners of the reverend john cotton, and regular attendants at that celebrated divine's church in boston, england. to him, her pastor, mrs. hutchinson was deeply attached. and when the minister fled to new england in order to escape from the tyranny of the bishops, the hutchinsons also decided to come to america, and presently the whole family did so. mrs. hutchinson's daughter, who had married the reverend john wright wheelwright--another lincolnshire minister who had suffered at the hands of archbishop laud--came with her mother. besides the daughter, there were three grown sons in the family at the time mrs. hutchinson landed in the boston she was afterward to rend with religious dissension. so it was no young, sentimental, unbalanced girl, but a middle-aged, matured, and experienced woman of the world who, in the autumn of , took sail for new england. during the voyage it was learned that mrs. hutchinson came primed for religious controversy. with some puritan ministers who were on the same vessel she discussed eagerly abstruse theological questions, and she hinted in no uncertain way that when they should arrive in new england they might expect to hear more from her. clearly, she regarded herself as one with a mission. in unmistakable terms she avowed her belief that direct revelations are made to the elect, and asserted that nothing of importance had ever happened to her which had not been revealed to her beforehand. upon their arrival in boston, the hutchinsons settled down in a house on the site of the present old corner book store, the head of the family made arrangements to enter upon his business affairs, and in due time both husband and wife made their application to be received as members of the church. this step was indispensable to admit the pair into christian fellowship and to allow to mr. hutchinson the privileges of a citizen. he came through the questioning more easily than did his wife, for, in consequence of the reports already spread concerning her extravagant opinions, mrs. hutchinson was subjected to a most searching examination. finally, however, she, too, passed through the ordeal safely, the examining ministers, one of whom was her old and beloved pastor, mr. cotton, declaring themselves satisfied with her answers. so, in november, we find her a "member in good standing" of the boston church. [illustration: old corner bookstore, site of the hutchinson house.] from this time forward mrs. hutchinson was a person of great importance in boston. sir harry vane, then governor of the colony and the idol of the people, was pleased, with mr. cotton, to take much notice of the gifted newcomer, and their example was followed by the leading and influential people of the town, who treated her with much consideration and respect, and were quick to recognise her intellectuality as far superior to that of most members of her sex. mrs. hutchinson soon came, indeed, to be that very remarkable thing--a prophet honoured in her own community. adopting an established custom of the town, she held in her own home two weekly meetings--one for men and women and one exclusively for women--at which she was the oracle. and all these meetings were very generously attended. mrs. hutchinson seems to have been new england's first clubwoman. never before had women come together for independent thought and action. to be sure, nothing more lively than the sermon preached the sunday before was ever discussed at these gatherings, but the talk was always pithy and bright, the leader's wit was always ready, and soon the house at the corner of what is now school street came to be widely celebrated as the centre of an influence so strong and far-reaching as to make the very ministers jealous and fearful. at first, to be sure, the parsons themselves went to the meetings. cotton, vane, wheelwright, and coddington, completely embraced the leader's views, and the result upon winthrop of attendance at these conferences was to send that official home to his closet, wrestling with himself, yet more than half persuaded. hawthorne's genius has conjured up the scene at boston's first "parlour talks," so that we too may attend and be one among the "crowd of hooded women and men in steeple hats and close-cropped hair ... assembled at the door and open windows of a house newly-built. an earnest expression glows in every face ... and some press inward as if the bread of life were to be dealt forth, and they feared to lose their share." in plain english ann hutchinson's doctrines were these: "she held and advocated as the highest truth," writes mr. drake, "that a person could be justified only by an actual and manifest revelation of the spirit to him personally. there could be no other evidence of grace. she repudiated a doctrine of works, and she denied that holiness of living alone could be received as evidence of regeneration, since hypocrites might live outwardly as pure lives as the saints do. the puritan churches held that sanctification by the will was evidence of justification." in advancing these views, mrs. hutchinson's pronounced personal magnetism stood her in good stead. she made many converts, and, believing herself inspired to do a certain work, and emboldened by the increasing number of her followers, she soon became unwisely and unpleasantly aggressive in her criticisms of those ministers who preached a covenant of works. she seems to have been led into speaking her mind as to doctrines and persons more freely than was consistent with prudence and moderation, because she was altogether unsuspicious that what was being said in the privacy of her own house was being carefully treasured up against her. so she constantly added fuel to the flame, which was soon to burst forth to her undoing. she was accused of fostering sedition in the church, and was then confronted with charges relative to the meetings of women held at her house. this she successfully parried. it looked indeed as if she would surely be acquitted, when by an impassioned discourse upon special revelations that had come to her, and an assertion that god would miraculously protect her whatever the court might decree, she impugned the position of her judges and roused keen resentment. because of this it was that she was banished "as unfit for our society." in the colony records of massachusetts the sentence pronounced reads as follows: "mrs. hutchinson (the wife of mr. william hutchinson) being convented for traducing the ministers and their ministry in this country, shee declared voluntarily her revelations for her ground, and that shee should bee delivred and the court ruined with their posterity; and thereupon was banished, and the meanwhile she was committed to mr. joseph weld untill the court shall dispose of her." mrs. hutchinson passed next winter accordingly under the watch and ward of thomas weld, in the house of his brother joseph, near what is now eustis street, roxbury. she was there until march, when, returning to boston for further trial, she was utterly cast out, even john cotton, who had been her friend, turning against her. mr. cotton did not present an heroic figure in this trial. had he chosen, he might have turned the drift of public opinion in mrs. hutchinson's favour, but he was either too weak or too politic to withstand the pressure brought to bear upon him, and he gave a qualified adhesion to the proceedings. winthrop did not hesitate to use severe measures, and in the course of the struggle vane, who deeply admired the boston prophetess, left the country in disgust. mrs. hutchinson was arraigned at the bar as if she had been a criminal of the most dangerous kind. winthrop, who presided, catechised her mercilessly, and all endeavoured to extort from her some damaging admission. but in this they were unsuccessful. "mrs. hutchinson can tell when to speak and when to hold her tongue," commented the governor, in describing the court proceedings. yet when all is said, the "trial" was but a mockery, and those who read the proceedings as preserved in the "history of massachusetts under the colony and province," written by governor hutchinson, a descendant of our heroine, will be quick to condemn the judgment there pronounced by a court which expounded theology instead of law against a woman who, as coddington truly said, "had broken no law, either of god or of man." banishment was the sentence pronounced, and after the church which had so lately caressed and courted mrs. hutchinson had in its turn visited upon her the verdict of excommunication, her husband sold all his property and removed with his family to the island of aquidneck, as did also many others whose opinions had brought them under the censure of the governing powers. in this connection it is worth noting that the head of the house of hutchinson stood right valiantly by his persecuted wife, and when a committee of the boston church went in due time to rhode island for the purpose of bringing back into the fold the sheep which they adjudged lost, mr. hutchinson told them bluntly that, far from being of their opinion, he accounted his wife "a dear saint and servant of god." the rest of mrs. hutchinson's story is soon told. upon the death of her husband, which occurred five years after the banishment, she went with her family into the dutch territory of new netherlands, settling near what is now new rochelle. and scarcely had she become established in this place when her house was suddenly assaulted by hostile indians, who, in their revengeful fury, murdered the whole family, excepting only one daughter, who was carried away into captivity. thus in the tragedy of an indian massacre was quenched the light of the most remarkable intellect boston has ever made historic by misunderstanding. hawthorne, in writing in his early manhood of mrs. hutchinson ("biographical sketches"), humourously remarked, seer that he was: "there are portentous indications, changes gradually taking place in the habits and feelings of the gentler sex, which seem to threaten our posterity with many of those public women whereof one was a burden too grievous for our fathers." fortunately, we of to-day have learned to take our clubwomen less tragically than winthrop was able to do. [illustration: old witch house, salem, mass.] in the reign of the witches one of the most interesting of the phenomena to be noted by the student of historical houses is the tenacity of tradition. people may be told again and again that a story attributed to a certain site has been proven untrue, but they still look with veneration on a place which has been hallowed many years, and refuse to give up any alluring name by which they have known it. a notable example of this is offered by what is universally called the old witch house, situated at the corner of essex and north streets, salem. a dark, scowling building, set far enough back from the street for a modern drugstore to stand in front of it, the house itself is certainly sufficiently sinister in appearance to warrant its name, even though one is assured by authorities that no witch was ever known to have lived there. its sole connection with witchcraft, history tells us, is that some of the preliminary examinations of witches took place here, the house being at the time the residence of justice jonathan corwin. yet it is this house that has absorbed the interest of historical pilgrims to salem through many years, just because it looks like a witch-house, and somebody once made a muddled statement by which it came to be so regarded. this house is the oldest standing in salem or its vicinity, having been built before . and it really has a claim to fame as the roger williams house, for it was here that the great "teacher" lived during his troubled settlement in salem. the people of salem, it will be remembered, persistently sought williams as their spiritual pastor and master until the general court at boston unseated the salem deputies for the acts of their constituents in retaining a man of whom they disapproved, and the magistrates sent a vessel to salem to remove mr. williams to england. the minister eluded his persecutors by fleeing through the wintry snows into the wilderness, to become the founder of the state of rhode island. mr. williams was a close friend and confidential adviser of governor endicott, and those who were alarmed at the governor's impetuosity in cutting the cross from the king's colours, attributed the act to his [williams's] influence. in taking his departure from the old house of the picture to make his way to freedom, williams had no guide save a pocket compass, which his descendants still exhibit, and no reliance but the friendly disposition of the indians toward him. but it is of the witchcraft delusion with which the house of our picture is connected rather than with williams and his story, that i wish now to speak. jonathan corwin, or curwin, who was the house's link to witchcraft, was made a councillor under the new charter granted massachusetts by king william in , and was, as has been said, one of the justices before whom the preliminary witch examinations were held. he it was who officiated at the trial of rebecca nourse, of danvers, hanged as a witch july , , as well as at many other less remarkable and less revolting cases. [illustration: rebecca nourse house, danvers, mass.] rebecca nourse, aged and infirm and universally beloved by her neighbours, was accused of being a witch--why, one is unable to find out. the jury was convinced of her innocence, and brought in a verdict of "not guilty," but the court sent them out again with instructions to find her guilty. this they did, and she was executed. the tradition is that her sons disinterred her body by stealth from the foot of the gallows where it had been thrown, and brought it to the old homestead, now still standing in danvers, laying it reverently, and with many tears, in the little family burying ground near by. the majority of the persons condemned in salem were either old or weak-witted, victims who in their testimony condemned themselves, or seemed to the jury to do so. tituba, the indian slave, is an example of this. she was tried in march, , by the justice corwin of the big, dark house. she confessed that under threats from satan, who had most often appeared to her as a man in black, accompanied by a yellow bird, she had tortured the girls who appeared against her. she named accomplices, and was condemned to imprisonment. after a few months she was sold to pay the expenses of her lodging in jail, and is lost to history. but this was by no means the end of the matter. the "afflicted children" in salem who had made trouble before now began to accuse men and women of unimpeachable character. within a few months several hundred people were arrested and thrown into jails. as governor hutchinson, the historian of the time, points out, the only way to prevent an accusation was to become an accuser oneself. the state of affairs was indeed analogous to that which obtained in france a century later, when, during the reign of terror, men of property and position lived in the hourly fear of being regarded as "a suspect," and frequently threw suspicion on their neighbours the better to retain their own heads. we of to-day cannot understand the madness that inspired such cruelty. but in the light of michelet's theory,--that in the oppression and dearth of every kind of ideal interest in rural populations some safety-valve had to be found, and that there _were_ real organised secret meetings, witches' sabbaths, to supply this need of sensation,--the thing is less difficult to comprehend. the religious hysteria that resulted in the banishment of mrs. hutchinson was but another phase of the same thing. and the degeneration to be noted to-day in the remote hill-towns of new england is likewise attributable to michelet's "dearth of ideal interest." the thing once started, it grew, of course, by what it fed upon. professor william james, harvard's distinguished psychologist, has traced to torture the so-called "confessions" on which the evil principally throve. a person, he says, was suddenly found to be suffering from what we to-day should call hysteria, perhaps, but what in those days was called a witch disease. a witch then had to be found to account for the disease; a scapegoat must of necessity be brought forward. some poor old woman was thereupon picked out and subjected to atrocious torture. if she "confessed," the torture ceased. naturally she very often "confessed," thus implicating others and damning herself. negative suggestion this modern psychologist likewise offers as light upon witchcraft. the witches seldom cried, no matter what their anguish of mind might be. the inquisitors used to say to them then, "if you're not a witch, cry, let us see your tears. there, there! you can't cry! that proves you're a witch!" moreover, that was an age when everybody read the bible, and believed in its verbal inspiration. and there in exodus ( : ), is the plain command, "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." cotton mather, the distinguished young divine, had published a work affirming his belief in witchcraft, and detailing his study of some bewitched children in charlestown, one of whom he had taken into his own family, the better to observe the case. the king believed in it, and queen anne, to whose name we usually prefix the adjective "good," wrote to governor phips a letter which shows that she admitted witchcraft as a thing unquestioned. it is in connection with the witchcraft delusion in salem that we get the one instance in new england of the old english penalty for contumacy, that of a victim's being pressed to death. giles corey, who believed in witchcraft and was instrumental in the conviction of his wife, so suffered, partly to atone for his early cowardice and partly to save his property for his children. this latter thing he could not have done if he had been convicted of witchcraft, so after pleading "not guilty," he remained mute, refusing to add the necessary technical words that he would be tried "by god and his country." the arrest of mrs. corey, we learn, followed closely on the heels of that of tituba and her companions. the accused was a woman of sixty, and the third wife of corey. she seems to have been a person of unusual strength of character, and from the first denounced the witchcraft excitement, trying to persuade her husband, who believed all the monstrous stories then current, not to attend the hearings or in any way countenance the proceedings. perhaps it was this well-known attitude of hers that directed suspicion to her. at her trial the usual performance was enacted. the "afflicted girls" fell on the floor, uttered piercing shrieks, and cried out upon their victim. "there is a man whispering in her ear!" one of them suddenly exclaimed. "what does he say to you?" the judge demanded of martha corey, accepting at once the "spectral evidence". "we must not believe all these distracted children say," was her sensible answer. but good sense was not much regarded at witch trials, and she was convicted and not long afterward executed. her husband's evidence, which went strongly against her, is here given as a good example of much of the testimony by which the nineteen salem victims of the delusion were sent to gallows hill. "one evening i was sitting by the fire when my wife asked me to go to bed. i told her that i would go to prayer, and when i went to prayer i could not utter my desires with any sense, nor open my mouth to speak. after a little space i did according to my measure attend the duty. some time last week i fetched an ox well out of the woods about noon, and he laying down in the yard, i went to raise him to yoke him, but he could not rise, but dragged his hinder parts as if he had been hip shot, but after did rise. i had a cat some time last week strongly taken on the sudden, and did make me think she would have died presently. my wife bid me knock her in the head, but i did not, and since she is well. my wife hath been wont to sit up after i went to bed, and i have perceived her to kneel down as if she were at prayer, but heard nothing." incredible as it seems to-day, this was accepted as "evidence" of mrs. corey's bewitchment. then, as so often happened, giles corey, the accuser, was soon himself accused. he was arrested, taken from his mill, and brought before the judges of the special court appointed by governor phips to hear the witch trials in salem. again the girls went through their performance, again there was an endeavour to extort a confession. but this time corey acted the part of a man. he had had leisure for reflection since he had testified against his wife, and he was now as sure that she was guiltless as that he himself was. bitter, indeed, must have been the realisation that he had helped convict her. but he atoned, as has been said, to her and to his children by subjecting himself to veritable martyrdom. though an old man whose hair was whitened with the snows of eighty winters, he "was laid on his back, a board placed on his body with as great a weight upon it as he could endure, while his sole diet consisted of a few morsels of bread one day, and a draught of water the alternate day until death put an end to his sufferings." rightly must this mode of torture have been named _peine forte et dure_. on gallows hill three days later occurred the execution of eight persons, the last so to suffer in the colony. nineteen people in all were hanged, and one was pressed to death in salem, but _there is absolutely no foundation for the statement that some were burned_. the revulsion that followed the cessation of the delusion was as marked as was the precipitation that characterised the proceedings. many of the clergy concerned in the trials offered abject apologies, and judge sewall, noblest of all the civil and ecclesiastical authorities implicated in the madness, stood up on fast day before a great congregation in the south church, boston, acknowledged his grievous error in accepting "spectral evidence," and to the end of his life did penance yearly in the same meeting-house for his part in the transactions. not inappropriately the gloomy old house in which the fanatical corwin had his home is to-day given over to a dealer in antique furniture. visitors are freely admitted upon application, and very many in the course of the year go inside to feast their eyes on the ancient wainscoting and timbers. the front door and the overhanging roof are just as in the time of the witches, and from a recessed area at the back, narrow casements and excrescent stairways are still to be seen. the original house had, however, peaked gables, with pineapples carved in wood surmounting its latticed windows and colossal chimneys that placed it unmistakably in the age of ruffs, spanish cloaks, and long rapiers. lady wentworth of the hall on one of those pleasant long evenings, when the group of friends that longfellow represents in his "tales of the wayside inn" had gathered in the twilight about the cheery open fire of the house at sudbury to tell each other tales of long ago, we hear best the story of martha hilton. we seem to catch the poet's voice as he says after the legend from the baltic has been alluringly related by the musician: "these tales you tell are, one and all, of the old world, flowers gathered from a crumbling wall, dead leaves that rustle as they fall; let me present you in their stead something of our new england earth; a tale which, though of no great worth, has still this merit, that it yields a certain freshness of the fields, a sweetness as of home-made bread." and then, as the others leaned back to listen, there followed the beautiful ballad which celebrates the fashion in which martha hilton, a kitchen maid, became "lady wentworth of the hall." the old wentworth mansion, where, as a beautiful girl, martha came, served, and conquered all who knew her, and even once received as her guest the father of his country, is still in an admirably preserved state, and the wayside inn, rechristened the red horse tavern, still entertains glad guests. [illustration: red horse tavern, sudbury, mass.] this inn was built about , and for almost a century and a half from it was kept as a public house by generation after generation of howes, the last of the name at the inn being lyman howe, who served guests of the house from to about , and was the good friend and comrade of the brilliant group of men longfellow has poetically immortalised in the "tales." the modern successor of staver's inn, or the "earl of halifax," in the doorway of which longfellow's worthy dame once said, "as plain as day:" "oh, martha hilton! fie! how dare you go about the town half dressed and looking so!" is also standing, and has recently been decorated by a memorial tablet. in portsmouth martha hilton is well remembered, thanks to longfellow and tradition, as a slender girl who, barefooted, ragged, with neglected hair, bore from the well "a pail of water dripping through the street, and bathing as she went her naked feet." nor do the worthy people of portsmouth fail to recall the other actor in this memorable drama, upon which the earl of halifax once benignly smiled: "a portly person, with three-cornered hat, a crimson velvet coat, head high in air, gold-headed cane and nicely powdered hair, and diamond buckles sparkling at his knees, dignified, stately, florid, much at ease. for this was governor wentworth, driving down to little harbour, just beyond the town, where his great house stood, looking out to sea, a goodly place, where it was good to be." there are even those who can perfectly recollect when the house was very venerable in appearance, and when in its rooms were to be seen the old spinet, the strafford portrait, and many other things delightful to the antiquary. longfellow's description of this ancient domicile is particularly beautiful: "it was a pleasant mansion, an abode near and yet hidden from the great highroad, sequestered among trees, a noble pile, baronial and colonial in its style; gables and dormer windows everywhere-- pandalan pipes, on which all winds that blew made mournful music the whole winter through. within, unwonted splendours met the eye, panels, and floors of oak, and tapestry; carved chimneypieces, where, on brazen dogs, revelled and roared the christmas fire of logs. doors opening into darkness unawares, mysterious passages and flights of stairs; and on the walls, in heavy-gilded frames, the ancestral wentworths, with old scripture names. such was the mansion where the great man dwelt." the place thus prettily pictured is at the mouth of sagamore creek, not more than, two miles from the town of portsmouth. the exterior of the mansion as it looks to-day does not of itself live up to one's preconceived idea of colonial magnificence. a rambling collection of buildings, seemingly the result of various "l" expansions, form an inharmonious whole which would have made ruskin quite mad. the site is, however, charming, for the place commands a view up and down little harbour, though concealed by an eminence from the road. the house is said to have originally contained as many as fifty-two rooms. if so, it has shrunk in recent years. but there is still plenty of elbow space, and the cellar is even to-day large enough to accommodate a fair-sized troop of soldiery. as one enters, one notices first the rack in which were wont to be deposited the muskets of the governor's guard. and it requires only a little imagination to picture the big rooms as they were in the old days, with the portrait of strafford dictating to his secretary just before his execution, the rare copley, the green damask-covered furniture, and the sedan-chair, all exhaling an atmosphere of old-time splendour and luxury. something of impressiveness has recently been introduced into the interior by the artistic arrangement of old furniture which the house's present owner, mr. templeton coolidge, has brought about. but the exterior is "spick-span" in modern yellow and white paint! [illustration: governor wentworth house, portsmouth, n. h.] yet it was in this very house that martha for seven years served her future lord. there, busy with mop and pail---- "a maid of all work, whether coarse or fine, a servant who made service seem divine!" she grew from childhood into the lovely woman whom governor wentworth wooed and won. in the march of it was that the host at little harbour exclaimed abruptly to the good rector of st. john's, who had been dining sumptuously at the manor-house: "this is my birthday; it shall likewise be my wedding-day, and you shall marry me!" no wonder the listening guests were greatly mystified, as martha and the portly governor were joined "across the walnuts and the wine" by the reverend arthur brown, of the established church. and now, of course, martha had her chariot, from which she could look down as disdainfully as did the earl of halifax on the humble folk who needs must walk. the sudden elevation seems, indeed, to have gone to my lady's head. for tradition says that very shortly after her marriage martha dropped her ring and summoned one of her late kitchen colleagues to rescue it from the floor. but the colleague had quickly become shortsighted, and martha, dismissing her hastily, picked up the circlet herself. before the reverend arthur brown was gathered to his fathers, he had another opportunity to marry the fascinating martha to another wentworth, a man of real soldierly distinction. her second husband was redcoated michael, of england, who had been in the battle of culloden. this colonel michael wentworth was the "great buck" of his day, and was wont to fiddle at stoodley's far into the morning for sheer love of fiddling and revelry. stoodley's has now fallen indeed! it is the brick building marked "custom-house," and it stands at the corner of daniel and penhallow streets. to this lord and lady wentworth it was that washington, in , came as a guest, "rowed by white-jacketed sailors straight to their vine-hung, hospitable door." at this time there was a younger martha in the house, one who had grown up to play the spinet by the long, low windows, and who later joined her fate to that of still another wentworth, with whom she passed to france. a few years later, in , the "great buck" of his time took to a bankrupt's grave in new york, forgetting, so the story goes, the eternal canon fixed against self-slaughter. but for all we tell as a legend this story of martha hilton, and for all her "capture" of the governor has come down to us almost as a myth, it is less than fifty years ago that the daughter of the man who fiddled at stoodley's and of the girl who went barefooted and ragged through the streets of portsmouth, passed in her turn to the great beyond. verily, we in america have, after all, only a short historical perspective. an historic tragedy one hundred years ago there was committed in dedham, massachusetts, one of the most famous murders of this country, a crime, some description of which falls naturally enough into these chapters, inasmuch as the person punished as the criminal belonged to the illustrious fairbanks family, whose picturesque homestead is widely known as one of the oldest houses in new england. in the _massachusetts federalist_ of saturday, september , , we find an editorial paragraph which, apart from its intrinsic interest, is valuable as an example of the great difference between ancient and modern journalistic treatment of murder matter. this paragraph reads, in the quaint old type of the time: "on thursday last jason fairbanks was executed at dedham for the murder of miss elizabeth fales. he was taken from the gaol in this town at eight o'clock, by the sheriff of this county, and delivered to the sheriff of norfolk county at the boundary line between the two counties. "he was in an open coach, and was attended therein by the reverend doctor thatcher and two peace officers. from the county line in norfolk he was conducted to the dedham gaol by sheriff cutler, his deputies, and a score of cavalry under captain davis; and from the gaol in dedham to the place of execution was guarded by two companies of cavalry and a detachment of volunteer infantry. "he mounted the scaffold about a quarter before three with his usual steadiness, and soon after making a signal with his handkerchief, was swung off. after hanging about twenty-five minutes, his body was cut down and buried near the gallows. his deportment during his journey to and at the place of execution was marked with the same apathy and indifference which he discovered before and since his trial. we do not learn he has made any confession of his guilt." as a matter of fact, far from making a confession of his guilt, jason fairbanks denied even to the moment of his execution that he killed elizabeth fales, and his family and many other worthy citizens of dedham believed, and kept believing to the end of their lives, that the girl committed suicide, and that an innocent man was punished for a crime he could never have perpetrated. in the trial it was shown that this beautiful girl of eighteen had been for many years extremely fond of the young man, fairbanks, and that her love was ardently reciprocated. jason fairbanks had not been allowed, however, to visit the girl at the home of her father, though the fales place was only a little more than a mile from his own dwelling, the venerable fairbanks house. none the less, they had been in the habit of meeting frequently, in company with others, en route to the weekly singing school, the husking bees and the choir practice. both the young people were extremely fond of music, and this mutual interest seems to have been one of the several ties which bound them together. in spite, therefore, of the stern decree that young fairbanks should not visit miss fales at her home, there was considerable well-improved opportunity for intercourse, and, as was afterward shown, the two often had long walks together, apart from the others of their acquaintance. one of their appointments was made for the day of the murder, may , . fairbanks was to meet his sweetheart, he told a friend, in the pasture near her home, and it was his intention at that time to persuade her to run away with him and be married. unfortunately for fairbanks's case at the trial, it was shown that he told this same friend that if elizabeth fales would not run away with him he would do her harm. and one other thing which militated against the acquittal of the accused youth was the fact that, as an inducement to the girl to elope with him, fairbanks showed her a forged paper, upon which she appeared to have declared legally her intention to marry him. one tragic element of the whole affair was the fact that fairbanks had no definite work and no assured means of support. young people of good family did not marry a hundred years ago without thinking, and thinking to some purpose, of what cares and expense the future might bring them. the man, if he was an honourable man, expected always to have a home for his wife, and since fairbanks was an invalid, "debilitated in his right arm," as the phrasing of the time put it, and had never been able to do his part of the farm work, he had lived what his stern forebears would have called an idle life, and consequently utterly lacked the means to marry. that he was something of a spoiled child also developed at the trial, which from the first went against the young man because of the testimony of the chums to whom he had confided his intention to do elizabeth fales an injury if she would not go to wrentham and marry him. the prisoner's counsel were two very clever young lawyers who afterward came to be men of great distinction in massachusetts--no others, in fact, than harrison gray otis and john lowell. these men advanced very clever arguments to show that elizabeth fales, maddened by a love which seemed unlikely ever to end in marriage, had seized from jason the large knife which he was using to mend a quill pen as he walked to meet her, and with this knife had inflicted upon herself the terrible wounds, from the effect of which she died almost instantaneously. the fact that jason was himself wounded in the struggle was ingeniously utilised by the defence to show that he had received murderous blows from her hand, for the very reason that he had attempted (unsuccessfully, inasmuch as his right arm was impaired) to wrest the mad girl's murderous weapon from her. the counsel also made much of the fact that, though it was at midday and many people were not far off, no screams were heard. a vigorous girl like elizabeth fales would not have submitted easily, they held, to any such assault as was charged. in the course of the trial a very moving description of the sufferings such a high-strung, ardent nature as this girl's must have undergone, because of her hopeless love, was used to show the reasons for suicide. and following the habit of the times, the lawyers turned their work to moral ends by beseeching the parents in the crowded court-room to exercise a greater vigilance over the social life of their young people, and so prevent the possibility of their forming any such attachment as had moved elizabeth fales to take her own life. yet all this eloquent pleading was in vain, for the court found jason fairbanks guilty of murder and sentenced him to be hanged. from the court-room he was taken to the dedham gaol, but on the night of the seventeenth of august he was enabled to make his escape through the offices of a number of men who believed him innocent, and for some days he was at liberty. at length, however, upon a reward of one thousand dollars being offered for his apprehension, he was captured near northampton, massachusetts, which town he had reached on his journey to canada. the gallows upon which "justice" ultimately asserted itself is said to have been constructed of a tree cut from the old fairbanks place. the fairbanks house is still standing, having been occupied for almost two hundred and seventy-five years by the same family, which is now in the eighth generation of the name. the house is surrounded by magnificent old elms, and was built by jonathan fairbanks, who came from sowerby, in the west riding of yorkshire, england, in . the cupboards are filled with choice china, and even the fairbanks cats, it is said, drink their milk out of ancient blue saucers that would drive a collector wild with envy. the house is now ( ) the home of miss rebecca fairbanks, an old lady of seventy-five years, who will occupy it throughout her lifetime, although the place is controlled by the fairbanks chapter of the daughters of the revolution, who hold their monthly meetings there. [illustration: fairbanks house, dedham, mass.] the way in which this property was acquired by the organisation named is interesting recent history. miss rebecca fairbanks was obliged in to sell the house to john crowley, a real estate dealer in dedham. on april , , mrs. nelson v. titus, asked through the medium of the press for four thousand, five hundred dollars, necessary to purchase the house and keep it as a historical relic. almost immediately mrs. j. amory codman and miss martha codman sent a check for the sum desired, and thus performed a double act of beneficence. for it was now possible to ensure to miss fairbanks a life tenancy of the home of her fathers as well as to keep for all time this picturesque place as an example of early american architecture. hundreds of visitors now go every summer to see the interesting old house, which stands nestling cosily in a grassy dell just at the corner of east street and the short "willow road" across the meadows that lie between east street and dedham. this road is a "modern convenience," and its construction was severely frowned upon by the three old ladies who twenty years ago lived together in the family homestead. and though it made the road to the village shorter by half than the old way, this had no weight with the inflexible women who had inherited from their long line of ancestors marked decision and firmness of character. they protested against the building of the road, and when it was built in spite of their protests they declared they would not use it, and kept their word. constant attendants of the old congregational church in dedham, they went persistently by the longest way round rather than tolerate the road to which they had objected. that their neighbours called them "set in their ways" goes, of course, without saying, but the women of the fairbanks family have ever been rigidly conscientious, and the men a bit obstinate. for, much as one would like to think the contrary true, one seems forced to believe that it was obstinacy rather than innocency which made jason fairbanks protest till the hour of his death that he was being unjustly punished. inventor morse's unfulfilled ambition the first house erected in charlestown after the destruction of the village by fire in (the coup d'état which immediately followed the battle of bunker hill, it will be remembered), is that which is here given as the birthplace of samuel finley breese morse, the inventor of the electric telegraph. the house is still standing at main street, and in the front chamber of the second story, on the right of the front door of the entrance, visitors still pause to render tribute to the memory of the babe that there drew his first breath on april , . [illustration: edes house, birthplace of professor morse, charlestown, mass.] it was, however, quite by accident that the house became doubly famous, for it was during the building of the parsonage, pastor morse's proper home, that his little son came to gladden his life. reverend jedediah morse became minister of the first parish church on april , , the very date of washington's inauguration in new york as president of the united states, and two weeks later married a daughter of judge samuel breese, of new york. shortly afterward it was determined to build a parsonage, and during the construction of this dwelling doctor morse accepted the hospitality of mr. thomas edes, who then owned the "oldest" house. and work on the parsonage being delayed beyond expectation, mrs. morse's little son was born in the edes house. apropos of the brief residence of doctor morse in this house comes a quaint letter from reverend jeremy belknap, the staid old doctor of divinity, and the founder of the massachusetts historical society, which shows that girls over a hundred years ago were quite as much interested in young unmarried ministers as nice girls ought ever to be. two or three months before the settlement of mr. morse in charlestown, doctor belknap wrote to his friend, ebenezer hazard, of new york, who was a relative of judge breese: "you said in one of your late letters that probably charlestown people would soon have to build a house for mr. morse. i let this drop in a conversation with a daughter of mr. carey, and in a day or two it was all over charlestown, and the girls who had been setting their caps for him are chagrined. i suppose it would be something to mr. morse's advantage in point of bands and handkerchiefs, if this report could be contradicted; but if it cannot, oh, how heavy will be the disappointment. when a young clergyman settles in such a town as charlestown, there is as much looking out for him as there is for a thousand-dollar prize in a lottery; and though the girls know that but one can have him, yet 'who knows but i may be that one?'"[ ] doctor morse's fame has been a good deal obscured by that of his distinguished son, but he seems none the less to have been a good deal of a man, and it is perhaps no wonder that the feminine portion of a little place like charlestown looked forward with decided interest to his settling among them. we can even fancy that the girls of the sewing society studied geography with ardour when they learned who was to be their new minister. for geography was doctor morse's passion; he was, indeed, the alexis frye of his period. this interest in geography is said to have been so tremendous with the man that once being asked by his teacher at a greek recitation where a certain verb was found, he replied, "on the coast of africa." and while he was a tutor at yale the want of geographies there induced him to prepare notes for his pupils, to serve as text-books, which he eventually printed. young morse seconded his father's passion for geography by one as strongly marked for drawing, and the blank margin of his virgil occupied far more of his thoughts than the text. the inventor came indeed only tardily to discover in which direction his real talent lay. all his youth he worshipped art and followed (at considerable distance) his beloved mistress. his penchant for painting, exhibited in much the same manner as allston's, his future master, did not meet with the same encouragement. a caricature (founded upon some fracas among the students at yale), in which the faculty were burlesqued, was seized during morse's student days, handed to president dwight, and the author, who was no other than our young friend, called up. the delinquent received a severe lecture upon his waste of time, violation of college laws, and filial disobedience, without exhibiting any sign of contrition; but when at length doctor dwight said to him, "morse, you are no painter; this is a rude attempt, a complete failure," he was touched to the quick, and could not keep back the tears. the canvas, executed by morse at the age of nineteen, of the landing of the pilgrims, which may be seen at the charlestown city hall, is certainly not a masterpiece. yet the lad was determined to learn to paint, and to this end accompanied allston to europe, where he became a pupil of west, and, it is said, also of copley. west had become the foremost painter of his time in england when our ambitious young artist was presented to him, but from the beginning he took a great interest in the charlestown lad, and showed him much attention. once in after years morse related to a friend this most interesting anecdote of his great master: "i called upon mr. west at his house in newman street one morning, and in conformity to the order given to his servant robert always to admit mr. leslie and myself even if he was engaged in his private studies, i was shown into his studio. "as i entered a half-length portrait of george iii. stood before me on an easel, and mr. west was sitting with his back toward me copying from it upon canvas. my name having been mentioned to him, he did not turn, but pointing with the pencil he had in his hand to the portrait from which he was copying, he said, 'do you see that picture, mr. morse?' "'yes, sir,' i said, 'i perceive it is the portrait of the king.' "'well,' said mr. west, 'the king was sitting to me for that portrait when the box containing the american declaration of independence was handed to him.' "'indeed,' i answered; 'and what appeared to be the emotions of the king? what did he say?' "'his reply,' said mr. west, 'was characteristic of the goodness of his heart: "if they can be happier under the government they have chosen than under me, i shall be happy."'"[ ] morse returned to boston in the autumn of , and there set up a studio. but he was not too occupied in painting to turn a hand to invention, and we find him the next winter touring new hampshire and vermont trying to sell to towns and villages a fire-engine pump he had invented, while seeking commissions to paint portraits at fifteen dollars a head. it was that winter that he met in concord, new hampshire, miss lucretia p. walker, whom he married in the autumn of , and whose death in february, , just after he had successfully fulfilled a liberal commission to paint general lafayette, was the great blow of his young manhood. the national academy of design morse helped to found in new york in , and of this institution he was first president. about the same time we find him renewing his early interest in electrical experiments. a few years later he is sailing for europe, there to execute many copying commissions. and on his return from this stay abroad the idea of the telegraph suggested itself to him. of the exact way in which morse first conceived the idea of making electricity the means of conveying intelligence, various accounts have been given, the one usually accepted being that while on board the packet-ship _sully_, a fellow passenger related some experiments he had witnessed in paris with the electro-magnet, a recital which made such an impression upon one of his auditors that he walked the deck the whole night. professor morse's own statement was that he gained his knowledge of the working of the electro-magnet while attending the lectures of doctor j. freeman dana, then professor of chemistry in the university of new york, lectures which were delivered before the new york atheneum. "i witnessed," says morse, "the effects of the conjunctive wires in the different forms described by him in his lectures, and exhibited to his audience. the electro-magnet was put in action by an intense battery; it was made to sustain the weight of its armature, when the conjunctive wire was connected with the poles of the battery, or the circuit was closed; and it was made to 'drop its load' upon opening the circuit." yet after the inventor had made his discovery he had the greatest difficulty in getting a chance to demonstrate its worth. heartsick with despondency, and with his means utterly exhausted, he finally applied to the twenty-seventh congress for aid to put his invention to the test of practical illustration, and his petition was carried through with a majority of only two votes! these two votes to the good were enough, however, to save the wonderful discovery, perhaps from present obscurity, and with the thirty thousand dollars appropriated by congress morse stretched his first wires from washington to baltimore--wires, it will be noted, because the principle of the ground circuit was not then known, and only later discovered by accident. so that a wire to go and another to return between the cities was deemed necessary by morse to complete his first circuit. the first wire was of copper. the first message, now in the custody of the connecticut historical society, was dictated by miss annie g. ellsworth, and the words of it were "what hath god wrought?" the telegraph was at first regarded with superstitious dread in some sections of the country. in a southern state a drought was attributed to its occult influences, and the people, infatuated with the idea, levelled the wires to the ground. and so common was it for the indians to knock off the insulators with their rifles in order to gratify their curiosity in regard to the "singing cord," that it was at first extremely difficult to keep the lines in repair along the pacific railway. to the man who had been so poor that he had had a very great struggle to provide bread for his three motherless children, came now success. the impecunious artist was liberally rewarded for his clever invention, and in he married for his second wife miss sarah e. griswold, of poughkeepsie, the daughter of his cousin. she was twenty-five when they were married, and he fifty-six, but they lived very happily together on the two-hundred acre farm he had bought near poughkeepsie, and it was there that he died at the age of seventy-two, full of honours as an inventor, and loving art to the end. even after he became a great man, professor morse, it is interesting to learn, cherished his fondness for the house in which he was born, and one of his last visits to charlestown was on the occasion when he took his young daughter to see the old place. and that same day, one is a bit amused to note, he took her also to the old parsonage, then still standing, in what is now harvard street, between the city hall and the church--and there pointed out to her with pride some rude sketches he had made on the wall of his sleeping-room when still a boy. so, though it is as an inventor we remember and honour samuel finley breese morse to-day, it was as a painter that he wished first, last, and above all to be famous. but in the realm of the talents as elsewhere man proposes and god disposes. footnotes: [footnote : drake's "historic fields and mansions of middlesex." little, brown & co., publishers.] [footnote : beacon biographies: s. f. b. morse, by john trowbridge; small, maynard & co.] where the "brothers and sisters" met no single house in all massachusetts has survived so many of the vicissitudes of fickle fortune and carried the traditions of a glorious past up into the realities of a prosperous and useful present more successfully than has fay house, the present home of radcliffe college, cambridge. the central portion of the fay house of to-day dates back nearly a hundred years, and was built by nathaniel ireland, a prosperous merchant of boston. it was indeed a mansion to make farmer-folk stare when, with its tower-like bays, running from ground to roof, it was, in , erected on the highroad to watertown, the first brick house in the vicinity. to mr. ireland did not come the good fortune of living in the fine dwelling his ambition had designed. a ship-blacksmith by trade, his prospects were ruined by the jefferson embargo, and he was obliged to leave the work of construction on his house unfinished and allow the place to pass, heavily mortgaged, into the hands of others. but the house itself and our story concerning it gained by mr. ireland's loss, for it now became the property of doctor joseph mckean (a famous harvard instructor), and the rendezvous of that professor's college associates and of the numerous friends of his young family. oliver wendell holmes was among those who spent many a social evening here with the mckeans. the next name of importance to be connected with fay house was that of edward everett, who lived here for a time. later sophia willard dana, granddaughter of chief justice dana, our first minister to russia, kept a boarding and day school for young ladies in the house. among her pupils were the sisters of james russell lowell, mary channing, the first wife of colonel thomas wentworth higginson, and members of the higginson, parkman, and tuckerman families. lowell himself, and edmund dana, attended here for a term as a special privilege. sophia dana was married in the house, august , , by the father of oliver wendell holmes, to mr. george ripley, with whom she afterward took an active part in the brook farm colony, of which we are to hear again a bit later in this series. after miss dana's marriage, her school was carried on largely by miss elizabeth mckean--the daughter of the doctor joseph mckean already referred to--a young woman who soon became the wife of doctor joseph worcester, the compiler of the dictionary. delightful reminiscences of fay house have been furnished us by thomas wentworth higginson, who, as a boy, was often in and out of the place, visiting his aunt, mrs. channing, who lived here with her son, william henry channing, the well-known anti-slavery orator. here higginson, as a youth, used to listen with keenest pleasure, to the singing of his cousin, lucy channing, especially when the song she chose was, "the mistletoe hung on the castle wall," the story of a bride shut up in a chest. "i used firmly to believe," the genial colonel confessed to the radcliffe girls, in reviving for them his memories of the house, "that there was a bride shut up in the walls of this house--and there may be to-day, for all i know." for fifty years after june, , the house was in the possession of judge p. p. fay's family. the surroundings were still country-like. cambridge common was as yet only a treeless pasture, and the house had not been materially changed from its original shape and plan. judge fay was a jolly gentleman of the old school. a judge of probate for a dozen years, an overseer of harvard college, and a pillar of christ church, he was withal fond of a well-turned story and a lover of good hunting, as well as much given to hospitality. miss maria denny fay, whose memory is now perpetuated in a radcliffe scholarship, was the sixth of judge fay's seven children, and the one who finally became both mistress and owner of the estate. a girl of fourteen when her father bought the house, she was at the time receiving her young-lady education at the convent of st. ursula, where, in the vine-covered, red-brick convent on the summit of charlestown, she learned, under the guidance of the nuns, to sing, play the piano, the harp, and the guitar, to speak french, and read spanish and italian. but her life on mt. benedict was suddenly terminated when the convent was burned. so she entered earlier than would otherwise have been the case upon the varied interests of her new and beautiful home. here, in the course of a few years, we find her presiding, a gracious and lovely maiden, of whom the venerable colonel higginson has said: "i have never, in looking back, felt more grateful to any one than to this charming girl of twenty, who consented to be a neighbour to me, an awkward boy of seventeen, to attract me in a manner from myself and make me available to other people." very happy times were those which the young wentworth higginson, then a college boy, living with his mother at vaughan house, was privileged to share with maria fay and her friends. who of us does not envy him the memory of that christmas party in , when there were gathered in fay house, among others, maria white, lowell's beautiful fiancée; levi thaxter, afterward the husband of celia thaxter; leverett saltonstall, mary story and william story, the sculptors? and how pleasant it must have been to join in the famous charades of that circle of talented young people, to partake of refreshments in the quaint dining-room, and dance a virginia reel and galop in the beautiful oval parlour which then, as to-day, expressed ideally the acme of charming hospitality! what tales this same parlour might relate! how enchantingly it might tell, if it could speak, of the graceful maria white, who, seated in the deep window, must have made an exquisite picture in her white gown, with her beautiful face shining in the moonlight while she repeated, in her soft voice, one of her own ballads, written for the "brothers and sisters," as this group of young people was called. [illustration: oval parlour, fay house, cambridge, mass.] of a more distinctly academic cast were some of the companies later assembled in this same room--judge story, doctor beck, president felton, professors pierce, lane, child, and lowell, with maybe longfellow, listening to one of his own songs, or that strange figure, professor evangelinus apostolides sophocles, oddly ill at ease in his suit of dingy black. in his younger days he had been both pirate and priest, and he retained, as professor, some of his early habits--seldom being seated while he talked, and leaning against the door, shaking and fumbling his college keys as the monks shake their rosaries. mr. arthur gilman has related in a charming article on fay house, written for the _harvard graduates magazine_ (from which, as from miss norris's sketch of the old place, printed in a recent number of the _radcliffe magazine_, many of the incidents here given are drawn), that professor sophocles was allowed by miss fay to keep some hens on the estate, pets which he had an odd habit of naming after his friends. when, therefore, some accomplishment striking and praiseworthy in a hen was related in company as peculiar to one or another of them, the professor innocently calling his animals by the name he had borrowed, the effect was apt to be startling. during the latter part of miss fay's long tenancy of this house, she had with her her elder sister, the handsome mrs. greenough, a woman who had been so famous a beauty in her youth that, on the occasion of her wedding, harvard students thronged the aisles and climbed the pews of old christ church to see her. the wedding receptions of mrs. greenough's daughter and granddaughter were held, too, in fay house. this latter girl was the fascinating and talented lily greenough, who was later a favourite at the court of napoleon and eugénie, and who, after the death of her first husband, mr. charles moulton, was married in this house to monsieur de hegermann lindencrone, at that time danish minister to the united states, and now minister at paris. her daughter, suzanne moulton, who has left her name scratched with a diamond on one of the fay house windows, is now the countess suzanne raben-levetzan of nystel, denmark. in connection with the fays' life in this house occurred one thing which will particularly send the building down into posterity, and will link for all time radcliffe and harvard traditions. for it was in the upper corner room, nearest the washington elm, that doctor samuel gilman, judge fay's brother-in-law, wrote "fair harvard," while a guest in this hospitable home, during the second centennial celebration of the college on the charles. radcliffe girls often seem a bit triumphant as they point out to visitors this room and its facsimile copy of the famous song. yet they have plenty of pleasant things of their own to remember. just one of these, taken at random from among the present writer's own memories of pretty happenings at fay house, will serve: during duse's last tour in this country, the famous actress came out one afternoon, as many a famous personage does, to drink a cup of tea with mrs. agassiz in the stately old parlour, where mrs. whitman's famous portrait of the president of radcliffe college vies in attractiveness with the living reality graciously presiding over the wednesday afternoon teacups. as it happened, there was a scant attendance at the tea on this day of duse's visit. she had not been expected, and so it fell out that some two or three girls who could speak french or italian were privileged to do the honours of the occasion to the great actress whom they had long worshipped from afar. duse was in one of her most charming moods, and she listened with the greatest attention to her young hostesses' laboured explanations concerning the college and its ancient home. the best of it all, from the enthusiastic girl-students' point of view, was, however, in the dark-eyed italienne's mode of saying farewell. as she entered her carriage--to which she had been escorted by this little group--she took from her belt a beautiful bouquet of roses, camellias, and violets. and as the smart coachman flicked the impatient horses with his whip, duse threw the girls the precious flowers. those who caught a camellia felt, of course, especially delighted, for it was as the dame aux camellias that duse had been winning for weeks the plaudits of admiring boston. my own share of the largesse consisted of a few fresh, sweet violets, which i still have tucked away somewhere, together with one of the great actress's photographs that bears the date of the pleasant afternoon hour passed with her in the parlour where the "brothers and sisters" met. the brook farmers one of the weddings noted in our fay house chapter was that of sophia dana to george ripley, an event which was celebrated august , , in the stately parlour of the cambridge mansion, the ceremony being performed by the father of oliver wendell holmes. the time between the date of their marriage and the year , when mr. and mrs. ripley "discovered" the milk-farm in west roxbury, which was afterward to be developed through their efforts into the most remarkable socialistic experiment america has ever known, represented for the young people joined together in what is now the home of radcliffe college some dozen years of quiet parsonage life in boston. the later years of george ripley's life held for him a series of disappointments before which his courage and ideals never failed. when the young student left the harvard divinity school, he was appointed minister over a unitarian parish which was gathered for him at the corner of pearl and purchase streets, boston. here his ministrations went faithfully on, but inasmuch as his parishioners failed to take any deep interest in the social questions which seemed to him of most vital concern, he sent them, in the october of , a letter of resignation, which they duly accepted, thus leaving ripley free to enter upon the experiment so dear to him. the ripleys, as has been said, had already discovered brook farm, a pleasant place, varied in contour, with pine woods close at hand, the charles river within easy distance, and plenty of land--whether of a sort to produce paying crops or not they were later to learn. that winter ripley wrote to emerson: "we propose to take a small tract of land, which, under skilful husbandry, uniting the garden and the farm, will be adequate to the subsistence of the families; and to connect with this a school or college in which the most complete instruction shall be given, from the first rudiments to the highest culture." ripley himself assumed the responsibility for the management and success of the undertaking, and about the middle of april, , he took possession with his wife and sister and some fifteen others, including hawthorne, of the farmhouse, which, with a large barn, was already on the estate. the first six months were spent in "getting started," especially in the matter of the school, of which mrs. ripley was largely in charge, and it was not until early fall--september --that the brook farm institute of agriculture and education was organised as a kind of joint stock company, not incorporated. a seeker after country quiet and beauty might easily be as much attracted to-day by the undulating acres of brook farm as were those who sought it sixty years ago as a refuge from social discouragement. the brook still babbles cheerily as it threads its way through the meadows, and there are still pleasant pastures and shady groves on the large estate. the only one of the community buildings which is still standing, however, is that now known as the martin luther orphan home. this house was built at the very start of the community life by mrs. a. g. alford, one of the members of the colony. [illustration: brook farm, west roxbury, mass.] the building was in the form of a maltese cross with four gables, the central space being taken by the staircase. it contained only about half a dozen rooms, and probably could not have accommodated more than that number of residents. it is said to have been the prettiest and best furnished house on the place, but an examination of its simple construction will confirm the memory of one of its occupants, who remarked that contact with nature was here always admirably close and unaffected. from the rough dwelling, which resembled an inexpensive beach cottage, to out-doors was hardly a transition, it is chronicled, and at all seasons the external and internal temperatures closely corresponded. until lately the cottage wore its original dark-brown colour; and it is still the best visible remnant of the early days, and gives a pleasant impression of what the daily life of the association must have been. gay and happy indeed were the dwellers in this community during the early stages of its development. ripley's theory of the wholesomeness of combined manual and intellectual work ruled everywhere. he himself donned the farmer's blouse, the wide straw hat, and the high boots in which he has been pictured at brook farm; and whether he cleaned stables, milked cows, carried vegetables to market, or taught philosophy and discussed religion, he was unfailingly cheerful and inspiring. mrs. ripley was in complete accord with her husband on all vital questions, and as the chief of the wash-room group worked blithely eight or ten hours a day. whether this devotion to her husband's ideals grew out of her love for him, or whether she was really persuaded of the truth of his theory, does not appear. in later life it is interesting to learn that she sought in the church of rome the comfort which ripley's transcendentalism was not able to afford her. when she died in she had held the faith of rome for nearly a dozen years, and, curiously enough, was buried as a catholic from that very building in which her husband had preached as a unitarian early in their married life, the church having in the interim been purchased by the catholics. with just one glimpse of the later ripley himself, we must leave this interesting couple. in , when, armed with a letter of introduction from emerson, the original brook farmer sought carlyle (who had once described him as "a socinian minister who had left his pulpit to reform the world by cultivating onions"), and carlyle greeted him with a long and violent tirade against our government, ripley sat quietly through it all, but when the sage of chelsea paused for breath, calmly rose and left the house, saying no word of remonstrance. it is, of course, however, in hawthorne and his descriptions in the "blithedale romance" of the life at brook farm that the principal interest of most readers centres. this work has come to be regarded as the epic of the community, and it is now generally conceded that hawthorne was in this novel far more of a realist than was at first admitted. he did not avoid the impulse to tell the happenings of life at the farm pretty nearly as he found them, and substantial as the characters may or may not be, the daily life and doings, the scenery, the surroundings, and even trivial details are presented with a well-nigh faultless accuracy. the characters, as i have said, are not easily traceable, but even in this respect hawthorne was something of a photographer. zenobia seems a blend of margaret fuller and of mrs. barlow, who as miss penniman was once a famous brookline beauty of lively and attractive disposition. in the strongest and most repellant character of the novel, hollingsworth, hawthorne seems to have incorporated something of the fierce earnestness of brownson and the pathetic zeal of ripley. and those who best know brook farm are able to find in the book reflections of other well-known members of the community. for the actual life of the place, however, readers cannot do better than peruse lindsay swift's recent delightful work, "brook farm, its members, scholars, and visitors." there was, we learn here, a charming happy-go-luckiness about the whole life. partly from necessity, partly from choice, the young people used to sit on the stairs and on the floor during the evening entertainments. dishes were washed and wiped to the tune of "oh, canaan, bright canaan," or some other song of the time. when about their work the women wore short skirts with knickerbockers; the water-cure and the starving-cure both received due attention at the hands of some of the members of the household; at table the customary formula was, "is the butter within the sphere of your influence?" and very often the day's work ended in a dance, a walk to eliot's pulpit, or a moonlight hour on the charles! during the earlier years the men, who were in excess of the young women in point of numbers, helped very largely in the household labours. george william curtis occasionally trimmed lamps, charles dana, who afterward founded the _new york sun_, organised a band of griddle-cake servitors composed of "four of the most elegant youths of the community!" one legend, which has the air of probability, records that a student confessed his passion while helping his sweetheart at the sink. of love there was indeed not a little at brook farm. cupid is said to have made much havoc in the community, and though very little mismating is to be traced to the intimacy of the life there, fourteen marriages have been attributed to friendships begun at brook farm, and there was even one wedding there, that of john orvis to john dwight's sister, marianne. at this simple ceremony william henry channing was the minister, and john dwight made a speech of exactly five words. starting with about fifteen persons, the numbers at the farm increased rapidly, though never above one hundred and twenty people were there at a time. it is estimated, however, that about two hundred individuals were connected with the community from first to last. of these all the well-known ones are now dead, unless, indeed, one is to count among the "farmers" mrs. abby morton diaz, who as a very young girl was a teacher in the infant department of the school. yet though the farmers have almost all passed beyond, delicious anecdotes about them are all the time coming to light. there is one story of "sam" larned which is almost too good to be true. larned, it is said, steadily refused to drink milk on the ground that his relations with the cow did not justify him in drawing on her reserves, and when it was pointed out to him that he ought on the same principle to abandon shoes, he is said to have made a serious attempt to discover some more moral type of footwear. and then there is another good story of an instance when brook farm hospitality had fatal results. an irish baronet, sir john caldwell, fifth of that title, and treasurer-general at canada, after supping with the community on its greatest delicacy, pork and beans, returned to the now departed tremont house in boston, and died suddenly of apoplexy! this baronet's son was wont later to refer to the early members of the community as "extinct volcanoes of transcendental nonsense and humbuggery." but no witty sallies of this sort are able to lessen in the popular mind the reverence with which this brook farm essay in idealism must ever be held. for this community, when all is said, remains the most successful and the most interesting failure the world has ever known. margaret fuller: marchesa d'ossoli any account of brook farm which should neglect to dwell upon the part played in the community life by margaret fuller, marchesa d'ossoli, would be almost like the play of "hamlet" with the prince of denmark left out. for although margaret fuller never lived at brook farm--was, indeed, only an occasional visitor there--her influence pervaded the place, and, as we feel from reading the "blithedale romance," she was really, whether absent or present, the strongest personality connected with the experiment. hawthorne's first bucolic experience was with the famous "transcendental heifer" mistakenly said to have been the property of margaret fuller. as a matter of fact, the beast had been named after cambridge's most intellectual woman, by ripley, who had a whimsical fashion of thus honouring his friends. according to hawthorne, the name in this case was not inapt, for the cow was so recalcitrant and anti-social that it was finally sent to coventry by the more docile kine, always to be counted on for moderate conservatism. this cow's would-be-tamer, not wishing to be unjust, refers to this heifer as having "a very intelligent face" and "a reflective cast of character." he certainly paid margaret fuller herself no such tribute, but thus early in his brook farm experience let appear his thinly veiled contempt for the high priestess of transcendentalism. even earlier his antagonism toward this eminent woman was strong, if it was not frank, for he wrote: "i was invited to dine at mr. bancroft's yesterday with miss margaret fuller, but providence had given me some business to do for which i was very thankful." the unlovely side of margaret fuller must have made a very deep impression upon hawthorne. gentle as the great romancer undoubtedly was by birth and training, he has certainly been very harsh in writing, both in his note-book and in his story of brook farm, of the woman we recognise in zenobia. one of the most interesting literary wars ever carried on in this vicinity, indeed, was that which was waged here some fifteen years ago concerning julian hawthorne's revelations of his father's private opinion of the marchesa d'ossoli. the remarks in question occurred in the great hawthorne's "roman journal," and were certainly sufficiently scathing to call for such warm defence as margaret's surviving friends hastened to offer. hawthorne said among other things: "margaret fuller had a strong and coarse nature which she had done her utmost to refine, with infinite pains; but, of course, it could be only superficially changed.... margaret has not left in the hearts and minds of those who knew her any deep witness of her integrity and purity. she was a great humbug--of course, with much talent and moral reality, or else she could never have been so great a humbug.... toward the last there appears to have been a total collapse in poor margaret, morally and intellectually; and tragic as her catastrophe was, providence was, after all, kind in putting her and her clownish husband and their child on board that fated ship.... on the whole, i do not know but i like her the better, though, because she proved herself a very woman after all, and fell as the meanest of her sisters might." the latter sentences refer to margaret's marriage to ossoli, a man some ten years the junior of his gifted wife, and by no means her intellectual equal. that the marriage was a strange one even margaret's most ardent friends admit, but it was none the less exceedingly human and very natural, as hawthorne implies, for a woman of thirty-seven, whose interests had long been of the strictly intellectual kind, to yield herself at last to the impulses of an affectionate nature. but we are getting very much ahead of our story, which should begin, of course, far back in may, , when there was born, at the corner of eaton and cherry streets, in cambridgeport, a tiny daughter to timothy fuller and his wife. the dwelling in which margaret first saw the light still stands, and is easily recognised by the three elms in front, planted by the proud father to celebrate the advent of his first child. the garden in which margaret and her mother delighted has long since vanished; but the house still retains a certain dignity, though now divided into three separate tenements, numbered respectively , , and cherry street, and occupied by a rather migratory class of tenants. the pillared doorway and the carved wreaths above it still give an old-fashioned grace to the somewhat dilapidated house. [illustration: fuller house, cambridgeport, mass.] the class with which margaret may be said to have danced through harvard college was that of , which has been made by the wit and poetry of holmes the most eminent class that ever left harvard. the memory of one lady has preserved for us a picture of the girl margaret as she appeared at a ball when she was sixteen. "she had a very plain face, half-shut eyes, and hair curled all over her head; she was dressed in a badly-cut, low-neck pink silk, with white muslin over it; and she danced quadrilles very awkwardly, being withal so near-sighted that she could hardly see her partner." with holmes she was not especially intimate, we learn, though they had been schoolmates; but with two of the most conspicuous members of the class--william henry channing and james freeman clarke--she formed a lifelong friendship, and these gentlemen became her biographers. yet, after all, the most important part of a woman's training is that which she obtains from her own sex, and of this margaret fuller had quite her share. she was one of those maidens who form passionate attachments to older women, and there were many cambridge ladies of the college circle who in turn won her ardent loyalty. "my elder sister," writes thomas wentworth higginson, in his biography of margaret fuller, "can well remember this studious, self-conscious, over-grown girl as sitting at my mother's feet, covering her hands with kisses, and treasuring her every word. it was the same at other times with other women, most of whom were too much absorbed in their own duties to give more than a passing solicitude to this rather odd and sometimes inconvenient adorer." the side of margaret fuller to which scant attention has been paid heretofore is this ardently affectionate side, and this it is which seems to account for what has always before appeared inexplicable--her romantic marriage to the young marchese d'ossoli. the intellect was in truth only a small part of margaret, and if hawthorne had improved, as he might have done, his opportunities to study the whole nature of the woman, he would not have written even for his private diary the harsh sentences already quoted. one has only to look at the heroic fashion in which, after the death of her father, margaret took up the task of educating her brothers and sisters to feel that there was much besides selfishness in this woman's makeup. nor can one believe that emerson would ever have cared to have for the friend of a lifetime a woman who was a "humbug." of margaret's school-teaching, conversation classes on west street, boston, and labours on the _dial_, a transcendental paper in which emerson was deeply interested, there is not space to speak here. but one phase of her work which cannot be ignored is that performed on the _tribune_, in the days of horace greeley. greeley brought boston's high priestess to new york for the purpose of putting the literary criticism of the _tribune_ on a higher plane than any american newspaper then occupied, as well as that she might discuss in a large and stimulating way all philanthropic questions. that she rose to the former opportunity her enemies would be the first to grant, but only those who, like margaret herself, believe in the sisterhood of women could freely endorse her attitude on philanthropic subjects. surely, though, it could not have been a hard woman of whom horace greeley wrote: "if she had been born to large fortune, a house of refuge for all female outcasts desiring to return to the ways of virtue would have been one of her most cherished and first realised conceptions. she once attended, with other noble women, a gathering of outcasts of their sex, and, being asked how they appeared to her, replied, 'as women like myself, save that they are victims of wrong and misfortune.'" while labouring for the _tribune_, margaret fuller was all the time saving her money for the trip to europe, which had her life long been her dream of felicity; and at last, on the first of august, , she sailed for her elysian fields. there, in december, , she was secretly married, and in september, , her child was born. what these experiences must have meant to her we are able to guess from a glimpse into her private journal in which she had many years before recorded her profoundest feeling about marriage and motherhood. "i have no home. no one loves me. but i love many a good deal, and see some way into their eventful beauty.... i am myself growing better, and shall by and by be a worthy object of love, one that will not anywhere disappoint or need forbearance.... i have no child, and the woman in me has so craved this experience that it has seemed the want of it must paralyse me...." the circumstances under which margaret fuller and her husband first met are full of interest. soon after miss fuller's arrival in rome, early in , she went one day to hear vespers at st. peter's, and becoming separated from her friends after the service, she was noted as she examined the church by a young man of gentlemanly address, who, perceiving her discomfort and her lack of italian, offered his services as a guide in her endeavour to find her companions. not seeing them anywhere, the young marquis d'ossoli, for it was he, accompanied miss fuller home, and they met once or twice again before she left rome for the summer. the following season miss fuller had an apartment in rome, and she often received among her guests this young patriot with whose labours in behalf of his native city she was thoroughly in sympathy. when the young man after a few months declared his love, margaret refused to marry him, insisting that he should choose a younger woman for his wife. "in this way it rested for some weeks," writes mrs. story, who knew them both, "during which we saw ossoli pale, dejected, and unhappy. he was always with margaret, but in a sort of hopeless, desperate manner, until at length he convinced her of his love, and she married him." then followed the wife's service in the hospitals while ossoli was in the army outside the city. after the birth of their child, angelo, the happy little family went to florence. the letters which passed between the young nobleman and the wife he adored are still extant, having been with the body of her beautiful baby the only things of margaret fuller's saved from the fatal wreck in which she and her two loved ones were lost. one of these letters will be enough to show the tenderness of the man: "rome, october, . "mia cara:--i learn by yours of the th that you have received the ten scudi, and it makes me more tranquil. i feel also mogliani's indolence in not coming to inoculate our child; but, my love, i pray you not to disturb yourself so much, and not to be sad, hoping that our dear love will be guarded by god, and will be free from all misfortunes. he will keep the child for us and give us the means to sustain him." * * * * * in answer to this letter, or one like it, we find the woman whom hawthorne had deemed hard and cold writing: "saturday evening, october, . "... it rains very hard every day, but to-day i have been more quiet, and our darling has been so good, i have taken so much pleasure in being with him. when he smiles in his sleep, how it makes my heart beat! he has grown fat and very fair, and begins to play and spring. you will have much pleasure in seeing him again. he sends you many kisses. he bends his head toward me when he asks a kiss." * * * * * both madame ossoli and her husband were very fearful as they embarked on the fated ship which was to take them to america. he had been cautioned by one who had told his fortune when a boy to beware of the sea, and his wife had long cherished a superstition that the year would be a marked epoch in her life. it is remarkable that in writing to a friend of her fear madame ossoli said: "i pray that if we are lost it may be brief anguish, and ossoli, the babe, and i go together." they sailed none the less, may , , on the _elizabeth_, a new merchant vessel, which set out from leghorn. misfortune soon began. the captain sickened and died of malignant smallpox, and after his burial at sea and a week's detention at gibraltar, little angelo caught the dread disease and was restored with difficulty. yet a worse fate was to follow. at noon of july , while they were off the coast of new jersey, there was a gale, followed by a hurricane, which dashed the ship on that fire island beach which has engulfed so many other vessels. margaret fuller and her husband were drowned with their child. the bodies of the parents were never recovered, but that of little angelo was buried in a seaman's chest among the sandhills, from which it was later disinterred and brought to our own mount auburn by the relatives who had never seen the baby in life. and there to-day in a little green grave rests the child of this great woman's great love. the old manse and some of its mosses "the old manse," writes hawthorne, in his charming introduction to the quaint stories, "mosses from an old manse", "had never been profaned by a lay occupant until that memorable summer afternoon when i entered it as my home. a priest had built it; a priest had succeeded to it; other priestly men from time to time had dwelt in it; and children born in its chambers had grown up to assume the priestly character. it is awful to reflect how many sermons must have been written here!... here it was, too, that emerson wrote 'nature;' for he was then an inhabitant of the manse, and used to watch the assyrian dawn and paphian sunset and moon-rise from the summit of our eastern hill." [illustration: old manse, concord, mass.] emerson's residence in the old manse is to be accounted for by the fact that his grandfather was its first inhabitant. and it was while living there with his mother and kindred, before his second marriage in , that he produced "nature." it is to the parson, the reverend william emerson, that we owe one of the most valuable revolutionary documents that have come down to us. soon after the young minister came to the old manse (which was then the new manse), he had occasion to make in his almanac this stirring entry: "this morning, between one and two o'clock, we were alarmed by the ringing of the bell, and upon examination found that the troops, to the number of eight hundred, had stole their march from boston, in boats and barges, from the bottom of the common over to a point in cambridge, near to inman's farm, and were at lexington meeting-house half an hour before sunrise, where they fired upon a body of our men, and (as we afterward heard) had killed several. this intelligence was brought us first by doctor samuel prescott, who narrowly escaped the guard that were sent before on horses, purposely to prevent all posts and messengers from giving us timely information. he, by the help of a very fleet horse, crossing several walks and fences, arrived at concord, at the time above mentioned; when several posts were immediately dispatched that, returning, confirmed the account of the regulars' arrival at lexington and that they were on their way to concord. upon this, a number of our minute-men belonging to this town, and acton, and lincoln, with several others that were in readiness, marched out to meet them; while the alarm company was preparing to receive them in the town. captain minot, who commanded them, thought it proper to take possession of the hill above the meeting-house, as the most advantageous situation. no sooner had our men gained it, than we were met by the companies that were sent out to meet the troops, who informed us that they were just upon us, and that we must retreat, as their number was more than treble ours. we then retreated from the hill near the liberty pole, and took a new post back of the town upon an eminence, where we formed into two battalions, and waited the arrival of the enemy. "scarcely had we formed before we saw the british troops at the distance of a quarter of a mile, glittering in arms, advancing toward us with the greatest celerity. some were for making a stand, notwithstanding the superiority of their numbers, but others, more prudent, thought best to retreat till our strength should be equal to the enemy's by recruits from the neighbouring towns, that were continually coming in to our assistance. accordingly we retreated over the bridge; when the troops came into the town, set fire to several carriages for the artillery, destroyed sixty barrels flour, rifled several houses, took possession of the town-house, destroyed five hundred pounds of balls, set a guard of one hundred men at the north bridge, and sent a party to the house of colonel barrett, where they were in the expectation of finding a quantity of warlike stores. but these were happily secured just before their arrival, by transportation into the woods and other by-places. "in the meantime the guard sent by the enemy to secure the pass at the north bridge were alarmed by the approach of our people; who had retreated as before mentioned, and were now advancing, with special orders not to fire upon the troops unless fired upon. these orders were so punctually observed that we received the fire of the enemy in three several and separate discharges of their pieces before it was returned by our commanding officer; the firing then became general for several minutes; in which skirmish two were killed on each side, and several of the enemy wounded. (it may here be observed, by the way, that we were the more cautious to prevent beginning a rupture with the king's troops, as we were then uncertain what had happened at lexington, and knew not that they had begun the quarrel there by first firing upon our people, and killing eight men upon the spot.) the three companies of troops soon quitted their post at the bridge, and retreated in the greatest disorder and confusion to the main body, who were soon upon their march to meet them. "for half an hour the enemy, by their marches and countermarches, discovered great fickleness and inconstancy of mind,--sometimes advancing, sometimes returning to their former posts; till at length they quitted the town and retreated by the way they came. in the meantime, a party of our men (one hundred and fifty), took the back way through the great fields into the east quarter, and had placed themselves to advantage, lying in ambush behind walls, fences, and buildings, ready to fire upon the enemy on their retreat."[ ] here ends the important chronicle, the best first-hand account we have of the battle of concord. but for this alone the first resident of the old manse deserves our memory and thanks. mr. emerson was succeeded at the manse by a certain doctor ripley, a venerable scholar who left behind him a reputation for learning and sanctity which was reproduced in one of the ladies of his family, long the most learned woman in the little concord circle which hawthorne soon after his marriage came to join. few new england villages have retained so much of the charm and peacefulness of country life as has concord, and few dwellings in concord have to-day so nearly the aspect they presented fifty years ago as does the manse, where hawthorne passed three of the happiest years of his life. in the "american note-book," there is a charming description of the pleasure the romancer and his young wife experienced in renovating and refurnishing the old parsonage which, at the time of their going into it, was "given up to ghosts and cobwebs." some of these ghosts have been shiveringly described by hawthorne himself in the marvellous paragraph of the introduction already referred to: "our [clerical] ghost used to heave deep sighs in a particular corner of the parlour, and sometimes rustle paper, as if he were turning over a sermon in the long upper entry--where, nevertheless, he was invisible, in spite of the bright moonshine that fell through the eastern window. not improbably he wished me to edit and publish a selection from a chest full of manuscript discourses that stood in the garret. "once while hillard and other friends sat talking with us in the twilight, there came a rustling noise as of a minister's silk gown sweeping through the very midst of the company, so closely as almost to brush against the chairs. still there was nothing visible. "a yet stranger business was that of a ghostly servant-maid, who used to be heard in the kitchen at deepest midnight, grinding coffee, cooking, ironing,--performing, in short, all kinds of domestic labour--although no traces of anything accomplished could be detected the next morning. some neglected duty of her servitude--some ill-starched ministerial band--disturbed the poor damsel in her grave, and kept her at work without wages." the little drawing-room once remodelled, however, and the kitchen given over to the hawthorne pots and pans--in which the great hawthorne himself used often to have a stake, according to the testimony of his wife, who once wrote in this connection, "imagine those magnificent eyes fixed anxiously upon potatoes cooking in an iron kettle!"--the ghosts came no more. of the great people who in the flesh passed pleasant hours in the little parlour, thoreau, ellery channing, emerson, and margaret fuller are names known by everybody as intimately connected with the concord circle. hawthorne himself cared little for society. often he would go to the village and back without speaking to a single soul, he tells us, and once when his wife was absent he resolved to pass the whole term of her visit to relatives without saying a word to any human being. with thoreau, however, he got on very well. this odd genius was as shy and ungregarious as was the dark-eyed "teller of tales," but the two appear to have been socially disposed toward each other, and there are delightful bits in the preface to the "mosses" in regard to the hours they spent together boating on the large, quiet concord river. thoreau was a great voyager in a canoe which he had constructed himself (and which he eventually made over to hawthorne), as expert indeed in the use of his paddle as the redman who had once haunted the same silent stream. of the beauties of the concord river hawthorne has written a few sentences that will live while the silver stream continues to flow: "it comes creeping softly through the mid-most privacy and deepest heart of a wood which whispers it to be quiet, while the stream whispers back again from its sedgy borders, as if river and wood were hushing one another to sleep. yes; the river sleeps along its course and dreams of the sky and the clustering foliage...." concerning the visitors attracted to concord by the great original thinker who was hawthorne's near neighbour, the romancer speaks with less delicate sympathy: "never was a poor little country village infested with such a variety of queer, strangely dressed, oddly behaved mortals, most of whom look upon themselves to be important agents of the world's destiny, yet are simply bores of a very intense character." a bit further on hawthorne speaks of these pilgrims as "hobgoblins of flesh and blood," people, he humourously comments, who had lighted on a new thought or a thought they fancied new, and "came to emerson as the finder of a glittering gem hastens to a lapidary to ascertain its quality and value." with emerson himself hawthorne was on terms of easy intimacy. "being happy," as he says, and feeling, therefore, "as if there were no question to be put," he was not in any sense desirous of metaphysical intercourse with the great philosopher. it was while on the way home from his friend emerson's one day that hawthorne had that encounter with margaret fuller about which it is so pleasant to read because it serves to take away the taste of other less complimentary allusions to this lady to be found in hawthorne's works: "after leaving mr. emerson's i returned through the woods, and entering sleepy hollow, i perceived a lady reclining near the path which bends along its verge. it was margaret herself. she had been there the whole afternoon, meditating or reading, for she had a book in her hand with some strange title which i did not understand and have forgotten. she said that nobody had broken her solitude, and was just giving utterance to a theory that no inhabitant of concord ever visited sleepy hollow, when we saw a group of people entering the sacred precincts. most of them followed a path which led them away from us; but an old man passed near us, and smiled to see margaret reclining on the ground and me standing by her side. he made some remark upon the beauty of the afternoon, and withdrew himself into the shadow of the wood. then we talked about autumn, and about the pleasures of being lost in the woods, and about the crows whose voices margaret had heard; and about the experiences of early childhood, whose influence remains upon the character after the recollection of them has passed away; and about the sight of mountains from a distance, and the view from their summits; and about other matters of high and low philosophy." nothing that hawthorne has ever written of concord is more to be cherished to-day than this description of a happy afternoon passed by him in sleepy hollow talking with margaret fuller of "matters of high and low philosophy." for there are few parts of concord to which visitors go more religiously than to the still old cemetery, where on the hill by ridge path hawthorne himself now sleeps quietly, with the grave of thoreau just behind him, and the grave of emerson, his philosopher-friend, on the opposite side of the way. a great pine stands at the head of hawthorne's last resting-place, and a huge unhewn block of pink marble is his formal monument. yet the old manse will, so long as it stands, be the romancer's most intimate relic, for it was here that he lived as a happy bridegroom, and here that his first child was born. and from this ancient dwelling it was that he drew the inspiration for what is perhaps the most curious book of tales in all american literature, a book of which another american master of prose[ ] has said, "hawthorne here did for our past what walter scott did for the past of the mother-country; another wizard of the north, he breathed the breath of life into the dry and dusty materials of history, and summoned the great dead again to live and move among us." footnotes: [footnote : "historic towns of new england." g. p. putnam's sons.] [footnote : henry james.] salem's chinese god of the romantic figures which grace the history of new england in the nineteenth century, none is to be compared in dash and in all those other qualities that captivate the imagination with the figure of frederick townsend ward, the salem boy who won a generalship in the chinese military service, suppressed the tai-ping rebellion, organised the "ever-victorious army"--for whose exploits "chinese" gordon always gets credit in history--and died fighting at ning po for a nation of which he had become one, a fair daughter of which he had married, and by which he is to-day worshipped as a god. very far certainly did this soldier of fortune wander in the thirty short years of his life from the peaceful red-brick townsend mansion (now, alas! a steam bread bakery), at the corner of derby and carleton streets, salem, in which, in , he was born. this house was built by ward's grandfather, townsend, and during frederick's boyhood was a charming place of the comfortable colonial sort, to which was joined a big, rambling, old-fashioned garden, and from the upper windows of which there was to be had a fascinating view of the broad-stretching sea. to the sea it was, therefore, that the lad naturally turned when, after ending his education at the salem high school, he was unable to gain admission to the military academy at west point and follow the soldier career in which it had always been his ambition to shine. he shipped before the mast on an american vessel sailing from new york. apparently even the hardships of such a common sailor's lot could not dampen his ardour for adventure, for he made a number of voyages. [illustration: townsend house, salem, mass.] at the outbreak of the crimean war young ward was in france, and, thinking that his long-looked for opportunity had come, he entered the french army for service against the russians. enlisting as a private, he soon, through the influence of friends, rose to be a lieutenant; but, becoming embroiled in a quarrel with his superior officer, he resigned his commission and returned to new york, without having seen service either in russia or turkey. the next few years of the young man's life were passed as a ship broker in new york city, but this work-a-day career soon became too humdrum, and he looked about for something that promised more adventures. he had not to look far. colonel william walker and his filibusters were about to start on the celebrated expedition against nicaragua, and with them ward determined to cast in his lot. through the trial by fire which awaited the ill-fated expedition, he passed unhurt, and escaping by some means or other its fatal termination, returned to new york. california next attracted his attention, but here he met with no better success, and after a hand-to-mouth existence of a few months he turned again to seafaring life, and shipped for china as the mate of an american vessel. his arrival at shanghai in was most opportune, for there the chance for which he had been longing awaited him. the great tai-ping rebellion, that half-christian, wholly fanatical uprising which devastated many flourishing provinces, had, at this time, attained alarming proportions. ching wang, with a host of blood-crazed rebels, had swept over the country in the vicinity of shanghai with fire and sword, and at the time of ward's arrival these fanatics were within eighteen miles of the city. the chinese merchants had appealed in vain to the foreign consuls for assistance. the imperial government had made no plans for the preservation of shanghai. so the wealthy merchants, fearing for their stores, resolved to take the matter into their own hands, and after a consultation of many days, offered a reward of two hundred thousand dollars to any body of foreigners who should drive the tai-pings from the city of sungkiang. salem's soldier of fortune, frederick t. ward, responded at once to the opportunity thus offered. he accepted in june, , the offer of ta kee, the mandarin at the head of the merchant body, and in less than a week--such was the magnetism of the man--had raised a body of one hundred foreign sailors, and, with an american by the name of henry burgevine as his lieutenant, had set out for sungkiang. the men in ward's company were desperadoes, for the most part, but they were no match, of course, for the twelve thousand tai-pings. this ward realised as soon as the skirmishing advance had been made, and he returned to shanghai for reinforcements. from the chinese imperial troops he obtained men to garrison whatever courts the foreign legation might capture, an arrangement which left the adventurers free to go wherever their action could be most effective. thus reinforced, ward once more set out for sungkiang. even on this occasion his men were outnumbered one hundred to one, but, such was the desperation of the attacking force, the rebels were driven like sheep to the slaughter, and the defeat of the tai-pings was overwhelming. it was during this battle, it is interesting to know, that the term "foreign devils" first found place in the chinese vocabulary. the promised reward was forthwith presented to the gifted american soldier, and immediately ward accepted a second commission against the rebels at singpo. the tai-pings of this city were under the leadership of a renegade englishman named savage, and the fighting was fast and furious. ward and his men performed many feats of valour, and actually scaled the city wall, thirty feet in height, to fight like demons upon its top. but it was without avail. with heavy losses, they were driven back. but the attempt was not abandoned. retiring to shanghai, ward secured the assistance of about one hundred new foreign recruits, and with them returned once more to the scene of his defeat. half a mile from the walls of singpo the little band of foreign soldiers of fortune and poorly organised imperial troops were met by savage and the tai-pings, and the battle that resulted waged for hours. the rebels were the aggressors, and ten miles of ward's retreat upon sungkiang saw fighting every inch of the way. the line of retreat was strewn with rebel dead, and such were their losses that they retired from the province altogether. later savage was killed, and the tai-pings quieted down. for his exploits ward received the monetary rewards agreed upon, and was also granted the button of a mandarin of the fourth degree. he had received severe wounds during the campaigns, and was taking time to recuperate from them at shanghai when the jealousy of other foreigners made itself felt, and the soldier from salem was obliged to face a charge before the united states consul that he had violated the neutrality laws. the matter was dropped, however, because the hero of sungkiang promptly swore that he was no longer an american citizen, as he had become a naturalised subject of the chinese emperor! realising the value of the chinese as fighting men, ward now determined to organise a number of chinese regiments, officer them with europeans, and arm and equip them after american methods. this he did, and in six months he appeared at shanghai at the head of three bodies of chinese, splendidly drilled and under iron discipline. he arrived in the nick of time, and, routing a vastly superior force, saved the city from capture. after this exploit he was no longer shunned by europeans as an adventurer and an outlaw. he was too prominent to be overlooked. his ever-victorious army, as it was afterward termed, entered upon a campaign of glorious victory. one after another of the rebel strongholds fell before it, and its leader was made a mandarin of the highest grade, with the title of admiral-general. ward then assumed the chinese name of hwa, and married changmei, a maiden of high degree, who was nineteen at the time of her wedding, and as the daughter of one of the richest and most exalted mandarins of the red button, was considered in china an exceedingly good match for the salem youth. according to oriental standards she was a beauty, too. ward did not rest long from his campaigns, however, for we find that he was soon besieged in the city of sungkiang with a few men. a relieving force of the ever-victorious army here came to his assistance. he did not win all his victories easily. in the battle of ningpo, toward the end of the first division of the tai-ping rebellion, the carnage was frightful. outnumbered, but not outgeneralled, the government forces fought valiantly. ward was shot through the stomach while leading a charge, but refused to leave the field while the battle was on. through his field officers he directed his men, and when the victory was assured, fell back unconscious in the arms of his companion, burgevine. he was carried to ningpo, where he died the following morning, a gallant and distinguished soldier, although still only thirty years old. in the confucian cemetery at ningpo his body was laid at rest with all possible honours and with military ceremony becoming his rank. over his grave, and that of his young wife, who survived him only a few months, a mausoleum was erected, and monuments were placed on the scenes of his victories. the mausoleum soon became a shrine invested with miraculous power, and a number of years after his death general ward was solemnly declared to be a joss or god. the manuscript of the imperial edict to this effect is now preserved in the essex institute. the command of the ever-victorious army reverted to burgevine, but later, through british intrigue, to general gordon. it was ward, however, the salem lad, who organised the army by which chinese gordon gained his fame. the british made a saint and martyr of gordon, and called ward an adventurer and a common sailor, but the chinese rated him more nearly as he deserved. in a little red-bound volume printed in shanghai in , and translated from the chinese for the benefit of a few of general ward's relatives in this country--a work which i have been permitted to examine--the native chronicler says of our hero: "what general ward has done to and for china is as yet but imperfectly known, for those whose duty it is to transfer to posterity a record of this great man are either so wrapped in speculation as to how to build themselves up on his deeds of the past time, or are so fearful that any comment on any subject regarding him may detract from their ability, that with his last breath they allow all that appertains to him to be buried in the tomb. not one in ten thousand of them could at all approach him in military genius, in courage, and in resource, or do anything like what he did." in his native land ward has never been honoured as he deserves to be. on the contrary, severe criticism has been accorded him because he was fighting in china for money during our civil war, "when," said his detractors, "he might have been using his talents for the protection of the flag under which he was born." but this was the fault of circumstances rather than of intention. ward wished, above everything, to be a soldier, and when he found fighting waiting for him in china, it was the most natural thing in the world for him to accept the opportunity the gods provided. but he did what he could under the circumstances for his country. he offered ten thousand dollars to the national cause--and was killed in the chinese war before the answer to his proffer of financial aid came from minister anson burlingame. it is rather odd that just the amount that he wished to be used by the north for the advancement of the union cause has recently ( ) been bequeathed to the essex institute at salem by miss elizabeth c. ward, his lately deceased sister, to found a chinese library in memory of salem's soldier of fortune. thus is rounded out this very romantic chapter of modern american history. the well-sweep of a song that the wise shakespeare spoke the truth when he observed that "one touch of nature makes the whole world kin" has never been better exemplified than in the affectionate tenderness with which all sorts and conditions of men join in singing a song like "the old oaken bucket." as one hears this ballad in a crowded room, or even as so often given--in a new england play like "the old homestead," one does not stop to analyse one's sensations; one forgets the homely phrase; one simply feels and knows oneself the better for the memories of happy and innocent childhood which the simple song invokes. dear, delightful goldsmith has wonderfully expressed in "the deserted village" the inextinguishable yearning for the spot we call "home": "in all my wanderings round this world of care, in all my griefs--and god has given my share-- i still had hopes, my long vexations past, here to return and die at home at last," and it is this same lyric cry that has been crystallised for all time, so far as the american people are concerned, in "the old oaken bucket." the day will not improbably come when the allusions in this poem will demand as careful an explanation as some of shakespeare's archaic references now call for. but even when this time does come, and an elaborate description of the strange old custom of drawing water from a hole in the ground by means of a long pole and a rude pail will be necessary to an understanding of the poem, men's voices will grow husky and their eyes will dim at the music of "the old oaken bucket." it is to the town of scituate, massachusetts, one of the most ancient settlements of the old colony, that we trace back the local colour which pervades the poem. the history of the place is memorable and interesting. the people come of a hardy and determined ancestry, who fought for every inch of ground that their descendants now hold. to this fact may perhaps be attributed the strength of those associations, clinging like ivy around some of the most notable of the ancient homesteads. the scene so vividly described in the charming ballad we are considering is a little valley through which herring brook pursues its devious way to meet the tidal waters of north river. "the view of it from coleman heights, with its neat cottages, its maple groves, and apple orchards, is remarkably beautiful," writes one appreciative author. the "wide-spreading pond," the "mill," the "dairy-house," the "rock where the cataract fell," and even the "old well," if not the original "moss-covered bucket" itself, may still be seen just as the poet described them. [illustration: old oaken bucket house, scituate, mass.] in quaint, homely scituate, samuel woodworth, the people's poet, was indeed born and reared. although the original house is no longer there, a pretty place called "the old oaken bucket house" still stands, a modern successor to the poet's home, and at another bucket, oaken if not old, the pilgrim of to-day may stop to slake his thirst from the very waters, the recollection of which gave the poet such exquisite pleasure in after years. one would fain have the surroundings unchanged--the cot where woodworth dwelt, the ponderous well-sweep, creaking with age, at which his youthful hands were wont to tug strongly; and finally the mossy bucket, overflowing with crystal nectar fresh from the cool depths below. yet in spite of the changes, one gets fairly well the illusion of the ancient spot, and comes away well content to have quaffed a draught of such excellent water to the memory of this scituate poet. the circumstances under which the popular ballad was composed and written are said to be as follows: samuel woodworth was a printer who had served his apprenticeship under the veteran major russell of the _columbian centinel_, a journal which was in its day the leading federalist organ of new england. he had inherited the wandering propensity of his craft, and yielding to the desire for change he was successively in hartford and new york, doing what he could in a journalistic way. in the latter city he became associated, after an unsuccessful career as a publisher, in the editorship of the _mirror_. and it was while living in new york in the bohemian fashion of his class, that, in company with some brother printers, he one day dropped in at a well-known establishment then kept by one mallory to take a social glass of wine. the cognac was pronounced excellent. after drinking it, woodworth set his glass down on the table, and, smacking his lips, declared emphatically that mallory's _eau de vie_ was superior to anything that he had ever tasted. "there you are mistaken," said one of his comrades, quietly; then added, "there certainly was one thing that far surpassed this in the way of drinking, as you, too, will readily acknowledge." "indeed; and, pray, what was that?" woodworth asked, with apparent incredulity that anything could surpass the liquor then before him. "the draught of pure and sparkling spring water that we used to get from the old oaken bucket that hung in the well, after our return from the labours of the field on a sultry summer's day." no one spoke; all were busy with their own thoughts. woodworth's eyes became dimmed. "true, true," he exclaimed; and soon after quitted the place. with his heart overflowing with the recollections that this chance allusion in a barroom had inspired, the scene of his happier childhood life rushed upon him in a flood of feeling. he hastened back to the office in which he then worked, seized a pen, and in half an hour had written his popular ballad: "how dear to this heart are the scenes of my childhood, when fond recollection presents them to view! the orchard, the meadow, the deep-tangled wildwood, and every loved spot which my infancy knew,-- the wide-spreading pond and the mill which stood by it, the bridge and the rock where the cataract fell; the cot of my father, the dairy-house nigh it, and e'en the rude bucket that hung in the well,-- the old oaken bucket, the iron-bound bucket, the moss-covered bucket which hung in the well. "the moss-covered vessel i hail as a treasure; for often at noon when returned from the field, i found it the source of an exquisite pleasure, the purest and sweetest that nature can yield. how ardent i seized it with hands that were glowing! and quick to the white-pebbled bottom it fell; then soon with the emblem of truth overflowing, and dripping with coolness it rose from the well,-- the old oaken bucket, the iron-bound bucket, the moss-covered bucket, arose from the well. "how sweet from the green mossy brim to receive it, as, poised from the curb, it inclined to my lips! not a full blushing goblet could tempt me to leave it, though filled with the nectar that jupiter sips. and now, far removed from the loved situation, the tear of regret will intrusively swell, as fancy reverts to my father's plantation, and sighs for the bucket which hangs in the well,-- the old oaken bucket, the iron-bound bucket, the moss-covered bucket which hangs in the well." woodworth's reputation rests upon this one stroke of genius. he died in at the age of fifty-seven. but after almost fifty years his memory is still green, and we still delight to pay tender homage to the spot which inspired one of the most beautiful songs america has yet produced. whittier's lost love in the life of the quaker poet there is an unwritten chapter of personal history full to the brim of romance. it will be remembered that whittier in his will left ten thousand dollars for an amesbury home for aged women. one room in this home mrs. elizabeth w. pickard (the niece to whom the poet bequeathed his amesbury homestead, and who passed away in the early spring of this year [ ], in an illness contracted while decorating her beloved uncle's grave on the anniversary of his birth), caused to be furnished with a massive black walnut set formerly used in the "spare-room" of her uncle's house--the room where lucy larcom, gail hamilton, the cary sisters, and george macdonald were in former times entertained. a stipulation of this gift was that the particular room in the home thus to be furnished was to be known as the whittier room. in connection with this home and this room comes the story of romantic interest. two years after the death of mr. whittier an old lady made application for admission to the home on the ground that in her youth she was a schoolmate and friend of the poet. and although she was not entitled to admission by being a resident of the town, she would no doubt have been received if she had not died soon after making the application. this aged woman was mrs. evelina bray downey, concerning whose schoolgirl friendship for whittier many inaccurate newspaper articles were current at the time of her death, in the spring of . the story as here told is, however, authentic. evelina bray was born at marblehead, october , . she was the youngest of ten children of a ship master, who made many voyages to the east indies and to european ports. in a letter written in , mrs downey said of herself: "my father, an east india sea captain, made frequent and long voyages. for safekeeping and improvement he sent me to haverhill, bearing a letter of introduction from captain william story to the family of judge bartley. they passed me over to mr. jonathan k. smith, and mrs. smith gave me as a roommate her only daughter, mary. this was the opening season of the new haverhill academy, a sort of rival to the bradford academy. subsequently i graduated from the ipswich female seminary, in the old mary lyon days." mary smith, miss bray's roommate at haverhill, and her lifelong friend--though for fifty years they were lost to each other--was afterward the wife of reverend doctor s. f. smith, the author of "america." evelina is described as a tall and strikingly beautiful brunette, with remarkable richness of colouring, and she took high rank in scholarship. the house on water street at which she boarded was directly opposite that of abijah w. thayer, editor of the _haverhill gazette_, with whom whittier boarded while at the academy. whittier was then nineteen years old, and evelina was seventeen. naturally, they walked to and from the school together, and their interest in each other was noticeable. if the quaker lad harboured thoughts of marriage, and even gave expression to them, it would not be strange. but the traditions of whittier's sect included disapproval of music, and evelina's father had given her a piano, and she was fascinated with the study of the art proscribed by the quakers. then, too, whittier was poor, and his gift of versification, which had already given him quite a reputation, was not considered in those days of much consequence as a means of livelihood. if they did not at first realise, both of them, the hopelessness of their love, they found it out after miss bray's return to her home. about this time mr. whittier accompanied his mother to a quarterly meeting of the society of friends at salem, and one morning before breakfast took a walk of a few miles to the quaint old town of marblehead, where he paid a visit to the home of his schoolmate. she could not invite him in, but instead suggested a stroll along the picturesque, rocky shore of the bay. this was in the spring or early summer of , and the poet was twenty years old, a farmer's boy, with high ambitions, but with no outlook as yet toward any profession. it may be imagined that the young couple, after a discussion of the situation, saw the hopelessness of securing the needed consent of their parents, and returned from their morning's walk with saddened hearts. whatever dreams they may have cherished were from that hour abandoned, and they parted with this understanding. in the next fifty years they met but once again, four or five years after the morning walk, and this once was at marblehead, along the shore. miss bray had in the meantime been teaching in a seminary in mississippi, and whittier had been editing papers in boston and hartford, and had published his first book, a copy of which he had sent her. there was no renewal at this time of their lover-like relations, and they parted in friendship. i have said that they met but once in the half-century after that morning's walk; the truth is they were once again close together, but whittier was not conscious of it. this was while he was editing the _pennsylvania freeman_, at philadelphia. miss bray was then associated with a miss catherine beecher, in an educational movement of considerable importance, and was visiting philadelphia. just at this time a noted massachusetts divine, reverend doctor todd, was announced to preach in the presbyterian church, and both these haverhill schoolmates were moved to hear him. by a singular chance they occupied the same pew, and sat close together, but miss bray was the only one who was conscious of this, and she was too shy to reveal herself. it must have been her bonnet hid her face, for otherwise whittier's remarkably keen eyes could not have failed to recognise the dear friend of his school-days. their next meeting was at the reunion of the haverhill academy class of , which was held in , half a century after their second interview at marblehead. it was said by some that it was this schoolboy love which whittier commemorated in his poem, "memories." but mr. pickard, the poet's biographer, affirms that, so far as known, the only direct reference made by whittier to the affair under consideration occurred in the fine poem, "a sea dream," written in . in the poet, now an old man, the sight of marblehead awakens the memory of that morning walk, and he writes: "is this the wind, the soft sea wind that stirred thy locks of brown? are these the rocks whose mosses knew the trail of thy light gown, where boy and girl sat down? "i see the gray fort's broken wall, the boats that rock below; and, out at sea, the passing sails we saw so long ago, rose-red in morning's glow. * * * * * "thou art not here, thou art not there, thy place i cannot see; i only know that where thou art the blessed angels be, and heaven is glad for thee. * * * * * "but turn to me thy dear girl-face without the angel's crown, the wedded roses of thy lips, thy loose hair rippling down in waves of golden brown. "look forth once more through space and time and let thy sweet shade fall in tenderest grace of soul and form on memory's frescoed wall,-- a shadow, and yet all!" whittier, it will be seen, believed that the love of his youth was dead. he was soon to find out, in a very odd way, that this was not the case. early in the forties, miss bray became principal of the "female department" of the benton school at st. louis. in , during the prevalence of a fearful epidemic, the school building was converted into a hospital, and one of the patients was an episcopal clergyman, reverend william s. downey, an englishman, claiming to be of noble birth. he recovered his health, but was entirely deaf, not being able to hear the loudest sound for the remainder of his life. miss bray married him, and for forty years endured martyrdom, for he was of a tyrannous disposition and disagreeably eccentric. mrs. downey had never told her husband of her early acquaintance with whittier, but he found it out by a singular chance. when reverend s. f. smith and his wife celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of their marriage the event was mentioned in the papers, and the fact that mrs. smith was a schoolmate of whittier was chronicled. mr. downey had heard his wife speak of being a schoolmate of the wife of the author of "america," and, putting these two circumstances together, he concluded that his wife must also have known the quaker poet in his youth. he said nothing to her about this, however, but wrote a letter to whittier himself, and sent with it a tract he had written in severe denunciation of colonel robert g. ingersoll. as a postscript to this letter he asked: "did you ever know evelina bray?" whittier at once replied, acknowledging the receipt of the tract, and making this characteristic comment upon it: "it occurs to me to say, however, that in thy tract thee has hardly charity enough for that unfortunate man, ingersoll, who, it seems to me, is much to be pitied for his darkness of unbelief. we must remember that one of the great causes of infidelity is the worldliness, selfishness, and evil dealing of professed christians. an awful weight of responsibility rests upon the christian church in this respect." and to this letter whittier added as a postscript: "can you give me the address of evelina bray?" mr. downey at once wrote that he was her husband, told of his service of the master, and indirectly begged for assistance in his work of spreading the gospel. at this time he was an evangelist of the baptist church, having some time since abandoned the mother faith. and, though he was not reduced to poverty, he accepted alms, as if poor, thus trying sorely the proud spirit of his wife. so it was not an unwonted request. of course, the poet had no sympathy with the work of attack mr. downey was evidently engaged in. but he feared the girl friend of his youth might be in destitute circumstances, and, for her sake, he made a liberal remittance. all this the miserable husband tried to keep from his wife, who he knew would at once return the money, but she came upon the fact of the remittance by finding whittier's letter in her husband's pocket. naturally, she was very indignant, but her letter to whittier returning the money was couched in the most delicate terms, and gave no hint of the misery of her life. until the year of his death she was an occasional correspondent with the poet, one of his last letters, written at hampton falls in the summer of , being addressed to her. their only meeting was at the haverhill academy reunion of , fifty-eight years after the love episode of their school-days. when they met at haverhill the poet took the love of his youth apart from the other schoolmates, and they then exchanged souvenirs, he receiving her miniature painted on ivory, by porter, the same artist who painted the first likeness ever taken of whittier. this latter miniature is now in the possession of mr. pickard. the portrait of miss bray, representing her in the full flush of her girlish beauty, wearing as a crown a wreath of roses, was returned to mrs. downey after the poet's death, by the niece of whittier, into whose possession it came. mrs. downey spent her last days in the family of judge bradley, at west newbury, massachusetts. after her death some valuable china of hers was sold at auction, and several pieces were secured by a neighbour, mrs. ladd. the ladd family has since taken charge of the whittier birthplace at east haverhill, and by this chain of circumstances evelina bray's china now rests on the whittier shelves, together with the genuine whittier china, put in its old place by mrs. pickard. [illustration: whittier's birthplace, east haverhill, mass.] it was not because of destitution that mrs. downey made application to enter the old ladies' home which whittier endowed, but, because, cherishing until the day of her death her youthful fondness for the poet, she longed to live during the sunset time of her life near his grave. in all probability her request would have been granted, had not she, too, been suddenly called to the land where there is neither marriage nor giving in marriage. the end. index adams, john, . adams, mrs. john, . adams, samuel, . agassiz, mrs., . alford, mrs. a. g., . allston, . antigua merchant, . auburn, mount, . bana, doctor, discovers deborah sampson's secret, ; sends letter to general patterson, . bancroft, . barlow, mrs., . barr, george l., buys royall house, . bartley, judge, . bath, ; death of frankland at, . beck, doctor, . belem, frankland sails from, . belknap, jeremy, letter of, . berkeley, bishop, ; student at dublin university, ; fellow at trinity college, ; life as a tutor, ; reception in london, : marriage, ; sails for rhode island, ; arrives at newport, ; writes "minute philosopher," ; bequeaths books to yale college, ; dies at oxford, ; portrait by smibert, . bermuda, proposed college at, . "blithedale romance," , . bradley, judge, . bray, evelina, born at marblehead, . brook farm institute of agriculture and education organised, . "brothers and sisters" at fay house, . brown, rev. arthur, . brownson, . brunswick, triumphs of riedesels at, . burgevine, henry, . burlingame, anson, . burgoyne, , . burr, aaron, . burr, thaddeus, . bynner's story, agnes surriage, . cadenus and vanessa, poem, . caldwell, sir john, . carlyle visited by ripley, . caroline, queen (consort george second), . carter, madam, . cary sisters, . channing, ellery, . channing, lucy, . channing, mary, . channing, william henry, , . chambly, baroness riedesel at, . charlestown city hall, . chichester, eng., . child, professor, . christ church, boston, . church, doctor, ; fall of, ; imprisoned, ; education of, ; delivers old south oration, ; tried at watertown, ; confined in norwich jail, ; lost at sea (?), . clark, rev. jonas, . clark, mrs. jonas, . clarke mansion purchased by frankland, . clough, capt. stephen, . codman, mrs. j. amory, . codman, martha, . _columbian centinel_, . coolidge, j. templeton, . corey, giles, pressed to death, . corey, mrs. martha, condemned as witch, . corwin, justice jonathan, , . cotton, rev. john, , . _courier, new england_, . congress, continental, . copley, . crowninshield, hannah, . curtis, george william, at brook farm, . dana, charles, . dana, dr. j. freeman, . dana, edmund, . dana, sophia willard, ; marries george ripley, ; goes over to rome, . danvers, . dawes at lexington, . deerfield, . diaz, abby morton, . dorothy q. at lexington, , ; marries john hancock, ; marries captain scott, ; receives lafayette, . downey, evelina bray, . downey, rev. william s., , . drew, mr. john, . duse, eleanora, at fay house, . dunbarton, stark house at, . dwight, john, . dwight, marianne, . dwight, president of yale college, . edmonston, captain, . _elizabeth_, loss of the ossolis on, . eliot, john, at deerfield, . ellsworth, annie g., . emerson, ralph waldo, at the manse, ; hawthorne and, . emerson, william, at the manse, . endicott, governor, . erving, george, at medford, . essex institute, ; ward bequest to, . eustis, madam, . everett, edward, . fairbanks, jason, ; trial of, ; escape of, ; hanging of, . fairbanks, jonathan, . fairbanks, rebecca, . fairbanks, chapter d. r., . "fair harvard" written in fay house, . fales, elizabeth, ; murder of, . fay house, . fay, maria denny, . fay, p. p., . felton, president, . fielding, henry, describes lisbon, . fire island beach, loss of the ossolis off, . fountain inn, marblehead, . frankland, charles henry, ; born in bengal, ; collector of boston port, ; meets agnes surriage, ; adopts agnes surriage, ; builds home at hopkinton, ; dies at lisbon, . franks, miss, . fuller, margaret, at brook farm, ; born in cambridge, ; joins _tribune_ staff, ; at concord, ; goes abroad, ; marries ossoli, ; is lost at sea, . fuller, timothy, . gage, general, at boston, ; in correspondence with church, . geer, mr., present owner royall house, . george first, . george third entertains the riedesels, ; west's anecdote of, . gilman, arthur, . gilman, dr. samuel, . goldsmith, . gordon, "chinese", . greeley, horace, . greenough, lily, . greenough, mrs., . griswold, sarah e., . hamilton, gail, . hancock, john, at lexington, ; letters of, , ; marries miss quincy, ; occupies home on beacon street, ; dies, . hancock, lydia, at lexington, . hartford, conn., riedesels entertain lafayette at, . haverhill academy, . haverhill _gazette_, . hawthorne writes of sir wm. pepperell, ; goes to brook farm, ; writes of margaret fuller, ; at the manse, . higginson, col. thomas wentworth, ; writes of margaret fuller, . hilliard at the manse, . hilton, martha, ; marries governor wentworth, . hobgoblin hall, . hollingsworth, . holmes, oliver wendell, . honeyman's hill (newport, r. i.), . hopkinton (mass.), ; home of frankland burned, ; residence of frankland, ; agnes surriage at, . howard, lady, . howe, sir william, , , . hutchinson, ann, mrs., ; arrives in boston, ; holds meetings, ; accused of heresy, : sentenced, ; banished, ; murdered, . hutchinson, governor, , . inman's farm, . ireland, nathaniel, . isle of shoals, . james, professor william, . johnson, doctor, , . kittery point, . ladd, mrs., . lafayette entertained by starks, ; on washington and lee, ; entertained by john hancock, ; received by madame scott, ; dines with baroness riedesel, ; visits george third, . lane, professor, . larcom, lucy, . larned, "sam," . lauterbach, family vault of riedesels at, . lee, general, at royall house, . lee, general, in british army, ; arrives in new york, ; at medford, ; at somerville, ; dies in virginia, . lee, sydney, . lexington, affair at, . lindencrone, de hegermann, . lisbon, frankland at, ; earthquake at, ; agnes surriage's experience at, ; frankland consul-general at, . longfellow, . louisburg, . lowell, james russell, . lowell, john, . luther, martin, orphan home, . macdonald, george, . marblehead, maid of, ; town house, ; fountain inn, ; whittier at, . marie antoinette, plot to rescue, . marley abbey (residence of "vanessa"), . marshall, judge, . massachusetts historical society, . mather, rev. cotton, . mckean, elizabeth, . mckean, joseph, . mckinstrey, sarah, marries caleb stark, ; portrait of, . mcneil, gen. john, . michelet, . minot, captain, . morris, robert, . morse, rev. jedediah, . morse, samuel f. b., ; birthplace of, ; student at yale, ; studies painting in europe, ; returns to america, ; paints lafayette, ; invents the telegraph, . moulton, mr. charles, . moulton, suzanne, . nason, rev. elias, . newman, robert, , . nichols, george c., buys royall house, . norris, miss, . nourse, rebecca, . "old oaken bucket," . orvis, john, marries marianne dwight, . ossoli, angelo, marchese d', . ossoli, marchesa d' (see margaret fuller). otis, harrison gray, . oxford, death of berkeley at, . page, capt. caleb, . pennsylvania _freeman_, . pepperell, sir william, st, . pepperell, sir william, d, at medford, ; graduated, ; marries miss royall, ; denounced, ; sails for england, ; dies, . pepperell, lady, . pepperell house built, . percival, lord, ; letter from walpole, . phips, governor, . pickard, elizabeth w., . pickard, samuel, . pierce, professor, . porter house in medford, . prescott, doctor, at lexington, , . price, rev. roger, . quebec, baroness riedesel at, . quincy, miss, ; marries john hancock, . raben-levetzan, suzanne, . radcliffe college, . _radcliffe magazine_, . revere, paul, , , ; writes of church, . revolution, agnes surriage in, . riedesel, baron, ; entertains lafayette, ; visits george third, ; returns to brunswick, ; dies at brunswick, . riedesel, baroness, ; letters of, ; lands in america, ; reaches cambridge, ; dies at berlin, ; cambridge street named for, . ripley, doctor, . ripley, george, ; marries sophia dana, ; goes to brook farm, ; visits carlyle, . rouville, maj. hertel de, . royall house visited by frankland, ; built at medford, . royall, isaac, the nabob, . royall, col. isaac, proscribed, ; leaves land to harvard, . russell, major, . salem, isaac royall to sail from, . saltonstall, . sampson, deborah (gannett), ; early life, ; enlists in continental army, ; writes her mother, ; in battle of white plains, ; sex discovered by physician, ; receives love letter, ; returns to her home, ; marries, ; conducts lecture tour, . savage, . scituate, . scott, sir walter, . schuyler, general, at saratoga, ; daughter of, sewall, judge, . shirley, governor massachusetts, . shirley house, . shurtleff, robert (see deborah sampson). sleepy hollow, , . smibert paints berkeley, ; paints sir wm. pepperell, st, . smith, mary, ; marries s. f. smith, . sophia, princess, and madame riedesel, . sophocles, evangelinus apostolides, . sparhawk, colonel, . stark, general, at royall house, . stark, archibald, . stark, caleb, born at dunbarton, ; marries miss mckinstrey, ; entertains lafayette, . stark, charlotte, . stark, harriett, . stark, charles f. morris, . stark burying-ground, . stella, journal of, ; marriage to swift, . story, capt. william, . story, judge, . story, mary, . story, william, . sully steamship, . surriage, agnes, . swan, col. james, ; member sons of liberty, ; at bunker hill, ; secretary mass. board of war, ; makes fortune, ; loses fortune, ; secures government contracts, ; returns to america, ; arrested at paris, ; confined in st. pélagie, ; dies, . swift, dean, friend to berkeley, ; at lodging in bury street, ; letter to vanessa, ; letter to lord carteret, . swift, lindsay, . tai-ping rebellion, . thayer, abijah w., . thaxter, celia, . thaxter, levi, . thoreau and hawthorne, ; grave of, . three rivers, baroness riedesel at, . tidd, jacob, buys royall house, . tituba, the indian slave, . titus, mrs. nelson v., . tremont house, . ursuline convent, . vane, sir harry, . vanessa (cadenus and vanessa), ; goes to ireland, ; letter to swift, ; letter to stella, ; legacy to berkeley, ; death of, . vanhomrigh, esther (see vanessa), . vassall house, ; becomes hospital, ; doctor church there confined, . vaudreuil, governor, . walker, lucretia p., . walpole, sir robert, ; writes to lord percival, . ward, elizabeth c., founds chinese library, . ward, frederick townsend, born at salem, ; enters french army, ; enlists in nicaraguan expedition, ; arrives at shanghai, ; defeats tai-pings, ; is made a mandarin, ; organises ever-victorious army, ; marries changmei, ; buried at ning po, ; is made a god, . warren, doctor, and church, . warren, mrs. mercy, . washington, george, letter of, . wayside inn, , . wentworth, governor, marriage of, . wentworth, michael, . west, benjamin, . west indies, proposed seminary at, . whitehall (built at newport, r. i.), ; made over to yale college, . white, maria, , . whitman, mrs. sarah, . whittier at marblehead, ; at philadelphia, ; "a sea dream," written by, ; at haverhill seminary reunion, ; endows amesbury home, . williams, gov. charles k., . williams, rev. eleazer (dauphin?), . williams, eunice, captured, ; is converted by jesuits, ; marries a savage, ; revisits deerfield, . williams, rev. john, ; captured, ; redeemed, . williams, roger, . williams, rev. stephen, ; captured by indians, ; redeemed, ; settles at longmeadow, . winthrop, john, . wiscasset, me., plan to entertain marie antoinette at, . woodworth, samuel, born at scituate, ; writes "old oaken bucket," ; dies, . yale college, bequest from berkeley, ; s. f. b. morse at, . zenobia, . * * * * * _little pilgrimages series_ _little pilgrimages among the men who have written famous books by e. f. harkins_ _little pilgrimages among the women who have written famous books by e. f. harkins and c. h. l. johnston_ _literary boston of to-day by helen m. winslow_ _the romance of old new england rooftrees by mary c. crawford_ l. c. page & company new england building boston, mass. scanned images of public domain material from the google print archive. [illustration: book cover] historic homes of new england [illustration: plate i.--the old pickering house, salem, mass. built in . _frontispiece._] historic homes of new england by mary h. northend author of "colonial homes and their furnishings" _with numerous illustrations_ [illustration] boston little, brown, and company _copyright, ,_ by little, brown, and company. this book is dedicated to the best of mothers preface the study of old houses grows in interest with each additional discovery of good material, such as can be found in the old new england towns and cities, more especially those along the seacoast. the preservation of these old houses has done much to give us correct ideas of the interiors, though many of these, with the change of owners, have been stripped of their colonial furnishings. most of the houses that are shown in this book are private homes which have been opened by the owners to allow pictured representations of correct ancestral furnishing. houses such as these possess the greatest charm--ancestral homes that have descended from generation to generation in the same family since their founding. it has been a great pleasure to be allowed to visit these old mansions, which show wonderful staircases, richly carved mantels, and colonial windows, each one of which is an architectural gem. through pictured homes like these one is given a deeper interest in the early life of our country and realizes more than ever before what the colonial period stood for in home building. i wish to acknowledge the kindness of my many friends in helping me to make this book possible, particularly mrs. charles m. stark of dunbarton, new hampshire, for use of the old stark mansion; the colonial dames of massachusetts, for allowing correct representations in pictures of the quincy mansion; the new hampshire society of the sons of cincinnati, for the use of the ladd-gilman house; miss caroline o. emmerton of salem, for permission to show the historic house of seven gables; the historical society of marblehead, for the use of the lee mansion; the medford daughters of the revolution, for the old royall house; the dalton club of newburyport, who have thrown open their club-house to be pictured; mrs. jacob c. rogers of boston and peabody; mr. jacob c. peabody of danvers; as well as many others, including mr. john pickering of salem, who have allowed me access to their houses. we of new england are deeply interested in our historic homes, and it is to the lover of the colonial that i wish to show by picture and text the wonderful old mansions that are still in our midst, which have done much to bring new england into prominence in the architectural world of to-day. mary h. northend. august , . contents chapter page preface vii i. homes of long ago ii. the house of the seven gables iii. the pickering house iv. "the lindens" v. the rogers house vi. the colonel jeremiah lee house vii. the ladd-gilman house viii. the adams house ix. the spencer-pierce house x. the governor dummer mansion xi. the macphaedris-warner house xii. the wentworth house xiii. the franklin pierce house xiv. the savory house xv. the stark mansion xvi. the saltonstall house xvii. the dalton house xviii. the kittredge house xix. the royall house xx. the longfellow house xxi. the quincy mansion xxii. "hey bonnie hall" index list of plates i. the old pickering house, salem, mass. _frontispiece_ facing page ii. doorway, oliver house, salem, mass. iii. hallway, oliver house; living room, oliver house iv. hallway, cabot low house; fireplace, oliver house v. the house of the seven gables, salem, mass. vi. hallway, house of the seven gables; hepzibah's shop, house of the seven gables vii. dining room, house of the seven gables; parlor, house of the seven gables viii. attic, house of the seven gables. ix. the pickering house, salem, mass. x. the pickering house, side view xi. entrance doors, pickering house xii. hallway, pickering house xiii. dining room, pickering house; alcove, pickering house xiv. living room, pickering house; drawing room, pickering house xv. fireplace with scriptural tiles, pickering house; the old pickering sideboard xvi. "the lindens," danvers, mass. xvii. hallway, "the lindens" xviii. dining room, "the lindens"; chamber, "the lindens" xix. drawing room, "the lindens"; library, "the lindens" xx. chambers in "the lindens" xxi. the rogers house, peabody, mass. xxii. doorway, rogers house xxiii. parlor, rogers house; drawing room, rogers house xxiv. the lee mansion, marblehead, mass. xxv. porch, lee mansion xxvi. two views of the hallway, lee mansion xxvii. wallpapers, lee mansion xxviii. wood carving, lee mansion xxix. banquet hall, lee mansion; fireplace, lee mansion xxx. chamber, lee mansion; four-poster, lee mansion xxxi. the ladd-gilman house, exeter, n. h. xxxii. parlor, ladd-gilman house xxxiii. living room, ladd-gilman house; robert treat room, ladd-gilman house xxxiv. middle chamber, ladd-gilman house; prison, ladd-gilman house xxxv. the adams house, newbury, mass. xxxvi. parlor, adams house; living room, adams house xxxvii. dining room, adams house xxxviii. the spencer-pierce house, newburyport, mass. xxxix. hallway, spencer-pierce house xl. dining room, spencer-pierce house; living room, spencer-pierce house xli. parlor, spencer-pierce house xlii. the dummer mansion, byfield, mass. xliii. doorway, dummer mansion; hallway, dummer mansion xliv. dining room, dummer mansion; den, dummer mansion xlv. two views of the living room, dummer mansion xlvi. the warner house, portsmouth, n. h. xlvii. doorway, warner house; porch, warner house xlviii. living room, warner house xlix. parlor, warner house l. the wentworth house, little harbor, n. h. li. hallway, wentworth house lii. dance hall, wentworth house liii. room in wentworth house where martha hilton was made bride liv. the franklin pierce house, hillsboro, n. h. lv. library, franklin pierce house lvi. sword given by the state of new hampshire to president pierce; bowie knife used at barbecue given at hillsboro for president pierce, and canes presented to him by notable personages; sword presented by ladies of concord, n. h., to president pierce lvii. the savory house, groveland, mass. lviii. porch and gateway, savory house lix. hallway, savory house; chamber, savory house lx. china closet, savory house; china closet, savory house, where china of three generations of brides is kept lxi. parlor, savory house; living room, savory house lxii. the stark mansion, dunbarton, n. h. lxiii. old mill, stark homestead lxiv. hallway, stark mansion; parlor, stark mansion lxv. dining room, stark mansion lxvi. saltonstall house, haverhill, mass. lxvii. two views of the hallway, saltonstall house lxviii. two views of the dining room, saltonstall house lxix. chambers in the saltonstall house lxx. the dalton house, newburyport, mass. lxxi. porch, dalton house lxxii. lower hall, dalton house; upper hall, dalton house lxxiii. fireplaces, dalton house lxxiv. the kittredge house, andover, mass. lxxv. hallway, kittredge house lxxvi. living room, kittredge house; parlor, kittredge house lxxvii. soapstone fire frame, kittredge house; fireplace, kittredge house lxxviii. the royall house, medford, mass. lxxix. doorway, royall house lxxx. hallway, royall house, from the rear lxxxi. spinning room, royall house lxxxii. kitchen fireplace, royall house lxxxiii. chambers in the royall house lxxxiv. the longfellow house, cambridge, mass. lxxxv. library, longfellow house lxxxvi. the quincy mansion, quincy, mass. lxxxvii. porch, quincy mansion lxxxviii. dining room, quincy mansion lxxxix. kitchen, quincy mansion; parlor, quincy mansion xc. paper hung for wedding of dorothy quincy, quincy mansion xci. chambers in the quincy mansion xcii. porch of the middleton house, bristol, r. i. xciii. hallway, middleton house; fireplace, middleton house xciv. living room, middleton house xcv. bridal chamber, middleton house chapter i homes of long ago scattered here and there throughout the south, the middle west, and the new england states, we find the homes of long ago standing as mute witnesses and representatives of periods in our country's settlements that have become historical. we come across them by the wayside, when driving along country roads, or we catch glimpses of them at the end of grassy lanes, surrounded by pleasant meadows, while others, jutting in between twentieth century houses in our large cities, serve to link the old days with the new. these old mansions are often tenantless; some, with sagging roofs and gaping sides, are fast falling into decay. still others, well preserved and freshly painted, surrounded by the well kept lawns and posy beds of our grandmothers' time, are survivals of a glorious past. old houses are like old romances; both are filled with mystery. could they but speak, what fascinating tales they would reveal. they carry us back in imagination to one of the most eventful periods of our country's life--that of its struggle for freedom--and they inspire us with a desire to weave them into stories that will give authentic glimpses of the days when our country was young. surrounding these ancient landmarks we find an irresistible and intangible charm that never fails to appeal, not only to the house-lover but the antiquarian as well. for, no matter how shabby the exterior may be, inside its four walls has been enacted a series of comedies and tragedies, which, if known, might overshadow the romances of the great masters of literature. in spite of the mystery surrounding these old homesteads, there is, nevertheless, something definite about them which has for the student of the past a deep meaning and a distinct appeal. harking back, we find that each particular type of house represents a stage in the development of architecture. they cover a period when architects were practically unknown. many were evolved from the master builder's brain, while others have been developed little by little from early designs. monuments of departed days, they stand models to which our present-day architects turn for inspiration. few, if any, of the first houses are still standing. they were constructed of logs and had thatched roofs. the timber was, at first, hand sawed in saw pits dug for that purpose, a tedious process. later on, sawmills were erected, but not in sufficient number to meet the demand for frame houses. the second period of house building brought out a new idea in construction. some of these houses were built with two stories in front and one in the rear, this lower story being covered by an extension of the sloping roof. the most imposing of this type were those which were designed with gables at the front and chambers underneath. in those days, the best kinds of lumber were plentiful, so the frame could be built of picked wood, preferably white oak. in houses of this style, the outer walls were daubed with clay, covered with boards. at first, they were called clay boards, the name being afterwards corrupted to clapboards. lime was rarely used in daubing, since lime was obtainable only by burning shells. sometimes clay was intermixed with straw. many windows had small, diamond panes, set in lead cases. these may be found to-day in some of the old houses that have escaped vandalism. the windows were often divided into two parts and opened outward. the entrance hall in these old homes led into a large and imposing apartment. on the walls were hung frames containing hair flowers and funeral pieces wrought by hand. this was known as the "company" or "guest" room, used only on state occasions. the principal room was the kitchen with its sanded floor, often laid herring-bone pattern. this was used as a dining-room and kitchen combined. through the center of the house ran a chimney six feet square, around which clustered the closets, many of them secret. here were concealed the family treasures, plate, and perchance a refugee. the family gathering place was the kitchen. it requires little imagination to repeople it with guests. seemingly, we watch the elders seated on large, wooden settles inside the fireplace, roasting their faces, while they freeze their backs. the old iron crane swings outward, holding the jack, spit, and pot hooks. the dutch oven covered with ashes contains the evening meal. the only light save the firelight was the pitch-pine torch, by whose flickering flame one read or sewed. close at hand on a nail hung the old horn lantern ready for use, either to tend the stock or light a visiting neighbor home. it is an appealing picture of colonial life. among the old houses there are none so full of interest as those which have been carefully preserved in the same family, handed down from generation to generation. over the threshold of these homes have passed men and women whose names are linked irretrievably with important events in our nation's history. in the early history of our country, few seaport towns stand out in bolder relief than salem, massachusetts, a city noted at the commencement of the nineteenth century for her commercial prosperity, and whose ships sailed to every port on the globe. these ships were small, clumsy affairs, but staunch in build. the cargoes were valuable ventures, sent by salem merchants who were fearless plungers. the flavor of the sea still lingers about this seaport town, particularly along derby street, where, in the prosperous shipping days, social life was centered. years crept on apace, and the country grew more prosperous with the increase of population; and in the seaport town, more especially, came a demand for larger and better houses. money circulated freely, and ventures proved successful. trade steadily increased, bringing prosperity in its wake. commerce was at its height, and the harbor was filled with incoming and outgoing ships, whose holds were stored with rich cargoes of household goods, furniture, and glass, intermixed with merchandise. much of the valuable furniture is still to be found in the houses of to-day. the story of those stirring times reads like a bit of romance. the tide still ebbs and flows at derby street, lapping the piers much as it did a century ago, when ships four tiers deep lay tied up at the now deserted wharves. the crews were boys, many of them, sons of the merchants, who, from sailing before the mast, rose rapidly to positions of importance, becoming captains of their ships at an age when the lads of to-day are just leaving school. like a dream seems the life of long ago. no more, save in imagination, do we see the jolly sailor lads with sea legs on, bowling along derby street, bound for kit's dancing hall, there to indulge themselves in merry dance or quench their thirst at the flowing bowl. the old inn or ordinary has long since passed away, as has the lumbering stage and jolly drivers, who snapped their whips and cracked their jokes around a cheerful, open fire while waiting for the incoming ships. the large, square homes of yesterday are now degenerated into tenement houses. three of the most prominent merchants of that day were william grey, joseph peabody, and elias hasket derby. they owned the greater number of the ships that sailed to foreign ports, and their names are household words. on the wharves still stand their old counting-houses, now put to other uses. [illustration: plate ii.--doorway, oliver house, salem, mass. built in .] with the decline of commerce and the decrease of shipping, the tide of building turned inland. large, imposing houses were erected in other parts of the town. elias hasket derby chose as a site for his new house what is now known as derby square. the estate was a large one, terraced to the water's edge. the house was of wood, three stories in height, and costing eighty thousand dollars. much of samuel mcintire's best wood work was used here. not many months after its completion, the owner died, and his entire estate was sold. the house was torn down, much of the timber being used in other houses that were in the process of building. captain cook was at that time erecting for his daughter, who married henry k. oliver, a stately home on federal street. into this were introduced some of the best specimens of the wood carving. this mansion was a type that came into prominence at the close of the revolutionary war, a large, square house, three stories in height, showing in exterior finish many of mcintire's best designs. the gate-posts on either side of the little picket gate were especially carved for the old derby mansion, as were the classic columns that support the porch. not only outside the house but inside as well, one comes across mcintire's wonderful carving. step over the threshold, enter the spacious hallway, that like most constructed in that day extends entirely through the house and opens on to an old-fashioned garden beyond. here the door frames and stairway show the master's handiwork. the broad landing is lighted by a window especially designed. large, square rooms open on either side of the hall, the one at the right showing scenic wall-paper made in paris and hung in . a feature of this room is a hob-grate, one of the first ever placed in any salem home. [illustration: plate iii.--hallway, oliver house; living room, oliver house.] the old merchants knew well how to build for comfort and beauty. one of their old houses, still standing on essex street, salem, was built in by one joseph sprague, a merchant. it is a rambling, spacious affair, three stories in height at the rear and two at the front. the grounds were extensive, leading to the water's edge. major sprague was a man of standing, interested in military affairs. it was he that commanded the first uniformed company of light infantry. organized on april , , they applied to the general court to make them independent of the militia but not of the regiment. in those days their uniform was much more striking than at present. green coats with gold trimming were worn, also ruffled shirts, the ruffles falling over the hands, under dresses of white, black gaiters, and black hats of beaver ornamented with ostrich plumes. this company soon disbanded. the ancestral home of major sprague has never been out of the family. it was built by him for his bride. lifting the ponderous knocker, one enters the open door, passing into a broad hallway with a colonial staircase showing fine, hand-carved balusters. opening out of this are large, square rooms, filled with rich, old chippendale. much of this was brought over in the major's ships. huge open fireplaces are found in every room. one of them is surrounded by tiles, picturing Ã�sop's fables. closets innumerable, such as would delight the heart of a twentieth-century housekeeper, are everywhere. there are large ones and small ones. sometimes, concealed behind panels, were secret closets, but the most important of all, as well as the most historical, has disappeared. this was used in revolutionary times to shelter one of the servants, a deserter from the continental army, who was discovered and shot. major sprague had a comely daughter sarah, who was a reigning belle of that day. her beauty attracted the attention of one william stearns, a harvard collegian, who lived in the craigie house at cambridge, afterwards the home of longfellow. every saturday night he swam the unbridged mystic river and walked to salem to see her. they were married in and lived in the town. he was one of the largest stockholders in the turnpike road built between salem and boston, and the story runs that he declared after it was finished he would be able to stand on the steps of his salem home and look directly into the boston market. a son of the fair sarah married thresea st. agnan from trinidad. she was an intimate of josephine tascher de la pageree, afterwards the consort of napoleon. a beautiful gold-banded tortoise-shell comb is still kept in the family, a present from josephine to agnes. many are the interesting historical houses to be found in this city, each of which has a story hidden away under its roof. one of these standing next to the old witch house was owned originally by a captain davenport. it is mentioned as early as . later, the captain removed to boston to take charge of the fortification at castle island and on july , , was killed "by a solemn stroke of thunder." the estate was then conveyed to one jonathan corwan, afterwards called curwin, a man of prominence in the witchcraft trial through being appointed one of the judges. later on his grandson samuel, an exceedingly interesting man with a most irascible disposition, lived in the same mansion. graduated from harvard in , he became a merchant, afterwards taking part in the pepperrell expedition against louisburg as captain and rose to the rank of "judge of admiralty." espousing the cause of the loyalists, he was forced to leave for england. returning in , he found his estate in a very bad condition, most of his valuable library having been sold. for many years afterwards he was a prominent gentleman in the life of the city and was often seen walking the streets, wearing his english wig, clothed in a long cloak of red cloth, his fingers covered with rings, and using a gold-headed cane as he walked. [illustration: plate iv.--hallway, cabot low house, ; fireplace, oliver house.] there is no purer type of colonial house in the city by the sea, than the cabot house, built by one joseph cabot in and which was for thirty years the residence of william crowninshield endicott, who served under president cleveland as secretary of war. near derby street stands the house made famous by nathaniel hawthorne. here, in may, , he called to see his cousin "the duchess," miss susan ingersoll, on which occasion she told him the story of the house, and the name struck him so forcibly that he is said to have repeated it again and again as if to impress it on his memory. from this incident we have the romance of _the house of the seven gables_. chapter ii the house of the seven gables the visitor to salem has no difficulty in finding the house of the seven gables, for any one can direct him there, and he is waylaid by boys who wish to guide him to it. his way lies through what was once the court end of the town. this quarter, long since deserted by fashion--its fine old houses are now turned into tenements--still retains enough of its ancient state to arouse the visitor's interest. so his mind is in a most receptive mood when a final corner takes him into turner street, and he descries at its very end the rear of the ancient mansion, embowered by trees, the long sweep of its lean-to crowned by a cluster of chimneys. [illustration: plate v.--the house of the seven gables, salem, mass.] the house of the seven gables is most pleasantly situated, overlooking salem harbor, with a view across the water and of marblehead in the distance. the house faces the south. its east end borders on turner street, crowding down so close to the narrow sidewalk that the picturesque sign over the shop door swings just over the heads of the passers-by. at the back of the house the lean-to already mentioned slopes down to the yard, while to the west the land extends beyond the garden to the next street. the steeply sloping roof of the ancient mansion, its sharp, pointed gables, its gray, weather-beaten clapboards, the faded red of its brick chimneys, all attract the visitor. romance speaks to him from the tiny casements and, dreaming that he shall find miss hepzibah herself behind the counter, he opens the shop door and hurriedly enters. the bell over the door jangles his welcome. it would be hard to find a tinier place than that little shop. and how full it is of everything: of toys, of candies, of baskets and rag mats and antiques and bits of embroidery and, best of all, quaint jimcrows, the gingerbread men so thoroughly appreciated by miss hepzibah's young customer. the present presiding genius of the little shop stands behind a high, narrow counter surmounted by a very old, quaint, glass show-case. she is a lady of far more charm and tact than was poor miss hepzibah, with much of interest to tell about her wares, and answers with great patience questions about the house and the families who lived in it. the house was built in by john turner, a salem merchant, and was successively owned by his son and grandson, both john turners. the third john turner sold the house in to captain samuel ingersoll. hawthorne's connection with the house begins with the ingersolls, who were his kinsfolk. mrs. ingersoll was a hawthorne and a cousin of hawthorne's father. her daughter susannah was eighteen years older than hawthorne, although of the same generation. she inherited the estate while still a young woman and was at first fond of society, but after an unfortunate love affair she became a recluse. she spent a long life in gloomy retirement in the ancient mansion with no companion except her under-witted maid. her young cousin, nathaniel hawthorne, was one of the few men allowed to cross her jealously guarded threshold. miss ingersoll's old age was cheered by an adopted son, a boy of mysterious birth, supposed by some to be the child of her servant. whoever he was, miss ingersoll was devoted to him. she gave him a fine education and started him in life as a clergyman. he was known at first as horace conelly but later took the name of ingersoll. miss ingersoll left him her entire fortune, even her family homestead, the house of the seven gables. but unfortunately he proved to be a man of very weak character. he dissipated the fortune, and in the house was sold for his debts. in the next few years the house changed owners many times, until in it came into the possession of the upton family, who occupied it for twenty-five years. in it was bought for the use of the settlement to which it gives its name. in the house was repaired and fitted up for settlement work, and while it was under repair, many of the original features, or traces of them, were discovered. during its two hundred and forty years of existence some of its gables and its lean-to had been taken off, the overhang closed in, and the secret staircase taken down. a careful restoration was made of all these missing features, a matter of great interest to architects and antiquarians and even to the casual visitor. [illustration: copyright. , by c. o. emmerton.] [illustration: copyright, , by c. o. emmerton. plate vi.--hallway, house of the seven gables; hepzibah's shop, house of the seven gables.] leaving the little shop, the visitor enters directly the old kitchen. this is a small room sheathed with pine boards put on perpendicularly, after the fashion of the earliest times, so as to form a simple pattern. this special pattern is peculiar to the house of the seven gables. an immense fireplace occupies nearly the whole of one side of the room. it is filled with old-fashioned cooking utensils and illustrates the evolution which has taken place along this line. the pots and kettles are swung from a long iron bar placed well up in the chimney. (the crane with which we are all familiar is simply a later development of this primitive bar.) there is a brick oven built into the fireplace, also a dutch oven, which is a pot with a rim around the cover to hold the hot coals; and, the last step in evolution before the cook-stove, we find the tin kitchen standing in its place before the andirons. the most precious of all the furnishings of the fireplace is an old-fashioned toaster from which hawthorne has had many a slice of toast. close to the fireplace is a panelled oak chest as old as, if not older, than the house. flanking the chest is the top of a highboy, which once belonged to miss ingersoll and may have been bought of the turners with the house. as miss ingersoll was a conservative person, it was probably not until after her day that the highboy was divided, and the top part set on the floor with feet of its own. opposite the highboy is an old-fashioned kitchen dresser, part of which was found in the house, and the rest designed to match. its shelves now contain samples of crockery and old salt glaze, with specimens of bennington and tortoise-shell ware. if the visitor is up on such matters, he will have noticed that certain articles in the room are of much later date than others. he is then told that the idea in furnishing the house is to make it look as an old, conservative salem house would have looked in , the period of the story. that is to say, there is practically no furniture later than , and most of the pieces are much earlier--survivors, so to speak, of the many periods through which the house has passed. the later and more elegant pieces of furniture (generally speaking, mahogany of about ) are to be found in the parlor and dining-room, while the earlier pieces of walnut, cherry, pine, and oak have been relegated to the kitchen and attic; the same is to be said of the china--lowestoft and lustre supplanting the earlier wares in the parlor and dining-room. [illustration: copyright, , by c. o. emmerton.] [illustration: copyright, , by c. o. emmerton. plate vii.--dining room, house of the seven gables; parlor, house of the seven gables.] with the determination to note this evolution in household furnishing, the visitor continues on his tour of the house. he leaves the kitchen by a dark, narrow passage. a door at its end admits him to a large, sunny, low-ceiled room, which has always been used as a combination dining and sitting-room. the turners called this room "the hall," a term the early settlers brought with them from england. the ingersolls called it "the keeping room." to the settlement residents to-day, it is simply the dining-room. it is certainly most attractive with its rare, old, white painted panelling and old-fashioned furniture. the sideboard, dining-table, and secretary are fine old pieces of mahogany. the chairs are of the windsor pattern. on the wall are pictures of clipper ships and foreign ports and one portrait of a rather grim old gentleman. under the portrait is the dinner-wagon and a red lacquer tray, once the property of miss ingersoll. in the novel this room is called "the parlor of more moderate size" in contrast to the grand reception room. and here, more than anywhere else, the scene of the story is laid. for this was the room where colonel pyncheon was discovered dead by his little grandson, and here after many years that grandson received matthew maule the carpenter and sent for his daughter alice to join them. and this was the room that miss hepzibah pyncheon used as the living-room, and where she and her brother clifford and her little cousin phoebe ate their meals under their ancestor's frowning portrait. here it was that judge pyncheon came and bullied hepzibah and sent her to find her brother. the story tells how poor hepzibah, sadly against her will, goes over the house looking for clifford. but she does not find him in his room, and when she hurries back to the living-room, clifford himself comes out of it and points to the judge, who is sitting dead in his chair. hawthorne does not explain in the novel how clifford left his room and got down to the living-room, but the house itself offers an explanation. beside the fireplace in the living-room is a round-topped door opening into a brick-lined closet. entering the closet the guide opens a secret door, revealing a mysterious staircase by which the visitor mounts apparently right into the heart of the huge central chimney. the staircase is very steep and narrow and makes many a turn. finally, the door at the top opens, and the visitor steps out into clifford's room. the door closes with a snap behind him. the visitor looks round but sees only the pine sheathing with the pattern peculiar to the house of the seven gables. in response to the question: "why was the secret staircase built?" the guide confesses that no one knows. there have been many surmises. some have thought it was a refuge from the indians. others have fancied it was for purposes of smuggling. the most probable explanation seems to be that it was a temporary hiding-place in case of a recurrence of the witchcraft delusion. about mr. upton began to take down the great central chimney and then discovered the secret staircase, which was rebuilt in from his description. it looks so old that the visitor can hardly believe that it is only a very exact reproduction of the original. clifford's room is only a small attic chamber with a mahogany bed and bureau and an attractive set of painted chairs, which belonged in the house of the seven gables but were given away at the time the house was sold for horace ingersoll's debts. all the furniture was scattered at that time, but since then many pieces have found their way back, either by gift or purchase. [illustration: copyright, , by c. o. emmerton. plate viii.--attic, house of the seven gables] the visitor leaves clifford's room and makes his way into the open attic, for he came up two stories by the secret staircase and is now under the sharply pointed roof and surrounded by trunks, chests, and bandboxes. this is a good place to understand the structure of the house. the main building had at first just two gables in front and one at each end; then a wing was built on in front, covering one of the gables, which was largely cut away. this wing had three gables, and the porch, which was built in the angle of the wing and the main house, was roofed by another gable. an old plan of the house shows a wing built on to the lean-to in the rear, which was probably roofed by another gable; so the house in the time of the first two john turners probably had eight gables. it seems likely that the third john turner took off the porch gable, which must certainly have been very troublesome, as its position made it a pocket for the ice and snow. if we omit the porch gable, assuming that it was gone long before the ingersolls bought the house, we find that the rest correspond very closely to hawthorne's description of them as they are mentioned in different parts of the novel. the stump of the cut-off gable is a great object of interest in the attic, as is also a piece of the old front door, which is studded with nails after the fashion of the early colonial days. one flight below the attic is the great chamber, phoebe's room in the story. this splendid, great, sunny room has fine panelling, dating from about , and good examples of early furniture. to give an idea of how the room looked when first built the guide moves aside the queen anne mirror and opens a small door behind it, cut in the wall of the room. this reveals one of the great supporting posts, which is roughly carved in mediæval manner. this post, with its companion beams and posts, once stood out in the room, but since the panelling was put in, that is nearly two hundred years ago, it has been hidden from sight. this silent witness indicates the great age of the house, which has outlived so many styles and fashions. another flight below is the parlor or "grand reception room," as it was called. in the story it is described as unfurnished--an empty room that miss hepzibah was too poor to heat, where clifford took his exercise on rainy days. into this room the hero holgrave drew little phoebe, that she might not enter the living-room and have the shock of discovering judge pyncheon sitting there dead. one forgets about the story in admiring the very happy color scheme of this finely proportioned room. the wall-paper is gray, a reproduction of some wall-paper found in the house. the graceful little classical groups indicate that it was designed in the early part of the last century. against the gray wall-paper and fine white painted panelling, the red curtains at the three windows are seen in pleasant contrast. they are a wonderfully soft yet brilliant red, with a beautiful brocaded design. a set of sheraton chairs covered with black figured hair-cloth give character to the room, and the warm turkey rug on the floor helps to carry out the color scheme. the fireplace in this room is of especial interest. it is large, but the guide opens a wood closet and shows that the original fireplace was very much larger. at the right of the fireplace opens a quaintly panelled door, disclosing a buffet with a carved shell overhead and shelves crowded with delicate and beautiful old china, while on the floor of the closet an array of ginger jars reminds one of the salem ships that brought home such good things from the east. one is also reminded of the east by the lacquered work-box, chess-board, and teapoys. in front of a slant-top desk stands hawthorne's favorite chair. it looks so comfortable that we can readily believe that he would select it when making a call on his cousin. her portrait looks down on the chair. hers is an unusual face, striking though hardly beautiful. was she the original of miss hepzibah? her lonely life in this old, gabled house, the wealth of affection she bestowed on a weak and selfish man, certainly suggest that hawthorne had his cousin in mind when he drew this character. after a lingering inspection of the parlor, which looks so homelike because, like the dining-room, it is really lived in by the settlement residents, the visitor passes out the front door to study the exterior of the house and enjoy the old-fashioned garden. the first object of interest is the overhanging second story. the "overhang," as it is called, was closed in, probably for a century or more, simply because overhangs had gone out of fashion. it was accidentally discovered when the house was repaired by the carpenter, who was examining the soundness of the sills. some of the old clapboards can still be seen, and a small piece of the drops which originally ornamented the corner posts. the present drops are reproductions, except a bit of the old drops that were left to nail to. at the end of the garden, which is bright with old-fashioned flowers, stands the counting-house. this is a small building found on the estate in use as a wood-shed. its age and previous history are not known, but as it is of the same size and shape as the old counting-house mentioned in the inventories of the turner family, it has been furnished to represent it. there is the master's desk, a wonderful affair with many secret drawers, the clerk's desk, and armchairs, models of ships, a barometer, a telescope, etc. adjoining the counting-house is a grape arbor, where the visitor can refresh himself with a cup of tea, and while he sits there enjoy a view of the harbor across the garden. on his left is the house of the seven gables, and on his right is another old house used for the settlement clubs and classes. it is the hathaway house, dating from , but that is another story. chapter iii the pickering house it is doubtful if any other historic home in new england can boast, as does the pickering house situated in salem, massachusetts, of being in the direct line of a family for nine generations. this family originated in yorkshire, england. john pickering, the founder of the salem branch, was born in old england in ; he came to the colonies and lived in ipswich from to . in the early part of he came to salem, and on december , , john pickering, carpenter, was granted to be an inhabitant of that city. [illustration: plate ix.--the pickering house, salem, mass.] long years ago, when this city was in its youth and sparsely settled, large estates, many of them original grants, were founded. it was then that this now famous house was erected. it was commenced in and finished in by one john pickering, the emigrant ancestor of the present owner of the old mansion, who became a considerable landowner, purchasing his estate in different lots until his property extended from chestnut street to the mill pond, then known as south river. [illustration: plate x.--pickering house, side view.] the twenty-acre lot known as the home lot, on which he built the historic mansion, was originally a part of the governor's field, once owned by governor john endicott. it was conveyed by him to emmanuel downing, who sold it, so tradition tells, to one john pickering to pay for the commencement dinner of sir george downing, who was graduated in the first class at harvard. the original deed is still in the possession of the family. [illustration: plate xi.--entrance door, pickering house; entrance door in the pickering house.] the house was built in the elizabethan style of architecture and resembled the famous peacock inn in rouseley, england. it was constructed of white oak, which grew in a swamp on the estate. the exterior is practically unchanged; and the interior shows low, beamed ceilings and small windows. the entrance door opens into a low hall, from which the stairs ascend to the second story floor. this has been lengthened within the last few years by taking out one of the chimneys. as in many old houses, large rooms open on either side. at the right is the library, which has been enlarged by opening up an alcoved recess. this was formerly a chamber, and is used to-day to accommodate several bookcases filled with rare old books, many of which are in manuscript. the colonial fireplace, with its scriptural tiles, is a feature of this room, where is shown a wonderful old english ball table that was brought over by the emigrant ancestor. the chairs, many of them, were made by theophilus pickering, whose old desk where he wrote many of his sermons stands at one side of the fireplace. rare books and interesting mementoes are found on every side. [illustration: plate xii.--hallway, pickering house.] [illustration: plate xiii.--dining room, pickering house; alcove, pickering house.] opposite is a large drawing-room filled with chippendale and colonial furniture, and showing colonel timothy pickering's picture on the wall. at the rear of this room is a dining-room which, as does the rest of the house, contains more fine furniture. [illustration: plate xiv.--living room, pickering house; drawing room, pickering house.] [illustration: plate xv.--fireplace with scriptural tiles, pickering house; the old pickering sideboard.] autograph letters fill many books, some of them received by colonel timothy pickering from president washington. rare old glass, china, and silver speak of bygone days. up-stairs are interesting, rare old four-posters, still showing their quaint hangings; and one notes the old chimney that occupies such a large space in the house. inside one of the closets is the old army chest marked with pickering's initials and showing his rank. it was used by him when quartermaster in the revolutionary war. the builder of the house married elizabeth, whose surname is not known. he resided upon the estate until his death, which occurred in ; the property descended to his son john, who increased his landownings by the purchase of the eastern or anthrum lot from edmund batter. the second john married alice flint, a most estimable lady, in . he served as a lieutenant in the indian war, in , and particularly distinguished himself in the memorable fight of bloody brook at deerfield, massachusetts. he died in and was succeeded by another john, third in line, who was a farmer, frugal and industrious, and who held many positions of trust in the community. he married sarah burrill, of an influential lynn family. there were two sons, timothy and theophilus. the latter was graduated from harvard and was called to chebacco parish, first as assistant to reverend john wise, and afterwards as minister. there is in the pickering house a manuscript book on physics bound in leather and illustrated by him. there is also a set of ten chairs made by his hand in . his brother timothy, who inherited the estate, was deacon of the tabernacle church in salem at his father's death. he was the father of nine children. during his lifetime he added three more rooms on the northern side, raising the roof, which sloped almost to the ground after the fashion of buildings of that period. at the time of these improvements, the eastern part of the house was one hundred years old and the western part eighty. when the weather boards were ripped off, the sills of white oak were so sound that it was decided they would last longer than new ones. one of the peaks was removed at this time because of leaks but was replaced in by john, the son of colonel pickering. when timothy inherited the estate, he was the first to break the line of johns. he is described as a gentleman of great piety, firmness of character, and decided convictions. he died at the age of seventy-five and left the estate to his son john, the fifth of the line, who was a bachelor and lived in the old home with his sister, mrs. gool, as housekeeper. his occupation was agricultural, but he held several public positions. he represented the town in the general court for many years, and was town treasurer in . his brother timothy, who was clerk of register of deeds, entered the continental army, and at that time john took his place with the intention of returning the office to him on his return from the war, but he became so accustomed to the work that he kept the position until , when he was compelled to resign through the infirmities of age. it is related of him that at one time he was supposedly fatally ill, and the question of his successor in office coming up, it was proposed to canvass for a candidate. this so enraged john that he recovered from his illness. he was one of the original members of the academy of arts and sciences and was noted for his honesty, industry, and the careful management of his affairs. at his death, the ancestral estate passed to his nephew john (the fifth), the only break in the transmission of the property from father to son. john's father, colonel timothy, the brother of john (fourth), although never owning the estate, spent his early boyhood upon it, and much of its fame comes from his connection with it. colonel timothy was born in the old house july , . upon his graduation from college, he entered the office of the register of deeds as clerk and was appointed head of this department a few years later. in , he was admitted to the bar, and became the leader and champion of the patriots of essex county; he wrote the famous address from the citizens of salem to general gage, relative to the boston port bill. he held the office of judge of the court of common pleas for essex county, being sole judge of the maritime court of the middle district. this was an office involving great responsibility and decisions concerning large amounts of property, as that was the day of privateers. his military service began in , when he was commissioned lieutenant of the fourth military company of salem. three years later he was promoted to the rank of captain and by his interest and careful training raised appreciably the standard of discipline. he was commissioned by the royal government colonel of the first regiment, essex county militia. he led the troops who marched out to oppose the entry of leslie and his redcoats into salem on february , , when the famous colloquy on north bridge took place, and the munitions of war concealed in the town were saved to the colonists. in the fall of , he joined washington in new jersey with a regiment of seven hundred men, and the next year he was made adjutant-general of the continental army, commencing his service july , . when congress decided to change the personnel of the continental board of war from members of congress to three men not congressmen, colonel pickering was chosen to serve on the board, whose powers and duties were many and important. he was made quartermaster-general of the army, also, holding this position until its abolishment, july , . he was a member of the committee which wrote the farewell address delivered to washington, november , . with the close of the war, colonel pickering withdrew from public life to devote himself to agriculture. he settled in philadelphia, but his private life was of short duration, as his services were needed for the adjustment of claims made by wyoming settlers. he had a thrilling experience in the west, being captured by a band of masked men who carried him off and subjected him to horrible torture. colonel pickering was a most charming host and though apparently stern and forbidding, delightful in the midst of his family. he retained his inherited fondness for agriculture, at seventy-five still filling the position of president of the agricultural societies of essex county and bearing off the first prize for plowing, in competition with the farmers of the vicinity. it was his habit to preserve letters and documents of every description, the most important of which were published after his death in , and which, owing to his prominence in national affairs, are very interesting reading. colonel pickering is an example of one of the best types of a new englander of his time: a brave, patriotic soldier, a talented writer, an impartial, able, and energetic public official, a leader of the federal party, occupying four cabinet positions, serving his country whenever he was needed, but content to return to his simple life when the need for him in public life was over. at the death of colonel pickering's brother, john, the ancestral estate descended to the colonel's son, john (fifth). he inherited his father's public spirit and served in the general court, three times as representative from essex and twice from norfolk and suffolk counties. he was secretary of the legation at lisbon and later under rufus king in london, and finally became united states minister to england. he was a member of many learned societies in europe, received several diplomas, and brought home a fine library collected on the continent. he was a profound scholar, a writer in law, and especially interested in philology, understanding twenty-two different languages. the house is now in the possession of john pickering, the eighth of the line, whose son john will succeed his father. the ancient house, in all the dignity of old age, is the central feature of the lot, a picturesque historic mansion, considered one of the most important landmarks of salem, massachusetts. chapter iv "the lindens" nowhere in american history is there a colonial home more closely linked with england than is "the lindens," for here it was that governor gage, during his sojourn in the colonies, made his official home. this house, situated at danvers, massachusetts, was erected in or about . the exact year is not definitely known, as at that early period the records were scanty, but about this time the mansion, which is now standing, was built by one robert hooper, a rich marblehead merchant, who was thought to be a tory at heart. [illustration: plate xvi.--"the lindens," danvers, mass.] when governor gage, sent over by order of the king from england to convene the general court, came to this country as a stranger, he naturally demanded a residence suited for his station. this was in , probably four years after the completion of the building. robert hooper offered this house to the governor as a summer home. being retired, as it was several miles from salem where the court convened, and also surrounded by extensive grounds, it proved most suitable for the general's residence, a magnificent home in keeping with what he demanded. those were troublous times. the edict had gone forth forbidding the passage of many measures that would have given to the colonies more freedom than the mother country thought best. it was even feared that if these measures were adopted, the colonies would eventually be allowed to do practically as they chose. in considering this subject, it must be remembered that the colonies were supposed by england to have very rich possessions, and it behooved her to keep a strict hand on her unruly subjects who were planning for separation from the mother land. general gage was sent over to look into the condition of affairs and to see what could be done to bring about harmony. it was the middle of july when the troop ships sailed into the harbor of boston, and landed general gage, who later made his way through salem streets to his headquarters in the hooper house. during his residence, this mansion was the scene of many a merrymaking, and within its walls was often heard the clanking of his officers' swords as the brilliantly uniformed men, members of his majesty's army, visited the house and were entertained by their commander. while "the lindens" was the headquarters of general gage, or governor gage, as he was generally known, he had his office at the page house in danvers, where the tea drinking episode took place on the roof. he formed a brilliant spectacle, with his officers accompanying him, as he rode over the highway every day in the fulfilment of his official duties. at that time the country was not thickly settled, and the houses were so few that from his windows he could obtain an uninterrupted view of salem harbor. one reason for his taking the page house was because he could watch the vessels sailing in and out and thus guard himself against capture by surprise. not long afterwards british troops were brought into salem harbor, disembarking at the point where derby wharf now is. there were two companies of the sixty-fourth royal infantry who, with their brilliant red uniforms, made a striking spectacle as they marched through the streets to the governor's house, where they encamped on the plain opposite the headquarters. later on these troops were followed by the fifty-ninth regiment, who were quartered at fort pickering on winter island. messengers were constantly passing from one body of troops to the other, carrying messages from the commander. but little imagination was required to realize that the defender was not popular, and that the people had very little respect for him. they had never forgotten the boston massacre, neither did they fail to remember that they had come to this country for freedom of thought. there was a growing hostility among them, though they were under discipline and generally kept within bounds. still, enough restlessness was manifested for the camp to be watchful against surprise. they knew only too well that the independent citizens would let no occasion pass for a taunt or a scornful word. during their encampment many practical jokes were played on the troops, one of which was particularly amusing. at the drum call to arms one morning, a thoroughly disguised man dashed in among them on horseback and in a very loud voice cried: "hurry to boston, the devil is to pay!" the troops were on the alert, however, and paid no attention to his cry. standing near "the lindens" in those days was a large oak tree, to which culprits were tied and flogged. this was known as the whipping-post. singularly enough a part of it was used for the sternpost of the frigate _essex_. in late september the british soldiers were withdrawn, and hooper was given back his summer home. still visible on the door is a large hole made by a musket ball which is said to have been fired to warn the tory owner. a more probable legend, however, is that the gate-posts were ornamented with large balls showing lead ornaments attached, and that one day a party of patriots who were going by to join the army spied the precious metal and helped themselves to it to melt for bullets. this aroused the wrath of the owner, who came to the door and remonstrated in such a violent way that one of the men lifted his rifle and fired close by his head, the bullet entering the door. the estate on which this house stands was originally a part of the governor endicott grant. it must be remembered that this grant covered one thousand acres. at the death of the governor in , this land which was owned by him came into controversy, and the courts were called upon to settle definitely the boundary line. a part of this grant fell into the hands of one doctor amos putnam, familiarly known the country around as the good old doctor amos on account of his gentle manner and his extreme kindness to the poor. when he came into possession and how long he held it can never be definitely known, as there is no record of any deed passing until , when we learn that the doctor and his good wife hannah transferred the property to doctor robert hooper of marblehead, or as much of it as that on which the house stands, the exact number of feet not being recorded. this was in consideration of £ _s._ _d._ it is definitely known that the marblehead merchant added to his original purchase from the fact that in , two years later, more land was bought. robert hooper, who erected this colonial mansion, though a man of lowly birth, was a wealthy merchant who lived in marblehead. he possessed great prudence and sagacity, so that he rose to be a man of power and for a period of years practically monopolized the fishing industry of marblehead. during his life there, he entertained in a most lavish way, rivalling colonel jeremiah lee, not only in grandeur of equipage but in liberality as well. his name of "king" was given to him by the fishermen on account of his integrity and his personal honesty in dealing with them. his ships sailed to almost every part of the civilized world, and his name became well known in every country. king hooper erected a beautiful residence in marblehead, one of the few elaborate mansions that still remain. it was a common sight in those days to see his magnificent equipages, drawn often by four prancing steeds, come dashing through salem on his way to danvers. the first record of the danvers house we find is in . who the builders were will always remain a mystery, but one fact can never be challenged: that the work was done honestly and well, and that mcintire must have been connected with its wood-carving as is shown from the fine examples which are to be found in the interior. the house, as it now stands, is recognized as one of the best examples of provincial architecture in massachusetts, ranking in the same class with the famous john hancock house in boston, which was later torn down. the mansion, surrounded at the front by a stone wall, stands far back from the street. the entrance is by a wide, circular driveway enclosing a central grass plot of carefully shaven lawn, the decorative feature then as to-day being the magnificent elms that shaded the home. it received its name from the fact that lindens lined either side of the entrance drive. the grounds are extensive, mowing fields and grass land interspersed with fine old trees showing at the rear of the house. at the rear, also, is a fine old-fashioned garden carefully preserved, where appear the same kinds of flowers that blossomed in our grandmothers' day. the building itself is a stern, dignified, two-story house with a gambrel roof. this is surrounded with a curved balustrade similar to that found in the page house, as well as in many others of that period. at the front are four dormer windows, but the central feature is the high porch extending to the dentation in the roof and showing a pointed cap above. the corinthian column supporting it on either side is an example of fine hand-carving, while the white trim corresponds picturesquely with the gray of the exterior. the house is panelled on the outside and painted to represent a stone house, although in reality it is wood. the entrance door is unique, lacking the distinguishing porch that is found on so many colonial homes. it is framed with white instead. just how long the estate was owned by robert hooper will never be definitely known. we find that later judge benager collins lived there, thus giving the name of "collins house" to the mansion. subsequently francis peabody, one of salem's most noted citizens, occupied this residence as his summer home until his death, when it passed into the hands of his son. during the elder mr. peabody's residence, the place was restored to its former dignity. the grounds were materially improved, and the garden was changed back to its original design. within the walls of this house have been entertained some of the most notable men in the country. mr. peabody was a lavish entertainer, and many important events occurred during the time of his residence. one of the most frequent visitors at the house was the late j. pierpont morgan. [illustration: plate xvii.--hallway, "the lindens."] dignified and imposing as is the outside of the house, the interior is even more impressive. entering the sturdy door that swings back on its long strap hinges, one finds himself in a wide hall extending entirely through the house and opening on to the old-fashioned garden in the rear. this remarkable hall shows some of the most wonderful wood-carvings found in any colonial home. this is particularly noticeable in the balustrades, probably mcintire's work. the newel post and the balustrade are of mahogany, the former most elaborately carved. the walls are hung above the panelling with a rich old-time paper, depicting different scenes in the story of the adventures of telemachus. the furniture throughout the house is of either the colonial type or massive old carved english pieces brought over centuries ago, most of them heirlooms that have descended in the family for many generations. on the extreme right are the stairs, rising by low treads; on the wide landing is a window flanked by pilasters on either side. on this same landing stands a rare colonial chair associated with the witchcraft times. the upper hall, practically a replica of the lower one, is wide and ample in its dimensions. opening from the hallway at the right is the library, finished in mahogany and showing an oriental paper of the seventeenth century design. the mantel is one of mcintire's best, the central feature being a basket of flowers with festooned ornamentations on either side. here, as in every room of the house, we find massive pieces of english oak, richly carved cabinets and chairs. [illustration: plate xviii.--dining room, "the lindens"; chamber, "the lindens."] [illustration: plate xix.--drawing room, "the lindens"; library, "the lindens."] the drawing-room, also finished in mahogany, is perhaps the most elegant room in the house, with its fireplace of supporting pilasters rich in elaborate hand-carving. there is a dignity and charm that surrounds every room in this house, telling of the days when honest labor gave thorough workmanship. all through this mansion the woodwork is particularly impressive in its richness and careful finish of hand-carving. the dining-room, a large room in the rear of the house, is in close harmony with the other apartments, the most notable feature here being the strap hinges of wrought brass. these show most unusual ornamentations, which differ from those on the entrance floor. here the trim is painted white and gives a most effective background to the brass hinge. on every door is a ponderous brass lock of elaborate design. few houses, even among the most famous found in this vicinity, can boast of more wonderful furniture and such a wealth of old-time wall-paper. [illustration: plate xx.--chambers in "the lindens."] no two chambers are alike. many of the fireplaces are particularly fine, as mcintire has taken special pains to give good samples of his work. the fireplace motive all through the house seemingly runs to baskets of flowers. in the days of commercial prosperity, the peabody family was among the most prominent of the salem merchants. on the walls of "the lindens" are many paintings of ships that were at one time in the service of the peabodys. the house to-day is owned by the son of the late francis peabody, who has kept it in perfect preservation and intact as in his father's day. little wonder that romance clings about the place, leading one to tread reverently through the different rooms, where, during the colonial period, both american and english history were made. chapter v the rogers house there was built in peabody, massachusetts, in the early part of the nineteenth century, one of the most magnificent colonial homes of the period. it still stands, a large, pretentious, two-storied house, known as "oak hill" and the summer residence of mrs. jacob c. rogers. the house itself is in the center of well laid out grounds, being placed far back from the road and showing at the front a wide stretch of lawn interspersed with trees, one of which, a purple beech, is among the tallest and largest in new england. [illustration: plate xxi.--the rogers house, peabody, mass.] the avenue which starts between stone gate-posts shows a wide gravelled road lined on either side by magnificent trees, many of which were planted at the time of the house building. at the left, standing by itself, is a wonderful oak, notable for its symmetry and its height. it is from this tree that the house derives its name "oak hill." the grounds at the rear of the house show a garden that covers three acres, the garden proper being geometrically laid out with a fountain in the center and a sun-dial at the end. back of it all are arches of woodbine that make a most effective setting for the floral display, while catalpa trees, weeping mulberry, and other varieties are found scattered through the estate. at the left one comes upon the most wonderful feature of the place. it is a large lotus pond, where during the season are found many varieties of the egyptian lotus, there being sometimes one hundred of these marvellous blossoms open at once. just back of the house is a lily pond, which is laid out in a decorative manner. it shows many varieties, including the cape cod lily, the blue, the pink, and the white. the grounds cover an area of two hundred acres, which are laid out at the front and sides in lawns resembling those of england. the rear gives a background of flowers, while beyond sweep to the boundary line extensive grain fields and vegetable gardens. entrance to the grounds is through carved gateways, the boundary being a well built wall of stone. in the early days these grounds belonged to nathaniel west, who was a very noted merchant and the owner of the ship _minerva_, the first of the salem vessels that circumnavigated the globe. nathan west married elizabeth derby, one of the daughters of elias hasket derby, familiarly known as king derby and who was one of the three merchant princes that led the commerce in salem. the house, which at the time of its building was one of the most notable ever erected, was designed by a celebrated english architect and is a type of the adams period. originally it was much larger than it is now, for at the death of mrs. west two portions of the house were detached and moved away to meet present-day requirements. the parts taken were so large that one of them to-day forms a private residence on chestnut street in salem. the rogers house is colonial in design. it is two stories in height and was built at the time when wood-carving had reached the highest degree of excellence in the historic city by the sea, and when skilled workmen had been attracted there from every part of the land. doubtless many of them were employed by samuel mcintire on this house which contains some of his most wonderful work. these men, with the native ingenuity and wonderful skill in the handling of tools, took great pains to execute in wood what many of the master architects across the sea were doing in stone, more particularly as regards decorative molding. in studying the work on this house, one cannot too carefully take into consideration the tools which these men had to use, and the precision with which the fine scale detail is carefully thought out, making these workmen compare favorably with those of to-day. [illustration: plate xxii.--doorway, rogers house.] the house where so much fine woodwork is shown is painted white, with green blinds, and is an exceptionally good example of what the century-old architecture in and around salem stands for, possessing character, dignity, and grace such as is seldom found. this is particularly exemplified in the front doorway, the porch being perfectly balanced, its well proportioned fanlights and sidelights giving it rare dignity and refinement. ornamentation in the balcony shows mcintire's work in baskets of flowers picturesquely carved, while the steps are flanked with marble vases filled with geraniums, the bright blossoms giving just the right touch of color to bring out the white of the house. the flooring of the porch is tiled, and the hallway is most imposing, the stairway being lined with pictures of the old masters, including van dykes, and salvator rosas, oliver cromwell proroguing the long parliament, diogenes with his lantern hunting for an honest man, and many others. the dado here is most unusual, being fabric painted red, while the hand-painted landscape decorations show a section of the classic zuber wall-paper. the front entrance displays on the inside a well planned elliptical arch over the door, with a frieze motif of reeded sections between applied rosettes tied into the cornice, the charming pattern in these sashes being brought about by iron bent against the glass. in most houses of this period, as in this, the elliptical arch of the fanlight is echoed elsewhere in the house. the staircase cannot fail to attract notice, with its twisted newel post and balusters and the molded mahogany railing. the box stairs with panelled ends show decorative brackets. it is interesting to note the twisted portion of the three balusters on each stair, each differing, although the tops and bottoms are alike. the newel, hand-carved and turned, is a specially good specimen of its type, and with the balusters, which are also hand-carved and turned, represent a direct development of the shipbuilding industry in their likeness to the rope moldings of the ship cabins, so much used in those days. in this hallway the door caps are placed above the lintel, showing no supporting pilasters. they represent different designs of mcintire, in some cases showing baskets, in some flowers, and in others garlands. [illustration: plate xxiii.--parlor, rogers house; drawing room, rogers house.] the entire house is finished in white pine, a wood that is rather rare to-day but which shows lasting qualities. this is particularly noticeable in the drawing-room, which lies at the right of the hallway. over the fireplace is a wonderful old painting representing saturday night. this is almost priceless in value, and shows a european peasant scene where little children are gathered around their grandmother for a good night parting. the woodwork of this room is painted a soft brown, the carving on the mantelpiece showing neptune with sheaves of wheat, and the whole is supported by ionic columns. the center of the room at the rear is arched, showing wonderful carving, molded pilasters giving an effect that is fine and distinctive. here we find, as through all the house, the marked individuality of the adams period. inside this arch is a background of rich, dark red leather, on which are fastened wonderful old plates, many of them brought over by the ancestors of the owner, and without duplicates in this country. these plates are arranged to form a most artistic archway. most of the prints on the wall are from sir joshua reynolds' paintings. upon the chimneypieces, not only in this room but also in the several others, it would seem as if mcintire had put his best work. they appear to stand out with exceptional grace and dignity, with charm of line and proportion. here we find applied work of the most delicate nature and hand-carving that is exquisite in detail, adorning not only the moldings of cornice or frieze, but re-echoed in the pilasters of the over-mantel. the architrave of the mantelboard proper and its frieze, the capitals of the colonnettes, the edge of the shelf, and the molding that surrounds the panel over the chimney-breast, are masterpieces in bas-relief. the architectural treatment in this room convinces one of the great possibilities that lie in the white wood finish and how appropriate it is as a background for the rare pieces of old furniture that were used in our forefathers' day. the living-room on the opposite side of the hall furnishes a most satisfactory tone for mahogany furniture in its white wood finish, there being a somber richness in the combination of the mahogany and white that is most harmonious. for instances of that, we have only to go back to our great-grandfathers' time, for a white finish was a popular fad in colonial days. over the mantel in this room is "sunday morning," a choice picture that is worthy of its setting. the casings of doorways which are often elaborated by the addition of a beautiful cornice and frieze, are further examples of mcintire's wonderful skill. sometimes the cornice includes wonderful hand-carved molding showing between the dentiles fine spears which are supported by pilasters on each side. there are dainty grapevines and superbly modelled fruit baskets, while the door-cap frieze often shows dainty festoons and straight hanging garlands, with rosettes between. in the pilasters we find carved eagles and fruit-filled urns. while most of these decorations are carved in wood, some of them are made in french putty and applied to the surface of the wood with glue. this idea is being carried out to-day by our leading decorators. the morning-room is at the rear of the living-room, a large, handsome apartment opening on to the wide veranda, which is a feature of one side and approached by broad steps. the dining-room leads off the morning-room and is finished in english oak. the entire house, more especially in its interior decoration, is considered by architects all over the country to be one of the finest examples of colonial architecture that was built during the period of salem's prosperity. the furniture follows also the same period. rarely in any private home does one find such a gathering of rare pieces of the three masters: hepplewhite, sheraton, and chippendale. most of these pieces, in fact practically all, are heirlooms which have descended directly from generation to generation, for this family has the distinction of being one of the oldest connected with salem's early history. it is fitting that mcintire should have put his best work into a house like this, where one finds no plain spaces, no wide panels without decoration, and no simple pilasters, for there is a dignity and a charm both in exterior and interior bespeaking not only wealth but good taste. while the house does not contain as much old-time paper as do many of the residences of that day, yet the pieces that are shown are exceptional and comprise subjects such as one can seldom find. it is refreshing to find such a house as this, where great taste has been shown in the selection of furnishings, and where there is so much harmony in surroundings. chapter vi the colonel jeremiah lee house of the many noted colonial houses found in new england, one of the most distinguished is the colonel jeremiah lee house situated on washington street, in the picturesque old town of marblehead, massachusetts. the quaintness of marblehead, situated on a rocky peninsula, is world renowned; and its name heads the list of patriotic towns in new england, for from its rugged shores went forth a larger majority of soldiers than from any other place of its size in our country. [illustration: plate xxiv.--the lee mansion, marblehead, mass.] the celebrated lee mansion, erected in , is of the purest colonial type, and was the most costly residence ever built in this seaport town. many traditions relate that the timber and the finish were brought over in one of the colonel's trading ships as ballast. however that may be, the material used was pine, such as was known in the old days as pumpkin pine. the trees of that species sometimes allow for boards four feet in width, and the fact that boards of this width are found in the lee mansion is claimed by many to refute the idea of english wood, as the pines in the old country did not produce boards of such width when jeremiah lee commenced to build. standing back from the street behind a granite curb and iron paling is the old mansion, its dimensions being sixty-four feet by forty-six feet, and containing fifteen large rooms. the exterior was built of brick, over which were placed huge, bevelled, wooden clapboards, more than two feet in width, and one and a half in height. from a distance the observer might mistake the gray of the exterior for stone, as the block style of construction was employed, the wooden cube being painted and sanded to resemble dark gray rock. [illustration: plate xxv.--porch, lee mansion.] this gray wooden building, with its two wide-girthed chimneys pushing up from the red roof, has the same appearance as in the days when the first housewarming took place, in . the handsome porch and the gray cupola are distinguishing features, and from the former in the olden days the colonel swept the seas with his spy-glass to watch for incoming ships just as sea captains do to-day. in the early part of the eighteenth century jeremiah lee came to this country and settled at manchester-by-the-sea. the little that can be learned of him shows him to have been a keen trader, who took care to make his savings increase his income. in we find him living in marblehead, prominent in town affairs and serving on important committees, being one of the board of fire-wards in the first fire department of the town. he was also one of the building committee that had charge of the construction of the powder house erected about that time. originally lee was a loyalist, but he later became a patriot and was foremost in all the movements that kindled the spirit of independence in the colonists. before the struggle had fairly commenced, his career was cut short by an early death; otherwise he would have been as well known to posterity as was his intimate friend and fellow-townsman, elbridge gerry. as a member of the province committee of safety and supplies, which held a meeting on april , , at weatherby's black horse tavern, situated on the highway between concord and lexington, he was among the number who decided to spend the night at the tavern rather than to go on to lexington. the advance guard of the british troops was sighted in the early morning, and the colonel and his friends hastily dressed and escaped by a rear door, the colonel thereby contracting a cold from which he died. during lee's life in marblehead he entertained royally in this mansion, which was erected at a cost of ten thousand pounds. within a few steps of this mansion there was also a cooking-house, the same building being used to shelter the carriages of the family. originally the large brick building now used for the store was made his slaves' quarters. not long ago was found inside the house a small brass button, bearing the coat of arms of the lee family, which was doubtless once worn on the livery of one of his slaves. in the flagging that leads to the side door has lately been uncovered a central stone bearing the date of the erection of the house. [illustration: plate xxvi.--two views of the hallway, lee mansion.] as the ponderous front door swings open, one enters a grandly spaced hall, wainscoted waist high in solid mahogany. at the right is a deeply recessed window, and a door on either side of the hall leads into rooms beyond. above the casing of these entrances runs the classic egg and tongue molding. the feature of the hallway is the wall-paper. this represents scenes of grecian ruins, such as shattered columns, temples, landscapes, coats of mail, each set in a separate panel, handsomely carved. it is finished in soft tones of gray, beautifully blended, doubtless the highest development of early decorative art. [illustration: plate xxvii.--wallpapers, lee mansion.] at the rear of the hall, ascends the grand staircase, with boxed stairs spacious enough for several people to walk abreast. it is quite likely that the stair rail was made on the other side of the water. the finely turned balusters of regularly varying style, together with the exquisitely wrought carvings and delicate panels running along the side of the staircase, are expressive of the taste and skill which went into its building. a great, arched window, which floods the hall with light, is inserted at the landing, and is flanked by several pilasters, which seem to support the high ceiling encircled with heavily dentated corners, and heighten the effect of grandeur. from this lofty window the broad hall is lighted. [illustration: plate xxviii.--wood carving, lee mansion.] in this hallway at the time of lafayette's visit to the house, the banquet tables were set. the ever-loyal ladies of marblehead sent for the entertainment some of their choicest belongings: table-cloths of wonderful damask brought from over the seas, rare old silver, and choice english glass. at the right of the hallway is the drawing-room in white and gray. two corinthian pilasters flank the fireplace, rising to the molding and following the line of the wall. the whole chimneyside of this room was panelled in huge white slabs. this was the living-room of the house, and here were doubtless entertained the members of the secret council. [illustration: plate xxix.--banquet hall, lee mansion; fireplace, lee mansion.] on the opposite side of the hallway is the dining-room, which was known as the banquet hall. here washington was entertained, also monroe and jackson. this room shows a huge open fireplace and a richly carved mantel. so carefully have the chimneypieces been wrought, that there are no two alike in the large house. the tiles in many of the fireplaces are fascinating. we find some quaint and humorous, while others are sentimental. there is the wide-skirted shepherdess climbing the stile with the aid of the swain, a sailor taking leave of his lass, a ship lying in the offing, nymphs and shepherdesses piping and playing. these tiles of blue and pale pink afford a study of interesting pictures to the lover of the antique. in the former days scriptural texts and marble tablets were placed over the mantel in one of the chambers. one of these, a representation of susannah and the elders, was purchased from the family and is now found in the independence hall in philadelphia. great care as to detail has been exercised in the finish of every room. notwithstanding the talk of secret stairways and mysterious trap-doors, there is nothing at all uncanny about the place, which was built for comfort and good living. it is easy to be carried back in imagination to the days when colonel lee and mistress martha, noted for their open-handed hospitality, dwelt in this mansion. its great rooms echoed with the laughter of the gallants of the day, who in short clothes, silver buckles, and laces, made love to the stately dames in trailing gowns and powdered hair and danced in the state chamber over the parlor, used then as a dance hall. in this house the venerable marquis de lafayette accepted the hospitality of the lees, when he came to america in at the invitation of congress, accompanied by his son, george washington lafayette. it was during this visit that he danced a minuet in the great southwest room. an old letter, discovered recently by miss dixie, of marblehead, discloses the fact that her mother led the dance with the gallant frenchman. this room is panelled in wood of dark finish, with exquisite designs over the fireplace, where a shelf on consoles shows over it an ornate panel made from a single board and exquisitely carved. on the opposite side of the room is the large apartment which was originally used as a chamber, probably by colonel lee. here the pictures all relate to the sea,--one of them depicting neptune and another a fish. [illustration: plate xxx.--chamber, lee mansion; four-poster, lee mansion.] the lee mansion, like many of the marblehead houses, stands with one foot on the land and the other almost on the water, bespeaking the maritime side of the community. within the house, the arrangement of rooms and passages suggests the troublous times in the years just before the revolution. a secret stairway connects two of the upper rooms, while the front hall shows a trap-door which led to the cellar. this doubtless gave rise to stories of intrigue but probably was concerned only with the contents of the cellar. a small cupboard door, leading apparently into a clothes-press, gave access to a narrow secret stair leading to a bedchamber above. a smaller panel, sounding hollow, was discovered to have a pair of hinges. on being opened, this revealed an iron safe with double doors, buried in the brick work of the chimney. doubtless it was the private safe of colonel lee, for according to tradition there was always plenty of money in the house. in the early days an effort was once made to surprise the bank of which lee was an official. a party of men came into town after the closing hour, and meeting the genial colonel, explained that they had come to collect money on a note. without a moment's hesitation, they were escorted to the lee mansion, where the entire sum, which was an unusually large one, was paid by him in gold. this story has been vouched for by one of the earliest inhabitants of the historic town, and the finding of the safe discounts the idea of the secret closet being used for any other purpose. in the upper floor are plainly found marks of sliding panels to mask a retreat by secret floors and false walls to reach the garret. the kitchen fireplace has been a recent discovery. when the house was restored, the fireplace was a practical but shallow affair, not showing the generous depths found in many houses of that day. in the process of repairs it was discovered that this was a false fireplace, back of which two feet more were found, and behind them the deep oven that had not been used for cooking since massachusetts bay was a royal colony. this kitchen fireplace is believed to be in what was used as the family dining-room, for doubtless the cooking was done in the slave quarters, much as in the southern homes, the food being brought into the house through a covered passageway. in the early days, a little after the building of the house, there was a great demand for lead to make bullets for the continental army. it has been discovered that in the upper casements of the house, in rooms which were rarely occupied, the lead weights are wanting. this leads one to believe that the old tradition of their being melted during the time of the revolution for ammunition may be true. in the attic is a mark which shows the house to have been built by english architects. this is an inside dormer window used in those days by architects in the motherland for ventilation. this idea is rarely if ever carried out in a house where the architects or master builders are of this country. on the death of colonel lee, the house was occupied by his widow, who continued to extend hospitality to the townspeople and visitors from other places, much as during her husband's lifetime. at her death the estate passed into the hands of her son, and afterwards was owned and occupied by judge samuel sewall. a grand old landmark this colonial mansion makes, and even now the old sea captains climb to the gray cupola to scan the horizon for incoming ships, much as they did in the days of long ago. chapter vii the ladd-gilman house closely linked with romance and history is the ladd-gilman house, one of the notable colonial houses at exeter, new hampshire. this mansion was not always of its present dimensions. when built by nathaniel ladd in it was of brick and about half the size of the present structure. it is situated on a large area of land, with a frontage on water street, on a part of the original lot that was purchased of oliphalet coffin in the year above mentioned. for many years this estate was held in the possession of the ladd family, descending from father to son until , when it was purchased by colonel nathaniel gilman, a leading citizen of the place and a man of influence. gilman came from a family which had been prominent in the town for many years. [illustration: plate xxxi.--ladd-gilman house, exeter, n. h.] here in his son, colonel nicholas gilman, then only twenty-one years of age, brought his bride, anne taylor, a very beautiful young woman who had descended from puritan ancestors and who was very popular with the patriots of that day. during their residency the house, considered at that period one of the best in exeter, was enlarged to its present size, and the exterior was entirely covered with wood to correspond with the additions. colonel gilman was distinguished as one of a quartet who furnished brains for the old granite state, being known as the robert morris of the province and possessing not only influence but wealth and ability. he was a close friend of governor wentworth who, with his son, was a frequent visitor at the house; so sincere was their intimacy that when colonel gilman sided with the colonists governor wentworth declared that instead of making a rupture in their friendship, if the rebellion were crushed, he should save his friend. this great intimacy was also shared with count rumford. it was in , several years after the house was enlarged, that gilman was made treasurer and receiver-general of the state, in which office he stayed until his death in . the treasury building was a room in his own house. this may in a way account for there being two entrance doors, one for family guests and the other for business purposes. the house has never been altered, with the exception of the introduction of modern improvements, since the day that it was enlarged. it is a fine, substantial building, two and a half stories in height, showing dormer windows and a six-foot chimney. the huge fireplaces are still kept intact, few if any showing hand-carving. the porches are dignified but ample in their lines of architecture, and the entire exterior shows an unusual type. the room nearest the entrance door at the extreme left was used as a treasury, for in addition to the office of state treasurer, colonel gilman held the position of continental loan officer of the state, all the money being received here. in this same room the committee of safety used to meet, and it was here that the battle of bennington was discussed and planned. gilman was a great friend of daniel webster, who never came to exeter without passing the principal part of his time in this house, the bed in which he slept being still shown in one of the large continental chambers. the house was noted for its hospitality, a home where many gatherings, both for charity and pleasure, were held. the mistress of the household was a famous new england housekeeper, who possessed the whole art of housekeeping at her fingers' end. beautiful as a young bride, she was even more so in after years. her trim figure became rounded out, while her dark eyes and fresh, rich color preserved their brightness. colonel gilman was a striking figure, six feet tall, with an erect carriage. he wore until the day of his death a ruffled shirt-front and a cue. it was during his occupancy that the declaration of independence was passed. the legislature had not adjourned when the message came, and the president, who was in waiting, decided the documents must be publicly read. the news spread like lightning; the farmer eager to hear all dropped his scythe in the swath, the mechanic rushed from his shop, while the housewife forsook her spinning-wheel, all meeting in a general enthusiasm to hear the words that gave them freedom and a country. the document was brought into exeter by a courier, who dashed suddenly into the village, bearing in his hand a letter addressed to the convention of new hampshire and signed by no less a personage than john hancock. on, on, he rode, until he reached the gilman house and delivered it into the hands of the host. it was read in the village square amid intense enthusiasm by his son, john taylor gilman, who was also destined to play an important part in our country's history. john taylor gilman was then just out of his teens. he was a handsome man with magnetic power and an idol of the people. no one in the whole audience was more thrilled than was the father of the reader, who, filled with ardor, paused often to crush down the rush of sentiment that overmastered speech. colonel gilman was distinguished as one of those who financed the revolution, and his son succeeded him in this service. after colonel gilman's death, in , the house was left to john taylor gilman, who inherited his father's love for political power. he, like his sire, was a most comely man, just entering into manhood when he married dorothea folsom, a great-granddaughter of the noted revolutionary hero. she was only twenty-one years old when she married, being one of the belles of the village and a most estimable young lady. for sixty years she directed the affairs of her household in a most exemplary manner and was the personification of hospitality. directly after their marriage, the young husband, then only twenty-two years of age, gathered a company together and marched for cambridge, where he was encamped for a short time only. later on he acted as commissary to supply the three regiments of the state at cambridge, for he was considered too important a person to be allowed to take a place in the field. in he was elected a member of the new hampshire legislature and was called in as the only delegate to attend the gathering which was to take place at hartford, connecticut. those were the days when there was no money or credit in the treasury, so that he was forced to take the journey on horseback. he was absent six weeks, paying his own expenses everywhere out of his personal income. so popular did he become that he was elected to congress in , being one of the youngest and most popular members. later on he became treasurer of state, succeeding his father in this work. he was made governor of new hampshire, which office he held for fourteen consecutive years and later on accepted the nomination for two years more. in he declined the election, giving as an excuse that he preferred to spend his remaining days in quietness. this governor gilman was a portly man, weighing two hundred pounds and standing six feet in his stockings. he was a dignified old gentleman, preserving his vigor to the very end. while the latter part of his life was spent in renewing social relations with his friends, the memories of the past were always with him, and he was never so happy as when he recalled the days of washington, who was a personal friend. strong and original in intellect, few men were able to foresee as he did the future of his country. it is said that the night before his death he was brought downstairs by a faithful old negro retainer to spend his last evening with his family. he had a clear realization that his time was drawing near, and he gave full instructions to his family concerning his burial and the manner in which they should cherish his memory. he requested particularly that no one should wear mourning for him--"spend upon the living, not the dead," he said. after a short time he was reminded that he was getting very tired, and he left the room remarking: "i have no disposition to leave this precious circle. i love to be here surrounded by my family and my friends." he commended them to god, saying: "i am ready to go and i wish you all good night." the brothers of this noted man also held positions in state affairs and in the militia. his brother nicholas at one time lived in this house. he occupied the position of lieutenant, captain, adjutant, and adjutant-general in the revolution, being also a member of congress. he took his seat in the united states senate on march , , and came out in views a solid federal. governor john taylor gilman, who succeeded his father, colonel nicholas, had eleven children, many of whom were married in the state room of this house, which is so closely connected with the political events of the revolution and where so many distinguished guests have been entertained. the gilmans were one of the most distinguished families in exeter, coming up from massachusetts to join reverend john wheelwright's little colony. their enterprise, energy, and thrift made them natural leaders in the community. if there was a meeting-house to be erected, there was always a gilman on the committee. should there be a military company to be enlisted, there would always be a man of that name in the ranks. when the commissioners, seven in number, distributed the common lands in , there were four of this family among the band. little wonder then that their name is allied with the principal events of history. [illustration: plate xxxii.--parlor, ladd-gilman house.] [illustration: plate xxxiii.--living room, ladd-gilman house; robert treat room, ladd-gilman house.] the hallway of this home is found to be a small and unpretentious one, with a winding flight of stairs at one side that leads to the second-story floor. at the left of the side entrance is the treasury room, where, during the lifetime of gilman, important meetings were held and state secrets were often discussed. the furniture from this room has long since been gone, but the white pine walls with their coat of paint are still as fresh as they were the day they were built. the huge fireplace without tiles bespeaks plainly the days of prosperity. at the right of the hallway is a large, square room that was used in the olden times as a dining-room. there are no secret closets in this house, with the exception of a sliding panel in the grill room, which when lifted gives access to the wine closet below. beyond that is the old kitchen, which is now used as a dining-room. it still shows the old brick oven, where during governor gilman's occupancy the baking was done, and also the dutch oven, where the meat was roasted in the governor's day. on the mantel over the old fireplace are displayed some fine bits of old pewter, while the windows of this house still retain the small panes. the room at the right of the family entrance is known as the state room. it is a dignified room, large enough to have held easily the notable assemblages that must have met there during his occupancy. the fireplace has no mantel, but a wide panelling, such as is found only in houses of that period. the only ornamentations are the elaborate columns that define the fireplace and panelling. the room is finished in wood panels. the huge beams have been cased in, and the windows with their wooden shutters remain as they were first built. the furnishing is all of the colonial period, showing slat-back chairs and cane-seated ones. a feature of this room is the wonderful old mirror, one of the largest ever made and so tall that an opening had to be made in the ceiling, that it might be set up. it is a room typical of the period and shows woodwork that has never been replaced. the andirons are painted in brilliant colors, showing the hessian soldiers,--a kind that were in use directly after the revolution. [illustration: plate xxxiv.--ladd-gilman house; prison, ladd-gilman house.] the chambers have each an old four-poster, while their fireplaces are unlike many of that period, being finished in stone instead of wood. in the middle chamber is a fine example of a field bed, which was used by daniel webster. in this room also is a queer little mahogany piece that, when the cover is lifted, shows a foot-bath that was taken by governor gilman to washington during his term of service there. in addition to this there is a quaint little trunk of leather, which was used by the governor to transport his belongings to and fro,--not a very elaborate wardrobe if it all went into the one trunk. the middle chamber, as this is familiarly known, has also one of the old fireplaces without a mantel. every room in the house shows the wide-beamed ceilings that came into use about that period. probably the most interesting room is a small one at one side which was used as a prisoner's room. here the windows are very small and were formerly barred over. in this room the poor debtors were kept until released by their friends. in the capacity of treasurer of state, colonel gilman had his office in the house, and here he affixed his signature to the paper bills of credit to which the state and country were obliged to resort in order to carry on the war. it was a duty, however, that still permitted him to devote part of his time to military service, holding the position of colonel of the fourth regiment of militia and aiding in the capture of general burgoyne. within the walls of this mansion were born his children, three of whom became conspicuous in the history of the state. john taylor gilman, who succeeded his father, held many offices of trust and in , at the alarm of portsmouth, he took personal command of a large detachment of militia stationed by his order in that vicinity. nicholas gilman, jr., who resided in the house until the age of twenty-one, became senior deputy adjutant-general of the continental army on the staff of general washington and participated in all the important battles and campaigns in which, under washington, the army engaged. in captain nicholas gilman and john langdon were chosen delegates to the federal convention of states, which assembled at philadelphia and framed and adopted the constitution, the delegates signing in the order of states. the signatures of langdon and gilman followed immediately after that of general washington, as president of the convention. gilman was one of the youngest members of that body, that combined patriotism, experience, and character. the third son, colonel nathaniel gilman, succeeded his father colonel nicholas gilman, sr., in the treasury department--the continental loan office--as early as . from to the mansion was occupied by captain nathaniel gilman, son of colonel nathaniel gilman and grandson of colonel nicholas gilman, sr. the house itself is in an excellent state of preservation. the partially panelled walls, the quaint windows with wide sills, the large and cheerful fireplaces in which the original dogs still do duty, belong distinctively to colonial days. the small, high windows fitted with wooden shutters show the great thickness of the house wall, and the whole surroundings impress one with solidity and comfort. chapter viii the adams house one of the first settlers at newbury, massachusetts, was one henry sewall, who came over from england in , bringing with him cattle, servants, and provisions. he was allotted six hundred acres of upland and marsh land at newbury, according to agreement made before he left his native country. this land bordered the river parker, near what is now known as byfield proper, a fertile, woodland country with rolling hills and rich land. he married jane dummer, settling later on the grant of land that had been apportioned to him for the first stock farm in america. near the foot of the hill, at the parting of four roads, was a lot of land that he bequeathed to his wife, with ten pounds yearly. the grant of land later on was divided into several house lots, one of which was the home of william longfellow, the emigrant ancestor of the longfellow family in america, who married anne sewall. this shows the connection through marriage of the prominent families who settled in this region. captain abraham adams was born in newbury, may , . he followed the sea in early life, sailing first to the west indies, and soon rose to the command of a vessel, making fourteen trips to england, besides many coastwise trading voyages. in he married anne longfellow. she was a niece of judge samuel sewall, and lived on the part of the old sewall grant then known as "highfield," which name was given to the estate that abraham adams' father gave to him at the time of his marriage, although the deed was not passed until two years afterwards. upon this land captain adams built his mansion, an unpretentious house following the lines of that period. it stood in the midst of the tract which at that time was much larger than it is to-day, although even now it is still possible to walk a mile in a straight line from the homestead on ancestral ground covered with heavy timber and showing broad meadows. stone walls were not then built to define boundaries, and the highway was a mere bridle-path running by the door and on between the houses of henry sewall and william longfellow to the ford over the brook, at that time a considerable stream. the captain, who took kindly to farming, greatly improved the land, and on the grant are still found small apple-trees that grew from those set out by him in . the seeds for these trees were brought by captain adams when he returned from one of his voyages. tradition relates that while bringing them from the ship his oxen stopped in the ford at cart creek, and the captain, in a discouraged mood said: "i would rather dump the seeds in this cart into the creek than to put them in the ground." he changed his mind, however, and became a very successful farmer. after captain adams' marriage to anne longfellow, he promised to give up his life on the sea and devote his time to farming. whether with this he made a mental reservation is not known, but in his shipyard half a mile away he afterwards built several vessels and engaged in a coasting-trade. unlike the other farmers of the day, the products of his farm were carried to new orleans and other ports and bartered for rice and molasses. the old shipyard can still be seen, but the vessels have long ago disappeared. the narrow river winding to the sea shows little space for shipping, and even in its most prosperous days it was necessary to launch the rudely built ships sidewise. [illustration: plate xxxv.--the adams house, newbury, massachusetts.] the old house is still standing. some of the original shingles and clapboards, covering a solid wall of home-made bricks, are still in a good state of preservation, especially on the west end. the innovation of a modern porch has added to rather than detracted from the pleasing appearance of the house. the diamond paned windows that were imported from england have been removed. inside, the smoothly finished beams, the great fireplaces with panelled sides, the heavy doors, the broad, low steps, the fine woodwork in staircase and mantel, all speak of former pride and prosperity. many an ancient legend is related concerning this old dwelling. under the attic eaves is still shown a bunk known as booth's bin, on account of an indian slave by that name who for many years slept in it. many years ago david adams, while on a visit to deny, new hampshire, took with him a slave who became suddenly ill. no regular physician could be secured who was willing to attend him, so a cow doctor was called. he advised a hot bath. as nothing could be found large enough for the bath, an old dug-out was dragged up from the river, pitched, and filled with boiling water, into which the negro was unceremoniously thrust but escaped with his life. during a fire that occurred in this house sometime during the residence of abraham adams, this slave wished to aid in putting it out, he rushed up over the stairs to cut a hole in the roof with a hatchet. the hatchet was dull and the roof was high, so he battered it with his head until a hole was made. somewhere on the bridle-path that led to the house in the early days of its occupancy there lived for a time a little band of twenty-five indians, many of whom died there. one beautiful day in the early spring mother anne sauntered down the lane and strolled across the fields, as was her custom, to sit down outside the wigwam and chat with the old squaw. she was all alone, as quanto, the brave, was absent attending to work around the place. soon the old squaw stirred up the blaze of the camp-fire and set the kettle on to boil, making ready for the return of her husband for the midday meal. she put in beef and turnips, for it was before the days of potatoes. the smell of the savory stew was most appetizing, and mother anne, who had been often urged to partake of the indian hospitality, decided this time to accept. suddenly a slight rustle in the branches caused her to turn her head, and there by her side stood the brave, quanto, who had come out silently from the shadows. his blankets were cast aside, and twined around his arm and shoulder was a big black snake which he held by its head. with the characteristic grunt of the indian he saluted his guest, then stepping quickly forward, he removed the cover of the kettle with his left hand and with his right threw the writhing snake into the stew. needless to say, mother anne's important household duties called her home before the meal was ready. when the house was first built, the land was covered with forests which were afterwards felled. since then many generations have ploughed and sowed the fields which, with incredible toil, were wrested from the wilderness. six ponderous oxen and a pair of steers were attached to a massive wooden plough, on which rode a man and boy; the stronger of the two held the plough upright. thus were the sods turned and the fields prepared. the labor of mother anne in those days was as arduous as was that of captain abraham. at the east side of the house, close by the old well, stood the leach-tub holding one hundred gallons. here lye was made to be used in working the flax. soap-making followed the cattle-killing in the early spring, for butcher and baker did not come near the house at that period. from the apple trees cider was made, forty barrels being put in for a yearly allowance, for it was drunk much as tea and coffee are to-day. the indians naturally craved some of this drink. one of them, after being repeatedly refused, came with a basket filled with gifts from the woods and asked slyly if "him captain" would fill it with cider in return. so persistent was he that the captain told him yes. the indian answered: "him, captain, wait a little!" quick as a flash, attaching the basket to the rope, he swung it down the well. after several dippings it froze, making an excellent receptacle in which to carry the cider home. captain adams was a very prominent man. he had two sons, twins, who both were sent through harvard. there was a daughter, anne. all three of these were very religious, for we read that the twins established the lynnfield church and also the old south in newburyport, while the daughter anne, with her husband, established the first baptist church in new hampshire. jacob, another son, started the first seminary for girls in america, called the adams female seminary, one of its teachers being mary lyon, the founder of mount holyoke college. samuel adams was the same type of man as his father and succeeded to the homestead. he had five sons, the eldest of whom was blind, and with four of these sons he fought through the long war of the revolution. from this old doorway loving wives looked anxiously for the return of their husbands and sons from the wars. singularly enough, although five generations of adams' went to war, and the heads of the families wore side-arms, no trace of them is found in the household, with the exception of one sword that did duty at bunker hill. what they did with their arms was never known, but if they were melted into ploughshares, the work must have been done quickly. after the death of abraham, the house was left to samuel, his son, in consideration of one pound and the love and affection borne him; after his death it went to samuel's son, captain stevens, born in . captain stevens, so the legend runs, was a very tall man, standing six feet four inches in his stockings at the time of his enlistment in the continental army when sixteen years of age. still kept in the house are his spectacles which were made to order from silver dollars which he had saved. his desk still stands in the living-room and was bought with money paid him as a soldier. it cost forty dollars even at that period. [illustration: plate xxxvi.--parlor, adams house; living room, adams house.] entrance to the house is through a colonial porch that gives into a small hallway. at the left is a large, square room that is used as a living room. in one corner is the old desk in which is the original deed of the house, signed by samuel sewall and hannah sewall. the dwelling is a treasure-house of old colonial furniture, many of the pieces having been originally in the old longfellow house. one of the most interesting of these is a fine example of banister chair, the one that was brought by anne longfellow across the fields to the adams house when she came there a bride. on the opposite side of the house is a second large, square room, also filled with heirlooms, among which is a fine example of an mirror of the picturesque type showing "dawn." this was also brought by the longfellow bride. the fireplace in this house is the original one around which the adams father and son gathered the night before the battle of bunker hill, to mold bullets that would be used on that occasion. [illustration: plate xxxvii.--dining room, adams house.] back of this room, which is used for a parlor, is a dining-room with an old desk secretary, of , showing the ball and eagle ornamentation. here also is another large old fireplace, for the interior of the house has been unchanged since it was built by abraham adams, in . the house has descended in a direct, unbroken line, and has been handed down from sire to son for the consideration of one dollar. it is one of the most charming of country-seats, enriched by history, and retaining still all the atmosphere of the old colonial homestead. chapter ix the spencer-pierce house an unusually picturesque location has the spencer-pierce house at newbury, massachusetts, which stands at the end of a long, grassy lane, leading off from the main road not far above the old town church. the house itself is unique and forms a fascinating study for architects in its fine state of preservation, its beauty enhanced by overhanging vines. old houses are like open books, disclosing by their type to what period they belong, and it is interesting to find one that stands out so distinctly from other houses of long ago as does the spencer-pierce mansion. at first glance of its foreground of open lawn and its background of trees, one readily perceives that it was intended for a gentleman's residence. it has been falsely called a garrison house from the fact that its walls are of stone and brick, but a knowledge of the first owners and their time shows this to be a fallacy. later it might have been used for some such purpose, but if so there is no record. [illustration: plate xxxviii.--the spencer-pierce house, newburyport, mass.] whoever built the house had an eye for the beautiful. it stands in the midst of a large farm surrounded by grass land and trees, with the ocean stretching beyond. in construction it is different from others of the period, being shaped like a cross. the northern projection, the kitchen end of the house, shows a large brick chimney built on the outside with a stone foundation. it is so high and big that it reaches far above the roof, and possibly is the first one of its kind ever shown in colonial architecture. the self-evident age of both the brick and the plaster, broken here and there, leaves no reasonable doubt to the student of the antique as to the period of its building. on the opposite side is the porch. this is familiarly known as the great porch of the house. architects come from all over the country to copy the lines of this particular bit of architecture, for it is one of the most beautiful specimens in new england. much of its beauty, however, lies in the mellow, many-toned coloring of the exterior produced by its two hundred years' exposure to wind and weather. a settled air of old age surrounds it, and without doubt it will last as it is for centuries. the arches of this mansion are interesting, showing bevelled brick and most carefully introduced casements, while the wonderful ornamentation has helped to establish the fact that it is not in reality a genuine garrison house. much doubt is expressed as to the exact year of its building, the erection of the house being generally credited to john spencer, the younger, while others assert it is the elder who was the first owner and occupant of the house. this leads to a confusion of dates, placing the time of building anywhere from to , at which time it fell into the hands of one daniel pierce. one of the first settlers was john spencer, the reputed builder of the house. he came to this country in the _mary and john_ and settled on the banks of the river parker in , his name showing on the first page of the proprietors' records, where it appears that he was the grantee of the houselot which was next the great river. he was a man of means and took an important part in the formation of the little settlement which was established by his influence. searching through the records of the time, we find his name constantly mentioned in the list of proprietors, and the statement that he built a mill at the falls of newbury, where he had a mill lot of fifty acres, and rose to such prominence that the following year he was chosen magistrate in newbury in the general court. in other ways, too, he was a prominent man, being very much interested in military affairs. in april, , we find him captain of a battalion that had been sent out under captain stoughton against the pequod indians. his religious opinions, however, did not agree with those of the settlers, and he was discharged from his command and returned to england after having been disarmed and condemned, being one of three under sentence; the other two were richard dummer and nicholas eaton, but he was the only one who went to england, where he remained until his death, which took place about . considering the enormous amount of work that went into the building of this house, which was a very large one, it is evident that he could not have built it before he left for england, as it could not possibly have been completed before then. while the records are scanty on this point, we have reason to believe that even if he commenced it, his nephew, who succeeded to the property, must have finished it. the brick used in the making of the old porch, and the square tile we find in the floor, were both in all probability brought over from the motherland. history relates that previous to brickyards had been established in salem, as well as in medford, but the bricks found to-day that were made at that period show them to be of very inferior quality. they were made by order of the superior court and measured nine inches long, two and a half inches thick, and four and a half inches wide. in this house the bricks used were much smaller and were also very smoothly molded. this leads one to believe that they were imported english brick, perhaps brought over as ballast in some of the ships that came to this country with settlers. the walls, however, were composed of a great variety of stone, some of which was probably brought by boats and rafts down the merrimac river. there were also many that doubtless came from a long distance, but these facts are difficult to determine because of the scanty information to be obtained. young spencer, who was the next to own the land and who may have begun the construction of this house, was a careless, improvident man. he soon became involved in pecuniary troubles and sold the farm in small lots, eventually getting rid of the entire property. his uncle, daniel pierce, a village blacksmith, bought part of the land in with the proviso that any time within the next seven years, if spencer wished, it could be repurchased on the same terms. this transaction was through the old ceremony of "turf and twig," the transfer being supplemented by a deed. it was a blind transaction, there being nothing to ascertain the worth of the place. pierce was a thrifty man, and tradition relates that he kept all the money he possessed tied up in an old stocking that was hung up in his shop. through mr. coffin, the historian of newbury, we learn that the house was not built until to , but no matter how carefully we trace the records, we find it impossible to determine the accuracy of this fact. nowhere in the pierce family is there a tradition that it was built by any of their ancestors, and even the oldest inhabitants failed to swerve from their assertions that the spencers were the first occupants of this stone house. the only fact that points to its presumable erection by a pierce is that daniel pierce, who was a member of governor carteret's first council, and who with others founded the town of woodbridge, two years later returned to his native place with a well-lined purse. we read how he valued his estate highly and desired to entail it in his will, saying: "it shall never be sold nor any part divided." whatever his intentions were, they were never carried out, as is shown later on. pierce supported the cause of the pastor in the famous parker controversy, and died in at the age of sixty-six years. his son daniel was his sole executor, and he was asked to do for his brother joshua's children as he thought best. the will also has a singular provision, allowing that his wife anne, according to his marriage agreement, should have "twenty pounds a year and all the proper necessaries of which she stands in need, and during her life to enjoy her former liberties in the house." daniel pierce, jr., or colonel daniel pierce, was the next to live in the house. he was most prominent in military and civil affairs, marrying elizabeth, daughter of thomas and anne millwood, who was only sixteen years of age at the time of her marriage. he was considered the most important man in town, as is shown by an extract from the town records, where is found a statement that the minister's wife's pew shall be built close to the pulpit stairs and that daniel pierce shall have the first choice of pews. this was a difficult and delicate matter, as the seats were assigned according to age, dignity, and deafness. "to my son benjamin" was the estate next left. benjamin received it on august, , and died in may of the following year. charles, his eldest son, became the next owner. he was a man prominent in church affairs. we find him a firm adherent of whitfield, taking part in the great controversy which eventually divided the old town church and led to the establishment of the old south society at the port. among the most distinguished descendants of the pierce family was the late franklin pierce, the fourteenth president of the united states, who was said to have been a visitor at this historic house. it is hard to say whether nathaniel tracy, the merchant, or his father was the next owner of this house. it was sold by daniel pierce, who owned half of the estate, to nathaniel tracy in , and by the widow of william pierce the same year. this was at a time when tracy was possessed of great wealth and lived in magnificent style, owning a large house on state street in newburyport nearly opposite the dalton house, and a large farm at medford, as well as the craigie house in cambridge. nathaniel tracy was well known in the mercantile profession. he was a dashing young man, who loved to change his place of residence at his whim. few men of the period had a more brilliant career than did he. at the breaking out of the revolution he was a very young man, and with patriotic zeal he fitted out a fleet of privateers to prey on british commerce, the first privateer ever fitted out in our country being his, and sailing in . they were small vessels, manned by intrepid men and having but few guns which, however, were handled in so masterly a manner that many valuable prizes were brought by them to both boston and newburyport. during the next eight years he was the principal owner, according to records, of one hundred and ten merchant vessels which had a gross tonnage of fifteen thousand six hundred and sixty tons and cargoes valued at $ , , . many of his fleet were lost or captured,--so many indeed that at the end of the war there were only thirteen left. the value of the work they had done in aiding the government can never be estimated. they brought into port quantities of stores and ammunition that were designed primarily to supply the british army. the records show that during this period tracy's men captured one hundred and twenty vessels with twenty-two hundred and twenty-five men, and their cargoes were sold for $ , , . his patriotism is well shown from the fact that in addition to these services he loaned the government $ , . rivalling tristram dalton, he is said to have had some of the finest horses and coaches in the country and to have lived in grandeur and luxury, his house being the meeting place for the dignitaries of the land. he was also very fond of reading and had in his possession a large and well selected library. with the close of the war, his money vanished. his successful ventures met with disaster, so that in he was bankrupt. his estates were all given over to his creditors with the exception of the newbury farm, which had been secured by his father to his family. here he lived the remainder of his life, pressed by no claims for money, and loved and respected by all. this was his favorite home, and it was no disappointment to spend his declining years here, walking around his extensive estate and listening to the sound of the seas while reviewing the troublous times of the revolution. in size he was a large man, comely of feature, and noted for his wit and humor. he married in early life the daughter of colonel jeremiah lee of marblehead, who was a great beauty; during her lifetime the house was filled with noted guests. few houses with such numerous changes in occupants have had so many noted owners as the spencer-pierce house, which after the death of mr. tracy was sold by his wife, through the authority of the general court, to one offin boardman for $ , . captain boardman was well known, particularly in a military way, on account of his performing the daring feat of capturing a transport as it came into newburyport harbor. it was a british ship, _friends_, with captain bowie commanding, that appeared off the mouth of the harbor, tacking and wearing in such a way as to indicate that she did not know her bearings. this led captain boardman, whose house guarded the mouth of the river, to suspect that it was a british ship bringing ammunition for the troops that were stationed in boston. calling seventeen men to his aid, they manned three whale-boats and rowed off to the stranger. when in speaking distance, they hailed her to know where bound, rightly suspecting she bore contraband goods. she replied that she hailed from london and was uncertain as to her situation, whereupon she was offered a pilot. the vessel was boarded by captain boardman and his valiant crew who carried no arms in sight, thus preventing the suspicion of the captain. the boldness of the attack won success, and the ship was taken into newburyport, where she was overhauled. for twenty years afterwards the house was occupied by the same owner, being sold at auction in . it was purchased by one john pettingell, who is said to have used it as a summer residence only; during the time of his occupancy the wooden buildings at the back, together with the farm, were let to tenants. the mansion house has been owned and occupied by wealthy families ever since it was built. it is considered one of the most picturesque homes in new england. unlike other houses built at that period, the walls, which are two feet thick, were made of granite interspersed with stone and brick, over which a thick overlay of plaster was placed, and having arched doorways and windows and small niches introduced over the door. the wooden additions at the back were built for the use of servants. the porch of the house is unique. the bricks that form the arch of the door have fancy, rounded edges that distinguish them from those made in the colony. hanging vines add to the picturesqueness of the house. the entrance door is divided like the dutch doors of to-day, showing two sections acting independently, the upper part being at one time protected by an inner shutter. this was arranged so as to hang down from the ceiling, the old hinges which are still left plainly attesting to this fact. there are also shown to-day marks of the pulley through which ran the cords to raise and lower the shutter. the old-fashioned door swings back on wrought hinges twenty-four inches in length. these, as well as the old hardware in the house, have been carefully preserved. [illustration: plate xxxix.--hallway, spencer-pierce house.] between the outside porch and the inner one is a second set of doors, in between which are hanging buckets. these are of leather and were kept in the hall of every house for use in case of fire. the stairway starts at the right-hand side of the hall, which is merely a narrow passageway. it leads by two turns to the second-story floor and has a most unusual background in the brick work of a large chimney. tradition tells us that the builder of these stairs received no ready money for his work but, instead, eight acres of land, since it was a very common practice at that time to pay for work in this way. [illustration: plate xl.--dining room, spencer-pierce house; living room, spencer-pierce house.] [illustration: plate xli.--parlor, spencer-pierce house.] at the right is the old parlor, which is now used as the family dining-room. it is a spacious apartment, nineteen feet square, with walls two feet thick, corresponding in depth to all those found in the main house. great oak beams, rough with marks of the adze, support the chamber floors. these beams, for many years boxed in, have been lately revealed. the table in the parlor is of the empire period, while the chairs are rough bottomed, windsor, and other types, all colonial, though of mixed periods. singularly enough, the house differs from most of its kind in that it has two main chimneys, one providing fireplaces between the front rooms and the other built in the kitchen. during the summer months these are still used, but in the winter stoves are substituted. the inner kitchen is now used as a living-room. it has been remodelled within the last few years, there being no plaster on the wall except that which was put directly on the stone. the old fireplace is still seen in this room, although adorned with a new mantel. window-seats have been introduced, and many sheraton chairs and hepplewhite tables are seen. indeed, every piece of furniture belongs to the same period. while the eastern part of the house is the original building, the western end shows an attractive addition that was built on during captain boardman's lifetime for the benefit of his wife, who was a confirmed invalid. she had believed it was unhealthful to live between stone walls and so asked that this addition be built. this part shows the same finishing as other rooms in the house and is furnished like them in colonial style. the central feature is a gate-leg table, while a sheraton chair of the martha washington type is found here, and a chippendale, together with dutch chairs having rush bottoms, dating back to . the chambers show a likeness to the lower rooms, and the attic is especially large. in the chambers there is little or no hand-carving but very good woodwork. long before this house came into its present ownership, during the time of the pierce occupancy it was used to stow away a part of the town's powder. while this was stored here, one of pierce's slaves, a negro woman, went up-stairs to her room and carelessly placed a lighted candle near one of the kegs. she was weary from a long day's work and fell asleep without any thought of serious consequences. while she slept, the candle burned lower and lower, finally sputtering and falling over. a grain of powder that had been carelessly spilt on the floor was ignited. a blinding flash, a tremendous report, an unearthly yell, and the negress flew out of the window, bed and all, and landed safe in the top of an apple-tree which is still standing! the old home is a splendid example of the houses of that day. it is in a perfect state of preservation, and from its windows one still overlooks the river, where in the olden days the ships of the tracys passed to and fro, bearing rich cargoes in their holds. chapter x the governor dummer mansion richard dummer, emigrant ancestor of the family of that name, came to america in , joining the little company who were banded together at massachusetts bay in . his first residence was in roxbury, but he removed afterwards to boston. while here, he became interested in starting a stock farm, in which venture he was joined by two other prominent citizens named richard saltonstall and henry sewall, the ancestor of the chief justice who bore that name. when looking about for a suitable place to start their enterprise, they came to newbury, massachusetts. this was in . here they selected the territory bordering on the river parker, or great river as it was called at that time. it was a most suitable place to carry on this enterprise, both on account of the fertility of the upland and because of the large quantity of salt marsh grass which was considered of special value for forage, so they immediately contracted for the importation of a large number of cattle. in may, , the same day that this territory, known as wessacumcon, was by the general court of the colony allowed to be a plantation under the name of newbury, a committee was appointed to set out a farm for richard dummer about the falls of newbury, not to exceed five hundred acres, that is, provided it be not prejudicial to newbury. on the eighth day of july it was further ordered by the general court that a convenient quantity of land be set out within the bounds of newbury for the keeping of the cattle that came over in the dutch ship that year and to belong to the owners of said cattle. richard dummer removed to newbury in the spring or summer of , and other grants of land were subsequently made to him. it is a little difficult to determine the precise boundaries, on account of the scanty records. a short time before his death he executed deeds for his sons that showed him to be the owner of most of the uplands and marshes bordering on the south side of the river parker, a tract more than three miles in length and including most of the extensive marshes, assembling a farm of three hundred and thirty acres. whether he had more land or not is uncertain, but it is known that it never exceeded five hundred acres. since the early grant this farm has been in the family, richard dummer making his first home on newbury neck on the place that was known as mr. dummer's farm. a very rich and benevolent man, he contributed much toward the growth of newbury, being elected one of the assistants of the colony in and re-elected in , taking the highest office with the exception of governor and deputy-governor. he was an ardent supporter of governor sir harry vane, taking active part in the election of which resulted in vane's defeat. although he was disarmed, with seventy-two others, he was not removed from the colony. richard dummer was an unusual man. manifesting no resentment at his treatment, two years afterwards, when winthrop, owing to his impoverishment, called for contributions, dummer gave one hundred pounds,--more than one-fifth of that contributed in the colony. two of his sons, richard and jeremiah, became very prominent, the former living on the farm by the falls and the latter becoming a judge. it was this jeremiah who was the father of the governor, william dummer, and also of jeremiah, jr., who was graduated from harvard in . at this period the names of the students were arranged in the catalogue in rank of family, and jeremiah's headed the list. he was also the first scholar in his class and was spoken of by president mather as the best scholar ever at the college. he was very prominent all his life. bancroft, speaking of him, said: "his writings were the fruit of loyal colonial liberties and contained the seed of american independence." in his brother william was born in boston. william was not a student, being educated simply at the boston grammar school. enlisting in the artillery company in , he rose to its captaincy. england was his residence for several years prior to his marriage in to katherine, daughter of joseph dudley, then governor of the province and son of thomas dudley, one of the early governors of the colony. in governor dudley refused re-appointment, and colonel samuel shute was appointed in his place by the crown, who under the province charter reserved the right to appoint governor, lieutenant-governor, and secretary. this was a time of continual conflicts in the colony through disagreements in appointments, so that the province governors enjoyed little ease. after an uneasy administration of six years, governor shute left in in disgust, remaining in england until the arrival of his successor, william burnett, in . this left dummer in the gubernatorial chair for nearly six years. governor dummer was placed in a very trying position. the administration made it practically impossible for him to render strict and impartial judgment and give satisfaction to the people. his alliance with dudley and shute, however, proved no obstacle to his influence with them, for governor dummer was born in the province, and his education, his experience, and his family traditions were with the people. it is said of him, too, that during the critical period of his administration, his wisdom and impartiality, as well as his kind, conciliatory spirit brought about the confidence and respect of all who were thrown in contact with him. the office of lieutenant-governor was his until , when he was succeeded by lieutenant-governor tailer. the house in newbury was only a summer estate, for he occupied in winter a brick house on school street in boston, bounded northerly on province street, and being separated from the province house estate by a six-foot passageway. governor dummer was a very religious man, attending the hollis street church and presenting it with an imperial folio bible in two volumes, richly bound in rich crimson levant morocco, splendidly gilt on the edges and elaborately tooled by the bookbinders. it was presented on condition that it should be read as a part of the divine service, and at the present day retains its former richness of color and gilding. the paper is rich and smooth and creamy as though just made, while the size and clearness of type are a comfort to any minister's eyes. after dummer's death he was buried in the granary burying ground on tremont street, boston. governor dummer was a man of great firmness, strict integrity, and warm benevolence. in civil and administrative affairs he showed a rare combination of qualities, leading his administration to be spoken of by dudley as the "wise administration of dummer." [illustration: plate xlii.--dummer mansion, byfield, mass.] the dummer mansion, which is situated in byfield, then newbury, massachusetts is prominently connected with the town's history, being one of the most notable colonial homes in new england. it was built by governor dummer about on a farm which was given him by his father on october , , a few months before his marriage. it is a fine specimen of the houses of that day, showing brick sides and resembling in architecture the royall house at medford, massachusetts. just after he and his bride took up their abode in the newly completed mansion, a housewarming was held. governor dummer, so the legend runs, was a famous horseman, and on this occasion he is said to have dashed up the broad front staircase to the second floor, mounted on a magnificent white charger, much to the consternation of the guests. this event took place in the month of august in the time of the full moon, and tradition relates that he repeats this performance even unto the present day whenever in august there are two full moons, riding forth on the occasion of the first full moon and charging up the stairs and down again. in the kitchen of the mansion house on several occasions a little child appeared. whenever the apartment was left vacant, the next person to come in would find a little golden-haired, blue-eyed girl about five years of age, balancing herself upon the door-sill and peeping in and out just as a real child naturally would do at play. she was never seen in any other part of the house. where she came from no one ever knew. she always appeared in the same doorway and after standing awhile would vanish. she became so familiar to the people of the house that they called her elizabeth. she had such a pleasant, smiling face that even the most timid person felt no fear of her. during the oiling of the kitchen floor a child's ring was discovered in a crack where it had lain for years. in trying to get it out, a secret spring was seen and a trap-door was disclosed. on opening it, an old ladder was revealed, leading to the space below, but it fell to fragments at a touch. the cellar underneath was explored. in a secret recess was a small chamber not larger than a grave. inside was a large, round, cheese box, which contained the bones of a child. these were properly buried, and the apparition ceased to appear. in the slave quarters, which were in the ell of the mansion house, the slaves were chained each night to prevent their escaping. the rings to which the chains were attached were to be seen until quite recently, and when the wind was right, the clanking of the chains could plainly be heard. outside the house on the green, so the story runs, a duel was fought by an english officer and a gentleman over an affront concerning madam dummer. the english officer was killed, and tradition relates that he appeared subsequently. he was clad in epaulets and gold lace, wandering about as if in search of his adversary. he always wore an amazingly large, powdered white wig and carried a dress sword in its sheath, as on the occasion of the fateful encounter. [illustration: plate xliii.--doorway, dummer mansion; hallway, dummer mansion.] the present mansion, remodelled, is to-day a famous landmark. it is considered an excellent example of a colonial home, with its pitched roof, its huge stone chimneys covered with mortar, its dormer windows, and its georgian porch. one enters through the wide doors into a noble hallway extending entirely through the house, the woodwork showing fine panelling of white pine. the box stairs rise by easy treads to the wide landing, where a colonial window gives light to the apartment. at the foot of the staircase is an arch, a great ornament to the hallway. the balusters are hand-carved, the newel post being plain. the balusters and stairs are of mahogany and the furniture is windsor. opening from the hall at the right are double parlors. on the wall hangs a fine portrait of governor dummer and his wife, katherine dudley. the portrait of the governor is in oil by smibert, while a copy of it by the late frederick vinton is in the senate chamber of the state house in boston. the parlor shows woodwork in place of plastering or paper. the old shutters have been carefully preserved as have the window-seats. the furniture is of the colonial type, including chippendale and windsor pieces. [illustration: plate xliv.--dining room, dummer mansion; den, dummer mansion.] [illustration: plate xlv.--two views of the living room, dummer mansion.] opposite the parlor is the living-room, with its fine carvings shown in the mantel. this carving is done in wood and not in french putty glued on, as is the case with many ornamentations. although there is fine panelling and woodwork in this room, it shows plaster and paper as well. double doors open into the rear parlor, now used as a dining-room. these doors show strap hinges and are considered fine specimens of the colonial period. wonderful woodwork is seen in this room, as in other rooms in the house. when the parish was renamed, the name of dummer was proposed. finally, however, it was called after judge byfield on account of a handsome gift proposed by him. in acknowledgment of this compliment a bell was presented to the church by judge byfield. chapter xi the macphaedris-warner house one of the noted houses in portsmouth, new hampshire, is the warner house. this is a large brick mansion of ample dimensions, which stands at the corner of daniel and chapel streets, and has the distinction of being the oldest brick residence in town. it must be remembered that the use of brick in house-building was not extensively carried out in the colonies, even as late as the early nineteenth century. occasionally we find houses where brick was used to cover the frame, outside of which was an exterior of wood. this was for the sake of warmth, for, as we know, in the early days not only was the climate more severe, but there were not the scientific methods of heating known to-day. [illustration: plate xlvi.--the warner house, portsmouth, n. h.] while the frame of these houses was generally of oak, yet the shingles or clapboards were of white pine. white pine was very generally used then, chiefly on account of its lasting quality. this is evidenced very plainly in many old houses of that period which are found to-day in a remarkable state of preservation. this same wood was used not only for clapboards but for the principal interior finish, and we often find it in large panels as perfect as when put in place two hundred years or more ago. wood was generally used during the eighteenth century, but we occasionally find a brick house such as the macphaedris-warner house. the brick used was generally imported in those days, for the american brick was of rather an inferior quality to that obtained on the other side of the water. the bricks and tiles used in this house were imported as ballast from holland in some of the vessels owned by captain macphaedris. it is two centuries ago that this mansion was erected and it is still as perfect in construction as it was the day of its finish. there has been no change in either exterior or interior, so that it can well be considered a fine example of a house that represents true honest labor and the skill of the master mechanic. another thing in its favor is that it has always remained in the family. much of the furniture shown there to-day was formerly imported by captain macphaedris, who felt the need of furnishing it for his bride in accordance with his station. at the time of its erection, captain archibald macphaedris was a wealthy merchant and tory at heart, being a member of the king's council. he came over from scotland, attracted by stories of the new country's wealth, in the early part of the eighteenth century, and taking kindly to life here, he entered into trade and was so prudent that later on he was able to build this splendid house. the building was designed as a town residence, and although twelve miles distant from his industry, was considered a suitable situation for this very reason. he preferred to leave business cares at the close of the day and spend the intervening time as far removed from them as possible. early in the eighteenth century iron works were founded at dover, new hampshire. they were the first of the kind ever established in this country, and captain macphaedris was the chief promoter of the new industry. in addition to this, he carried on an extensive fur trade with the indians, with whom he was very friendly; by combining the profits from his two ventures he was able to amass a considerable fortune. a distinct feature of this house is the design of the roof and the high brick chimneys, which convey a hint of dutch sturdiness and which resemble many of the houses in the netherlands. this goes to show that the valiant captain imported dutch ideas along with his bricks and tiles. [illustration: plate xlvii.--doorway, warner house; porch, warner house.] when finished, this mansion was three stories in height, being perfectly plain with the exception of two fine doorways, the one on the front being much the more elaborate. these have never been changed since the days they were placed there. whether the walls were built to resist attacks of the indians or not will never be known, but they are eighteen inches thick, making the house one of the warmest of that period. the plans of the house were designed in accordance with the wishes of the bride, who was no less a personage than sarah wentworth, the daughter of governor john wentworth, and one of the reigning belles of portsmouth. that it was an expensive house is shown from the fact that it cost six thousand pounds or thirty thousand dollars, a considerable sum to be spent in those early days, when money was not plentiful. the furniture was all imported, brought over in captain macphaedris' ships and especially designed for the house. it was in many respects quite different from much of the furniture that had been brought into the colony, and as much of the original is still shown, we realize how carefully the captain must have sought to combine beauty and comfort. the house was most carefully built, for it was first commenced in and not completed until five years later, in . in all probability the opening of the house was attended by a large housewarming, to which the dignitaries of portsmouth, including governor john wentworth, were invited, but the event was considered of too little importance to be mentioned in the annals that are left concerning the mansion. by a strange irony of fate, the name of the man whose money and brains built the house is rarely associated with it; the fine old pile is known far and near by the name of the man who married the captain's daughter mary, a comely lass who was a great belle in the town. he was the hon. jonathan warner, a member of the king's council until the revolution made his commission ineffective. mr. warner was a familiar figure about portsmouth in the latter days of the eighteenth century and is spoken of, in an old review, as "one of the last of the cocked hats." he invariably wore a long-skirted brown coat, small clothes, silk stockings, and buckles on his shoes. he always carried a cane, and his dignified bearing never failed to impress the youngsters of the place with proper respect, and they always courteously saluted him as he passed. and to-day the visitor at portsmouth has the macphaedris-warner house pointed out to him as the warner house. there can be no better proof that this house was well built than the fact that it has withstood the ravages of new england weather for nearly two hundred years and is still in good condition, the eighteen-inch walls of honest dutch brick as staunch as the day they were laid. the gambrel roof, the lutheran windows, and the quaint cupola all mark this three-storied house as a genuine old-timer, and the broad, simply ornamented doorways are suggestive of good old colonial hospitality, for this house was the scene of many a merrymaking. over the brick pavement, laid herring-bone pattern, and up the stone steps came many a dignitary of the land, who lifted the ponderous brass knocker, and as the panelled door swung back on its long, strapped hinges, entered the spacious hall, which extends the entire length of the house. there are a few pieces of the old mahogany furniture left, showing to best advantage against the white panelling of the wall. the staircase at the extreme left is hand-carved, the newel post being exceedingly plain. the heavy iron bar that still securely fastens the entrance door bespeaks a time when the red men lurked in portsmouth and made this protection a necessity. if reliance is to be placed on old traditions, the captain was a great friend of the indians. the fact that two portraits of indian chiefs are still hanging upon the wall seems to corroborate this story. but the most distinctive and remarkable feature of this hall is the wall fresco, reaching from the foot of the stairs to the second-story landing, on the rough plaster of which are depicted various scenes, all the work of a master hand. these wonderful frescoes, covering an area of from four to five hundred feet, were hidden many years ago, and have only been exposed within the last sixty years. as proof of the fact that the frescoes must have been covered up for many years, the story is told of an old lady eighty years of age who was a constant visitor at the warner house during her girlhood days. when shown these paintings she looked at them wonderingly and asserted that their existence was unknown at the time when she was an intimate of the family. [illustration: plate xlviii.--living room, warner house.] [illustration: plate xlix.--parlor, warner house.] opening from the hallway on the right is the parlor, a spacious apartment, panelled from floor to ceiling. a great fireplace, faced with quaint dutch tiles, occupies one corner; and on the narrow mantel above, resting against a beautiful old mirror, is the warner coat of arms. beside this is the coat of arms of the sherburne family, into whose possession the old house passed in the early part of the nineteenth century. at one side of the room is a broad, arched doorway, where once stood a large pipe organ which was removed some years ago. several fine pieces of chippendale and sheraton furniture are placed about the room, and from the panelled walls stately dames and old-time gallants deign to give the intruder a haughty glance. these fine old portraits, all painted by the famous copley, were originally encased in paul revere frames. during the great fire which swept through the town a number of years ago, the pictures were removed to insure their safety, and before their return all the frames, with the exception of the one encasing the portrait of mary macphaedris warner, had mysteriously disappeared, and no trace of them has ever been found. included in the collection are portraits of captain macphaedris, hon. jonathan warner, and his daughter mary. the latter is pictured as an old-time belle, in a gown of stiff brocade and rich red lace. opposite the parlor is the living-room, panelled like the hall, and possessing the same charm as the rest of the house. the walls are adorned by queer, old-fashioned pictures and heavy, gilt-framed mirrors, the latter reflecting in their depths the beauty of the rare old mahogany with which the room is furnished. beside the broad fireplace, tiled in brown, is a spacious cupboard, deftly concealed in the panelling, where are stored quantities of fine old silver and china, the treasured possessions of many generations of warners and sherburnes. this fireplace is framed in quaint dutch tiles, but instead of grate and andirons it contains a franklin stove, surmounted by a queer coffee-urn once owned by governor langdon. although quaintly attractive, this stove is not nearly so interesting from an historic point of view as is a stove still used in one of the chambers. the latter, although not nearly so pretentious, has the distinction of having been set up by franklin himself, one of three in portsmouth whose installment he personally supervised. a fine example of mahogany is shown in a beautiful secretary standing at one side of the room, and through its traceried-glass doors are caught glimpses of curious shells and bits of pink and red coral--brought home by some seafaring sherburne--as well as numerous indian relics. it has also a few old books left from a rare collection. near by is a diminutive desk, interesting from the fact that it is said to be an exact reproduction in every detail of one brought to this country by john alden. each chamber shows wonderful four-posters, hand-knotted spreads, odd candlesticks, foot-stoves, and powder-horns, each piece enhancing the flavor and romance that clings to every nook and corner of the old house. all these relics, as well as the fire-buckets hanging in the rear hall, have been in the family for generations. carefully treasured in an old chest up-stairs are many things connected with colonel jonathan warner. there is the embroidered military suit which he wore when serving in the continental army, together with his sword and cocked hat. these, with a bill of lading presented with much of the family plate and imported furniture, have been preserved in the family ever since . indeed, every piece of furniture and every treasure is historic and has its own distinctive story. the fine simplicity of colonial designs is well illustrated by the outside of this house. its simplicity verges almost upon the forbidding, as there is nothing but flat walls of brick, windows of severe design, and a simple cornice that sets off fine old doorways enriched with delicate dentations and supported by hand-carved corinthian columns. to-day, after nearly two centuries of existence, the house is as solid as it was on the day it was erected, and with its quiet atmosphere of age, its old-time flavor obtained through steady and long continued use, and the treasury of relics shown here, is conceded to be the most picturesque house in portsmouth. chapter xii the wentworth house one of the most historic houses in new hampshire is situated at little harbor, about two miles from the city of portsmouth. it was built in the latter sixteenth century, or early seventeenth, the exact date not being known, for the records of the early days were carelessly kept, so that there is nothing legible to determine the time of its erection. the houses that were built during this period are generally of such a distinct type that there is little or no difficulty in placing them and ascertaining their age. [illustration: plate l.--the wentworth house, little harbor, n. h.] this is not true of the wentworth mansion, for its design does not definitely indicate the architecture of any special period. one does not wonder, when history tells us that it was bought by governor bennington wentworth in , that it was at that time simply a farmhouse of moderate size which had been occupied by one of the earliest settlers in this section, whose name has never been handed down. after its purchase, great pains were taken to make it an attractive and habitable house. rooms were added, and ells were built, until it assumed its present size. it is a stately pile, with wings joined to either side of the long main building, occupying three sides of a hollow square, and showing open ends facing the water. its original appearance has been carefully maintained by the present owner, who occupies the estate as a summer residence. with great care the garden has been restored to the distinctly old-fashioned type, while all the memorable traditions of the building have been preserved. there is about it an atmosphere differing from most houses of that time, partly due to its retired situation. from the high road one enters the curving avenue to seek the house, hidden from the entrance behind hills and trees. the main entrance is the same as in the governor's day. there is a second entrance, however, nearer the house, through which we get glimpses of the mansion beyond. this is flanked by two marble statues, one of which represents an angler dressed in colonial costume, while the second is a hunter, armed with a rip van winkle fowling-piece. they seem to extend, with outstretched arms, a mute welcome to the guest, for hospitality has ever been a characteristic of the wentworth mansion. the grounds are extensive and are laid out in lawns and grass lands. the house is surrounded by shade trees, some of which were there when the governor occupied the mansion. its exterior shows a gray finish, the same coloring that was originally in use. the porch through which the house is entered is the same one through which washington passed when, during his visit to portsmouth, he came to this mansion on his return from a fishing trip, and was royally entertained by the widow of governor wentworth. the rear of the house faces the harbor, at the spot where the governor's wharf used to be, for in the early days ships were anchored near by, and their officers were frequently entertained at the mansion. it is said that in the early days of its occupancy by the governor, a secret passage connected the house with the wharf, and boats were kept always in waiting, ready to be off at a moment's notice. this was done so that the unpopular head of the government might escape at any time if an attempt was made to take his life. on a neighboring island which is in plain sight, there were several small houses, moved there on a scow. governor wentworth, who was the first owner of this house, was the governor of new hampshire during the most troublesome times of our country's history. he was elected in and served for twenty-five years, during which period he conducted the affairs of government through stormy times and two bloody wars, and there is little doubt that he administered the affairs as well as most men could have done under such trying circumstances. it is well known, however, that he pleased neither people nor king. at the end of his term of office he was courteously superseded by his nephew, john wentworth, whose popularity had won him favor. it was then, in , that governor wentworth retired to the colonial home at portsmouth. during his administration, his wife and his children had died. lonely and discouraged, he offered himself in marriage to one molly pitman, who chose instead richard shortridge, a mechanic by trade. doubtless through his instigation, because piqued at the indignity of her refusal, a press gang seized shortridge and carried him away. he was sent from ship to ship, until a friendly officer listened to his sad tale and allowed him to escape and return home, to find his wife still true, although tempted by the allurements of wealth. not cast down, however, by his ill luck, the governor soon after made the house at little harbor his all-the-year-round home. the house became the rendezvous for prominent personages--not only in new hampshire, but through the land. during one dinner party given to distinguished guests an important event occurred. in the governor's employ was a girl of most attractive personality, who had entered the house as a domestic, and bore the name of martha hilton. her beauty attracted the attention of the governor, so that he desired to marry her. among the guests was one reverend arthur brown, of the episcopal church. the dinner was served in the style becoming to the governor's table. just as it was over, the governor whispered, so low that no one else could hear, to a messenger who stood near by. then martha hilton came in through the hall door, on the west side of the parlor, and looking down, a blush upon her cheek, took her stand in front of the open fireplace. she did not bring anything with her, nor did she seem to expect to take anything out. the governor, his hair bleached with the frost of sixty winters, arose, and turning to the rector, he asked: "mr. brown, will you marry me?" the pastor looked up aghast. "to whom?" he asked. stepping to martha's side, and taking her hand in his, the governor answered: "to this lady." the rector still stood confounded, and the governor, angered by the delay, in an imperative manner said: "as the governor of new hampshire, i command you to marry us." then and there, in the presence of the assembled guests, the ceremony was duly performed, and martha hilton became madam wentworth. as a careless, laughing girl, barefooted, and carrying a pail of water, with a dress scarcely sufficient to cover her, martha was said to have declared: "no matter how i look, i shall ride in my chariot yet," and she now achieved her ambition. in a charming little poem longfellow relates this incident and assures us that she filled the position with great dignity. the old governor did not live long to enjoy his new hampshire home. his widow, however, soon forgot her solitude, after rejecting many offers of marriage, for we read of her marriage not very long afterwards to michael wentworth, a retired colonel of the british army. one daughter, martha, was born as the fruit of their marriage. in washington came to portsmouth to visit the wentworth mansion. he sailed into the harbor on one of his ships and was received with characteristic hospitality by colonel michael wentworth and his lady, both of whom accorded him a royal welcome. the colonel was a high liver and prided himself on his horsemanship. the legend runs that he started from boston at eight o'clock in the morning and arrived in portsmouth at o'clock in the afternoon, a feat which was considered remarkable. he was not master of the house for many years, for he died suddenly in . after his death, sir john wentworth, a lawyer in portsmouth, married martha wentworth, the daughter, and they occupied the house in little harbor together with madam wentworth until the time of her death in . upon their departure to europe in , the house passed out of the family. the house stands as it was built, the massive door, three inches in thickness, at its main entrance, showing enormous locks and strapped hinges that extended eighteen inches in either direction. strap hinges were a necessity in those days, as the doors were fastened together with wooden pegs, and unless this precaution was taken, they would sag. [illustration: plate li.--hallway, wentworth house.] one enters a narrow vestibule which gives into an inner hallway. this, too, is narrow, severely plain, and strictly colonial in type. the old staircase has hand-carved balusters. there is no change in the panelling upon the walls, and the original bull's-eyes are in the door opposite the entrance. the hallway leads at the left into a colonial dining-room, with rich panelling, and an old fireplace which is large enough to hold a yule log. the room is spacious and fitted with furnishings of colonial type. over the mantel is hung an old powder-horn and flint-lock, while at one side are colonial relics: a cabinet of old china and a sheraton table with late mahogany chairs form the furnishings. adjoining the dining-room is a large pantry, which contains some ovens that were at one time used for the making of rum, doubtless partaken of very freely during the governor's residence there. [illustration: plate lii.--dance hall, wentworth house, showing marble fireplace.] [illustration: plate liii.--room in wentworth house where martha hilton was made bride; council chamber, wentworth house.] at the right of the hallway is the present living-room, where are many relics of the old governor; in one corner is a chair in which he sat. the old fireplace before which martha hilton stood on her wedding night is in this room. passing through, one reaches a narrow landing and a short flight of stairs which connect with the hallway below, where we come upon the original entrance. the walls on either side over the door are decorated with arms. these are thirteen in number, and are the muskets of the governor's guard, so long ago dismissed. yonder is the council chamber. in this spacious apartment for many years were discussed public affairs of the utmost importance; heated debates were carried on in the stormy times that ante-dated the revolution. it is finished in the best style of the last century, the carved work around the mantel taking more than a year's work with the knife and chisel of a master carpenter. around the room were formerly a great many pictures of the family. among them was a choice painting by copley of the beautiful dorothy quincy who became the wife of john hancock, and who came frequently to visit in portsmouth. there were wonderful pictures of secretary waldron, who was killed by the indians at dover, and also of his son westbrook. sofas and rare bits of colonial furniture furnished the room in the governor's day, and the closely jointed, smooth white floors, which are none the worse for a century's wear, have been pressed by the feet of many a merry dancer. we look at pictures of the old-time occupants, in periwigs and silver buckles, who people the shadows in the dim grandeur of this wonderful old room. in one corner still stands a rack, with sixteen flint-locks, some of which have bayonets attached. this stand of arms was discovered by the present owner hidden away under plaster. just what is concealed to-day in the old house is not known, for it has never been fully explored. naturally one conjectures secret closets and hidden passageways, such as were built in many houses of that period. beyond is the billiard-room. there is now no billiard table but instead a spinning-wheel, and a dainty, old-fashioned spinet upon which little martha wentworth learned to play. one wonders if it was in this room that madam wentworth dropped her ring to be picked up by the maid. all at once the maid became near-sighted, and it was not until martha herself stooped down and touched her ring that it could be found. several smaller rooms lead out of the billiard-room. they were used in the olden times as card-rooms, and here many a close rubber was played by the great and reverend patriots of the land. underneath is a huge, rambling cellar where the builder of the mansion kept stalls for thirty horses, ready at a moment's notice to be off. the gun-rack in the hall of the council chamber does much to convince us that the great man whose personality is stamped so deeply on this interesting pile, must have led a very uneasy life. there were no descendants to inherit the old home, but he left a lasting memorial to himself in the house which embodied so many of his ideals. chapter xiii the franklin pierce house in the little town of hillsboro, new hampshire, stand two notable houses. one of them was formerly the home of governor benjamin pierce, while the other was occupied by his son, franklin pierce, who was the fourteenth president of the united states. both houses are in a good state of preservation, the former being used as a village inn, while the latter, still filled with interesting mementoes connected with the life of president pierce, is now occupied by his nephew, mr. kirk pierce. these houses are not in the village proper but just outside, in a location known as hillsboro bridge, a romantic, wooded section on the main road, where in the early days the stage-coach passed on its way to concord, new hampshire, not so very far away. franklin pierce was born on november , , in the old homestead where his father, governor pierce, lived, and here he passed his early days. the old governor was a prominent character in the history of new hampshire, being one of the heroes of bunker hill, afterwards becoming governor of the state of new hampshire, a man revered and loved, not only by the military element of the state but by politicians as well. even when franklin pierce was a child, there existed a true companionship between the boy and his father. he was an attractive lad, with light curling hair that fell to his shoulders, blue eyes, and a winsome face. not particularly fond of study, he was the ringleader in all the pranks played in the neighborhood; yet he was beloved by all the townspeople, who were a bit suspicious of him, however, never knowing what tricks would be played on them through his love of fun and influence with the other boys. it was a pleasant sight during the long winter evenings to see this fair-haired boy sitting upon his father's knee, listening to stories of his army life. these filled the boy with a desire to enter the militia and win for himself glory on the battlefield. his early education was obtained in a little brick schoolhouse that is still standing at hillsboro centre, about a mile and a half distant from his home. here in his boyhood days he attended school with twenty other children. at one time during his school life here, a visitor who was talking to the children told them to have a high aim in life, for in that very room might be a future president of the united states,--a prophecy that rang true. later on pierce was sent to hancock to enter the academy. unused to discipline, he became very homesick and walked all the way home to see his family. it was on a sunday morning that he appeared in the yard and found that the household had gone to church. on their return, they found him sitting on a bench waiting for them. when asked the reason why he came home unannounced, he pleaded homesickness. his father was a stern disciplinarian and without a word had a horse harnessed into a chaise; franklin was driven into the midst of a dense wood and left to walk the rest of the way back to the academy. it was a dark day and a heavy thunder shower came up, so that he was drenched to his skin by the time he reached school. in speaking of it afterwards he said: "it was the turning-point of my life. i learned the lesson that my father wished to impress upon me." at the age of sixteen he entered bowdoin college and became one of the most popular students. not inclined to study, the first two years of his life were spent in partial idleness, until suddenly he awoke to the value of education and was graduated with honors. another turning-point in his life lay in the time when he first met nathaniel hawthorne. this meeting was in a stage-coach, in , when pierce was returning to college during his sophomore year. in the same coach also were jonathan cilley and alfred mason, both intimates then and in after years. it might be said that pierce's political campaign commenced at college, for here he held his first civic office as chairman of the athenean society, also being elected captain of a little company formed in the college. there are still treasured in the college library at brunswick, maine, two mementoes of his college life. the one is a silhouette found in a little red book containing the pictures of the members of the class, which was made before the art of photography was known. the second is a theme that was written in latin, one of his later works. he followed his father's career as politician, making his first stump speech in favor of the victor of new orleans and against john quincy adams. he entered congress at the age of twenty-nine and quickly rose to high political favor; he was elected to the senate in , being at that time its youngest member. during his term of office, he stood firm for his party against the opposing members, and yet so popular was he that when his hour of departure came, the senators crowded around him as though he were a personal friend, and no member of the senate ever retired with warmer friends. among his associates in congress were such men as calhoun, wentworth, and clay,--men who were helpful to him in his political life. he decided, however, that he had had enough of politics so he returned to his own state and took up his profession of attorney, devoting much of his time to caring for his invalid wife. his views, nevertheless, did not meet with the approbation of the people. soon the mexican war broke out, and he was forced to enter the fight, accepting the position of colonel of the ninth regiment. during all this time hawthorne and he remained intimates. across the road is a simple little farmhouse where pierce spent his early married life, and where hawthorne was a frequent guest. the life of hawthorne is connected with that of franklin pierce far more than is realized, unless one has delved deep into the unusual friendship of these two men. the one, standing at the front of the literary world, sad, morbid, and needing the helpful hand of a friend, was encouraged to work by the other, whom he loved. he shows his appreciation by his dedication of _our old home_ and _biographical sketches_. in the preface he tells of the love and appreciation of his work given to him by pierce, and the praise the latter considered his due. on the other hand stood franklin pierce, the lawyer, soldier, statesmen, friend, one who had battled with the world and whose term of office fell at a time when it was hardest to fill--when the slavery question was being weighed. these two men, strongly differing from each other in every trait, were peculiarly united by strong ties of mutual love and helpfulness. it was not to the hillsboro house alone that hawthorne came, but also to the colonial mansion where pierce spent his childhood days. there is still seen on the grounds an old tree where one can just decipher, cut on the bark, the names of hawthorne and franklin pierce. this old homestead in which franklin pierce's father lived, has on the drawing-room wall a wonderful old paper as fresh and bright as when placed there a century ago by the original owner. during the governor's lifetime, this mansion was on the direct route of the washington stage, which brought many a distinguished guest to enjoy the bounteous hospitality that was dispensed here. nearly all the leading men of new hampshire visited squire pierce's house, among them being judge woodbury, governor steele, and the mcneils. the grounds were not extensive, comprising a little more than an acre of land, but were for those days wonderfully laid out with walks, gardens, summer-house, and artificial pond, well stocked with trout. the garden was considered to be one of the show places of the time, and here from the summer-house the casual visitor fished for trout in the pond beneath. [illustration: plate liv.--the franklin pierce house, hillsboro, n. h.] the mansion, a colonial type, stands just back of the road. it was a pretentious house in the olden days, as revealed by the broad stairs and hand-carved balusters. the walls are lined with family portraits, representing three generations of this distinguished family. the great parlor at the left shows heavy cornices, massive hearthstones, and many historical relics. the wall-paper shows landscapes, tournaments, and festivals. in this house franklin pierce lived until he was married in to jane means, daughter of rev. dr. appleton. following this event, he purchased the farmhouse across the way, which remains in the family and which contains a wonderful collection of fine paintings, autograph letters, and historical relics. among the latter is a picture of william h. marcy, secretary of state under president pierce, who ordered the picture painted at a cost of one thousand dollars. near by is one of the best paintings of hawthorne extant, which was also painted at the same cost by order of the president. in addition to these paintings are many others of distinguished men, including one of pierce's father and many of himself. his wife's picture is not among the collection, but is owned by mrs. charles m. stark of dunbarton, new hampshire, who descended from the same ancestry. many mementoes connected with the life of franklin pierce are still treasured in the old house and include several swords, one of which was given by the ladies of hillsboro when pierce entered service in the mexican war. this, together with a letter that accompanied it, is shown to the visitor, as well as a second sword given him by the state of new hampshire at the close of the war. there can also be seen many interesting and historical canes. but the most important collection in the house is that of autograph letters representing correspondence with his old friend hawthorne, whose friendship was terminated only by death; of presidents jackson and polk, and many others of equal note. perhaps the most pathetic of this collection of letters, however, is a little one written in a childish hand by his son benjamin, who was killed in a railroad accident near andover. this letter is as follows: "andover, mass., "june , . "dear mother: "i am having a pleasant time at aunt mary's and i should like to stay until next week. to-day is a rainy day. i don't go out much but stay in the house and play with jamie. edward has just brought the news from boston that father is a candidate for the presidency. i hope he won't be elected, for i should not like to live in washington, and i know you would not either. i am very well and so are the rest of the family. little fanny is quite well again and as bright as a bird. little mary can walk if somebody takes hold of her hands. aunt rebecca sends love to you. i hope you are much better than when you went away. i want you to excuse my bad writing. i have an extra bad pen. it is full of everything but ink. give my love to father. i will now end this letter, so good-bye. "your affectionate son, "benjamin." he had his wish gratified, for on the threshold of the presidency his father's heart was broken by the untimely death of his son. among the many treasured letters of hawthorne's is one written from the old manse. "concord, dec. , . "dear pierce: "here is a letter from old sullivan, and as he wished a portion of it to be communicated to you, i think it best to send the whole. after reading it, please return it. you will be glad to see how confidently he writes respecting the success of his copper mines, but i shall hardly share his hopes at present. after knowing him for so many years and seeing him always on the verge of making a fortune and always disappointed, poor fellow, i am not sure that the fate he half anticipates would not be the best thing for him--to be shot or hung--but perhaps i am as usual too despondent as he is too sanguine. "we are all perfectly well and as happy as the times will permit anybody to be. "with kindest regard to mrs. pierce, "sincerely yours, "nathaniel hawthorne." there is another letter from hawthorne showing the close intimacy that existed between the two men. "i suppose your election to congress is absolutely certain. of course, however, there will be opposition and i wish you would send me papers laudatory and abusive of you. i shall read them with great interest, be what they may. it is a pity that i am not in a situation to use my pen in your behalf though you do not seem to need the assistance of newspaper scribblers. i do not feel very well and will close my letter here, especially as your many associations will not permit you to read a longer one. i shall be happy to hear from you as often as you find leisure and inclination to write. "i observe the paper styled you as hon. franklin pierce. have you already an official claim to that title? "your friend, "nathaniel hawthorne, alias hath." and again we find a letter written later. "dear general: "i deeply regret we are not to have our mountain excursion together, and especially grieved that the disappointment should be on account of mrs. pierce's ill health. as the greater part of my pleasure would have been your companionship i question whether i shall press the matter any farther, although i do not as yet decidedly give up the idea. "some spiteful abolitionist took trouble to send to me a compendium of abusive paragraphs from the newspapers in reference to you, and it seems to me that the best way of disappointing his malice was to lay them aside without reading one of them, which i accordingly did. "with best regard to mrs. pierce and most earnest wishes for a speedy recovery, "faithfully yours, "hath." in addition to the hawthorne letters are some written by jefferson davis, who was a close friend of president pierce, and who was appointed by the latter secretary of war during his administration. the friendship between jefferson davis and president pierce commenced during the time when pierce was a member of the senate. mr. davis thus writes concerning him to one of his personal friends. "mr. pierce, then a member of the senate, sustained every cardinal principle asserted by mr. calhoun, and there was not a member of the senate who more uniformly voted to sustain them. as an auditor i heard the debate, watched the votes, and then commenced the affectionate esteem and high appreciation of mr. pierce which grew and strengthened with every succeeding year of his life. the position he then assumed clearly indicated the views subsequently expressed in the extract you have incorporated in your article. "like many other practical statesmen, he was not disposed to disturb the 'missouri compromise,' but i have little doubt that at any period of his political career he would have said that it should have never been adopted. when he saw by the legislation of , with which he was no more connected than that of , the manifestation of a purpose to assert sound political principles and follow more closely the constitution as it was written, he could but rejoice in this triumph of the creed he had so bravely defended in - . "the situation made by you from his message of dec. , and especially the closing words of the extract, 'existing or incipient states,' proved undoubtedly that his understanding was that institutions were to be ordained and established not by the first adventurers into a wilderness, but by organized, self-governing communities, such as the people of states, either of the union or about to enter it. "i send back one of the two copies received of the granite monthly and on the magazine you will find pencil marks opposite the passages on which i have ventured freely to comment. "truly yours, "jefferson davis." nathaniel hawthorne and jefferson davis were two of his most intimate friends, men entirely different in standards, political ideas, and life. the friendship between hawthorne and pierce lasted until the death of the former, may , , pierce being with him much of the time during his last illness and was by his side when he passed away. hawthorne in his "life of pierce" tells us: "the administration of franklin pierce presents the only instance in our history of the continuance of a cabinet for four years without any change in personnel. when it will be remembered that there was much dissimilarity, if not incongruity, of character among the members of the cabinet, some idea may be formed of the power over men that was possessed by mr. pierce. chivalrous, generous, amiable, true to his friends and faith, frank and bold in the declaration of his opinions, he never deceived any one, and if treachery ever came near him, it would have stood abashed in the presence of his truth, his manliness, and his confiding simplicity." [illustration: plate lv.--library, franklin pierce house.] the old hillsboro house stands to-day unchanged. by its side is a small building formerly used by the ex-president as a library and it still contains a part of his books, many volumes of which have been transferred to the library of the main house. [illustration: plate lvi.--sword given by the state of new hampshire to president pierce; bowie knife used at barbecue given at hillsboro for pres. pierce and canes presented to him by notable personages; sword presented by ladies of concord, to president pierce.] this room is a perfect treasure trove, for on the walls hang pictures of historic value, many of them painted at the order of the late president. the most valuable collection of all, however, are the autograph letters, the most important of which are written by nathaniel hawthorne and jefferson davis, letters that form a connecting link between the history of the civil war and the life of men who made history. chapter xiv the savory house we turn to old houses as we turn to old books--for information--for inside old mansions is generally a wealth of furniture and china, the history of which has a never-dying charm to the collector and the lover of the antique. these houses are rapidly passing away, and it is only now and then that we come across one where furniture may be found that covers the periods between the chippendale and the empire. one of these old houses, in which there is an especially rich collection of antiques, is found at groveland, massachusetts, and is known as the savory house. let us step over its threshold, and wander through its rooms, studying the furniture and the periods which they represent. here we find many of the works of the great masters: the simple, dignified charm of chippendale gives way to the more elaborate and delicate pieces of hepplewhite and sheraton, leading us on to the adams period, and ending with the empire. examples of all these are seldom found under the same roof, and to the student of the antique, such a collection is far more instructive than pictured examples in books. much of this old furniture was brought from over the seas about , at a time when colonial homes were in vogue. others came with the earliest settlers. these pieces, however, are rare, for the ships of that day had but limited capacity, fitted to bring only the bare necessities to furnish a home. many of them were rare and unusual bits, and connected with them are stories of the past, which carry us back to the early struggles for existence in an untried land. [illustration: plate lvii.--the savory house, groveland, mass.] the peter parker, or savory house was built early in the eighteenth century. it is situated just back from the street, surrounded by well-laid-out grounds and has preserved intact all its original characteristics. the keynote in its construction is a dignified solidity. it represents an example of careful thought that gives to it an air of quiet elegance which is rarely seen, even in houses of this same type. it is to be numbered among the really few genuine old dwellings which date back to pre-revolutionary days,--a veritable old home, combining in construction unusual architectural features. the house differs much from the square houses of colonial time. it has a wing-like projection at one side and was designed with two front doors. this is a departure from the old-time custom of a central porch and is not without significance, for each door has its own special use. [illustration: plate lviii.--porch and gateway, savory house.] the main porch is in the central part of the house. it is a very handsome entrance, well proportioned, showing a fan light over the entrance door. it has for ornamentation a knocker of the ring type. the second door in the ell was the family entrance. this opened upon a hall which led to the living-room. on the opposite side of the house is a small ell, showing domed windows and a handsomely carved entrance. at the rear is the orchard, where can still be seen some of the fruit trees that were planted when the house was built. the old-fashioned garden, with its box-borders and its wealth of old-time flowers so popular in colonial days, lies at the right of the orchard. this estate was purchased by one moses parker, the great-grandfather of the present owner, in , for the consideration of one thousand pounds sterling. the house has sheltered since then five generations of that name. during its early life, it was the haunt of most of the prominent men of that time, for the owner was a chosen leader in all town affairs and was also considered one of the most prominent men of his day. there was a secret chamber in this house, shut off from the main part of the building. it is spoken of in the old records and letters that are still treasured in the family. this was reached from the outside only, through a secret door, all traces of which have long since disappeared. in this room were held the most important of the many masonic meetings of that day. the little group of men who formed this secret society, at the time of groveland's settlement, chose this meeting-place on account of the privacy of the chamber and the thickness of the walls enclosing it. there were curious neighbors even in those days, and secret meetings were a necessity. where could they better be held than in this secluded room, beyond the bounds of unwelcome intruders? [illustration: plate lix.--hallway, savory house; chamber, savory house.] the main hallway is reached from the family entrance,--the company door opening into the large room used in the olden times only on special occasions, such as a marriage, death, or ministerial calls. this hallway is unusual: it is panelled and painted white, showing at one side a quaintly designed staircase. the narrow stairs wind to the second-story floor by two turns, instead of one. at the foot of the stairs are two fine examples of the chippendale type. these are chairs which formed a part of the wedding furniture of the great-great-grandmother parker and were brought over from england by the emigrant ancestor. they are a rare type of chippendale, showing the splat, diamond pierced, and handsome carving. they were made about the middle of the eighteenth century, before chippendale began to lose favor or had any rivals in the field. on the first landing is a little light-stand, now so rarely seen, which was designed about , and still holds the guest candles which were used in colonial days to light the family to bed. [illustration: plate lx.--china closet, savory house; china closet, savory house, where china of three generations of brides is kept.] [illustration: plate lxi.--parlor, savory house; living room, savory house.] the old-time parlor opens out of the hallway. it is now in common use, being converted into the family sitting-room. on one side of the room is rare and choice woodwork with panel effect, broken in the center by a deep and wide fireplace, a dominating feature of this homelike room. the cheery glow of the great oak logs, as they burn on the seventeenth-century, steeple-topped andirons, fills the imagination with pictures of the people who lived here many years ago. the furniture could no doubt unfold many an interesting story: the dutch table in the center of the room, for instance, was a part of great-grandmother parker's wedding furniture; and the hepplewhite card-table, designed in , was a part of the first bride's furnishings. there are chippendale chairs, with carved rosettes, in low relief, vis-a-vis with a child's slat-back chair. the carpet, which has always been in this room, is one of the first ever laid in a groveland home. the well-lighted living-room shows many quaint windows with small paned glass and broad sills. these, during the winter time, are used as conservatories. large, built-in cupboards, with glass doors, are filled with the rarest sets of old-time china. a full set of old lowestoft, with the monogram of the bride, was imported from china, arriving just before the wedding. there is staffordshire ware of the choicest kind, and a wealth of english glass. not a piece has been broken since it was brought to the house, a century and a half ago. in this same room are many of the rarest bits of china to be found in all new england, while in the bookcases which line two sides of the room are many old books, some of which show the parker bookplate. between the living-room and the dining-room is the den, where, on the shelves of a built-in cupboard, are wonderful pieces of old pewter. these date back to the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, a period when this metal was in vogue for household use. many of the pieces bear the excise stamp, a cross and a crown, showing that they are of early make. the rarest pieces, however, show three distinct stamps. fortunately, even though pewter went out of fashion, and was consequently melted, the family was one of the few who appreciated its worth, so that not even one piece has ever been destroyed. rarely are found even in new england houses such a wealth of closets as are seen here. they have been carefully built to conform with the general breadth of construction and low stud that emphasize the interior finish of this house. in each one is a collection such as would make a connoisseur envious, for in handing down through the generations, there has been no division, a fact which gives the collections additional historic value. the most interesting room is the dining-room. here the furnishing has never been changed. the sideboard is of the empire period, and on it is shown wonderful old family silver, including some communion pieces of rare make. the chairs are of the windsor type, painted white, with the exception of one, an old pulpit chair. this was originally used by an ancestor of the family, who was a pastor of the groveland church. at the time of remodelling, it was removed and brought to the parker home. a very rare set of canton ware is on the closet shelves. it differs from the usual canton, and is said to be the only set of its kind to be found in america. the blue is much deeper and richer, and the pattern is unusual. this set was brought over as a wedding gift in one of the old newburyport ships, during the height of commercial prosperity. there is a peculiar charm and mystery to a house like this, which endears itself even to a stranger who steps over its threshold for the first time. it is a revelation of colonial furnishing which is most interesting. the sturdy old house is both simple and dignified. it typifies in the best manner the construction of the early days; the staunchness of its build is evinced in its frame and walls, which are as sound as when first laid. to-day none of the rooms are unused. the partition in the secret chamber has been torn down, so that it now connects with the other rooms. an unusual feature of the house is its many windows, which give it abundant light and sunshine. cheeriness lies in its open fireplaces, one of which is found in every room of the house. there is no elaboration in wood-carving, this being perfectly plain, though varying in shape and design. the chambers are also furnished with ancestral furniture, and in a room facing the south is a fine example of an old sleigh-bed, finished in mahogany veneer. the chairs are of sheraton make, while the little low table was designed about the middle of the seventeenth century. in every chamber in the house four-posters are still seen, some of which are field beds, while others have testers. each room is kept as near as possible as it was when first occupied by the parker family. in the attic under the eaves is a veritable treasure house. innumerable hair trunks, studded with brass-headed nails, are filled with beautiful silken damask gowns, camel's-hair shawls, and rare laces, which were once worn by the brides. in one of them lies lady catherine, a most wonderful doll, dressed in the fashion of colonial days. her gown of fine white mull is yellowed by age, and, as you take her out, she holds in her hand a letter which tells her name and age. it is over a century ago since she came into existence, but she has been so carefully preserved that she is in perfect condition. the exact date of the erection of this house is not definitely known. it ante-dated the revolutionary war, and at the time of its purchase by mr. parker, in , it was considered by the residents of the town as an old mansion. in build, it resembles the seventeenth century houses, while in design it is unique and, save for its colonial porches and fences, might have belonged to an earlier period. it stands to-day a landmark of the old town, and the touch of time has not marred it with the air of age. chapter xv the stark mansion there is no more fascinating study, both for historian and architect, than that of colonial houses: homes that represent an epoch-making period in our country's history. they are the dividing line between the early days and the period when we ceased to be colonists, the time when we secured a firm footing in the land we have made our country. [illustration: plate lxii.--the stark mansion, dunbarton, n. h.] one of these old houses stands not many miles from concord, new hampshire. this is the stark mansion at dunbarton, a colonial house which is of especial interest for the reason that under its roof are gathered the relics of five famous families: the starks, mcneils, wentworths, morrises, and pierces. this house is one of the few old landmarks which still remain in the possession of the descendants original patentees. more than almost any other house which has historic connections, this one has been made famous in american history through two of its owners,--general john stark and his son, major caleb stark. one leaves the little railroad station at east weir, new hampshire and drives along country roads to visit the historic place, which is situated about a mile from the heart of the country village. the grant itself comprises over one hundred acres, in the midst of a fertile country, and includes woodland and meadow, orchards and gardens, the latter in the immediate vicinity of the house. the home lot is in the very center of the estate, and here the old-time details have been most carefully preserved. the grounds are entered through a wide road, lined on either side by stately trees, whose branches, meeting overhead, form a shaded driveway. just before the boundary line is reached, one sees at the right-hand side of the road a small wooden structure. this is the little old schoolhouse, where in the days long gone by the neighbors received their early education. as a memento of those early days, it is still kept carefully preserved, but unoccupied. [illustration: plate lxiii.--old mill, stark homestead.] the fine country drive stretches on ahead, winding in and out under the leafy archway. at a sharp turn of the road, is seen at the left, ensconced among the trees, a picturesque old mill. this was erected in for the grinding of grain, being the fulfillment of one condition of the grant. here the farmers from far and near brought their loads of corn to be ground, and it ran uninterruptedly until , when its voice was stilled. the stream which once ran merrily over the rocks, turning the great wheel, is now silent, while the mill is fast falling into decay. nature has done much to make this one of the most picturesque parts of the estate. keeping to the left, a sweep of the road takes us to the old cemetery, laid out, as was the custom of the early days, on every large estate. it is surrounded by an iron fence and is fringed with trees, among which is a staunch willow which was brought as a slip from the grave of napoleon i. it was fittingly planted here, and taking kindly to its new home, lends additional interest to the historic estate. inside the cemetery all of the stark family lie buried, with the exception of the emigrant ancestor, archibald stark. passing through the gates and up a flight of stone steps, a second enclosure is reached. here lies caleb stark, so famous in american history, and over his grave a monument is erected to his memory. leaving the cemetery and following the wide stretch of road which winds in and out, with stone walls on either side, we drive through the heart of a woodland in the direction of the house. the road was bounded by monarchs of the forest,--tall, lofty trees, many of which bear the mark of the broad arrow and were known as "king's trees," being marked in this manner in the early days, when they were set apart for use in the royal shipyard. fortunately the king was cut down by one greater than an earthly forester, and they still stand to-day in all their glory,--monuments of the past and ornaments of the present. in and out winds the wide avenue, between the drooping branches of these fine old trees, until it reaches the colonial mansion, which is a full half mile from the wooded entrance. the house is hidden from view, until the home plot is reached, by the dense foliage. it stands in the center of a large, open space showing fine lawns and old-fashioned gardens, bordered by more venerable trees, some of which are worth more than passing notice. for instance, a certain black walnut, which major stark transplanted from ohio to its new home, took root here and is now grown to be one of the finest trees on the estate. another, a beautiful elm, was set out by miss charlotte stark, the last owner of the grant. ancient button woods, veterans scarred and faithful, still stand as sentinels to guard the house, while mulberry trees shade the opposite side of the road. at the rear of the house is the garden, bright with old-fashioned flowers and fragrant with the odor of the blossoms our grandmothers loved. across the street are the barns. here is stored many an interesting relic, including a saddle with silver mountings that was used by president franklin pierce during his term of service in the mexican war. in the corner is the queer, old-fashioned, two-wheeled chaise used by madam stark for their annual drive to portsmouth. in the house is still preserved the old-fashioned green calash which was worn by miss harriet stark on this all-important trip. the house was erected in by major caleb stark and is known as the mansion house. it was modelled after the manor houses of england, combining stately grandeur and picturesque repose. it is built of wood, two stories and a half in height, showing dormer windows, a gambrel roof, and a large, two-storied ell. everywhere an old-time atmosphere prevails--from the time one enters the grounds until the front door is reached. this entrance door is a curious one, being three inches thick and bearing a handsome brass lock and knocker which were brought over from england by major stark. over the door is a row of old bull's-eyes, specimens of early american glass, green in coloring and rough inside where they were taken from the molding bar. [illustration: plate lxiv.--hallway, stark mansion; parlor, stark mansion.] the door swings open on large, wrought-iron strap hinges, which extend two feet each way, and one enters the long hallway. this apartment divides the house into two parts and ends in a duplicate door at the rear, which opens upon the old-fashioned garden. during the summer-time this door is left open, and here, in the cool recess of the hall, accompanied by the droning of bees and the sweet scents from the posy beds in the garden below, it is a favorite custom to serve tea in the long, warm, summer afternoons. flowers, books, old-fashioned furniture, and pictures of the choicest are everywhere. a fine portrait of general john stark, painted in by samuel f. b. morse, the inventor of the telegraph, is hung on the wall at the right. facing the door another beautiful portrait is seen. this is of miss charlotte stark and was done by jane stuart, the daughter of gilbert stuart. a third picture, which is a fitting companion for the others, is a portrait of the great american statesman, daniel webster, done by lawson. curious old prints, priceless in value, have their appropriate places on the wall, and beside them are queer old miniatures. hepplewhite tables and chairs are artistically arranged to form the furnishing of this old hall, while the crowning piece of furniture is the old roll-top desk, which has drawers underneath. this, as did many of the other ornaments and furnishings found in this old homestead, belonged originally to robert morris, the financier of the revolution. the hall opens at the right into an old-fashioned parlor, where hangs a portrait of the mother of president pierce. on the table is a baskerville bible, in two volumes, illustrated by valuable prints by old masters and also once owned by the "great financier." a set of dresden china, originally in the possession of the first french minister to america, and presented by him on his return to france to mr. morris, is kept here. a large mirror, once the property of robert morris, fine old paintings, including those of governor and mrs. pierce, and of lieutenant john and mrs. mcneil, painted over a century ago, a brace of flint-lock pistols carried by general stark at the battle of bennington, a magnificent, gold-headed cane with the inscription "robert morris, from his friend, john hancock" are among the relics shown in the interesting room. opening out from the parlor is the den of mr. charles morris stark, the present owner, who is of the sixth generation, his maternal grandfather being robert morris. this room is also an interesting apartment, exemplifying his life as a sportsman. opposite the parlor is the library, which is fitted with bookcases filled with queer and valuable old books, while cosy seats are placed in the windows. the hearth of stone, as originally made, is still shown in the fireplace. in this room is placed a cane given to major stark for valiant conduct in the defense of fort william, and another, made from the bone of a whale and headed with ivory, is also kept here. statuettes in bronze of napoleon bonaparte, brought from france and presented to major stark by lafayette, as well as general mcneil's mahogany desk, are other mementoes of the past. everywhere historic bits are displayed. especially noteworthy are a fine old mezzotint of the duke of wellington, and one of the morris mirrors. [illustration: plate lxv.--dining room, stark mansion.] the bright and sunny dining-room, which leads off the library, ends with a wide fireplace, over which are hung portraits, painted from life, of daniel webster and jackson. the house is filled with the most beautiful pieces of old colonial furniture, a rare old sideboard and grandfather's clock, which were the property of governor pierce, being found in the dining-room. both of these stood originally in the governor's house at hillsboro, new hampshire. opposite the sideboard is a wonderful old wine cooler which belonged to robert morris, while above it hangs a speaking likeness of the man himself, painted by gilbert stuart. this is indeed a rare and beautiful treasure, as is the framed letter below it, which is addressed to mrs. morris, bearing the date , and signed by both george and martha washington. rare old china, a full set of tokio, together with cut glass presented to governor pierce when he was the chief magistrate of new hampshire, are among the treasures in this room. throughout this old house there is not a piece of furniture or a bit of china that is not rich in historic associations. every room has its large old fireplace, fitted with old brass and iron fenders and accessories, each of unusual shape. the hearths are filled with birch logs and pine cones. ascending the odd old staircase at the end of the entrance hall, which winds by low treads to the second-story floor, one finds, lining the walls, wonderful old ancestral portraits, not only of inestimable value, but of great public interest. there are several chambers in this upper story, one of which is of special note, since general lafayette slept here during his visit to major stark in . all the furniture in this room, including the high four-poster, is the same that furnished the room when visited by the distinguished guest. it has been left unchanged, and is held to-day in great reverence by the survivors of the stark family. the house has always been in the family since its erection and was occupied by charlotte stark previous to its coming into the possession of the present owners. miss charlotte was one of major stark's favorite daughters. this house, more than most colonial houses, is of abounding interest. everywhere within its four walls are treasures which could not be found elsewhere. it was the home of the brave indian fighter, john stark, the friend of washington, and later on of major caleb stark, the friend of lafayette, who retired at the close of the revolution, at the age of twenty-four. few, if any colonial mansions are filled with such veritable treasures,--and there are still fewer houses where from five distinguished families have been gathered relics of such extraordinary interest, as in this home of long ago. chapter xvi the saltonstall house one of the most distinguished of haverhill families was and is the saltonstall family, who are first mentioned in the history of that town through nathaniel, who was born at ipswich and who came to haverhill and married elizabeth, the daughter of john ward, december , ; from this union are descended all the people of that name in america. saltonstall is spoken of by sewall in his diary, where he tells of "son saltonstall comforting me on account of his father-in-law's health;" and whittier, in a supposed journey of his heroine, tells of a visit to this man who later on lived in a fine house. saltonstall was in command of the militia in newbury and many adjoining towns and is mentioned as among the most popular and well principled military men. he was judge of the inferior court of pleas for essex until his death. samuel sewall, who gossiped about everybody, gives us a little glimpse of this noted man, who was appointed one of the judges for the trial of witches, but who would not sit upon the case, being very much dissatisfied with the proceedings. his grandson richard became a judge of the superior court in , and it is of him that the celebrated samuel moody speaks. "lynde, dudley, remington and saltonstall with sewall meeting at the judgment hall, making a learned, wise and faithful set of godlike judges by god's counsel met." judge saltonstall had three sons: colonel richard, who lived at buttonwood, a loyalist and refugee; leverett, who died in the british army, and doctor nathaniel, who was descended through his mother from the patriotic cooke family in boston. it was he who built the house which is now situated on the border of lake saltonstall in haverhill, massachusetts. [illustration: plate lxvi.--the saltonstall house, haverhill, mass.] this mansion is one of the historic houses in massachusetts. it is a large, square dwelling, painted yellow with green blinds, showing at the front a porch ornamented with dentation. the house has never been out of the possession of the saltonstall family. he was a descendant of sir richard, who came to america with winthrop in the _arabella_ and helped to form the settlement at watertown, bringing with him cattle and servants, showing thereby that he was a man of property. nathaniel saltonstall, who built this house, was sent to harvard after his father's death and was graduated in . he devoted himself to the study of medicine during the early revolutionary movements of the stamp act riot and the tea party. returning to haverhill against the wishes of his family, he began the practice of medicine in his native town. later, he enlisted as a volunteer in an artillery company, being the only one of the family who espoused the colonists' cause, but more interested in establishing a comfortable practice than in war, he soon resigned and continued his profession. in he married the daughter of samuel white. his father-in-law presented him with a lot of land on merrimack street, and here he built his residence, at a cost of three thousand dollars, which in that time gave him the handsomest house in the vicinity. this land abutted on the river, and was one hundred and fifty feet deep, laid out in terraced grassland and garden. on july , , a contract was made between doctor saltonstall and marsh and carleton, joiners, to build the house, to be completed on or before the first of july of the following year. in the day book of the young physician, opened in , we note that many of his patients worked out their indebtedness on the house. one enoch page gave work for nine days, and also helped out upon the doctor's flax. david bryant brought him five thousand bricks, and among the many others who paid in product was joseph whittier, the grandfather of the quaker poet, who brought a jug of hay, six pounds of butter, and one and a half bushels of oats, "in full payment of my bill, one pound, five shillings, and eleven pence." we also find an entry in the same note-book that in he received for services rendered in the town proper a shilling. if he had to cross the river to bradford, in , it cost thirty-three cents, and in the charge was raised to fifty cents. the house was wonderfully furnished with fine old furniture, china, and glass, much of which has descended in the family, and is owned to-day by the present mistress, mrs. gurdon saltonstall howe. in , doctor saltonstall's daughter married one john varnum, who was the leading lawyer of the town, and was given as her marriage portion a handsome outfit, a highly respectable sum of money, and one warming-pan, one silver teapot, one sugar pitcher, one cream pitcher, one jug, twelve silver spoons, and one brass kettle. many of these articles are still to be seen in the old home. sally saltonstall married her neighbor, isaac r. howe, who was said to be descended from the old-fashioned stock, with "beauty of conduct" which was, alas, even then a little old-fashioned. as years went by, haverhill became more thickly settled, and the estate grew so valuable that it was necessary to move the house. this was no easy matter in those days, and in order that it might be more conveniently accomplished, the structure was sawed in two, the separate parts being carefully boxed in and moved by oxen. the timbers, which were brought from england, were so strong that although moved for several miles, not a single part of the frame was started. as the oxen toiled up the long hill near the pentucket club, they became stalled, and more oxen had to be brought before the building could be finally landed in its present position. [illustration: plate lxvii.--two views of the hallway, saltonstall house.] it stands back from the road, facing lake saltonstall, in the midst of green fields, over which are scattered beautiful trees and flower gardens. entrance is at the front through a colonial porch, supported by dignified columns and showing dentation, which is repeated in the roof-line of the house. the entrance door, with its ponderous brass knocker, swings back on its long strap hinges, and reveals a wide hallway which extends entirely through the house to a second door, which leads to a garden beyond. this door shows plainly the mark of the saw where it was cut apart at the time of moving, and the scars of the joining are shown with great pride by the present owners as evidence of this achievement. at the right of the entrance is the staircase, showing the spiral newel post and carved balusters of the early period. the wainscoting is a feature of this central hall, as is the arch midway between the two entrance doors. a grandfather's clock ticks off the time, and beyond is a wonderful old dresser with a rare collection of pewter, showing many pieces that cannot be duplicated in this country. there is enough of this metal collected to set an entire dinner table, reminding us of the days when it was used extensively in this country, before the introduction of china and glass. opening out of this room at the right is the den, where a wonderful franklin stove is used for heating. all around the room are pieces of furniture which are not only historic but have much intrinsic value. opposite is the drawing-room, with its let-in window-seats and narrow, panelled, wooden shutters, locked at night and serving, if need be, instead of curtains. many of the chairs found in this room were covered with wonderful specimens of handiwork done by the wife of elisha cooke, one of doctor saltonstall's ancestors, while much of the furniture came over, as did the timbers, from the mother country, for the first occupant of the house. [illustration: plate lxviii.--two views of the dining room, saltonstall house.] the dining-room is, perhaps, one of the most attractive rooms in the house. it is well lighted by small-paned windows and contains hepplewhite chairs and side-table. at one side stands a sideboard which was originally in the possession of governor john leverett, who was governor of massachusetts bay colony at the time of king philip's war and who was a friend of cromwell's, and created baronet and knight by charles ii in . governor leverett was an ancestor of the present owner. on this sideboard are many pieces of old family silver, including a tankard which was also owned by the governor. the fireplace is a true colonial one, showing blue and white tiles two deep, each illustrative of a bible story. the upper hall has undergone a change since it was built through the introduction of low, built-in bookcases. here the furniture includes chippendale chairs of a design that was very popular all through this period, being of beautiful proportions and showing fine workmanship. [illustration: plate lxix.--chambers in the saltonstall house.] chambers open off the hallway, each of which contains a great deal of rare furniture. there are the field beds with their drapings of white, some showing testers of . modern wall-paper and frieze, as well as the draperies, have been introduced within the last few years, but are in harmony with the old-fashioned furniture, many pieces of which were inherited from the maternal side of the family, being the property, originally, of middleton cooke and also of mary cooke, third daughter of judge saltonstall and great-granddaughter of governor leverett. the cookes were a noted family and eminent politicians. elisha cooke, before mentioned, was an assistant under the old government, holding for forty years many positions of public trust; he was also a noted orator and politician, a member of the general court and of the council, and a leader of the public party. the saltonstalls also were a distinguished family, dudley being in command of the continental navy and captain of the _alfred_ in hopkin's fleet in february, , while gurdon saltonstall, a governor of connecticut from until his death, was distinguished as an orator and statesman, and bequeathed to harvard university one thousand pounds to students studying for the ministry. singularly enough, since the first class graduated from harvard, there has always been a saltonstall connected with the college. this covers a period of over two hundred and fifty years, and during this time not one of these men has ever done anything to disgrace his alma mater. pieces of furniture associated with all three of these distinguished families are to be found in this house, many of them belonging to the old governor and handed down in direct line to the present owner. perhaps the most interesting piece of all is an old desk which was once owned by daniel webster, who at one time was a law partner of the late mr. gurdon howe's grandfather. it is filled with valuable papers, almost all bearing upon different business transactions in the great statesman's life. this was brought from boston at the time that mr. howe removed his law office from that city. one of these documents, a note characteristic of daniel webster, is still treasured. "united states senate, june d, ... "dear sir: "i arrived here last evening and found all well. one of the latter trials, as it happened, comes on this very day, or is expected to. this may delay me,--otherwise i expect to be at home on saturday. a note enclosed, as this falls due the th. please do the needful. "d. webster." the house has stood practically unchanged since the day of building, some slight changes having been made, but not enough to mar the colonial architecture. it is large and square, three stories in height, of simple, dignified proportions, and showing colonial details. the windows are the small-paned ones that were used in the long ago, with the exception of one of stained glass, which has been introduced over the entrance porch. the house is one which reflects the period,--a notable mansion filled with interesting colonial relics which formerly were owned by some of the most prominent men in our country. chapter xvii the dalton house because of the distinctive place that houses of the middle period hold in the present architectural world, architects from all over the country are now looking for specimens of these dwellings to which they may turn for copy. the master builders of that time knew well their art, and their work is characteristic of us as a nation. houses of that period, while comparatively similar in type to those of the old world, yet show enough variation to make them interesting, and stand in favorable comparison. there is the large, square house, three stories in height, which came into vogue early in the nineteenth century. then there is the double-decked house with its roof ornamentations, and the plain house of the purest colonial type, an illustration of the latter being the dalton house at newburyport, massachusetts. this house stands on the principal street in newburyport, a seaport city, where in the days of commercial prosperity ships lined the wharves, as they came and went in their traffic with foreign lands. those were the days when merchants made and lost fortunes, the days of golden prosperity and of flashes of romance. to these days we turn as a most interesting period of our country's architectural history. in fancy we see the newburyport of that day, situated on the banks of the merrimac river, a breezy old town propped up on a granite base. its principal street, three miles in length, overlooked the quays, where in the olden days vessels arrived from russia or antwerp or perhaps from the west indies, laden with rich furs, strange wooden shoes, guava jellies, wonderful old shawls, and many other exports that were piled high on the now silent wharves. [illustration: plate lxx.--the dalton house, newburyport, mass.] on this the principal street stands the dalton house, two and a half stories in height, with gambrel roof and a wide, inviting porch--a mansion that suggests the days when money was piled high in the coffers and when the prosperous men flaunted their wealth, spending it freely, not only in frequent entertainments but in equipages that were the envy of the less fortunate townsmen. there were no more beautiful or expensive carriages than those owned by tristram dalton, who succeeded his father, michael dalton, in the ownership of the house. when the mansion was first built, there was a spacious estate in keeping with the house instead of the limited grounds that we see to-day. at the rear, just back of the courtyard, were large, well-built stables, in which were sheltered fine horses. beyond, were gardens and grass lands, for, when the estate was first planned, it consisted of three acres of land bounded westerly on greenleafs lane, southerly on nathan hale's land, easterly on newman's land, and northeast or northerly on the land of james pierson. michael dalton, who built the house in , was a great-grandson of philemon dalton, who came to new england in . michael was very ambitious, and when quite young he left his father's home to engage in a seafaring life. he made many successful voyages and augmented his wealth to such a degree that he added greatly to the family possessions. later on he became a prominent merchant, and married in one mary little. his means continuing to increase, he became interested in agricultural pursuits and bought a country estate at pipestave hill at west newbury. just before his death, he deeded his house to his son tristram dalton, who became a prominent figure in american history. tristram dalton was graduated from harvard in . there is still seen in the house a portrait supposed to have been painted at about that time. one of his closest intimates was a classmate, john adams, their friendship ending only with death. young dalton began studying law in salem but afterwards entered business with his father; in he married ruth hooper, the daughter of robert hooper, a rich merchant of marblehead, familiarly known as "king" hooper on account of his great wealth. until within the last few years there was a pane of glass in one of the windows, on which was written with a diamond the name of ruth hooper dalton. it is still preserved and from letters kept is shown to be a perfect facsimile of her handwriting. during his life, he became devoted to public interests and was a very prominent citizen of the town, the state, and nation. he served on numerous town committees, was a delegate to the provincial congress, a representative of the general court, a speaker of the house, a member of the state senate and a delegate to the constitutional convention of , being a zealous advocate of the adoption of the constitution. he was ever active and energetic in his many efforts to reconcile political differences. so successful was his political life that after a long and sharply contested battle he was elected senator from - . he came of irish descent and was considered one of the most learned, wealthy, and influential persons in the country. he was a near and confidential friend of president washington, who induced him to remove his household goods to the city of washington, foreseeing that it would eventually become one of the grandest cities in the country. there is a portrait of dalton painted by blackburn, that is still kept in the house, which shows him tall and well-formed, with fine, clear complexion and smooth, open brow. his dress was after the fashion of the time, with short clothes and knee breeches, coat with standing collar and broad deep lapels faced with silk, white satin waistcoat, ruffled shirt bosom, and deep lace cuffs. that he was fond of dress is shown from the picture, his hair was puffed on either side, giving him an appearance of dignity and age, and making it difficult to believe that the portrait is of one so young. he was a fine specimen of a gentleman of the old school and was well fitted to take a leading part in the best new england societies. the distinguishing traits of his personality continued all through his life, for even as late as we read of him as erect, firm, and showing a fine presence. he was a man of emotions rather than of ideas, the warmth and sincerity of his feelings lifting him above all personal considerations and giving him that elevation and nobility of character that appeals so strongly to one's affections. at that period the dalton house was noted for its hospitality, and many men of national and world-wide fame, whose portraits hang upon the walls to-day, were entertained therein. stately hospitality continually opened the door of this dwelling, to which had been brought from the treasure-laden ships embroidered shawls, sheer muslins, and bright silks for the ladies, as well as rich furniture for the house. during the daltons' life here, their house was a perfect treasure-house of wonderfully fine old furniture, now generally scattered among the descendants; but there are still kept in the mansion some wonderfully fine specimens of hepplewhite chairs, originally owned by the daltons. they were lavish entertainers, these daltons, and it was here that washington came during a visit to newburyport. he later writes that he partook of an early breakfast at the home of his friend, honorable tristram dalton, on state street. while he was being entertained at this meal, an imperative voice was heard in the hallway demanding entrance to the dining-room. washington recognized the voice of his old servitor, toffee, and requested that he be admitted. the most cordial greeting took place between the two, and the old commander gave to toffee a silver piece which the servant wore about his neck all the rest of his life. it must have been an early breakfast, for washington left town at eight o'clock in the morning, crossing the river at salisbury, two miles above. this was no uncommon deviation for the president, as we find that while visiting new england he was often entertained at the houses of private citizens and personal friends. in addition to george washington, president monroe, talleyrand, jefferson in , lafayette in , john quincy adams, and john hancock were also among the personages of note who accepted the hospitality of this house. on september , , colonel benedict arnold, at the head of his troops, left cambridge, dining at mr. tristram dalton's on the monday following, before sailing from newburyport to aid in the capture of quebec. the fleet consisted of eleven sailing vessels, which carried eleven hundred men. in those days lavish wealth blazed in the town, and the owner of the dalton house made the people sigh as he drove into town or to his country-seat at pipestave hill in his white satin lined coach drawn by six prancing white horses, with four outriders in white livery. inside were such guests as talleyrand, george peabody, and even that eccentric personage, lord timothy dexter, who had the ambition to figure in genteel society and cultivated as much as possible the society of dalton. his coaches and open phaetons drawn by two or three spans of horses with the liveried outriders, after the style of the nobility of europe, were more magnificent than were those of any other citizen of the town. his sideboards were weighted with silver, and his chests filled with money, for the incoming ships brought back great bags of gold realized by the sale of cargoes in foreign lands, and large amounts of money were kept in the house by the merchant princes of that day. in addition to his large house in newburyport, and his country-seat at pipestave hill, mr. dalton had his fishing station, with boats and outfits, on the banks of the merrimac, while his hunting-lodge was in the upper woods of west newbury. all his surroundings were of a princely nature, befitting the fortune that he owned. many were the weddings that took place here, among them being that of mary, the eldest daughter of tristram dalton, who, upon her marriage to honorable leonard white of haverhill, "drove out" in the large white satin coach drawn by six prancing white horses with four white-liveried outriders. later on, her sister ruth married louis deblois, a prominent boston merchant, leaving her home in the same coach. the house itself is one of the best preserved buildings of that day. it has never deteriorated, always being occupied by people of wealth. with the growth of building in the town, the estate has become reduced, until there is now very little of the original tract left. the courtyard has disappeared, as have the expensive stables, for with the dwindling of wealth the need of them has vanished. the house, which was built in , is of gambrel-roof type and a fine example of that period. the blinds are the same ones that were hung at the time when michael dalton built the house. its façade, the lines of which are dignified, seems beaming with welcome. [illustration: plate lxxi.--porch, dalton house.] entrance to the house is through a colonial porch of ample dimensions, showing dentation, which is supported by corinthian columns; the hall is lighted by a fanlight and sidelights on either side the wide, hospitable door. the exterior is painted white, as it always has been. a feature of the house is the wide clapboards. the original small-paned windows have been kept, so that the exterior remains practically unchanged. who the carver was is unknown. it must be remembered that in those days ship carvers were employed to work upon the ornamentation of the ships, so that it was probably some one employed by the daltons on their vessels who designed and carried out the carving of the woodwork, both on the exterior and in the interior. [illustration: plate lxxii.--lower hall, dalton house; upper hall, dalton house.] the entrance door gives into a large hall with wonderfully fine panellings on either side. each of the three balusters has a different design. the stairs are box stairs leading by low treads to a wide landing, where a colonial window admits a flood of light to the hall. a second low flight of stairs leads to the second story, where the hall corresponds with the lower one. it is here the hepplewhite chairs are found and also a wonderful picture of the late tristram dalton, painted later in life than the one already mentioned. the woodwork in this house is considered the finest to be found in any house in newburyport. the hall is finished in panel effects, but the door-casings and the fireplaces in many instances show rich hand-carving. the house contains twenty-five rooms, sixty cupboards, and ample halls, and yet even then was scarcely large enough to accommodate the dalton family, their many guests, and their servants. many of the latter were slaves, who in those days were kept in the household. one of them was buried on burying hill in newburyport, and on a stone placed at the head of his grave is carved "faithful pompey." [illustration: plate lxxiii.--fireplaces, dalton house.] the living-room, or drawing-room as it was called in those days, is a large, square room that is at the left of the hallway. in this room are shown the pictures of many of the distinguished guests who in former years were visitors at the house and intimate friends of the owner. the fireplace is a large one, the woodwork hand-carved, and in the large panels above has been inserted the dalton coat of arms. the windows are recessed, showing window-seats; each one has the hinged shutter such as was used in the early days for security, being closed and barred every night. these are still used in this same way in this mansion to-day. a feature of this room is the fine wood-carving shown in the casing of the door. at one side, hanging on the wall, is a scrap of the old wall-paper that once adorned the wall. it is of seventeenth-century pattern, with garlands, and is finished in light colors and pink groundwork, a delicate and most unusual wall-paper. this is the only room in the house, so far as is known, which was covered with the old-time wall-paper. at the right are double parlors which may have been used for dining-room, or living-room and dining-room, combined. here are also found wonderful panellings, but very little of the elaborate hand-carving. all of the wood in this house, as in most of the houses of the same period, is of white pine, for this wood is considered one of the best wearing kinds that has ever grown. the timbers are of solid oak and are as staunch as they were in the days when the house was built. in these rooms have been entertained the dignitaries of the land, while in the parlor were celebrated the marriages of the daughters of the household. the mansion has an atmosphere of attraction and spaciousness rarely found in houses of this description. it is shown in the abundance of light and in the arrangement of the rooms, which have been planned for elaborate entertaining. at the rear of the house are the servants' quarters. the large, old-fashioned fireplace, where in former days the cooking for the dalton family was done, is now a thing of the past, modern appliances having replaced the spit and the large brick oven. the ell of the house, a part of which was removed, was originally nearly as large as the main portion. it was once used exclusively for servants' quarters, and even then was barely large enough for the enormous retinue that was needed to run the dalton household. up-stairs the rooms correspond to the large ones downstairs, with the exception that on the right-hand side a partition divides what was formerly a large room into two smaller ones. these rooms still show the same fine panelling, the old-time brass locks and hardware that were features of the house at the time of its building. they have never been replaced by modern fixtures. the third story was used for guests' rooms, the slope of the roof being eliminated by boarding the gambrel roof so as to make square chambers. the old chimneys, six feet square, have been taken down, and small ones have replaced them. the railing of this house, which was originally a two decker, has been removed and while not materially changing its appearance, still gives it a little different look. an iron fence has been substituted for the old paling fence which once enclosed the grounds, while new posts have replaced the old ones. the courtyard is grassed over, also the space between house and fence, and a wide, paved stone walk leads to the entrance porch. in this house was sold, together with dalton's other residences, after he had been defeated for re-election, a serious disappointment, although his letters written at the time do not show any signs of anger or ill-nature. the pipestave hill great farm residence was sold for thirty-seven hundred pounds, while his land on state street brought a much lower sum. the house was practically cleared of all the dalton furniture, the household goods being carefully packed and shipped on a sailing vessel bound to georgetown, district of columbia. during the voyage the vessel was wrecked, and a part of his household belongings were thus lost. since then the house has passed into various hands. fortunately the different owners venerated the old homestead and it has been carefully preserved, so that notwithstanding its many years of life, it is practically in perfect condition. chapter xviii the kittredge house among the most prominent delegates to the convention that was summoned by the legislature to meet in boston, in , to take under consideration the perfecting of the national constitution, we find heading the list one doctor thomas kittredge of north andover, a prominent gentleman and one whose loyalty has never been questioned. north andover lies to the north of the town of that name and was originally known as the north parish. it was divided from the original town in . previous to that it had been reserved for inland plantations, all persons who settled there having three years' immunity from taxation. during that period farms were cultivated, dwellings erected, and the church built, where doctrines most severe were meted out, those neglecting to attend meeting for three months being publicly whipped. the houses erected in this village, with the exception of a very few, were not distinguished for architectural beauty or for fine or costly furniture. of the better class only a few remain. prominent among these is the kittredge mansion, which is typical of the highest development of colonial architecture in the early part of the eighteenth century. the owner was not only one of the ablest surgeons of the revolutionary army, but a public-spirited citizen, a capable officer, and the ancestor of a line of surgeons and physicians who have done most important things in the community. [illustration: plate lxxiv.--the kittredge house, andover, mass.] the fine old house at andover is closely associated with the history of the family in this country. it is a large, square mansion, three stories in height, crowning the crest of a hill. it is situated far back from the main road, a terraced lawn reaching down to a colonial fence that surrounds the entire estate. entrance is through a picket gate that swings between dignified colonial posts and which gives into a path leading by terraces straight to the house, at the rear of which the grounds extend for many acres. on them are large barns, which provide ample space for cattle. the house has sheltered many generations of the same family. it was built in by the doctor, who was one of the third generation in america, a son of doctor john kittredge, who came to north andover from tewksbury about . at the time of his settlement, this doctor john kittredge purchased large tracts of land, covering the entire site of the present village, and lived in an old farmhouse which has only recently been torn down. doctor thomas kittredge was one of three sons. he secured a portion of the holding from his father about , and on it he erected what was considered to be the second finest house that had been built in that section of the country. it was so dignified and impressive that it was surpassed only by the residence of joshua phillips, whose mansion was situated in the so-called south parish of the town. in its construction skilled labor was employed, as was shown by the fine hand-carving around the fireplaces in many of the important rooms of the house. the site occupied originally many acres, including what was once known as the old training field. it was here, in the early period of our history and before the estate was used for private grounds, that the early militia were wont to gather on muster day, dressed in the picturesque old-time uniform. here they performed wonderful feats of skill that were viewed by the country folk for many miles around. on these same grounds was the first kittredge mansion, and not far away were the slave quarters, significant of the fact that the owner of the old homestead was a man of means and also that he owned many slaves, as was customary in those days among the wealthier class in massachusetts. to-day the old quarters have disappeared, and only tradition hands down the many stories connected with their past. the immediate surroundings of the present mansion are very much the same as when it was erected so many years ago. there have been some improvements, however, since the time when the great housewarming took place, an important event in those days and attended by friends and neighbors for miles around. the dignified house is well proportioned, fitting picturesquely into its surroundings. the main portion is square of build; in each corner a massive yet graceful pilaster shows hand-carving wonderfully fine in design. the windows have retained their small panes and show carved cornices. these, by their formal appearance, lend an additional dignity and carry out the scheme of simplicity evident in the handsome, well-proportioned porch, which is a feature of the home. the main approach is through the quaint gateway in the center of the colonial fence. this gives upon a narrow path leading between tree-dotted grass plots to the main entrance. this entrance is characterized by finely carved columns that prove an admirable foil to the door of dark, panelled wood, flanked on either side by narrow lights of glass and ornamented with a colonial knocker of the hammer type. from this porch one obtains a most extensive view of the surrounding country, for picturesque vistas are found on every side. the heavy door swings back on its strap hinges and the visitor finds himself in a wide, large hallway extending entirely through the house, dividing it in two. the interior remains unchanged, and the lofty ceilings, the great hallway, and broad staircases are in contrast to the small entry and narrow, winding stairs found in many colonial dwellings. [illustration: plate lxxv.--hallway, kittredge house.] as one steps into the great hall, with its handsome, panelled woodwork and old-fashioned furniture, he feels no jarring note. the deep cornice showing dentation affords a correct finish to the soft-toned hangings which divide it from the wainscot. to the left and right lead fine, large, square rooms filled with the rarest models of chippendale, hepplewhite, and sheraton. the colonial staircase with its fine, hand-carved newel-post and balusters is at the left of the hallway. the stairs are boxed, the risers low, and the treads wide. half-way up is a wide landing, lighted by a fine example of a colonial window, showing an arched top. through this the sunlight streams upon an old grandfather's clock, which has steadily ticked off the hours since placed there in the early days when the house was first furnished. a short flight of steps that turn at the right leads to the second-story hall, which corresponds in size and finish to the one below. it is finished with wonderful examples of the old masters' pieces shown in sheraton and chippendale design. no modern touch has been introduced to rob this home of its colonial atmosphere, and everywhere are found rich relics of a distinguished past. the house is divided into four large rooms on the entrance floor. here one discovers a perfect treasure trove of antiques, for in addition to wonderful furniture, there is some of the finest china to be found in the country. [illustration: plate lxxvi.--living room, kittredge house; parlor, kittredge house.] [illustration: plate lxxvii.--soapstone fire frame, kittredge house fireplace, kittredge house.] at the right is the living-room, where the woodwork shows wide panels, the fireplace having an old-time, soapstone fire-frame. every piece of furniture is of the colonial type, the sofas being of the empire period, and the chairs of sheraton, showing rush bottom and often known as fancy chairs. a wonderful old cabinet is filled with relics such as are rarely found, even in a colonial home. the parlor is on the opposite side of the hallway; the woodwork around the fireplace in this room is hand-carved, with baskets of flowers for the center ornamentation, and festoon effects on either side. it has a facing of tiles, on which are depicted biblical scenes. the woodwork shows well planned panelling, with a deep cornice above the quaint wall hangings. the recessed windows are fitted with built-in seats and the old-time shutters which were originally used as safeguard against the indians. every piece of furniture is a genuine antique, the hepplewhite with the favorite shield or heart-shaped back and straight legs, and the cozy arm-chair of sheraton design known in this country as "martha washington," owing to the fact that one of this design was included in the furnishings at mt. vernon, all being choice examples. equally as interesting as these fine bits is a quaint, old bronze lamp, , with lusters and glass shades. the roundabout chippendale chair, and the center table, with its thin top, plain tripod, and ball feet, are typical of those designed about the first of the nineteenth century. in the dining-room, which opens from the rear of the hallway, the same dignified simplicity is a dominant feature. the furnishing of mahogany, the china cupboards, and the rare pieces of chippendale and sheraton are worthy of their attractive setting. the fireplace, with its exquisite carving, brings into relief the fine lines of the mantel above. rare old pewter, silver, and exquisite bits of sheffield plate are found in the deep closets in this room. the second story is in keeping with the good taste displayed on the lower floor. the furnishings here are antique also, including some of the best examples of four-posters to be found in new england. the fireplaces vary from the franklin stove, to the large, open fireplaces of our grand-dames' time, with broad spaces of panelled woodwork; the white finish, mellowed to ivory tones, affords a suitable background for the wonderful old pictures. the house as a whole typifies the highest ideals of a bygone period. no modern touch is allowed to mar the beauty of its simple dignity. never since its erection has it been out of the family. as before stated, the builder was one of three sons, all physicians. there was also a sister elizabeth, who inherited medical ability to such a marked degree that she took charge of her father's patients, and after her marriage and removal to londonderry, new hampshire, was frequently called upon to assist at surgical operations. there is a story extant relating to her visit to a patient during a dark night. while on her way she slipped and fell, breaking her leg. nothing daunted, she set the bone herself, and so well did she do it that she suffered no serious inconvenience from her mishap. doctor thomas kittredge commenced his practice in andover about . at the commencement of the revolution, he enlisted in the continental army, rendering very valuable services as surgeon in colonel james fry's regiment. of him it has been well said that he had more natural skill than any man in the country. a dignified and commanding gentleman, he enjoyed unusual facilities for aiding the sick and the wounded, not only through his wealth, which allowed him to procure for them many delicacies, but through the services of his brother-in-law, major samuel osgood, who was in charge of the department of supplies. his father, while not taking an active part in the work, did much for the welfare of the soldiers who were sent home to recuperate. he frequently kept them in the old house for many months, or until they had fully recovered their health. at the close of the revolution, doctor thomas served a long term in the legislature, and his sterling character and fine intellect combined to make him one of the most valued members of this learned body of men. the last act of his life was in keeping with the kindly traits that had always distinguished him and had made him generally beloved. he encountered at the roadway a man coming from afar, with yet many miles to go before his destination was reached. noticing the worn-out condition of the horse he rode, the doctor commanded the animal to be installed in his own barn and offered the stranger the use of one of his horses that he might continue on his way. the next morning the borrowed animal was sent home, but the kindly master who had so graciously loaned him was not present to note his return, having passed quietly away in his sleep during the night. in his day slavery was countenanced in massachusetts, and the affairs of the colored servants, however trivial, were attended to by the good doctor and his wife, who were ever thoughtful of the interests of their slaves. the raising of the great house, known as the kittredge mansion, was a source of great rejoicing among those servitors, and one of the slaves, cæsar by name, held in his arms the baby of the family, doctor joseph kittredge, first, then nine months old, that he might be able to say, when he was a man grown, that he was at the raising. there were many incidents in which the slaves afforded the doctor great amusement, particularly one which occurred when cato was about to be married. the family and guests were gathered in the parlor, and doctor sims, the pastor of the church, was asked to officiate. cato had been presented for the occasion with a suit of small-clothes, and half a crown for a wedding fee. he was very much impressed with the responsibility of the money, but he could not determine when or where the fee was to come in. this led him to keep his ears and eyes wide open, watching the minister's every word and action. the ceremony concluded, doctor sims said in a solemn voice: "let us pray," stretching out his hand as he spoke. the nervous bridegroom understood it as "let us pay," and he thrust his hand hastily into his pocket and brought out the half-crown, placing it in the minister's hand before the voice of supplication showed him that the summons was to "pray" and not to "pay." doctor joseph kittredge succeeded to his father's practice in . he married miss hannah hodges of salem, and two of their sons were educated for the medical profession,--doctor joseph kittredge, second, and doctor john kittredge. the first named succeeded his father in practice and was a highly respected and beloved physician of north andover until his death in . two of his sons are doctors, doctor thomas kittredge of salem, and doctor joseph kittredge, third. the standard of hospitality established by the builder has been rigidly adhered to through all the passing years, and more especially during the summer season the old rooms re-echo with the merry chatter of gay young voices, much as they did in the olden days. chapter xix the royall house the types of mansions described in this book are found not only in new england but through the south. they show marked differences, which give to them picturesqueness and absence of monotony in build. in studying these homes, we must remember that master carpenters were steadily gaining opportunities to brighten their wits by books dealing with architecture, which were being imported into the colonies. we must also remember that increase of wealth had brought about more advantages, and that the nation was demanding better and more elaborate homes. with change in exterior came a corresponding one in the interior. transatlantic ideas were incorporated in the newer homes. there came a progress in the interior finish, showing artistic staircases, colonial windows, and hand-carving in mantel and cornice. thus was introduced a new and lasting development along architectural lines. with the larger houses many features of the original ones were discarded. there was no longer the wide central chimney around which the rooms clustered. we find no longer in the chimney-places bricks set in clay, and lathes split from logs, but better and more lasting work. the wood commonly used in these old houses was white pine, which is not so common to-day, although there is nothing more lasting. unfortunately, not many of these mansions have survived, many having fallen into decay and disappeared. there are, however, enough left to aid the growth of colonial ideas in twentieth century homes. one of these houses that deserves more than passing notice stands on main street in medford, massachusetts, "a house within a house," and is called the royall house. it is the only building standing on this land, which is known as "the ten hills farm." this estate, with additional grounds, was granted to governor winthrop in , and as early as the homestead lot was set apart and walled in. not long afterward we find that tenants and employees of the governor were located here, the royall house being one of their places of abode. [illustration: plate lxxviii.--the royall house, medford, mass.] the original mansion, which was two and a half stories in height, was much plainer and smaller than is the present one. since its erection it has been raised one story, and the present house has been made to enclose the original structure. among the old houses that are still standing, few have the dignity and stateliness of this mansion, and its roof has sheltered some of the most important men and women connected with our country's history. the estate is situated on the western side of the main road of what was then known as mead's ford, from which the town of medford derived its name. it was owned by john winthrop between and , becoming the property of his son, john winthrop, jr., after this period. it was purchased of the winthrops by mrs. elizabeth lidgett, who made it over to her son charles. he, however, being an adherent of andros, was ordered to leave the province, together with the unpopular governor. the house at that time was two and one half stories in height, with dormer windows in the attic. there were two rooms on each floor, and the dimensions over all were eighteen by forty-five feet, the west, north, and south walls being of brick. lieutenant-governor john usher, brother-in-law of colonel lidgett, came into possession of the house through the entanglement of its owner in lawsuits. during his possession he enlarged it by building a lean-to on the west side, leaving the original brick wall to form a partition between the eastern and western rooms. by careful inspection of this brick work on the south side of the building, one can follow the original outline of the gable end. there is a little window in the lean-to, differing in finish from the two others above it and yet not in line with them. this directs the attention to the second period in the evolution of this historic mansion. lieutenant-governor usher was councilor and treasurer of massachusetts under andros. he married the daughter of peter lidgett, and later on married for a second wife the daughter of george allen, who bought the new hampshire grants from the heirs of mason. this home on the mystic was a favorite resort of the tories but the last of the governor's life was surrounded by business troubles and lawsuits, in which he was most unsuccessful. in fact, before his death, he put his farm out of his own control, the deed to be returned to his widow at the time of his death. in , nine years later, isaac royall, who owned a large plantation in antigua in the leeward islands, a man of considerable means, purchased the estate, and it has since borne his name. at the time of its purchase it embraced five hundred and four and three quarters acres and twenty-three rods of land, and the house and grounds were bought for £ , _s._ _d._ isaac royall was a wealthy man; he brought to the estate twenty-seven slaves, for whom he paid as head-tax, five pounds each, the slaves acting as his body servants and coachmen. immediately work was started on remodelling the whole building, and it took five years to complete it. the house was made three stories high throughout. barns were laid out; the slave quarters and summer-house were built, and a high wall enclosed the grounds from the highway. this was broken by a low wall and a fence that ran directly in front of the house. in those days an elm-shaded driveway led from the main road to a paved courtyard that was on the west side of the house, its picturesqueness enhanced by flower-bordered walks that reached from the mansion on the west to the summer-house, and on the east to the road. the house was clapboarded on the north side, panelled and embellished with hand-carving, on the garden side, while the street front was not greatly changed. it is to-day in fine repair and probably contains the only slave quarters to be found in massachusetts. there is still to be seen in the interior the original fireplace where the slaves did their cooking; the brick portion of this was built in , while the wooden part is much older. an arch of masonry underneath the fireplace is one of the largest in existence and is used as a support for this portion of the building. at the west of the house is an extensive courtyard with a foundation of cobblestones. here, in olden days, royall's chariot, the only one north of boston, with four horses, would come rolling up to the side door to leave the guests. this led to the erroneous idea that the western side of the house was the front. the royalls were descended from william royall, who came to salem with governor craddock; during the time he lived here it was a rallying place for social life, no one of importance riding by without alighting. it was the scene of many a merrymaking and was the show place of the town. at the end of the garden was the summer-house that is still carefully treasured, being octagonal in shape, with carved pilasters, bell-shaped roof, and cupola surmounted by a winged mercury that swings with the breeze, and was used as a weather-vane. this figure is a fine piece of carving that stands nearly five feet high. the summer-house stood on an artificial mound, within which was a walled cellar which was entered by a trap-door, adding great mystery to the structure. tradition states that this was a prison for slaves, but it is more practical if less romantic to believe that it was used for storage purposes. this summer-house, with its arched windows and the tender sentiments scratched upon the woodwork, was a pleasant place in all weathers except the more severe. [illustration: plate lxxix.--doorway, royall house.] the architecture of the house is interesting. the doorway on the east is the true entrance door, showing corinthian columns, while the georgian porch at the west, supporting ionic columns, is also considered a fine bit of architecture. there can be but little doubt that a house showing the dignity of exterior of the royall house must have equally good interior woodwork. one realizes before opening the colonial door that he will see inside a fine old staircase, richly carved newel-post and balusters. the carving in this house as well as others of its type is not confined to the capitals that adorn its architraves. [illustration: plate lxxx.--hallway from the rear, royall house.] the long hallway extends the entire length of the house, with doors at either end. the stairway is on the eastern side facing the entrance, and is approached through an arch showing fine hand-carving. the balusters are carved in three different designs, while the newel-post is a combination of the three, one carved within the other. the staircase leads by low treads to the second-story floor. it is made under the old stair-builders' rule: "twice the rise plus the tread equals twenty-five, then cut on the string." there is no stucco work either in the hallway or in any other part of the house, and the wood throughout is pine. at the right of the hallway are double parlors, the western one being finished in wood which shows wonderful hand-carving done in , and is lighted by arched windows. the outside shutters remain just as they were all through the lower part of the house when remodelled. the fireplace is finished in old mulberry dutch tiles and contains hessian andirons, which differ from those generally seen in that they face each other. these andirons came into vogue just after the revolution and were used to support backlogs. the eastern parlor is reached through folding-doors, which mask the original walls of the winthrop house. these rooms, during the royalls' reign, were used for many social events. the old wing arm-chair with dutch legs came in about . the silk-embroidered, chippendale fire-screen shows beautiful, mythological pictures, while the old, steeple-topped brass andirons display to advantage the mulberry tiles of and also the quaint old fireback. on the wall hangs a picture of isaac royall, who gave money to harvard college to found the royall professorship of law which was the foundation of the harvard law school. [illustration: plate lxxxi.--spinning room, royall house.] during the life history of the house, nineteen marriages have taken place in these rooms, one of them being that of the oldest daughter, elizabeth royall, to sir william (sparhawk) pepperrell. here also penelope royall married henry vassall of cambridge, uncle of the builder of the longfellow house and of christ church. vassall and his wife are the only ones buried under the church. it was during their life here that agnes surriage, according to abigail adams' diary, came to the house frequently with henry frankland. the dining-room which is opposite the double parlors is at the present time being restored to the royall period and will include much of the rare old panelling and fine hand-carving that are shown all through the house, as well as quaint closets. [illustration: plate lxxxii.--kitchen fireplace, royall house.] the kitchen contains many old relics. among them is the porter sign which was used in medford square in , on the royall oak tavern. the new hampshire soldiers had such an intense feeling against the english sign that before the battle of bunker hill they fired against it in anger, the bullet marks being still plainly seen. in this kitchen, also, is kept the first fork in the colony, brought over by governor winthrop, also candle-dips made over one hundred and twenty-five years ago by the old process of taking wicks of twine and dipping them in fat in a cold room. [illustration: plate lxxxiii.--chambers in the royall house.] the chambers are, many of them, most interesting. several of them show quaint tiles. one of them, the northeast chamber, has a wonderful old fireplace with sixty ancient bible tiles, many of them original. these depict different scenes in bible stories, such as cain slaying his brother with his left hand, the whale and jonah, mary and joseph fleeing into egypt. the southeast chamber shows a great deal of the old winthrop panelling. this was transferred when royall reconstructed the building. here, as in the northeast chamber, are wonderful old tiles, the royall house boasting more of the best specimens of that early period than any other. everywhere through the house we find indications of the luxury introduced by the wealthy royalists. all of the rooms are large, with high ceilings and wide windows showing inside shutters. the hand-carving is especially noticeable, being beautifully done and most original in design. in the guest room, or marble chamber as it is generally known, cornices or moldings are exquisitely carved. there is one panelling over the fireplace that is three feet wide and five feet long, while the thickness of the walls is shown by the width of the window-seats. each window is enclosed in an alcove, and some of them retain the original glass. it is said of isaac royall, second, that his love of display and his liking for good things were known throughout the town. he was one of the most hospitable citizens, giving the finest of dinners to his friends, the vassalls, who occupied the craigie house, the olivers, and other citizens of tory row, besides dignitaries of church and state. his wines were the best, his horses and carriages the most stylish, and it was said of him that he was one of the most eccentric men in the colony. he kept a journal describing minutely every incident and every visitor, even going so far as to tell what slippers he wore. his ambitions were political, but he was never very prominent. at the outbreak of the revolution, isaac royall left the house, and his estate was taken under the confiscation act. finding that the place was deserted by a hated tory, it was made a lawful retreat for the continental army, and used by colonel john stark for headquarters. he lived there with his officers, and his regiment was quartered near by. in the old summer-house were held many councils of war, and from here the troops went forth to fight at the battle of bunker hill. during the time that general stark and his wife lived here, which was over a year, they entertained a great deal. molly was a most loyal wife. at the time of the evacuation of boston, it was said that she went to the top of the stairs leading to the roof above the attic after her husband had marched to dorchester heights, and watched to see whether the british ships in the harbor landed troops on the north side of the mystic. in such an event, she had orders to alarm the people. lee and sullivan were quartered here for a short time. the fine old wines left by colonel royall did service for the officers. the cellar was ransacked in search of goodies; the soldiers, in oddly designed uniforms, passed up and down, stacking their guns in the wide hall, while their flag of thirteen stars fluttered over the entrance. after the government took possession of the property, it was returned to the royall heirs in , and they in turn sold it to a syndicate. in jacob tidd came into possession of the estate, his wife living there for fifty-one years. she was ruth dawes, sister of william dawes, who took the midnight ride to concord, april , . her bedchamber, in which hangs a picture of william dawes, has been restored by her descendants. the house has been acquired by the royall house association, being used to-day for patriotic and educational purposes. in a closet of one of the rooms is shown a tea-chest, the only one left from the memorable boston tea party. few houses in colonial history possess the interest of this one, and the royall house stands unique and distinctive among the many colonial houses of the period. chapter xx the longfellow house with the exception of mount vernon, there is perhaps no house better known in america than the henry wadsworth longfellow house at cambridge, massachusetts, its reputation having been gained from the fact that it was the home of the late distinguished and beloved poet. here have come most illustrious guests from all over the world, and under the roof-tree was given to longfellow the theme for his famous poem of evangeline, during a visit of horace conelly and of nathaniel hawthorne. there are few mansions of more stately dignity than this large, colonial house, standing back from the main road, surrounded by smooth, velvety lawns dotted here and there with mighty elms. it was built in by john vassall, of a family prominent in the history of our country, whose name had been traced back to the year , and many members of which have married into distinguished families. john vassall was the son of "colonel" john vassall, who married elizabeth phipps, daughter of lieutenant-governor phipps. his uncle, henry vassall, married penelope royall of medford. these two brothers were sons of "major" leonard vassall, who was twice married and had eighteen children. john vassall, like his father, was graduated from harvard. on january , , he married elizabeth oliver, daughter of lieutenant-governor oliver. his sister elizabeth had previously been married to lieutenant-governor oliver, who lived near by at elmwood. when john vassall built the longfellow house, the estate was not so contracted as it is to-day, but embraced large grounds of more than a hundred acres. concerning his life here, there is little known, save that the family were very hospitable and were numbered among the royalists, who in those days formed a small colony of their own, later known as "old tory row." this included many wealthy people of boston who had not as yet embraced the cause of the colonists. in , at the commencement of the revolutionary troubles, this group of men were naturally out of favor and eventually it ceased to exist. about this time vassall left to take up his residence in boston, and soon afterward, failing to agree with the colonists' ideas, he removed with his family to england. in accordance with the custom of that period, the estate was confiscated in , shortly after its desertion by its original owner. this was some years after the encampment of continental troops in cambridge, when this mansion, like many others, was used for officers' headquarters. on the grounds were encamped the regiment from marblehead under the command of colonel glover. this seems to have been a favorite rendezvous for the colonial troops, for later on general washington made this his headquarters, remaining for a long period. while he was here, madam washington joined him, and tradition tells of much gaiety and many banquets given at the residence by the general and his wife. there are still in existence notes from his account book which deal with this house, as for instance: "july , , paid for cleaning the house which was provided for my quarters, and which had been occupied by the marblehead regiment, £ _s._ _d._" it is probable that this house was used for a longer period than any other during the war for headquarters of washington, as it was not until march of the following year after the evacuation of boston by the british that it was again left empty. in this dwelling the generals met often to hold secret discussions. representatives from the legislature, then convened at watertown, held here many long conferences concerning the advisability of different schemes to defeat the british, and many people of note from all over the world came here to meet washington on both social and political affairs. we are told that a "twelfth night" party was given in the drawing-room opposite the longfellow study, where many entertainments took place, and that the oldest inhabitants were invited to this party. down the stairs, where now stands the old grandfather's clock made famous by longfellow's poems, the stately colonial dames of revolutionary times came slowly, dressed in their silks and satins, with powdered hair and patches, to take part in the festivities within. longfellow's study, which is at the right of the house, and which to-day fronts the long conservatory occupying the entire side of the house, was used by washington as his dining-room. above it was his private office, where councils of war were held. it was a very convenient room for this purpose, being off from the main house, quiet and retired. when longfellow first purchased the house, he also used this room for a study, afterwards converting it into a chamber. it is said that washington never permitted his affairs to destroy his sense of humor. during the time of his occupancy here, an elderly woman was brought before general putnam. she was believed to be a spy, although she stoutly denied it. it is said that the general, familiarly known as "put," regarded the case of sufficient importance to be brought to the attention of his commander and insisted that she come with him to headquarters. she was an obstinate woman, and having no fear of capture, resented his treatment, absolutely refusing to enter the gate to the grounds. in vain was she reasoned with until at last, in desperation, the valiant general slung her on his back and brought her up to the house. as washington witnessed his most courageous officer entering his house in this manner, he could not refrain from laughter, which only incensed the woman all the more. during conferences at headquarters, great care had to be taken lest they be surprised by the british. while one of these conferences was being held, word was sent out that the british were on their way. without a moment's delay each officer hurried for his necessary adjuncts to meet the emergency. in the midst of the confusion, however, general greene lost his head and could be heard above the din, calling loudly: "my wig, my wig; where is my wig?" his demand was so emphatic that the attention of the little group was instantly seized. general lee was the first to regain his composure and with ready wit called out in an equally loud voice: "behind the looking-glass, general." greene, passing the mirror, found to his consternation that the wig was on his head. overjoyed that he was not to go into battle wigless, he joined in the general laugh that followed. the report of the british approach proved false, however, and the officers returned to their consultation. after the estate had been confiscated, it was purchased by one nathaniel tracy, an intimate of washington, whose principal home was in newburyport, massachusetts. tracy was a very wealthy merchant, indeed one of the most brilliant financiers in the country, and his spectacular ventures had given him a prominent name in local history. tracy was a large landowner, having estates practically all over the country, and while he owned the vassall house, he rarely lived there, using it simply as a place where he could spend week-ends if he so desired. andrew craigie was the next prominent owner of the house, purchasing it on january , . at that time the grounds had been enlarged until they comprised one hundred and fifty acres, a part of which is now used for the harvard observatory. this craigie was an "apothecary-general" or, as he would be known now, a commissary, for the continental army. he was a most eccentric man but clever enough to acquire a large estate. this house appealed to him, both from the fact that it had been washington's headquarters and from its own beauty both of exterior and interior. he married a miss shaw of nantucket, who had been in love with a young sailor of limited means. the wealth of craigie dazzled her, and while she never forgot her early lover, treasuring his love letters until just before her death, she made a charming mistress for the mansion. craigie, like other wealthy men of his time, was pretentious and spent money lavishly. while it is believed that he built the service department on the western wing of the house, yet this is not definitely known. during his occupancy, the large, square, eastern room was enlarged and adorned with many columns to afford more space for his frequent entertainments. prominent merchants of boston and many noted people accepted his hospitality. an amusing instance is told of a visit of talleyrand, who conversed entirely in french with mrs. craigie, the host not understanding a word that was spoken. it is currently reported that the duke of kent, queen victoria's father, who for a long time was stationed at halifax, paid a visit here; impressed with the honor, craigie afterwards purchased the coach and horses the duke had used in boston. craigie built the bridge from boston to east cambridge which bears his name and engaged in many investments. he speculated once too often, however, and lost nearly all of his money. he died soon after, but his widow remained in the same house, yet under such reduced circumstances that she was obliged to let rooms to college students. two of these were edward everett and jared sparks, who afterwards brought their brides here. later on, when henry wadsworth longfellow left bowdoin college to take a position as professor in harvard university, and desired extensive apartments, he appealed to her. she at first refused him, having tired of the care of students and not wishing to let rooms any longer. he was an attractive and agreeable young man, and when mrs. craigie learned that he was a professor, she invited him to visit the different rooms, telling him of washington's connection with the house, but informing him that he could not have the use of any of the apartments. at length, however, after a long controversy, she agreed to let him take the southeast chamber, to which was afterwards added the west front chamber for his dining-room. at that time the back part of the house was given over to a farmer and his wife, the latter caring for longfellow's rooms and supplying his meals. during a part of the time that longfellow had rooms here, worcester, who wrote the dictionary, was another occupant. to this house came cornelius g. felton, charles sumner, and many others to visit longfellow, who in entertained charles dickens here. in longfellow bought the house of mrs. craigie. he was the last occupant, and every room in the house is connected with him. in one of the upper chambers _hyperion_ was written, as were many other poems, including _the courtship of miles standish_ and _hiawatha_. to this mansion one pleasant day in june came hawthorne to dine with longfellow, bringing with him his friend, horace conelly. on reaching the house, to hawthorne's surprise and chagrin, he found two other visitors, george s. hillard and professor felton of harvard college. hawthorne had hoped in this visit to review with longfellow old times in brunswick and the history of some of his class of whom he had lost sight since leaving college. after the departure of the other guests, longfellow, hawthorne, and conelly held an animated conversation on their literary work. at this time the story of the french acadian girl, just married, exiled and separated from her husband, was told. hawthorne had never been interested, but longfellow saw in it a popular theme and with permission wrote the poem that has been considered one of his best works. [illustration: plate lxxxiv.--the longfellow house, cambridge, mass.] [illustration: plate lxxxv.--library, longfellow house.] the longfellow house faces the main road, a large, square mansion with entrance porch. the grounds are now reduced to a small area surrounding the house and are pleasantly laid out in gardens and lawns. the main door bears a ponderous knocker, and one enters a wide, dignified hallway. on the first landing of the staircase stands the old grandfather's clock so familiar to all readers of longfellow's poems. the principal room open to the public is the library, which leads from the right of the hall, a square room finished in brown and containing many mementoes that were there during longfellow's lifetime. this room has been left practically unchanged. over the fireplace is a beautiful girandole, with convex glass and gilt frame and ebony rim inside. this is said to have been made in --an heirloom. there are many fine old pieces of furniture, each one of which bespeaks some event connected with the poet's life. the furniture is not old-fashioned and no attempt has been made to keep it up to any period. it is simply left as a memorial in the room where longfellow sat and wrote and received his friends. the grounds cover scarcely half an acre, but the mansion with a few modern improvements remains as it was in the early days when it was first built by john vassall. chapter xxi the quincy mansion long years ago before our country was thickly settled, and when our forefathers extracted from the soil a scanty living, the houses were simple little ones, often built with only four rooms. it was in such a house as this that william coddington made his early home. it was delightfully situated, close to the bank of black brook, and surrounded by overhanging trees. [illustration: plate lxxxvi.--the quincy mansion, quincy, mass.] in william coddington and his fellow associates received a grant of five hundred acres at braintree, now quincy, massachusetts, extending from the old dorchester line at squantum to howe's neck, and about a mile inland. this was a goodly tract of land, with level meadows that promised good plowing. the next year, in the heart of the grant, mr. coddington built a house that consisted of a large kitchen, a living-room, and two chambers. near him was a small colony of settlers, including reverend john wheelwright, anne hutchinson, and sir harry vane. they composed a congenial group of free thinkers, who met often in the coddington kitchen to sit around the large open fireplace, while they discussed religious views much more liberal than the puritan's way of thinking. many of them, for holding these views, were banished to rhode island. coddington did not live long after the house-building, and was succeeded by edmund quincy, the first of the name to live in what is now known as the quincy homestead. he was a man of considerable wealth and importance, coming here from boston and bringing with him six servants, which was considered a most pretentious establishment in those days. his wife, named judith, was a woman of great ability, and after the death of her husband, managed the estate with good judgment. her daughter, also named judith, married john hull, the mint-master, and became the mother of hannah hull. hannah became the wife of judge samuel sewall, and as the story runs, received for her dowry her weight in pine-tree shillings. the second of the name of quincy to occupy this house was also named edmund and afterwards received the title of colonel. he was a man of dignified personality and forceful character and had held at various times most of the important offices in the town. his death in was followed by that of his wife, two years later, and the reins of government fell into the hands of edmund third, then a youth of twenty. the responsibility made the latter a very thoughtful man. he became more distinguished than either his father or his grandfather, passing nearly his whole life in public service. it was this edmund who, in his twenty-first year, married dorothy flynt, the first dorothy q. of history, and ancestress of all the other dorothy q's. in , as the house had become too small for the family, quincy built additions at the front of the old mansion, giving it its present appearance. the rooms added were the present dining-room, the parlor, and the chambers above these rooms. with the raising of the new part, little attempt was made to have the dimensions match, so that the rooms of the older building showed a different floor level from those at the front. later on, a two-story ell was added near the brook, consisting of a study and bedroom. these were occupied by dorothy's brother, henry flynt, who was the famous tutor flynt of harvard. of the children born to edmund, third, and dorothy q., two are well known in history. edmund, the fourth, who married elizabeth wendell and became the father of the dorothy q. who married john hancock, and the dorothy q., "my dorothy," as dr. oliver wendell holmes called her, who married edward jackson, and was the great-grandmother of the poet. after the death of judge quincy, the house was not used as a permanent residence by the family, for edmund, who inherited it, had a fine home in boston. it was kept open, however, and used at frequent intervals as a summer place. we read of large parties coming down by coach and horseback from boston, to be entertained at the quincy mansion. many a pretty bit of romance has been enacted within these walls, and many a famous traveler has found shelter in this house. when the wedding of dorothy q. to john hancock was planned, preparations suitable for the important event were made, and a wall-paper was ordered from paris to be hung upon the walls of the parlor. this room was destined not to be used, however, for the purpose intended. the revolution broke out and hancock was forced to flee for safety to lexington. here he was joined by his aunt, madam hancock, and dorothy, on the memorable " th of april, ' ." dorothy, fearing the approach of the redcoats, desired to return to boston, to seek refuge in her father's house, but her lover knew only too well the hatred of the tory for the quincy family that had been shown when a british soldier thrust his rapier through the portrait of dorothy q., the niece of this dorothy, and he forbade the attempted journey. wishing to assert her independence and also to have her own way, dorothy insisted, and a lovers' quarrel ensued. hancock and samuel adams were forced to make their escape to woburn, with madam hancock and dorothy, who continued on to fairfield, connecticut, taking up their abode in the family of thaddeus burr. in consequence, the quincy mansion did not see them again for a long time. the patriot troops were stationed at fairfield, and aaron burr, meeting dorothy, fell in love with her. he paid her such serious attention that madam hancock became alarmed for the consequences and sent to her nephew, explaining the situation. john hancock was a wise lover and wrote dorothy immediately, asking her if she had made him the hair chain promised and reproaching her for her unfaithfulness, sending with the letter a box of silk stockings. dorothy, with little liking for his interference, continued her flirtation with lieutenant burr; again madam hancock wrote to her nephew in such a peremptory manner that during a recess of congress he came to fairfield. once there, he swept away all resentment, and dorothy became his wife on august . sir harry frankland, previous to this, came to the quincy mansion bringing with him agnes surriage, and a merry house party spent part of the time catching trout from the little black brook and cooking them in the old kitchen fireplace. benjamin franklin was also a visitor at this house, accepting the hospitality shown him by mr. quincy, and sending in return a stove, still shown in one of the chambers. a flemish grape-vine was also sent by him to the family; this took root and until a few years ago was in thriving condition. many other men of note came as visitors to this noted mansion, including lafayette, who was entertained here when he returned to america after the revolution. [illustration: plate lxxxvii.--the porch, quincy mansion.] during the revolutionary period, the house passed out of the hands of the quincy family. it has been recently restored by the colonial dames of massachusetts, who have brought back as far as possible its old-time dignity. in the restoration, great care has been taken with the furnishing. the central hall is entered through the colonial porch. it is long and wide, wainscotted and showing above this an odd, colonial paper, representing an english hunting scene. the baluster and newel-post are hand carved and fine examples of the early work of that period. [illustration: plate lxxxviii.--dining room, quincy mansion, showing the old chinese wallpaper.] at the right of the hall is the dining-room, hung with a quaint chinese paper. this room shows high wainscot, wooden shutters, and the original beams cased in. the furniture is all of that period, including simple dutch chairs, about , with rush bottoms. the sideboard, too, is of the seventeenth century, and on this is a knife box of the latter quarter of this century. the corner buffet is about , and unlike the majority of these cupboards, is movable, instead of being fastened to the walls. the table is a beautiful old empire piece and a china closet at one side containing several rare pieces, shows the shell pattern at the top. the fireplace is tiled in blue and white delft, dating back to about . [illustration: plate lxxxix.--kitchen, quincy mansion; parlor, quincy mansion.] on the opposite side of the house is the parlor, which still shows the old wall-paper intended to grace the wedding of john hancock to dorothy quincy. here are venuses and cupids in vivid blue, with garlands of red flowers, all as fresh as when first hung. the panel front of the chimney-piece was recently removed, and the original fireplace, fifteen feet wide, discovered. the back of this chimney is curiously bricked in herring-bone pattern. many interesting relics are kept in one of the cupboards. there is a parasol which once belonged to mrs. hancock, a shoe of a little son who died in childhood, a pipe filler which belonged to john hancock, edmund quincy third's baptismal robe and cap, and a piece of the dress worn by abigail adams when she was presented at the court of st. james. on the wall hangs her portrait showing the same gown. [illustration: plate xc.--paper hung for wedding of dorothy quincy, quincy mansion.] the chairs in this room are rare examples of chippendale, , and sheraton, the latter being one of the best examples of the master's make, and showing the fan back design, which is more usually found in the south, rather than in the north. here, as in the dining-room, are narrow shutters with hinged panels, which could be bolted and barred against attacks of the indians. back of the dining-room, and one step lower, is the old kitchen, built in , the most interesting room in the house, containing a great many household articles of early colonial days. the broad, hand-hewn beams bear the marks of the axe, and the great fireplace is flanked on one side by larger brick ovens and on the other by a secret passage. back of the chimney is a ladder which leads to the secret closet above, also a little dumbwaiter shaft, through which food and water could be sent to the people in hiding. in previous years, an underground passage led out of the kitchen to the brook. through this contraband goods were smuggled. the entrance to this passage has now disappeared, so that the exact locality is not definitely known. the window glass was made at the first glass factory in america. this was erected by a guild of hollanders who had established themselves in quincy. the worthies of quincy objected to the large families of the emigrants, and they were driven out and moved to maine. the first iron foundry in this country was built beside this brook, which was sometimes known as furnace brook. [illustration: plate xci.--chambers in the quincy mansion.] above the kitchen is the coddington chamber, named for the original builder of the house and fittingly furnished with rare pieces of the colonial period. above this is a very low attic, lighted from the upper panes of the chamber windows and reached by the secret passage behind the chimney. at the further end of this attic is a trap-door connecting with a second attic, through which one could escape by galleries below the dormer windows, and thence reach the ground. across the hall is a smaller room known as the nursery. tradition has it that john hancock concealed himself from the british in this apartment, making use of the secret passageway. on one of the window-panes is scratched with a diamond the initials, "j. h." and again in handwriting similar to his: "you i love and you alone." in this room are preserved the breakfast-table of john hancock; a linen chest which belonged to the wife of william penn; various articles of clothing that at one time were used by the quincy family; a bed spread hand-embroidered on homespun linen quilted by madam burr and used in her guest chamber when dorothy quincy was staying at her house. over the dining-room is the quincy room, so named from the fact that many of the quincy children, including the two dorothys, were born here. by a curious trick of fate, there still remains here a nail-studded chest which once belonged to george iii of england, bearing the date . one wonders, if the old chest could speak, whether it would pour vituperations upon the heads of those who brought the possessions of the tyrant to the colonies, to be stored in the quincy mansion. across the hall is the guest chamber with its canopied field bed, and the little trundle-bed underneath, used in the olden times for the children of the family. the franklin stove, presented by the inventor, is also in this room. opening from it, and approached by a second staircase, we find the chamber of tutor flynt, here the recessed bed is an interesting feature. the room is furnished with fine pieces of the olden times. every room in this house contains mementoes of the days of long ago. the house was one of the first to be built on american soil, and has sheltered some of our most important citizens. to-day it reminds us of the past, carrying us back to the earliest days of our country's history. chapter xxii "hey bonnie hall" as a nation americans have grown to feel a deep reverence for the homes of their ancestors, those stately colonial houses that were erected during the period of commercial prosperity. these mansions were built from about the middle of the sixteenth to the early part of the seventeenth century. recently a wave of sentiment has swept through the country, awakening a desire to save the old mansions, many of which were fast falling into decay. prominent among those which have been preserved is "hey bonnie hall," a quaint house built in the maryland manor-house style of architecture, with long, projecting ells, a type prevailing throughout the south. "hey bonnie hall" is situated on papoosesquaw neck in bristol, rhode island. it was built in by honorable william dewolf, great-grandfather of the present occupant. these middletons and the family into which they married have been makers of history. they date back to the time of charles v, of france, being among his followers. the name was originally st. etienne, but for valiant services it was changed to dewolf. the middletons have played an important part both in english and american history, and the english branch of the family still occupies its ancient middleton hall. the american line starts with the immigrant ancestor, henry middleton, who settled in carolina and became a considerable landowner at a time when there were only three states in the union--new england, virginia, and the carolinas. this is shown in the old atlas inherited from the immigrant ancestor and still treasured at "hey bonnie hall." henry middleton became a politician and was an important agitator before the revolution. for his distinguished services he was made president of the continental congress. he was not the only member of the family whose name has been handed down in history. his son arthur was also very prominent and was one of the signers of the declaration of independence. the name "hey bonnie hall," given to their country-seat in the carolinas and transferred to the rhode island mansion, grew out of a pretty custom of mrs. middleton, who used to sing a little scotch song called _hey bonnie hall_ over and over again to please her grandfather. the house stands back from the road, being approached through a broad, colonial gateway flanked on either side by beds of old-fashioned flowers. the semicircular drive is shaded by magnificent trees, which hide the mansion from the main road so effectively that it is not until one is half-way up the avenue that a glimpse of the house is obtained. [illustration: plate xcii.--porch of the middleton house, bristol, r. i.] the mansion itself is about one hundred and forty feet long, showing the most perfect type of southern architecture. there is about it a dignity that is impressive and at the same time an air of comfort. the eastern portico is formed by two dignified corinthian pillars, which rise to the very roof. the smaller columns at either side of the entrance door support a balcony protected by the porch roof. verandas have been planned on either side of the house, facing north and south. the southern one overlooks the blue water of the harbor with the picturesque old town of bristol in the background. [illustration: plate xciii.--hallway, middleton house; fireplace, middleton house.] old-fashioned flower-beds are scattered here and there over the smooth lawn, making a landscape picture that is most alluring. the entrance door opens into a spacious hallway that is about twenty feet in width. the staircase at the left is five feet in width, an unusual breadth, even for one of that period. it has treads of solid mahogany, with simple but substantial balusters on either side, topped with mahogany rails. this hall is used for a living-room and a hall combined and is well lighted by doors on either side showing well-proportioned fan and sidelights. like many halls of the colonial period, there is a groined arch. this was specially designed by one of the middletons who married henry dewolf. this is supported at the corners by slender white columns, the woodwork being white pine. in every room are found examples of the most impressive pieces of furniture designed by the old masters. many were originally in the southern home and brought over by their immigrant ancestor. among them are some most artistic pieces, including hepplewhite, sheraton, and chippendale. two chairs of the latter make show shell pattern, one of the most popular of chippendale's designs. upon the chippendale sideboard are specimens of thirteenth century silver, including some tiny spoons that date back to the tudor period, and saltcellars engraved with the mcgregor crest. in the china closet are rare specimens of lowestoft, chelsea, and sevres, while on the wall are hung original stuarts, and paintings by benjamin west. in many colonial mansions of that period we find the well-designed windows opening off the broad landing, a feature which has been cleverly introduced into the middleton mansion. the type and characteristics of this entrance hall are more in keeping with southern architecture than are most houses of new england. there is little ornamental woodwork, but a great dignity and charm. two large, square rooms open on either side of the hallway, and the arrangement of the interior is on the exact lines followed in southern manor-houses, a wing being introduced on either side of the main building. one of these is used for kitchen and servants' quarters; the opposite wing, connected with the house proper by a covered passageway, is used as a carriage-house and harness-room. this gives the house interesting and unusual proportions. [illustration: plate xciv.--living room, middleton house.] in the main building are two rooms, one on either side of the hall. at the right is the large living-room, and back of it the dining-room, both of which are filled with treasures,--wonderful old pieces that have been in the family since its earliest days, each having its individual story. on the left are the double drawing-rooms and showing an elliptical arch that has a frieze motif with dentation ornamentation and reeded pilasters. the dividing arch is gracefully ended in the cornice. this is a feature in many colonial homes and is generally echoed in other rooms of the house. there are no carved wooden fire-frames in the lower story, but we find some of foreign marble that were set at the time the house was built. this is an unusual feature in houses of that date, where wooden mantels and elaborate hand-carving were the prevailing style. many pieces of furniture are historic. some belonged to president adams, an intimate friend of the dewolfs, who were frequent visitors at the adams house in quincy, massachusetts. over the fireplace is a charming portrait, the work of a master, showing a child in an early eighteenth-century gown. it pictures mrs. nathaniel russell middleton, when only six years of age. about the time of this painting she was visiting her uncle, and was present at the reconciliation of lafayette and president adams, which occurred during lafayette's second visit to america. she was at that time a very beautiful child and attracted the attention of the general, who finding she was of french descent, took her in his arms and kissed her. every piece of furniture here is of the old-time type. the hepplewhite chairs have been handed down from generation to generation, as has a great deal of the furniture that is used in this room, including the chair in which president adams died. the long, or east room leads out of the parlor and is filled with rare furniture. the most important piece being the french piano, one of the earlier makes. this was imported by henry dewolf for his daughter alicia. it was considered of such fine quality that it attracted the attention of celebrated musicians all over the country. pianos in those days were rarely seen, for the old-time harpsichord and spinet had scarcely gone out of style. even to-day it would be considered a wonderful piece of work, with its ornamentations of gold showing scroll patterns and musical designs. directly above the piano is hung the most famous picture in the house, a madonna supposedly by the hand of the italian master mazzuoli, better known as parmigiana. this madonna was originally known as one of the world's lost art treasures, since its whereabouts were unknown for several years. there exists abundant historical evidence of its value, and prominent artists have pointed out the merits and the peculiarities that stamp this canvas as a parmigiana, although definite proof is lacking. the interior of the house is most interesting from an architectural standpoint. the proportions are well balanced, there is a dignity of design and a care in its finish that attracts experts. the value lies not so much in the workmanship as in the choice bits of design shown principally in the exterior, and that are well worth introducing into a twentieth-century home. the upper hall has an elliptical arched window and a hand-carved balustrade. it is of the same proportions as the lower hall, and it, too, is fitted up as a living-room. beautiful pieces of furniture are well chosen and well placed. a large bookcase showing torch ornamentations contains rare books that cannot be duplicated. in each one is a bookplate, the work of henry middleton. a certain charm pervades the second story of this mansion, which does not lie in the furnishing but in the architectural details of the window, the pilasters, the hand-carving of the balusters, all of which are simple but unusual. large, square chambers open from either side of the hallway, and like the rest of the house are furnished in seventeenth-century pieces. the fireplace, decorated with bow and arrow design, is of scaglioni composition and was found in an italian palace. the furniture of this room is unusually rare. there is not a single piece of ordinary make. the bed is a fine example of sheraton, showing a tester, and decorated in gilt bows and arrows brought out clearly on the white enamel. this bed, showing the cupid pattern, was purchased for the first bride of the middleton house. it has within recent years been repainted, but the pattern kept intact. unique are the drapings of this bed, the counterpane being very rich gold and white satin lined with white and edged with french lace. the same idea has been carried out in flounce and hangings. the chairs are also rare examples of sheraton, and follow the color scheme of the room. [illustration: plate xcv.--bridal chamber, middleton house.] a second chamber in this house has a fine four-poster imported from leghorn at the time when the house was built. it is a chippendale and one of the best examples of that master's designs. a painting in this room is very valuable, being a picture of lady mornington, the mother of wellington. it was painted by her daughter, lady berghurst, who posed her model with a gazette in her hand containing an account of the battle of waterloo. a most interesting collection of furniture belonging to the dewolfs shows earmarks of the old masters' designs kept in the group of houses that were built by this distinguished family. the most prominent being the house of charles dewolf. it was a large, square structure with roof sloping on all sides, and containing low-studded and spacious rooms that were heated by fireplaces only. an odd feature of this house were the hallways, running at right angles and meeting in the center. spanish furniture, richly carved and showing odd patterns, vied with french pieces in magnificence. the walls of the double drawing-rooms were hung with paper showing birds of paradise in brilliant plumage. between the two rooms were gorgeous portières of gold and silver damask. on state occasions the table bore solid silver candelabra and goblets of gold, spoils of the early siege of oyapoc. here general knox of revolutionary fame was a frequent visitor. after his death the splendid estate of ten square miles given him by congress and situated in maine was sold, and much of the beautiful furniture was introduced into the dewolf house. a third house, which was destroyed by fire, was built by captain jim, the youngest son of old mark anthony dewolf, who built the first house for his family in bristol. the builder was a most successful merchant, his estate at one time comprising nearly the whole eastern part of the town. the mansion was built at about the same time as "hey bonnie hall." it is of plain exterior with simple lines and shows fine proportions. inside are twenty-eight rooms that were fitted up with the choicest pieces of chippendale, hepplewhite, and sheraton. so wealthy was the house owner that when the fashion changed from english to french, and the empire style came into vogue, this furniture was replaced by examples of the best designs and construction, including both european and american styles. many of these pieces were worthy a museum. on the walls were wonderful portraits by copley, stuart, thompson, alexander, and many other famous artists, as well as miniatures by malbone and hall. in many of these rooms the walls were decorated with veritable works of art. these old colonial houses with their beauty of line, their harmony of detail, and their air of dignity, richly repay study by architects and house owners. more and more we turn to them as models for our modern homes. they are a rich heritage from one of the most important periods of the nation's history, and will ever be cherished for the memories they evoke. truly american in every respect, they will remain forevermore as revelations of the sturdy spirit, the breadth of mind, the gracious hospitality, and the fine ideals of our forefathers who built them. index academy of arts and sciences, adams, abigail, , portrait of, abraham (captain), , , , , , , anne, david, jacob, john quincy, , , , , mother anne (_see_ anne longfellow) samuel, , stevens (captain), adams family, adams female seminary, adams house, - , adams period, , , alden, john, alexander (painter), _alfred_, the, allen, george, andirons, , , andover, massachusetts, andros, governor, , antigua, leeward islands, antwerp, apparitions, - appleton, reverend doctor, _arabella_, the, arches, , , , , , , , arms, stand of, , , arnold, colonel benedict, athenean society, bancroft, george (historian), bennington, battle of, , berghurst, lady, bible, baskerville, at hollis street church, billiard room, _biographical sketches_, black brook, blackburn (painter), bloody brook (deerfield), boardman, offin, , , booth (slave), - booth's bin (adams house), boston, massachusetts, , , , , , , , , , , , , , boston harbor, boston massacre, boston port bill, boston tea party, , bowdoin college, , bowie, captain, bradford, massachusetts, braintree, massachusetts, bricks, , , , , , , , bristol, rhode island, - brown, reverend arthur, , brunswick, maine, , bryant, david, buckets, fire, , bunker hill, , , , , burgoyne, general, burnett, william, burr, aaron, , madam, thaddeus, burrill, sarah, burying hill, newburyport, byfield, massachusetts, , byfield, judge, cabot, joseph, cabot house, cæsar (slave), calhoun, john c., cambridge, massachusetts, , , , , - card room, carleton, mr., carolinas, the, carpet, first, carriages, , , , , cartaret, governor, castle island, cato (slave), - ceilings, , , cemetery on stark estate, chambers, , , - , , , , , , , , secret, , charles ii, charles v of france, chebacco, chimneys, , , , , , , , , , , , china (_see_ ware) christ church, cilley, jonathan, clay, henry, cleveland, president, closets, , , secret, , , , , , coats of arms, , coddington, william, coddington chamber, coffin, oliphalet, mr., collections, historic, , , collins, judge benager, house, colonial dames of massachusetts, committee of safety, concord, massachusetts, , concord, new hampshire, , conelly, horace, , , confiscation act, constitution, the, , constitutional convention of , continental army, , , , , , , , , , continental board of war, continental congress, continental navy, cook, captain, elisha, , cooke, mary, middleton, cooke family, , copley (painter), , corwan (_see_ curwin) council chamber, , court of st james, _courtship of miles standish_, courtyards, , , , , craddock, governor, craigie, andrew, - mrs., , , , craigie bridge, craigie house (_see_ longfellow) cromwell, oliver, cupolas, , curwin, jonathan, samuel, dalton, mary, michael, - , philemon, ruth, tristram, , - , portrait of, , , dalton, carriages, , , dalton coat of arms, dalton family, , , - dalton house, , - dalton vessels, , dalton wealth, , danvers, massachusetts, - davenport, captain, davis, jefferson, letter from, - dawes, ruth, william, picture of, deblois, louis, declaration of independence, , derby, elias hasket, , elizabeth, derby mansion, , derby square (salem), derby wharf, derry, new hampshire, dewolf, alicia, charles, henry, , jim (captain), mark anthony, william, dewolf family, dexter, lord timothy, dickens, charles, dining-rooms, , , , , , , , , , , , , , dixie, miss, doorways, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , dorchester, massachusetts, dorchester heights, dover, new hampshire, , downing, emmanuel, sir george, drawing-rooms, , , , , , , dudley, joseph (governor), , katherine, portrait of, thomas, dummer, jane, jeremiah, , madam, richard, , - william (governor), - portrait of, dunbarton, new hampshire, , - east cambridge, massachusetts, east weir, new hampshire, eaton, nicholas, elmwood, empire period, , , , endicott, john (governor), , william crowninshield, england, , , , , , , , , , essex, agricultural society of, _essex_ (frigate), essex county, , _evangeline_, everett, edward, exeter, new hampshire, - fairfield, , "faithful pompey," grave of, fanlights, , , , , federal convention, party, felton, cornelius g., , fences, , , , iron, fifty-ninth regiment, fireplaces, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , first regiment essex county militia, flint, alice, flynt, dorothy, henry (tutor), , folsom, dorothea, fort pickering, fort william, fourth military company of salem, fourth regiment of militia, frankland, sir henry, , franklin, benjamin, , franklin pierce house, - frescoes, _friends_ (frigate), fry, colonel james, furnace brook, furniture, , , , , , , , , , , , , , - , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , - , , , adams, , chippendale, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , dutch, , , , empire, , , , field, , , french, hepplewhite, , , , , , , , , , , , sheraton, , , , , , , , , , , , , , spanish, windsor, , , , , gables, gage, general (governor), , , gardens, , , , , , , , , , general court, , , , , , , , , george iii, georgetown, d.c., gerry, elbridge, gilman, john taylor, - , nathaniel (captain), nathaniel (colonel), , nicholas (colonel), - , nicholas, jr., , gilman family, glass, american, , , english, , glover, colonel, gool, mrs., granary burying ground, grate, hob, great river (_see_ parker) greene, general, greenleaf's lane, grey, william, grill room, groveland, massachusetts, - guest room, hale, nathan, halifax, nova scotia, hall (painter), halls, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , hancock, new hampshire, hancock, john, , , , , , , madame, , hancock house, hartford, connecticut, harvard university, , , , , , , , , , harvard law school, harvard observatory, hathaway house, haverhill, massachusetts, - , hawthorne, nathaniel, , , , , , , , , , , , , , portrait of, hawthorne family, "hepzibah, miss" (_see_ pyncheon) "hey bonnie hall," - _hiawatha_, "highfield," hillard, george s., hillsboro, new hampshire, - hillsboro bridge, hillsboro centre, hilton, martha, - , hinges, strap, , , , , , , wrought, , hodges, hannah, "holgrave," hollanders, guild of, holmes street church, holmes, oliver wendell, hooper, robert (king), , , , , ruth, hopkin's fleet, houses, adams, - , cabot, collins, craigie (_see_ longfellow) cross-shaped, dalton, , - derby, dummer, - first, frame, hathaway, "hey bonnie hall," - "house of seven gables," - john hancock, kittredge, - ladd-gilman, - lee, - longfellow, , , , , - macphaedris-warner (_see_ warner) mansion (_see_ starke) middleton hall, england, mount vernon, , oak hill (_see_ rogers) old witch, page, , peter parker (_see_ savory) pickering, - pierce, - province, quincy, - rogers, - royall, , - saltonstall, - savory, - spencer-pierce, - sprague, square, stark, - "the lindens," - types of, , , , , , warner, - wentworth, - house of seven gables structure of, house of seven gables settlement, howe, gurdon saltonstall , mrs. gurdon saltonstall, isaac r., howe's neck, massachusetts, hull, hannah, john, hutchinson, anne, _hyperion_, independence hall, philadelphia, indians, , , , , , portraits of, indian war, ingersoll, horace, - , samuel (captain), susan, susannah, , , portrait of, ingersoll family, ipswich, , iron works, first, , jackson, edward, president, portrait of, jefferson, thomas, josephine, empress, kent, duke of, king philip's war, king's council, , "king's trees," kitchens, , , , , , kit's dancing hall, kittredge, doctor john, , doctor joseph, , doctor thomas, , , - , elizabeth, kittredge family, kittredge house, - knockers, , , , , , , knox, general, ladd, nathaniel, ladd family, ladd-gilman house, - lady catherine (doll), lafayette, george washington, marquis de, , , , , , , , langdon, john, governor, lawson, cecil g., lean-to, , , lee, general, , jeremiah (colonel), , , , , , martha, lee family, lee house, - leghorn, italy, leslie, mr., letters, autograph, , , , to franklin pierce, - leverett, john (governor), , lexington, massachusetts, , libraries, - , , , , , lidgett, charles, , lidgett, elizabeth, peter, light infantry, first company of, "lindens, the," - lisbon, spain, little, mary, little harbor, new hampshire, - living-rooms, , , , , , , , , london, england, , londonderry, new hampshire, longfellow, anne, , , , , henry wadsworth, , , , - william, , longfellow family, longfellow house, , , , , - lotus pond, louisburg, nova scotia, lyon, mary, macphaedris archibald (captain), - portrait of, mary, portrait of, macphaedris family, macphaedris house (_see_ warner) "madonna," maine, , malbone (painter), manchester-by-the-sea, mansion house (see stark) mantels, , , , , , , , , manuscripts, , marblehead, massachusetts, , , , , - , , , marcy, william h., portrait of, marsh, mr., _mary and john, the_, mason, mr., alfred, masonic meetings, massachusetts bay colony, mather, president of harvard, maule, matthew, mcgregor crest, mcintire, samuel, , , , , , , , , , mcneil, general, john (lieutenant), portrait of, john, mrs., portrait of, mcneil family, , mead's ford, means, jane, medford, massachusetts, , , - , medford square, merrimac river, , , mexican war, , middleton, arthur, henry, mrs., nathaniel russell, portrait of, middleton bookplate, middleton family, , , middleton hall, england, mill, stark estate, mill pond, millwood, anne, elizabeth, thomas, _minerva_, miniatures, mirrors, , , , , , monroe, president, , moody, samuel, morgan, j. pierpont, morning-room, mornington, lady, portrait of, morris, robert, , portrait of, robert, mrs., morris family, morse, samuel f. b., mount holyoke college, mount vernon, , muster day, mystic river, , , napoleon, , netherlands, the, newbury, massachusetts, - , - , - newburyport, massachusetts, , , - , - new jersey, newman, mr., new orleans, louisiana, , ninth regiment, norfolk county, north andover, massachusetts, - north bridge, north pariah, oak hill (_see_ rogers house) ohio, "old manse," old witch house, oliver, elizabeth, henry k., lieutenant-governor, oliver family, osgood, major samuel, _our old home_, ovens, , , , , , , "overhang," the, oyapoc, page, enoch, page home, , panelling, - , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , papoosesquaw neck, parker, moses, , parker controversy, parker family, , parker river, , , , parlors, , , , , , , , , , , parmigiana, , passage, secret, , , peabody, francis, , george, joseph, peabody, massachusetts, - peabody family, peacock inn, england, pentucket club, pepperrell, sir william (sparhawk), expedition, peter parker house (_see_ savory) pewter, , , , philadelphia, pennsylvania, , phillips, joshua, phipps, elizabeth, lieutenant-governor, piano, "hey bonnie hall," pickering, john, , , , , , - theophilus, , timothy (colonel), , , , - pickering family, pickering house, - pictures, , , , , , , , , - , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , pierce, anne, benjamin (governor), , , , , portrait of, , benjamin, mrs., portrait of, , charles, daniel, , , franklin (president), , , - , , , , , , portrait of, joshua, kirk, william, pierce family, , , pierce house, - pierson, james, pipestave farm, pipestave hill, , pitman, molly, plates, porches, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , porter sign, portraits (_see_ pictures) portsmouth, new hampshire, , - , , , , , prisoner's room (ladd-gilman house), privateers, province charter, province committee of safety and supplies, province house, provincial congress, prints (_see_ pictures) putnam, amos (doctor), general, hannah, pyncheon, alice, clifford, , , colonel, hepzibah, , , judge, , phoebe, , quanto (indian), , quebec, queen victoria, quincy, edmund, , dorothy ("q"), , , , , , portrait of, , josiah, judith, quincy, massachusetts, - , quincy house, - quincy room, relics, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , revolutionary army, revolutionary war, , , , , , , , , , , , reynolds, sir joshua, rhode island, rogers, mrs. jacob c., house, - roofs, dutch, gambrel, , , , , ornamented, , pitched, sloping, , , rouseley, england, roxbury, massachusetts, royall, elizabeth, isaac, , - , portrait of, penelope, , william, royall chariot, royall family, royall house, , - royall house association, royall oak tavern, royall professorship of law, rumford, count, russia, salem, massachusetts, - , , , , , , , , , salisbury, massachusetts, saltonstall, dudley, guidon, leverett, nathaniel (doctor), , - , nathaniel (judge), , richard, , richard (colonel), sally, sir richard, saltonstall day book, saltonstall family, , , saltonstall house, - saltonstall, lake, , salvator rosa, savory house, - schoolhouse, stark estate, scotland, sewall, anne, hannah, henry, , , samuel (judge), , , , shaw, miss, sherburne family, shortridge, richard, shute, samuel (colonel), , silhouette, silver, , , , , , sims, doctor, - sixty-fourth royal infantry, slave quarters, , , , slaves, , , , , , , , , , smibert (painter), south parish, south river, south society, sparks, jared, spencer, john, - , sprague, joseph, , sarah, squantum, massachusetts, st. andrew, agnes, st. etienne, (_see_ dewolf) staircases, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , secret, - , - stamp act riot, stark, archibald, caleb (major), , , , , , , , charles morris, charles morris, mrs., charlotte, , portrait of, harriet, john (general), , , , portrait of, madam, molly, - stark family, , stark house, - stark schoolhouse, state room, , stearns, william, steele, governor, stoughton, captain, stoves, franklin, , , , streets, chapel (portsmouth), chestnut (salem), , daniel (portsmouth), derby (salem), , , essex (salem), federal (salem), main (medford), merrimack (haverhill), province (boston), school (boston), state (newburyport), , , tremont (boston), turner (salem), washington (marblehead), water (exeter), stuart, gilbert, , , , jane, suffolk county, sullivan, general, summer-houses, , - , sumner, charles, surriage, agnes, , swords, tailer, lieutenant-governor, talleyrand, , , taylor, anne, ten hills farm, tewksbury, thompson (painter), tidd, jacob, tiles, , , , , , dutch, , , scriptural, , , , , - tories, the, tory row, , tracy, nathaniel, - , tracy family, treasury room, , trees, oak hill, - stark estate, , trinidad, tudor period, turf and twig ceremony, turner, john, turner family, , , , "twelfth night party," types of houses, , , , , , upton, mr., upton family, usher, lieutenant-governor, van dyke, vane, sir harry, , varnum, john, vassall, elizabeth, henry, , john, , - , "major," leonard, vassall family, , vinton, frederick, virginia, waldron, secretary, portrait of, westbrook, portrait of, wallpaper, , , - , , , , , , , , oriental, scenic, , zuber, walls, , , , , , , , ward, elizabeth, john, ware, , , , bennington, canton, chelsea, dresden, lowestoft, , , lustre, salt glaze, sevres, staffordshire, tokio, warner, honorable jonathan, - portrait of, , mary, portrait of, warner house, - washington, d.c., , washington, president, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , martha, , watertown, massachusetts, , weatherby's black horse tavern, webster, daniel, , , , portrait of, , wellington, duke of, portrait of, wendell, elizabeth, wentworth, bennington (governor), , john (governor), , , , , martha, , michael, sarah, sir john, wentworth family, wentworth house, - wessacumcon, west, benjamin, nathaniel, , west indies, , west newbury, massachusetts, , wheelwright, reverend john, , white, honorable leonard, samuel, whitfield, reverend mr., whittier, john g., joseph, windows, , , arched, , barred, casement, colonial, , diamond-paned, , , domed, dormer, , , , , , lutheran, recessed, , , stained glass, winter island, winthrop, governor, , , , , wise, reverend john, woburn, massachusetts, woodbridge, massachusetts, woodbury, judge, wood-carving, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , woods, english oak, pumpkin pine, white oak, , , , , white pine, , , , , , , worcester, joseph emerson, wyoming, yorkshire, england, homes of american statesmen. [illustration: birth-place of henry clay] hartford. [illustration: marshfield, residence of daniel webster] homes of american statesmen: with anecdotical, personal, and descriptive sketches, by various writers. illustrated with engravings on wood, from drawings by dÖpler and daguerreotypes: and fac-similes of autograph letters. hartford: published by o.d. case & co. london: sampson low, son & co. m.dccc.lvi. entered according to act of congress, in the year , by o.d. case & co., in the clerk's office of the district court of the united states, for the district of connecticut. publishers' notice. we need hardly commend to the american public this attempt to describe and familiarize the habitual dwelling-places of some of the more eminent of our statesmen. in bringing together such particulars as we could gather, of the homes of the men to whom we owe our own, we feel that we have performed an acceptable and not unnecessary service. the generation who were too well acquainted with these intimate personal circumstances to think of recording them, is fast passing away; and their successors, while acknowledging a vast debt of gratitude, might still forget to preserve and cherish the individual and private memories of the benefactors of our country and race. we therefore present our contribution to the national annals with confidence, hoping that in all respects the present volume will be found no unworthy or unwelcome successor of the "homes of american authors." dr. r.w. griswold having been prevented by ill health from contributing an original paper on marshall, we have availed ourselves, with his kind permission, of the sketch which he prepared for the "prose writers of america." all the other papers in the present volume have been written expressly for it: and the best acknowledgments of the publishers are due to the several contributors for the zealous interest and ability to which these sketches bear witness. for several of the original letters which we have copied in _fac-simile_, we are indebted to the kindness of the rev. dr. sprague of albany. the drawing of the residence of the "washington family," and a few of the smaller cuts, have been copied, with some variations, from mr. lossing's very valuable work, "the field-book of the revolution." most of the other illustrations have been engraved from original drawings, or daguerreotypes taken for the purpose. contents. page washington mrs. c.m. kirkland franklin c.f. briggs jefferson parke godwin hancock richard hildreth john adams clarence cook patrick henry edward w. johnston madison edward w. johnston jay william s. thayer hamilton james c. carter marshall r.w. griswold, d.d. ames james b. thayer john quincy adams david lee child jackson parke godwin rufus king charles king, l.l.d. clay horace greeley calhoun parke godwin clinton t. romeyn beck, m.d. story francis howland wheaton webster henry c. deming illustrations. page marshfield, residence of daniel webster frontispiece birth-place of henry clay cover page site of washington's birth-place greenough's statue of washington houdon's statue of washington chantrey's statue of washington residence of the washington family mount vernon tomb of washington's mother washington's headquarters, cambridge, washington's pearl-street, new-york, . house no. broadway, new-york washington's headquarters, morristown, n.j., washington's headquarters, chad's ford, washington's headquarters, white marsh, washington's headquarters, valley forge, washington's headquarters, tappan, washington's headquarters, newburgh, n.y. washington's headquarters, rocky hill, n.j., mount vernon, rear view house of the first presidential levee, cherry-street, new-york washington's tomb old south church, boston grave of franklin, philadelphia franklin's monument, boston monticello, jefferson's residence hancock house, boston, residence of the adams family, quincy, mass. residence of patrick henry, va. old church at richmond, va. old court house, va. montpelier, madison's residence jay's residence, bedford, n.y. ball hughes' statue of hamilton hamilton's residence, near manhattanville, n.y. monument to hamilton, trinity church-yard, n.y. marshall's house at richmond, va. birth-place of john quincy adams hermitage, residence of jackson rufus king's house, near jamaica, l.i. ashland, residence of henry clay clay's birth-place clinton's residence, maspeth, l.i. h.k. brown's statue of clinton story's house at cambridge, mass. wheaton's residence near copenhagen webster's birthplace =fac-similes of letters.= washington. franklin. jefferson. hancock. john adams. patrick henry. madison. john jay. marshall. ames. john quincy adams. jackson. rufus king. henry clay calhoun. dewitt clinton. story. wheaton. webster. =washington.= [illustration: washington fac-simile of letter] [illustration: site of washington's birth-place] washington. -- . to see great men at home is often more pleasant to the visitor than advantageous to the hero. men's lives are two-fold, and the life of habit and instinct is not often, on superficial view, strictly consistent with the other--the more deliberate, intentional and principled one, which taxes only the higher powers. yet, perhaps, if our rules of judgment were more humane and more sincere, we should find less discrepancy than it has been usual to imagine, and what there is would be more indulgently accounted for. the most common-place man has an inner and an outer life, which, if displayed separately, might never be expected to belong to the same individual; and it would be impossible for him to introduce his dearest friend into the sanctum, where, as in a spiritual laboratory, his words and actions originate and are prepared for use. yet we could accuse him of no hypocrisy on this ground. the thing is so because nature says it should be so, and we must be content with her truth and harmony, even if they be not ours. so with regard to public and domestic life. if we pursue our hero to his home, it should be in a home-spirit--a spirit of affection, not of impertinent intrusion or ungenerous cavil. if we lift the purple curtains of the tent in which our weary knight reposes, when he has laid aside his heavy armor and put on his gown of ease, it is not as malicious servants may pry into the privacy of their superiors, but as friends love to penetrate the charmed circle within which disguises and defences are not needed, and personal interest may properly take the place of distant admiration and respect. in no other temper is it lawful, or even decent, to follow the great actors on life's stage to their retirement; and if they be benefactors, the greater the shame if we coolly criticize what was never meant for any but loving eyes. the private life of him who is supereminently the hero of every true american heart, is happily sacred from disrespectful scrutiny, but less happily closed to the devout approach of those who would look upon it with more than filial reverence. this is less remarkable than it may at first sight appear to us who know his merit. the george washington of early times was a splendid youth, but his modesty was equal to his other great qualities, and his foresee the noon of such a morning. and when the first stirring time was over, and the young soldier settled himself quietly at mount vernon, as a country gentleman, a member of the virginia house of burgesses, a vigorous farmer and tobacco planter, a churchwarden in two parishes, and a staid married man with two step-children, to whom he was an active and faithful guardian, no one thought of recording his life and doings, any more than those of his brother planters on the potomac, all landed men, deer and fox-hunters and zealous fishermen, who visited each other in the hospitable southern fashion, and lived in rustic luxury, very much within themselves. few, indeed, compared with the longings of our admiration, are the particulars that have come down to us of washington's home--the home of his natural affections; but he had many homes of duty, and these the annals of his country will ever keep in grateful memory. through these our present design is to trace his career, succinctly and imperfectly indeed, and with the diffidence which a character so august naturally inspires. happily, many deficiencies in our sketch will be supplied by the intimate knowledge and the inborn reverence of a large proportion of our readers. it seems to be a conceded point that ours is not the age of reverence, nor our country its home. while the masses were nothing and individuals every thing, gods or demigods were the natural product of every public emergency and relief. mankind in general, ignorant, and of course indolent, only too happy to be spared the labor of thought and the responsibility of action, looked up to the great and the fortunate till their eyes were dazzled, and they saw characters and exploits through a glorious golden mist, which precluded criticism. it was easy, then, to be a hero, for a single success or a happy chance sufficed. altars sprang up in every bye-road, and incense fumed without stint or question. to-day the case is widely different. we give nothing for nothing. whatever esteem or praise we accord, must be justified, inch by inch, by facts tangible and productive, successes undimmed by any after failure, and qualities which owe nothing to imagination or passion in the observer. no aureole is allowed about any head unless it emanate from it. our apollo must actually have sent the shaft, and to the mark, too, or we sneer at the attitude of triumph. if we erect a statue, no robe is confessed to be proper drapery but the soiled and threadbare one of every-day life and toil. no illusion--no poetry! is the american maxim of our time. bald, staring, naked literality for us! he is the true philosopher who can peep and botanize upon his mother's grave if the flowers required by science happen to grow there. all this may be very wise and knowing, yet as long as the machine called man has something within it which is not exactly a subject for mathematical measurement, there will remain some little doubt of the expediency of thus stripping life of its poetry, and bringing all that is inspiring to the test of line and plummet. just now, however, there is no hearing for any argument on this side. [illustration: greenough's statue of washington] what shall we think, then, of a character which, in a single half century, has begun, even among us, to wear something of a mythical splendor? what must the man have been, whom an age like this deliberately deifies? who but washington has, in any age, secured for himself such a place in the universal esteem and reverence of his countrymen, that simple description of him is all that can be tolerated, the public sense of his merits being such as makes praise impertinent, and blame impious? washington! it were almost enough to grace our page and our volume with this honored and beloved name. the commentary upon it is written in every heart. it is true the most anxious curiosity has been able to find but a small part of what it would fain know of the first man of all the earth, yet no doubt remains as to what he was, in every relation of life. the minutiæ may not be full, but the outline, in which resides the expression, is perfect. it were too curious to inquire how much of washington would have been lost had the rural life of which he was so fond, bounded his field of action. providence made the stage ready for the performer, as the performer for the stage. in his public character, he was not the man of the time, but for the time, bearing in his very looks the seal of a grand mission, and seeming, from his surprising dignity, to have no private domestic side. greenough's marble statue of him, that sits unmoved under all the vicissitudes of storm and calm, gazing with unwinking eyes at the capitol, is not more impassive or immovable than the washington of our imaginations. yet we know there must have been another side to this grand figure, less grand, perhaps, but not less symmetrical, and wonderfully free from those lowering discrepancies which bring nearer to our own level all other great, conspicuous men. [illustration: houdon's statue of washington.] we ought to know more of him; but, besides the other reasons we have alluded to for our dearth of intelligence, his was not a writing age on this side the water. doing, not describing, was the business of the day. "our own correspondent" was not born yet; desperate tourists had not yet forced their way into gentlemen's drawing-rooms, to steal portraits by pen and pencil, to inquire into dates and antecedents, and repay enforced hospitality by holding the most sacred personalities up to the comments of the curious. it would, indeed, be delightful to possess this kind of knowledge; to ascertain how george washington of fairfax appeared to the sturdy country gentlemen, his neighbors; what the "troublesome man" he speaks of in one of his letters thought of the rich planter he was annoying; whether mr. payne was proud or ashamed when he remembered that he had knocked down the father of his country in a public court-room; what amount of influence, not to say rule, mrs. martha custis, with her large fortune, exercised over the commander-in-chief of the armies of the united states. but rarer than all it would have been to see washington himself deal with one of those gentry, who should have called at mount vernon with a view of favoring the world with such particulars. how he treated poachers of another sort we know; he mounted his horse, and dashing into the water, rode directly up to the muzzle of a loaded musket, which he wrenched from the astounded intruder, and then, drawing the canoe to land, belabored the scamp soundly with his riding whip. how he would have faced a loaded pen, and received its owner, we can but conjecture. we have heard an old gentleman, who had lived in the neighborhood of mount vernon in his boyhood, say that when the general found any stranger shooting in his grounds, his practice was to take the gun without a word, and, passing the barrel through the fence, with one effort of his powerful arm, bend it so as to render it useless, returning it afterwards very quietly, perhaps observing that his rules were very well known. the whole neighborhood, our old friend said, feared the general, not because of any caprice or injustice in his character, but only for his inflexibility, which must have had its own trials on a southern plantation at that early day. [illustration: chantrey's statue of washington] painting and sculpture have done what they could to give us an accurate and satisfying idea of the outward appearance of the father of our country, and a surpassing dignity has been the aim if not the result, of all these efforts. the statue by chantrey, which graces the state house at boston, is perhaps as successful as any in this respect, and white marble is of all substances the most appropriate for the purpose. from all, collectively, we derive the impression, or something more, that in washington we have one of the few examples on record of a complete and splendid union and consent of personal and mental qualifications for greatness in the same individual; unsurpassed symmetry and amplitude of mind and body for once contributing to the efficiency of a single being, to whom, also, opportunities for development and action proved no less propitious than nature. in the birth, nurture and destiny of this man, so blest in all good gifts, providence seems to have intended the realization of milton's ideal type of glorious manhood: a creature who, endued with sanctity of reason, might erect his stature, and, upright, with front serene, govern the rest, self-knowing; and from thence, magnanimous, to correspond with heaven; but, grateful to acknowledge whence his good descends, thither, with heart and voice and eyes, directed in devotion, to adore and worship god supreme, who made him chief of all his works. we may the more naturally think this because washington was so little indebted to school learning for his mental power. born in a plain farm-house near the potomac--a hallowed spot now marked only by a memorial stone and a clump of decaying fig-trees, probably coeval with the dwelling; none but the simplest elements of knowledge were within his reach, for although his father was a gentleman of large landed estate, the country was thinly settled and means of education were few. to these he applied himself with a force and steadiness even then remarkable, though with no view more ambitious than to prepare himself for the agricultural pursuits to which he was destined, by a widowed mother, eminent for common sense and high integrity. his mother, characteristically enough, for she was much more practical than imaginative, always spoke of him as a docile and diligent boy, passionately fond of athletic exercises, rather than as a brilliant or ambitious one. in after years, when la fayette was recounting to her, in florid phrase, but with the generous enthusiasm which did him so much honor, the glorious services and successes of her son, she replied--"i am not surprised; george was always a good boy!" and this simple phrase from a mother who never uttered a superfluous word, throws a clear light on his early history. then we have, besides, remnants of his school-exercises in arithmetic and geometry, beautiful in neatness, accuracy and method. at thirteen his mathematical turn had begun to discover itself, and the precision and elegance of his handwriting were already remarkable. his precocious wisdom would seem at that early age to have cast its horoscope, for we have thirty pages of forms for the transaction of important business, all copied out beautifully; and joined to this direct preparation for his future career are "rules of civility and decent behaviour in company and conversation," to the number of one hundred and ten, all pointing distinctly at self-control and respect for the rights of others, rather than at a chesterfieldian polish or policy, and these he learned so well that he practised them unfailingly all his life after. [illustration: residence of the washington family.] a farm in stafford county on the rappahannoc, where his father had lived for several years before his death, was his share of the paternal estate, and on this he lived with his mother, till he had completed his sixteenth year. he desired to enter the british navy, as a path to honorable distinction, and one of his half brothers, many years older than himself, had succeeded in obtaining a warrant for him; but the mother's reluctance to part with her eldest boy induced him to relinquish this advantage, and to embrace instead the laborious and trying life of a surveyor, in those rude, early days of virginia exposed to extraordinary hazards. upon this he entered immediately, accepting employment offered him by lord fairfax, who had come from england to ascertain the value of an immense tract of land which he had inherited, lying between the potomac and rappahannoc rivers, and extending beyond the alleghanies. the surveying party was accompanied by william fairfax, a distant relative of his lordship, but the boy of sixteen was evidently the most important member of the party. when the hardships of this undertaking became too exhausting, he returned to the more settled regions, and employed himself in laying out private tracts and farms, but he spent the greater part of three years in the wilderness, learning the value of lands, becoming acquainted with the habits and character of the wild indian tribes, then so troublesome in the forests, and fitting himself by labor, study, the endurance of personal hardships and the exercise of vigilance and systematic effort, for the arduous path before him. at nineteen washington had made so favorable an impression that he was appointed, by the government of virginia, adjutant-general with the rank of major, and charged with the duty of assembling and exercising the militia, in preparation for expected or present difficulties on the frontier. he had always shown a turn for military affairs, beginning with his school-days, when his favorite play was drilling troops of boys, he himself always taking command; and noticeable again in his early manhood, when he studied tactics, and learned the manual exercise and the use of the sword. it was not long before the talent thus cultivated was called into action. governor dinwiddie sent major washington as commissioner to confer with the officer commanding the french forces, making the delicate inquiry by what authority he presumed to invade the dominions of his majesty king george iii., and what were his designs. a winter journey of seven hundred and fifty miles, at least half of which lay through an unbroken wilderness, haunted by wild beasts, and more formidable savages, was the first duty of the youthful major under this commission, and it occupied six weeks, marked by many hardships and some adventures. the famous one of the raft on a half-frozen river, in which washington narrowly escaped drowning, and the other of a malcontent indian's firing on him, occurred during this journey; but he reached the french post in safety, and had an amicable, though not very satisfactory conference, with the sieur st. pierre, a courteous gentleman, but a wily old soldier. governor dinwiddie caused major washington's account of the expedition to be published, and when a little army was formed for the protection of the frontier, washington received a command, with the rank of colonel, at twenty-two years of age. advancing at once into the wilderness, he encountered a french detachment, which he took prisoners, with their commander, and so proceeded during the remainder of the season, with general success. the next year, serving as a volunteer, it was his painful lot, when just recovering from a severe illness, to witness braddock's defeat, a misfortune which, it is unanimously conceded, might have been avoided, if general braddock had not been too proud to take his young friend's prudent counsel. all that an almost frantic bravery could do to retrieve the fortunes of this disastrous day, washington, whom we are in the habit of thinking immovable, and who was at this time weak from the effects of fever, is reported to have done; and the fact that he had two horses shot under him, and his coat well riddled with rifle balls, shows how unsparingly he exposed himself to the enemy's sharp-shooters. a spectator says--"i saw him take hold of a brass field-piece as if it had been a stick. he looked like a fury; he tore the sheet lead from the touch-hole; he pulled with this and pushed with that; and wheeled it round as if it had been nothing. the powder-monkey rushed up with the fire, and then the cannon began to bark, and the indians came down." nothing but defeat and disgrace was the result of this unhappy encounter, except to washington, who in that instance, as in so many others, stood out, individual and conspicuous, by qualities so much in advance of those of all the men with whom he acted, that no misfortune or disaster ever caused him to be confounded with them, or included in the most hasty general censure. it is most instructive as well as interesting to observe that his mind, never considered brilliant, was yet recognized from the beginning as almost infallible in its judgments, a tower of strength for the weak, a terror to the selfish and dishonest. the uneasiness of governor dinwiddie under washington's superiority is accounted for only by the fact that that superiority was unquestionable. [illustration: mount vernon] after braddock's defeat, washington retired to mount vernon,--which had fallen to him by the will of his half-brother lawrence--to recoup his mind and body, after a wasting fever and the distressing scenes he had been forced to witness. the country rang with his praises, and even the pulpit could not withhold its tribute. the reverend samuel davies hardly deserves the reputation of a prophet for saying, in the course of a eulogy on the bravery of the virginian troops,--"as a remarkable instance of this, i may point out that heroic youth, colonel washington, whom i cannot but hope providence has hitherto preserved in so signal a manner for some important service to his country." when another army was to be raised for frontier service, the command was given to washington, who stipulated for a voice in choosing his officers, a better system of military regulations, more promptness in paying the troops, and a thorough reform in the system of procuring supplies. all these were granted, with the addition of an aid-de-camp and secretary, to the young colonel of twenty-three. but he nevertheless had to encounter the evils of insubordination, inactivity, perverseness and disunion among the troops, with the further vexation of deficient support on the part of the government, while the terrors and real dangers and sufferings of the inhabitants of the outer settlements wrung his heart with anguish. in one of his many expostulatory letters to the timid and time-serving governor dinwiddie, his feelings burst their usual guarded bounds: "i am too little acquainted, sir, with pathetic language, to attempt a description of the people's distresses; but i have a generous soul, sensible of wrongs and swelling for redress. but what can i do? i see their situation, know their danger and participate in their sufferings, without having it in my power to give them further relief than uncertain promises. in short, i see inevitable destruction in so clear a light, that unless vigorous measures are taken by the assembly, and speedy assistance sent from below, the poor inhabitants that are now in forts must unavoidably fall, while the remainder are flying before a barbarous foe. in fine, the melancholy situation of the people, the little prospect of assistance, the gross and scandalous abuse cast upon the officers in general, which reflects upon me in particular for suffering misconduct of such extraordinary kinds, and the distant prospect, if any, of gaining honor and reputation in the service, cause me to lament the hour that gave me a commission, and would induce me, at any other time than this of imminent danger, to resign, without one hesitating moment, a command from which i never expect to reap either honor or benefit; but, on the contrary, have almost an absolute certainty of incurring displeasure below, while the murder of helpless families may be laid to my account here. the supplicating tears of the women and moving petitions of the men melt me into such deadly sorrow, that i solemnly declare, if i know my own mind, i could offer myself a willing sacrifice to the butchering enemy, provided that would contribute to the people's ease." [illustration: tomb of washington's mother.] this extract is given as being very characteristic; full of that fire whose volcanic intensity was so carefully covered under the snow of caution in after life; and also as a specimen of washington's style of writing, clear, earnest, commanding and business-like, but deficient in all express graces, and valuable rather for substance than form. we see in his general tone of expression something of that resolute mother, who, when her son, already the first man in public estimation, urged her to make mount vernon her home for the rest of her days, tersely replied--"i thank you for your affectionate and dutiful offers, but my wants are few in this world, and i feel perfectly competent to take care of myself." directness is the leading trait in the style of both mother and son; if either used circumlocution, it was rather through deliberateness than for diplomacy. indeed, the alleged indebtedness of great sons to strong mothers, can hardly find a more prominent support than in this case. what a roman pair they were! if her heart failed her a little, sometimes, as what mother's heart must not, in view of toils, sacrifices, and dangers like his; if she argued towards the softer side, how he answered her, appealing to her stronger self: mount vernon, th aug., . "honored madam, "if it is in my power to avoid going to the ohio again, i shall; but if the command is passed upon me by the general voice of the country, and offered upon such terms as cannot be objected against, it would reflect dishonor upon me to refuse it; and that, i am sure, must, or ought to, give you greater uneasiness than my going in an honorable command. upon no other terms will i accept of it. at present i have no proposals made to me, nor have i advice of such an intention, except from private hands. "i am, &c." when the object for which he had undertaken the campaign--viz.: the undisturbed possession of the ohio river--was accomplished, washington resigned his commission, after five years of active and severe service, his health much broken and his private affairs not a little disordered. the resignation took effect in december, , and in january, , he was married, and, as he supposed, finally settled at mount vernon--or, as he expresses it in his quiet way--"fixed at this seat, with an agreeable partner for life, i hope to find more happiness in retirement than i ever experienced amidst the wide and bustling world." and in liberal and elegant improvements, and the exercise of a generous hospitality, the young couple spent the following fifteen years; the husband attending to his duties as citizen and planter, with ample time and inclination for fox-hunting and duck-shooting, and the wife, a kind, comely, thrifty dame, looking well to the ways of her household, superintending fifteen domestic spinning-wheels, and presiding at a bountiful table, to the great satisfaction of her husband and his numerous guests. when the spirit of the people began to rise against the exactions of the mother country, washington was among the foremost to sympathize with the feeling of indignation, and the desire to resist, peaceably, if possible, forcibly if necessary. of this, his letters afford ample proof. when armed resistance was threatened, washington was immediately thought of as the virginia leader. when congress began, in earnest, preparations for defence, washington was chairman of all the committees on the state of the country. when the very delicate business of appointing a commander-in-chief of the american armies was under consideration, washington was the man whose name was on every tongue, and who was unanimously chosen, and that by the direct instrumentality of a son of massachusetts, though that noble state, having commenced the struggle, might well have claimed the honor of furnishing a leader for it. what generosity of patriotism there was, in the men of those days, and how a common indignation and a common danger seem to have raised them above the petty jealousies and heart-burnings that so disfigure public doings in time of peace and prosperity! how the greatness of the great man blazed forth on this new field! what an attitude he took before the country, when he said, on accepting the position, "i beg leave to assure the congress that as no pecuniary consideration could have tempted me to accept this arduous employment, at the expense of my domestic ease and happiness, i do not wish to make any profit from it. i will keep an exact account of my expenses. these, i doubt not they will discharge, and that is all i desire." there was a natural, unconscious sovereignty in thus assuming to be the judge of what it might be proper to expend, in concerns the most momentous, extensive, and novel, as well as in taking the entire risk, both of payment and of public approbation,--in a direction in which he had already found the sensitiveness of the popular mind,--that equals any boldness of napoleon's. we can hardly wonder that, in after times, common men instinctively desired and expected to make him a king. the battle of bunker hill had taken place in the time that intervened between washington's consent and the receipt of his commission, so that he set out for cambridge, with no lingering doubt as to the nature, meaning, or result of the service in which he had pledged all. he writes to his brother, "i am embarked on a wide ocean, boundless in its prospect, and in which, perhaps, no safe harbor is to be found." his residence at cambridge, a fine old mansion, still stands, and in worthy occupancy. here it was that he undertook the intolerable duty of organizing a young army, without clothes, tents, ammunition, or money, with a rich, bitter and disciplined enemy in sight, and boiling blood on both sides. here it was that general gage, with whom he had fought, side by side, twenty years before, on the monongahela, so exasperated him by insolent replies to his remonstrances against the cruel treatment of american prisoners, that he gave directions for retaliation upon any of the enemy that might fall into american hands. he was, however, washington still, even though burning with a holy anger; and, ere the order could reach its destination, it was countermanded, and a charge given to all concerned that the prisoners should be allowed parole, and that every other proper indulgence and civility should be shown them. his letters to general gage are models of that kind of writing. in writing to lord dartmouth afterwards, the british commander, who had been rebuked with such cutting and deserved severity, observes with great significance, "the trials we have had, show the rebels are not the despicable rabble we have supposed them to be." [illustration: washington's headquarters, cambridge .] washington was not without a stern kind of wit, on certain occasions. when the rock was struck hard, it failed not in fire. the jealousy of military domination was so great as to cause him terrible solicitudes at this time, and a month's enlistments brought only five thousand men, while murmurs were heard on all sides against poor pay and bad living. thinking of this, at a later day, when a member of the convention for forming the constitution, desired to introduce a clause limiting the standing army to five thousand men, washington observed that he should have no objection to such a clause, "if it were so amended as to provide that no enemy should presume to invade the united states with more than _three_ thousand." amid all the discouragements of that heavy time, the resolution of the commander-in-chief suffered no abatement. "my situation is so irksome to me at times," he says after enumerating his difficulties in a few forcible words, "that if i did not consult the public good more than my own tranquillity, i should long ere this have put every thing on the cast of a die." but he goes on to say, in a tone more habitual with him--"if every man was of my mind, the ministers of great britain should know, in a few words, upon what issue the cause should be put. i would not be deceived by artful declarations, nor specious pretences, nor would i be amused by unmeaning propositions, but, in open, undisguised and manly terms, proclaim our wrongs, and our resolution to be redressed. i would tell them that we had borne much, that we had long and ardently sought for reconciliation upon honorable terms; that it had been denied us; that all our attempts after peace had proved abortive, and had been grossly misrepresented; that we had done every thing that could be expected from the best of subjects; that the spirit of freedom rises too high in us to submit to slavery. this i would tell them, not under covert, but in words as clear as the sun in its meridian brightness." [illustration: washington's headquarters, pearl street, new-york .] [illustration: house no. broadway the house no. broadway, opposite the bowling-green, remained unaltered until within a year or two in the shape here presented, in which it had become familiar to all new-yorkers. it was built by captain kennedy of the royal navy, in april, . there lee, washington, and afterwards sir henry clinton, robertson, carleton, and other british officers were quartered, and here andré wrote his letter to arnold.--_lossing._ it was afterwards occupied by aaron burr. very recently, this interesting house, which in new-york may be termed _ancient_, has been metamorphosed by the addition of two or three stories, and it is now _reduced_ to be the washington hotel.] when the british evacuated boston, congress voted washington a gold medal, with abundant thanks and praises; and, thus compensated for the cruel anxieties of the winter, he proceeded with unwavering courage to new-york, where new labors awaited him, and the mortifying defeat at gowanus, turned into almost triumph by the admirable retreat afterwards. the movement from new-york city to harlem heights should have been another glory, and nothing on the part of the commander-in-chief was wanting to make it such, but a panic seized two brigades of militia, who ran away, _sans façon_, causing washington to lose, for a moment, some portion of the power over his own emotions for which he is so justly celebrated. he dashed in among the flying rout, shouting, shaming them, riding exposed within a few yards of the enemy; and, finding this of no avail, drew his sword and threatened to "run them through," and cocked and snapped his pistol in their faces. but all would not do, and general greene says, in a letter to a friend, "he was so vexed at the infamous conduct of the troops, that he sought death rather than life." washington, the "man of marble," would have preferred a thousand deaths to dishonor. a new army was now to be raised, the term of the last enlistment having expired; and, to form a just opinion of washington's character and talents, every letter of his, to congress and others during this period, should be studied. such wisdom, such indignation, such patience, such manly firmness, such disappointment! every thing but despair; the watchfulness, the forethought, the perseverance displayed in those letters, give a truer idea of the man than all his battles. take a single passage from one of his letters:--"i am wearied almost to death with the retrograde motion of things, and i solemnly protest, that a pecuniary reward of twenty thousand pounds a year would not induce me to undergo what i do; and after all, perhaps, to lose my character, as it is impossible, under such a variety of distressing circumstances, to conduct matters agreeably to public expectation, or even to the expectation of those who employ me, as they will not make proper allowances for the difficulties their own errors have occasioned." and besides that which came upon him daily, in the regular line of duty, the yet more difficult work of bearing up the hearts of others, whose threats of abandoning the service were the running bass that made worse the din of war. "i am sorry to find," writes the chief to general schuyler, "that both you and general montgomery incline to quit the service. let me ask you, sir, what is the time for brave men to exert themselves in the cause of liberty and their country, if this is not? god knows there is not a difficulty that you both very justly complain of, which i have not in an eminent degree experienced, that i am not every day experiencing. but we must bear up against them, and make the best of mankind as they are, since we cannot have them as we wish." in studying the career of washington, nothing strikes one more frequently than that no fame came to him fortuitously, not only did he borrow none, usurp none, fall heir to none that belonged to others; he earned every tittle that has ever been awarded to him, and evidently contributed very much, by his secret advice and caution to officers placed in difficult positions, to enhance the measure of praise bestowed on his companions in arms. [illustration: washington's headquarters, morristown, new jersey. .] dark as these times were, washington's peculiar merits were every day becoming more and more evident; indeed the darkest hours were his opportunities. he might well say, after the loss of fort washington, which had been held contrary to his judgment,--"no person ever had a greater choice of difficulties to contend with than i have;" yet he carried the war into new jersey with all the resolution and courage of a victor. never without a party, too often a very large one, ready to disparage his military skill, and throw doubts upon his energy in the conduct of the war, he pursued his plans without swerving a hair's breadth to court the popular gale, though a natural and honorable love of reputation was one of the ruling passions of his soul. it was impossible to make the people believe that a series of daring encounters would have cost the commander-in-chief far less than the "fabian policy," so scorned at the time; but washington saw then, in the very heat of the contest, what the result has now made evident enough to all, that england must carry on a war on the other side of the globe under an immense disadvantage, and that considering the general spirit of the american people, the expense to an invading power must be greater than even the richest nation on earth could long sustain. that the necessity for delay was intensely mortifying to him, we have a thousand proofs; and it was not the least bitter drop in his cup, that in order to conceal from the enemy the deficiencies occasioned by the delay of congress to meet his most strenuous requisitions, he was obliged to magnify his numbers and resources, in a way which could not but increase the public doubts of his promptness. no one can read his letters, incessant under these circumstances, without an intense personal sympathy, that almost forgets the warrior and the patriot in the man. his being invested with what was in reality a military dictatorship, did not help to render him more popular, although he used his power with his accustomed moderation, conscientiousness and judgment. in this, as in other cases, he took the whole responsibility and odium, while he allowed others to reap the credit of particular efforts; giving to every man at least his due, and content if the country was served, even though he himself seemed to be doing nothing. this we gather as much from the letters of others to him as from his own writings. the celebrated passage of the delaware, on christmas-day, ,--so life-like represented in leutze's great picture,--flashed a cheering light over the prospects of the contest, and lifted up the hearts of the desponding, if it did not silence the cavils of the disaffected. the intense cold was as discouraging here as the killing heat had been at gowanus. two men were found frozen to death, and the whole army suffered terribly; but the success was splendid, and the enemy's line along the delaware was broken. the british opened their eyes very wide at this daring deed of the rebel chief, and sent the veteran cornwallis to chastise his insolence. but washington was not waiting for him. he had marched to princeton, harassing the enemy, and throwing their lines still more into confusion. new jersey was almost completely relieved, and the spirits of the country raised to martial pitch before the campaign closed. those who had hastily condemned washington as half a traitor to the cause, now began to call him the saviour of his country. success has wondrous power in illuminating merit, that may yet have been transparent without it. but even now, when he thought proper to administer to all the oath of allegiance to the united states, granting leave to the disaffected to retire within the enemy's lines, a new clamor was raised against him, as assuming undue and dangerous power. it was said there were no "united states," and the legislature of new jersey censured the order as interfering with their prerogative. but washington made no change. the dangers of pretended neutrality had become sufficiently apparent to him; and he chose, as he always did, to defer his personal popularity to the safety of the great cause. and again he took occasion, though the treatment of general lee was in question, to argue against retaliation of the sufferings of prisoners, in a manly letter, which would serve as a text in similar cases for all time. what a blessing was lafayette's arrival! not only to the struggling states, but in particular to washington. the spirit of the generous young frenchman was to the harassed chief as cold water to the thirsty soul. no jealousies, no fault-finding, no selfish emulation; but pure, high, uncalculating enthusiasm, and a devotion to the character and person of washington that melted the strong man, and opened those springs of tenderness which cares and duties had well-nigh choked up. it is not difficult to believe that lafayette had even more to do with the success of the war than we are accustomed to think. whatever kept up the chief's heart up-bore the army and the country; for it is plain that, without derogation from the ability or faithfulness of any of the heroic contributors to the final triumph, washington was in a peculiar manner the life and soul,--the main-spring and the balance-wheel,--the spur and the rein, of the whole movement and its result. blessings, then, on lafayette, the helper and consoler of the chosen father of his heart, through so many trials! his name goes down to posterity on the same breath that is destined for ever to proclaim the glory of washington. [illustration: washington's headquarters, chad's ford, .] chad's ford, in delaware, was the scene of another of those disasters which it was washington's happy fortune to turn into benefits. the american army retreated from a much superior force, and retreated in such disorder as could seem, even to its well-wishers, little better than a flight. but when, after encamping at germantown, it was found that the general meant to give battle again, with a barefooted army, exhausted by forced marches, in a country which washington himself says, was "to a man, disaffected," dismay itself became buoyant, and the opinion spread, not only throughout america, but even as far as france, that the leader of our armies was indeed invincible. a heavy rain and an impenetrable fog defeated our brave troops; the attempt cost a thousand men. washington says, solemnly, "it was a bloody day." yet the count de vergennes, on whose impressions of america so much depended at that time, told our commissioners in paris that nothing in the course of our struggle had struck him so much as general washington's venturing to attack the veteran army of sir william howe, with troops raised within the year. the leader's glory was never obscured for a moment, to the view of those who were so placed as to see it in its true light. providence seems to have determined that the effective power of this great instrument should be independent of the glitter of victory. [illustration: washington's headquarters, white marsh, .] encamped at whitemarsh, fourteen miles from philadelphia, washington, with his half-clad and half-fed troops, awaited an attack from general howe who had marched in that direction with twelve thousand effective men. but both commanders were wary--the british not choosing to attack his adversary on his own ground, and the american not to be decoyed from his chosen position to one less favorable. some severe skirmishing was therefore all that ensued, and general howe retreated, rather ingloriously, to philadelphia. [illustration: washington's headquarters, valley forge, .] this brings us to the terrible winter at valley forge, the sufferings of which can need no recapitulation for our readers. washington felt them with sufficient keenness, yet his invariable respect for the rights of property extended to that of the disaffected, and in no extremity was he willing to resort to coercive measures, to remedy evils which distressed his very soul, and which he shared with the meanest soldier. his testimony to the patience and fortitude of the men is emphatic: "naked and starving as they are, we cannot enough admire the incomparable patience and fidelity of the soldiery, that they have not been, ere this, excited by their sufferings to a general mutiny and dispersion." and while this evil was present, and for the time irremediable, he writes to congress on the subject of a suggestion which had been made of a _winter campaign_, "i can assure those gentlemen, that it is a much easier and less distressing thing to draw remonstrances, in a comfortable room, by a good fireside, than to occupy a cold bleak hill, and sleep under frost and snow, without clothes or blankets. however, although they seem to have little feeling for the naked and distrest soldiers, i feel super-abundantly for them, and from my soul i pity those miseries which it is neither in my power to relieve nor prevent." it was during this period of perplexity and distress on public accounts, that the discovery of secret cabals against himself, was added to washington's burthens. but whatever was personal was never more than secondary with him. when the treachery of pretended friends was disclosed, he showed none of the warmth which attends his statement of the soldiers' grievances. "my enemies take an ungenerous advantage of me," he said, "they know the delicacy of my situation, and that motives of policy deprive me of the defence i might otherwise make against their insidious attacks. they know i cannot combat their insinuations, however injurious, without disclosing secrets which it is of the utmost moment to conceal." * * * "my chief concern arises from an apprehension of the dangerous consequences which intestine dissensions may produce to the common cause." general howe made no attempt on the camp during the winter, but his foraging parties were watched and often severely handled by the americans. when dr. franklin, who was in paris, was told that general howe had taken philadelphia, "say rather," he replied, "that philadelphia has taken general howe," and the advantage was certainly a problematical one. philadelphia was evacuated by the british on the th of june, , general clinton having superseded general howe, who returned to england in the spring. washington followed in the footsteps of the retreating army, and, contrary to the opinion of general lee, decided to attack them. at monmouth occurred the scene so often cited as proving that washington _could_ lose his temper--a testimony to his habitual self-command which no art of praise could enhance. finding general lee with his five thousand men in full retreat when they should have been rushing on the enemy, the commander-in-chief addressed the recreant with words of severe reproof, and a look and manner still more cutting. receiving in return a most insolent reply, washington proceeded, himself, by rapid manoeuvres, to array the troops for battle, and when intelligence arrived that the british were within fifteen minutes march, he said to general lee, who had followed him, deeply mortified,--"will you command on this ground, or not?" "it is equal with me where i command," was the answer. "then i expect you to take proper measures for checking the enemy," said the general, much incensed at the offensive manner of lee. "your orders shall be obeyed," said that officer, "and i will not be the first to leave the field." and his bravery made it evident that an uncontrolled temper was the fault for which he afterwards suffered so severely. during the action washington exposed himself to every danger, animating and cheering on the men under the burning sun; and when night came, he lay down in his cloak at the foot of a tree, hoping for a general action the next day. but in the morning sir henry clinton was gone, too far for pursuit under such killing heat--the thermometer at °. many on both sides had perished without a wound, from fatigue and thirst. [illustration: washington's headquarters, tappan, .] the headquarters at tappan will always have a sad interest from the fact that major andré, whose fine private qualities have almost made the world forget that he was a spy, there met his unhappy fate. that general washington suffered severely under the necessity which obliged him, by the rules of war, to sanction the decision of the court-martial in this case, we have ample testimony; and an eye-witness still living observed, that when the windows of the town were thronged with gazers at the stern procession as it passed, those of the commander-in-chief were entirely closed, and his house without sign of life except the two sentinels at the door. the revolt of a part of the pennsylvania line, which occurred in january, , afforded a new occasion for the exercise of washington's pacific wisdom. he had felt the grievances of the army too warmly to be surprised when any portion of it lost patience, and his prudent and humane suggestions, with the good management of general wayne, proved effectual in averting the great danger which now threatened. but when the troops of new jersey, emboldened by this mild treatment, attempted to imitate their pennsylvania neighbors, they found washington prepared, and six hundred men in arms ready to crush the revolt by force--a catastrophe prevented only by the unconditional submission of the mutineers, who were obliged to lay down their arms, make concessions to their officers, and promise obedience. as we are not giving here a sketch of the revolutionary war, we pass at once to the siege and surrender at yorktown, an event which shook the country like that heaviest clap of thunder, herald of the departing storm. all felt that brighter skies were preparing, and the universal joy did not wait the sanction of a deliberate treaty of peace. the great game of chess which had been so warily played, on one side at least, was now in check, if not closed by a final check-mate; and people on the winning side were fain to unknit their weary brows, and indulge the repose they had earned. congress and the country felt as if the decisive blow had been struck, as if the long agony was over. thanks were lavished on the commanders, on the officers, on the troops. two stands of the enemy's colors were presented to the commander-in-chief, and to counts rochambeau and de grasse each a piece of british field ordnance as a trophy. a commemorative column at yorktown was decreed, to carry down to posterity the events of the glorious th of october, . there was, in short, a kind of wildness in the national joy, showing how deep had been the previous despondency. watchmen woke the citizens of philadelphia at one in the morning, crying "cornwallis is taken!" sober, puritan america was almost startled from her habitual coolness; almost forgot the still possible danger. the chief alone, on whom had fallen the heaviest stress of the long contest, was impelled to new care and forecast by the victory. he feared the negligence of triumph, and reminded the government and the nation that all might yet be lost, without vigilance. "i cannot but flatter myself," he says, "that the states, rather than relax in their exertions, will be stimulated to the most vigorous preparations, for another active, glorious, and decisive campaign." and congress responded wisely to the appeal, and called on the states to keep up the military establishment, and to complete their several quotas of troops at an early day. with his characteristic modesty and courage, washington wrote to congress a letter of advice on the occasion, of which one sentence may be taken as a specimen. "although we cannot, by the best concerted plans, absolutely command success; although the race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; yet, without presumptuously waiting for miracles to be wrought in our favor, it is an indispensable duty, with the deepest gratitude to heaven for the past, and humble confidence in its smiles on our future operations, to make use of all the means in our power for our defence and security." it was this man, pure, devoted, and indefatigable in the cause of his country and her liberties, that some shortsighted malcontents, judging his virtue by their own, would now have persuaded to finish the struggle for liberty by becoming a king. the discontent of the officers and soldiers, with the slowness of their pay, had long been a cause of ferment in the army, and gave to the hasty and the selfish an excuse for desiring a change in the form of government. the king's troops had been well fed, well clothed, and well paid, and were sure of half-pay after the war should be finished, while the continentals, suffering real personal destitution, were always in arrear, drawing on their private resources, and with no provision whatever for any permanent pecuniary recompense. as to the half-pay, washington had long before expressed his opinion of the justice as well as policy of such a provision. "i am ready to declare," he says, "that i do most religiously believe the salvation of the cause depends upon it, and without it your officers will moulder to nothing, or be composed of low and illiterate men, void of capacity for this or any other business. * * * personally, as an officer, i have no interest in the decision; because i have declared, and i now repeat it, that i never will receive the smallest benefit from the half-pay establishment." but the deep-seated jealousy of the army, which haunted congress and the country, like a banshee, throughout the whole course of the war, was too powerful for even washington's representations. all that could be effected was an unsatisfactory compromise, and some of the officers saw or affected to see, in the reluctance of the government to provide properly for its defenders, a sign of fatal weakness, which but little recommended the republican form. under these circumstances, a well written letter was sent to the commander-in-chief, proposing to him the establishment of a "mixed government," in which the supreme position was to be given, as of right, to the man who had been the instrument of providence in saving the country, in "difficulties apparently insurmountable by human power," the dignity to be accompanied with the title of king. of this daring proposition a colonel of good standing was made the organ. washington's reply may be well known, but it will bear many repetitions. [illustration: washington's headquarters, newburgh, n.y.] newburgh, may, . "sir, "with a mixture of great surprise and astonishment, i have read with attention the sentiments you submitted to my perusal. be assured, sir, no occurrence in the course of the war has given me more painful sensations than your information, of there being such ideas existing in the army as you have expressed, and i must view with abhorrence, and reprehend with severity. for the present, the communication of them will rest in my own bosom, unless some further agitation of the matter shall make a disclosure necessary. "i am much at a loss to conceive what part of my conduct could have given encouragement to an address, which, to me, seems big with the greatest mischiefs that can befall my country. if i am not deceived in the knowledge of myself, you could not have found a person to whom your schemes are more disagreeable. at the same time, in justice to my own feelings, i must add that no man possesses a more sincere wish to see ample justice done to the army than i do; and as far as my powers and influence, in a constitutional way, extend, they shall be employed to the utmost of my abilities to effect it, should there be any occasion. let me conjure you, then, if you have any regard for your country, concern for yourself or posterity, or respect for me, to banish these thoughts from your mind, and never communicate, as from yourself or any one else, a sentiment of the like nature. "i am, sir, &c., "george washington." this letter is extremely characteristic, not only because it declines the glittering bait, for that is hardly worth noticing where washington is in question, but for the cool and quiet tone of rebuke, in a case in which most other men would have been disposed to be at least dramatically indignant. the perfectly respectful way in which he could show a man that he despised him, is remarkable. he does not even admit that there has been injustice done to the army, though the fact had cost him such loads of anxious and ingenious remonstrance; but only promises to see to it, "should there be any occasion." it would have been easier for him, at that very moment, at the head of a victorious army, and with the heart of the nation at his feet, to make himself a king, than to induce congress to do justice to the troops and their brave officers; but identifying himself with his army, he considered that his own private affair, and would accept no offer of partnership, however specious. happily the name of the "very respectable" colonel has never been disclosed; an instance of mercy not the least noticeable among the features of this remarkable transaction. during the negotiations for peace which so soon followed the surrender at yorktown, the discontent of the army reached a height which became alarming. meetings of officers were called, for the purpose of preparing threatening resolutions, since called "the newburgh addresses," to be offered to congress. the alternative proposed was a relinquishment of the service in a body, if the war continued, or remaining under arms, in time of peace, until justice could be obtained from congress. washington, having timely notice of this danger, came forward with his usual decision, wisdom, and kindliness, to the rescue of the public interest and peace. while he took occasion, in a general order, to censure the disorderly and anonymous form proposed, he himself called a meeting of officers, taking care to converse in private beforehand with many of them, acknowledging the justice of their complaints, but inculcating moderation and an honorable mode of obtaining what they desired. it is said that many of the gentlemen were in tears when they left the presence of the commander-in-chief. when they assembled, he addressed them in the most impressive manner, imploring them not to tarnish their hard-won laurels, by selfish passion, in a case in which the vital interests of the country were concerned. he insisted on the good faith of congress, and the certainty that, before the army should be disbanded, all claims would be satisfactorily adjusted. his remonstrance proved irresistible. the officers, left to themselves,--for the general withdrew after he had given utterance to the advice made so potent by his character and services,--passed resolutions thanking him for his wise interference, and expressing their love and respect for him, and their determination to abide by his counsel. in this emergency washington may almost have been said to have saved his country a second time, but in his letters written at the time he sinks all mention of his own paramount share in restoring tranquillity, speaking merely of "measures taken to postpone the meeting," and "the good sense of the officers" having terminated the affair "in a manner which reflects the greatest glory on themselves." his own remonstrances with congress were immediately renewed, setting forth the just claims of those who "had so long, so patiently, and so cheerfully, fought under his direction," so forcibly, that in a very short time all was conceded, and general harmony and satisfaction established. his military labors thus finished,--for the adjudication of the army claims by congress was almost simultaneous with the news of the signing of the treaty at paris,--washington might, without impropriety, have given himself up to the private occupations and enjoyments so religiously renounced for eight years,--the proclamation of peace to the army having been made, april , , precisely eight years from the day of the first bloodshedding at lexington. but the feelings of a father were too strong within him, and his solicitudes brooded over the land of his love with that unfailing anxiety for its best good which had characterized him from the beginning. yet he modestly observes, in a letter on the subject to col. hamilton, "how far any further essay by me might be productive of the wished-for end, or appear to arrogate more than belongs to me, depends so much upon popular opinion, and the temper and dispositions of the people, that it is not easy to decide." he wrote a circular letter to the governors of the several states, full of wisdom, dignity, and kindness, dwelling principally on four great points--an indissoluble union of the states; a sacred regard to public justice; the adoption of a proper military peace establishment; and a pacific and friendly disposition among the people of the states, which should induce them to forget local prejudices, and incline them to mutual concessions. this address is masterly in all respects, and was felt to be particularly well-timed, the calm and honoured voice of washington being at that moment the only one which could hope to be heard above the din of party, and amid the confusion natural during the first excitement of joy and triumph. [illustration: washington's headquarters, rocky hill, n.j., ] congress was not too proud to ask the counsel of its brave and faithful servant, in making arrangements for peace and settling the new affairs of the country. washington was invited to princeton, where congress was then sitting, and introduced into the chamber, where he was addressed by the president, and congratulated on the success of the war, to which he had so much contributed. washington replied with his usual self-respect and modesty, and retired. a house had been prepared for him at rocky hill, near princeton, where he resided for some time, holding conference with committees and members, and giving counsel on public affairs; and where he wrote that admirable farewell to his army, perhaps as full of his own peculiar spirit as any of his public papers. his thanks to officers and soldiers for their devotion during the war have no perfunctory coldness in them, but speak the full heart of a brave and noble captain, reviewing a most trying period, and recalling with warm gratitude the co-operation of those on whom he relied. then, for their future, his cautions and persuasions, the motives he urges, and the virtues he recommends, all form a curious contrast with those of napoleon's addresses to his troops. "let it be known and remembered," he says, "that the reputation of the federal armies is established beyond the reach of malevolence; and let a consciousness of their achievements and fame still incite the men who composed them to honorable actions; under the persuasion that the private virtues of economy, prudence, and industry, will not be less amiable in civil life, than the more splendid qualities of valor, perseverance and enterprise were in the field." thus consistent to the last he honored all the virtues; showing that while those of the field were not misplaced in the farm, those of the farm might well be counted among the best friends of the field--his own life of planter and soldier forming a glorious commentary on his doctrines. the evacuation of new-york by the british was a grand affair, general washington and governor george clinton riding in at the head of the american troops that came from the northward to take possession, while sir guy carleton and his legions embarked at the lower end of the city. the immense cavalcade of the victors embraced both military and civil authorities, and was closed by a great throng of citizens. this absolute _finale_ of the war brought on the commander-in-chief one of those duties at once sweet and painful--taking leave of his companions in arms; partners in toil and triumph, in danger and victory. "i cannot come to each of you to take my leave," he said, as he stood, trembling with emotion, "but i shall be obliged if each of you will come and take me by the hand." general knox, the warm-hearted, stood forward and received the first embrace; then the rest in succession, silently and with universal tears. without another word the general walked from the room, passed through lines of soldiery to the barge which awaited him, then, turning, waved his hat, and bade to friends and comrades a silent, heartfelt adieu, which was responded to in the same solemn spirit. all felt that it was not the hour nor the man for noisy cheers; the spirit of washington presided there, as ever, where honorable and high-minded men were concerned. the journey southward was a triumphal march. addresses, processions, delegations from religious and civil bodies, awaited him at every pause. when he reached philadelphia he appeared before congress to resign his commission, and no royal abdication was ever so rich in dignity. all the human life that the house would hold came together to hear him, and the words, few and simple, wise and kind, that fell from the lips of the revered chief, proved worthy to be engraved on every heart. in conclusion he said:--"having now finished the work assigned me, i retire from the great theatre of action; and, bidding an affectionate farewell to this august body, under whose orders i have so long acted, i here offer my commission, and take my leave of all the employments of public life." he said afterwards to a friend:--"i feel now as i conceive a wearied traveller must do, who, after treading many a step with a heavy burden on his shoulders, is eased of the latter, having reached the haven to which all the former were directed, and from his house-top is looking back, and tracing with an eager eye the meanders by which he escaped the quicksands and mire which lay in his way, and into which none but the all-powerful guide and dispenser of human events could have prevented his falling." and to lafayette, he says:--"i am not only retired from all public employments, but i am retiring within myself, and shall be able to view the solitary walk, and tread the paths of private life with a heartfelt satisfaction. envious of none, i am determined to be pleased with all; and this, my dear friend, being the order of my march, i will move gently down the stream of life until i sleep with my fathers." that the public did not anticipate for him the repose and retirement he so much desired, we may gather from the instructions sent, at the time he resigned his commission, by the state of pennsylvania, to her representatives in congress, saying that "his illustrious actions and virtues render his character so splendid and venerable that it is highly probable the world may make his life in a considerable degree public;" and that "his very services to his country may therefore subject him to expenses, unless he permits her gratitude to interpose." "we are perfectly acquainted," says the paper, "with the disinterestedness and generosity of his soul. he thinks himself amply rewarded for all his labors and cares, by the love and prosperity of his fellow-citizens. it is true no rewards they can bestow can be equal to his merits, but they ought not to suffer those merits to be burdensome to him. * * * we are aware of the delicacy with which such a subject must be treated. but, relying in the good sense of congress, we wish it may engage their early attention." the delegates, on receipt of these instructions, very wisely bethought themselves of submitting the matter to the person most concerned before they brought it before congress, and he, as might have been expected, entirely declined the intended favor, and put an end to the project altogether. if he could have been induced to accept pecuniary compensation, there is no doubt a grateful nation would gladly have made it ample. but washington, born to be an example in so many respects, had provided against all the dangers and temptations of money, by making himself independent as to his private fortune; having neglected no opportunity of enlarging it by honorable labor or judicious management, while he subjected the expenses of his family to the strictest scrutiny of economy. [illustration: mount vernon (rear view).] his first care, on arriving at mount vernon, was to ascertain the condition of his private affairs; his next to make a tour of more than six hundred miles through the western country, with the double purpose of inspecting some lands of his, and of ascertaining the practicability of a communication between the head waters of the great rivers flowing east and west of the alleghanies. he travelled entirely on horseback, in military style, and kept a minute journal of each day's observations, the result of which he communicated, on his return, in a letter to the governor of virginia, which mr. sparks declares to be "one of the ablest, most sagacious, and most important productions of his pen," and "the first suggestion of the great system of internal improvements which has since been pursued in the united states." on a previous tour, through the northern part of the state of new-york, he had observed the possibility of a water communication between the hudson and the great lakes, and appreciated its advantages, thus foreshowing, at that early date, the existence of the erie canal. in , washington had a final visit from lafayette, from whom he parted at annapolis, with manifestations of a deeper tenderness than the weak can even know. arrived at home, he sat down at once to say yet another word to the beloved: "in the moment of our separation, upon the road as i travelled, and every hour since," (mark the specification from this man of exact truth,) "i have felt all that love, respect and attachment for you, with which length of years, close connection, and your merits have inspired me. i often asked myself, as our carriages separated, whether that was the last sight i should ever have of you? and though i wished to say no! my fears answered yes!" he was right; they never met again, but they loved each other always. lafayette's letters to washington are lover-like; they are alone sufficient to show how capable of the softest feeling was the great heart to which they were addressed. space fails us for even the baldest enumeration of the instances of care for the public good with which the life of washington abounded, when he fancied himself "in retirement," for we have unconsciously dwelt, with the reverence of affection, upon the picture of his character during the revolution, and felt impelled to illustrate it, where we could, by quotations from his own weighty words; weighty, because, to him, words were things indeed, and we feel that he never used one thoughtlessly or untruly. brevity must now be our chief aim, and we pass, at once, over all the labor and anxiety which attended the settlement of the constitution, to mention the election of washington to the presidency of the states so newly united, by bonds which, however willingly assumed, were as yet but ill fitted to the wearers. the unaffected reluctance with which he accepted the trust appears in every word and action of the time; and it is evident that, as far as selfish feelings went, he was much more afraid of losing the honor he had gained than of acquiring new. the heart of the nation was with him, however, even more than he knew; and the "mind oppressed with more anxious and painful sensations" than he had words to express at the outset, was soon calmed, not only by the suggestions of duty, but by the marks of unbounded love and confidence lavished on him at every step of his way by a grateful people. the inaugural oath was taken, before an immense concourse of people, on the balcony of federal hall, new-york, april , , and the president afterwards delivered his first address, in the senate chamber of the same building, now no longer standing, but not very satisfactorily replaced by that magnificent grecian temple wherein the united states government collects the customs of new-york. the house in which the first presidential levee was held will always be a point of interest, and the consultations between washington and the great officers of state about the simple ceremonial of these public receptions, are extremely curious, as showing the manners and ideas of the times, and the struggle between the old-country associations natural to gentlemen of that day, and the recognized necessity of accommodating even court regulations to the feelings of a people to whom the least shadow of aristocratic form was necessarily hateful. we must not condemn the popular scrupulousness of as puerile and foolish, until we too have perilled life and fortune in the cause of liberty and equality. [illustration: house of the first presidential levee, cherry street] a dangerous illness brought washington near the grave, during his first presidential summer, and he is said never to have regained his full strength. in august his mother died, venerable for years and wisdom, and always honored by her son in a spirit that would have satisfied a roman matron. she maintained her simple habits to the last, and is said never to have exhibited surprise or elation, at her son's greatest glory, or the highest honors that could be paid him. her remains rest under an unfinished monument, near fredericksburgh, virginia. of the wife of the illustrious chief, it is often said that little is known, and there is felt almost a spite against her memory because she destroyed before her death every letter of her husband to herself, save only one, written when he accepted the post of commander-in-chief. but, to our thinking, one single letter of hers, written to mrs. warren, after the president's return from a tour through the eastern states, tells the whole story of her character and tastes, a story by no means discreditable to the choice of the wisest of mankind. mr. sparks gives the letter entire, as we would gladly do if it were admissible. we must, however, content ourselves with a few short extracts:-- "you know me well enough to believe that i am fond only of what comes from the heart. under a conviction that the demonstrations of respect and affection to him originate in that source, i cannot deny that i have taken some interest and pleasure in them. the difficulties which presented themselves to view in his first entering upon the presidency, seem thus to be in some measure surmounted. * * * i had little thought, when the war was finished, that any circumstances could possibly happen which would call the general into public life again. i had anticipated that from that moment we should be suffered to grow old together, in solitude and tranquillity. that was the first and dearest wish of my heart. i will not, however, contemplate with too much regret, disappointments that were inevitable, though his feelings and my own were in perfect unison with respect to our predilection for private life. yet i cannot blame him for having acted according to his ideas of duty, in obeying the voice of his country. the consciousness of having attempted to do all the good in his power, and the pleasure of finding his fellow-citizens so well satisfied with the disinterestedness of his conduct, will doubtless be some compensation for the great sacrifice i know he has made. * * * with respect to myself, i sometimes think the arrangement is not quite as it ought to have been, that i, who had much rather be at home, should occupy a place with which a great many younger and gayer women would be extremely pleased. * * * i am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation i may be; for i have learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not on our circumstances. we carry the seeds of the one or the other about with us, in our minds, wherever we go." the whole letter bespeaks the good, kind, dutiful and devoted wife, the loving mother,--for she represents her grandchildren as her chief joy,--and the sensible, domestic woman. what more can any man ask in the partner of his bosom? she was the best wife possible for washington, and he thought her such, and loved her entirely and always. the picture by stuart shows her, even in the decline of life, to have been of a delicate and sprightly beauty. another eight years of public duty and public life--two presidential terms--were bravely borne by the pair always longing for mount vernon. the reluctance of washington to the second term of office was even stronger than that which he had expressed to the first, but he was overborne by stress of voices. "the confidence of the whole union," writes jefferson, "is centred in you. * * * there is sometimes an eminence of character on which society have such peculiar claims, as to control the predilection of the individual for a particular walk of happiness, and restrain him to that alone arising from the present and future benedictions of mankind. this seems to be your condition, and the law imposed on you by providence in forming your character, and fashioning the events on which it was to operate." and hamilton says--"i trust, and i pray god, that you will determine to make a further sacrifice of your tranquillity and happiness to the public good." and such were, throughout, the sentiments of the first men of the country, without distinction of politics. thus urged, he yielded once more, even after he had prepared a farewell address to the people on his contemplated resignation. it was during this second term that fox spoke of washington before parliament, concluding thus:--"it must indeed create astonishment, that, placed in circumstances so critical, and filling for a series of years a station so conspicuous, his character should never once have been called in question. * * * for him it has been reserved to run the race of glory without experiencing the smallest interruption to the brilliancy of his career." and mr. erskine, writing to washington himself, says:--"i have taken the liberty to introduce your august and immortal name in a short sentence which will be found in the book i send you.[ ] i have a large acquaintance among the most valuable and exalted classes of men; but you are the only human being for whom i ever felt an awful reverence. i sincerely pray god to grant a long and serene evening to a life so gloriously devoted to the universal happiness of the world." the evening was indeed serene, but it was not destined to be long. two years were spent in domestic and social duty and pleasure, the old virginia hospitality being carried to an enormous extent at mount vernon, over which general and mrs. washington presided, with all that good sense, dignity, and _bonhommie_ united, which seems now to have characterized their home life. mrs. washington, content with the greatness described by the wise king, looked well to her maidens, and so managed the affairs of a large establishment that "the heart of her husband could safely trust in her, so that he had _no need of spoil_." who knows how much the good management of his household affairs had to do with washington's superiority to the temptations of gain? the ladies should see to it that they so regulate their habits of expense that their husbands have "no need of spoil." the extravagant tastes of mrs. arnold, amiable woman though she was, are known to have heightened her husband's rapacity, and thus added to the incentives which resulted in treason and just ruin. mrs. washington, when she was in the highest position in the nation, wore gowns spun under her own roof, and always took care, in her conversation with the ladies about her, to exalt domestic employments, and represent them as belonging to the duty of woman in any station. she was supposed to have written a patriotic paper, published in , called "the sentiments of american women," but the authorship has not been ascertained. the energy and consistency of her patriotic feeling was, however, perfectly well understood, and she is said to have borne her part in the conversation of the distinguished company at mount vernon, with invariable dignity and sweetness. the general had returned with unction to his rural and agricultural pursuits, keeping up his life-long habit of rising before the sun, and after breakfast making the tour of the plantation on horseback. these employments were somewhat interrupted by the speck of war which troubled our horizon in , on which occasion all eyes were turned to him, and his friends and the president called upon him once more to give his services to the country. his reply was consistent with the tenor of his life, "in case of actual invasion by a formidable force, i certainly should not intrench myself under the cover of age and retirement, if my services should be required by my country in repelling it." without waiting for his reply, the senate had appointed him to the post of commander-in-chief, and the secretary at war was despatched immediately to mount vernon with the commission, which was at once accepted. this involved washington once more in a press of correspondence and many anxious duties; and his letters during this time show that his mind had lost none of its fertility or his judgment of its soundness. he predicted at once that france would not invade the united states, and the event justified his foresight. but another enemy lay in wait for him, and to this one the hero succumbed, in the same manly spirit in which he had battled with an earthly foe. great suffering was crowded into the twenty-four hours' illness which served to prostrate that vigorous form, and to still that active brain; but he could look up, at the last, and say--"i am not afraid to die." december , , was the day of his death, and the th of the same month saw him laid, by a weeping multitude, in the family vault at mount vernon; not the tomb in which his ashes now repose, but the old one, which he had been planning to rebuild, saying "let that be done first, for perhaps i shall want it first." we have thus traced the father of our country through all his earthly homes, to that quiet one by the side of the potomac, the object of devout pilgrimage to millions yet unborn. one more home there is for him, even in this changing world--that which he possesses in the hearts of his countrymen, one which we cannot picture or describe, but from which he can never be displaced by the superior merit of mortal man. other heroes may arise, will arise, as the world shall need them, exponents of their times and incarnations of the highest spirit of the race from which they spring; but america can have but one washington--one man in whom the peculiar virtues of the _american_ character found their embodiment and their triumph. in saying this we may well be proud but not vainglorious. if the great truth it implies be not yet known and read of all men, we should be humbled by the thought that we are so slow to follow our immortal leader. washington's indomitable spirit of freedom, as evident when at nineteen he withstood the english governor, as when in he "went to church and fasted all day," in sympathy with the people of boston, in their resolution against the port bill; his self-control, the perfection of which made his fierce passions the sworn servants of virtue; his humanity, which no personal suffering or fatigue could blunt, and no provocation extinguish; his manly temper, never daunted by insolence or turned into arrogance by triumph; the respect for the civil virtues which he carried with him through all the temptations and trials of war; the faith in god and man which sustained him, and was indeed the secret of his power and his success,--what a legacy are these! all that he accomplished is less to us than what he was. to have left an example that will never need defence or substitution to the end of time; an ideal that will warm the heart and point the aspiration of every true american, when hundreds of millions shall be proud of the name; to stand forth, for ever, as what we, happy citizens of the country in which that great soul was cradled, and to which his heart and life were devoted, think a man ought to be--what a destiny for him! it is his reward. god has granted his prayers. nothing earthly would have satisfied him, as we know by what he rejected. he has received that for which he labored. who dare imagine the complacency--only less than divine, with which the retrospect of such a life may be fraught! let us indulge the thought that when in the heat of party, the lust of power, or the still deadlier hunger for wealth, we depart from his spirit, he is permitted to see that the dereliction is but temporary and limited; that his country is true to him if his countrymen sometimes err; that there is for ever imprinted, on the heart and life of the nation, the conviction that in adherence to his precepts and imitation of his character there is safety, happiness, glory; in departure from that standard, deterioration and decay. it must be so, for can we conceive him blest without this? [illustration: washington's tomb.] as if to stamp the american ideal with all perfection, it is remarkable that washington stood pre-eminent in manly strength and beauty, and that a taste for athletic exercises kept him, in spite of illnesses brought on by toil, anxiety, and exposure, in firm health during most of his life. his picture at sixty-two, that which he himself thought the best likeness that had been taken of him, exhibits one of the loveliest faces that an old man ever wore. and it is marvellous how any one that ever looked into the clear blue depths of the eye in stuart's unfinished picture, could be persuaded to believe washington stern, cold, and unfeeling. some have even thought it added to his dignity to represent him thus. all the historians in the world could not prove such a contradiction to the stamp of nature. but the picture by pine--the old man, faded somewhat, and a little fallen in outline, wears the face of an angel; mild, firm, modest, sensitive, aspiring, glorious! it meets your gaze with a tenderness that dims our eye and seems almost to dim its own. of all the portraits of washington, this and the half-imaginary one made by mr. leutze from a miniature taken when washington was seventeen, are the most touchingly beautiful, and, as we verily believe, most characteristic of the man. it is proper, though scarcely necessary, to say that this sketch of washington's life is drawn from mr. sparks' history, since no research can discover a single fact overlooked by that faithful and just chronicler. footnotes: [ ] on the causes and consequences of the war with france. =franklin.= [illustration: franklin fac-simile of letter] franklin. an english traveller in the united states once expressed his astonishment at nowhere finding a monument of franklin. he regarded it as a new proof of the ingratitude of republics. but if we have erected no columns, nor statues, to the memory of our first great man, we have manifested our gratitude for the services he rendered us, and the hearty appreciation of his character, which is universal among us, in a better, more affectionate and enduring manner. we name our towns, counties, ships, children, and institutions after him. his name is constantly in our mouth, and his benevolent countenance and lofty brow are as familiar to us as the features of washington. we have franklin banks, franklin insurance companies, franklin societies, franklin hotels, franklin markets, and even franklin theatres. one of our line of battle ships is called the franklin, and there will be found a ben franklin, the name affectionately abbreviated, on all our western lakes and rivers. the popular heart cherishes his memory more tenderly than that of any of our great men. washington's heroism and lofty virtues set him above us, so that while we look up to him with veneration and awe, we hardly feel that he was one of us. his impossible grandeur forbids the familiar sympathy which we feel for our own kind. but franklin's greatness is of that kind which makes the whole world kin. in him we recognize the apotheosis of usefulness. he was our good genius, who took us by the hand in our national infancy, and taught us the great art of making the most of the world. he warmed our houses by the stove which still bears his name, and protected us from the terrifying thunderbolt by his simple rod. he showered upon us lessons of wisdom, all calculated to increase our happiness, and his wise and pithy apothegms have become an important part of our language. never before was a young nation blessed with so beneficent and generous a counsellor and guide. the influence of franklin upon the national character is beyond estimate. he taught us alike by precept and example; and, in his autobiography, he laid the corner stone of our literature, bequeathing us a book which will always be fresh, instructive, and charming, while our language endures, or we look to literature for instruction and entertainment. franklin was a pure, unadulterated englishman; he came of that great stock whose mission it is to improve the world. though we claim him, and justly, as an american, he was born, and lived the better part of his life, a subject of the english crown. there was never a more thorough englishman, nor one whose whole consistent life more happily illustrated the anglo-saxon character, nor one who was better entitled to be called an american, or who showed a more lively and enduring love for his native soil. every schoolboy is familiar with the history of franklin; his autobiography is our national epic; it is more read than robinson crusoe; and our great national museum, the patent office, has been filled with the results of ambitious attempts to follow in the path of the inventor of the lightning-rod. one boy reads robinson crusoe and runs off to sea, while another reads franklin's life and tries for a patent, or begins to save a penny a day, that he may have three hundred pennies at the end of the year. there are writers who have accused franklin of giving a sordid bias to our national character. but nothing could be more unjust. there is nothing sordid in the teachings of our great philosopher; while the example of his purely beneficent life has, doubtless, been the cause of many of the magnificent acts of private benevolence which have distinguished our countrymen. franklin says in his autobiography, in reference to his stove, which has warmed so many generations of his countrymen, and rendered comfortable so many american homes: "governor thomas was so pleased with the construction of this stove that he offered to give me a sole patent for the vending of them for a term of years; but i declined it from a principle which has ever weighed with me on such occasions, viz., that as we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others, we should be glad of an opportunity to serve others by an invention of ours: and this we should do freely and cordially." no, there was no sordidness in the teachings of franklin. his immortal biography was commenced at the ripe age of sixty-six, while he was in england, a time of life when most men have lost the power to instruct or amuse with the pen; but it has the ease, the freshness, and the vigor of youth. it was continued at passy, in france, and concluded in philadelphia. he was one of the few instances of a precocious genius maintaining his powers to an advanced period of life. there were no signs of childishness in his almost infantile compositions, or of senility in his latest productions. every body knows that the grandfather of doctor franklin was the sturdy old puritan, peter folger, who wrote the homely verses which mr. sparks doubts the propriety of calling poetry, and who dwelt in "sherborn town." the house in which he lived, and where the mother of franklin was born, was still in existence but a few years since, though in a very dilapidated condition. we remember making a pilgrimage to it in our boyish days, after reading the life of franklin, and wondering in which of its little rooms the grandfather of the philosopher sat, when he penned the lines which the grandson thought were "written with manly freedom and a pleasing simplicity." the house stood near the water, at the head of a little cove, or creek, and near it was a bubbling spring, from which the mother of the philosopher must have often drank. at that time there were no evidences of the surrounding grounds having been cultivated, and a wretched family inhabited the ruin. there are many descendants of peter folger still living, some of whom have been eminent for their learning and talents; but, it is a remarkable circumstance, that, though franklin's father and grandfather each had five sons, who grew up to man's estate, there is not one male descendant living of that name. [illustration: old south church, boston.] franklin was born on the th of january, old style, , in a house that stood on the corner of milk-street, opposite the old south church, boston, in which he was christened. the church is still standing, but the house has been demolished, and, in its place, there is a large and handsome granite warehouse, which is made to serve the double purpose of a store and a monument. on the frieze of the cornice is the inscription in bold granitic letters, the birth-place of franklin. we cannot help thinking that it is just such a monument as he would have recommended, if his wishes had been consulted. but the house in which our great philosopher spent his earlier years, and to which his father removed soon after the birth of his youngest son, is still standing, very nearly in the same condition in which it was during his youth. it is on the corner of hanover and union streets, and the wooden gilt ball of the old soap-boiler is still suspended from an iron crane, with the inscription josias franklin, . the ball is the original one, but it must have been many times regilt and relettered. the building is occupied by a shoe dealer in the lower part, but the upper rooms are in the occupancy of an industrial whose art had no existence until near a century after the death of franklin's father. a daguerrean artist now takes likenesses in the rooms where the boy-philosopher slept, and sat up late at night to read defoe's essay on projects, and plutarch's lives, by the glimmering light of one of his father's own dips. it was here too that he read the light house tragedy, after having cut wicks all day; and it was in the cellar of this house, too, that he made that characteristic suggestion to his father, of saying grace over the barrel of beef, which he saw him packing away for the winter's use, to save the trouble of a separate grace over each piece that should be served up for dinner. this anecdote may not be strictly true, but it is perfectly characteristic, and very much like one he tells of himself, when he was the commander-in-chief of the military forces of pennsylvania. the chaplain of his regiment complained to him that the men would not attend prayers, whereupon, says franklin, "i said to him, 'it is perhaps below the dignity of your profession to act as steward of the rum; but if you were only to distribute it out after prayers you would have them all about you.' he liked the thought, undertook the task, and, with the help of a few hands to measure out the liquor, executed it to satisfaction, and never were prayers more generally and more punctually attended." this kind of humorous good sense, was one of the marked peculiarities of his character; there was lurking wit and humor in all his acts, and in his gravest essays, of which his epigrammatic letter to his old friend strahan, the king's printer, is a notable example. the old house in which franklin spent his boyhood is now a long distance from the water, and in the midst of a wilderness of brick and granite buildings, but he speaks of it as near the shore, and it was close by that he built the little wharf of stolen stones, which induced his father to impress upon him the great truth that "that which was not honest could not be truly useful." where the young apprentice lived when he was boarded out by his brother, and first "went in" to vegetarianism, we have not been able to ascertain; and, on his flight from boston, in his seventeenth year, he does not appear to have remained long enough in new-york to have had a home. the first place he slept in, in philadelphia, was a quaker meeting-house; but his first home in the city which he afterwards rendered famous, from having resided in it, was at a public house in water-street, known as the crooked billet; not a very significant sign to us of the present generation. wherever franklin went, or in whatever new sphere he applied himself to business, he immediately inspired confidence in his ability, and gained friends, as all able men do. the runaway boy of seventeen had hardly begun to put bradford's printing office in order when he was called upon by colonel french, and sir william keith, governor of the province, who invited him to a tavern, offered him a bottle of madeira, and proposed to set him up in business; yet he was not of a glib tongue and a prepossessing appearance. at the age of eighteen he made his first voyage to london, and lived in little britain with his friend ralph at a cost of three shillings and sixpence a week. franklin worked in palmer's famous printing house in bartholomew close, near a year, and for the first and only time of his life was improvident and extravagant, spending his earnings at plays and public amusements, and neglecting to write to miss read in philadelphia, with whom he had "exchanged promises." he worked diligently, though, and during that time wrote and published "a dissertation on liberty and necessity, pleasure and pain," this essay gained him the friendship of an author who took him to the horns, a pale ale-house, introduced him to dr. mandeville and promised him a sight of newton. he afterwards removed to lodgings in duke-street, and occupied a room up three pairs of stairs, which he rented of a widow, who had an only daughter, with whom he used to sup on half an anchovy, a very small slice of bread and butter, and half a pint of ale between them. he remained eighteen months in england, and returned to philadelphia with the expectation of entering into mercantile business with his friend denman. it was during his voyage from london to philadelphia that he wrote out the plan for regulating his future conduct, which, he says, he had adhered to through life. the plan has not been preserved, but we have the life which was conformed to it, and can easily conceive what it was. fortunately for mankind his friend denman died soon after the return of franklin to philadelphia, whereby his mercantile projects were frustrated, and he was compelled to return to his trade of printing; he was just turned of twenty-one, and not finding employment as a merchant's clerk, he undertook the charge of his former employer's printing office. here his inventive genius was taxed, for he had to make both types and ink, as they could not be procured short of london. he also engraved the copper plates, from his own designs, for the paper money of new jersey, and constructed the first copper plate press that had been seen in the country. he could not long remain in the employment of another, and, before the end of the year, had established himself in business as a printer, in partnership with his friend meredith. his life now commenced in earnest, he was his own master, and held his fortune in his own hands; he had already discerned "that truth, sincerity, and integrity, were of the utmost importance to the felicity of life;" and day by day his genius ripened and his noble character was developed. in the year , he was married to miss read, and laid the foundation of the pennsylvania library; the first public library that had been commenced in the country. the two succeeding years of his life were not marked by any striking event, but they were, perhaps, the two most important in his history, as during that time he schooled himself to virtue by a systematic course of conduct, the particulars of which he has given in his biography. at the end of this period he commenced his "poor richard's almanac," the publication of which was continued by him twenty-five years. it was the first successful attempt in authorship on this side of the atlantic. his first "promotion," as he calls it, meaning his first public employment, was on being chosen clerk of the general assembly; and the next year he was appointed postmaster at philadelphia. his private business all the time increased; he founded societies for philosophical purposes; continued to publish his paper; wrote innumerable pamphlets; was elected colonel of a regiment; invented his stove, and engaged in all manner of beneficial projects; he established hospitals and academies, made treaties with the indians, became postmaster general, and after devising means for cleaning the streets of philadelphia, turned his attention to those of london and westminster. [illustration grave of franklin, philadelphia] but, it is with the "homes" of franklin that our limited space must be occupied, and not with his life and actions. although he occupied, at various times, almost as many different houses as there are headquarters of washington, yet there are few of them now left; living always in cities, the houses he inhabited have been destroyed by the irresistible march of improvement. in his fifty-first year, he was sent to london by the general assembly to present a petition to the king, and to act as the agent of pennsylvania in england. he sailed from new-york and arrived in london in july, , and at this point of his life his autobiography ends. from an original letter of his in our possession, written on the eve of his departure from philadelphia, he directs that letters must be sent to him in london at the pennsylvania coffee house, in birchin lane, where he doubtless lived on his first arrival, but his permanent home in london, during fifteen years, was at mrs. stevenson's in craven-street. he travelled much in great britain and on the continent, was present at the coronation of george iii., and returned to america in , having stopped awhile at madeira on the voyage. he went to england again in , and after a brilliant and most serviceable career abroad, returned to his native home in season to sign his name to the declaration of independence, giving a greater weight of personal character, and a more potent popular influence to the cause than any other of the immortal participators in that glorious act. he died in the year , on the th of april, at o'clock at night, in his th year, in his house in market-street, philadelphia, which he had built for his own residence. his remains lie by the side of his wife's, in the burying ground of christ church, covered by a simple marble slab, in conformity with his directions. there is a small granite pyramid in the granary burying ground in boston, which the economical citizens make do double duty, as a memorial of the greatest name of which their city can boast, and a monument to his parents. [illustration: franklin's monument, boston] =jefferson.= [illustration: jefferson fac-simile of letter] [illustration: monticello, jefferson's residence] jefferson. jefferson would have been a notable man in any country and any age, because he possessed both genius and character. without the former he could never have succeeded, as he did, in moulding the opinions of his contemporaries and successors, and without the latter, he would not have been, as he was, bitterly hated by his enemies and cordially loved by his friends. his genius, however, was not of that kind which in the ardor of its inspiration intoxicates the judgment; nor was his character, on the other hand, of the sort which moves an admiration so profound, unquestioning and universal, as to disarm the antagonism its very excellence provokes. there was enough error and frailty, therefore, mingled with his eminent qualities both of mind and heart, to involve him in seeming contradictions, and to expose his life to double construction and controversy. at the same time, it has happened to him as it has often happened in human history, that the hostility awakened by his acts during his life, has dwindled with the lapse of time, while his fame has grown brighter and broader with every renewal of the decisions of posterity. no man, we may now safely say, who has figured on the theatre of events in this country, with the single exception of washington, occupies a larger share of the veneration of americans. he was born at shadwell, in albemarle county, virginia, in . his father, dying when he was twelve years of age, left him a large inheritance. he was educated at the college of william and mary, studied law under the celebrated george wythe, began the practice of it in , and in was chosen a member of the provincial legislature, where his first movement--an unsuccessful one--was for the emancipation of the slaves. but a greater question soon engrossed his mind. already a spirit of opposition had been excited in the colonies to the arbitrary measures of the parliament of great britain,--that very legislature was dissolved by the governor, in consequence of the sympathy displayed by its leading members with the patriotic proceedings of massachusetts,--it appealed to the constituency, and was triumphantly returned,--and then in , its more active spirits organized, in a room of a tavern at raleigh, a system of correspondence, designed to inflame the zeal and unite the efforts of the colonists against the encroachments of power. as a result of this activity, a convention was called in virginia for the purpose of choosing delegates to a more general congress. jefferson was a member of it, but not being able, on account of ill-health, to attend, drew up a paper on the rights of british america, which the convention did not adopt, but which it published; "the leap he proposed," as he says, "being too long for the mass of the citizens,"--and which edmund burke in england caused to run through several editions. the pamphlet procured him reputation, and the more honorable distinction of having his name placed in a bill of attainder, moved in one of the houses of parliament. thus early was he identified with the champions of liberty in the new world. in , jefferson took his seat for the first time in the continental congress, whither he carried the same decided and liberal tone which had marked his legislative efforts. he was soon appointed on the most important committees, and especially on that, which, on the motion of the delegates of virginia, was raised to prepare a declaration of independence for the colonies. it was a measure carried only after a strenuous and hot debate, but it was finally carried by a large majority; and to jefferson was assigned the task, by his associates, of preparing the document destined to inaugurate a new era in the history of mankind. how he executed the duty the world knows; for this paper became the charter of freedom to a whole continent; and annually to this day, millions of people read it with gratitude, reverence, joy, and praise to god. for a second time, then, we behold our jefferson, a chosen champion of liberty, linking his name, not with a bill of attainder this time; but with the most signal event in the destiny of his country,--and one, second to none in the political fortunes of humanity. the declaration proclaimed, mr. jefferson retired from his place in the congress to resume his seat in the legislature of his native state; where, an imperfect constitution having been adopted, during his absence, he was immediately involved in the most indefatigable labors for its reform. in connection with wythe, mason, pendleton, and lee, he prepared no less than different acts, from which were derived all the most liberal features of the existing laws of the commonwealth. they laid the foundation, in fact, of the code of virginia,--as a mere monument of industry, they were a most extraordinary work, but when we consider the importance of some of the principles of legislation which they introduced, sufficient in themselves to have immortalized the name of any man. among these principles, were provisions for the abrogation of the laws of entail and primogeniture, for the establishment of religious freedom, for a complete amelioration of the criminal code, including the abolition of capital punishments in all cases, except of treason and murder, for the emancipation, at a certain age, of all slaves born after the passage of the act, for the division of the counties into wards and towns, and the establishment thereby of free municipal institutions, and for the introduction of a system of popular education, providing for schools in each town, academies in each county, and a university for the state. the three first were carried into effect; but the others, in consequence of his personal absence on other duties, failed. but what a different destiny would have been that of virginia if they had not failed! how intrepid, too, the mind which could conceive and urge such measures at that time! society in virginia was then divided into three classes, the land and slave-owners, the yeomanry, and the laboring people. jefferson was by birth and position of the first class, but his chief associations had been among the second class, while his sympathies were with the third class, or rather with all classes. had his suggestions been adopted, these distinctions would have been destroyed, and virginia raised to the first place among the free nations of the earth. thus, for a third time, we find jefferson among the foremost advocates of the liberty and advancement of the people. in he was chosen the successor of patrick henry, as the governor of the state; but war having been declared, and a military invasion being at hand, he resigned the position on account of his want of military talents, in favor of general nelson. he had barely time to escape with his family before the enemy entered his house. congress twice solicited him to go abroad, first to negotiate a peace, and then a treaty of alliance and commerce with france, but as "the laboring oar," in his own language, "was at home," it was not until the year , when the assurance that a general peace would be concluded, became stronger, that he consented to quit his country. the preliminary articles of a peace, however, were received before the time of his departure, and the objects of his mission being thus accomplished, he was again chosen to congress in . the great question then, was the formation of a better government for the colonies, than the weak and ill-jointed confederation of the time had afforded. jefferson was prepared to enter into its discussion with ardor, bringing to the task that keen sagacity and that stern republican spirit, which were among his chief characteristics, when he was joined to adams and franklin in a commission for negotiating treaties of commerce with foreign nations. he arrived in paris in june of . his practical insight into affairs, his vast information, and his determined will, made him a valuable acquisition even to the distinguished abilities of his colleagues. his labors were incessant, and yet he found time to participate, as far as his diplomatic functions allowed, in the stirring and brilliant scenes then going forward on the theatre of europe. the part that he had performed in the great battles for liberty in america, attracted towards him the regards and the confidence of all the prominent actors of the revolutionary drama of france. it was at his house that the patriots most frequently met; it was in his house that the declaration of rights which preceded the first french constitution was drafted; it was at his house that the first constitution was proposed; it was from him that lafayette received many of his best and noblest impulses, and to him that the earlier leaders of the struggle looked for sympathy, concurrence, and direction. in after years, in the bitter political contests of the day, it was a topic of reproach that he was under french influence, but the truth was, as some one has sagaciously remarked, that the french had been brought under an american influence. he simply continued to be abroad what he had always been at home, the pioneer and consistent friend of popular rights,--the unflinching supporter of popular liberty. it was during this interval of absence in europe, that the controversy in respect to a better constitution of government for the colonies, to which we have just alluded, was brought to a head. there had always been a substantial union between them, founded upon contiguous geographical position and their common interests, as well as their community of origin, languages, laws and religion, which the common danger of the revolution had served to strengthen and cement. but as yet their political union was inchoate and fragile. it was a simple improvement upon the classical confederacies of history, such as had prevailed in ancient greece, on the plains of etrusca, before rome was, among the dikes of holland, or along the declivities of the swiss alps,--and such as montesquieu and the accepted writers praised as the perfection of political arrangement, clear of all defects, and secure from foreign violence and domestic weakness. yet, in the practice of the new world, it had not justified the praises of the theorists, for a fatal vice, an alarming and radical weakness had been developed in its want of due centripetal force. in other words, it was rather a conglomerate than a united whole, and the difficulty of the new problem which it raised consisted in the proper adjustment of the federal and central with the state and local authority. parties were, of course, immediately formed on the question of the true solution of it, the one favoring a strong central power, taking the name of federalist; and the other, disposed to adhere to the separate sovereignty and independence of the states, taking the name of anti-federalist. in the end, the constitution actually adopted, a work only second in importance to the revolution itself, or more properly the constructive completion of it, was a compromise between the two, although the original parties still maintained their relative positions, as the friends and foes of a preponderating general government. jefferson inclined to the anti-federalists, but not being in the midst of the debate, was scarcely mingled with its more exciting quarrels. it is hard to say, what shape, or whether a different shape at all, would have been given to the instrument of union, had he been at home to take part in its formation. we think it probable, however, that his immense personal influence, combined with his sharp forecast and decentralizing tendency, would have succeeded in modifying its more aristocratic and conservative features, especially in regard to the absorbing power of the executive and the irresponsible tenure of the judiciary. be that as it may, the choice of him by washington, in , for the post of the first secretary of state, gave him an opportunity of exercising his talents and manifesting his disposition, in the organization of the new experiment. there were two antagonisms which he found it necessary at the outset to meet; first, the tendency to federal absorption, and second, the reliance upon law rather than liberty, both embodied in the person of alexander hamilton, the secretary of the treasury, a man of genius, of energy, of sincere convictions, and the confidant of washington. the two men were, therefore, speedily self-placed in strong opposition. hamilton had been educated in a military school, he admired the british constitution, and, though he was an earnest patriot, as his efficient services in the war, and his masterly vindications of the constitution had proved, he cherished a secret distrust of the people. jefferson, on the other hand, had sympathized all his life with the multitude, approved, or rather had anticipated, the french philosophy, which was then in vogue, disliked the english models of government, and was sanguine of the future. it was inevitable, consequently, that the opposition of such men, both able, both decided, both earnest in their plans, should widen into an almost irreconcilable hostility. in , jefferson resigned, but not until, by his reports to congress on the currency, the fisheries, weights and measures, and by his correspondence with foreign ministers, he had placed his department on a level with the foreign offices of the older nations. it is to him that we are indebted for our decimal coinage, and through him, as mr. webster, a competent and not too friendly judge, has confessed, our diplomatic intercourse was raised to a dignity and strength which will bear comparison with any that other governments can produce. in jefferson was called from his retirement to act as vice-president of the united states,--a place of not much practical efficiency, but which he illustrated by compiling a manual of parliamentary practice, which has ever since been the standard by which the proceedings of legislative bodies in this country are regulated. there was no position, indeed, which he does not appear to have been able to turn to some advantage to his country and his fellow-men. at the close of his term as vice-president, he was chosen president,--a choice in which a final blow was given to the doctrines of federalism, and the democratic republic finally inaugurated. we shall not, however, enter into the contests of that period, nor attempt to detail the measures of his administration. they are subjects for history, not for an outline like this we sketch. suffice it to say, that the aspirations of the people were not disappointed by the results of his action. he rescued the functions of government from the improper direction which had been given to them, he organized strength through simplicity, he almost doubled the territory of the union, he caused the vast regions of the west, now the seat of populous empire, to be explored, he gave us character abroad, and maintained tranquillity at home,--and, last of all, against the solicitation of his friends, with a popular prestige that would have carried him in triumph through a third or fourth term of office, even to the close of his days, he consecrated for ever the example of washington, by resigning, as that great man had done, at the end of eight years. these are the simple facts of jefferson's active career, and they need no comment. they present a character obviously too transparent to allow of much mistake. all his life points to a few simple but great objects. by his sanguine temperament, his keen insight, his quick and cherishing sympathies, his strong love of justice, his kindly visions of the future, he was made a democrat; and, under no circumstances could he have been any thing else. he hated tyranny, he loved truth, and he was not afraid of man; how then could he avoid becoming what he was, the apostle of freedom, author of the statutes of virginia and the declaration of independence, founder of the republican party, a name of power to future generations which have scarcely yet come up to the greatness and breadth of his enlightened opinions? errors of conduct he may have committed, for who is perfect? impracticable views he may have enunciated, for who is all-wise? but the glory of his achievements is an imperishable remembrance of his countrymen, illustrating their history to all nations and to all times. "a superior and commanding intellect," it has been eloquently said, "is not a temporary flame burning brightly for a while, and then giving place to returning darkness. it is rather a spark of fervent heat, as well as radiant light, with power to enkindle the common mass of human mind; so that when it glimmers in its own decay, and finally goes out in death, no night follows, but it leaves the world all light, all on fire, from the potent contact of its own spirit." the retirement of mr. jefferson at monticello was passed in the cultivation of his estate, in the pursuit of letters, in cheerful intercourse with friends, in the duties of a liberal hospitality, and in advancing his favorite project of a university of virginia. his notes on virginia, and his contributions to scientific periodicals, together with his extensive correspondence, had brought him to the acquaintance of the most distinguished scientific men of the world, and his eminent political services had made him known to statesmen. his house was, therefore, always thronged with visitors, who, attracted by his fame, were charmed by his conversation, astonished by his learning, and warmed into love by the unaffected kindliness of his deportment. a beautiful retirement, full of grandeur, of simplicity, of dignity and repose! a patriarch of the nation which he had helped to found, and which he lived to see in a condition of unparalleled advancement,--illustrious in two hemispheres,--his name connected with events that introduced a new era in the history of his race,--surrounded by the grateful admiration of growing millions of people; his old age was passed in the serenest contentment, amid the blandishments of literature and science, the interchanges of friendly offices, and in useful labor in the library or on the farm. monticello, which is the name which mr. jefferson had given to his home, was built in one of the most enchanting regions of virginia. "it seemed designed by nature," says a writer, "as the very seat from which, lifted above the world's turmoil, one who has exhausted what it can bestow of eminence, might look down, withdrawn from its personal troubles, but contemplating at leisure the distant animation of the scene. it was a place scarcely less fit for the visionary abode of the philosophic speculatist, than by its far-spread and shifting beauties of landscapes to inspire a poet with perpetual delight." on a spire of the romantic blue ridge, whose varying outlines stretch away from it till they are lost to the sight, with a sylvan scene of unsurpassed loveliness in the vale below, the quiet rivanna meandering through rich fields on one side, the pleasant village of charlotteville dotting the other, while the porticoes and domes of the university rise in the distance behind, it overlooked a combination of natural pictures that are rarely found in one spot. "the country," says the visitor we have just quoted, "is not flat, but a gently waving one; yet, from above and afar, its inequalities of surface vanish into a map-like smoothness, and are traceable only in the light and shade cast by hill and plain. the prospect here has a diameter of near a hundred miles: its scope is therefore such that atmospheric effects are constantly flickering over it, even in the most cloudless days of a climate as bright if not quite so soft as that of italy; and thus each varying aspect of the weather is reflected, all the while, from the features of the landscape, as the passions are over the face of some capricious beauty, that laughs, and frowns, and weeps almost in the same breath. near you, perhaps, all is smiling in the sunlight; yonder broods or bursts a storm; while, in a third quarter, darkness and light contend upon the prospect, and chase each other. the sky itself is thus not more shifting than the scene you may have before you. it takes a new aspect at almost every moment, and bewitches you with a perpetual novelty." the mansion of the philosopher was placed on the top of an eminence commanding this beautiful scene. it was somewhat fantastic in its architecture, owing to the additions and rebuildings that had been constantly going on, to adapt it to the enlarged wants and changing tastes of the occupant, but it was spacious, richly furnished and commodious. the rarest treasures of literature adorned the library, and indeed every part bore witness to the affluence and cultivated pursuits of the venerable sage. a farm of some fourteen thousand acres lay about among the hills, which was laboriously and carefully husbanded, and which gave employment in various ways to a number of artificers and mechanics, whose dwellings were distributed about the slopes. his estate, in short, was a small and almost independent community in itself, capable of supplying the ordinary needs and even the luxuries of a highly civilized condition of social existence. as a proof of this, we may state by the way, that the carriage of the proprietor, as well as many of the tools and implements in daily use, had been manufactured on the premises. but the wonder of the place was the library, which was not only extensive, but extensively rich in its rare possessions, which the master had seduously collected during his long residence abroad from every nook and corner of europe. unfortunately many of these books, afterwards presented to congress, were burned in the conflagration of the capitol. of the man himself, a guest, who was any thing but an admirer, has left this record. "dressed, within doors, as i saw him last, no longer in the red breeches, which were once famous as his favorite and rather conspicuous attire; but still vindicating by a sanguine waistcoat his attachment to that republican color; in gray shorts, small silver kneebuckles, gray woollen stockings, black slippers, a blue body-coat, surmounted by a gray spencer; tall, and though lithe of person and decidedly graceful and agile of motion and carriage, yet long and ill-limbed, mr. jefferson's figure was commanding and striking, though bad, and his face most animated and agreeable, although remarkably ugly. his legs, by no means shunned observation; yet they were scarcely larger at the knee than in the ankle, and had never been conscious of a calf. still, though without strength, they had always borne him along with vigor and suppleness. these bodily qualities and a health almost unfailing, he preserved, in a singular degree, to the very close of his long life. at the time i speak of, when he was in his eighty-first year, he not only mounted his horse without assistance and rode habitually some ten miles a day, but, dismounting at a fence breast-high, would leap over it, by only placing his hand on the topmost rail. he walked not only well and swiftly, but with a lightness and springiness of tread, such as few young men even have. it was a restless activity of mind, which informed all this unusual mobility of body; and the two, i think, were, in him, greatly alike. for his intellect had, like his person, more size than shape, more adroitness than force, more suppleness than solidity, and affected its ends by continuity of action not mass of power, by manipulation not muscularity. you may batter to pieces with a small hammer that which a cannon-ball would not shiver. he was never idle: nay, hardly a moment still. he rose early and was up late, through his life; and was all day, whenever not on foot or a-horse-back, at study, at work, or in conversation. if his legs and fingers were at rest, his tongue would sure to be a-going. indeed, even when seated in his library in a low spanish chair, he held forth to his visitors in an almost endless flow of fine discourse, his body seemed as impatient of keeping still as his mind, it shifted its position incessantly, and so twisted itself about that you might almost have thought he was attitudinizing. meantime, his face, expressive as it was ugly, was not much less busy than his limbs, in bearing its part in the conversation, and kept up, all the while, the most speaking by-play, an eloquence of the countenance as great as ugly features could well have. it stood to his conversation like the artful help of well-imagined illustrations to the text of a book: a graphic commentary on every word, that was as convincing to the eyes as was his discourse to the ears. the impression which it conveyed was a strong auxiliary of all he uttered: for it begat in you an almost unavoidable persuasion of his sincerity." jefferson's conversation is described as the most agreeable and brilliant of his day; but was it this which gave him his personal power? he was not in other respects a man of any pre-eminent personal qualities; he did not possess commanding military skill; he was no orator, having seldom spoken in public; and though a good writer, he was not particularly distinguished in that line. his conversation, therefore, may have helped him in acquiring a mastery of the minds of men; but the real secret of his success consisted in two things--in his general superiority of intellect, and in his rich, generous, noble intuitions. he saw the truths and spoke the words, which the world wanted to see and hear, at the right time--a little in advance of his generation, but not too much in advance so as to "dwarf himself by the distance." his sympathetic genius beat responsive to the genius of his age. his instincts were the instincts of the men of his day; more decided and pronounced than theirs, but still recognized as a prophecy of what they felt the deepest and wanted the most. all the talent, all the cunning, all the selfish calculation of the world could not have enabled him to reach the heights which he attained by the simple and consistent utterance of his nature. he conquered, as emerson says in speaking of the force of character over and above mere force of some special faculty, because his arrival any where altered the face of affairs. "oh, iole, how did you know that hercules was a god?" "because," answered iole, "i was content the moment my eyes fell upon him. when i beheld theseus, i desired that i might see him offer battle, or at least guide his horses in the chariot race; but hercules did not wait for a contest; he conquered whether he stood or walked, or sat, or whatever thing he did." happy in his life, jefferson was no less happy in his death, for he went peacefully to rest on the fiftieth anniversary of the great day which he had done so much to make great, the jubilee of our national freedom,--when the shouts of the people, as they ascended from the innumerable vales, to his receding ears, must have sounded as a prelude to the swelling voices of posterity. =hancock.= [illustration: hancock fac-simile of letter] [illustration: hancock house, boston] hancock. in the mouths of the people of new england, and indeed throughout the united states, the name of john hancock has become a household word. in the state of massachusetts, where he was born, lived, and died, and in the affairs of which he took, for five-and-twenty years, so very active and leading a part, he enjoyed a degree and a permanence of popularity never yet obtained by any other man. and yet we may observe and the same thing may be noted in other and more recent instances--a remarkable fact that deserves to be pondered--that his high degree of popularity was not at all dependent upon any peculiar embodiment or manifestation on his part of the more prevailing and characteristic traits of the community about him. indeed the popular favor which hancock enjoyed would seem to have been determined, as the attachment of individuals so often is, and as has happened also in other notable instances, rather by the attraction of opposites. and yet hancock's line of descent was such as might naturally enough have inspired the expectation of finding in him a good many more marks of the old puritan temper and manners than he ever exhibited. from the days of the first settlement of new england, down to the period of the revolution and afterwards, the "ministers" constituted a sort of clerical nobility, enjoying a very high degree of influence and consideration; and it is to forefathers of that order, that a large part of the most distinguished and influential new england families may trace their origin. the elder sons of these ministers, commonly, and the younger ones often, were educated to the profession of their fathers, long regarded in new england as the most certain road to distinction, whether spiritual or temporal. but as the demand for ministers was limited, and as their families were generally pretty large, many of their sons found it necessary to engage in the avocations of civil life, in which they not uncommonly attained to wealth and high social positions. yet, for the most part, however zealous and successful they might be in the pursuit of temporal objects, they still continued to exhibit pretty evident marks of their clerical descent and breeding in a certain stiff, cold, and austere gravity, if not, indeed, in a certain sanctimonious air even in the very act of concluding the very tightest and sharpest of bargains;--all the attributes, in fact, comprehensively and impressively conveyed to an inhabitant of new england by the title of _deacon_, which office, as if still clinging to the horns of the altar, they often filled; thus becoming pillars and supports of that church of which their fathers had been the candlesticks. the grandfather of john hancock, himself called john, was for more than fifty years, as if by a sort of vaticination of the future, minister of lexington, near to concord; thus associating with that of hancock another name, now to all american ears so familiar as the scene of the first revolutionary bloodshed. we are told by a biographer of this first john hancock, that he possessed "a facetious temper," but in the grim old portrait which still hangs on the walls of his grandson's family mansion-house, very small traces of facetiousness appear; and so far as physiognomy goes, we should be rather inclined to look to his grandmother, to whose accompanying portrait the artist has given a fine open countenance, with something of a magnificent and voluptuous style of beauty, for the source of those social qualities and captivating manners by which their famous grandson was distinguished. the minister of lexington had two sons, both also ministers, one of whom became his father's colleague. the other, the father of our john hancock, was settled at braintree, near boston, in that part of it which now constitutes the town of quincy; and it was here that in the year our john hancock was born, only a short distance from the birth-place of john adams, who was some two years his senior. the old house in which the future patriot first saw the light was destroyed by an accidental fire previous to the revolution; and the land on which it had stood coming subsequently into the possession of john adams, he presented it to the town of quincy as a site for a future academy. at the age of six or seven years, the young john hancock was left without a father; but in his uncle, thomas hancock, he found a guardian and protector, who not only loved him, but was able to assist him. thomas hancock early in life had been placed as an apprentice to a boston stationer, and had afterwards set up in that line of business for himself: but subsequently extending the sphere of his operations, he became one of the most eminent and successful merchants of new england. as he had no children, he adopted, as his own, his young nephew, whose affable and joyous temper had not failed to make him dear to his uncle, as they did to so many others; and having sent him to harvard college, where he graduated at the early age of seventeen, he took him afterwards into his counting-house to be initiated into the mysteries of merchandise; and in due season admitted him as a partner. it was, perhaps, as well on business as for pleasure, or general improvement, that the young hancock visited england, whither he went in company with the returning governor pownall, whose taste for social enjoyment was similar to his own, and where he saw the funeral of george ii. and the coronation of george iii., little thinking at that moment how active a part he was himself soon to take in curtailing the limits of the british monarchy, and in snatching from the young king's crown its brightest jewel. thomas hancock, the uncle, died in , leaving behind him a fortune amassed by his judicious and successful mercantile enterprises, of not less than $ , , one of the largest ever acquired in boston, up to that time, though small in comparison with several of the present day, when even ten times as much may be produced by combined good fortune, tact, and perseverance. thomas hancock bestowed by his will some considerable legacies for charitable purposes, among others a thousand pounds to harvard college to endow a professorship of oriental languages, being thus, as the historian of the college assures us, the first native american to endow a professorship in any literary institution;--but the great bulk of his fortune he bequeathed to his favorite nephew, $ , at once, and a reversionary interest in $ , more, of which his widow was to enjoy the use during her life. thus in , at the early age of twenty-seven, and just upon the eve of the commencement of the revolutionary disputes with the mother country, john hancock came into possession of one of the largest fortunes in the province. yet, though this large estate was an instrument and a stepping-stone, without the help of which hancock would never have attained to that social and political distinction which he coveted and enjoyed so much, yet without his rare personal gifts and accomplishments it would have been wholly unavailing to that end; and so far from qualifying him, would have disqualified him, as it did so many other of the rich men of that time, for playing the conspicuous part he did in political affairs. though for some time after his uncle's death he continued in business as a merchant, there were others who knew much better than he how to increase estates, already in the popular estimate--especially considering the use made of them--quite too large. indeed, his business operations do not seem to have had mainly or primarily in view the making of money; for though he started new enterprises, going largely into ship-building, it was rather, at least so hutchinson insinuates, as a politician than as a capitalist, looking more to the number of people he employed, and the increase thereby of his influence and popularity, than to the enlargement of his already plentiful fortune. there were others also who knew much better than he how to keep what they had, at least as they thought, men who used no less economy in spending their money than they or their fathers had done in acquiring it. but although the rich man who keeps his capital entire, and even increasing, is, in some sense, certainly a public benefactor, yet the fountain that overflows, sending forth a copious stream which the thirsty passers-by are all free to drink from, or at least to look at, is always more joyfully seen and more pleasingly remembered--even though it does run the risk of some time running dry--than the deep well, whose water is hardly visible, and which, though quite inexhaustible, yet for want of any kind of a bucket that can be made to sink into it, or any rope long enough to draw such a bucket up, is very little available to the parched throats of the fainting wayfarers, who, in the spirit and with the feelings of tantalus, are thus rather disposed to curse than to bless it. to be able to make money is, at least in new england, a very common accomplishment, to be able to keep it not a rare one; but very few have understood so well as hancock did, how to make the most of it in the way of spending it, obtaining from it, as he did, the double gratification of satisfying his own private inclinations, at the same time that he promoted his political views by the hold that he gained on the favor and good-will of his fellow-citizens. he possessed, indeed, in a degree, those tastes which wealth is best able to gratify, and to the gratification of which it is most essential. in the very face and eyes of the puritanical opinions and the staid and ultra-sober habits of new england, he delighted in splendid furniture, fine clothes, showy equipages, rich wines, good dinners, gay company, cards, dances, music, and all sorts of festivities. nothing pleased him so much as to have his house full of guests to share with him in these enjoyments, and few were better qualified, by winning manners, graceful and affable address, a ready wit, a full flow of spirits, and a keen enjoyment of the whole thing, to act the part of master of the feast. but while thus luxuriously inclined, he had no disposition for gross debauch: and the presence of ladies at all his entertainments, while it seemed to give to them a new zest, banished from his house that riotous dissipation into which mere male gatherings are so certain to sink; and which in times past, in new england, made the idea of gross dissipation almost inseparable from that of social enjoyment, nor even yet is the distinction between them fully apprehended by every body. among other property which hancock had inherited from his uncle, was a stone mansion-house, still standing, and now in the very centre of the city of boston, but which then was looked upon as quite retired and almost in the country. this house, which was built about the year that hancock was born, fronts eastwardly on boston common, since so elaborately improved and converted into so beautiful a park, with its gravel walks, trees, and smooth-shaven lawns, but which was then a _common_ in the old english sense of the word, a common pasture for the cows of the neighbors, and a training field for the militia, with very few improvements except a single gravel walk and two or three rows of trees along tremont-street. this house was situated a little west of the central and highest summit of that triple hill, which had early acquired for the peninsula of boston the name of trimountain,--since shortened into tremont, and preserved in the name of the street above mentioned, which central summit was, from an early period, known as beacon hill, a name preserved in that of beacon-street. this name was derived from the use to which this highest central summit had been put from a very early period--materials being always kept in readiness upon the top of it for kindling a bonfire, as a means of alarming the country round in case of invasion or other danger. after having been a good deal graded down, this summit is now occupied as a site for the state house, which, with its conspicuous dome, crowns and overlooks the whole city. it was in this mansion-house of his uncle's, which seems as if by a sort of attraction to have drawn the state house to its side, that hancock continued to live except when absent at philadelphia in attendance on the continental congress; and not content with its original dimensions, to afford more room for his numerous guests, he built at one end of it a wooden addition, since removed, containing a dining-room, dancing-hall, and other like conveniences. it was here hancock, assisted by his amiable and accomplished wife, who entered into all his tastes and feelings, and who contributed her full share to give expression and realization to them, presided over so many social dinner parties and gay assemblages, dressed out, both host and guests, in that rich costume which copley, who was one of hancock's near neighbors, loved so well to paint, and of which his pencil has transmitted to us so vivid an idea. nor did he show himself abroad with less display than he exhibited at home, his custom being to ride on public occasions in a splendid carriage drawn by six beautiful bays, and attended by several servants in livery. while the public attention was thus drawn upon him by a display which at once attracted and gratified the eyes of the multitude, whose envy at that time there was less fear than now of exciting, and by a generous and free hospitality, the more captivating for not being either indigenous or common, the part which hancock took in the rising disputes with the mother country converted him into that popular idol, which he continued to be for the remainder of his life; and which, to one so greedy as he was of honor and applause, must have been in the highest degree gratifying. it is indeed not uncommon to depreciate the public services of such men as hancock, by ascribing all to vanity and the love of distinction; as if without the impulse of these motives any great efforts would be made to serve the public! worthy indeed of all honor are those men in whom these impulses take so honorable a direction; and happy the nation able to purchase such services at so cheap a rate! in , two years after his uncle's death, hancock was chosen, along with james otis, samuel adams, and thomas cushing, one of the four representatives from boston to the general court. the seizure, two years after, of his sloop liberty, for alleged violations of the revenue laws, in evading the payment of duties on a cargo of wine imported from madeira, closely and personally identified him with the resistance then making throughout the colonies to the attempt to collect a revenue in america by parliamentary authority alone. this seizure led to a riot which figures in all the histories of that period, by which the commissioners of the customs were driven from the town, and in consequence of which two or three british regiments were ordered to boston--the first step on the part of the mother country towards a military enforcement of the authority which she claimed. hancock felt personally the consequences of this riot, in a number of libels or criminal informations filed against him in the court of admiralty, to recover penalties to the amount of three or four hundred thousand dollars, for violations of the revenue laws. "it seemed," writes john adams in his diary, and he had ample opportunity to know, for he was retained as hancock's counsel, "as if the officers of the court were determined to examine the whole town as witnesses." in hopes to fish out some evidence against him; they interrogated many of his near relations and most intimate friends. they even threatened to summon his aged and venerable aunt: nor did those annoyances cease till the battle of lexington, the siege of boston, and the expulsion of the british from that town shut up the admiralty court, and brought the prosecution, and british authority along with it, to an end. at the commencement of the disputes with the mother country, the sentiment against the right of parliament to impose taxes on the colonies had seemed to be almost unanimous. the only exceptions were a few persons holding office under the crown. the rich especially, this being a question that touched the pocket, were very loud in their protests against any such exercise of parliamentary authority. but as the dispute grew more warm and violent, threatening to end in civil commotions, the rich, not doubting that the mother country would triumph in the end, and fearing the loss of their entire property in the attempt to save a part of it, began to draw back; thus making much more conspicuous than ever the position of hancock as a leader of the popular party. indeed there was hardly a wealthy man in boston, he and bowdoin excepted, both of whom had not accumulated but inherited their property, who did not end with joining the side of the mother country. and the same thing may be observed of massachusetts, and indeed of new england generally. of all the larger and better-looking mansion-houses, of eighty years old and upwards, still standing in the vicinity of boston, of which the number is considerable, there are very few that did not originally belong to some old tory who forfeited his property out of his very anxiety to preserve it. hancock's acceptance of the command of the company of cadets or governor's guard, whence the title of colonel by which for some time he was known; his acting with that company as an escort, at the funeral of lieutenant-governor oliver, who was very obnoxious to the patriots; his refusing to go all lengths with samuel adams in the controversy with hutchinson as to the governor's right to call the general court together, elsewhere than in boston; and the circumstance that although he had been several times before negatived as a member of the council, hutchinson had at length allowed his name on the list of counsellors proposed by the general court; these and perhaps some other circumstances excited indeed some suspicions that hancock also was growing lukewarm to the popular cause. but these he took care to dissipate by declining to sit as counsellor, by acting as orator at the anniversary of the boston massacre, and by accepting, not long after, an appointment as one of the delegates to the continental congress. the oration above alluded to, delivered in march, , and which hancock's enemies pretended was written for him by dr. cooper, was pronounced by john adams, who heard it, "an eloquent, pathetic, and spirited performance." "the composition," so he wrote in his diary, "the pronunciation, the action, all exceeded the expectation of every body. [these last were certainly not cooper's.] they exceeded even mine, which were very considerable. many of the sentiments came with great propriety from him. his invective, particularly against a preference of riches to virtue, came from him with a singular dignity and grace." a passage in this oration, which was afterwards printed, on the subject of standing armies, gave great offence to the british officers and soldiers by whom the town continued to be occupied, and not long after governor gage dismissed hancock from his command of the company of cadets; whereupon they disbanded themselves, returning the standard which the governor on his initiation into office had presented to them. the sensibilities of the british officers and soldiers being again excited by some parts of an oration delivered the next year by dr. warren, on the same anniversary, a few weeks before the battle of lexington, a military mob beset hancock's house and began to destroy the fences and waste the grounds. gage sent a military guard to put a stop to their outrages. but it was no longer safe for hancock to remain in such close contiguity to the british troops. he was president of the provincial congress of massachusetts, which, in consequence of the act of parliament to modify the charter of that province, had lately assumed to themselves the power of the purse and the sword. he was also president of the provincial committee of safety, which, under authority of the provincial congress, had begun in good earnest to prepare for taking arms for the vindication of those rights which the men of massachusetts claimed under the now violated and (so far as parliament had the power) abrogated charter of the province. under these circumstances, hancock abandoned his house, which was subsequently occupied by lord percy as his headquarters; and at the time of the march of the british troops for concord, he was living at lexington, in company with samuel adams. indeed it was supposed that one of the objects of this march was to seize the persons of those two patriots, to whom gage seemed to point as the authors of the collision at lexington by the issue of a proclamation, in which pardon was offered to all who, giving over their late traitorous proceedings, would furnish proof of their repentance and of their renewed allegiance to their king, by submitting to the authority of his duly appointed governor, and of the late act of parliament: but from this pardon john hancock and samuel adams were excepted, their offences being too flagrant to be passed over without condign punishment. before the issue of this proclamation, hancock had already proceeded to philadelphia, where the famous continental congress of was already in session, composed, to a great extent, of the same members with its predecessor of the year before, but of which he had been chosen a member in place of bowdoin. he was a fluent and agreeable speaker, one of those who, by grace of manner, seem to add a double force and weight to all which they say; yet in that illustrious assembly there were quite a number, including john adams, from his own state, compared with whom he could hardly have claimed rank as an orator. there were also in that assembly several able writers; the state papers emanating from whose pens were compared by chatham to the ablest productions of the republican ages of greece and rome; but hancock was not one of those. there were men of business there who undertook, without shrinking, all the herculean labors of organizing the army and navy, the treasury and the foreign office of the new confederation--but neither in this line does hancock appear to have been greatly distinguished. and yet it was not long before, by his appointment as president of that body, he rose to a position in continental affairs, no less conspicuous than that which we have seen him exercising in those of his own province. circumstances led indeed to this situation, quite apart from hancock's personal qualifications, and yet had he not possessed those qualifications in a high degree, he would never have had the opportunity of immortalizing himself as he has done by his famous signature at the head of the declaration of independence,--a signature well calculated to give a strong impression with those who judge of personal character by handwriting, of the decided temper and whole-hearted energy of the man. virginia, as the most populous and wealthy of the colonies, had received the compliment of furnishing the president of the congress of ; and peyton randolph--a planter and lawyer, an elderly gentleman of the old school, formerly attorney general of that province, and in governor dinwiddie's time, sent by the assembly on a special message to england, to complain of the governor for the fees he exacted on patents of land--had been first selected for that distinguished station. he had again been chosen as president of the new congress; but being also speaker of the virginia house of burgesses, and that body having been called together by lord dunmore, in what proved to be its last meeting, to consider lord north's conciliatory propositions, it became necessary for randolph to return home. his place in congress was filled, in compliance with an arrangement previously made by the house of burgesses, by no less distinguished a successor than thomas jefferson; but in filling up the vacant seat of president of congress, during what was then regarded as but the temporary absence of randolph, it was natural enough to look to massachusetts, the next province to virginia in population and wealth, no ways behind her in zeal for the cause, and, as the result proved, far her superior in military capabilities. nor among the delegates present from massachusetts, was there any one who seemed, on the whole, so well fitted for the station, or likely to be at all so satisfactory to the delegates from the other states, as john hancock. had james bowdoin been present, he would perhaps have been more acceptable to the great body of the members than hancock, as being less identified than he was with violent measures. but though chosen a delegate to the first congress, the sickness of bowdoin's wife had prevented his attendance; and the same cause still operating to keep him at home, john hancock had been appointed, as we have mentioned, in his place. of hancock's four colleagues, all of whom were older men than himself, samuel adams certainly, if not john adams also, might have disputed with him the palm of zeal and activity in the revolutionary cause; but not one of them risked so much as he did, at least in the judgment of his fellow-members from the middle and southern provinces, who were generally men of property. he alone, of all the new england delegates, had a fortune to lose; and while his wealthy southern colleagues looked with some distrust upon the adamses, regarding them perhaps a little in the light, if we may be pardoned so coarse an illustration, of the monkey in the fable, who wished to rake his chestnuts out of the fire at the risk and expense of other people's fingers, no such idea could attach to hancock, who, in point of fortune, had probably as much to lose as any other member, except perhaps john dickinson--for the wealthy charles carrol, of maryland, had not a seat in the congress. at the same time hancock's genial manners and social spirit, seemed to the members from the southern and middle provinces to make him quite one of themselves, an associate in pleasure and social intercourse, as well as in business; while the austere spirit and laborious industry of the adamses threatened to inflict upon them the double hardship of all work and no play. but while the moderate members found, as they supposed, in the fortune which hancock had at stake a pledge that he would not hurry matters to any violent extremes; the few also most disposed to press matters to a final breach, were well satisfied to have as president, one who had shown himself in his own province so energetic, prompt, decisive, and thorough. yet hancock's colleagues, and the members generally from new england, never entirely forgave the preference which had been thus early shown to him; and upon many of the sectional questions and interests which soon sprung up, and by which the continental congress was at times so seriously belittled and so greatly distracted, hancock was often accused of deserting the interests of new england, and of going with the southern party. the internal and secret history of the continental congress or rather of the temporary and personal motives by which the conduct of its members, as to a variety of details, was influenced, remains so much in obscurity that it is not easy to ascertain the precise foundation of those charges, reiterated as they are in letters and other memoirs of those times; but on the whole, no reason appears to regard them otherwise than as the natural ebullition of disappointed partisanship against a man, who, in the struggle of contending factions and local interests, strove to hold the balance even, and who did not believe, with samuel adams and some others, that political wisdom was limited to new england alone. the president of congress, in those times, was regarded as the personal representative of that body and of the sovereignty of the union; and in that respect filled, to a certain degree, in the eye of the nation and of the world, the place now occupied by the president of the united states, though sharing, in no degree, the vast patronage and substantial power attached to the latter office. in his capacity of personal representative of the nation the president of congress kept open house and a well-spread table, to which members of congress, officers of the army, attachés of the diplomatic corps foreign and domestic, distinguished strangers, every body in fact who thought themselves to be any body--a pretty large class, at least in america--expected invitations; whereby was imposed upon that officer pretty laborious social duties, in addition to his public and political ones, which were by no means trifling. all these duties of both classes, hancock continued to discharge with great assiduity and to general satisfaction, for upwards of two years and a half, through a period at which the power and respectability of the continental congress was at its greatest height, before the downfall of the paper money and the total exhaustion of the credit of the nation at home and abroad had reduced the representative of the sovereignty of the nation to a pitiful dependence on the bounty of france, and upon requisitions on the states, to which very little attention was paid. feeling all the dignity of his position, hancock took one of the largest houses in philadelphia, where he lived in profuse hospitality, and all upon advances made out of his own pocket. after his day, it became necessary for congress to allow their president a certain annual stipend out of the public treasury to support the expenses of his household. in hancock's time, this was not thought of; and it was not till near the close of the war, after the precedent had been established in the case of his successors, that he put in any claim for the reimbursement of his expenses. there is a story, that hancock, when chosen president of congress, blushed and modestly hung back, and was drawn into the chair only by the exertion of some gentle force on the part of the brawny harrison, a member from virginia, and afterwards governor of that state. and yet, according to john adams, hancock was hardly warm in his seat when he aspired to a much more distinguished position. he expected to have been appointed commander-in-chief of the american armies, and displayed in his countenance, so adams says in his diary, the greatest vexation and disappointment when washington was named for that station. it is certain that he had some military aspirations, for he wrote to washington shortly after his assumption of command, requesting that some place in the army might be kept for him, to which washington replied with compliments at his zeal, but with apprehension that he had no place at his disposal worthy of colonel hancock's acceptance. not long after his return to boston, his military ardor revived. he procured himself to be chosen a major-general of the massachusetts militia, and he marched the next summer ( ) at the head of his division to join the expedition against newport, in which the french fleet and troops just arrived under d'estaing, a detachment from washington's army under sullivan, greene, and la fayette, and the militia from the neighboring states were to co-operate. but d'estaing suffered himself to be drawn out to sea by the english fleet, which had appeared off newport for that express purpose, and after a slight running engagement, the fleet, while struggling for the weather gauge, were separated by a violent storm, in which some of d'estaing's ships were dismasted and others greatly damaged, so that he judged it necessary to put into boston to refit. the american army meanwhile had crossed to rhode island, and established itself before newport, but as count d'estaing could not be persuaded to return, it became necessary to abandon the island, not without a battle to cover the retreat. with this expedition, hancock's military career seems to have terminated; but on arriving at boston, he found ample work on hand better adapted perhaps to his talents than the business of active warfare. sullivan, of a hot and impetuous temper, and excessively vexed at d'estaing's conduct, was even imprudent enough to give expression to his feelings in general orders. it was like touching a spark to tinder, and the american army before new-york, which shared the general's feelings, encouraged by his example, "broke out," so greene wrote to washington, "in clamorous strains." the same disappointment was bitterly felt also at boston; for the british occupation of newport had long been an eyesore to new england, occasioning great expense in keeping up militia to watch the enemy there, and in projects for their expulsion; and the prevailing dissatisfaction at the conduct of the french admiral soon found expression in a serious riot between the populace of the town and the sailors of the french fleet, threatening to revive all those violent prejudices against the french, fostered in the colonies for near a hundred years, and which the recent alliance with france had glossed over indeed, but had not wholly subdued. upon this occasion, hancock exerted himself with zeal and success to prevent this ill-temper, which had broken out between the classes least accustomed to restrain their feelings or the expression of them, from spreading any higher. he opened his house to the french officers, who, delighted at the opportunity of social enjoyment and female society, kept it full from morning till night, and by his "unwearied pains," so la fayette wrote to washington, did much to heal the breach which sullivan's imprudence had so dangerously aggravated. on this occasion, at least, if on no other, hancock's love of gayety, and of social pleasures, proved very serviceable to his country. during his absence at philadelphia, his popularity at home had undergone no diminution, and he soon resumed, as a member of the council, on which since the breach with gage the executive administration had devolved, a leading influence in the state administration; and when at last, after two trials, a constitution was sanctioned by the people, he was chosen by general consent the first governor under it. this was a station of vastly more consideration then than now. under the old confederation, at least after the continental congress, by the exhaustion of its credit and the repudiation of its bills, had no longer money at command, the states were sovereign in fact as well as in words; while all that reverence which under the old system had attached to the royal governors, had been transferred to their first republican successors. since that period the state governments have sunk into mere municipalities for the administration of local affairs, and all eyes being constantly turned towards washington, the executive offices of the states, even the station of governor, are no longer regarded except as stepping-stones to something higher. hancock discharged his office as governor to good acceptance for five years, when he voluntarily retired, making way for james bowdoin, who might be regarded in some respects as his rival, the head of a party, perhaps more intelligent, and certainly far more select, than that great body of the population by whom hancock was supported; but whom, so at least his opponents said, he rather studied to follow than aspired to lead. during bowdoin's administration, occurred shays' insurrection, one of the most interesting and instructive incidents in the history of massachusetts, but into the particulars of which we have not space here to enter. this insurrection, of which the great object was the cancelling of debts, an object which the states now practically accomplish by means of insolvent laws, was thought to involve, either as participators more or less active, or at least as favorers and sympathizers, not less than a third part of the population of the state. the active measures taken at bowdoin's suggestion for putting down the insurgents by an armed force, and the political disabilities and other punishments inflicted upon them after their defeat, did not at all tend to increase bowdoin's popularity with this large portion of the people. though hancock's health had not allowed him to take his seat in the continental congress, to which he had again been chosen a delegate, and by which he had, in his absence, been again selected as their president--yet, weary of retirement, he suffered himself to be brought forward as a candidate, and to be elected as governor over bowdoin's head--a procedure never forgiven by what may be called the party of property, against which the insurrection of shays had been aimed, whose members thenceforth did not cease, in private at least, to stigmatize hancock as a mere demagogue, if not indeed almost a shaysite himself. nor indeed is it impossible, that the governor, with all his property, had some personal sympathies with that party. he, like them, was harassed with debts, which, as we have seen in the case of the college, he was not much inclined, and probably not very able, to bring to a settlement. he still had large possessions in lands and houses in boston, but at this moment his property was unsalable, and to a considerable extent unproductive; and a stop law might have suited his convenience not less than that of the embarrassed farmers in the interior, who had assembled under the leadership of shays to shut up the courts and put a stop to suits. this scheme, however, had been effectually put down prior to hancock's accession to office, and it only remained for him to moderate, by executive clemency, the penalties inflicted on the suppressed insurgents--a policy which the state of the times and the circumstances of the case very loudly demanded, however little it might be to the taste of the more imperious leaders of the party by which those penalties had been inflicted. but even this same party might acknowledge a great obligation to hancock for the assistance which they soon after obtained from him in securing the ratification by massachusetts of that federal constitution under which we now so happily live. still governor of the state, he was chosen a delegate from boston to the state convention, called to consider the proposed constitution: and though incapacitated by sickness from taking his seat till near the close of the session, he was named its president. the federal constitution had been already ratified by five states, delaware, pennsylvania, new jersey, georgia, and connecticut. but virginia, new york, and north carolina, were known to be strongly against it, and its rejection by massachusetts would, in all probability, prevent its acceptance by the number of states required to give it effect. the convention was very equally divided, and the result hung long in doubt. at last hancock came upon the floor and proposed some amendments, principally in the nature of a bill of rights, agreed to probably by concert out of doors, to be suggested for the approval of congress and adoption by the states under the provision for amendments contained in the constitution, and most of which were afterwards adopted. thus sweetened, the constitution was fairly forced down the reluctant throat of the convention; and unlike the typical book of st. john, though so bitter in the mouth, it has fortunately proved sweet enough and very nourishing in the digestion. on the occasion of washington's visit to boston, subsequently to his inauguration as president, a curious struggle took place between him and hancock, or perhaps we ought rather to say, between the governor of massachusetts and the president of the united states, on a question of etiquette. hancock, as governor of massachusetts, insisted upon the first call, a precedence which washington, as president of the united states, refused to yield. finding himself obliged to succumb, hancock's gout and other complicated diseases served him for once in good stead; for in the note which he finally sent, announcing his intention to wait upon washington, they answered as a convenient excuse for not having fulfilled that duty before. some two or three years after, we find governor hancock, out of deference to the puritanical opinions and laws of the state, involved in another noticeable controversy, but one into which he could not have entered with any great heart. shortly after the adoption of the federal constitution, a company of stage-players had made their appearance in boston, and though the laws still prohibited theatrical exhibitions, encouraged by the countenance of the gayer part of the population, they commenced the performance of plays, which they advertised in the newspapers as "moral lectures." some of their friends among the townsfolks had even built a temporary theatre for their accommodation, a trampling under foot of the laws, which seemed the more reprehensible as the legislature, though applied to for that purpose, had twice refused to repeal that prohibitory statute. "to the legislature which met shortly after," we quote from the fourth volume of hildreth's history of the united states, "governor hancock gave information that 'a number of aliens and foreigners had entered the state, and in the metropolis of the government, under advertisements insulting to the habits and education of the citizens, had been pleased to invite them to, and to exhibit before such as attended, stage-plays, interludes, and theatrical entertainments, under the style and appellation of moral lectures.' all which, as he complained, had been suffered to go on without any steps taken to punish a most open breach of the laws, and a most contemptuous insult to the powers of government. shortly after this denunciation by the governor, suddenly one night, in the midst of the performance of 'the school for scandal,' the sheriff of the county appeared on the stage, arrested the actors, and broke up the performances. when the examination came on, having procured able counsel (one of whom, if we mistake not, was the then young harrison gray otis), the actors were discharged on the ground that the arrest was illegal, the warrant not having been sworn to. this error was soon corrected, and a second arrest brought the performances to a close. but the legislature, finding that the sentiment of the town of boston was strong against the law, and that a new and permanent theatre was in the course of erection, repealed the prohibitory act a few months after." this temporary triumph over the poor players was one of the last of hancock's long series of successes; unless indeed we ought to assign that station to the agency which he had in procuring the erasure from the federal constitution of a very equitable and necessary provision, authorizing suits in the federal courts against the states by individuals having claims upon them. at such a suit, brought against the state of massachusetts, hancock exhibited a vast deal of indignation, calling the legislature together at a very inconvenient season of the year, and refusing to pay the least attention to the process served upon him. yet the supreme court of the united states, not long after, decided that such suits would lie, as indeed was sufficiently plain from the letter of the constitution. but the sovereign states, with all the insolence customary to sovereigns, whether one-headed or many-headed, scorned to be compelled to do justice; and the general clamor raised against this reasonable and even necessary provision, caused it to be ultimately struck from the constitution. before this was accomplished, hancock's career of life was over. worn down by the gout and other aristocratic diseases, which the progress of democracy seems, since his time, to have almost banished from america, he expired at the early age of fifty-six, in the same house in which he had presided over so many social and political festivities, lamented by almost the entire population of the state in whose service he had spent the best part of his life, and whose faithful attachment to him, spite of some obvious weaknesses on his part, had yet never flagged. had we space and inclination, many lessons might be drawn from the history of his life. we shall confine ourselves to this one, which every body's daily experience may confirm: that success in active life, whether political or private, even the attainment of the very highest positions, depends far less on any extraordinary endowments, either of nature or fortune, than upon an active, vigorous, and indefatigable putting to use of such gifts as a man happens to have. what a difference, so far as name and fame are concerned, and we may add, too, enjoyment and a good conscience, between the man who puts his talent to use and him who hoards it up, so that even its very existence remains unknown to every body but himself and his intimate friends. =john adams.= [illustration: john adams fac-simile of letter] [illustration: residence of the adams family, quincy, mass.] john adams "oh that i could have a home! but this felicity has never been permitted me. rolling, rolling, rolling, till i am very near rolling into the bosom of mother earth." thus wrote the venerable john adams to his wife, in the sixty-fifth year of his age, and the last of his presidency. a few years previous he had uttered the same sigh, nor is it infrequent in his letters. "i am weary, worn, and disgusted to death. i had rather chop wood, dig ditches, and make fence upon my poor little farm. alas, poor farm! and poorer family! what have you lost that your country might be free! and that others might catch fish and hunt deer and bears at their ease!" this was written in the days when there was such a thing as genuine patriotism; when, as in the noble greek and roman years, there lived among us also noble men, who freely surrendered all that life offered them of sweet and splendid, to work for their fellows, and to exalt their country's state, content that old age should find them poor in fortune and broken in health, so only that integrity remained, and a serene conscience led them undisturbed to the end of life. among these former glories of our republic, the name of john adams stands in the clearest sunlight of fame. no purer patriot ever lived. the names which dazzle us in history become no fables when read by his light; plutarch tells no nobler story, records no greater claims; athens and sparta smile upon him from their starry places, and rome holds out her great hand of fellowship to him--for there is no virtue which has lived that may not live again, and our own day shows that there has never been a political corruption so base as to despair of being emulated. concerning the civil life of such a man, much might with ease be written. the head and front of every great political movement of his country, from his thirtieth year to the day of his death he lived no obscure life, and was missed from no contest. "the great pillar of support to the declaration of independence," as jefferson called him, its fearless and eloquent defender, the right hand of his country's diplomacy, and the strength of her treaties, he is a portion of her history and his acts are her annals. but this devotion to the great political struggles of his time was not consistent with home delights. these he was to scorn and to live laborious days. early immersed in the stirring events of his day, he surrendered to the duty of serving, all private claims; he gave up his profession, he separated himself from his wife and children to go wherever he could be useful; he abandoned a mode of life most dear to him; and leaving his little sabine farm and his friendly books, with no hopes of personal aggrandizement, and small, unjoyous prospect of success in the venture he was aiding, went out to fight. his first act of importance, a worthy beginning to such career, was his defence of preston, in the famous trial for the murder of certain citizens of boston by british soldiers, in . preston was the captain of the british troops stationed in boston, and under government orders. as may easily be imagined, in the uneasy state of public feeling, exasperated by real injuries and petty tyrannies, suspicious, discontented and spurred on by men who circulated a thousand injurious reports, the people and the foreign soldiery were ready at any moment to break out into open quarrel. finally, this did indeed happen. the soldiery, provoked beyond endurance, resisted the assaults of the people, and fired upon them. captain preston was arrested and imprisoned; five citizens had been killed and many wounded, and it was with difficulty that the people were restrained from rising into furious rebellion. preston was taken to prison to await his trial, but it was for a time impossible to obtain counsel, so great was the hatred of the people to the soldiery, and so strong the feeling that no man would be safe from violence who would attempt to defend these foreigners for the murder of his own fellow-citizens. john adams--then a rising lawyer in boston, and a man who had already given hints of coming greatness--was sent for by the unfortunate captain, who begged him to undertake his cause. "i had no hesitation in answering," says adams in his autobiography, "that counsel ought to be the very last thing that an accused person should want in a free country; that the bar ought, in my opinion, to be independent and impartial at all times, and in every circumstance, and that persons whose lives were at stake ought to have the counsel they preferred. but he must be sensible this would be as important a cause as was ever tried in any court or country in the world; and that every lawyer must hold himself responsible, not only to his country, but to the highest and most infallible of all tribunals, for the part he should act. he must therefore expect from me no art or address, no sophistry or prevarication in such a cause, nor anything more than fact, evidence, and law would justify." and a little after he tells us what it cost him to act up to his own standard of duty. "at this time i had more business at the bar than any man in the province. my health was feeble. i was throwing away as bright prospects as any man ever had before him, and i had devoted myself to endless labor and anxiety, if not to infamy and to death, and that for nothing, except what was and ought to be all in all, a sense of duty. in the evening, i expressed to mrs. adams all my apprehensions. that excellent lady, who has always encouraged me, burst into a flood of tears, but said she was very sensible of all the danger to her and to our children, as well as to me, but she thought i had done as i ought; she was very willing to share in all that was to come, and to place her trust in providence." such were the politicians of that day; and though we do not doubt that private virtue as much abounds with us as with them, and that as great private sacrifices as this was public can be instanced in these later times, yet no one will be so hardy as to say that any politician of this day would brave such hazards or so daringly face peril. politics are become a trade with us. the curse of popular governments is this, that they make office desirable in proportion to the ease with which it is attained, and that seeking place becomes in time as legitimate a profession as seeking oysters. no one will so mock at common sense, or hold the judgments of his fellow spectators in such light esteem, as to aver that any one of our public men serves his country for his country's sake, or for any better reason than because it is conducive to bread and butter. hence it is with us a jeer and a by-word to talk about patriotism. the fact seems to be, that our material prosperity is so great, our resources so boundless, our outlook so glorious, our liberty so well assured--or at least the liberty of those among us who are white--that there is no call for sacrifice and patriotic service. the country is rich and can well afford, if she will be served, to pay the servant; but we speak of devotion to principle, which we believe is clean gone out from us, and can be predicated of no public man. john adams, son of john adams and susannah boylston adams, was born at quincy, massachusetts, on the th day of october, . he received the best education that the times afforded, graduated at harvard college, and afterward commenced the study of divinity with a view to the ministry; at the same time he was occupied in teaching school, that universal stepping-stone in new england to professional life. indeed, there was then hardly more than there is now any such thing as a schoolmaster by profession; and without doubt a sufficing reason for the fact that our young men are so inefficiently educated, is, that the teachers are in nine cases out of ten only one lesson in advance of their scholars. in those days, however, the schoolmaster was apt to be a person of some consequence. he held a position very often next in importance to that of the parson, and ruled an autocrat over his little flock of beardless citizens. nowhere has he been better described than in "margaret," in the character of master elliman, whose mingled pompousness, verbiage, and pedantry, admirably represent the class to which he belonged. but the character gradually lost its individuality as society advanced, until at length the great bulk of teachers, except in the colleges, were merely young men preparing for the learned professions. the injurious effect of this state of things, which has made a very decided mark upon our national character, we will not discuss here, but it is well to note the differences between the manners of the colonial times, and those of our present day--and of these differences none is so striking as the great decrease of respect in which professional men are held with us compared with that which was yielded to them by our forefathers. with them the schoolmaster, the parson, the physician, the lawyer, were considered and treated as a sort of sacred nobility, apart from the vulgar, and wholly refusing admixture with them; they were placed in the seats of honor, and counted among counsellors; their company was sought by the wealthy and the educated, their acts were chronicled, and their words were echoed from mouth to mouth. in the streets, when the schoolmaster or minister appeared, the children at play drew up into a hurried line, took off their caps, made deferential bows and listened with humility to the greeting or word of advice. nowadays, the pope himself would be hustled in an omnibus, and if master elliman were to appear in the streets and offer advice to the children, ten to one but that they would throw dirt at him. it was in the twilight which followed the departing day of these venerable times and preceded the coming on of these degenerate darker hours, that john adams became a pedagogue. he was hardly at that age fit to be a teacher. he was thoughtful, ambitious and lofty in his aims, but he was also somewhat indolent and wanted persistency. it is true that his mind was hardly made up as to what he should do for a living. we have said that he began with studying for the ministry, but he tells us that he at one time read much in medical books, and inclined to the study of physic.[ ] yet i imagine that his inclination to either of these professions was never very strong. his education at cambridge, then the high seat of orthodoxy, and perhaps the advice of his parents, his father holding an office in the church government of his town of some importance at that day, may have led his mind in the direction of the ministry, and his studies in that line were very regular and persistent for some time. surgery and medicine had probably merely the fleeting fascination for him which they have for multitudes of eager young men, striving to pry into all the subtile secrets of nature, and to find out all the mysteries which environ us. but as he says of himself, "the law drew me more and more," and in his diary under the date of sunday, d of august, , we have the following entry:-- "yesterday i completed a contract with mr. putnam to study the law, under his inspection, for two years. i ought to begin with a resolution to oblige and please him and his lady in a particular manner; i ought to endeavor to please every body, but them in particular. necessity drove me to this determination, but my inclination, i think, was to preach; however, that would not do. but i set out with firm resolutions, i think, never to commit any meanness or injustice in the practice of law. the study and practice of law, i am sure, does not dissolve the obligations of morality or of religion; and, although the reason of my quitting divinity was my opinion concerning some disputed points, i hope i shall not give reason of offence, to any in that profession, by imprudent warmth." he now gave up his school, and somewhat changed his manner of life. before we leave him let us hear his quaint description of the schoolboys of his day--not very different from the youngsters of . " . monday ( ).--i sometimes in my sprightly moments consider myself in my great chair at school, as some dictator at the head of a commonwealth. in this little state i can discover all the great geniuses, all the surprising actions and revolutions of the great world, in miniature. i have several renowned generals not three feet high, and several deep projecting politicians in petticoats. i have others catching and dissecting flies, accumulating remarkable pebbles, cockle-shells, &c., with as ardent curiosity as any virtuoso in the royal society. some rattle and thunder out a, b, c, with as much fire and impetuosity as alexander fought, and very often sit down and cry as heartily upon being outspelt as cæsar did, when at alexander's sepulchre he recollected that the macedonian hero had conquered the world before his age. at one table sits mr. insipid, foppling and fluttering, spinning his whirligig, or playing with his fingers, as gayly and wittily as any frenchified coxcomb brandishes his cane or rattles his snuff-box. at another, sits the polemical divine, plodding and wrangling in his mind about "adam's fall, in which we sinned all," as his primer has it. in short, my little school, like the great world, is made up of kings, politicians, divines, l.l.d.'s, fops, buffoons, fiddlers, sycophants, fools, coxcombs, chimney-sweepers, and every other character drawn in history, or seen in the world. is it not, then, the highest pleasure, my friend, to preside in this little world, to bestow the proper applause upon virtuous and generous actions, to blame and punish every vicious and contracted trick, to wear out of the tender mind every thing that is mean and little, and fire the new-born soul with a noble ardor and emulation? the world affords us no greater pleasure. let others waste their bloom of life at the card or billiard-table among rakes or fools, and when their minds are sufficiently fretted with losses, and inflamed by wine, ramble through the streets, assaulting innocent people, breaking windows, or debauching young girls. i envy not their exalted happiness. i had rather sit in school and consider which of my pupils will turn out in his future life a hero, and which a rake, which a philosopher, and which a parasite, than change breasts with them; though possessed of twenty laced waistcoats and a thousand pounds a year.[ ]" one of the most interesting features of the early part of the "diary" from which these extracts have been taken, is the perfect simplicity and truthfulness with which the writer details his efforts to attain steadfastness of purpose and diligence in study. he feels in moments of reflection the value of his time and the sacredness of duty; he makes the best resolutions, and concocts the wisest plans for improvement and the most liberal schemes of study; but his animal spirits, which flowed on in cheerfulness, even to his latest day of life, his social nature, and his admiration for women, all played sad pranks with his resolves, and drew out from him many a repentant sigh over lost and wasted time. yet this trouble ceases almost as soon as he begins to study law and gives up his uncertain dallyings with schoolkeeping, divinity, and medicine. having once put his shoulder to the wheel, he worked with vigor, and began to show what greatness of character there was in him. let it not be understood from what we have said, that john adams was ever a seeker after low or vulgar pleasures. more than once in his "diary" he ridicules the foolish, extravagant, licentious amusements of the young men of his time. card-playing, drinking, backgammon, smoking, and swearing, he says are the fashionable means of getting rid of time, which excited in his mind only contempt. "i know not," he says, "how any young fellow can study in this town. what pleasure can a young gentleman who is capable of thinking, take in playing cards? it gratifies none of the senses, neither sight, hearing, taste, smelling, nor feeling; it can entertain the mind only by hushing its clamors. cards, backgammon, &c., are the great antidotes to reflection, to thinking, that cruel tyrant within us! what learning or sense are we to expect from young gentlemen in whom a fondness for cards, &c., outgrows and chokes the desire of knowledge?" up to the time of his commencing the study of law with mr. putnam, john adams had resided in braintree, sharing in the social intercourses of the place, its tea-parties, clubs of young men, visiting and receiving visitors, and all the common civilities of country life. on one occasion, we find him taking tea and spending the evening at mr. putnam's, in conversation about christianity. this was at the time when adams was studying divinity, and it is evident that he discussed religion and theological subjects with a good deal of interest, since we find that the talk at almost all these meetings turns in that direction. there seems to have been a decided leaning towards speculation and doubt in the minds of many men, on the subject of christianity, at that day, and we frequently find their opinion very frankly expressed in the "diary," and left almost without comment by the recorder. he was very fond of chatting with his neighbors over a social cup of tea, sometimes after a day spent in hard study, at other times resting from the fatigues of attending to little affairs about the farm, loading and unloading carts, splitting wood, and doing other chores. he is apt to be a little impatient with himself. he finds it easier to say before going to bed that he will rise at six than to get up when the hour arrives. several days in the "diary" bear for sole record--"dreamed away this day," and once when several had slipped by without any seeming good result, he writes--"thursday, friday. i know not what became of these days;" and again--"friday, saturday, sunday, monday. all spent in absolute idleness, or which is worse, gallanting the girls." the next day--"tuesday. _sat down and recollected my self_, and read a little in van muyden, a little in naval trade and commerce." and so the good seems always leading him on, always eluding him, and playing sad momentary havoc with his peace of mind. but he consents to no doubtful terms with the enemy. he determined to conquer the foes of sloth, inattention, social indulgence, and do his whole duty. with the responsibilities of time came the cure for youthful follies, and his marriage in the thirtieth year of his age, dealt the last fatal blow to all his enemies. in he thus writes:-- "here it may be proper to recollect something which makes an article of great importance in the life of every man. i was of an amorous disposition, and, very early, from ten or eleven years of age, was very fond of the society of females. i had my favorites among the young women, and spent many of my evenings in their company; and this disposition, although controlled for seven years after my entrance into college, returned, and engaged me too much till i was married. "i shall draw no characters, nor give any enumeration of my youthful flames. it would be considered as no compliment to the dead or the living. this i will say:--they were all modest and virtuous girls, and always maintained their character through life. no virgin or matron ever had cause to blush at the sight of me, or to regret her acquaintance with me. no father, brother, son, or friend, ever had cause of grief or resentment for any intercourse between me and any daughter, sister, mother, or any relation of the female sex. these reflections, to me consolatory beyond all expression, i am able to make with truth and sincerity; and i presume i am indebted for this blessing to my education. * * * * * "i passed the summer of in attending courts and pursuing my studies, with some amusement on my little farm, to which i was frequently making additions, until the fall, when, on the th of october, i was married to miss smith, second daughter of the rev. william smith, minister of weymouth, granddaughter of the hon. john quincy, of braintree, a connection which has been the source of all my felicity, although a sense of duty, which forced me away from her and my children for so many years, produced all the griefs of my heart and all that i esteem real afflictions in life."[ ] in , his term of study with mr. putnam being expired, john adams left worcester, having determined for several reasons not to settle there, but to establish himself, if possible, in braintree, where his father and mother resided. they had invited him to live with them, and he says that as there had never been a lawyer in any country part of the county of suffolk, he was determined to try his fortune there. his acquaintances told him that "the town of boston was full of lawyers, many of them of established characters for long experience, great abilities, and extensive fame, who might be jealous of _such a novelty as a lawyer_ in the country part of their county, and might be induced to obstruct me. i returned, that i was not wholly unknown to some of the most celebrated of those gentlemen; that i believed they had too much candor and generosity to injure a young man; and, at all events, i could try the experiment, and if i should find no hope of success, i should then think of some other place or some other course." the result was that he established himself in braintree, living at his father's house, and continuing his studies patiently and perseveringly until clients began to appear. he gives an amusing account of his first "_writ_," and chronicles its failure with a nonchalant stoicism which can hardly conceal his vexation at being laughed at by his acquaintances among the young lawyers of the town. his residence in braintree seems to have been a pleasant one. he had much leisure for study and reading, and made good use of his time. he was acquainted with all the people of consequence in the town, and was, as we have said, fond of visiting, calling in to take a social pipe or glass, as was the fashion of the day, to chat with the wife or daughter of the house, to discuss with the head of the family the last political bubble of the hour, the prospect of the crops, the expediency of this or that proceeding in the village, or any of the local topics of the day. sometimes we find him with a knot of young fellows met together of an evening, discussing with one or two some question in morals or rhetoric, or sitting abstracted with a book or his pipe on one side the chimney, the room filled with smoke, the rest of the party engaged in card-playing, backgammon, or other sedative game. at another time, though somewhat later, he speaks of hearing "the ladies talk about ribbon, catgut, and paris net, riding-hoods, cloth, silk, and lace;" and again he has a pleasant picture of taking tea at his grandfather quincy's--"the old gentleman inquisitive about the hearing before the governor and council, about the governor's and secretary's looks and behavior, and about the final determination of the board. the old lady as merry and chatty as ever, _with her stories out of the newspapers_." he had through life a serene equable mind, he took the kindness and unkindness of fortune with even looks, and preserved his relish for a joke undiminished, in all his circumstances. we have before us two portraits of john adams painted, the one when about forty years of age, the other when he was ninety. the younger likeness is a face of remarkable beauty, the forehead broad, serene, and intelligent, the eyebrows dark and elegantly arched over a pair of eyes which we make no doubt did fierce execution among the young women of the period who came under their sparkling influence. the lips full, finely curved, and giving an expression of great sweetness to the face, are yet firmly set, and combine with the attitude of the head to convey an impression of haughtiness and dignity. the chin is full, rounded, and inclined to be double; the powdered hair and the stiff coat take away from the youthful appearance of the picture.[ ] the other portrait is from an original by gilbert stuart, and was painted when john adams was in his ninetieth year. at this time he was obliged to be fed from a spoon; yet no one, looking at this noble, vigorous head, with its fine color and magnificent forehead, would suppose his age so great. the beauty of the young man has grown into the fuller nobility of a face in which there appears no trace of any evil passion, no mark of any uneasy thought, but an undisturbed serenity that looks back on life and awaits death with the happiest memories and the gladdest anticipations. in , mr. adams, by the advice of his friends, who were urgent with him, removed to boston, and took the house in brattle square called the white house. his son, john quincy adams, was born the year before--his life commenced with the most stirring period of his country's history, and it was his good fortune to bring down to our times so clear a memory of those events as to make a conversation with him on the subject an era in the life of an american. shortly after the removal of john adams to boston, he was requested to accept an office under government; but although it was offered to him without respect to his opinions, which were well known to be hostile to the british rule in massachusetts, and although the office was very lucrative, yet he insisted on refusing it, because he feared that he should sacrifice his independence in some manner to the influences of the position. he therefore declined any connection with the government, and continued the practice of the law, which had now become the source of a very handsome income, and was leading him by rapid steps into a very wide and honorable repute. before leaving braintree, john adams had become accustomed to a great deal of exercise, riding horseback to boston, germantown, weymouth, and other adjoining towns; cutting down trees, superintending planting and harvesting, and every way taking a good share of the work on his farm. some of the pleasantest portions of the "diary" are those in which he describes this part of his life. the following extract gives a moral picture of his habits:-- "october, . friday. spent last monday in taking pleasure with mr. wibird. * * * * * * * * upon this part of the peninsula is a number of trees, which appear very much like the lime tree[ ] of europe, which gentlemen are so fond of planting in their gardens for their beauty. returned to mr. borland's,[ ] dined, and afternoon rode to germantown, where we spent our evening. deacon palmer showed us his lucerne growing in his garden, of which he has cut, as he tells us, four crops this year. the deacon had his lucerne seeds of mr. greenleaf, of abington, who had his of judge oliver. the deacon watered his but twice this summer, and intends to expose it uncovered to all the weather of the winter for a fair trial, whether it will endure our winters or not. each of his four crops had attained a good length. it has a rich fragrance for a grass. he showed us a cut of it in 'nature displayed,' and another of st. foin, and another of trefoil. the cut of the lucerne was exact enough; the pod in which the seeds are is an odd thing, a kind of ram's-horn or straw. "we had a good deal of conversation upon husbandry. the deacon has about seventy bushels of potatoes this year on about one quarter of an acre of ground. trees of several sorts considered. the wild cherry-tree bears a fruit of some value; the wood is very good for the cabinet-maker, and is not bad to burn. it is a tree of much beauty; its leaves and bark are handsome, and its shape. the locust; good timber, fattening to soil by its leaves, blossoms, &c.; good wood, quick growth, &c. the larch-tree; there is but one[ ] in the country, that in the lieutenant-governor's yard at milton; it looks somewhat like an evergreen, but is not; sheds its leaves. "i read in thompson's travels in turkey in asia, mention of a turpentine called by the name of turpentine of venice, which is not the product of venice, but of dauphinè, and flows from the larch tree. it is thick and balsamic, and used in several arts, particularly that of enamelling. " . sunday. before sunrise.--my thoughts have taken a sudden turn to husbandry. have contracted with jo. field to clear my swamp, and to build me a long string of stone wall, and with isaac to build me sixteen rods more, and with jo. field to build me six rods more. and my thoughts are running continually from the orchard to the pasture, and from thence to the swamp, and thence to the house and barn, and land adjoining. sometimes i am at the orchard ploughing up acre after acre, planting, pruning apple-trees, mending fences, carting dung; sometimes in the pasture, digging stones, clearing bushes, pruning trees, building to redeem posts and rails; and sometimes removing button-trees down to my house; sometimes i am at the old swamp burning bushes, digging stumps and roots, cutting ditches across the meadows and against my uncle; and am sometimes at the other end of the town buying posts and rails to fence against my uncle, and against the brook; and am sometimes ploughing the upland with six yoke of oxen, and planting corn, potatoes, &c., and digging up the meadows and sowing onions, planting cabbages, &c., &c. sometimes i am at the homestead, running cross-fences, and planting potatoes by the acre, and corn by the two acres, and running a ditch along the line between me and field, and a fence along the brook against my brother, and another ditch in the middle from field's line to the meadows. sometimes am carting gravel from the neighboring hills, and sometimes dust from the streets upon the fresh meadows, and am sometimes ploughing, sometimes digging those meadows to introduce clover and other english grasses."[ ] thus passed the days of his early married life in braintree, between the earnest study of the law, the participation in social intercourse with friends and neighbors, and occasional bucolical episodes. in , as we have said, he removed to boston, and but seldom went into the country. in , however, we find him writing as follows: "the complicated cares of my legal and political engagements, the slender diet to which i was obliged to confine myself, the air of the town of boston, which was not favorable to me, who had been born and passed almost all my life in the country, but especially the constant obligation to speak in public, almost every day, for many hours, had exhausted my health, brought on a pain in my breast, and a complaint in my lungs, which seriously threatened my life, and compelled me to throw off a great part of the load of business, both public and private, and return to my farm in the country. early in the spring of , i removed my family to braintree, still holding, however, an office in boston. the air of my native spot, and the fine breezes from the sea on one side, and the rocky mountains of pine and savin on the other, together with daily rides on horseback and the amusements of agriculture, _always delightful to me_, soon restored my health in a considerable degree. "april . tuesday evening. last wednesday, my furniture was all removed to braintree. saturday i carried up my wife and youngest child, and spent the sabbath there very agreeably. on the th or th of april, , i removed into boston. in the three years i have spent in that town, have received innumerable civilities from many of the inhabitants; many expressions of their good will, both of a public and private nature. of these i have the most pleasing and grateful remembrance. * * * * * "monday morning i returned to town, and was at my office before nine. i find i shall spend more time in my office than ever i did. now my family is away, i feel no inclination at all, no temptation, to be any where but at my office. i am in it by six in the morning, i am in it at nine at night, and i spend but a small space of time in running down to my brother's to breakfast, dinner, and tea. yesterday, i rode to town from braintree before nine, attended my office till near two, then dined and went over the ferry to cambridge. attended the house the whole afternoon, returned and spent the whole evening in my office alone, and i spent the time much more profitably, as well as pleasantly, than i should have done at club. this evening is spending the same way. in the evening, i can be alone at my office, and nowhere else; i never could in my family. " . thursday--fast day. tuesday i staid at my office in town; yesterday went up to cambridge, returned at night to boston, and to braintree,--still, calm, happy braintree,--at nine o'clock at night. this morning, cast my eyes out to see what my workmen had done in my absence, and rode with my wife over to weymouth; there we are to hear young blake--a pretty fellow. " . saturday. friday morning by nine o'clock, arrived at my office in boston, and this afternoon returned to braintree; arrived just at tea-time; drank tea with my wife. since this hour, a week ago, i have led a life active enough; have been to boston twice, to cambridge twice, to weymouth once, and attended my office and the court too. "but i shall be no more perplexed in this manner. i shall have no journeys to make to cambridge, no general court to attend; but shall divide my time between boston and braintree, between law and husbandry;--_farewell politics_."[ ] during mr. adams's residence in boston he did not always occupy the same house. in april, , he removed, as we have said, to the white house in brattle square. in the spring, , he removed to cole lane, to mr. fayerweather's house. in , he removed to another house in brattle square. in he again removed to boston with his family, and finding, as he says, that "it was very troublesome to hire houses, and to be often obliged to remove, i determined to purchase a house, and mr. hunt offering me one in queen-street, near the scene of my business, opposite the court house, i bought it, and inconvenient and contracted as it was, i made it answer, both for a dwelling and an office, till a few weeks before the th of april, , when the war commenced." in mr. adams was appointed delegate to the first american congress at philadelphia, and was obliged to leave his family in braintree, while he himself remained with the congress. he continued to reside in philadelphia, visiting his family but seldom, and then in a very hurried manner, till the year , when he was appointed commissioner to france in the place of silas deane, who was recalled. the treaty with france having been concluded by dr. franklin before mr. adams reached paris, he returned home after an absence of a year and a half. hardly had he returned before he was again dispatched as minister to the court of st. james. while abroad at this time he made some stay in paris, was afterwards at amsterdam for the purpose of negotiating a loan and forming a treaty of amity and commerce with holland, and still later, in , was appointed minister plenipotentiary to great britain. during all this time he had been separated from his wife--a space of nearly six years--but in , finding that there was no prospect of a return, he sent for mrs. adams to join him in london. on reaching london, mrs. adams found that her husband was in paris; her son, john quincy adams, was sent by his father to escort his mother and sister to france. the letters of mrs. adams, describing their mode of life in paris, or rather at the little town of auteuil, and also those which give an account of her residence in london, are most charmingly written, and we wish there was room for long extracts from them, but we already trespass upon the reader's kindness. we have space for only one pretty domestic picture. the family are expecting a packet of letters from america, which their friend mr. charles storer has sent from london to paris. they had some difficulty in procuring them from the post-office. "about eight in the evening, however, they were brought in and safely delivered, to our great joy. we were all together. mr. adams in his easy chair upon one side of the table, reading plato's laws; mrs. a. upon the other, reading mr. st. john's "letters;" abby, sitting upon the left hand, in a low chair, in a pensive posture;--enter j.q.a. from his own room, with the letters in his hand, tied and sealed up, as if they were never to be read; for charles had put half a dozen new covers upon them. mr. a. must cut and undo them leisurely, each one watching with eagerness. finally, the originals were discovered; 'here is one for you, my dear, and here is another; and here, miss abby, are four, five, upon my word, six, for you, and more yet for your mamma. well, i fancy i shall come off but slenderly. only one for me.' 'are there none for me, sir?' says mr. j.q.a., erecting his head, and walking away a little mortified." on his return from europe, mr. adams resided--whenever political duties permitted his absence from the seat of government--at the mansion in quincy, the name by which the more ancient portion of braintree was called. the estate was purchased after the revolution. the house had been built long before by one of the vassall family, a well-known republican name in england in the time of the commonwealth, some members of which had transferred themselves to jamaica under cromwell's projects of colonizing that island, and from thence had come to massachusetts. but time had changed them from republicans to royalists, and when the revolution broke out they were on the side of the mother country. in quincy, however, the race had run into females, and the house belonged to a descendant by the name of borland, who sold it to the agent of mr. adams. it was then, however, very different from what it is now. mr. adams nearly doubled the size of it, and altered the front. it has since been altered once or twice, and lately by the present occupant, mr. charles francis adams, a grandson of the president. in this house mr. adams continued to reside till his death in . during the time that he was in philadelphia and washington as president and vice-president, mrs. adams remained at quincy, partly on account of her health, partly to take charge of her husband's private property, which had never been large, and which had suffered much diminution from the expenses incident to public life. mrs. adams's account of her residence in washington--the troubles which she had in procuring almost the necessaries of life in that out of the way settlement--her description of washington and the white house at that early date, have been printed too often in newspapers all over the country, to need insertion here. not less interesting than these letters are those which describe her life in philadelphia; her little sketches of society in that city, then the seat of government, have all the charms which the unaffected letters of an elegant woman cannot fail to display. the following letter will conclude our article, showing, as it does, the peaceful occupations of this happy aged couple, retired to their beloved home to await the inevitable summons, to which they looked forward with the beautiful resignation of minds in love with virtue, and conscious of no offence against the laws of god or man. to thomas b. adams. quincy, _ july, _. "my dear son: "i am much delighted to learn that you intend making a visit to the old mansion. i wish you could have accomplished it so as to have been here by this time, which would have given you an opportunity of being at commencement, meeting many of your old acquaintances, and visiting the seat of science, where you received your first rudiments. "i shall look daily for you. you will find your father in the fields, attending to his haymakers, and your mother busily occupied in the domestic concerns of her family. i regret that a fortnight of sharp drought has shorn many of the beauties we had in rich luxuriance. the verdure of the grass has become a brown, the flowers hang their heads, droop, and fade, whilst the vegetable world languishes; yet still we have a pure air. the crops of hay have been abundant; upon this spot, where eight years ago we cut scarcely six tons, we now have thirty. 'we are here, among the vast and noble scenes of nature, where we walk in the light and open ways of the divine bounty, and where our senses are feasted with the clear and genuine taste of their objects.' * * * * * "i am, my dear thomas, affectionately, your mother, "abigail adams." mrs. adams died at quincy on the th of october, , aged seventy-four years. john adams died at the good age of ninety-one years, on the th of july, . we thank god, as he did, that a life spent in the service of his country should close without pain and in perfect tranquillity of soul, on the anniversary of the best day in her history, and a day with which his name is for ever associated in our gratefullest memories. footnotes: [ ] "three months after this (during the second quarter), the selectmen procured lodgings for me at dr. nahum willard's. this physician had a large practice, a good reputation for skill, and a pretty library. here were dr. cheyne's works, sydenham, and others, and van swieten's commentaries on boerhaave. i read a good deal in these books, and entertained many thoughts of becoming a physician and surgeon."--_the works of john adams, edited by charles francis adams_--vol. ii., p. . [ ] the works of john adams--vol. ii., page . [ ] the works of john adams--vol. ii., p. . [ ] this picture is engraved in the "the life and works," vol. ii., frontispiece. we are obliged to guess at the age when it was taken, since we find no hint concerning it--indeed no reference to the picture any where in the book. [ ] "the american nettle-tree. one of these is still to be seen growing out of the top of the rock at this place."--_ed. the life and works._ [ ] "this is the mansion afterwards purchased by the writer, in which he lived from the date of his last return from europe until his death in .--_ib._ [ ] this tree still remains in fine condition on milton hill.--_ed. the life and works._ [ ] the life and works--vol. ii., p. - . [ ] the life and works--vol. ii., p. . =patrick henry.= [illustration: patrick henry fac-simile of letter] [illustration: residence of patrick henry, va.] patrick henry. there is no "home of an american statesman" that may more fitly claim the leading place in this our repository than the dwelling of patrick henry--the earliest, the most eloquent, and the wisest of those whose high counsels first swayed us as one people and drew us to a common cause; as resolutely as ably directed that cause to its noble event; and, in a word, performing in the civil struggle all that washington executed in the military, achieved for us existence as a nation. in the heroic age, however, such as was to us the revolution, men build not monuments nor engrave commemorative inscriptions: those of nature, identified by rude but reverential tradition, alone attest where the founders of a race, the great-fathers of an empire, have sprung. if there be, among the many men of that brave day, one prompter and more unfaltering than all the rest; if, among all who moved by stirring words and decisive acts the general mind of the country, there was one who more directly than any, or than all, set it in a flame not to be extinguished; if amidst those lights there was one, the day star, till whose coming there was no dawn, it was certainly henry. it is true that, before him, massachusetts had her quarrel with england, but not with the common sympathy of the colonies. for, averse, from her very foundation, to not merely the dominion, but the very institutions of the mother country, she had kept up with it a continual bickering, religious as well as civil; a strife at best local, often ill-tempered and factious; so that her too frequent broils, commanding little regard, would have continued to come to nothing had not an opposition to english measures sprung up in a more loyal quarter. the southern colonies, meanwhile, had always loved the parent land, both church and state, and naturally had been indulgently dealt with by its legislation. thus, until that ill-advised measure, the stamp act, came, to affect all the american plantations alike, there had been nothing to draw us together in a common cause, a common resistance. the stamp act gave that cause, and henry led that resistance. young, obscure, unconnected, unaided, uncounselled, and even uncountenanced, he yet, by the sudden splendor of his eloquence, his abilities, and his dauntless resolution, carried every thing before him; animated the whole land to a determined assertion of their rights; established for himself a boundless influence over the popular mind; used it, whenever the occasion came, to sound the signal of an unshrinking opposition to every encroachment; led the way, independently of all movements elsewhere; devised and brought about every main measure of preparation; rejected all compromise; clearly the first to see the certain issue of the contest in european interposition and the establishment of our independence, pursued steadily that aim before even he could openly avow it: and finally, when things were ripe; assumed it for his state, instructed her deputation to propose it to all the rest, and indeed, involved them in it beyond avoidance, by setting up a regular and permanent republican constitution in virginia; a step that allowed no retreat, and was not less decisive than the heroical act of cortez, when, marching upon mexico from his landing-place, he burnt his vessels behind him. henry was, in a word, the moses who led us forth from the house of bondage. if there had been an opposition before his, it was not the appointed, and would have been an ineffectual one. there had, no doubt, been jews enough that murmured, even before he who was to deliver them appeared. we may, therefore, fitly apply to henry, in regard to the bringing about of our independence, all that dryden so finely said of bacon in science: "bacon, like moses, led us forth, at last: the barren wilderness he passed; did on the very border stand of the blest promised land; and from the mountain-top of his exalted wit, saw it himself and showed us it." and yet henry, like nearly all his illustrious fellow-laborers of freedom, sleeps in an undistinguished grave. at his death, party spirit denied to his memory the tokens of public admiration and regret, offered in that very legislature of which he had been the great light, and which, indeed, he had called into being. since that sorry failure--for all faction should have been hushed over the body of a citizen and a man so admirable--no further notice has been taken of him; and he who merited a national monument, only less proud than that due to washington himself, slumbers beneath an humble private one at red hill, the secluded residence where he died. but we turn to those personal particulars of this extraordinary man which are appropriate to the design of the present volume. not a few of them will be found to involve important corrections of the received account of his early years, and a new view, therefore, of his genius and character. in that received account, his sole original biographer, mr. wirt--writing without any personal knowledge of him, and neglecting to consult the most obvious and authentic source of information, his four surviving sisters, ladies of condition and of remarkable intelligence--has fallen into the vulgar error, to which the peculiar position and fortunes of mr. henry at first gave rise, and which he afterwards, for warrantable political purposes, encouraged. when he suddenly burst out from complete obscurity, an unrivalled orator, a consummate politician, and snatched the control of legislation and of the public mind from the veteran, the college-bred, the wealthy and high-born leaders who had till then held it, the homeliness of dress which befitted his narrow circumstances, the humility of aspect and the simplicity of manners, which were unaffected traits of his disposition, naturally assigned him in the eyes of both those who were of it and of those who looked down upon it, to the plebeian class. it suited the envy of these, it delighted the admiration of those, to regard him--that unintelligible marvel of abilities, which had thus all at once effaced every thing else--as a mere child of the people. the really skilful, who understand intellectual prodigies and never refer them to ignorance or chance, must have seen at once, through the cloud in which he stood, a great and an enlightened understanding, too competent to a high and a complex public question, not to be strong in knowledge as well as faculties. the few cannot have mistaken him for that fabulous thing, an ignorant genius; for they must have seen in his commanding and complete eloquence the art, in his masterly measures the information, of one thoroughly trained, though in secret, to the business of swaying men's minds, and of conducting their counsels, though hitherto apart from them. all but this highest class, however, of the rivals whom he at once threw into eclipse naturally sought to depreciate him as a mere declaimer, a tribunitian orator, voluble and vehement as he was rude, rash, and illiterate. could the tapers that, at belshazzar's feast, went out before the blaze of that marvellous handwriting on the wall, have been afterwards permitted to give their opinion of it, they would, of course, have talked disdainfully of its beam, as mere phosphorus or some other low pyrotechnic trick. such was the reputation which the vanquished magnates in general, and their followers, endeavored to fix upon the young subverter of their ascendency. he was not of one of the old aristocratic families; he was a low person, therefore he had never been within the walls of a college, still less had he, like many of them, finished, with the graces of foreign travel, a public discipline of learning; he was, therefore, by their report, illiterate, although, certainly, in his performances, all the best effects of education were manifest, without its parade. while they called him ignorant, he always proved himself to know whatever the occasion demanded, and able victoriously to instruct foe and friend. shunning, from his sense, all assumption, and from his modesty, all display, he never pulled out the purse of his acquirements to chink it merely, but only to pay; so that no man could tell what he had left in the bottom of his pocket; and thus, a ragged-looking fortunatus, he always surprised men with his unguessed resources. strange powers, undoubtedly, he had, that must have not a little confounded the judgment of the best observers; unexercised in the forum, he had risen up a consummate master of the whole art of moving in discourse the understanding or the passions; unpractised in public affairs, he had only to appear in them, in order to stand the first politician of his day; unversed in the business and the strategy of deliberative assemblies, he had only to become a member of one, in order to be its adroitest parliamentary tactician. as he was dexterous without practice, so was he prudent without experience; for, from the first he shone out as the wisest man in all the public councils. he seems to have escaped all that tribute of error which youth must almost invariably pay, as the price of eminence in public affairs; he fell into no theory, he indulged no vision, he never once committed a blunder; in short, ripe from the beginning, he appeared to be by instinct and the mere gift of nature, whatever others slowly become only by the aid of art and experience. bred up in seclusion, though (as the high cultivation of his sisters testified to all who knew them) in a household whose very atmosphere was knowledge, he had, beyond a good acquaintance with latin, the rudiments of greek, french, mathematics, and an early familiarity with the best english authors--those of the elizabethan age, of the commonwealth, and of queen anne's day-received little direct instruction; none, but from his father and books, his early companions, so that his scholastic instruction was really slender. but he had been taught, betimes, to love knowledge and how to work it out for himself; how, in a word, to accomplish what best unfolds a great genius, self-education. for schools and colleges--admirable contrivances as they are for keeping up among mankind a common method and a common stock of information--are but suited, as they were but designed, for the common run of men. applying to all the same mechanical process; bringing to the same level the genius and the dunce, they act excellently to repair the original inequality, sometimes so vast, with which nature deals out understanding among the human race. in a word, they are capital machines for bringing about an average of talent; but it is at the expense of those bright parts which occasionally come, that they do it. their methods clap in the same couples him who can but creep and him who would soar; harness in the same cart the plough-horse and the courser. the highest genius must be its own sole method-maker, its own entire rule. from what it has done, rules are deduced; but for its inferiors, not for it: its whole existence is exceptional, original; and whatever, in its disciplining, would tend to make it otherwise, serves but to check and to diminish its development. no greater error, therefore, than to suppose that a man as extraordinary as patrick henry, who, mature from the first, rose up a consummate speaker and reasoner, and, amongst men of large abilities, knowledge, and experience, constantly showed himself, in matters the weightiest and the most difficult, superior to them all, could have been uneducated. in reality he had learned of the best possible master, for such a man--himself. that he knew, that he even knew more solidly, because more effectually and to the purpose, than all those around him, the great subjects with which he dealt so wonderfully, is beyond all question. now, though the genius of mr. henry was prodigious, and though there be things which genius does, as it were, intuitively and spontaneously, there are other things which are not knowable, even by genius itself, without study; which the utmost genius cannot extemporize, cannot produce from nothing, cannot make without their materials previously amassed in its mind, cannot understand without their necessary particulars accumulated in advance; and it was in just such things--the highest civil ability, which comes of wisdom, not genius; the greatest eloquence which cannot be formed but by infinite art and labor--that he stood up at all times supreme. the sagacity of statesmanship with which he looked through the untried affairs of this country, saw through systems and foretold consequences, has never been surpassed; and his eloquence, judged (as we have alone the means of judging it) by its effects, has never been equalled. such then, even upon the traditionary facts out of which his biographer has shaped into a mere fable his sudden rise and his anomalous abilities, is, of necessity, the rational theory of mr. henry's greatness. but, without any resort to induction, the simple truth, if mr. wirt had sought it in the natural quarter, would have conducted him to the same conclusions as we have just set forth. at the time when mr. wirt collected his materials, he was yet, though of fine natural abilities, by no means the solid man that he by and by became. his fancy was exuberant, his taste florid, his judgment unformed. himself in high repute for a youthful and gaudy eloquence, which, however, he afterwards exchanged for a style of great severity and vigor--he had been urged to his immature and ambitious undertaking, by admirers who conceived him to be little less than a second henry. his besetting idea seems to be much akin to dr. johnson's "who drives fat oxen should himself be fat:" namely that the life of a great orator should be written by a great orator; and that he was to show not only mr. henry but himself eloquent. in general his book does him credit, as merely a literary performance, although sadly deformed, in what were intended for its best passages, by an inflation of which he must have been afterwards greatly ashamed, as a sin against all style, but especially that proper to his subject--the historic. let us add--in simple justice to a man of great virtues and elevation, as well as gentleness of mind and feelings, whose memory has upon us, besides, the claim of public respect and of hereditary friendship--that his biography, wherever his own, is, in spite of party spirit, written with the most honorable candor, and vindicates mr. henry with equal fairness and ability from the aspersions cast upon his conduct in the "alien and sedition" business by the jeffersonian faction. wherever he (mr. wirt) has depended upon his own researches alone, he displays both diligence and discrimination; but unhappily, he accepted the loose popular traditions, which are never any thing but a tissue of old women's tales; he relied upon a mass of casual contributions, chiefly derived from the same legendary sources or from uncertain, confused, and (as himself lets us see) often contradictory memories; and above all, he adopted implicitly the information supplied by a certain thomas jefferson; who, besides being a person of whom the sagacious and upright henry cherished a very ill opinion--so that _he_ could not well be supposed a very special repository of the orator's personal confidences--was a gentleman who had all his life driven rather the largest and most lucrative trade in the calumny of nearly all the best and greatest of his contemporaries, that has ever been carried on in these united states, much as that sort of commerce has long flourished and yet flourishes amongst us. upon such things he had come to a splendid political fortune while he lived, and when he died, with a pious solicitude to provide for his posterity, he bequeathed to his grandson all the unspent capital stock of his slanders (his memoirs and ana) to carry on the old business with and keep up the greatness of the family. the effect of all this was to turn what before was strange or obscure, in henry's history, into little better than a fable, a sort of popular and poetic myth of eloquence, in which the great speaker and statesman fades away into a fiction, a mere creation of the fancy, scarcely more real or probable than the account in old master tooke's "pantheon," of orpheus's drawing the rocks and trees and the very wild beasts along with him by his powers of song. nay, in one main point, master tooke's legend more consults verisimilitude: for _he_, instead of shocking all probability by representing his hero to have been without education, sends him as private pupil to the muses themselves, who are reputed to have kept, then as now, the best greek and latin colleges a-going. it is certainly true, in excuse for all this, that the mighty men who, for their exploits and services, became the demigods of fable, "the fair humanities of old religion," had scarcely more struck the excited imagination of their times than had henry. like theirs was the obscurity of his birth, the mystery of his education, the marvel of his achievements. of his many great speeches, scarcely one uncorrupted passage can be said to survive; so that even of that which all felt and know we have but the faintest shadow. a fragmentary thought is all of genuine that is left us out of a whole immortal harangue; some powerful ejaculation stands for an entire oration, and dimly suggests, not explains its astonishing effects. to all purpose historic of his eloquence, he might just as well have lived before alphabetic writing was invented. at best, the oratory that entrances, agitates, enraptures, transports every man in a whole assembly, and hurries him totally away, thrilling and frenzied with sensations as vehement as novel, sets all reporting, all stenography at defiance. before it, shorthand--at most, the dim reflection of such things; a cold copy, a poor parody where it is not a burlesque of speech in its great bursts--drops its pen, and forgets even to translate; which, after all (_haud inexpertus loquor_), is the utmost it can do. but of not even such translation did mr. henry, upon any occasion but two,[ ] receive the advantage such as it is. every where in these the single but skilful reporter confesses, by many a summary in parenthesis, that at certain passages he lost himself in the speaker, and could not even attempt to render him. thus it comes that, of his transcendent harangues--those which made or directed the revolution--we have only a few scattered sentences, and the seemingly amazed descriptions which attest their extraordinary effects. there is but one exception: a version, to appearance tolerably entire, though still evidently but a sketch, of his "liberty or death" speech, when, on the th march, , he told the convention of virginia, assembled in the "old church" at richmond (st. johns), that "they must fight," and moved to arm and organize the militia. this, even in its existing form, is a prodigiously noble speech, full of vigor in the argument, full of passion in the appeals, breathing every where the utmost fire of the warrior, orator, patriot, and sage. fitly uttered, it is still--though of course it must have lost greatly in the transmission--a discourse to rouse a whole nation invincibly to arms, if their cause and their courage were worthy of it. that speech evidently, and that speech alone, is, in the main, the true thunder of henry: all the others are but the mustard-bowl. [illustration: old church richmond, va.] but though from all these causes, he already, in mr. wirt's day, stood, as seen through the fast-gathered haze of tradition, a huge but shadowy figure, it was the business of the biographer, instead of merely showing him to us in that popular light, to set him in a true one. the critical historian clears up such mists, defines such shadows, and calls them back not only to substance but proportion, color, life, the very pressure and body of the times. what if the historic truth had passed into a poetic fable? mr. wirt should have dealt with it, not as a bard, a rhapsodist, but a philosophical mythologist, who from fable itself sifts out the unwritten facts of a day, when fable was the only form of history. besides, however, adopting for the fundamental facts of mr. henry's character all these false sources, his biographer utterly neglected (as we have already intimated) the most obvious and the most natural ones. he had then four surviving sisters, women not merely of condition but intellectually remarkable. to none of these did mr. wirt resort for any domestic particulars of his early life, which of course none knew so well as they. well acquainted with them all--sprung from one of them--we have cause to know the astonishment with which they met this written account of his early years and his breeding up. had mr. wirt personally known these highly cultivated and very superior ladies, distinguished as they were for the completeness and solidity of their old-fashioned education, he must have seen at once that his own story of henry's youthful institution and ways is about as true as it is that achilles was born of a sea-goddess, had a centaur for his private tutor, and was fed upon lion's marrow to make him valiant. his very lineage was literary. his father, john henry, a scottish gentleman of aberdeen, was a man of good birth, of learned education, and, when he migrated to virginia, of easy fortune. he was the nephew of robertson, the great historian of his own country and of ours. the name of his mother, jane robertson, an admirable and accomplished person, is still preserved and transmitted among her female descendants. his cousin, david henry, was the associate editor of the "gentleman's magazine," then a leading publication, with edward cave, the last of the learned printers; whose brother-in-law and successor he became. the family bred many of its members for the church, which in britain implies such influence as secures preferment. john's younger brother, patrick, thus taking orders, received a rectorship near him, and followed him to this country. in those days of episcopacy, benefices drew after them not merely comfortable reverence, but goodly emolument and even authority in civil life; so that the parsons were a power in the state. all this patrick, a man worthy of it, employed. his brother already possessed it; and thus both took their station among the gentry, though not the aristocracy, of the land--its untitled nobility: for, in effect, such an order, sustained by primogeniture and entails, then existed throughout lower or tide-water virginia. john attained to the command of the regiment of his county, to its surveyorship, and to the presiding chair of its magistracy; stations then never conferred but upon leading men in the community. more careless, however, of his private interests than of the public, without exactly wasting his fortune, he gradually frittered it away; and though he repaired it for a time, by an advantageous marriage with the young and wealthy widow (a winston by birth) of his most intimate friend, col. john syme, of the rocky mills, yet before the tenth year of patrick, his second son (born th may, ), he found himself so straitened as to have need to make himself an income by setting up in his house a private classical school. assisted to this by the reputation of being one of the best scholars in the country, he taught for a number of years with great approval the children of his friends and his own; abandoning the pursuit only when one of its inducements--the education of his own sons and daughters (two of the former and five of the latter)--had ceased. under such circumstances, and especially when we repeat that those four of his daughters whom we knew were persons greatly admired for the masculine goodness and extent of their education, it may be judged how likely, how possible it is that patrick, with his boundless aptitude--always, in after life, applied most rapidly and successfully to whatever he had need to understand--can have grown up to manhood almost uninstructed, ignorant, and idle. genius, of which it is the very essence that it has an uncontrollable affinity for the knowledge proper to its caste, has often been seen to surmount obstacles seemingly invincible to its information; never yet wilfully, incorrigibly, and in spite of every influence around, to shut out the open and easy daylight of intelligence, and darken itself into voluntary duncedom. the thing, we repeat is a flat, a bald and a flagrant impossibility. you might as well tell us that a young eagle, instead of taking to the sky as soon as its pinions were grown, has, though neither caged nor clipped, remained contented on foot and preferred to run about the barn-yard with the dunghill fowls. no! your "mute miltons" and your harmless cromwells sound very prettily to the fancy, but in plain fact, were no miltons unless they sang, no cromwells unless they conquered. genius and heroism--the most strenuous of human things--were never dull, slothful, idle; never slighted opportunity, but always make, if they do not find it. accordingly, the sisters of mr. henry always asserted that, whatever their brother might appear abroad, he was a close voluntary student at home; exploring not only his father's library, which was large and good, but whatever other books he could lay his hands upon; dwelling, with an especial delight, upon certain great authors, of whom he seemed to make his masters; but cultivating assiduously what was then called "polite learning," and merited the name, along with history at large, and that of the free states of antiquity, and of england in particular. his great favorites were livy and virgil; not (as mr. wirt supposes of the former) in a translation, but the original. that the sisters were right on this point is sufficiently proved by the fact that, a few years ago, his latin virgil was in existence, its margins all filled with his manuscript notes. we need hardly say that he who was not content with dryden as a translator was clearly not a-going to take up with poor old philemon holland, then the current english disfigurer of the most animated and picturesque of historians. henry's sisters indeed, and the only one of his schoolfellows that we have ever met, were persuaded that he read latin almost as readily as english. mr. wirt himself had learned that the great paduan was ever in his boyish hands; now, that single point established, he might without hesitation have proceeded to five clear and important inferences: first, that no boy has a favorite book but because he is fond of books generally; secondly, that when his favorite is, though of the highest merit, a very unusual one, he must not only have read much, but with great discrimination: thirdly, that if his favorite was in a special class (not a mere miscellanist) he was well read in that class, addicted to it: fourthly, that he was enamored of such a favorite for his matchless merits, both of matter and of style; his sensibility to the former of which particulars implied information, to the latter a well-formed taste: fifthly, that no mere translation of livy--especially not flat, tame old holland--nothing short of the golden original, could have inspired such a livian affection. but this is not all; when--coming to be put into the possession of the scanty remaining body of mr. henry's papers (ill-preserved by his not very wise progeny) and invited to write his life more authentically--we ourselves began first to study his speeches and his mind critically, it did not take us long to perceive, what is indeed easily seen, that mr. henry's early passion for livy--born of course of livy's conformity to his genius--had deeply tinged the peculiar style of his eloquence, the peculiar character of his politics, was, in sooth, the immediate source of both; that the harangues in livy had been his models of discourse; that the sentiments of public magnanimity, which livy every where, and we may say livy alone breathes, were transfused into henry's spirit, and gave to his ideas of a state that singular grandeur, that loftiness, that heroism, which fills and informs them. his love of freedom even--his republicanism--was such as livy's; popular, yet patrician: not your levelled liberty, too low to last, which, to keep down the naturally great, sets up the base on high; but a freedom consistent with the eminence and the subordination of natural orders mutually dependent; equal under the law, but distinct in their power to serve the state, as bringing to its aid, this rank higher counsels and obligations, that, force and numbers; in short, not merely a tumultuary, a mob liberty, but a social and a regulated concert of all classes, the absolute predominance of none; a republican, not a democratic aim. less learned than milton, certainly, but of a highly kindred spirit, he was very like him in his general political system; but was more practical, better acquainted with men. the one had more of the poetical element in him, the other more of the political. both were deeply religious; without which no man can be a safe politician. each towered above all the men of his day, except one, a warrior; and nearly such relation as milton held to cromwell did henry hold to washington. alike in the antique cast of their minds, they were yet alike in being, withal, thoroughly english in their notion of actual freedom: for henry's mind was just as little touched with any of the jeffersonian fancies of frenchified liberty as milton's own. both were of the historic, not the so-called philosophic school of politics: for history was evidently the only treatise on government that either thought worthy of any attention. if they had ever stooped to the systematic writers, from the great sources (wise histories) out of which those writers can at most draw, it can only have been to despise nearly every mother's son of them. finally, alike in so many things, they were not unlike in their fate: both "fell upon evil times," and lost their public credit in the land of which they had matchlessly vindicated the public cause: milton died sightless, and henry too blind for the light of the virginia abstractions. every thing confutes the vulgar theory of his greatness. had he been ignorant at his first rise, the growth of his talent, as well as of his knowledge, would have been traceable in his performances; but on the contrary, he burst out, from the first, mature and finished. by the universal consent, his very earliest speeches were quite equal to any thing he ever after pronounced. had these been at sixteen, it would go far to prove that his eloquence, his ability, and even his information came (as such things never came in any other instance) without cultivation: but his first speech, that in "the parson's cause," at hanover court house, in , when he was twenty-nine years old; the same period of life at which demosthenes and cicero shone out; a period after which there may be large additions to artificial knowledge, but can seldom be any to the natural splendor of the faculties. we have known many who knew mr. henry, in the entire unreserve of that domestic life, in which he so much loved to unbend himself. all such agreed that he was a man of very great and very various information. he read every thing. at home, his interval between an early dinner and supper-time (after which he gave himself up to conversation with his friends, or to sport with his children, or to music on the violin and flute, which he played) was always consecrated to study: he withdrew from company to his office and books. his very manner of reading was such as few attain, and marks the great and skilful dealer with other men's thoughts: he seldom read a book regularly on; but seemed only to glance his eye down the pages, and, as it were, to gallop athwart the volume; and yet, when he had thus strid through it, knew better than any body else all that was worth knowing in it contents. a learned physician who dwelt near him, told us, in speaking of this wide range of his knowledge, that he had, for instance, to his surprise, found him to be a good chemist, at a time when an acquaintance with that science was almost confined to medical men. except in private, however, he kept the secret of his own attainments, content to let them appear only in their effects. this was, originally, out of his singular modesty; but by and by when his vanquished rivals of college-breeding sought to depreciate him as low-born and uneducated, he from policy conformed to imputations which heightened the wonder of his performances and therefore added to his success. let us add one more fact, substantive and significant. the range of a man's mind, the very particulars of his studies may usually, when he is not a mere book-collector or other affector of letters, be pretty definitely ascertained from the contents of his library. in that view, finding that a list of mr. henry's was embraced in the records of the court of probate of his county, we examined and copied it. for that day, his library, besides its merely professional contents, is quite a large one--some five hundred volumes, mostly good and solid. we found it to contain the usual series of greek school-books, probably all he had ever read; for the language was then slightly learnt in virginia: a good many of the latin authors, and various french ones. the last language we know, from other sources, that he understood. now, he was the man in the world the least likely to have got or to keep books that he did not comprehend. such was the enigma of patrick henry's mind; and such is its clear solution: a solution which, at least, must be confessed to substitute the rational for the irrational, the possible for the impossible, the positive of domestic evidence for the negative of popular tradition. apart, however, from such testimony, there were other proofs that should have suggested themselves to the anatomist of life character, the physiologist of his genius. when we ourselves first began minutely to consider his speeches, their effects, all that is told of the manner in which those effects were brought about, the reach and the diversity of his powers, their admirable adaptation to all occasions and to all audiences--for he swayed all men alike by his eloquence, the low and the high, the ignorant and the learned; the unapproached dramatic perfection of his voice, gesture, manner, and whole delivery; his mastery, not only in speech, but off the tribune and man to man, of all that can affect either men's reason or their imagination, we could not, for our lives, help coming to the conclusion that all this must be skill, not chance; and that instead of being the mere child of nature, he was the most consummate artist that ever lived. nature bestows marvellous things, but these are not within even her gift. she gives the gold, but she does not work it into every beautiful form; she gives the diamond, but she does not cut it; she bestows the marble, but did not carve the olympian jove nor the belvidere apollo. in fine, we had, in much acquaintance with men the ornaments of the public life of our times, been accustomed to understand all the minute mechanism of civil abilities; and when we came to examine closely this matchless piece of machinery, we could not avoid believing, in spite of all assertions to the contrary, that each particular part, however nice and small, must have been made by hand and most painfully put together. and thus, perceiving every thing else in this prodigious speaker to have been so masterly, we became convinced that his style, his diction must have been, in the main, as excellent as every thing else about him. it could not have been otherwise. he whose thought was so high and pure, whose fancy was so rich, and the mere outward auxiliaries of whose discourse (voice, and action) had been so laboriously perfected, can, by no possibility, have failed to make himself equally the master of expression. what we have as his, is mere reporter's english; and no man is to be judged by that slop of sentences into which he is put and melted away by their process. in that menstruum of words, all substances are alike. it is the true universal solvent, so long sought, that acts upon every thing and turns it into liquid babble. mr henry knew and often practised, not only upon the multitude but the refined; the power of a homely dialect, and saw how wise or brave or moving things may be made to come with a strangely redoubled effect, in the extremest plainness of rustic speech. his occasional resort to this, however, of course struck much upon the common attention and got him the reputation, among other foolish reputations, of habitually using such locutions; when, in reality, he was master of all modes of discourse alike, and only employed always that which best suited his purpose. there is yet one more false notion, in regard to him, which mr. wirt has done much to propagate: the notion, we mean, that henry never condescended to be less than the great orator; that, instead of sometimes going about his business on foot, like other lawyers and legislators, he rode for ever in a sort of triumphal car of eloquence, dragging along a captive crowd at his conquering wheels; and, in short, that "he could not ope his mouth, but out there flew a trope." on the contrary, no man was ever less the oration-maker. he never used his eloquence but as he used every thing else--just when it was wanted. in the mass of public business, eloquence is out of place, and could not be attended to. a man who was always eloquent would soon lose all authority in a public body. mr. henry kept up always the very greatest, and merited it, by taking a leading part in all important matters and making more and better business speeches than any body else. a long preliminary this; but we trust not uninteresting. it was, at any event, necessary that we should first, in the bentonian phrase, "vindicate the truth of history," and set a great character in its proper public light, before passing to those humble particulars of private life to which we now proceed. in person, he was tall and rather spare, but of limbs round enough for either vigor or grace. he had, however, a slight stoop, such as very thoughtful people are apt to contract. in public, his aspect was remarkable for quiet gravity. it seems to have been a rule with him never to laugh and hardly to smile, before the vulgar. in their presence he wore an air always fit to excite at once their sympathy and their reverence; modest, even to humility; and yet most imposing. in all this he played no assumed, though he could not have played a more skilful part: for the occasion and the presence appear always to have so duly and so strongly affected him, as at once to transform him into what was, at each instant, fittest. thus his art, of which we have already spoken, might well be consummate; for he was all that, for mere purposes of effect, he should have seemed to be, the very impersonation of the cause and the feelings proper to the hour. great wisdom, indeed, an unshrinking courage, and yet an equal prudence, a patriotism the most fervent, a profound sensibility, a rare love of justice, yet a spirit of the greatest gentleness and humanity, and in a word, the highest virtues, public and private, crowned with a disinterestedness, an absence of all ambition most singular in a democracy (which above all things breeds the contrary) made him--if cicero be right--the greatest of orators, because the most virtuous of men that ever possessed that natural gift. no man ever knew men better, singly or in the mass; none ever better knew how to sway them; but none ever less abused that power, for he seems ever to have felt, in a religious force, the solemnity of all those public functions, which so few now regard. it was probably the weight of this feeling, along with his singular modesty, that made him shun official honors as earnestly as others seek them. it is evident that no power, nor dignity, nor even fame could dazzle him. it was only at the public command that he accepted trusts from his state; and he always laid them down as soon as duty permitted. all offers of federal dignities,[ ] up to the highest, he rejected. he had served his state only in perilous times, when (as the devil says in milton) to be highest was only to be exposed foremost to the bolts of the dreaded enemy; or at some conjuncture of civil danger; but when peace and ease had come and ambition was the only lure to office, he would not have it. if, however, he was thus grave, on what he considered the solemn stage of public life, he made himself ample amends in all that can give cheerfulness to the calm of retirement in the country. when at last permitted to attend to his private fortune, he speedily secured an ample one. it was enjoyed, whenever business allowed him to be at home, in a profuse and general, but solid and old-fashioned hospitality, of which the stout and semi-baronial supplies were abundantly drawn from his own large and well-managed domain. his house was usually filled with friends, its dependencies with their retinue and horses. but crowds, besides, came and went; all were received and entertained with cordiality. the country all about thronged to see the beloved and venerated man, as soon as it went abroad that he was come back. some came merely to see him; the rest to get his advice on law and all other matters. to the poor, it was gratuitous; to even the rich without a fee, except where he thought the case made it necessary to go to law. all took his counsel as if it had been an oracle's, for nobody thought there was any measure to "old patrick's" sense, integrity, or good nature. this concourse began rather betimes, for those who lived near often came to breakfast, where all were welcomed and made full. the larder seemed never to get lean. breakfast over, creature-comforts, such as might console the belated for its loss, were presently set forth on side-tables in the wide entrance hall. of these--the solid, not the liquid parts of a rural morning's meal--breakfast without its slops, and such as, if need were, might well stand for a dinner, all further comers helped themselves as the day or their appetites advanced. meanwhile, the master saw and welcomed all with the kindliest attention, asked of their household, listened to their affairs, gave them his view, contented all. these audiences seldom ceased before noon or the early dinner. to this a remaining party of from twenty to thirty often sat down. it was always, according to the wont of such houses in that well-fed land, a meal beneath which the tables groaned, and whose massive old saxon dishes would have made a frenchman sweat. every thing is excellent at these lavish feasts; but they have no luxuries save such as are home-grown. they are, however, for all that is substantial and plain, the very summit of good cheer. at governor henry's, they never failed to be, besides, seasoned with his conversation, which at table always grew gay and even gamesome. the dinner ended, he betook himself, as already told, to his studies until supper, after which he again gave himself up to enjoyment. in this manner came, with the kindliest and most cheerful approach, the close of his days; upon which there rested not a stain nor (such had been through life his personal benignity) a hostility. except tyrants and other public enemies, he had lived at peace with man and god, achieving most surprising and illustrious things, and content, save the sight of his liberated country, with little reward beyond that which he bore in his own approving bosom. [illustration: old court house, va.] footnotes: [ ] the debates in the virginia convention on the federal constitution, and his forensic argument against the recovery of the forfeited british debts. [ ] he is said (_wirt_, p. ) to have been offered by washington the secretaryship of state and the embassy to spain. he certainly was, by him, also offered the war department, and by mr. adams the embassy to france. these are known. when the papers of alexander hamilton come to be published down to those of , it will be seen that he was then offered, by the heads of the federal party, through john marshall, the nomination for the presidency, as washington's successor, but declined it. =madison.= [illustration: madison fac-simile of letter] [illustration: montpelier, madison's residence] madison. science has had, and perhaps will ever have, its fancies; and fancy has often aspired to become science; for between the two--wide apart as they are said to lie--stretches an uncertain domain, which they seem alternately to occupy by incursion, and of which, when thus seized upon, each appears, oddly enough, often to take possession in the rival name of the other. thus astronomy, growing visionary, has pretended to trace from the aspects of the heavenly bodies, not merely their laws and motions, but the vicissitudes of human fate; and chemistry has had its poetic visions of an elixir of life and of the philosopher's stone; while, on the other hand, mere imagination has quite as often attempted to erect, out of the airiest things, a philosophic realm of her own, and to deduce into positive sciences the bumps upon the human skull, the freaks of nature in the conformation of the features, and even the whimsical diversities of people's handwriting. from all these have been set up grave methods of arriving at a knowledge of men's faculties and characters. it is surprising that, among these fantastic systems of physiognomy, that easy and natural one should never have been set on foot, which might connect the structural efforts of individuals with the cast of their minds and feelings. to do this would be especially easy in new countries, where nearly every one is compelled to build his own abode, and where, for the most part, there is so little of architectural solidity that habitations seldom last for above a generation, and even he who inherits a house inherits but a ruin. thus the simplicity of patrick henry's habits and tastes might be inferred from the primitiveness of his dwelling. you might have guessed his unambitiousness from the absence about his home of any thing that betrayed a longing for grandeur. all was plain, substantial, good; nothing ostentatious or effeminate. the master's personal desires coveted nothing beyond rural abundance and comforts--such blessings as are quite enough to make private life happy and preserve it uncorrupt. in all this you might discern the public man who cherished, as a politician, no visions, no novelties; sought, of course, to build up for his fellow-citizens no other nor better happiness than such as crowned all his own wishes; believed little in pomp and greatness; loved our old hereditary laws, manners, liberties, victuals; and dreaded french principles and dishes as alike contaminating and destructive. man, as we have already intimated, is a constructive animal. he alone is properly such. for the inferior creatures that build do so upon a single, instinctive, invariable method, always using the same material; he, rationally and inventively, as outward circumstances may require, or as, when these constrain him little, his individual fancy, desires, or judgment may prompt. in the nomadic state a tent of skins, a lodge of bark, are the sole structures for shelter that fit his wandering life; and the rudeness of these invites to no decoration, while convenience itself forbids all diversity of contrivance for him, who, paying no ground-rent, may decamp to-morrow; and, bound by no leasehold, may carry his tenement with him, like that travelling landlord, master snail, or abandon it like that lodger by the season, dame bird. in short, he comes not under the terms of zoological or botanical description, as having a _habitat_; under the line he lives, as did father adam and mother eve (whose housekeeping in eden, milton so well relates), in a bower of rose and myrtle; at the pole, he burrows beneath the snow or makes his masonry of ice; in idumea, he dwells, like its lions, in a cavern; on the maranon, he perches his house in a tree-top, and his young ones--plumeless bipeds though they be--nestle among the feathered denizens of the mid-air; in certain mining regions, he is born and dies hundreds of fathoms under ground, and perhaps never sees the light of day; in naples, he lives, as do the dogs and cats of constantinople, in the streets. thus, whatever idea, whatever purpose, whatever need, whatever fancy, predominates in him when he builds, it takes shape, it finds expression, it embodies itself, forthwith, in fitting material, fittingly contrived, and is, according to his habitative wish, his taste in a tabernacle, possibly a pig-sty, possibly a palace; for his range of invention stretches over every thing that lies between the two. the founders of the great commonwealths of antiquity--the grecian statesmen and warriors, the roman consuls--lived at home, during the most glorious period of their several states, in an extreme simplicity; content with a truly noble penury, while they built up the grandeur of their country. the constructive propensity of the athenian instead of a private direction towards his personal gratification, took the generous form of a passion for public monuments; that of the roman turned itself, until the decline of the republic began, upon the rearing of trophies and triumphal arches, rather than of lordly mansions; and dictators sometimes, consuls often, were called from the cot and the plough to the supreme trusts of war and peace. but this was all in the spirit of ages and institutions, when the citizen lived in the state and sought his private, in the public greatness and happiness. modern times present few individual instances of the like. in those ancient politics, the state leaned on the citizen; in our modern, the citizen leans on the state. then, public life was much, private life was little; now, it is reversed, the citizen wants not to help the state, but wants the state to help him. now, over-civilization has so multiplied the conveniences of life, and habit has rendered its indulgences so necessary, that he who, being great, can live without and above them, has need to be of a rare elevation, an inherent grandeur of soul. the statesman whose mansion and whose habits in retreat we are about to describe, without being altogether of that heroical cast of mind which graced the character of a washington, a henry, or a clay, had yet much of that elevated simplicity which marks the highest strain of greatness. mr. madison, when he laid down what he had so worthily and wisely worn as to have disarmed all previous reproach and hostility--the supreme dignity of the union--returned quietly to his hereditary abode, resumed the unaffected citizen, and seemed to be as glad to forget his past greatness as to escape from the anxieties and envy that attend power as shadows do the sun. he went back, after his stormy but successful presidency of eight years, to his father's seat, montpelier, where, but for the accident--the same which befell a hero of irish song, denis brulgruddery--of his mother's being on a visit to her mamma at the time, he would certainly have been born. there, like a sensible man, and a good fellow to boot (as he was), he sat down on a fine plantation, in a good old-fashioned house, with a fine old cellar of old-fashioned wines under it, and the best old virginian servants in it, to spend the rest of his days upon that wise plan which king pyrrhus proposed to himself, but, postponing too long, did not live to execute. he (that is, mr. madison, not pyrrhus) sat down like an actor who has played out his part with applause, calmly to look at the rest of the piece, no further concerned in its business, but not affecting (as others have done) the uninterested spectator of the performance. he did not assume the philosophic sage; he did not bury himself in a monastic gloom like charles v.; nor, like the same discrowned prince and mr. jefferson, betake himself to mending watches; nor, like dioclesian, to cultivating cabbages; but in the bosom of that pleasant retreat, which had witnessed his youthful preparation for public toils, sought the repose from them which he had fairly earned; and sweetening it with all that could give it zest, in the companionship of the amiable wife who had shared with him and adorned public honors, and in the society of the many personal friends that his virtues and talents drew about him, passed the evening of his days in gentlemanly and genial ease and hospitality. montpelier, the residence to which, as an only child, he had succeeded at his father's death, is a plain but ample, and rather handsome habitation of brick, around which spreads out, in such undulations of gently-waving swells and irregular plains as pleasantly diversify the view, a fertile domain of some two thousand six hundred acres; a part of it well cultivated, but a still larger part yet in all the wildness of nature. the region is one where she has shed, in great beauty, the softest picturesque of hill and dale, forest and glade. at hand, in the rear, rises, as if to adorn the prospect with bolder contrasts, the gracefully wavering chain of the southwest mountain, to fence on one side the vale of orange and albemarle, on whose southeastern edge of nodding woods and green fields montpelier lies embosomed and embowered; while on the other side, in the airy distance beyond that vale, tower in fantastic line the blue peaks of the long appalachian ridge, breaking the horizon, as if to form another and a more fanciful one. the wide scene, caught in glimpses through the mantling trees, or opening out in the larger vista of farm beyond farm, or shining in loftier prospect above the tree-tops and the low hills, offers to the ranging eye, many a charming view,--sweet spots of pastoral beauty; jutting capes and copses, or nodding old groves of woodlands; the rich and regular cultivation of spreading plantations, amidst which glisten now a stately mansion, and now a snug farm-house, each decorated with its peculiar growth of trees for shade or fruit; and far away, mountain regions, whose heights, and whose rude and massy but undefined forms, suggest to the fancy the savage grandeur of that remoter landscape which the eye knows to be there, though it mocks the sight with what is so different. all these are, at frequent points, the aspects of that fine country from orange court-house up to charlottesville; they are nowhere seen in greater perfection or abundance than just around montpelier. at almost every turn, one discovers a new pleasure of the landscape; at nearly every step, there is a surprise. it looks like a realm of pictures; you would almost think that not nature had placed it there, but that the happiest skill of the painter had collected and disposed the scenes. the house, we have said, is plain and large. its size and finish bespeak gentlemanly but unpretending ease and fortune. it has no air of assumed lordliness or upstart pretension. no foreign models seem to have been consulted in its design, no proportions of art studied; yet it wants not symmetry as well-planned convenience, comfort, and fitness lend, as if without intention. a tall, and rather handsome columned portico, in front, is the only thing decorative about it; but is not enough so to be at all out of keeping. it is of the whole height of the central building, of two stories, and covers about half its length of some forty-five feet. broad steps, five in number, support and give access along its entire front. its depth is about one-third its width. the main building itself is a parallelogram, near half as deep as it is long. at each flank, a little receding, is a single-storied wing of about twenty feet, its flat roof surmounted by a balustrade. the house stands on a gently-rising eminence. a wide lawn, broken only here and there by clumps of trees, stretches before it. on either side are irregular masses of these, of different shapes and foliage, evergreen and deciduous, which thicken at places into a grove, and half screen those dependencies of a handsome establishment--stables, dairies and the like--which, left openly in sight, look very ill, and can be made to look no otherwise, even by the trying to make them look genteel: for they are disagreeable objects, that call up (attire them as you will) ideas not dainty. as, therefore, the eye should not miss them altogether--for their absence would imply great discomfort and inconvenience--the best way is to half-veil them, as is done at montpelier. in the rear of the house lies a large and well-tended garden. this was, of course, mainly the mistress's care; while the master's was, as far as his bodily feebleness permitted, directed towards his agricultural operations. in the virginia economy of the household, where so much must be ordered with a view to entertaining guests all the while, the garden plays an important part. without ample supplies from it, there would be no possibility of maintaining that exuberant good cheer with which the tables continually groan, in all those wealthier habitations where the old custom of a boundless hospitality is still reverently observed. in such--and there are yet many, although the jeffersonian "law of descents," and the diffusion of the trading spirit are thinning them out every day, as rum and smallpox are dispeopling our indian tribes--there is little pause of repletion. every guest must be feasted: if a stranger, because strangers ought to be made to pass their time as agreeably as possible; if a friend, because nothing can be too good for one's friends. where such social maxims and such a domestic policy prevail, there will seldom, according to adam smith's principle of "demand and supply," be any very serious lack of guests. indeed, the condition is one hard to avoid, and so pleasant, withal, that we have known persons of wit and breeding to adopt it as their sole profession, and benevolently pass their lives in guarding their friends, one after another, from the distresses of a guestless mansion. but, to return to the garden of montpelier; there were few houses in virginia that gave a larger welcome, or made it more agreeable, than that over which queen dolly--the most gracious and beloved of all our female sovereigns--reigned; and, wielding as skilfully the domestic, as she had done worthily and popularly the public, sceptre, every thing that came beneath her immediate personal sway--the care and the entertainment of visitors, the government of the menials, the whole policy of the interior--was admirably managed, with an equal grace and efficiency. wherefore, as we have said, the important department of the garden was excellently well administered, both for profit and pleasure, and made to pour forth in profusion, from its wide and variously-tended extent, the esculents and the blooms, herb, fruit, flower, or root, of every season. nor was the merely beautiful neglected for the useful only; her truly feminine tastes delighted in all the many tinted children of the parterre, native and exotic; and flowers sprang up beneath her hand, as well as their more substantial sisters, the vegetables. in a word, her garden was rich in all that makes one delightful; and so of all the other less sightly but needful departments of her large and well-ordered establishment. we should, however, slight one of its most pleasing features, were we to omit mentioning the peculiar purpose to which was consecrated one of those low wings of the building which we have briefly described. there dwelt, under the most sacred guard of filial affection, yet served in her own little separate household by servants set apart to her use, the very aged and infirm mother of mr. madison; a most venerable lady, who, after the death of her husband, thus lived under the tender guardianship of her son and of her daughter-in-law, down to near her hundredth year, enjoying whatever of the sweets of life the most affectionate and ingenious solicitude can bestow upon extreme decrepitude. here she possessed without the trouble of providing them, all the comforts and freedom of an independent establishment; and tended by her own gray-haired domestics, and surrounded at her will by such younger relatives as it gratified her to have about her, she passed her quiet but never lonely days, a reverent and a gentle image of the good and indeed elevated simplicity of elder times, manners, and tastes. all the appointments of her dwelling bespoke the olden day; dark and cumbrous old carved furniture, carpets of which the modern loom has forgotten the patterns; implements that looked as if tubal cain had designed them; upholstery quaintly, if not queerly venerable. in short, all the objects about her were in keeping with her person and attire. you would have said that they and she had sat to sir godfrey kneller for a family picture; or that you yourself had been suddenly transported back to addison's time, and were peeping by privilege into the most secluded part of sir roger de coverley's mansion. indeed, to confirm the illusion, you would probably find her reading the spectator in the large imprint and rich binding of its own period, or thumbing--as our degenerate misses do a novel of the dickens or sue school--the leaves of pope, swift, steele, or some other of those whom criticism alone (for the common people and the crowd, of what is now styled literature, know them not) still recalls as "the wits of queen anne's day." these were the learning of our great-grandmothers; need we wonder if they were nobler dames than the frivolous things of the fancy boarding-school, half-taught in every thing they should not study, made at much pains and expense to know really nothing, and just proficient enough of foreign tongues to be ignorant of their own? the authors we have mentioned, their good contemporaries, and their yet greater predecessors, who gave to our language a literature, and are still all that holds it from sinking into fustian and slipslop, a tag-rag learning and a tatterdemalion english, were those that lay around this ancient lady, and beguiled her old age as they had formed and delighted the youth of her mind and heart. if you made her refer to them, as the favourite employment of her infirmity-compelled leisure, it was pleasant to hear her (as in that other instance which we have given of patrick henry's sisters) talk of them as if they had been dear and familiar personal friends. perhaps, however, authors were then better loved and more respected by their readers than they are nowadays; and possibly this was because they deserved to be so; or indeed there may be a double decline, and readers as much worse than the writers. not that either of these is the fact, or even a conjecture which we ourselves entertain. we merely mention it _en passant_, as a bare possibility. the opinion would be unpopular, and should not be admitted in a democracy; of which it is the very genius to have no opinions but such as are popular; and therefore to think no thoughts that might betray one into an opinion not that of the majority. such books then, and, when her old eyes grew weary, the almost equally antiquated occupation of knitting, habitually filled up the hours of this old-time lady; the hours, we mean, which pain or feebleness remitted her for occupation. as to those sadder moments of suffering, or of that sinking of the bodily powers which presses at times upon far-advanced age, she bore them with the cheerfullest patience, and even treated them as almost compensated by the constant delight of the affections which the pious care of her children gave her all the while. nothing could exceed their watchfulness to serve her, soothe her, minister to her such enjoyments as may be made by lovingness to linger around even the last decline of a kindly and well-spent life. in all such offices, her son bore as much part as his own frail health and the lesser aptitude of men for tending the sick permitted; but no daughter ever exceeded in the tender and assiduous arts of alleviation, the attentions which mrs. madison gave to her husband's infirm parent. reversing the order of nature, she became to her (as the venerable sufferer herself was accustomed fondly to say) the mother of her second childhood. mistress as she was of all that makes greatness pleasing and sheds a shining grace upon power, mrs. madison never appeared in any light so worthy or so winning, as in this secret one of filial affection towards her adopted mother. it was a part, however, of her system of happiness for the ancient lady, at once to shut out from her (what she could ill sustain) the bustle of that large establishment, and the gayeties of the more miscellaneous guests that often thronged it, and yet to bring to her, in special favor towards them, such visitors as could give her pleasure and break the monotony of her general seclusion. these were sometimes old and valued friends; sometimes their hopeful offspring; and occasionally personages of such note as made her curious to see them. all such she received, according to what they were, with that antique cordiality or amenity which belonged to the fine old days of good-breeding, of which she was a genuine specimen. to the old, her person, dress, manners, conversation, recalled, in their most pleasing forms, the usages, the spirit, the social tone of an order of things that had vanished; an elevated simplicity that had now given way to more affected courtesies, more artificial elegancies. to the young, she and her miniature household were a still more singular spectacle. they had looked upon their host and hostess as fine old samples of the past, and the outer, the exoteric montpelier, with its cumbrous furniture and rich but little modish appointments, as a sort of museum of domestic antiquities; but here, hidden within its secret recesses, were a personage, ways, objects, fashions, that carried them back to the yet more superannuated elegance of days when what now struck them as obsolete must have been regarded as the frivolous innovations of an impertinent young generation. we have already described the house, and glanced at its appointments, but may add that the former seemed designed for an opulent and an easy hospitality, and that the latter, while rich, was plainly and solidly so. no expedients, no tricks of show met the eye; but all was well set forth with a sort of nobleness, yet nothing of pomp. the apartments were of ample size; the furniture neither scanty nor (as now seems the mode) huddled together, as if the master were a salesman. nothing seemed wanting, nothing too much. a finished urbanity and yet a thorough cordiality reigned in every thing: all the ways, all the persons, all the objects of the place were agreeable and even interesting. you soon grew at your ease, if at arriving you had been otherwise: for here was, in its perfection, that happiest part and surest test of good-breeding--the power of at once putting every one at ease. the attentions were not over-assiduous, not slack; but kept, to great degree, out of sight, by making a body of thoroughly-trained and most mannerly servants their ministrants, so that the hosts performed in person little but the higher rites of hospitality, and thus seemed to have no trouble and much pleasure in entertaining you. accordingly, there has seldom, even in the hilarious land of old virginia, been a house kept--especially by elderly people--at which it was pleasanter to be a sojourner. they always made you glad to have come, and sorry that you must go. such was the main interior life of montpelier. its business seemed but the giving pleasure to its guests, of whom a perpetual succession came and went. little was seen of the working machinery of the fine, and on the whole, well-managed estate, that poured forth its copious supplies to render possible all this lavish entertainment, this perennial flow of feasting. for here, be it observed, as elsewhere in the rural hospitalities of virginia, it was not single visitors that were to be accommodated, but families and parties. nor did these arrive unattended, for each brought with it a retinue of servants, a stud of horses, and all were to be provided for. meantime, the master was seen little to direct in person the husbandry of his domain; and indeed, he was known to be too feeble to do so. nevertheless, the tillage of montpelier was productive and its soil held in a state of progressive improvement. indeed, capable of every thing he had engaged in, except arms (in which the jeffersonian dynasty, except monroe, must be confessed not to have excelled)--wise, attentive, and systematic, he had established his farming operations upon a method so good and regular, that they went on well, with only his occasional inspection, and the nightly reports of his head men of the blacks. the mildest and humanest of masters, he had brought about among his slaves, by a gentle exactness, and the care to keep them happy while well-governed, great devotion to him and their duties, and a far more than usual intelligence. every night he received an account of the day's results, and consulted freely with his managers, on the morrow's business. all was examined and discussed as with persons who had and who deserved his confidence. thus encouraged to think, the inert and unreflecting african learnt forecast, skill, self-respect, and zeal to do his duty towards the master and mistress who were so good to him. we do not say that the like could be done to the same extent every where. montpelier was cultivated merely to support itself, and not for profit; which is necessarily the ruling end on the plantations generally, and perhaps compels more enforced methods; which, indeed, can scarcely be expected to cease, as long as fanatical interference from without, between the master and the slave, shall only serve to breed discontent on the one part and distrust on the other, and driving the threatened master to attend to the present security of his property, instead of occupying himself with its future amelioration. men of any sense abroad should surely have perceived, by this time, that the method of driving the southern states into emancipation does not answer; but, on the contrary, is, so far as the temper of that region is concerned, only postponing it, and meanwhile aggravating the condition of both classes. thus gentle, genial, kindly, liberal, good and happy, passed the life of montpelier. public veneration shed all its honors; private friendship and communion all their delights upon it. even those dignities which, in this country of party spirit, beget for the successful more of reproach than fame, had left the name of madison without a serious stain. his presidency past, the wise and blameless spirit of his official administration came speedily to be acknowledged on all sides, and envy and detraction, left without an aim, turned to eulogy. an ample fortune, the greatest domestic happiness, and a life prolonged, in spite of the original feebleness of his body, to the unusual age of eighty-five, gave him in their full measure, those singular blessings which the goodness of god deservedly dealt to him and the admirable partner of his existence. a philosophic, and yet not a visionary ruler, he should stand among ours as next to washington, though separated from him by a great interval. the jeffersons and the jacksons come far after him, for "he was more than a mere alexander; and, unstained with household blood and wine, serenely wore his sovereign virtues: still we trajan's name adore." =jay.= [illustration: jay fac-simile of letter] [illustration: jay's residence, bedford, n.y.] jay. although the city of new-york claims the honor of being the birth-place of john jay, it cannot properly be regarded as the home of his early years. not far from the time of his birth, on the th of december, , his father, peter jay, who, by honorable assiduity in the mercantile vocation, had accumulated a handsome fortune, purchased an estate in rye, about twenty-five miles from the city, with the intention of making it his future residence. this town, situated on the southeastern corner of westchester county, ranks among the most delightful summer resorts that adorn the northern shores of long island sound. the village proper stands about a mile and a half from the sound, on the turn-pike road between new-york and boston. from the hills extending along its northern limits, the mockquams (blind brook) a perennial stream, flows southwardly through it, adding much to the beauty of its scenery. on the outskirts are many elegant villas, the favorite haunts of those who rejoice to exchange the cares of business and the dust and heat of the neighboring metropolis for its grateful seclusion and the refreshing breezes that visit it from the ocean. for the description of the jay estate at rye, in the absence of personal knowledge, we shall, in the main, rely upon the account furnished by bolton, in his excellent history of westchester county, adhering principally to his own language. the situation of the estate is very fine, embracing some of the most graceful undulations of a hilly district, highly diversified with rocks, woods, and river scenery. contiguous to the southern portion of it and bordering the sound is marle's neck and the neighboring islands of pine and hen-hawk. the curious phenomenon of the mirage is frequently witnessed from these shores, when the land on the opposite coast of long island appears to rise above the waters of the sound, the intermediate spaces seeming to be sunk beneath the waves. the family residence is situated near the post-road leading to rye, at a short distance from the river. the building is a handsome structure of wood, having a lofty portico on the north. the south point commands a beautiful and charming view of the sound and long island. some highly interesting family portraits adorn the walls of the hall and dining-room, among which are the following: augustus jay, who emigrated to this country in , a copy from the original by waldo; anna maria bayard, wife of augustus jay, by waldo; peter augustus jay, as a boy, artist unknown; an old painting upon oak panel, supposed to represent catherine, wife of the hon. stephen van cortlandt, of cortlandt, south holland. this lady appears habited in a plain black dress, wearing a high neck-ruffle, and, in her hand, holds a clasped bible. in one corner of the picture is inscribed "ætat. , ." in the library is the valuable cabinet of shells, amounting to several thousands, of which the collector, john c. jay, m.d., has published a descriptive catalogue. noticeable among the family relics is the gold snuff-box, presented by the corporation of new-york with the freedom of the city to "his excellency, john jay," on the th of october, , not long after his return from diplomatic service in spain and at paris. an old french bible contains the following memoranda: "auguste jay, est né a la rochelle dans la royaume de france le / mars, . laus deo. n. york, july ye th, , this day at o'clock in ye morning dyed eva van cortlandt, was buried ye next day ye en ye voute at mr. stuyvesant's about six and seven o'clock." in the opening of a wood on the southeast of the mansion is the family cemetery, where are interred the remains of the ancestors of the jays. over the grave of the chief justice is the following inscription, written by his son, peter augustus jay: in memory of john jay, eminent among those who asserted the liberty and established the independence of his country, which he long served in the most important offices, legislative, executive, judicial, and diplomatic, and distinguished in them all by his ability, firmness, patriotism, and integrity, he was in his life, and in his death, an example of the virtues, the faith and the hopes of a christian. born, _dec._ , , died, _may_ , . according to his expressed desire, the body of mr. jay was not deposited in the family vault, but committed to the bosom of the earth. he always strenuously protested against what he considered the heathenish attempt to rescue the worthless relics of mortality from that dissolution, which seems to be their natural and appropriate destination. within the same cemetery are also memorials to sir james jay, peter jay munroe, peter jay, goldsborough banyar, harriet van cortlandt, and other members of the family. pierre jay, to whom the jays of this country trace their origin, was one of those noble and inflexible huguenots who were driven from france by the revocation of the edict of nantes, a measure which deprived that kingdom of more than one-fourth of the most industrious and desirable class of its population. his descendants, settling in this country, retained the characteristics which had distinguished their forefathers, and became among its most respectable and prosperous inhabitants. peter jay, the grandson of pierre jay, and, like him, engaged in mercantile pursuits, was married in the year to mary, the daughter of jacobus van cortlandt, and was the father of ten children, of whom john was the eighth. seldom has a son been more fortunate in his parents. "both father and mother," we are told by the biographer, "were actuated by sincere and fervent piety; both had warm hearts and cheerful tempers, and both possessed, under varied and severe trials, a remarkable degree of equanimity. but in other respects they differed widely. he possessed strong and masculine sense, was a shrewd observer and accurate judge of men, resolute, persevering and prudent, an affectionate father, a kind master, but governing all under his control with mild but absolute sway. she had a cultivated mind and a fine imagination. mild and affectionate in her temper and manners, she took delight in the duties as well as in the pleasures of domestic life; while a cheerful resignation to the will of providence during many years of sickness and suffering bore witness to the strength of her religious faith." under the tutelage of such a mother was john jay educated till his eighth year, and from her he learned the rudiments of english and latin grammar. even at this tender age, the gravity of his disposition, his discretion and his fondness for books were subjects of common remark. when eight years old, he was committed to the care of mr. stoope, a french clergyman and keeper of a grammar-school at new rochelle, with whom he remained for about three years. this gentleman being unfitted by reason of his oddities and improvidence for the efficient supervision of the establishment, left the young pupils, for the most part, to the tender mercies of his wife, a woman of extremely penurious habits; by whom, we are told, they were "treated with little food and much scolding." every thing about the house under the management of this ill-assorted pair went to ruin, and the young student was often obliged, in order to protect his bed from the drifting snow, to close up the broken panes with bits of wood. various other inconveniences fell to the lot of young jay, but it is probable that the rigid discipline of mrs. stoope was not without its advantages. it had the effect of throwing its subject on his own resources, and taught him to disregard those thousand petty annoyances which, after all, are the chief causes of human misery, and which often disturb the tranquillity of the strongest minds. from mr. stoope he was transferred to a private tutor, and in his fifteenth year entered king's, now columbia college, at that time in its infancy. here, as might have been supposed, his conduct, exemplary character and scholarship won him the esteem and respect of all. beside the improvement and expansion of his intellect, and the opportunity of measuring himself with companions of the same age and the same studies, he received other advantages from these four years of college training. his attention being called to certain deficiencies which might impede his future success, he at once set himself at work to remedy them. an indistinct articulation and a faulty pronunciation of the letter l, he was able by the constant study and practice of the rules of elocution entirely to remove. special attention was also paid to english composition, by which he attained that admirable style, which in purity and classical finish was afterwards not surpassed by that of any other contemporary statesman, a style polished but not emasculate, and of such flexibility as to adapt itself equally well to the vehemence of patriotic appeal, the guarded precision of diplomatic correspondence, or to the grave and authoritative judgments of the bench. he also adopted pope's plan of keeping by his bedside a table supplied with writing materials, in order to record at the moment of its suggestion any idea which might occur to him in waking. during his senior year, the young student had occasion to display that decision and firmness which at a later period shone so conspicuously in affairs of greater moment. certain mischief-making classmates, perhaps to avenge themselves on the steward, undertook to break the table in the college hall. the noise produced by this operation reaching the ears of dr. cooper, the president, that arbitrary personage suddenly pounced upon them without leaving them a chance of escape. the young men were at once formed in a line and two questions--"did you break the table? do you know who did?"--were each answered by an emphatic "no," until they were put to jay, the last but one in the line, who had indeed been present at the disturbance but took no part in it; to the first question he replied in the negative, to the second his answer was "yes, sir," and to the further inquiry--"who was it?"--he promptly said, "i do not choose to tell you, sir." the remaining student followed jay's example. the two young men, after resisting the expostulations of the president, were summoned before the faculty for trial, where jay appeared for the defence. to the allegation that they had been guilty of violating their written promise, on their admission, of obedience to the college statutes, jay responded that they were not required by those statutes to inform against their companions, and that therefore his refusal to do so was not an act of disobedience. reasonable as this defence might appear, it, of course, failed to satisfy judges, clothed with executive powers, and anxious to punish the least disregard of their own authority, and the two delinquents were at once rusticated. at the termination of his sentence jay returned to college, where his reception by the instructors proved that he had suffered no loss of their esteem. on the th of may, , he was graduated with the highest collegiate honors. on leaving college, jay entered the office of benjamin kissam, in the city of new-york, as a student at law. between this gentleman and himself a degree of familiarity and mutual respect existed, quite remarkable considering their relative positions and their disparity of years. for two years in the office of mr. kissam, he was the fellow student of the celebrated grammarian, lindley murray, with whom he formed an enduring friendship, and who, in a posthumous memoir of himself, thus alludes to his companion: "his talents and virtues gave, at that period, pleasing indications of future eminence; he was remarkable for strong reasoning powers, comprehensive views, indefatigable application, and uncommon firmness of mind. with these qualifications added to a just taste in literature, and ample stores of learning and knowledge, he was happily prepared to enter on that career of public virtue by which he was afterward so honorably distinguished, and made instrumental in promoting the good of his country." murray was a tall, handsome man, the son of robert murray, a venerable quaker of new-york, the location of whose farm at the lower part of the city is still pointed out by the antiquarian. mr. jay was admitted to the bar in , and in the pursuit of his profession so extended his reputation that he was soon after appointed secretary of the commission named by the king to determine the disputed boundary between the states of new-york and new jersey. in he was married to sarah, the youngest daughter of william livingston, an eminent supporter of the american cause during the revolution, and afterwards for many years governor of new jersey. the limits to which we are confined allow us to take but a brief notice of mr. jay's numerous and most valuable public services, extending over a period of twenty-eight years, and terminating with his retirement in from the office of governor of his native state. in no one of the colonies had the cause of resistance to the mother country less encouragement than in new-york, and in no other could great britain number so many influential allies, yet, on the receipt of the news of the enforcement of the boston port bill, mr. jay took a decided stand on the side of the patriots. at a meeting of the citizens of new-york, may , , we find him on a committee of fifty appointed "to correspond with the sister colonies on all matters of moment." young as he was, he was required to draft the response to the proposal of the boston committee for a congress of deputies from "the colonies in general." in the first congress in the same year, he was a member of some of the most important committees. the "address to the people of great britain," the distinguishing act of that congress, was drafted by mr. jay. this eloquent document was pronounced by jefferson, then ignorant of its author, to be "the production certainly of the finest pen in america," and mr. webster considered it as standing "at the head of the incomparable productions of that body [the first congress], productions which called forth the decisive commendation of lord chatham, in which he pronounced them not inferior to the finest productions of the master minds of the world." in the interim between the close of the first, and the opening in may of the second congress, jay was incessantly engaged in the service of his country; and when the delegates had reassembled, his pen was again employed in the preparation of the two addresses to the inhabitants of jamaica and of ireland. some reluctance being shown on the part of wealthy and influential citizens to serve in a military capacity, he, without hesitation, sought and accepted a commission as colonel of a regiment of the new militia; but his legislative ability and eloquence were too highly valued to allow of his absence from congress, and he never actually joined his company. a second address of congress to the king having been treated with insult, and all hope of accommodation being abandoned, he became one of the foremost advocates of warlike measures; and, while on a committee for that purpose, devised a series of plans for crippling the resources of england, which were adopted by congress in march , nearly three months previous to the formal act of severance in the declaration of independence. at the adoption of this measure, in consequence of his election to the provincial congress of new-york in april of that year, jay was unable to affix his signature to that instrument, but, as chairman of the committee to whom the subject had been referred, he reported a resolution, pledging that state to its support. shortly after came the most gloomy period of the revolutionary cause in new-york; a hostile army was invading the state from the north, inspired by the defeat of the american forces on long island, the city was in possession of the enemy, and what was worse, treachery and despair existed among the people themselves. a committee of public safety was appointed by the provincial congress, clothed with dictatorial powers, of which jay acted as chairman. at this juncture also, mr. jay, by appointment, put forth the thrilling address of the convention to their constituents, an appeal written in the most exalted strain of patriotic eloquence, in which he rebukes the defection and stimulates the flagging hopes of the people with the zeal and indignant energy of an ancient prophet. in , jay, from a committee appointed the year before, drafted a state constitution, which received the sanction of the legislature. there were certain provisions which he desired to introduce in that instrument, and which he thought more likely to be adopted when proposed in the form of amendments than if they should be incorporated into the first draft; but a summons to the side of his dying mother prevented the realization of his wishes. one of the amendments which he intended to urge, was a provision for the gradual abolition of slavery within the limits of the state. under the new constitution, having been appointed to the office of chief justice, he was ineligible by that instrument to any other post, except on a "special occasion," but, in consequence of a difficulty arising between his own, and the neighboring state of vermont, the legislature took advantage of the exception, and elected him delegate to congress. without vacating, therefore, his judicial seat, he complied with their appointment, and soon after his entrance in congress became its presiding officer. the impossibility, however, of doing full justice to both his judicial and legislative duties, induced him to resign his seat on the bench. congress now employed his pen in writing the circular letter to the states, urging them to furnish additional funds for the war. this statesmanlike exposition of the government's financial condition closes with a noble appeal to the national honor. "rouse, therefore, strive who shall do most for his country; rekindle that flame of patriotism, which, at the mention of disgrace and slavery, blazed throughout america and animated all her citizens. determine to finish the contest as you began it, honestly and gloriously. let it never be said that america had no sooner become independent than she became insolvent, or that her infant glories and growing fame were obscured and tarnished by broken contracts and violated faith, in the very hour when all the nations of the earth were admiring and almost adoring the splendor of her rising." in , accompanied by his wife, he sailed for spain, as minister plenipotentiary, in order to secure the concurrence of that kingdom in the treaty with france, recognizing the independence of the united states; and though his diplomatic negotiations were conducted in the most honorable spirit, and with consummate prudence and ability, the object of his mission was finally frustrated by the selfish policy of the spanish government, in requiring america to surrender the right of navigating on the mississippi. it was during his residence at the spanish court, that the desperate financial embarrassments of congress prompted a measure equally unjust to their representative abroad and hazardous to the national credit. presuming upon the success of his mission, they had empowered their treasurer to draw on mr. jay bills payable at six months, for half a million of dollars. as these bills came in, the minister was placed in a situation of extreme perplexity, but his regard for his country's reputation overcame all private considerations; he adopted the patriotic but desperate expedient of making himself personally responsible for their payment, and his acceptances had exceeded one hundred thousand dollars before any relief came to hand. mr. jay's residence in spain also subjected him to other trials, only less severe than the one just mentioned; the vexatious obstacles placed in way of his negotiations by the spanish government; the insufficiency of his salary at the most expensive court in europe; the frequent removal of the court from place to place, at the royal pleasure, involving the absence of his wife, whom, for pecuniary reasons, he was unable to take with him; the death of his young child, and his anxiety for the family whom he had left at home, exposed to the dangers of war, and from whom, for more than a year, not a line had been received, might well have harassed a less sensitive nature than his. the fortitude with which he sustained these annoyances may be seen in a letter written by him about this time to his friend, egbert benson, of new-york. it commences thus: "dear benson: "when shall we again, by a cheerful fire, or under a shady tree, recapitulate our juvenile pursuits or pleasures, or look back on the extensive field of politics we once have trodden? our plans of life have, within these few years past, been strangely changed. our country, i hope, will be the better for the alterations. how far we individually may be benefited is more questionable. personal considerations, however, must give way to public ones, and the consciousness of having done our duty to our country and posterity, must recompense us for all the evils we experience in their cause." from spain, by order of congress, jay proceeded to paris to arrange, in conjunction with franklin, adams, jefferson, and laurens, the definitive treaty of peace with england,--the most important diplomatic act of the eighteenth century; and we have the testimony of mr. fitzherbert, then the english minister resident in paris, that "it was not only chiefly but solely through his means that the negotiations of that period between england and the united states were brought to a successful conclusion." mr. oswald had arrived in paris with a commission, in which the united states were mentioned under the designation of "colonies," but jay, although his associates did not participate in his scruples, refused to begin negotiations without a preliminary recognition on the part of england of the independence of the united states; and owing to his firmness a new commission was obtained from the king, in which that most essential point (as the sequel proved) was gained. declining the appointment now tendered him by congress of commissioner to negotiate a commercial treaty with england, jay returned to his country. on arriving at new-york he was welcomed by a most enthusiastic public reception, and was presented by the corporation of new-york with the freedom of the city in a gold box. the office of secretary for foreign affairs, which, for the want of a suitable incumbent, had been vacant for two years, was at this time urged by congress upon his acceptance, and he did not feel at liberty to refuse his services. he was now virtually at the head of public affairs. the whole foreign correspondence of the government, the proposal of plans of treaties, instructions to ministers abroad, and the submission of reports on all matters to which congress might call his attention, came within the scope of his new duties. mr. jay was among the first of our statesmen to perceive the defects of the confederation, and to urge the necessity of a new and more efficient system of government. besides his contributions to the federalist, he wrote an address to the people of new-york, then the very citadel of the opposition to the proposed constitution, which had no unimportant effect in securing its adoption. in the state convention, which had assembled with only eleven out of fifty-seven members in its favor, jay took a most influential part, and mainly owing to his exertions was it finally ratified. at the commencement of the administration of washington, he was invited by that great man to select his own post in the newly-formed government. he was accordingly appointed chief justice of the supreme court, and well did he justify, in his new capacity, the glowing eulogium of webster, that "when the spotless ermine of the judicial robe fell on john jay it touched nothing less spotless than itself." in the performance of his duties as the first chief justice of the supreme court, much was accomplished by him in organizing the business of the court, expounding the principles of its decisions, and in commending them to a confederacy of sovereign states, already sufficiently jealous of its extensive but beneficent jurisdiction. his decision in the novel case of a suit instituted against the state of georgia by a citizen of another state, is a memorable instance of his firmness and judicial ability. the year opened with every prospect of a disastrous war between great britain and the united states. the revolution did not terminate without leaving in the minds of americans a strong and perhaps an unreasonable antipathy to the mother country, which was stimulated by the unwise interference of genet, the french minister, in our politics, and by the exertions of a large class of british refugees, who had escaped to our country still smarting under the oppressions which they had experienced at home, and who were extremely desirous of plunging the american government into the contest which was then raging between france and england. there were also certain substantial grievances universally admitted by our citizens, which would give some countenance to such a measure on the part of america. among these were enumerated the detention in violation of the treaty of the posts on our western frontier by british garrisons, thereby excluding the navigation by americans of the great lakes, the refusal to make compensation for the negroes carried away during the war by the british fleet, the exclusion and capture of american vessels carrying supplies to french ports, and the seizure of our ships in the exercise of the pretended right of search. these, and other outrages, were justified by great britain, on the ground of certain equivalent infractions of the treaty by the american nation. washington however could not be induced to consent to hazard the national interests, by transgressing that neutrality so necessary to a young republic only just recovering from the severe experience of a seven years' war, and he saw no other honorable means of averting the impending danger than the appointment of a special envoy, empowered to adjust the matters in dispute. for this purpose, on his nomination, mr. jay was confirmed on the th of april, , by the senate, as minister to england, at which country he arrived in june of that year. the treaty was signed in november following, and the negotiations of the two ministers, lord grenville and mr. jay, were greatly facilitated by their mutual esteem and the good understanding existing between them; and their correspondence, which was characterized by signal ability on both sides, affords an instance of diplomatic straightforwardness and candor almost without a parallel in history. it as not consistent with the plan of our sketch to speak of the provisions of the treaty thus secured: it was not, in all respects, what jay, or the country desired; but in view of the immense advantages to our commerce obtained by it, the complicated and delicate questions adjusted, and the disasters which would have befallen the nation had it been defeated, it will challenge comparison with any subsequent international arrangement to which the united states have been a party. yet, incredible as would seem, the abuse and scurrility with which both it and its author were loaded, discloses one of the most disgraceful chapters in the records of political fanaticism. by an eminent member of the opposing party, he was declared to have perpetrated "an infamous act," an act "stamped with avarice and corruption." he himself was termed "a damned arch-traitor," "sold to great britain," and the treaty burned before his door. enjoying the confidence of the illustrious washington, and of the wisest and best men of his country, in his course, and above all, the inward assurance of his unswerving rectitude, jay might well forgive these ebullitions of party spleen and await the sanction which has been conferred on his actions by the impartial voice of posterity. but no statesman of that time had, on the whole, less reason to complain of popular ingratitude than jay; before he reached his native shore, a large majority of the people of new-york had expressed their approbation of his conduct by electing him to the office of governor. while in this office, the appropriate close of his public career, besides suggesting many useful measures in regard to education and internal improvements, the benefits of which are experienced to this day, he had the happiness of promoting and witnessing the passage by the legislature of the act for the gradual abolition of slavery in his native state. of this measure he was one of the earliest advocates, having served as the first president of the society of manumission, which had been organized in by a number of the most respectable gentlemen in new-york, and to whose disinterested exertions the success of the anti-slavery cause was mainly due. on accepting the seat tendered to him in the supreme court, jay, fearing that the presidency of the society might prove an embarrassment in the decision of some questions which might come before him, resigned the office and was succeeded by hamilton, who continued to discharge its duties till the year . at the expiration of his second gubernatorial term in , jay, contrary to the importunities of his friends, retired from public life, having, for twenty-seven years, faithfully served his country in every department of legislative, diplomatic, and judicial trust. declining the office of chief justice, which was again pressed by the president upon his acceptance, he prepared to enjoy that congenial seclusion under the shade of his patrimonial trees, which, through all the varied and agitating scenes of political life, had been the object of his most ardent desires. in accordance with this design, he had built a substantial house at bedford, about forty-four miles from new-york, on an estate embracing some eight hundred acres, which had come to him by inheritance. here, in one of the most delightful localities in the fertile county of westchester, in the care of his family and estates, in the society of his friends and his books, in the discharge of the duties of neighborly benevolence, and in the preparation for those immortal scenes which he had reason to suppose would soon open upon him, he passed the tranquil remainder of his days. but his enjoyments were not destined to exempt him from those bitter but universal visitations, which, at times, overthrow the happiness and frustrate the most pleasing anticipations of our race. in less than twelve months after his retirement, the partner of his joys and sorrows, who, by her accomplishments, her unobtrusive virtues and solicitous affection, had been at once his delight and support, was taken from him. at the final hour, jay, as the biographer tells us, stood by the bedside "calm and collected," and when the spirit had taken its departure, led his children to an adjoining room, and with "a firm voice but glistening eye" read that inspiring and wonderful chapter in which paul has discussed the mystery of our future resurrection. considering its natural advantages and its connection by railway with the great metropolis, bedford, the ancient half shire town of westchester county, can hardly be praised on the score of its "progressive" tendencies. at the time of jay's residence there, the mail-coach from new-york, employing two long days in the journey, visited the town once a week, and even now the locomotive which thunders through it perhaps a dozen times a day, hardly disturbs its rural quietude. it may, however, claim considerable distinction in the annals of indian warfare, for, within its limits, on the southern side of aspetong mountain, is still pointed out the scene of a bloody conflict between the savages and the redoubtable band of captain underhill, in which the latter coming suddenly at night on a village of their foes, slaughtered them without mercy to the number of five hundred; "the lord," as the record goes, "having collected the most of our enemies there, to celebrate some festival." bedford was formerly under the jurisdiction of connecticut, and the apparent thrift and independent bearing of its farming population are decided indications of their new england descent. its situation is uncommonly pleasant and healthful, and although the surface of the country is somewhat rocky and uneven, the soil is excellently adapted for agricultural purposes. the higher grounds display an abundant growth of all varieties of oak, elm, ash, linden, chestnut, walnut, locust, and tulip trees, while its fertile valleys and its sunny hillside exposures furnish ample spaces for pasturage or cultivation. a number of beautiful streams water the meadows, of which the two largest, the cisco or beaver dam, and cross river, after flowing for a long distance separately, just before leaving the town, wisely conclude to unite their forces and bear a generous tribute to the waters of the croton. the beaver dam derives its name from having once been the favorite haunt of the beavers, who in former times found a plentiful sustenance in the bark of the willows, maples and birches which still linger on its banks. the traveller who wishes to survey the mansion of "the good old governor," as mr. jay is still called by those villagers who remember his liberality and benevolent interest in their welfare, leaves the harlem railroad at katona, the northwest portion of the town, so called from the name of the indian chief, who formerly claimed dominion of this part of the country, and proceeds in a southeasterly direction along a road somewhat winding and hilly, tiresome enough certainly to the pedestrian, but occasionally relieving him with exhilarating prospects on either side of farmhouses with well-stored and ample barns, wooded hills with green intervales, waving fields of grain, and pastures of well-fed, contemplative cattle, who shake their heads as if their meditations were a little disturbed by his presence. every thing about the farms has the aspect of good order and thrift, and nothing mars the general impression except the occasional sight of some happy family of swine, who appear to exercise a sort of right of eminent domain among the weeds and roots on the roadside. a snow-white sow with thirty snow-white young, according to an ancient poet, was the immediate inducement to Æneas in selecting the site of his future city; whether such an attraction would prove equally potent in our own times, is more questionable. as one approaches the estate of jay, the marks of superior taste and cultivation are apparent; the stone walls are more neatly and compactly built, and the traveller is refreshed by the grateful shade of the long rows of maples and elms which were planted along the road by jay and his descendants, some of whom still make their summer residence in bedford. after proceeding for two or three miles from the railroad station, we turn up a shaded avenue on the left, which winds round the southern slope of the hill, at the top of which stands the modest mansion of john jay. this is a dark brown wooden two-storied building, facing the southwest, with an addition of one story at each end, the main building having a front of forty-five feet, along which is extended a porch of ample dimensions. passing through the hall we find in the rear a background of magnificent woods, principally oak and chestnut, though nearer the house are a number of gigantic willows still flourishing in the strength and verdure of youth. concealed in the foliage of these woods, a little to the west, is the small school-house of stone erected by jay for his children, and on the other side of the mansion, towards the northeast, are the barns, carriage-house, and the farm-house, occupied by a tenant, who has supervision of the estate. these tenements are almost screened from view by a grove of locust trees, for which jay showed a special partiality, and whose snow-white robe of blossoms in the latter part of spring affords a pleasing contrast with the light green of the tasselled chestnuts, and the dark and glossy shade of the oak and walnut foliage behind. in front of the barn, on the eastern side of the house, is the garden, which, though not making any pretension to superiority in its extent or its cultivation, displays an excellent variety of fruits and flowers, for the most part, such as thrive easily in that soil, and are most useful and appropriate to the wants of an american household. jay, though for his period uncommonly versed in horticultural matters, did not, in his old-fashioned simplicity, choose to waste much time in transplanting those contumacious productions of foreign countries which "never will in other climates grow." ascending the hill a short distance, we come again to the house, immediately in front of which, without obstructing the view, stands a row of four handsome lindens. before the dwelling, which is nearly half a mile from the main road, stretches the green lawn irregularly diversified with groups of trees, and beyond is seen the sightly ridge of "deer's delight," once the resort of the beautiful animal from which it takes its designation; and certainly the choice of such a delectable locality would have done credit to creatures far more reasonable. this spot is crowned with the elegant country-seat of mr. john jay, a grandson of the chief justice, who, in taking advantage of its natural beauties, and adapting it to the purposes of his residence, has shown a degree of taste which has rarely been surpassed. on the western slope, which is somewhat more abrupt than the others, is the orchard, and from a thatched arbor on the brink of the descent, the eye surveys a large part of that circle of hills in which bedford appears to be almost inclosed. a most enchanting rural landscape is here spread out, embracing a wide extent of country dotted with thriving farms and villages, graceful declivities wandered over by numerous herds of cattle, valleys and pellucid streams, glimmering at intervals from thick and overshadowing foliage. further towards the west is the long line of hills just shutting off the view of the hudson, and overlooked by the still loftier range of the highlands on the other side of the river, conspicuous among which towers the dunderberg or bread-tray mountain. from this spot the magnificent variations of sunset are seen to great advantage. no man endowed with the least susceptibility to the charm of outward nature, can contemplate without enthusiasm the broad suffusion of crimson blazing along those western hills, gradually passing into orange and purple; and finally closing with a deep glowing brown, while the clear brilliant sky above pales and darkens at the almost imperceptible coming on of night. the interior arrangements of the house have not been essentially varied since the lifetime of its first illustrious occupant. they all bear marks of that republican simplicity and unerring good taste which were among his distinguishing characteristics. the furniture, though of the best materials, was obviously chosen more for use than ornament, and is noticeable chiefly for an air of antique respectability and comfort, which, in spite of the perpetually changing fancies in such matters, can never go out of fashion. on the right of the hall, as one enters, is the dining-room, an apartment of perhaps some twenty feet square; in this and in the parlor opposite, which has about the same dimensions, are several interesting family portraits, the works mostly of stewart and trumbull, among which are those of egbert benson, judge hobart, peter jay, john jay, and augustus jay, the first american ancestor of the family, the artist of which is unknown. passing through the parlor, we enter the small room at the west end of the house, occupied as a library, and containing a well-assorted but not extensive supply of books. here were the weighty folios of grotius, puffendorf, vattel, and other masters of the science of international law, besides a number of standard theological and miscellaneous works, with the classic authors of antiquity, among whom cicero appears to have been his special favorite. in the library hangs a portrait of governor livingston, the father-in-law of jay; a vigorous manly boy, the characteristics of whose youthful features have been retained with singular distinctness in those of his descendants. he is represented as dressed in the full-sleeved coat and elaborate costume of his time, and with a sword hanging at his side, an outfit hardly in accordance with so tender an age. the oaken press and strong-bound chest of cherry wood are also in this room, the latter the receptacle perhaps of jay's important papers;--these ancient heirlooms are presumed to have crossed the ocean more than a century and a half ago. notwithstanding the infirmities of the last twenty years of his life, jay enjoyed an old age of remarkable tranquillity and happiness. he set an example of undeviating punctuality; the hour and the man always came together, and in his habits he was extremely regular. in order to assist him in rising early, an aperture, shaped like the crescent moon, was made in the solid oaken shutter of his apartment, by which a glimpse might be caught of the first rays of the uprising dawn. the reading of prayers was succeeded by breakfast, after which the greater part of the day was commonly spent in attending to the affairs of his extensive farm. most of the time when thus engaged, he rode on the back of a favorite sorrel mare, of the famous narraganset breed, now extinct. this faithful creature died in , after a service of twenty-three years. two of the same stock belonging to mr. jay had died in succession previously, the grandam having been given by his father in . it was probably of the latter animal that he wrote from europe in , under the apprehension that she might have fallen into the hands of the enemy. "if my old mare is alive, i must beg of you and my brother to take good care of her. i mean that she should be well fed and live idle, unless my brother peter should choose to use her. if it should be necessary to advance money to recover her, i am content you should do it even to the amount of double her value." at half-past one came the dinner hour, after which he was wont to indulge moderately in smoking. a few of his long clay pipes are still preserved. they were imported for him from abroad, and were considered in their time an unusually select and valuable article. his evenings were devoted to reading and the company of his family and neighbors. once or twice a year, judge benson, peter jay, monroe, or some other old friend, would take a journey to his hospitable home to pass a week in living over, in conversation, their long and varied experience, and occasionally some stranger from foreign lands, attracted by his wide-spread reputation, would receive at his hands a cordial yet unostentatious welcome. though possessed of a large landed property from which he enjoyed a respectable income, his family expenses and the management of his estate were regulated by a judicious and liberal economy. remarkably affectionate in his disposition and solicitous for the welfare of his children, his demeanor towards them was marked with unvarying equability and decision. an extract from a letter to mrs. jay, dated london, th dec., , illustrates his views on this head: "i hope n---- will amuse herself sometimes with her spinning-wheel. god only knows what may one day be her situation. polite accomplishments merit attention, useful knowledge should not be neglected. let us do the best we can with, and for our children, and commit them to the protection and guidance of providence." by his servants, his poorer neighbors, and all who were in any way dependent on him, he was reverenced and loved. he promptly and liberally responded to all movements calculated to promote the general good. in one instance of this kind, he showed an adroitness in his beneficence which is somewhat amusing. the townspeople were about to erect a school-house, and it was apprehended that from mistaken considerations of economy, the building would be less substantial in its construction than was desirable. when, therefore, the subscription list was presented to jay, he put down a liberal sum against his name "if of wood, if of stone, _double_." another example occurs in his dealings with his less fortunate neighbors, evincing the union of austere and inflexible regard for public justice with the most sensitive sympathy with individual suffering, which is cited in professor mcvicar's appreciative and eloquent sketch of jay's life. the case referred to is that of "a poor blacksmith in his neighborhood, who had encroached with his building on the public highway, and refused to recede; jay prosecuted him to the extreme rigor of the law, and having duly punished the _offender_, proceeded to make it up tenfold to the _poor man_ by deeding to him an acre or two of ground from his own farm, in order that his necessities might be no plea for any further breach of the law." a pleasing reminiscence of jay has been told by the son of the recipient of his bounty, a poor widow, whose utmost exertions were barely sufficient for the support of her family. some time after the governor's death, she received a note from mr. william jay, the occupant of the old mansion, requesting her to visit him as he had some pleasant news for her. in great perplexity as to the nature of the promised communication, the good woman complied, and on arriving at the house, was thus addressed by that gentleman: "my father, before he died, requested to be buried in the plainest manner; 'by so doing,' said he, 'there will be a saving of about two hundred dollars which i wish you to give to some poor widow whom you and your sister may consider most worthy, and i wish you to get the silver money and count it out now,' and," continued mr. jay, "my sister and i have selected you and here is the money." the gratitude of the widow found no answer but in tears as she bore away the treasure to her dwelling. the recollection of deeds like these is the imperishable inheritance which jay has left to his descendants, and it is a distinction besides which mere heraldic honors fade into insignificance, that, from the beginning to this day, the great name of jay has been inseparably linked with the cause of the neglected and oppressed against the encroachments of unscrupulous power. the personal appearance of jay, at the age of forty-four, is thus described by mr. sullivan: "he was a little less than five feet in height, his person rather thin but well formed. his complexion was without color, his eyes black and penetrating, his nose aquiline, and his chin pointed. his hair came over his forehead, was tied behind and lightly powdered. his dress black. when standing, he was a little inclined forward, as is not uncommon with students long accustomed to bend over a table." with the exception of the mistake as to the color of his eyes, which were blue and not black, this is probably an accurate picture. but it gives no idea of the blended dignity and courtesy which were apparent in his features and his habitual bearing, to a degree, says a venerable informant, never witnessed in any other man of that time. his general appearance of reserve was sometimes misconstrued by those who were little acquainted with him into haughtiness. this was undoubtedly native, in some measure, to his character, but much, we have reason to suppose, existed more in appearance than in reality, and was the unavoidable expression of one long and intensely engaged in affairs of great moment, "deep on whose front engraved deliberation sat, and public cares." not without a keen sense of the ludicrous, he rarely indulged in jocose remarks; yet he is said, at times, when much importuned for certain information or opinions which he did not care to reveal, to have shown a peculiarly shrewd humor in his replies, which baffled without irritating the inquirer. perhaps a delicate piece of advice was never given in more skilfully worded and unexceptionable phraseology than in his answer to a confidential letter from lord grenville, inquiring as to the expediency of removing mr. hammond, the british minister at washington, who, for some reason or other, had become extremely distasteful to the government there. as mr. hammond was a personal friend to jay, the inquiry was naturally embarrassing, but he still deemed it his duty to advise the minister's recall. accordingly, in his reply, after first declaring his friendship for mr. hammond and his entire confidence in that gentleman's ability and integrity, he refers to the unhappy diplomatic difficulties of that gentleman, and concludes by saying, "hence i cannot forbear wishing that mr. hammond _had a better place_, and that a person well adapted to the existing state of things was sent to succeed him." as william penn said of george fox, mr. jay was "civil beyond all forms of breeding;" the natural refinement and purity of his disposition were expressed in his appearance and manners, and perhaps we might apply with propriety the remainder of penn's description:--"he was a man whom god endowed with a clear and wonderful depth,--a discoverer of other men's spirits and very much the master of his own. the reverence and solemnity of his demeanor and the fewness and fulness of his words often struck strangers with admiration." in his character, the qualities of wisdom, decision, truthfulness, and justice held a supreme and unquestioned sway. under their direction, he was often led into measures which seemed at first to hazard his own interests, as when at paris he violated his congressional instructions for the benefit of his country; but these measures were adopted with such deliberation, and pursued with so unhesitating perseverance that their results invariably justified the course he had taken. the three most important concessions ever gained by america from foreign countries, the concessions which now our country most values and would be least willing to surrender, namely, the navigation of the mississippi, the participation in the british fisheries and the trade with the west indies, are due almost solely to the foresight, the diplomatic ability and the firmness of john jay. when we consider the comparative insensibility of congress at that time, and the country at large, to the incalculable value of these rights, we may feel assured that had america sent abroad an agent of different character, the wily diplomatists of europe would have found little difficulty in wresting them from us. jay was moreover a man of deep and fervent piety--not that merely occasional ecstasy of devotional feeling, which, although perfectly sincere, is compatible with an habitual violation of all laws human and divine, but a constant sense of responsibility to a supreme being for every action of his life, under which he labored "as ever in the great taskmaster's eye." it was this combination of attributes, "inviting confidence, yet inspiring respect," setting him apart from other men, yet drawing the multitude after him, that accounts for the constantly recurring demands upon his public services. the people felt that they could trust a man whose patriotism was not a temporary passion, but a well-defined and immovable principle, and they were never disappointed. in the complete harmony of his moral and intellectual qualities, so wholly free from the disturbing influence of painful and dangerous eccentricities and the considerations of self, he approached nearer than any other statesman of his age to the majestic character of washington, and on no one of his illustrious coadjutors did that great man place so uniform and so unhesitating a reliance. jay had already exceeded the longest period allotted by the psalmist to the life of man, in the enjoyment of all those satisfactions which comfortable outward circumstances, the affection of friends and kindred, and the honor and reverence of a country whose vast and still enlarging prosperity were so much due to his exertions, can supply, when he received the unmistakable premonitions of his end. on the th of may, , having previously summoned the numerous members of the family to his bedside, and having bestowed on each his parting advice and benediction, he resigned his soul to the care of its maker; and now, in the quiet grave-yard at rye, near the spot where he passed the early years of his life, repose the august remains of john jay. =hamilton.= [illustration: ball hughes' statue of hamilton] hamilton. we have not the means of presenting a sketch of hamilton's birth-place, or of the incidents of his early life before he became a resident in this country; and so much of his subsequent life was spent in the camp and in the service of his country, wherever that service required him to be, that he can hardly be said to have had a "home" until a few years before his splendid career was so suddenly and mournfully closed. he was born in the year , in the island of st. nevis, one of the british west indian possessions, whither his father, a native of scotland, had gone with the purpose of engaging in mercantile pursuits; and he was himself at the early age of twelve, placed in the counting-house of an opulent merchant, in one of the neighboring islands. but such a situation was ill suited to his disposition; and his ambition, even at that early period of his life, strongly developed, could not find in those narrow colonies a sufficient field for its exercise. the wishes of his friends favored his own inclinations, and he was sent to new-york, that he might avail himself of the more ample facilities for acquiring an education which that place and its vicinity afforded. he went through with the studies preparatory to entering college at a school in elizabethtown, new jersey, which was under the patronage of governor livingston and mr. boudinot, in the former of whose families he resided. he soon qualified himself for admission to king's (now columbia) college, and was then permitted to pursue a course of study which he had marked out for himself, without becoming a member of any particular class. at this early period he evinced those traits of character which afterwards conducted him to such high distinction, and which marked his career throughout. he brought to his tasks not only that diligence which is often exhibited by more ordinary minds, but that enthusiastic devotion of the soul, which was perhaps the most marked trait of his character. it was while he was yet in college, that the disputes between the colonies and the mother country, just preliminary to the breaking out of hostilities, arose; but they even then engaged his earnest attention. it is probable that the tendency of his mind at that time, as in the later period of his life, was towards conservative views; and indeed he has himself said "that he had, at first, entertained strong prejudices on the ministerial side." but a mind so investigating and a spirit so generous as his would not be likely to entertain such prejudices long; and having made a visit to boston and become excited by the tone of public feeling in that city, he directed his attention to the real merits of the controversy, and this, aided perhaps by the natural order of his temperament, produced in him a thorough conviction of the justice of the american cause. with his characteristic earnestness, he threw himself at once into the contest, and while but eighteen years of age he addressed a public meeting upon the subject of the wrongs inflicted by the mother country, and acquitted himself in a manner which amazed and delighted his hearers, and drew to him the public attention. a meeting of the citizens of new-york had been called to consider upon the choice of delegates to the first congress. a large concourse of people assembled, and the occasion was long remembered as "the great meeting in the fields." hamilton was then, of course, comparatively unknown, but some of his neighbors having occasion to remark his contemplative habits and the vigor and maturity of his thoughts, urged him to address the multitude, and after some hesitation he consented. "the novelty of the attempt, his slender and diminutive form, awakened curiosity and arrested attention. overawed by the scene before him, he at first hesitated and faltered, but as he proceeded almost unconsciously to utter his accustomed reflections, his mind warmed with the theme, his energies were recovered; and after a discussion, clear, cogent, and novel, of the great principles involved in the controversy, he depicted in glowing colors the long continued and long endured oppressions of the mother country. he insisted on the duty of resistance, pointed out the means and certainty of success, and described the waves of rebellion sparkling with fire and washing back upon the shores of england the wrecks of her power, her wealth, and her glory. the breathless silence ceased as he closed, and the whispered murmur--'it is a collegian, it is a collegian,' was lost in expressions of wonder and applause at the extraordinary eloquence of the young stranger."[ ] about the same time he published anonymously two pamphlets in reply to publications emanating from the ministerial party, and in vindication of the measures of the american congress. the powerful and eloquent manner in which the topics in controversy were discussed, excited great attention. the authorship of the pamphlets was attributed by some to governor livingston and by others to john jay, and these contributed to give to those gentlemen, already distinguished, an increased celebrity; and when it was ascertained that the youthful hamilton was the author of them, the public could scarcely credit the fact. upon the actual breaking out of hostilities, hamilton immediately applied himself to the study of military science, and obtained from the state of new-york a commission as captain of a company of artillery. his conduct at once attracted the observing eye of washington, who soon invited him to become one of his staff with the commission of lieutenant colonel. hamilton accepted the offer, and for the space of four years remained in the family of washington, enjoying his unlimited confidence, carrying on a large portion of his correspondence, and aiding him in the conduct of the most important affairs. a hasty word from the latter led to a rupture of this connection, and hamilton left the staff and resumed his place as an officer in the line; but washington's confidence in him was not in the least impaired, and their friendship continued warm and sincere until the death of the latter. in thus separating himself from the family of the commander-in-chief, hamilton was influenced by other motives than displeasure at the conduct of washington. he knew that great man too well, and loved him too well, to allow a hasty word of rebuke to break up an attachment which had begun at the breaking out of the war, and which a familiar intercourse of four years, an ardent love of the cause, and a devotion to it common to them both had deepened and confirmed. but the duties of a secretary and adviser, important as they then were, were not adequate to call forth all his various powers, and the performance of them, however skilful, was not sufficient to satisfy that love of glory which he so fondly cherished. he was born to act in whatever situation he might be placed a first rate part. he longed to distinguish himself in the battles as well as in the councils of the war. he felt that his country had need of his arm as well as of his pen; and thus the dictates of patriotism, which he never in the course of his life allowed to stand separate from the promptings of his high ambition, pointed out to him the course he took. he would not, of his own motion, leave the immediate services of washington; but when the opportunity was presented by the latter, he at once embraced it, and would not be persuaded by any considerations to return to his former place. a short time previous to his leaving the family of washington he had formed an engagement with the second daughter of gen. philip schuyler, of new-york, to whom he was married on the th of december, , at the residence of her father at albany, and thus became permanently established in new-york. his union with this lady was one of unbroken happiness, and at a venerable age she still survives him. his rank in the army was soon after advanced, and an opportunity for exhibiting his military skill and prowess, which he had so ardently wished for, was shortly presented. the falling fortunes of the british army in the south, under lord cornwallis, invited an attack in that quarter. the combined french and american forces were fast closing up every avenue of retreat, and the british commander finding that to avoid a general engagement was impossible, at last intrenched himself at yorktown with the determination of making a final stand against the victorious progress of the american arms. in the decisive battle which succeeded, hamilton signalized himself by a most brilliant achievement. two redoubts in the fortifications of the enemy were to be carried in face of a most destructive fire. the attack upon one of them was assigned to a detachment of the french troops, and that upon the other to a division of the american forces. the command of the latter, at his earnest request, was given to hamilton. at the appointed signal he "gave the order to advance at the point of the bayonet, pushed forward, and before the rest of the corps had ascended the abatis, mounted over it, stood for a moment on the parapet with three of his soldiers, encouraging the others to follow, and sprung into the ditch. the american infantry, animated by the address and example of their leader, pressed on with muskets unloaded and fixed bayonets. they soon reached the counterscarp under a heavy and constant fire from the redoubt, and, surmounting the abatis, ditch, and palisades, mounted the parapet and leaped into the work. hamilton, who had pressed forward, followed by the rear-guard under mansfield, was for a time lost sight of, and it was feared he had fallen; but he soon reappeared, formed the troops in the redoubt, and as soon as it surrendered gave the command to major fish. "the impetuosity of the attack carried all before it, and within nine minutes from the time the abatis was passed the work was gained."[ ] this brilliant exploit received the decisive commendation of washington. "few cases," said he, "have exhibited greater proofs of intrepidity, coolness, and firmness than were shown on this occasion." the battle of yorktown decided the event of the war of the revolution. the profession of a soldier could no longer give sufficient scope to the restless activity of hamilton; although then occupying a distinguished place among the most illustrious of his countrymen, and yielding, though not without regret, his arms for the _toga_, he selected for his future employment the profession of the law--a pursuit for which his general studies and the character of his mind, as well as his inclination, eminently fitted him. from the period of his admission to the bar until the assembling of the convention which framed the constitution under which we now live, his time and labors were divided between the practice of his profession and the service of the public in various capacities. of the convention he was chosen a member, and he brought to the performance of his duties in that body the purest patriotism, and abilities unsurpassed, if indeed equalled, in that assembly of illustrious men. he took from the outset a most conspicuous part in its deliberations, throwing upon every important subject which was discussed, the blended lights of his genius, experience, and learning. as the sessions of the convention were held in secret, we have but an imperfect knowledge of its proceedings; and the meagre and fragmentary reports which we possess of the speeches which were delivered in it give us a very inadequate notion of the masterly efforts of hamilton. but the testimony of his associates in the convention, and the imperfect records we have of its deliberations, join in ascribing to him a foremost place; and an impartial student of our constitution and history, himself a profound statesman and philosopher, m. guizot, has said that there is in our political system scarcely an element of order and durability for which we are not in a great measure indebted to the genius of hamilton. indeed he was the very first to point out the radical defects in the old confederation, and the absolute necessity of a government based upon a different foundation, and invested with more ample powers. the restoration of the public credit, the creation of a currency, the promotion of commerce, the preservation of the public faith with foreign countries, the general tranquillity--these were topics which he had discussed in all their relations long before the meeting of the convention, and he had early arrived at the conclusion that these great ends were to be reached in no other way than by the establishment of a national government, emanating directly from the people at large, sovereign in its own sphere, and responsible to the people alone for the manner in which its powers were executed. in the constitution, when it was presented for adoption, hamilton saw some objectionable features. these he had opposed in the convention; but finding that such opposition was likely to throw obstacles in the way of any final agreement, and reorganizing in the instrument proposed to be adopted the essential features of his own plan, and wisely regarding it as the best scheme that could unite the varying opinions of men, he patriotically withdrew his opposition and gave it his hearty assent. hamilton was chosen a member of the convention which met at poughkeepsie to consider the question of ratifying it, and he urged the adoption of it in a series of masterly speeches, which powerfully contributed to its final ratification. at the same time, in conjunction with madison and jay, he was engaged in the composition of those immortal papers, which, under the name of the "federalist," exercised at the time such a potent influence, and which have even since been received as authoritative commentaries upon the instrument, the wisdom and expediency of which they so eloquently and successfully vindicated. in view of the extraordinary exertions of hamilton in behalf of the constitution, both with his tongue and pen, and of the fact that if new-york had rejected it, it would probably have failed to receive the sanction of a sufficient number of states, we think that it may without injustice to others be said, that for the ratification of our constitution we are more indebted to the labors of hamilton than to those of any other single man. when the new government went into operation with washington at its head, hamilton was called to fill what was then the most important place in the cabinet, that of secretary of the treasury. he then addressed himself to the task of carrying out the great purpose for which the constitution was adopted--a task, the successful accomplishment of which rested more in the skilful administration of the treasury department than that of any office under government; for upon this hung the great issues of the currency and the public credit. with what ability he executed his great trust in the face of a powerful and most virulent opposition, the event has fully shown. the system of finance which he concocted and applied has been adhered to without substantial change throughout the subsequent history of the government, and well justifies the magnificent eulogy which webster has bestowed upon its author. "he smote the rock of the national resources, and abundant streams of revenue gushed forth. he touched the dead corpse of the public credit, and it sprung upon its feet. the fabled birth of minerva from the brain of jove was hardly more sudden or more perfect than the financial system of the united states, as it burst forth from the conceptions of alexander hamilton."[ ] from the treasury department he returned to the practice of his profession, and the calmer walks of private life; but his love for his country and the anxiety he felt for her welfare would not permit him to relinquish the prominent place he held as the leader of the federal party. he regarded with great distrust and apprehension the principles and the practices of the rapidly increasing democratic party. many of its leaders he believed to be destitute of principle, and he spared no exertions in opposing them, and in endeavoring to stay the progress of radical opinions, and to infuse a spirit of moderation and wisdom into the politics of the nation. he was now in the prime of life. a practice in his profession at that time without parallel in extent and importance, afforded him an abundant income, and held out a prospect of a competent fortune. he therefore retired from the city, purchased a beautiful spot in the upper part of the island of new-york, and there built the tasteful residence of which an engraving is prefixed to this sketch, and which of the many places where he resided may most appropriately be called his "home." it is, we believe, the only house in new-york, in which he lived, that is now standing. of the one in the island of st. nevis, in which he was born, we have never seen any representation or description. during a small portion of his college life, he resided with mr. hercules mulligan in water-street; but the house was long since torn down. after the close of the war, and during the first years of his practice at the bar, hamilton occupied a house in wall-street, nearly opposite the "federal hall," the site of the present custom house. it was on the outer balcony of federal hall that washington took the oath of inauguration upon his first election, and hamilton, with a party of his friends, witnessed that imposing ceremony from the balcony of his own house. this building has, with most others of its time, been taken down, and a new one erected in its place to accommodate that mighty march of commercial enterprise which is fast sweeping away the last vestiges which mark the dwelling-places of the last generation. the spot which hamilton selected for his "home," and to which he gave the name of "grange," from that of the residence of his grandfather in ayrshire, scotland, was chosen with taste and judgment, both on account of its natural beauty, and the interesting and inspiring recollections which its vicinity suggested. it was, at that time, completely in the country, without an object to remind one of the neighborhood of the town; and even now the population of the city, so prodigiously expanded, has not much encroached upon its original limits. it is situated upon the old king's bridge road, about eight miles from the heart of the city, and something less than a mile above the ancient village of manhattan, and is about midway between the hudson river on the one side and the harlem on the other. the west side, which lies on the king's bridge road, is adorned by a fine growth of large shade trees. from these it extends with gentle undulations to a declivity, at the base of which lie the harlem commons. the grounds are simply but tastefully laid out, chiefly with a view to take advantage of and display the natural features of the place. the house is situated nearly in the centre of the grounds, and is reached by a gently-winding carriage-way. the stable is placed in the rear of the house and at a distance from it, and is concealed by a thick growth of trees. a gravelled walk winds among the shade trees along the road, and thence across the grounds and along the other side. the space in front and on the left of the house is laid out in a fine lawn, in which the uneven surface of the ground is preserved, dotted here and there with fine trees, the natural growth of the spot. near the house and on the left are thirteen flourishing gum trees, said to have been left by hamilton himself when clearing the spot, as an emblem of the thirteen original states. [illustration: residence of alexander hamilton, near manhattanville, n.y.] the house itself is in form nearly square, of moderate size and well proportioned. the front is on the southern side; it is two stories in height, exclusive of the basement, and would have been at the time it was built a handsome and expensive one. the basement is used for culinary purposes, and the first story, which contains the parlors, is reached by a short flight of steps. you enter a commodious hall of a pentagonal form. on either side is a small apartment, of which the one on the right was the study, and contained the library of hamilton. at the end of the hall are the doors, one on the right and the other on the left, which open into the parlors. these are of moderate size and connected by doors, by opening which they are thrown into one large room. the one on the right as you enter the house, is now, and probably was when hamilton occupied it, used as a dining-room. the other parlor is furnished for the drawing-room. it is an octagon in form, of which three sides are occupied by doors, leading to the hall in front, the dining-room, and to a hall in the rear. in two of the opposite sides are windows reaching to the floor, and opening upon the lawn on the easterly side of the house. the three doors before mentioned are faced with mirrors, and being directly opposite the windows, they throw back the delightful landscape which appears through the latter with a pleasing effect. the story above is commodious, and divided into the usual apartments. on the north the prospect is interrupted by higher ground, and on the south by trees. on the west a view is caught of the beautiful shore of new jersey, on the opposite side of the hudson. from the eastern side, and especially from the balcony which extends in front of the windows of the drawing-room, a magnificent prospect is presented. the elevation being some two hundred feet above the surrounding waters, a complete view of the lower lands and of the country in the distance is commanded. harlem with its river, the east river and long island sound now dotted with a thousand sails, the fertile county of westchester, and long island stretching away to the horizon, with its lovely and diversified scenery, are all in full view. this spot has, and probably had for hamilton, its attractions in another respect. in its immediate neighbourhood were the scenes of some of the memorable and interesting events of the revolution. he had passed directly over it with the american army in its retreat from new-york, after the disastrous battle of long island. within a short distance from it are the harlem heights, where by his bravery and address, while yet but a boy, he had attracted the eye of washington, and enjoyed his first interview with him. a little further towards the north is fort washington, in which the continental army made its last stand upon the island, and the loss of which sealed the fate of new-york for the war. it was this fort which, in the ardor of his youthful enthusiasm and burning with chagrin at its capture, he promised washington he would retake, if he would place a small and select detachment under his command--an enterprise which the commander-in-chief thought too hazardous. just across the river on the jersey side is fort lee, which fell into the hands of the enemy soon after the capture of fort washington; and a short distance above, in the king's bridge road, is the house which after the death of hamilton became the residence of his bitter and fatal antagonist, aaron burr. when he had fixed his residence in this beautiful and attractive spot he was in the prime of life, in excellent health, and in prosperous circumstances. he had been most fortunate in his domestic relations, and had around him a happy family to which he was fondly devoted. his unrivalled natural powers had been exercised and improved by a training of thirty years in the camp, the forum, the senate and the cabinet. he was almost worshipped by his friends and his party, and regarded by all as one of the very pillars of the state. every thing in his situation and circumstances seemed auspicious of a still long career of happiness and honor to himself, of usefulness and honor to his country. but in the midst of all this, he was suddenly cut off by the melancholy and fatal duel with col. burr. the public and private character of burr, hamilton had long known and despised. he regarded him as a dangerous man, and one wholly unfit to fill any office of trust or emolument. and this opinion, although avoiding open controversy with burr himself, he had not scrupled to express privately to his own political friends, for the purpose of dissuading them from giving any support to one so little to be depended on. he recognized himself no other claim to political distinction than honesty of purpose, the ability and the will to serve the country, united with what he deemed to be sound political principles, neither of which recommendations could he discover in aaron burr. burr had, on the other hand, few ends in life save his own advancement, and he scrupled at no means by which this object might be compassed; but in his most deeply laid schemes, he saw that the vigilant eye of hamilton was upon him, and after his defeat in as a candidate for governor of the state of new-york, stung with mortification at his overthrow, and justly deeming the influence of hamilton as one of the most potent causes of it, he resolved to fix a quarrel upon him. seizing upon an expression which was contained in a letter, published during the recent political contest, but which had been forgotten by every one save himself, he dragged it before hamilton's attention, tortured it into an imputation upon his personal honor, demanded of hamilton an explanation which it was impossible for him to give, and made his refusal the pretext for a peremptory challenge. in accepting the challenge of burr, hamilton was but little under the influence of those motives which are commonly uppermost in such contests. to the practice of duelling he was sincerely and upon principle opposed, and had frequently borne his testimony against it. his reputation for personal courage had been too often tried, and too signally proved to be again put at risk. his passions, though strong, were under his control, and that sensitiveness on the score of personal honor, which a man of spirit naturally cherishes, and which the habits of a military life rendered prompt and delicate, was in him satisfied by a conscious integrity of purpose. his disposition was forgiving and gentle to a fault, and made it impossible for him to feel any personal ill will even towards such a man as burr. the manifold obligations which as an honest and conscientious man he was bound to regard--his duties to a loved and dependent family, and his country, which held almost an equal place in his affections, united to dissuade him from meeting his adversary. and yet these latter, viewed in connection with his peculiar position, with popular prejudices, and the circumstances of the times, were what impelled him to his fatal resolution. his theoretic doubts respecting a republican form of government, while they did not in the least diminish his preference for our political system, yet made him painfully anxious in regard to its success. he thought that every thing depended upon keeping the popular mind free from the corruption of false principles, and the offices of trust and honor out of the hands of bad men. to these ends he had been, and still was, employing all his energy and influence. he could not bear the thought of losing or weakening by any step, however justifiable in itself, that influence which he had reason to think was not exerted in vain. these were the large and unselfish considerations which governed him; and though a cool observer removed from the excitement and perplexities of the time may pronounce them mistaken, still if impartial he must regard them as sincere. they were what hamilton himself, in full view of the solemnity of the step he was about to take, and of the possible event of it, declared to be his motive. "the ability," said he in the last paper he ever wrote, "to be in future useful, whether in resisting mischief or effecting good in those crises of our public affairs which seem likely to happen, would probably be inseparable from a conformity with prejudice in this particular." after some fruitless endeavors on the part of hamilton to convince burr of the unreasonableness of the request which the latter had made, all explanations were closed, and the preliminaries for the meeting were arranged. hamilton having no wish to take the life of burr, had come to the determination to throw away his first shot,--a course too which approved itself to his feelings for other reasons. the grounds of weehawk, on the jersey shore opposite new-york, were at that time the usual field of these single combats, then chiefly by the inflamed state of political feeling of frequent occurrence, and very seldom ending without bloodshed. the day having been fixed, and the hour appointed at seven o'clock in the morning, the parties met, accompanied only by their servants. the bargemen, as well as dr. hosack, the surgeon mutually agreed upon, remained as usual at a distance, in order, if any fatal result should occur, not to be witnesses. the parties having exchanged salutations, the seconds measured the distance of ten paces, loaded the pistols, made the other preliminary arrangements, and placed the combatants. at the appointed signal, burr took deliberate aim and fired. the ball entered hamilton's side, and as he fell, his pistol too was unconsciously discharged. burr approached him, apparently somewhat moved, but on the suggestion of his second, the surgeon and bargemen already approaching, he turned and hastened away, van ness coolly covering him from their sight by opening an umbrella. the surgeon found hamilton half lying, half sitting on the ground, supported in the arms of his second. the pallor of death was on his face. "doctor," he said, "this is a mortal wound;" and, as if overcome by the effort of speaking, he swooned quite away. as he was carried across the river the fresh breeze revived him. his own house being in the country, he was conveyed at once to the house of a friend, where he lingered for twenty-four hours in great agony, but preserving his composure and self-command to the last.[ ] the melancholy event of the duel affected the whole country, and new-york in particular, with the deepest indignation and grief. the avenues to the house where hamilton was carried before he expired, were thronged with anxious citizens. his funeral was celebrated by a mournful pageant, and an oration in trinity church by governeur morris, which stirred up the people like the speech of antony over the corpse of caesar, to a "sudden flood of mutiny." burr, with an indictment for murder hanging over him, fled secretly from the city to the south, where he remained until the excitement had in a measure subsided. his wretched end, and the place which history has assigned to him, leave room at present for no other emotions save those of regret and pity. in the deep gloom which the death of hamilton occasioned, his political opponents almost equally shared. in contemplating his character they seemed to catch some portion of his own magnanimity, and the animosities of which he had been so conspicuous an object, were swallowed up in the conviction that a great and irreparable loss had fallen equally upon all. there was not, we think, at that time, a life which might not have been better spared than that of hamilton. certainly no man represented so well as he, the character and the principles of washington; and no man was gifted with an array of qualities which better fitted him either as a magistrate or a man to control aright the opinions and the actions of a people like that of the united states. he was a man "built up on every side." he had received from nature a most capacious and admirable intellect, which had been exercised and developed by deep study and large experience in the practical conduct of affairs. his education was like that which milton describes as "fitting to a man to perform justly, skilfully and magnanimously, all the offices, both public and private, of peace and war." his opinions were definite and fixed; were held with the confidence which is the result of complete conviction; and came from him recommended by a powerful eloquence, and a persuasive fairness and magnanimity. the strength of his passions gave him an almost unbounded influence over the minds of others, which he never perverted to selfish purposes or unworthy ends. a lofty integrity was one of the most prominent traits of his character. it was not, as in his great contemporary jay, clothed with the appearance of austerity, nor did it, perhaps, so much as in the latter spring from a constant and habitual sense of responsibility to a supreme being; but it was rather a rare and noble elevation of soul, the spontaneous development of a nature which could not harbor a base or unworthy motive, cherished indeed and fortified by a firm faith and a strong religious temperament. it was this which enabled him to spend so long a period of his life in the public service in the exercise of the most important public trusts--among them that of the treasury department, with the whole financial arrangements of the country under his control, and come from it all without a stain or a suspicion. his character for uprightness might be presented as an example in illustration of the fine precept of horace: ---- hic murus aheneus esto nil conscire sibi, nulla pallescere culpa. political hostility and private malice explored every corner of his life with the hope of fixing a stain upon his official integrity; but these miserable attempts had no other effect than to bring defeat and disgrace on the authors of them. his honesty was as conspicuous in his private as in his public career, and was indeed sometimes carried to an extent which we fear might seem in our times like an absurd refinement. when about to enter upon his duties as secretary of the treasury, he was applied to by some friends engaged in monetary transactions for information with respect to the policy which he proposed to pursue, the disclosure of which would perhaps promote their interests, and not injure those of the public. but this he utterly refused to give, holding it as inconsistent with his duty as a public servant, to make his office even the indirect means of contributing to the emolument of friends by imparting to them information which was not open to all alike. while at the bar, and practising only as counsellor, he was associated with the messrs. ogden, who were then leading members of the profession in new-york city, and he received only the retaining and trial fees, though his reputation brought to the office a large proportion of all the important suits which arose. it was proposed to him to form a connection with other attorneys, by which engagement he might receive a portion of the attorney's fees in addition; but this offer he at once rejected, saying that he could not consent to receive any compensation for services not his own, or for the character of which he was not responsible. in his disposition he was one of the most amiable and attractive of men; and though capable of strong indignation, which made him always respected and sometimes feared by his adversaries, he was yet of such a mild and placable temper that no man could be long and sincerely his enemy. in person he was rather below the average height, his form was well proportioned, and his manner dignified and conciliating. the lower features of his countenance were regular and handsome, and beaming with the warm affections and generous sentiments of his heart. his brow and forehead were of a massive cast, expressive of the commanding intellect which lay behind. he was fond of society, full of the most lively and various conversation, which made him the delight and ornament of every circle he entered. during his time the supreme court used to hold its terms at new-york and albany alternately, and the bar was then obliged to follow it back and forth between those cities, the journey occupying at that time three or four days. of course this was a season of hilarity, and upon such occasions hamilton was the life of the party, sometimes charming the whole company by his ingenious and eloquent discussions of the various subjects of conversation, and at others calling forth shouts of laughter by his pointed and genial wit. an anecdote has been related to us by one who was present on the occasion, which well illustrates the power which lay in his fascinating manner and conversation. during the hostilities between france and england, which succeeded the revolution in the former country, a french man of war having on board jerome bonaparte, the brother of napoleon, and afterwards king of westphalia, was chased into the harbor of new-york by two english frigates. it was during the visit which jerome was thus compelled to make to this country, that he became acquainted with and married the beautiful miss patterson, of baltimore. the genius and the fortunes of napoleon were then for the first time astonishing the world, and caused jerome to be received with the most extraordinary marks of attention in the different cities of the united states. while he was in new-york hamilton made a dinner party for him, to which a number of the chief personages of the time were invited. he was then living at "grange," and, as it happened, upon the very day of the party was engaged in the argument of an important cause in the city, which detained him there until after the hour for which his guests were invited. a long delay ensued after the company had assembled, and the embarrassment of mrs. hamilton may be imagined. there was evidently a feeling of uneasiness and discontent springing up in the minds of the guests, and especially was this the case with the distinguished brother of the first consul. he was affected with the usual sensitiveness of a _novus homo_ upon the point of etiquette, and it seemed to pass his comprehension how a man of hamilton's private and official eminence should be engaged in any of the ordinary pursuits of life, and especially that such concerns, or any concerns whatever, should be allowed to detain him a single moment from the society of his guests, one of whom had the honor to be no less a person than jerome bonaparte. at a late hour, after the quality of the dinner and the temper of the guests had become about equally impaired, hamilton arrived. he was met by his desponding wife, and informed of the distressing predicament which his delay had occasioned. after making a hasty toilet, he entered the drawing-room, and found that the affair indeed wore a most perilous aspect. the appearance of the distinguished frenchman was especially unpromising. but hamilton was quite equal to the emergency. gracefully apologizing for his tardiness, he at once entered into a most animated and eloquent conversation, drew out his different guests with admirable dexterity, and enlisted them with one another, and especially recommended himself to the late miss patterson by a lively chat in french, of which language he was a master. the discontented features of the bonaparte began to relax, and it soon became evident that he was in the most amiable mood, and one of the most gratified of the party. the dinner passed off admirably, and it seemed to be generally conceded that the delay in the beginning was amply atoned for by the delightful entertainment which followed. we should do injustice to one of the most amiable traits of hamilton's character if we omitted particularly to notice the strength and tenderness of his friendships. incapable of treachery, free from all disguise, and imbued with the largest sympathies, he drew to himself the esteem and affection of all who knew him; and such was his admiration for noble and generous qualities, that he could not see them displayed without clasping their possessors to his heart. he was a general favorite in the army, and between some of the choicest spirits in it and himself, there was an almost romantic affection. those that knew him best loved him most. the family of washington were as dear to him as if they were kindred by blood. meade, mchenry, tilghman, the "old secretary," harrison, and the generous and high-souled laurens, were in every change of fortune his cherished and bosom friends. the following extract from a letter to laurens, shows the nature of hamilton's attachment. "cold in my professions, warm in my friendships, i wish my dear laurens it were in my power, by actions rather than by words, to convince you that i love you. i shall only tell you that till you bid us adieu, i hardly knew the value you had taught my heart to set upon you. indeed, my friend, it were not well done. you know the opinion i entertain of mankind; and how much it is my desire to preserve myself free from particular attachments, and to keep my happiness free from the caprices of others. you should not have taken advantage of my sensibility to steal into my affections, without my consent." the openness of his heart and the flexibility of his manners made him a great favorite with the french officers. lafayette loved him as a brother, and in one of his letters to him thus writes: "i know the general's (washington's) friendship and gratitude for you, my dear hamilton; both are greater than you perhaps imagine. i am sure he needs only to be told that something will suit you, and when he thinks he can do it, he certainly will. before this campaign i was your friend, and very intimate friend, agreeably to the ideas of the world; since my second voyage, my sentiment has increased to such a point the world knows nothing about. to show _both_, from want and from scorn of expression, i shall only tell you, adieu." talleyrand, the celebrated minister of napoleon, whatever may be said of the character of his diplomacy, had a heart that was capable of friendship, and while in this country conceived a particular fondness for hamilton, and on his departure for france he took from the house of the latter, without permission, a miniature belonging to mrs. hamilton of her husband. when fairly out of reach he addressed a note to mrs. hamilton confessing the larceny, and excusing it on the ground that he wanted a copy of it, but knew that she would not let him take the original away to be copied if he had made the request. he had an excellent copy of the miniature taken upon sevres china, which he always kept in a conspicuous place in his apartment until late in life, when he presented it with a lock of his hair to a son of hamilton, james a. hamilton esq., of dobb's ferry, n. y., who still retains it. the indignation of talleyrand at the conduct of burr in bringing about the melancholy duel was unbounded; and when burr, subsequently to that event, was on a visit to france, he wrote a note to talleyrand, requesting the privilege of paying him a visit. of course the french minister could not refuse this favor to a man who had been vice-president of the united states, and in other respects so eminent a person; but his answer was something like this: "the minister of foreign affairs would be happy to see col. burr at--(naming the hour); but m. talleyrand thinks it due to col. burr to state, that he always has the miniature of general hamilton hanging over his mantel-piece." in contemplating the life of hamilton, it is of course impossible not to feel the deepest regret that so much genius, so much usefulness, and so much promise, should have been so prematurely cut off. great as was his actual performance, it is natural and reasonable to suppose that the results of his youth and early manhood would have been far eclipsed by those of his splendid maturity. but as it is, "he lived long enough for glory." the influence of his presence and manners, the excitements in which he mingled when alive--every thing which tends to give a fictitious importance to present greatness, have passed away. but his reputation, which some have thought to rest upon these very circumstances, stands unaffected by their decay,--a fact which sufficiently attests the enduring nature of his fame. [illustration: monument to hamilton, trinity church-yard, n.y.] footnotes: [ ] life of hamilton, by his son, john c. hamilton, vol. i. p. . [ ] life of hamilton, vol. i. p. . [ ] works of daniel webster, vol. i, p. . [ ] hildreth's history of the united states. new series, vol. ii. p. . =marshall.= [illustration: marshall fac-simile of letter] [illustration: marshall's house at richmond, va.] marshall. john marshall, son of colonel thomas marshall, a planter of moderate fortune, was born in germantown, fauquier county, virginia, on the twenty-fourth of september, . when twenty-one years of age, he was commissioned as a lieutenant in the continental service, and marching with his regiment to the north, was appointed captain in the spring of , and in that capacity served in the battles of brandywine, germantown, and monmouth; was at valley forge during the winter of , and was one of the covering party at the assault of stoney point, in june, . having returned to his native state at the expiration of the enlistment of the virginia troops, in he received a license for the practice of the law, and rapidly rose to distinction in that profession. in he was chosen a representative to the legislature, and afterward a member of the executive council in january, , he married mary willis ambler, of york, in virginia, with whom he lived for fifty years in the tenderest affection. he was a delegate to the convention of virginia which met on the second of june, , to take into consideration the new constitution, and in conjunction with his friend, mr. madison, mainly contributed to its adoption, in opposition to the ardent efforts of henry, grayson, and mason. his name first became generally known throughout the nation by his vindication, in the legislature of the state, of the ratification of jay's treaty by president washington. no report of that speech remains, but the evidence of its ability survives in the effects which it produced on the legislature and the country. he continued in the practice of the law, having declined successively the offices of attorney general of the united states and minister to france, until , when with general pinkney and mr. gerry, he was sent on a special mission to the french republic. the manner in which the dignity of the american character was maintained against the corruption of the directory and its ministers is well known. the letters of the seventeenth of january and third of april, , to talleyrand, the minister of foreign relations, have always been attributed to marshall, and they rank among the ablest and most effective of diplomatic communications. mr. marshall arrived in new-york on the seventeenth of june, , and on the nineteenth entered philadelphia. at the intelligence of his approach the whole city poured out toward frankford to receive him, and escorted him to his lodgings with all the honors of a triumph. in after years, when he visited philadelphia, he often spoke of the feelings with which, as he came near the city on that occasion, with some doubts as to the reception which he might meet with in the existing state of parties, he beheld the multitude rushing forth to crowd about him with every demonstration of respect and approbation, as having been the most interesting and gratifying of his life. on his return to virginia, at the special request of general washington, he became a candidate for the house of representatives, and was elected in the spring of . his greatest effort in congress was his speech in opposition to the resolutions of edward livingston relative to thomas nash, alias jonathan robbins. fortunately we possess an accurate report of it, revised by himself. the case was, that thomas nash, having committed a murder on board the british frigate hermione, navigating the high seas under a commission from the british king, had sought an asylum within the united states, and his delivery had been demanded by the british minister under the twenty-seventh article of the treaty of amity between the two nations. mr. marshall's argument first established that the crime was within the jurisdiction of great britain, on the general principles of public law, and then demonstrated, that under the constitution the case was subject to the disposal of the executive, and not the judiciary. he distinguished these departments from one another with an acuteness of discrimination and a force of logic which frustrated the attempt to carry the judiciary out of its orbit, and settled the political question, then and for ever. it is said that mr. gallatin, whose part it was to reply to mr. marshall, at the close of the speech turned to some of his friends and said, "_you_ may answer that if you choose; _i_ cannot." the argument deserves to rank among the most dignified displays of human intellect. at the close of the session, mr. marshall was appointed secretary of war, and soon after secretary of state. during his continuance in that department our relations with england were in a very interesting condition, and his correspondence with mr. king exhibits his abilities and spirit in the most dignified point of view. "his despatch of the twentieth of september, ," says mr. binney, "is a noble specimen of the first order of state papers, and shows the most finished adaptation of parts for the station of an american secretary of state." on the thirty-first of january, , he was appointed chief justice of the united states, in which office he continued until his death. in he published the biography of washington, which for candor, accuracy, and comprehension, will for ever be the most authentic history of the revolution. he died in philadelphia on the sixth of july, . mr. marshall's career as chief justice extended through a period of more than thirty-four years, which is the longest judicial tenure recorded in history. to one who cannot follow his great judgments, in which, at the same time, the depths of legal wisdom are disclosed and the limits of human reason measured, the language of just eulogy must wear an appearance of extravagance. in his own profession he stands for the reverence of the wise rather than for the enthusiasm of the many. the proportion of the figure was so perfect, that the sense of its vastness was lost. above the difficulties of common minds, he was in some degree above their sympathy. saved from popularity by the very rarity of his qualities, he astonished the most where he was best understood. the questions upon which his judgment was detained, and the considerations by which his decision was at last determined, were such as ordinary understandings, not merely could not resolve, but were often inadequate even to appreciate or apprehend. it was his manner to deal directly with the results of thought and learning, and the length and labor of the processes by which these results were suggested and verified might elude the consciousness of those who had not themselves attempted to perform them. from the position in which he stood of evident superiority to his subject, it was obviously so easy for him to describe its character and define its relations, that we sometimes forgot to wonder by what faculties or what efforts he had attained to that eminence. we were so much accustomed to see his mind move only in the light, that there was a danger of our not observing that the illumination by which it was surrounded was the beam of its own presence, and not the natural atmosphere of the scene. the true character and measure of marshall's greatness are missed by those who conceive of him as limited within the sphere of the justices of england, and who describe him merely as the first of lawyers. to have been "the most consummate judge that ever sat in judgment," was the highest possibility of eldon's merit, but was only a segment of marshall's fame. it was in a distinct department, of more dignified functions, almost of an opposite kind, that he displayed those abilities that advance his name to the highest renown, and shed around it the glories of a statesman and legislator. the powers of the supreme court of the united states are such as were never before confided to a judicial tribunal by any people. as determining, without appeal, its own jurisdiction, and that of the legislature and executive, that court is not merely the highest estate in the country, but it settles and continually moulds the constitution of the government. of the great work of constructing a nation, but a small part, practically, had been performed when the written document had been signed by the convention: a vicious theory of interpretation might defeat the grandeur and unity of the organization, and a want of comprehension and foresight might fatally perplex the harmony of the combination. the administration of a system of polity is the larger part of its establishment. what the constitution was to be, depended on the principles on which the federal instrument was to be construed, and they were not to be found in the maxims and modes of reasoning by which the law determines upon social contracts between man and man, but were to be sought anew in the elements of political philosophy and the general suggestions of legislative wisdom. to these august duties judge marshall brought a greatness of conception that was commensurate with their difficulty; he came to them in the spirit and with the strength of one who would minister to the development of a nation; and it was the essential sagacity of his guiding mind that saved us from illustrating the sarcasms of mr. burke about paper constitutions. he saw the futility of attempting to control society by a metaphysical theory; he apprehended the just relation between opinion and life, between the forms of speculation and the force of things. knowing that we are wise in respect to nature, only as we give back to it faithfully what we have learned from it obediently, he sought to fix the wisdom of the real and to resolve it into principles. he made the nation explain its constitution, and compelled the actual to define the possible. experience was the dialectic by which he deduced from substantial premises a practical conclusion. the might of reason by which convenience and right were thus moulded into union, was amazing. but while he knew the folly of endeavoring to be wiser than time, his matchless resources of good sense contributed to the orderly development of the inherent elements of the constitution, by a vigor and dexterity as eminent in their kind as they were rare in their combination. the vessel of state was launched by the patriotism of many: the chart of her course was designed chiefly by hamilton: but when the voyage was begun, the eye that observed, and the head that reckoned, and the hand that compelled the ship to keep her course amid tempests without, and threats of mutiny within, were those of the great chief justice. posterity will give him reverence as one of the founders of the nation; and of that group of statesmen who may one day perhaps be regarded as above the nature, as they certainly were beyond the dimensions of men, no figure, save one alone, will rise upon the eye in grandeur more towering than that of john marshall. the authority of the supreme court, however, is not confined to cases of constitutional law; it embraces the whole range of judicial action, as it is distributed in england, into legal, equitable, and maritime jurisdictions. the equity system of this court was too little developed to enable us to say what marshall would have been as a chancellor. it is difficult to admit that he would have been inferior to lord eldon: it is impossible to conceive that he could at all have resembled lord eldon. but undoubtedly the native region and proper interest of a mind so analytical and so sound, so piercing and so practical, was the common law; that vigorous system of manly reason and essential right, that splendid scheme of morality expanded by logic and informed by prudence. perhaps the highest range of english intelligence is illustrated in the law; yet where, in the whole line of that august succession, will be found a character which fills the measure of judicial greatness so completely as chief justice marshall? where, in english history, is the judge, whose mind was at once so enlarged and so systematic, who so thoroughly had reduced professional science to general reason, in whose disciplined intellect technical learning had so completely passed into native sense? vast as the reach of the law is, it is not an exaggeration to say that marshall's understanding was greater, and embraced the forms of legal sagacity within it, as a part of its own spontaneous wisdom. he discriminated with instinctive accuracy between those technicalities which have sprung from the narrowness of inferior minds, and those which are set by the law for the defence of some vital element of justice or reason. the former he brushed away like cobwebs, while he yielded to the latter with a respect which sometimes seemed to those "whose eyes were" not "opened," a species of superstition. in his judicial office the method of marshall appeared to be, first to bow his understanding reverently to the law, and calmly and patiently to receive its instructions as those of an oracle of which he was the minister; then to prove these dictates by the most searching processes of reason, and to deliver them to others, not as decrees to be obeyed, but as logical manifestations of moral truth. undoubtedly he made much use of adjudged cases; but he used them to give light and certainty to his own judgment, and not for the vindication or support of the law. he would have deemed it a reproach alike to his abilities and his station, if he should have determined upon precedent what could have been demonstrated by reason, or had referred to authority what belonged to principle. with singular capacity, he united systematic reason with a perception of particular equity: too scrupulous a regard for the latter led lord eldon, in most instances, to adjudicate nothing but the case before him; but marshall remembered that while he owed to the suitors the decision of the case, he owed to society the establishment of the principle. his mind naturally tended, not to suggestion and speculation, but to the determination of opinion and the closing of doubts. on the bench, he always recollected that he was not merely a lawyer, and much less a legal essayist; he was conscious of an official duty and an official authority; and considered that questions might be discussed elsewhere, but came to be settled by him. the dignity with which these duties were discharged was not the least admirable part of the display. it was wisdom on the seat of power, pronouncing the decrees of justice. political and legal sense are so distinct from one another as almost to be irreconcilable in the same mind. the latter is a mere course of deduction from premises; the other calls into exercise the highest order of perceptive faculties, and that quick felicity of intuition which flashes to its conclusions by a species of mental sympathy rather than by any conscious process of argumentation. the one requires that the susceptibility of the judgment should be kept exquisitely alive to every suggestion of the practical, so as to catch and follow the insensible reasonings of life, rather than to reason itself: the other demands the exclusion of every thing not rigorously exact, and the concentration of the whole consciousness of the mind in kindling implicit truth into formal principles. the wonder, in judge marshall's case, was to see these two almost inconsistent faculties, in quality so matchless, and in development so magnificent, harmonized and united in his marvellous intelligence. we beheld him pass from one to the other department without confusing their nature, and without perplexing his own understanding. when he approached a question of constitutional jurisprudence, we saw the lawyer expand into the legislator; and in returning to a narrower sphere, pause from the creative glow of statesmanship, and descend from intercourse with the great conceptions and great feelings by which nations are guided and society is advanced, to submit his faculties with docility to the yoke of legal forms, and with impassible calmness to thread the tangled intricacies of forensic technicalities. there was in this extraordinary man an unusual combination of the capacity of apprehending truth, with the ability to demonstrate and make it palpable to others. they often exist together in unequal degrees. lord mansfield's power of luminous explication was so surpassing that one might almost say that he made others perceive what he did not understand himself; but the numerous instances in which his decisions have been directly overthrown by his successors, and the still greater number of cases in which his opinions have been silently departed from, compel a belief that his judgment was not of the truest kind. lord eldon's judicial sagacity was a species of inspiration; but he seemed to be unable not only to convince others; but even to certify himself of the correctness of his own greatest and wisest determinations. but judge marshall's sense appeared to be at once both instinctive and analytical: his logic extended as far as his perception: he had no propositions in his thoughts which he could not resolve into their axioms. truth came to him as a revelation, and from him as a demonstration. his mind was more than the faculty of vision; it was a body of light, which irradiated the subject to which it was directed, and rendered it as distinct to every other eye as it was to its own. the mental integrity of this illustrious man was not the least important element of his greatness. those qualities of vanity, fondness for display, the love of effect, the solicitation of applause, sensibility to opinions, which are the immoralities of intellect, never attached to that stainless essence of pure reason. he seemed to men to be a passionless intelligence; susceptible to no feeling but the constant love of right; subject to no affection but a polarity toward truth. as has already been stated, the great chief justice was married when twenty-eight years of age, to miss ambler, of york, in virginia; there have been few such unions in every respect more fortunate and delightful; the wife died but a short time before the husband, who, not more than two days previous to his own decease, directed that his body should be laid with hers, and that the plain stone to indicate the place of their rest should have only this simple inscription: "john marshall, son of thomas and mary marshall, was born on the th of september, , intermarried with mary willis ambler on the d of january, , and departed this life the ---- day of ---- --." with no other alteration than the filling of the blanks, this is engraved on the modest white marble which is over their remains in the beautiful cemetery on shoccoe hill, of richmond. the chief justice always lived in a style of singular simplicity; when secretary of state at washington, he resided in a brick building hardly larger than most of the kitchens now in use, and his house in richmond, to which he soon after removed, was characteristically unostentatious. from richmond he frequently walked out three or four miles to his farm in the county of henrico; and once a year he made a protracted visit to his other farm, near his birth-place, in fauquier. no man had a keener relish for social and convivial enjoyments, and numerous anecdotes are told in illustration of this trait in his character. nearly all the period of his residence in richmond, he was a member of a club which met near the city once a fortnight to pitch quoits, and mingle in relaxing conversation; there was no one more punctual in his attendance at its meetings, or who contributed more to their pleasantness; and such was his skill in the manly game he practised, that he would hurl his iron ring, weighing two pounds, with rarely erring aim, fifty-five or sixty feet, and when he or his partner made any specially successful exhibition of skill, he would leap up and clap his hands with the light-hearted enthusiasm of boyhood. =ames.= [illustration: ames fac-simile of letter] ames. the house in which fisher ames was born was pulled down somewhere about . it used to stand on the main street of dedham, a little to the northeast, and over the way from where the court-house now stands. it was a roomy, two-story, peaked-roofed old building, with its end to the street; the oldest part having an addition of more modern construction on the front, or what, with reference to the street, was the end. the rooms were low, the windows small, and the lower floor was sunken a little below the ground. a large buttonwood overshadowed it in front, and from behind an elm, the latter still standing. there was no fence between the house and the street, and the intervening space was covered with grass of that thick and stubbed growth peculiar to such localities. behind was a large barn, while on both sides, and back for fifty or sixty rods, to the charles river, stretched a broad field of irregular surface. just across the street was the "front lot," a piece of unoccupied land, including that on which the court-house now stands, and extending east nearly as far as the post-office. on the corner of this lot, directly in front of the house stood, subsequently,--that is, to the year , when it was erected,--a stone pillar supporting a column, surmounted by a wooden head of pitt, the same having been set up by the "sons of liberty," a brother of fisher ames among the number, on the repeal of the stamp act. this structure, after testifying to america's gratitude for a number of years, and furnishing to the corner on which it stood, the name of "pitt's head," was eventually overthrown. the stone pillar with its glowing inscription, after lying awhile by the roadside, and offering a seat to chatting children, and a place, in the spaces of the letters, for cracking nuts, was at length set up in its old place, on the erection of the court-house some twenty-five years since, where it still stands. but of the fate of the column and the head we have no account. this wooden head, intended by its enthusiastic raisers, without a doubt, to be "ære perennius," lay kicking about the street; and perhaps found refuge at last from the vicissitudes of the weather and the wasting jack-knife of the schoolboy, in the wood-box or the garret of some hospitable patriot. the old house was long kept as an inn, both by dr. nathaniel ames, the father of fisher, and, after his death, by his wife. innkeeping in those days was not so engrossing an occupation as at present, and dr. ames, by no means mainly a boniface, found time for the care of his farm, for the practice of his profession, for the study of mathematics, astronomy, and kindred subjects; and for the application of the knowledge thus acquired, in the making of almanacs; a business which he carried on for forty years. in their veracious pages, besides indicating the doings and intentions of the heavenly bodies, and predicting storms with all the accuracy of which the case was susceptible, dr. ames used to portray the exciting events of the time in verse, more patriotic and vivid, perhaps, than poetic. he was, in truth, a man of no small consideration in dedham, of much natural ability, of wit and spirit. he showed these last qualities once on a time, when the colonial judges decided some law case against him. he thought they had disregarded the law, and their reverences were soon seen, sketched on a sign-board in front of the tavern, in full bottomed wigs, tippling, with their _backs_ to the volume labelled "the province law." the authorities at boston taking umbrage at this, dispatched some officers to dedham to remove the sign. but dr. ames was too quick for them; and the baffled tipstaves on reaching the house found nothing hanging but a board, on which was inscribed, "a wicked and adulterous generation seeketh for a sign, but no sign shall be given them." dr. ames died in , when his son fisher, the youngest child, was six years old; having besides him, a son of his own name and profession, who was afterwards a violent democrat and opponent of fisher ames, two other sons and a daughter. of these, fisher was the only one who left descendants. mrs. ames continued to keep the inn, and married again. she was a very shrewd and sensible woman, of a strong and singular cast of mind. she took a hearty interest in politics, and hated the jacobins devoutly. innkeeping was a favorite occupation with her, and she carried matters with a high hand. we have heard her compared to meg dods, the landlady in st. ronan's well. she outlived her son fisher some ten years or more. fisher ames was a delicate child, and the pet of his mother, whose maiden name he bore. he had such an extravagant fondness for books, devouring all that fell within his reach, and showed, in other ways, to the fond perception of his parent, such unmistakable signs of genius, that she early determined to make a lawyer of him, and put him to the study of latin at six. the little fellow worked bravely at his lessons for six years, reciting sometimes to the school-teacher, when that functionary happened to be more than usually learned, sometimes to old mr. haven the minister, with whom he early made friends, and to various other persons. in , twelve years old, he was admitted to harvard college. here he spent four years with credit and success, acquiring greater distinction in the study of the languages and in oratory, than in the abstract sciences. he was conspicuous, even at this early age, as a speaker, being one of the leading members of a society for improvement in eloquence, then newly established. this society, under the style of "the institute of ," is still flourishing at cambridge, and turns out annually as many orators, perhaps, as any similar body in our country. the writer of this remembers to have heard there, in his own college days, a great deal of sublime elocution. fisher ames's name occurs on the records a number of times, as a speaker, and a critic, and once as follows: "june, , .--voted, that ames, clarke, and eliot, be fined pence for tardiness." young ames passed through college with unblemished morals. "happily," in the elegant phrase of his biographer, "he did not need the smart of guilt to make him virtuous, nor the regret of folly to make him wise." in the summer of , he returned to his mother's house. notwithstanding her predilection for law, he had some idea of studying medicine or divinity. but, the year of the boston port bill was no good time for deciding upon a course of life, or beginning it when determined on. besides, fisher ames was but sixteen, and his mother was poor. for a short time, therefore, he engaged in teaching school; and, after a few years spent in desultory but unceasing study and reading, he began law in the office of wm. tudor, of boston. during this time the contest was going on in which his country's liberties were involved, and young ames was a watchful and anxious observer of its progress. it was at his mother's house that the good men of dedham used to meet, to see what they and the country were to do. only a month or two after his return from college, a convention from all the towns of suffolk county, of which dedham was then a part, met here to deliberate. we can imagine the heart of our boy of sixteen burning within him, and his eye flashing as he heard the outraged citizens of boston tell their grievances, and as he longed to be a man, that he might take a part with those determined patriots in their resolution to try the issue with great britain, if need be, at the point of the sword. dedham sent some brave soldiers to the service, and fisher ames, young as he was, went out in one or two short expeditions. in we find him entered upon the practice of law at dedham, where he soon became distinguished as an advocate. in those days the manners of the bench were very rough. the road to eminence in law seemed often to lie between rows of semi-barbarous judges, who hurled at aspiring barristers every missile of abuse. there is always much, it is true, in the deportment of young lawyers to vex the temper of a judge, and perhaps in those days of callow independence there may have been more than common. there appears to be something about that great science to which, in the language of hooker, "all things in heaven and earth do homage, the least as feeling her care, and the greatest as not exempted from her bounty," that breathes unusual dignity into its servants, especially its young ones. in its various duties, the giving of counsel, the questioning of witnesses, and the frequent display of capacity before courts and juries, the seeds of vanity find propitious soil and start into rank growth. from this or whatever cause, the judges of old times were crusty and abusive; and old judge paine, besides being all this, was moreover deaf, and used to berate counsel roundly at times for what was no fault of theirs. "i tell you what," said fisher ames, as he came out of court one day, "a man, when he enters that court-room, ought to go armed with a speaking trumpet in one hand and a club in the other." at another time, ames expressed a rather derogatory opinion of the intelligence of the court. he was arguing a case before a number of county justices, and having finished, turned to leave the room. "ain't you going to say any thing more, mr. ames?" anxiously whispered his client. "no," rejoined ames; "you might as well argue a case to a row of skim-milk cheeses!" perhaps his dislike to these dignitaries may have been an inheritance. may not the old doctor, in his indignation about the province law matter, like another hamilcar, have made his son, a youthful hannibal, swear eternal hatred to his foes? mr. ames was now a rapidly rising man. various essays on political subjects from his pen appeared in the newspapers, and contributed to draw public attention to him. when quite young, he was sent to a convention held at concord, to consider the depreciated state of the currency, where he made an eloquent speech. in , he was a member of the convention for ratifying the federal constitution. here he added much to his fame by a number of excellent speeches. one on the biennial election of representatives was considered the best, and is the only one given in his works. it is lucid, statesmanlike, and eloquent. the occasion of it was an inquiry by samuel adams, why representatives were not made elective annually. to this ames alludes in the closing paragraph: "as it has been demanded why annual elections were not preferred to biennial, permit me to retort the question, and to inquire, in my turn, what reason can be given why, if annual elections are good, biennial elections are not better?" adams professed himself entirely satisfied. this same year ames represented dedham in the legislature. in , suffolk county sent him as her first representative to congress, in opposition to samuel adams. he was in congress eight years, during the whole of washington's administration, and was one of the most prominent leaders of the federal party, giving to the president uniform and important support. in this period, he acquired a reputation for candor, integrity, ability, and eloquence, second to that of no man in congress. at times, particularly towards the end of his term, ill-health compelled his absence; yet he examined with care every important question that presented itself, and spoke upon almost every one. but of his numerous efforts in congress, only two are printed among his works, one on certain resolutions of madison's for imposing additional duties on foreign goods, delivered in , and the speech on jay's treaty, two years later, his most brilliant effort, "an era," says his biographer, "in his political life." this speech was written out from memory by judge smith and samuel dexter, receiving a revision from ames. it is thus alluded to by hildreth: "he (ames) had been detained from the house during the early part of the session, by an access of that disorder which made all the latter part of his life one long disease. rising from his seat, pale, feeble, hardly able to stand or to speak, but warming with the subject, he delivered a speech which, for comprehensive knowledge of human nature and of the springs of political action, for caustic ridicule, keen argument, and pathetic eloquence, even in the imperfect shape in which we possess it, has very seldom been equalled on that or any other floor." the question was to have been taken that same day, but one of the opposition moved that it be postponed till the next, that they should not act under the influence of an excitement of which their calm judgment might not approve. after reducing the question to one of breaking the public faith, the speaker adds: "this, sir, is a cause that would be dishonored and betrayed, if i contented myself with appealing only to the understanding. it is too cold, and its processes are too slow for the occasion. i desire to thank god that, since he has given me an intellect so fallible, he has impressed upon me an instinct that is sure. on a question of shame and dishonor, reasoning is sometimes useless, and worse. i feel the decision in my pulse; if it throws no light upon the brain, it kindles a fire at the heart." it is the spirit that breathes in this splendid burst that stirred the minds of the hearers, wearied and disgusted with a discussion of nearly two months, so that, in the blunt language of john adams--"there wasn't a dry eye in the house, except some of the jackasses that occasioned the necessity of the oratory." ames's speeches show great clearness of mind and power of reasoning, and have about them an air of candor that induces conviction. he brought to every subject on which he was to speak, that thorough understanding of it, in which, if we may believe socrates, lies the secret of all eloquence. it appears to have been customary with him to wait till a question had undergone some discussion, that he might the better appreciate the arguments on both sides. he would then rise, and disperse, as with the wand of prospero, the mists of prejudice and sophistry that had gathered over the question in the course of debate, while he placed the subject before the house with convincing eloquence and precision. his well-stored mind poured forth illustrations at every step, and his imagination illuminated each point on which he touched. now and then it would light up into a pure and steady blaze as he dwelt on some topic that stirred his deepest emotions, and transfigured it in apt and nervous language. in this union of imagination and feeling, making every period glow with life, with logical power, ames resembled chatham. he was not in the habit of trusting to notes, but used to think out a sketch of what he was to say, and trust for the rest to the inspiration of the occasion. at first his manner was slow and hesitating, like one in reflection; but as he went on, his thoughts and his language flowed fast, and his face beamed with expression. we have heard his manner characterized by one who had frequent opportunities of hearing him, in the words of antenor's description of ulysses: "but when ulyssus rose, in thought profound, his modest eyes he fixed upon the ground, as one unskilled, or drunk, he seemed to stand, nor raised his head nor stretched his sceptred hand; but when he speaks, what elocution flows! soft as the fleeces of descending snows, the copious accents fall, with easy art; melting they fall and sink into the heart!" his voice is described as rich and melodious. his personal appearance is thus given by wm. sullivan: "he was above middle stature, and well-formed. his features were not strongly marked. his forehead was neither high nor expansive. his eyes blue, and of middling size; his mouth handsome; his hair was black, and short on the forehead, and in his latter years unpowdered. he was very erect, and when speaking he raised his head; or rather his chin was the most projected part of his face." before a jury he was very effective. there was nothing bitter or sarcastic in his manner; but mild, cool, and candid, it made a jury, as we heard it expressed, "want to give him the case, if they could." he is contrasted with his friend samuel dexter, as preferring to illustrate by a picture, while dexter would explain by a diagram. mr. ames was the author of the "address of the house of representatives to washington," on his signifying his intention to withdraw from office. his own health had been, and was still so feeble, that he could not stand for re-election. accordingly, he retired to dedham in march, , intending to devote himself, as far as possible, to the practice of his profession and the enjoyment of domestic happiness. in july , mr. ames had married miss worthington, of springfield. this marriage was an exceedingly happy one. mrs. ames was much beloved and respected by her neighbors, and, in her sphere, was considered as remarkable as her husband. she was a woman of gentle and retiring disposition, devoted to her family, kind, motherly and sensible. mr. ames seems to have found in her a companion who called forth and appreciated all those amiable qualities which were a part of his character. she took a good deal of interest in public affairs, and was a woman of cultivated mind. she survived her husband, and died some sixteen years since, at the age of seventy-four. they had seven children, six sons and a daughter. the daughter died young and unmarried, of consumption. three of the sons are now living, one in dedham, one in cambridge, and another somewhere at the west. all the children however survived their father. previous to his marriage mr. ames had lived with his mother. after that event he moved to boston and took a house on beacon street, next to governor bowdoin's. he appears to have lived here about two years, when he returned to dedham, and began the building of a new house. this house was finished and occupied by the winter of ; during the interval mr. ames lived in a house opposite the old mansion now occupied by the dedham gazette. this new house of ames's is still standing in dedham, externally much the same as of old; a large square-built, two-story house, flat-roofed, simple and substantial. internally, however, together with the ground about it, it has undergone many alterations. formerly it had not the piazza now in front of it, and the various chimneys were then represented by one fat, old-fashioned, solid structure in the middle. it passed out of the hands of the family about , and is at present owned by mr. john gardiner. mr. ames seems to have inherited most of the old homestead, to the extent of twenty-five acres, on which he built his house, facing the south, a little to the east, and back of his mother's. he employed himself a good deal henceforth in the cultivation of his farm. the "front lot" was surrounded with a rail fence and a row of lombardy poplars, and was used at different times as a mowing lot, a cornfield, and a pasture for the cows. on the east side of the house, extending in length from the street to the river, and in width from directly under the windows, far enough to include a street and a row of small houses, since constructed, was a pasture and orchard including seven or eight acres, and stocked with the best fruit. directly back of the house was the garden, a long and rather barren strip of land, of peculiar surface. two straight walks went from the house the whole length of it. at the farther end of it was a low oval space, with a walk running around it, and a pond in the middle. all this part of the garden was low, and surrounded at the sides and end with a bank, in the form of an amphitheatre. three or four terraces lay between it and the higher ground. these and the oval space with its walk, still remain, but the fence between the garden and the orchard has been removed, and the two straight walks somewhat changed, to suit the modern appetite for grace. the place is still full of the fruit-trees that fisher ames planted, some crossgrained pear-trees, and venerable cherries being the chief. the boys used to look over in this orchard and garden, at the big pears, weighing down the trees and covering the ground, as if it were the very garden of the hesperides, and the dragon were asleep. once in a while the gates would be thrown open to these hungry longers, and they helped themselves; when winter came too the pond afforded them a capital skating place. a large shed ran out from the back of the house, on the west end, used, among other purposes, as a granary. to the west and back of this, was the barn of the old house, and a large new one built by mr. ames, and behind the latter, the ice-house, in those days quite a novelty. back of this was an open field. on the west side of the house, a flight of steps led from one of the lower windows down the bank, with an old pear-tree growing through it. the house stood about two rods from the street; a semi-elliptical walk led up to the door, and two horse-chestnuts grew in the yard. there were but few trees near the house, for mr. ames liked the light and the fresh air. he planted a great many shade trees however on the street, and some of the fine old elms about the common were set out with his own hands. the front door opened into a large room, which took up the whole southwestern end, used as a hall, and on occasion of those large dinner parties so common among men of mr. ames's class, in those days, as a dining-room. at such times this was thrown into one with the adjoining front room, a large apartment, with a big fireplace, commonly used as a parlor. back of this was the library overlooking the garden. the southeastern end was mr. ames's favorite one. his chamber, that in which he died, was here, on the second story. below stairs, was a cellar kitchen, and a dairy; this last quite a magnificent matter, with marble flagging, and ice bestowed around in summer, for coolness. from the bank at the end of the garden, mr. ames's land covered with fruit-trees, sloped gracefully to the water. charles river is here only twenty or thirty feet wide, and winds with a tranquil current through a narrow meadow; not as broad, but brighter and clearer than where at cambridge it calls forth the admiring apostrophe of the poet. it is only a short way below this where mother brook issues from the charles, flowing towards the east, and joining it with the neponset, and making an island of all the intervening region, which embraces boston, roxbury, and dorchester. this singular stream, though its banks are wooded with venerable trees, and it is in all respects like one of nature's own, is nevertheless an artificial course of water. and what is very remarkable, it was constructed by the puritan settlers, only three years after their arrival in , when there could not have been a hundred men in the place. they were in want of a flow of water for mill purposes, and accordingly dug a canal a mile in length, from the charles eastwardly. here the land descended, and the water, left to its own course, wound in graceful curves to the neponset. there are still a number of mills on this stream. this achievement of young america, considering his extreme youth at the time, amounting in fact to infancy, was not unworthy of his subsequent exploits. after returning from congress, mr. ames passed a life of almost unbroken retirement. in he was appointed commissioner to the cherokees, an office he was obliged to refuse. in he was a member of the governor's council, and in the same year delivered a eulogy on washington, before the legislature. he was chosen in , president of harvard college, but ill health, and a disinclination to change his habits of life, led him to decline the honor. he had also resumed the practice of his profession with ardor, but the state of his health compelled him gradually to drop it; and towards the close of his life, he was glad to throw it aside altogether. mr. ames was not much of a traveller, though getting back and forth between dedham and philadelphia, which he used to do in his own conveyance, was no small matter in those days. he visited among his acquaintances in the neighborhood, at christopher gore's in waltham, at george cabot's in brookline, and at salem, where timothy pickering and others of his friends resided. he was also in the habit of driving to boston in his gig two or three times a week, when his health permitted, and passing the day. but he took few long journeys. we hear of him at newport in , in virginia visiting the mineral springs for his health, in the following year, and in connecticut in ; and he speaks in one of his letters of "jingling his bells as far as springfield" as a matter of common occurrence. his wife's relations lived there, among others the husband of her sister, mr. thomas dwight, at whose house mr. ames was a frequent guest. ames, like so many of the best statesmen of that time, and of all time, appears to have always had a relish for farming. in a letter written at philadelphia in , while groaning over his ill health, which makes him "the survivor of himself, or rather the troubled ghost of a politician compelled to haunt the field of battle where he fell," he says, "i almost wish adams was here, and i at home sorting squash and pumpkin seeds for planting." the latter part of the wish was soon to be realized, but not till this survivor of himself had outdone all the efforts of his former life, and risen like a phoenix in his splendid speech on the treaty. he frequently wrote essays on agricultural subjects, and into many of his political articles similes and illustrations found their way, smelling of the farm. he had an especial fondness for raising fruit trees, and for breeding calves and pigs. all the best kinds of fruit were found in his orchard, experiments were tried on new kinds of grass, and improvements undertaken in the cultivation of crops. a piggery was attached to the barn, conducted on scientific principles, and furnished with the best stock. new breeds of cattle were introduced, and cows were kept with a view both to the sale of milk, and to the sale of their young. the produce of the farm used to be sent to boston in a market wagon. for the carrying on of this establishment, mr. ames kept some half a dozen men. he himself was able to do but little active service. his disease was called by the physicians marasmus, a wasting away of the vital powers, a sort of consumption, not merely of the lungs, but of the stomach and every thing else. this, while it produced fits of languor and depression, and had something to do probably with his excessive anxiety on political subjects, never seemed to take from the cheerfulness of his manners. he was obliged to practise a rigid system of temperance, and to take a good deal of exercise, in horseback riding and other ways. besides the society of his family, a constant source of happiness, he used to solace himself with the company of his friends, with writing letters, and with reading his favorite authors. history and poetry he was especially fond of. shakspeare, milton, and pope's homer he read throughout his life, and during his last year, re-read virgil, tacitus and livy, in the original, with much delight. his friends were frequently invited out to partake of his "farmer's fare," and rare occasions those must have been, when such men as theophilus parsons, and pickering, and gore, and samuel dexter, and george cabot were met together, with now and then one from a greater distance. hamilton or gouverneur morris, or sedgwick, or judge smith; while at the head of the table sat fisher ames himself, delighting every one by his humor, and his unrivalled powers of conversation. in conversation, he surpassed all the men of his time; even morris, who was celebrated as a talker, used to be struck quite dumb at his side. his quick fancy and exuberant humor, his brilliant power of expression, his acquaintance with literature and affairs, and his genial and sunny disposition, used to show themselves on such occasions to perfection. his conversation, like his letters, was mainly upon political topics, though now and then, agriculture or literature, or the common news of the day was introduced. when dining once with some southern gentlemen in boston, general pinckney among the number, after an animated conversation at the table, just as ames was leaving the room, somebody asked him a question. ames walked on until he reached the door, when, turning round and resting his elbow on the sideboard, he replied in a strain of such eloquence and beauty that the company confessed they had no idea of his powers before. judge smith, his room-mate in philadelphia, stated, that when he was so sick as to be confined to his bed, he would sometimes get up and converse with friends who came to see him, by the hour, and then go back to his bed completely exhausted. his friends in boston used to seize upon him when he drove in town, and "tire him down," as he expressed it, so that when he got back to dedham, he wanted to roll like a tired horse. ames wrote a good many newspaper essays. this was a habit which he always kept up, particularly after his retirement. about , on the election of jefferson, he was very active in starting a federal paper in boston, the palladium, and wrote for it constantly. he had great fears for his country from the predominance of french influence, and deemed it the duty of a patriot to enlighten his countrymen on the character and tendency of political measures. his biographer informs us that these essays were the first drafts, and they appear as such. the language is appropriate and often very felicitous, but they are diffuse and not always systematic. there is considerable argument in them, but more of explanation, appeal and ornament. he wrote to set facts before the people, and to urge them to vigilance and activity; and his essays are in fact so many written addresses. they cost him no labor in their composition, being on subjects that he was constantly revolving in his mind. they used to be written whenever he found a spare moment and a scrap of paper, while stopping at a tavern, at the printing office in boston, or while waiting for his horse; and are apparently expressed just as they would have been if he were speaking impromptu. we have heard him characterized by one of his old friends as essentially a poet; but it would be more correct to say, that he was altogether an orator. he had indeed the characteristics of an orator in a rare degree, and these show themselves in every thing he does. while his mind was clear and his powers of reasoning were exceedingly good, imagination, the instinctive perception of analogies, and feeling predominated. his writings do not justify his fame; yet viewed as what they really are, the unlabored transcripts of his thoughts, they are remarkable. the flow of language, the wit, the wealth and aptness of illustration, the clearness of thought, show an informed and superior mind. they have here and there profound observations, that show an acquaintance with the principles of government and with the human heart, and are full of testimonials to the purity of the author's patriotism, and the goodness of his heart. besides the essays that are published among his works, he wrote many others perhaps equally good, as well as numerous short, keen paragraphs, adapted to the time, but not suitable for republication. he also wrote verses occasionally, among others "an ode by jefferson" to the ship that was to bring tom paine from france, in imitation of horace's to the vessel that was to bear virgil from athens. he wrote a great many letters, and it is in these that we are presented with the finest view of his character. they are full of sensible remarks on contemporary news and events, and sparkle with wit of that slipshod and easy sort, most delightful in letters, while in grace of style they surpass most of the correspondence of that period. the public has already been informed that the correspondence of fisher ames, together with other writings, and some notice of his life, is in course of publication by one of his sons, mr. seth ames of cambridge. but few of his letters were published in his works, as issued in ; a few more appeared in judge smith's life, and some twenty in gibbs's "administration of washington and adams," but these bear but a very small proportion to his whole correspondence. within a short time as many as one hundred and fifty letters have been found in springfield, written to mr. dwight, of various dates from to . a large number are said to have disappeared, that were in the hands of george cabot, and some were burned among the papers of president kirkland. for a delightful specimen of mr. ames' familiar letters, the reader is referred to page of that capital biography, the "life of judge smith." mr. ames was a man of great urbanity among his neighbors. it was his custom to converse a good deal with ignorant persons and those remote from civil affairs. he was desirous to see how such persons looked at political questions, and often found means in this way of correcting his own views. he was a great favorite among the servants, and used to sit down in the kitchen sometimes and talk with them. he attended the congregational church at dedham, and took a good deal of interest in its affairs. on one occasion he invited out a number of friends to attend an installation. but about , on the minister's insisting upon certain high calvinistic doctrines, mr. ames left, and always went, after that, to the episcopal church. a certain good old orthodox lady remarked to him one day, after he left their church, that she supposed, if they had a nice new meeting-house, he would come back. "no, madam," rejoined ames, "if you had a church of silver, and were to line it with gold, and give me the best seat in it, i should go to the episcopal." though a man of strong religious feelings, he was nothing of a sectarian, and did not fully agree with the episcopal views. he was a friend of dr. channing, who visited him in his last illness, and he ought probably to be reckoned in the same class of christians with that eminent clergyman. he was very fond of the psalms, and used to repeat the beautiful hymn of watts, "up to the hills i lift mine eyes." the christmas of , the year before his death, he had his house decked with green, a favourite custom with him. he died at the age of fifty, on the fourth of july , at five o'clock in the morning, leaving to his family a comfortable property. the news of his death was carried at once to boston, and andrew ritchie, the city orator for that day, alluded to it in this extempore burst: "but, alas! the immortal ames, who, like ithuriel, was commissioned to discover the insidious foe, has, like ithuriel, accomplished his embassy, and on this morning of our independence has ascended to heaven. spirit of demosthenes, couldst thou have been a silent and invisible auditor, how wouldst thou have been delighted to hear from his lips, those strains of eloquence which once from thine, enchanted the assemblies of greece!" ames' friends in boston requested his body for the celebration of funeral rites. it was attended by a large procession from the house of christopher gore to king's chapel, where an oration was pronounced by samuel dexter. it was afterwards deposited in the family tomb at dedham, whence it was removed a few years since, and buried by the side of his wife and children. a plain white monument marks the spot, in the old dedham grave-yard, behind the episcopal church, with the simple inscription "fisher ames." =john quincy adams.= [illustration: quincy adams fac-simile of letter] [illustration: birth-place of john quincy adams] john quincy adams. john quincy adams was fortunate in the home of his birth and childhood. it was a new england farm, descended from ancestors who were never so poor as to be dependent upon others, nor so rich as to be exempted from dependence upon themselves. it was situated in the town of quincy, then the first parish of the town of braintree, and the oldest permanent settlement of massachusetts proper.[ ] the first parish became a town by its present name, twenty-five years after the birth of mr. adams, viz. in . it was named in honor of john quincy, mr. adams's maternal great-grandfather, an eminent man. his death, and the transmission of his name to his great-grandson, are thus commemorated by the latter: "he was dying when i was baptized, and his daughter, my grandmother, present at my birth, requested that i should receive his name. the fact, recorded by my father at the time, has connected with that portion of my name a charm of mingled sensibility and devotion. it was filial tenderness that gave the name. it was the name of one passing from earth to immortality. it has been to me a perpetual admonition to do nothing unworthy of it." the farm-house stands at the foot of an eminence called penn's hill, about a mile south of quincy village. it is an old-fashioned dwelling, having a two-story front, and sloping far away to a single one in the rear. this style is peculiar to the early descendants of the puritan fathers of america. specimens are becoming rarer every year; and being invariably built of wood, must soon pass away, but not without "the tribute of a sigh" from those, who associate with them memories of the wide old fireplaces, huge glowing backlogs, and hospitable cheer. with this modest material environment of the child, was coupled an intellectual and moral, which was golden. his father, the illustrious john adams, was bred, and in his youth labored, on the farm. at the birth of his son, he was still a young man, being just turned of thirty, but ripe both in general and professional knowledge, and already recognized as one of the ablest counsellors and most powerful pleaders at the bar of the province. the mother of john quincy adams was worthy to be the companion and counsellor of the statesman just described. by reason of slender health she never attended a school. as to the general education allowed to girls at that day, she tells us that it was limited "in the best families to writing, arithmetic, and, in rare instances, music and dancing;" and that "it was fashionable to ridicule female learning." from her father, a clergyman, from her mother, a daughter of john quincy, and above all from her grandmother, his wife, she derived liberal lessons and salutary examples. thus her education was entirely domestic and social. perhaps it was the better for the absence of that absorbing passion of the schools, which for the most part rests as well satisfied with negative elevation by the failure of another, as with positive elevation by the improvement of one's self. the excellent and pleasant volume of her letters, which has gone through several editions, indicates much historical, scriptural, and especially poetical and ethical culture. in propriety, ease, vivacity and grace, they compare not unfavorably with the best epistolary collections; and in constant good sense, and occasional depth and eloquence, no letter-writer can be named as her superior. to her only daughter, mother of the late mrs. de wint, she wrote concerning the influence of her grandmother as follows: "i have not forgotten the excellent lessons which i received from my grandmother, at a very early period of life. i frequently think they made a more durable impression upon my mind than those which i received from my own parents. whether it was owing to a happy method of mixing instruction and amusement together, or from an inflexible adherence to certain principles, which i could not but see and approve when a child, i know not; but maturer years have made them oracles of wisdom to me. her lively, cheerful disposition animated all around her, whilst she edified all by her unaffected piety. i cherish her memory with a holy veneration, whose maxims i have treasured, whose virtues live in my remembrance--happy if i could say they have been transplanted into my life." the concluding aspiration was more than realized, because mrs. adams lived more than the fortunate subject of her eulogy, and more than any american woman of her time. she was cheerful, pious, compassionate, discriminating, just and courageous up to the demand of the times. she was a calm adviser, a zealous assistant, and a never failing consolation of her partner, in all his labors and anxieties, public and private. that the laborers might be spared for the army, she was willing to work in the field. diligent, frugal, industrious and indefatigable in the arrangement and details of the household and the farm, the entire management of which devolved upon her for a series of years, she preserved for him amidst general depreciation and loss of property, an independence, upon which he could always count and at last retire. at the same time she responded to the numerous calls of humanity, irrespective of opinions and parties. if there was a patriot of the revolution who merited the title of _washington of women_, she was the one. it is gratifying to know that this rare combination of virtue and endowments met with a just appreciation from her great husband. in his autobiography, written at a late period of life, he records this touching testimony, that "his connection with her had been the source of all his felicity," and his unavoidable separations from her, "of all the griefs of his heart, and all that he esteemed real afflictions in his life." throughout the two volumes of letters to her, embracing a period of twenty-seven years, the lover is more conspicuous than the statesman; and she on her part regarded him with an affection unchangeable and ever fresh during more than half a century of married life. on one of the anniversaries of her wedding she wrote from braintree to him in europe: "look at this date and tell me what are the thoughts which arise in your mind. do you not recollect that eighteen years have run their circuit, since we pledged our mutual faith, and the hymeneal torch was lighted at the altar of love? yet, yet it burns with unabating fervor. old ocean cannot quench it; old time cannot smother it in this bosom. it cheers me in the lonely hour." the homely place at penn's hill was thrice ennobled, twice as the birth-place of two noble men--noble before they were presidents; and thirdly as the successful rival of the palaces inhabited by its proprietors at the most splendid courts of europe, which never for a moment supplanted it in their affections. mrs. adams wrote often from paris and london in this strain: "my humble cottage at the foot of the hill has more charms for me than the drawing-room of st. james;" and john adams still oftener thus: "i had rather build wall on penn's hill than be the first prince of europe, or the first general or first senator of america." such were the hearts that unfolded the childhood of john quincy adams. of all the things which grace or deform the early home, the principles, aims and efforts of the parents in conducting the education of the child are the most important to both. the mutual letters of the parents, in the present case, contain such wise and patriotic precepts, such sagacious methods, such earnest and tender persuasions to the acquisition of all virtue, knowledge, arts and accomplishments, that can purify and exalt the human character, that they would form a valuable manual for the training of true men and purer patriots. although the spot which has been mentioned was john quincy adams's principal home until he was nearly eleven, yet he resided at two different intervals, within that time, four or five years in boston; his father's professional business at one time, and his failing health at another, rendering the alternation necessary. the first boston residence was the white house, so called, in brattle-street. in front of this a british regiment was exercised every morning by major small, during the fall and winter of , to the no little annoyance of the tenant. but says he, "in the evening, i was soothed by the sweet songs, violins and flutes of the serenading sons of liberty." the family returned to braintree in the spring of . in november, , they again removed to boston, and occupied a house which john adams had purchased in queen (now court) street, in which he also kept his office. from this issued state papers and appeals, which did not a little to fix the destiny of the country. the ground of that house has descended to charles francis adams, his grandson. in penn's hill became the permanent home of the family, although john adams continued his office in boston, attended by students at law, until it was broken up by the event of april th, . soon after the final return to quincy, we begin to have a personal acquaintance with the boy, now seven years old. mrs. adams writes to her husband, then attending the congress in philadelphia: "i have taken a very great fondness for reading rollin's ancient history since you left me. i am determined to go through with it, if possible, in these my days of solitude. i find great pleasure and entertainment from it, and i have persuaded johnny to read me a page or two every day, and hope he will, from a desire to oblige me, entertain a fondness for it." in the same year the first mention is made of his regular attendance upon a teacher. the person selected in that capacity was a young man named thaxter, a student at law, transferred from the office in boston, to the family in quincy. the boy seems to have been very much attached to him. mrs. adams assigned the following reasons for preferring this arrangement to the public town school. "i am certain that if he does not get so much good, he gets less harm; and i have always thought it of very great importance that children should be unaccustomed to such examples as would tend to corrupt the purity of their words and actions, that they may chill with horror at the sound of an oath, and blush with indignation at an obscene expression." this furnishes a pleasing coincidence with a precept of ancient prudence:-- let nothing foul in speech or act intrude, where reverend childhood is. there is no disapprobation of public schools to be inferred from this. these are indispensable for the general good; but if from this narrative a hint should be taken for making them more and more pure, and worthy of their saving mission, such an incident will be welcome. of the next memorable year we have a reminiscence from himself. it was related in a speech at pittsfield, massachusetts, in . "in the minute men, from a hundred towns in the provinces, were marching to the scenes of the opening war. many of them called at our house, and received the hospitality of john adams. all were lodged in the house whom the house would contain, others in the barns, and wherever they could find a place. there were then in my father's house some dozen or two of pewter spoons; and i well recollect seeing some of the men engaged in running those spoons into bullets. do you wonder that a boy of seven years of age, who witnessed these scenes, should be a patriot?" he saw from penn's hill the flames of charlestown, and heard the guns of bunker hill and dorchester heights. in one of her letters from france, mrs. adams remarks that he was generally taken to be older than his sister (about two years older than he), because he usually conversed with persons older than himself--a remarkable proof of a constant aim at improvement, of a wise discernment of the means, and of the maturity of acquisitions already made. edward everett remarks in his eulogy, that such a stage as boyhood seems not to have been in the life of john quincy adams. while he was under ten, he wrote to his father the earliest production of his pen which has been given to the public. it is found in governor seward's memoir of his life, and was addressed to his father. braintree, june d, . dear sir:--i love to receive letters very well, much better than i love to write them. i make but a poor figure at composition. my head is much too fickle. my mind is running after bird's eggs, play and trifles, till i get vexed with myself. mamma has a troublesome task to keep me a studying. i own i am ashamed of myself. i have but just entered the third volume of rollin's history, but i designed to have got half thro' it by this time. i am determined this week to be more diligent. mr. thaxter is absent at court. i have set myself a stent this week to read the third volume half out. if i can keep my resolution, i may again, at the end of a week, give a better account of myself. i wish, sir, you would give me in writing some instructions in regard to the use of my time, and advise me how to proportion my studies and play, and i will keep them by me, and endeavor to follow them. with the present determination of growing better, i am, dear sir, your son, john quincy adams. p.s. sir, if you will be so good as to favor me with a blank-book, i will transcribe the most remarkable passages i meet with in my reading, which will serve to fix them on my mind. soon after the evacuation of boston by lord howe, mrs. adams announces that "johnny has become post-rider from boston to braintree." the distance was nine miles, and he was nine years old. in this hardy enterprise, and in the foregoing letter, we may mark the strong hold which the favourite maxims of the parents had taken of their child's mind. among those maxims were these: to begin composition very early by writing descriptions of natural objects, as a storm, a country residence; or narrative of events, as a walk, ride, or the transactions of a day. to transcribe the best passages from the best writers in the course of reading, as a means of forming the style as well as storing the memory. to cultivate spirit and hardihood, activity and power of endurance. soon after this, the lad ceased to have a home except in the bosom of affection, and that was a divided one. on the th of february, , he embarked for france with his father, who had been appointed a commissioner, jointly with dr. franklin and arthur lee, to negotiate treaties of alliance and commerce with that country. from the place of embarcation his father wrote: "johnny sends his duty to his mamma, and love to his sister and brothers. _he behaves like a man._" when they arrived in france, after escaping extraordinary perils at sea, they found the treaty of alliance already concluded. the son was put to school in paris, and gave his father "great satisfaction, both by his assiduity to his books and his discreet behavior," all which the father lovingly attributes to the lessons of the mother. he calls the boy "the joy of his heart." he was permitted to tarry but three months, when he was commissioned to negotiate treaties of independence, peace, and commerce with great britain. he embarked for france in the month of november, accompanied by francis dana as secretary of legation, and by his two oldest sons, john and charles.[ ] the vessel sprung a leak and was compelled to put into the nearest port, which proved to be ferrol, where they landed safe december seventh. one of the first things was to buy a dictionary and grammar for the boys, who "went to learning spanish as fast as possible." over high mountains, by rough and miry roads, a-muleback, and in the depth of winter, they wound their toilsome way, much of the time on foot, from ferrol to paris, a journey of a thousand miles, arriving about the middle of february, . on this occasion, it is to be presumed, master johnny must have derived no small benefit from the service he had seen as "post-rider." at paris he immediately entered an academy, but in the autumn accompanied his father to holland, who had received superadded commissions to negotiate private loans, and public treaties there. for a few months the son was sent to a common school in amsterdam, but in december he was removed to leyden, to learn latin and greek under the distinguished teachers there, and to attend the lectures of celebrated professors in the university. the reasons of this transfer are worth repeating, as they mark the strong and habitual aversion which john adams felt and inculcated, to every species of littleness and meanness. "i should not wish to have children educated in the common schools of this country, where a littleness of soul is notorious. the masters are mean-spirited wretches, pinching, kicking and boxing the children upon every turn. there is a general littleness, arising from the incessant contemplation of stivers and doits. frugality and industry, are virtues every where, but avarice and stinginess are not frugality." in july, , the son accompanied to st. petersburgh mr. francis dana, who had been appointed minister plenipotentiary to the court of russia. the original purpose was study, observation, and general improvement, under the guidance of a trusty and accomplished friend. the youth was not, as has been stated, appointed secretary of the minister at the time they started; but by his readiness and capability he came to be employed by mr. dana as interpreter and secretary, difficult and delicate trusts, probably never before confided to a boy of thirteen. in october, , the youth left st. petersburgh, and paying passing visits to sweden, denmark, hamburg, and bremen, reached the hague in april, , and there resumed his studies. meantime his father, having received assurances that great britain was prepared to treat for peace on the basis of independence, had repaired to paris to open the negotiation. he found that dr. franklin and mr. jay, two of his colleagues on the same commission, had commenced the business first with informal agents, and afterwards with a commissioner of his majesty, george the third. the definitive treaty was signed september the third, , at which act john quincy adams was summoned by his father to be present, and to assume the duties of secretary. in that capacity he made one of the copies of the treaty. the father on this occasion wrote: "congress are at such grievous expense that i shall have no other secretary but my son. he, however, is a very good one. he writes a good hand very fast, and is steady at his pen and books." in this autumn the two made a trip to london, partly for the health of the elder, which had been seriously impaired by incessant labor, and partly for the benefit of the younger, as it was expected then that both would bid adieu to europe and embark for america in the ensuing spring. john adams had the satisfaction of hearing the king announce to the parliament and people from the throne, that he had concluded a treaty of peace with the united states of america. in january, , the father and son proceeded to holland to negotiate a new loan for the purpose of meeting the interest on the former one. there they remained until the latter part of july, when a letter came communicating the arrival of mrs. adams and her daughter in london. john adams despatched his son to meet them, and wrote to his wife: "your letter of the twenty-third has made me the happiest man upon earth. i am twenty years younger than i was yesterday. it is a cruel mortification to me that i cannot go to meet you in london; but there are a variety of reasons decisively against it, which i will communicate to you here. meantime i send you a son, who is one of the greatest travellers of his age, and without partiality, i think as promising and manly a youth, as is in the whole world. he will purchase a coach, in which we four must travel to paris; let it be large and strong. after spending a week or two here you will have to set out with me for france, but there are no seas between; a good road, a fine season, and we will make moderate journeys, and see the curiosities of several cities in our way,--utrecht, breda, antwerp, brussels, &c. &c. it is the first time in europe that i looked forward to a journey with pleasure. now i expect a great deal. i think myself made for this world." john quincy adams reached london the thirtieth of july. "when he entered," says mrs. adams, "we had so many strangers that i drew back, not really believing my eyes, till he cried out, 'o my mamma, and my dear sister!' nothing but the eyes appeared what he once was. his appearance is that of a man, and in his countenance the most perfect good-humor. his conversation by no means denies his station. i think you do not approve the word _feelings_. i know not what to substitute in lieu, nor how to describe mine." the son was then seventeen, and the separation had continued nearly five years. notwithstanding that the husband's letter had forbidden hope of his participating in this re-union, he did so after all, practising a surprise charmingly delicate and gallant. it was a blissful meeting not only of happy friends, but of merit and reward, a beautiful and honorable consummation of mutual sacrifices and toils. seldom does the cup of joy so effervesce. independence predicted in youth, moved and sustained with unrivalled eloquence in manhood, at home--confirmed and consolidated by loans, alliances, ships, and troops--obtained, in part or all, by him, abroad--washington nominated chief of the army--the american navy created--peace negotiated--this, this (if civic virtues and achievments were honored only equally with martial) would have been the circle of golden medals, which john adams might have laid at the feet of his admirable wife! five months after this, as if too full for earlier utterance, she wrote to her sister: "you will chide me, perhaps, for not relating to you an event which took place in london, that of unexpectedly meeting my long absent friend; for from his letters by my son, i had no idea that he would come. but you know, my dear sister, that poets and painters wisely draw a veil over scenes which surpass the pen of the one and the pencil of the other." the family reached paris in the latter part of august, and established their residence at auteuil, four miles from the city. the son pursued his studies, his mother, by his particular desire, writing her charming letters to american friends by his fireside. sometimes he copied them in his plain and beautiful hand, always equal to print, and made her think, as she gayly remarks, that they were really worth something. the circle of familiar visitors included franklin, jefferson and his daughter, la fayette and his wife; of formal, all the ministers domestic and foreign, and as many of the elite of fashion and of fame as they chose. but mrs. adams was always a modest and retiring woman. of franklin she wrote: "his character, from my infancy, i had been taught to venerate. i found him social, not talkative; and when he spoke, something useful dropped from, his tongue." of jefferson, "i shall really regret to leave mr. jefferson. he is one of the choice ones of the earth. on thursday i dine with him at his house. on sunday he is to dine with us. on monday we all dine with the marquis." in the spring of john adams received the appointment of minister plenipotentiary to great britain, the first from the united states of america. a new separation ensued. he, his wife and daughter departed for london, but not the son, as has been stated. he departed for harvard university, where, in the following march, he entered the junior class, and graduated with distinguished honor in . he studied law at newburyport in the office of theophilus parsons, afterwards the eminent chief justice. he entered upon the practice of the law in boston in , and boarded in the family of dr. thomas welsh. he continued thus four years, gradually enlarging the circle of his business and the amount of his income. meantime, great and exciting public questions arose, and in discussing them he obtained a sudden and wide distinction. a tract from his pen in answer to a portion of paine's rights of man, and expressing doubts of the ultimate success of the french revolution, appeared in , was republished in england and attributed to john adams. this was at a time when the enthusiasm for the great french movement was at its height in this country. events too soon showed that the writer had inherited his father's sagacity. another publication of his, which appeared in , maintained the right, duty and policy of our assuming a neutral attitude towards the respective combatants in the wars arising from the french revolution. this publication preceded washington's proclamation of neutrality. in the same year mr. adams reviewed the course of genet, applying to it and the condition of the country the principles of public law. these writings attracted the attention of washington, and he is supposed to have derived essential aid from them in some of the most difficult conjunctures of his administration. upon the recommendation of jefferson, made as he was about to retire from the office of secretary of state, washington determined to appoint john quincy adams minister resident in holland. an intimation from washington to the vice-president, in order that he might give his wife timely notice to prepare for the departure of her son, was the first knowledge that any member of the family had, that such an appointment was thought of. mr. adams repaired to his post, and remained there till near the close of washington's administration, with the exception of an additional mission to london in , to exchange ratifications of jay's treaty, and agree upon certain arrangements for its execution. on this occasion he met, at the house of her father, the american consul in london, miss louisa catherine johnson, who afterwards became his wife. in consequence of a rumor of his intending to resign, washington wrote to the vice-president: "your son must not think of retiring from the path he is in. his prospects, if he pursues it, are fair; and i shall be much surprised, if, in as short a time as can well be expected, he is not at the head of the diplomatic corps, be the government administered by whomsoever it may." subsequently washington expressed himself still more strongly, aiming to overcome the scruples of president adams about continuing his son in office under his own administration. just before his retirement, washington appointed him minister plenipotentiary to portugal. this destination was changed by his father to berlin. before assuming the station, he was married in london to miss johnson. while in prussia he negotiated an important commercial treaty, and wrote letters from silesia, which were published in the portfolio, and passed through some editions and translations in europe. in he was recalled by his father, to save, as it is said, mr. jefferson from the awkwardness of turning out the son of his old friend, whose appointment he had recommended. if such was the motive of the recall, it was a miscalculation, for jefferson did not hesitate to remove him from the small office of commissioner of bankruptcy, to which he had been appointed by the district judge of massachusetts upon his return from abroad. mr. jefferson defended himself from censure for this little act, by alleging that he did not know when he made the removal, nor who the incumbent of the office was; an excuse more inexcusable than the act itself. mr. adams re-established himself with his family in boston. he occupied a house in hanover-street, not now standing, and another which he purchased at the corner of tremont and boylston streets, now used for stores, and owned by his only surviving son. in he was elected to the senate of massachusetts from suffolk county. in , to the senate of the united states. in , professor of rhetoric and oratory in harvard university, but in subordination to his duties in congress. in he resigned his seat in the senate, the legislature of his state having instructed him to oppose the restrictive measures of jefferson, and he having given a zealous support to the embargo. in he was appointed by madison minister plenipotentiary to russia; and resigned his professorship in the university. in he was nominated by madison and unanimously confirmed by the senate, as judge of the supreme court of the united states. mr. adams having declined this office, judge story was appointed. in he was appointed first commissioner at ghent to treat with great britain for peace. in , minister plenipotentiary to great britain. in , secretary of state. in , elected president of the united states. mr. adams, released from the toils of thirty-five years of unintermitted public service, now sought a home which remains to be described. john adams, while yet minister in england, purchased a seat in quincy of mr. borland, an old friend and neighbor, descended from the vassals, a considerable family in the town and province: this was in . on his return from europe in , the purchaser took possession with his family; and with the exception of two terms as vice-president, and one as president of the united states, he never left it until his death on the fourth of july, . this estate descended to his son, as did also that at penn's hill. it is situated about half a mile north of quincy village, on the old boston road, where massive mile-stones, erected before the birth of john adams, may still be seen. the farm consists of one hundred acres, now productive, though in a rude state when acquired. mrs. john adams described her husband in as "busy among his haymakers, and getting thirty tons on the spot, which eight years before yielded only six." the house is supposed to be a hundred and fifty years old. it is built of wood, quite unpretending, yet from association or other cause, it has a distinguished and venerable aspect. approached from the north or city side, it presents a sharp gable in the old english style of architecture. the opposite end is very different, and has a hipped or gambrel gable. the length may be some seventy feet, the height thirty, consisting of two stories, and a suit of attic chambers, with large luthern windows. a piazza runs along the centre of the basement in front. the south or gambrel-roofed section of the edifice, was built by john adams. the principal entrance is at the junction of this section with the main building. it opens into a spacious entry with a staircase on the right, and busts of washington and john quincy adams on the left. at the foot of the stairs is the door of the principal apartment, called the long room. it is plainly finished, and about seven feet in height. it contains portraits of john adams and his wife by stewart, john quincy adams and his wife by the same; thomas jefferson in french costume, taken in france by browne. he appears much handsomer than in most of his portraits. over the fireplace is a very old and curious picture of a child, supposed by john quincy adams to be his great-grandfather, john quincy. there are several other portraits of less note. the chairs are of plain mahogany, with stuffed seats and backs, and hair-cloth coverings. they belonged to mrs. adams. opposite to the door of this room, on the left side of the entry, is the door of the dining-room, called the middle room. this is within the original building. it contains a number of portraits; the most conspicuous is that of washington in his uniform. it was painted by savage, and was purchased by the elder adams. it has a more solemn and concentrated look than stewart's washington--more expressive, but not so symmetrical. it resembles peale's pater patriæ. john quincy adams considered it a better likeness than the popular portraits. it is said to have been taken when washington had lost his teeth, and had not substituted artificial ones. the lips appear much compressed, the visage elongated and thinner than in stewart's picture. by its side is mrs. washington, painted by the same artist. there is a fine engraving of copley's picture of the death of chatham. it is a proof copy, presented by the painter to john adams. passing from the middle room through another but small front entry, we reach the north basement room, called the keeping room. this is finished with considerable luxury for a provincial parlor of its time. it is panelled from floor to ceiling with mahogany. the effect is somewhat heavy, to obviate which the elder mrs. adams, a votary of all cheerfulness, had it painted white. it has now been restored, and presents an antique and rich appearance. nearly all the furniture of this as well as the middle room, including the turkey carpet of the latter, still bright and substantial, was john adams's. all these apartments are connected by a longitudinal passage in the rear, which communicates with the kitchen. the library is in the second story over the long room. this chamber was constantly occupied by the elder president, both for a sitting and sleeping room during his latter years. here the writer saw him at the age of nearly ninety, delighted with hearing scott's novels, or dupuis' origine de tous les cultes, or the simplest story-book, which he could get his grandchildren to read to him. he seemed very cheerful, and ready to depart, remarking that "he had eat his cake." when his son came home from washington, he converted this room into a library. of course his books are very miscellaneous both as to subjects and languages; but they are not all here. some are arranged on the sides of passage-ways and in other parts. a portion of them compose in part a library at his son's town residence. john adams in his lifetime gave his library--a very valuable one--to the town of quincy, together with several tracts of land for the erection of an academy or classical school, to which his library is ultimately to attach. the entire library of john quincy adams comprises twelve thousand volumes. to this must be added a chest full of manuscripts, original and translated, in prose and poetry. they show unbounded industry. from his boyhood to the age of fifty, when he took the department of state, he was an intense student. in this chest are many of the earlier fruits, such as complete versions of a large number of the classics, of german and other foreign works. the garden lies on the north, contiguous to the house, and connects with a lawn, narrow in front of the house, but widening considerably south of it. the whole is inclosed on the roadside by a solid wall of quincy granite, some six feet high, except the section immediately before the house, which is a low stone wall, surmounted by a light wooden fence of an obsolete fashion, with two gates in the same style, leading to the two front doors. the whole extent does not much exceed an acre. it embraces an ornamental and kitchen garden, the former occupying the side near the road, and the latter extending by the side and beyond the kitchen and offices to an open meadow and orchard. the principal walk is through the ornamental portion of the garden, parallel with the road, and terminates at a border of thrifty forest trees, disposed, as they should be, without any regard to order. from the walk above-mentioned another strikes out at a right angle, and skirts the border of trees, till it disappears in the expanse of meadow. most of the trees were raised by john quincy adams from the seeds, which he was in the habit of picking up in his wanderings. the most particular interest attaches to a shagbark, which he planted more than fifty years ago. it stands near the angle of the two alleys. in this tree he took a particular satisfaction, but he was an enthusiast in regard to all the trees of the forest, differing in this respect from his father, who, as an agriculturist of the cato stamp, was more inclined to lay the axe to them than to propagate them. from this plantation charles francis adams was supplied with a great number and variety of trees to embellish a residence, which he built in his father's lifetime on the summit of a high hill, west of the old mansion. this is called president's hill. it affords one of the finest sea landscapes which can be found. john adams used to say that he had never seen, in any part of the world, so fine a view. it comprises a wide range of bays, islands and channels seaward, with seats and villages on the intervening land. this prospect lies eastward, and includes mount wollaston, situated near the seashore, and remarkable as the first spot settled in the town and state, and as giving its name for many of the first years to the entire settlement. this belonged to the great-grandfather, john quincy, and is now a part of the adams estate. the meeting-house is half a mile south of the old mansion. the material is granite, a donation of john adams. it has a handsome portico, supported by beautiful and massive doric pillars, not an unfit emblem of the donor. beneath the porch, his son constructed, in the most durable manner, a crypt, in which he piously deposited the remains of his parents; and in the body of the church, on the right of the pulpit, he erected to their sacred memories a marble monument surmounted by a bust of john adams, and inscribed with an affecting and noble epitaph. after leading "a wandering life about the world," as he himself calls it--a life of many changes and many labors, john quincy adams, at sixty-two, sought the quiet and seclusion of his father's house. he was yet, for his years, a model of physical vigor and activity; for, though by nature convivial as his father was, and capable, on an occasion, of some extra glasses, he was by habit moderate in meat and drink, never eating more than was first served on his plate, and consequently never mixing a variety of dishes. he used himself to attribute much of the high health he enjoyed to his walks and his baths. early every morning, when the season admitted, he sought a place where he could take a plunge and swim at large. a creek, with a wharf or pier projecting into it, called black's wharf, about a quarter of a mile from his house, served these purposes in quincy. at washington he resorted to the broad potomac. there, leaving his apparel in charge of an attendant, (for it is said that it was once purloined!) he used to buffet the waves before sunrise. he was an easy and expert swimmer, and delighted so much in the element, that he would swim and float from one to two or three hours at a time. an absurd story obtained currency, that he used this exercise in winter, breaking the ice, if necessary, to get the indispensable plunge! this was fiction. he did not bathe at all in winter, nor at other times from theory, but for pleasure. he bore abstinence and irregularity in his meals with singular indifference. whether he breakfasted at seven or ten, whether he dined at two, or not at all, appeared to be questions with which he did not concern himself. it is related that having sat in the house of representatives from eight o'clock in the morning till after midnight, a friend accosted him, and expressed the hope that he had taken refreshment in all that time; he replied that he had not left his seat, and held up a _bit of hard bread_. his entertainments of his friends were distinguished for abundance, order, elegance, and the utmost perfection in every particular, but not for extravagance and luxury of table furniture. his accomplished lady, of course, had much to do with this. he rose very early, lighting the fire and his lamp in his library, while the surrounding world was yet buried in slumber. this was his time for writing. washington and hamilton had the same habit. he was unostentatious and almost always walked, whether for visiting, business or exercise. at quincy he used to go up president's hill to meet the sun from the sea, and sometimes walked to the residence of his son in boston before breakfast. regularly, before the hour of the daily sessions of congress, he was seen wending his quiet way towards the capitol, seldom or never using, in the worst of weather, a carriage. he stayed one night to a late hour, listening to a debate in the senate on the expunging resolution. as he was starting for home in the face of a fierce snow-storm, and in snow a foot deep, a gentleman proposed to conduct him to his house. "i thank you, sir, for your kindness," said he, "but i do not need the service of any one. i am somewhat advanced in life, but not yet, by the blessing of god, infirm, or what dr. johnson would call 'superfluous;' and you may recollect what old adam says in 'as you like it'-- "'for in my youth i never did apply hot and rebellious liquors in my blood.'" while he was president, the writer was once sitting in the drawing-room of a highbred lady in boston. a hat not very new glanced under the window sill. the owner rung at the door; and not finding the gentleman at home, continued his walk. a servant entered and presented the card of john quincy adams. "i do wonder," exclaimed the lady, "that the president of the united states will go about in such a manner!" his apparel was always plain, scrupulously neat, and reasonably well worn. it was made for the comfort of the wearer, who asked not of the fashions. when he retired from the presidency, he resolved to pass the remainder of his days under the paternal roof and the beloved shades. he anticipated and desired nothing but quiet, animated by the excitements of intellectual and rural occupations. he had before him the congenial task, to which he had long aspired, of dispensing the treasures of wisdom contained in the unwritten life and unpublished writings of his father. he was ready to impart of his own inexhaustible wealth of experience, observation and erudition, to any one capable of receiving. it takes much to reconcile a thoughtful mind to the loss of what would have been gained by the proposed employment of his leisure. and we had much. had the record of his public life, ample and honorable as it was, been now closed, those pages on which patriots, philanthropists and poets will for ever dwell with gratitude and delight, would have been wanting. hitherto he had done remarkably well what many others, with a knowledge of precedents and of routine and with habits of industry, might have done, if not as well, yet acceptably. he was now called to do what no other man in the republic had strength and heart to attempt. he was endowed with a memory uncommonly retentive. he could remember and quote with precision, works which he had not looked at for forty years. add to this his untiring diligence and perseverance, and the advantages of his position and employment at various capitals in the old world, and the story of his vast acquisitions is told. his love lay in history, literature, moral philosophy and public law. with the greek, latin, french, german, and italian languages and principal writers he was familiar. his favorite english poet was shakspeare, whom he commented upon and recited with discrimination and force, surpassing, it is said, in justness of conception, the great personators of his principal characters. among the classics, he especially loved ovid, unquestionably the shakspeare of the romans. cicero was greatly beloved, and most diligently studied, translated, and commented upon. for many of his latter years he never read continuously. he would fall asleep over his book. but to elucidate any subject he had in hand, he wielded his library with wakefulness and execution lively enough. he was fond of art in all its departments, but most in the pictorial. in his "residence at the court of london," mr. rush has drawn an attractive sketch of him at home. "his tastes were all refined. literature and art were familiar and dear to him. at his hospitable board i have listened to disquisitions from his lips, on poetry, especially the dramas of shakspeare, music, painting and sculpture, of rare excellence and untiring interest. a critical scholar in the dead languages, in french, german and italian, he could draw at will from the wealth of these tongues to illustrate any particular topic. there was no fine painting or statue, of which he did not know the details and the history. there was not even an opera, or a celebrated composer, of which or of whom he could not point out the distinguishing merits and the chief compositions. yet he was a hard-working and assiduous man of business; and a more regular, punctual, and comprehensive diplomatic correspondence than his, no country can probably boast." mr. adams was generally regarded as cold and austere. the testimony of persons who enjoyed an intimacy with him is the reverse of this. mr. rush says that "under an exterior of at times repulsive coldness, dwelt a heart as warm, sympathies as quick, and affections as overflowing as ever animated any bosom." and mr. everett, that "in real kindness and tenderness of feeling, no man surpassed him." there is an abundance of like evidence on this head. he was taciturn rather than talkative, preferring to think and to muse. at times his nature craved converse, and delighted in the play of familiar chat. occasionally he threw out a lure to debate. if great principles were seriously called in question, he would pour out a rapid and uninterrupted torrent. the poets had been the delight of his youth. he read them in the intervals of retirement at quincy with a youthful enthusiasm, and tears and laughter came by turns, as their sad and bright visions passed before him. pope was a favorite, "and the intonations of his voice in repeating the 'messiah,'" says an inmate of the family, "will never cease to vibrate on the ear of memory." he was a deeply religious man, and though not taking the most unprejudiced views of divinity, what he received as spiritual truths were to him most evident and momentous realities, and he derived from them a purifying and invigorating power. "the dying christian's address to his soul" was replete with pathos and beauty for him. he is remembered to have repeated it one evening with an intense expression of religious faith and joy; adding the latin lines of adrian, which pope imitated. he was thought by some to have a tendency to calvinistic theology, and to regard unitarianism as too abstract and frigid. thus he used sometimes to talk, but it was supposed to be for the purpose of putting unitarians upon a defence of their faith, rather than with a serious design to impair it. on one occasion he conversed on the subject of popular applause and admiration. its caprice, said he, is equalled only by its worthlessness, and the misery of that being who lives on its breath. there is one stanza of thomson's castle of indolence, that is worth whole volumes of modern poetry; though it is the fashion to speak contemptuously of thomson. he then repeated with startling force of manner and energy of enunciation, the third stanza, second canto, of that poem. "i care not, fortune, what you me deny; you cannot rob me of free nature's grace, you cannot shut the windows of the sky, through which aurora shows her brightening face; you cannot bar my constant feet to trace the woods and lawns by living streams at eve: let health my nerves and finer fibres brace, and i their toys to the great children leave; of fancy, reason, virtue, nought can me bereave." he did not much admire the poetry of byron. one objection which he is recollected to have made to the poet was the use of the word "rot." there is some peculiarity in byron in this respect; thus in childe harold:-- "the bucentaur lies _rotting_ unrestored, where meaner relics must not dare to _rot_." this, if a sound objection, which it is not, was narrow for so great a man. the cause of this distaste lay deeper. mr. adams, though a dear lover of shakspeare, was of the johnsonian school of writers. his diction is elaborate, stately, and in his earlier writings verbose, but always polished, harmonious, and sustained. he liked unconsciously latin english better than anglo-saxon. byron, in common with a large and increasing class of moderns, loved to borrow the force of familiar and every-day language, and to lend to it the dignity and beauty of deep thought and high poetic fancy. not improbably, the moral obliquities of the poet had their influence in qualifying the opinion formed of his writings, by a man of such strict rectitude as mr. adams. he was fond of watts's psalms and hymns, and repeated them often, sometimes rising from his seat in the exaltation of his feelings. among favorite stanzas was this one: sweet fields, beyond the swelling flood, stand dressed in living green; so to the jews old canaan stood, while jordan rolled between. until his private letters shall be published, no adequate conception can be formed of the devotion he paid to his mother. this may give an inkling of it. a young friend inquired of him, when he was once at hingham on their annual fishing party in his honor, in which of his poems a certain line was to be found, viz.-- "hull--but that name's redeemed upon the wave," referring to the surrender of general hull, so soon followed (only three days after, august - , ) by the capture of the guerriere by captain hull. "i do not," he replied, "but i have been often struck by the coincidence. i think, however, the line occurs in a poem _addressed to my mother_." the best saying of mr. adams was in reply to the inquiry, what are the recognized principles of politics? mr. adams. there are none. there are recognized precepts, but they are bad, and so not principles. but is not this a sound one, "the greatest good of the greatest number?" mr. adams. no, that is the worst of all, for it looks specious, while it is ruinous; for what is to become of the minority? this is the only principle--the greatest good of all. it must be admitted that much tyranny lurks in this favorite democratic tenet, not half as democratic, however, as mr. adams's amendment. wrongs and outrages the most unmerciful, have been committed by majorities. it may even happen where the forms of law are maintained; but what shall be said when the majority resolves itself into a mob? when rivers of innocent blood may (as they have) run from city gates. the tyranny of majorities is irresponsible, without redress, and without punishment, except in the ultimate iron grasp of "the higher law." mr. adams's view, so much larger than the common one, may, with a strong probability, be traced to the mother. in her letters to him, she insists again and again upon the duty of universal kindness and benevolence. patriot as she was, she pitied the refugees. she said to him, "man is bound to the performance of certain duties, all which tend to the happiness and welfare of society, and are comprised in one short sentence expressive of universal benevolence: 'thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.' "remember more, the universal cause acts not by partial, but by general laws; and makes what happiness we justly call, subsist, not in the good of one, but all.'" in other letters she illustrated observations in the same spirit by these quotations: "shall i determine where his frowns shall fall, and fence my grotto from the lot of all?" "prompt at every call, can watch and weep and pray and feel for all." one evening, at his house in f street in washington, he spoke of judge parsons, of his depth and subtlety, and the conciseness of his language. "soon after i entered his office he said to us students--'lord bacon observes that "reading makes a full man, conversation a ready man, writing a correct man." young gentlemen, my advice to you is, that you study to be full, ready and correct.' i thought," said mr. adams, "that i never heard good advice so well conveyed." he was asked by the writer whether he had ever received any acknowledgment of his services, any mark of gratitude from the colored people of the district? "none," said he--"except that i now and then hear, _in a low tone_, a hearty god bless you! that is enough." it was enough; enough for recompense and for justification, since we are in the sad pass that justification is needed--since "virtue itself of vice must pardon beg, and pray for leave to do him good." so then, in this republic there are millions of human hearts, which are not permitted to love a benefactor, and dare not utter for him an invocation, kindred to their devotion to god, except "in a low tone!" when in mr. adams was struck the first time with palsy, he was visited by charles sumner, who sat much by his bedside. as he became better, he said one day to his visitor: "you will enter public life; you do not want it, but you will be drawn into the current, in spite of yourself. now i have a word of advice to give you. _never accept a present._ while i was in russia, the minister of the interior, an old man, whose conscience became more active as his bodily powers failed, grew uneasy on account of the presents he had received. he calculated the value of them, and paid it all over to the imperial treasury. this put me to thinking upon the subject, and i then made a resolution never to accept a present while i remained in the public service; and i never have, unless it was some trifling token, as a hat or cane." a neighboring clergyman, to whom this conversation was related, exclaimed--"a hat! that cannot be, for he never had any but an old one." it was a tradition in cambridge that mr. adams, while professor in the university, was noted for indifference to personal appearance, and his well-worn hat was particularly remembered. in the relation of husband mr. adams showed the same fidelity and devotedness which characterized him in every other. he was united to a woman whose virtues and accomplishments blessed and adorned his home. in a letter written shortly after his noble vindication of the character of woman, and the propriety and utility of their intervention in public affairs, he said: "had i not, by the dispensation of providence, been blessed beyond the ordinary lot of humanity in all the domestic relations of life, as a son, a brother, and a husband, i should still have thought myself bound to vindicate the social rights and the personal honor of the petitioners, who had confided to me the honorable trust of presenting the expression of their wishes to the legislative councils of the nation. but that this sense of imperious duty was quickened within my bosom by the affectionate estimate of the female character impressed upon my heart and mind by the virtues of the individual woman, with whom it has been my lot to pass in these intimate relations my days upon earth, i have no doubt." in he had a severe fall, striking his head against the corner of an iron rail, which inflicted a heavy contusion on his forehead, and rendered him for some time insensible. his left shoulder was likewise dislocated. this occurred at the house of representatives after adjournment. fortunately several members were within call, and gave him the most tender and assiduous assistance. he was carried to the lodgings of one of them, and a physician called. with the united strength of four men, it took more than an hour to reduce the dislocation. "still," says a witness of the scene, "mr. adams uttered not a murmur, though the great drops of sweat which rolled down his furrowed cheeks, or stood upon his brow, told but too well the agony he suffered." at his request he was immediately conveyed to his house; and the next morning, to the astonishment of every one, he was found in his seat as usual. he was accustomed to be the first to enter the house and the last to leave it. mr. everett tells us that he had his seat by the side of the veteran, and that he should not have been more surprised to miss one of the marble pillars from the hall than mr. adams. that this painful accident did not impair the vigor of his mind is evident from the fact that he subsequently argued the amistad case, and sustained the fierce contest of three days on the expulsion resolution in the house. it was three years later also that he made the journey for the benefit of his health, which turned out an improvised and continuous ovation. he had designed merely to visit lebanon springs. he was so much pleased with his journey thus far into the state of new-york, that he concluded to prolong it to quebec, montreal, and niagara falls, and return to massachusetts through the length of the empire state. this return was signalized by attentions and homage on the part of the people so spontaneous and unanimous, that nothing which has occurred since the progress of la fayette, has equalled it. "public greetings, processions, celebrations, met and accompanied every step of his journey." addresses by eminent men, and acclamations of men, women, and children, who thronged the way, bore witness of the deep hold which the man, without accessories of office and pageantry of state, had of their hearts. of this excursion he said himself towards the close of it, "i have not come alone, the whole people of the state of new-york have been my companions." in the autumn of the same year he went to cincinnati to assist in laying the foundation of an observatory. this journey was attended by similar demonstrations. at a cordial greeting given him at maysville, kentucky, after an emphatic testimony to the integrity of mr. clay, he made that renewed and solemn denial of the charges of "bargain and corruption." he suffered a stroke of paralysis in november, , but recovered, and took his seat at the ensuing session of congress. he regarded this as equivalent to a final summons, and made no subsequent entry in his faithful diary except under the title of "posthumous." after this he spoke little in the house. in november, , he left his home in quincy for the last time. on the twentieth of february he passed his last evening at his house in washington. he retired to his library at nine o'clock, where his wife read to him a sermon by bishop wilberforce on time. the next morning he rose early and occupied himself with his pen as he was wont. with more than usual spryness and alacrity he ascended the stairs of the capitol. in the house a resolution for awarding thanks and gold medals to several officers concerned in the mexican war was taken up. mr. adams uttered his emphatic _no!_ on two or three preliminary questions. when the final question was about to be put, and while he was in the act of rising, as it was supposed, to address the house, he sunk down. he was borne to the speaker's room. he revived so far as to inquire for his wife, who was present. he seemed desirous of uttering thanks. the only distinct words he articulated were, "this is the end of earth. i am content." he lingered until the evening of the twenty-third, and then expired. thus he fell at his post in the eighty-first year of his age, the age of plato. with the exception of phocion there is no active public life continued on the great arena, with equal vigor and usefulness, to so advanced an age. lord mansfield retired at eighty-three; but the quiet routine of a judicial station is not as trying as the varied and boisterous contentions of a political and legislative assembly. ripe as he was for heaven; he was still greatly needed upon earth. his services would have been of inestimable importance in disposing of the perilous questions, not yet definitively settled, which arose out of unhallowed war and conquest. there is not much satisfaction in dwelling upon the general effusions of eloquence, or the pageantry which ensued. a single glance of guileless love from the men, women and children, who came forth from their smiling villages to greet the virtuous old statesman in his unpretending journeys, was worth the whole of it. the hearty tribute of mr. benton, so long a denouncer, has an exceptional value, the greater because he had made honorable amends to the departed during his life. that he was sincerely and deeply mourned by the nation, it would be a libel on the nation to doubt. his remains rested appropriately in independence and faneuil halls on the way to their final resting place, the tomb he had made for those of his venerated parents. there he was laid by his neighbors and townsmen, sorrowing for the friend and the man. his monument is to stand on the other side of the pulpit. happy place which hallows such memories, and holds up such examples. footnotes: [ ] it is supposed that the state derives its name from a hill in the north part of the town, situated near the peninsula called squantum, likewise a part of the town. squantum was a favorite residence of the indians; and the sachem, who ruled over the district "extending round the harbors of boston and charlestown, through malden, chelsea, nantasket, hingham, weymouth and dorchester," had his seat on the neighboring hill, which was shaped like an arrow-head. arrow-head in the indian language was _mos_ or mous, and hill _wetuset_. thus the great sachem's home was called _moswetuset_ or arrow-head hill, his subjects the moswetusets, and lastly the province massachusetts, but frequently in the primitive days "the massachusetts." [ ] died early in the city of new-york, soon after entering upon the practice of law. =jackson.= [illustration: jackson fac-simile of letter] [illustration: hermitage, residence of jackson] jackson. the events of jackson's life, even in their chronological order, dispose themselves into a number of combinations, which a skilful pen, guided by the hand of a poet, might easily work up into a series of impressive and contrasted pictures. we have not the ability, had we the space here, to undertake this labor, but we see no reason why we should not present some outlines of it, for the benefit of future more competent artists. in such a series, we should first see the flaxen-haired, blue-eyed son of irish emigrants, driven from their home by a sense of british oppression, opening his young eyes in south carolina, amid the stormy scenes of our revolution. around him, his friends and neighbors are training for the battle, and preparing to defend their homes from an invading foe; his eldest brother hugh, is brought back dead from the fatigues of active service; the old waxhaw meeting-house, a temporary hospital, through which he wanders, is crowded with the wounded and dying, whose condition moves him to tears, and fills him with melancholy impressions of the horrors of war, coupled with a deepening sense of english cruelty and oppression, of which he had before heard in the tales of his mother and her kindred about the old country from which they had fled; while, finally, he himself, but little more than thirteen years of age, in company with a brother robert, takes up arms, is made a prisoner, suffers severely from wounds and the smallpox of the jail, loses first his brother by that disease, and then his mother by a fever caught on board a prison-ship, whither she had gone to nurse some captive friends, and is thus left alone in the world, the only one of all his family spared by the enemy. we should next see the friendless, portionless orphan wending his solitary way through the immense forests of the far west, (now the state of tennessee), where the settlements were hundreds of miles from each other, while every tree and rock sheltered an enemy in the shape of some grisly animal, or the person of a more savage indian. but he succeeds in crossing the mountains, he reaches the infant villages on the cumberland river, he studies and practises the rude law of those distant regions, takes part in all the wild vicissitudes of frontier life, repels the red man, fights duels with the white, encounters in deadly feuds the turbulent spirits of a half-barbarous society, administers justice in almost extemporized courts, helps to frame a regular state constitution, marries a wife as chivalric, noble, and fearless as himself, and at last, when society is reduced to some order, is chosen a representative of the backwoods in the congress at washington. arrived at the seat of government, a tall, thin, uncouth figure, with no words to express himself in, and apparently without ambition,--he yet shows himself, with all his wild western coarseness, a man of insight and decision. he made no speeches, he drew up no reports, he created no sensation in the committee-room, or the lobbies,--he was not at all known, as a leader or a prominent individual, but he was one of the twelve democrats of the house, who dared to oppose returning an answer to washington's last address, when the fame and the personal influence of that exalted man were almost omnipotent. he doubtless estimated the services and the character of washington as highly as any member, but the measures of the administration his judgment did not approve, and he voted as he thought--a silent uncultivated representative,--odd in his dress and look, but with grit in him, not appalled even by the stupendous greatness of washington! on the other hand, he saw in jefferson a man for the times; became his friend, voted for him, and helped his state to vote for him as the second president. in the next phases of his life we discover jackson, as the dignified and impartial judge, asserting the law in the face of a powerful combination of interested opponents; as the retired and prosperous planter, gathering together a large estate, which he surrounds with the comforts and luxuries of a refined existence, but sells at once when a friend's misfortunes involves him in debt, and retires to a primitive log cabin to commence his fortunes once more; as an indian fighter achieving amid hardships of all kinds--the want of funds, the inclemency of the season, the ravages of disease, the unskilfulness of superiors, the insubordination of troops--a series of brilliant victories that made his name a terror to the creeks and all their confederates. his campaign in the floridas broke the power of the indians, secretly in league with the british, forced them into a treaty, and wrested pensacola from the possession of the spanish governor, who had basely violated his neutrality, and who, when he wished to negotiate, was answered by jackson, "my diplomacy is in the mouths of my cannon." but a different foe and a wider theatre awaited the display of his military genius at new orleans. worn down with sickness and exhaustion, with raw and undisciplined troops--many of them the mere rabble of the wharves, and some of them buccaneers from neighboring islands--scantily supplied with arms and ammunition, in the midst of a mixed population of different tongues, where attachment to his cause was doubtful, continually agitated by gloomy forebodings of the result, though outwardly serene, he was surrounded by the flower of the british army, led by its most brave and accomplished generals. the attack commenced: from his breastwork of cotton bales his unerring rifles poured a continuous flame of fire. the enemy quailed: its leaders were killed or wounded; and the greatest victory of the war crowned the exertions of jackson as the greatest military genius of his time. a universal glow of joy and gratitude spread from the liberated city over the whole land; _te deums_ were sung in the churches; children robed in white strewed his way with flowers; the nation jubilantly uttered its admiration and gratitude. it was thus the desolated orphan of the carolinas avenged the wrongs of his family, and asserted the rights of his country, to the lasting dishonor of great britain. years pass on, and we see the successful general the president of the people, engaged once more in a fearful struggle; this time not against a foreign foe, but with an internal enemy of vast power and tremendous means of mischief. he is fighting the monster bank--another st. george gallantly charging another dragon--and, as usual, comes out of the contest victorious. the innumerable army of money-changers, wielding a power as formidable, though unseen, as that of an absolute monarch, is routed amid a horrible clangor of metal and rancorous hisses. the great true man, sustained by an honest people, was greater than the power of money. he wrought the salvation of his country from a hideous corruption--from bankruptcy, disgrace, and long years of political subjection. his near posterity has recognized the service, and placed him among the most illustrious of statesmen. finally, we see the patriot soldier and civilian, a bowed and white-haired old man, in his secluded hermitage, which is situated near the scenes of his earliest labors and triumphs. the companion of his love, who had shared in his struggles, but was not permitted to share in his latest glory, is with him no more; children they had none; and he moves tranquilly towards his grave alone. no! not alone: for travellers from all lands visit his retreat, to gaze upon his venerable form; his countrymen throng his doors, to gather wisdom from his sayings,--his friends and neighbors almost worship him, and an adopted family bask in the benignant goodness of his noble heart--his great mind, too, "beaming in mildest mellow splendor, beaming if also trembling, like a great sun on the verge of the horizon, near now to its long farewell." thus, the orphan, the emigrant, the indian fighter, the conquering general, the popular president, the venerated patriarch, goes to the repose of the humble christian. what were the sources of jackson's pre-eminent greatness, of his invariable success, of his resistless personal influence, of his deep hold upon the minds of his fellows? he was no orator, he was no writer, he had in fact no faculty of expression, he was unsustained by wealth, he never courted the multitude, he relied upon no external assistances. what he did, he achieved for himself, without aid, directly, and by the mere force of his own nature. neither education, nor family, nor the accidents of fortune, nor the friendship of the powerful, helped to raise him aloft, and push him forward in his career. the secret of his elevation, then, was this,--that he saw the right and loved it, and was never afraid to pursue it, against all the allurements of personal ambition, and all the hostility of the banded sons of error. there have been many men of a larger reach and compass of mind, and some of a keener insight and sagacity, but none, of a more stern, inflexible, self-sacrificing devotion to what they esteemed to be true. he carried his life in his hand, ready to be thrown away at the call of honor or patriotism, and it was this unswerving integrity, which commended him so strongly to the affections of the masses. whatever men may be in themselves, their hearts are always prone to do homage to honesty. they love those whom they can trust, or only hate them, because their justice and truth stands in the way of some cherished, selfish object. jackson's will was imperious; the report does not follow the flash more rapidly than his execution of a deed followed the conception of it; or rather his thought and his act were an instinctive, instantaneous, inseparable unity. like a good marksman, as soon as he saw his object he fired, and generally with effect. this impulsive decision gave rise to some over-hasty and precipitate movements, but, in the main, was correct. what politicians, therefore, could only accomplish if at all by a slow and cunning process of intrigue, what diplomatists reached by long-winded negotiations, he marched to, without indirection, with his eye always on the point, and his whole body following the lead of the eye. we do not mean that he was utterly without subtlety,--for some subtlety is necessary to the most ordinary prudence, and is particularly necessary to the forecast of generalship,--but simply that he never dissimulated, never assumed disguise, never carried water on both shoulders, as the homely phrase has it, and never went around an obstacle, when he could level it, or push it out of the way. the foxy or feline element was small in a nature, into which so much magnanimity, supposed to be lionlike, entered. the popular opinion of jackson was, that he was an exceedingly irascible person, his mislikers even painting him as liable to fits of roaring and raving anger, when he flung about him like a maniac; but his intimate friends, who occupied the same house with him for years, inform us that they never experienced any of these strong gusts; that, though sensitive to opposition, impatient of restraint, quick to resent injuries, and impetuous in his advance towards his ends, he was yet gentle, kindly, placable, faithful to friends and forgiving to foes, a lover of children and women, only unrelenting when his quarry happened to be meanness, fraud or tyranny. his affections were particularly tender and strong; he could scarcely be made to believe any thing to the disadvantage of those he had once liked, while his reconciliations with those he had disliked, once effected, were frank, cordial and sincere. colonel benton, who was once an enemy, but afterwards a friend of many years, gives us this sketch of some of his leading characteristics: "he was a careful farmer, overlooking every thing himself, seeing that the fields and fences were in good order, the stock well attended, and the slaves comfortably provided for. his house was the seat of hospitality, the resort of friends and acquaintances, and of all strangers visiting the state--and the more agreeable to all from the perfect conformity of mrs. jackson's disposition to his own. but he needed some excitement beyond that which a farming life could afford, and found it for some years in the animating sports of the turf. he loved fine horses--racers of speed and bottom--owned several--and contested the four mile heats with the best that could be bred, or bought, or brought to the state, and for large sums. that is the nearest to gaming that i ever knew him to come. cards and the cock-pit have been imputed to him, but most erroneously. i never saw him engaged in either. duels were usual in that time, and he had his share of them, with their unpleasant concomitants; but they passed away with all their animosities, and he has often been seen zealously pressing the advancement of those, against whom he had but lately been arrayed in deadly hostility. his temper was placable, as well as irascible, and his reconciliations were cordial and sincere. of that, my own case was a signal instance. there was a deep-seated vein of piety in him, unaffectedly showing itself in his reverence for divine worship, respect for the ministers of the gospel, their hospitable reception in his house, and constant encouragement of all the pious tendencies of mrs. jackson. and when they both afterwards became members of a church, it was the natural and regular result of their early and cherished feelings. he was gentle in his house, and alive to the tenderest emotions; and of this i can give an instance, greatly in contrast with his supposed character, and worth more than a long discourse in showing what that character really was. i arrived at his house one wet, chilly evening in february, and came upon him in the twilight, sitting alone before the fire, a lamb and a child between his knees. he started a little, called a servant to remove the two innocents to another room, and explained to me how it was. the child had cried because the lamb was out in the cold, and begged him to bring it in--which he had done to please the child, his adopted son, then not two years old. the ferocious man does not do that! and though jackson had his passions and his violences, they were for men and enemies--those who stood up against him--and not for women and children, or the weak and helpless, for all of whom his feelings were those of protection and support. his hospitality was active as well as cordial, embracing the worthy in every walk of life, and seeking out deserving objects to receive it, no matter how obscure. of this i learned a characteristic instance, in relation to the son of the famous daniel boone. the young man had come to nashville on his father's business, to be detained some weeks, and had his lodgings at a small tavern, towards the lower part of the town. general jackson heard of it--sought him out--found him, took him home to remain as long as his business detained him in the country, saying, 'your father's dog should not stay in a tavern while i have a house.' this was heart! and i had it from the young man himself, long after, when he was a state senator of the general assembly of missouri, and as such nominated me for the united states senate at my first election in --his name was benton boone, and so named after my father. abhorrence of debt, public and private, dislike of banks and love of hard money--love of justice, and love of country, were ruling passions with jackson; and of these he gave constant evidences in all the situations of his life." the same distinguished authority has drawn a picture of jackson's retirement from the presidency, with which we close our remarks: "the second and last term of general jackson's presidency expired on the d of march, . the next day at twelve he appeared with his successor, mr. van buren, on the elevated and spacious eastern portico of the capitol, as one of the citizens who came to witness the inauguration of the new president, and no way distinguished from them, except by his place on the left hand of the president-elect. the day was beautiful: clear sky, balmy vernal sun, tranquil atmosphere; and the assemblage immense. on foot, in the large area in front of the steps, orderly without troops, and closely wedged together, their faces turned to the portico--presenting to the beholders from all the eastern windows the appearance of a field paved with human faces--this vast crowd remained riveted to their places, and profoundly silent, until the ceremony of inauguration was over. it was the stillness and silence of reverence and affection, and there was no room for mistake as to whom this mute and impressive homage was rendered. for once the rising was eclipsed by the setting sun. though disrobed of power, and retiring to the shades of private life, it was evident that the great ex-president was the absorbing object of this intense regard. at the moment that he began to descend the broad steps of the portico to take his seat in the open carriage that was to bear him away, the deep, repressed feeling of the dense mass broke forth, acclamations and cheers bursting from the heart and filling the air, such as power never commanded, nor man in power ever received. it was the affection, gratitude, and admiration of the living age, saluting for the last time a great man. it was the acclaim of posterity breaking from the bosoms of contemporaries. it was the anticipation of futurity--unpurchasable homage to the hero-patriot who, all his life, and in all the circumstances of his life--in peace and in war, and glorious in each--had been the friend of his country, devoted to her, regardless of self. uncovered and bowing, with a look of unaffected humility and thankfulness, he acknowledged in mute signs his deep sensibility to this affecting overflow of popular feeling. i was looking down from a side window, and felt an emotion which had never passed through me before. i had seen the inauguration of many presidents, and their going away, and their days of state, vested with power, and surrounded by the splendors of the first magistracy of a great republic; but they all appeared to me as pageants, brief to the view, unreal to the touch, and soon to vanish. but here there seemed to be a reality--a real scene--a man and the people: he, laying down power and withdrawing through the portals of everlasting fame; they, sounding in his ears the everlasting plaudits of unborn generations. two days after i saw the patriot ex-president in the car which bore him off to his desired seclusion: i saw him depart with that look of quiet enjoyment which bespoke the inward satisfaction of the soul at exchanging the cares of office for the repose of home. =king.= [illustration: king fac-simile of letter] [illustration: rufus king's house, near jamaica, l.i.] rufus king. when in the year , after having served his native country with distinguished ability for more than seven years as minister plenipotentiary of the united states at the court of st. james, rufus king returned to new-york, the city of his adoption, he found his political friends in a hopeless minority, and the rule of party absolute, exclusive, and even vindictive. mr. king had trained himself from early life to the duties of a statesman, and to that end neglected no study, and above all, no self-discipline that might qualify him for the career he desired to pursue. after serving several years as a delegate from massachusetts in the continental congress (from to ), and having, as a member of the convention called for the purpose, been actively instrumental in forming the constitution of the united states, mr. king became in a resident of the city of new-york, where he had married two years before, mary, the only child of john alsop, a retired merchant of that city. mr. king was much known in new-york, for the continental congress during his term of service held its sessions there; and the character he had established for himself on the score of talent and capacity, may be estimated by the fact, that he, with general schuyler for a colleague, was selected as one of the first senators of the united states from the state of new-york, under the new constitution. his services proved so acceptable, that on the expiration of his first term, in , he was re-elected, and it was in the second year of his second term--in , that he was appointed by washington minister to england. in that post mr. king continued throughout the residue of general washington's administration, through the whole of that of john adams, and, at the request of president jefferson, through two years of his administration, when, having accomplished the negotiations he had in hand, mr. king asked to be, and was, recalled. during this long residence abroad, remote from the scene of the angry partisan politics which disturbed the close of washington's term, and the whole of that of mr. adams, and which resulted, in , in the entire overthrow of the old federal party, and the success of mr. jefferson and the republican party--mr. king had devoted his labors, his time and his talents, to the service of his whole country, and was little prepared, therefore, either by taste or temper, for participation in the angry broils which, on his return home, he found prevailing throughout the union. adhering, as he did to the end, to the political principles of his early life, he never doubted, nor saw occasion to change the faith which had made him a federalist, when the name included the telfairs and habershams of georgia, the pinkneys and rutledges of south carolina, the davieses and the sitgreaves of north carolina, the washingtons and the marshalls of virginia, the carrolls and the hindmans of maryland, the bayards and the kearnys of delaware, the tilghmans and the binghams of pennsylvania, the patersons and the stocktons of new jersey, the jays and hamiltons of new-york, the woolcots and the johnsons of connecticut, the ellerys and howells of rhode island, the adamses and otises of massachusetts, the smiths and gilmans of new hampshire, the tichenors and chittendens of vermont. but that faith was now in "dim eclipse." the popular air was in another direction, and mr. king was of too lofty a character to trim his bark to the veering breeze. having acquired, or rather confirmed by his residence in england (where country life is better understood and more thoroughly enjoyed, probably, than any where else) a decided taste for the country mr. king soon determined to abandon the city, where--having no professional pursuits nor stated occupation--he found few attractions, and make his permanent abode in the country. after looking at many points on the hudson river and on the sound, he finally established himself at the village of jamaica, in queens county, long island, distant about twelve miles from the city of new-york. in comparison with some of the places which he had examined on the waters of the sound and the north river, jamaica offered few inducements of scenery or landscape. but it did offer what to him, and especially to his wife, were all-important considerations--proverbial healthiness, and ready access to church, schools and physicians. mrs. king's health was already drooping, and from the quiet, regular life of the country, its pure air, and the outdoor exercise to which it leads, and of which she was so fond, the hope was indulged that she might be completely restored. the property purchased by mr. king, consisting of a well-built, comfortable and roomy house, with about ninety acres of land, is situated a little to the west of the village, on the great high road of the island from west to east. it is a dead level, of a warm and quick soil, readily fertilized, the ridge or back-bone of long island bounding it on the north. he removed his family thither in the spring of , and at once commenced those alterations and improvements which have made it what it now is--a very pretty and attractive residence for any one who finds delight in fine trees, varied shrubbery, a well cultivated soil, and the comforts of a large house, every part of which is meant for use, and none of it for show. when mr. king took possession of his purchase, the house, grounds and fences were after the uniform pattern, then almost universal in the region. he soon changed and greatly improved all. the house, fronting south, was in a bare field, about one hundred yards back from the road, and separated from it by a white picket fence. a narrow gravel path led in a straight line from a little gate, down to the door of the house, while further to the east was the gate, through which, on another straight line, running down by the side of the house, was the entrance for carriages and horses. two horse-chestnut trees, one east and the other west of the house, and about thirty feet from it, were, with the exception of some old apple trees, the only trees on the place; and the blazing sun of summer, and the abundant dust of the high road at all seasons, had unobstructed sweep over the house and lawn, or what was to become a lawn. not a shrub or bush was interposed between the house and the fence, to secure any thing like privacy to the abode. on the contrary, it seemed to be the taste of the day to leave every thing open to the gaze of the wayfarers, and in turn to expose those wayfarers, their equipages, and their doings, to the inspection of the inmates of all roadside houses. mr. king, who had cultivated the study of botany, and was a genuine admirer of trees, soon went to work in embellishing the place which was to be his future home, and in this he was warmly seconded by the taste of mrs. king. the first step was, to change the approach to the house, from a straight to a circular walk, broad and well rolled; then to plant out the high road. accordingly, a belt of from twenty to thirty feet in width along the whole front of the ground, was prepared by proper digging and manuring, for the reception of shrubs and trees; and time and money were liberally applied, but with wise discrimination as to the adaptedness to the soil and climate, of the plants to be introduced. from the state of new hampshire, through the careful agency of his friend, mr. sheaffe of portsmouth, who was vigilant to have them properly procured, packed, and expedited to jamaica, mr. king received the pines and firs which, now very large trees, adorn the grounds. they were, it is believed, among the first, if not the first trees of this kind introduced into this part of long island, and none of the sort were then to be found in the nurseries at flushing. some acorns planted near the house in , are now large trees. mr. king indeed planted, as the romans builded--"for posterity and the immortal gods," for to his eldest son, now occupying the residence of his father, he said, in putting into the ground an acorn of the red oak--"if you live to be as old as i am, you will see here a large tree;" and, in fact, a noble, lofty, well-proportioned red oak now flourishes there, to delight with its wide-branching beauty, its grateful shade, and more grateful associations, not the children only, but the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of him who planted the acorn. mr. king possessed, in a remarkable degree, all the tastes that fit one for the enjoyment of country life. he had a large and well selected library, particularly rich in its books relating to the americas, and this library remains unbroken. with these true, tried, unwavering and unwearying friends--and such good books are--mr. king spent much time; varying, however, his studious labors with outdoor exercise on horseback, to which he was much addicted; and in judgment of the qualities, as well as in the graceful management of a horse, he was rarely excelled. he loved, too, his gun and dog; was rather a keen sportsman, and good shot; though often, when the pointer was hot upon the game, his master's attention would be diverted by some rare or beautiful shrub or flower upon which his eye happened to light, and of which--if not the proper season for transplanting it into his border--he would carefully mark the place and make a memorandum thereof, so as to be enabled to return at the fitting time, and secure his prize. in this way he had collected in his shrubberies all the pretty flowering shrubs and plants indigenous to the neighborhood, adding thereto such strangers as he could naturalize; so that during a visit made to him many years after he began his plantation, by the _abbé corréa_, then minister from portugal to this government, but even more distinguished as a man of letters, and particularly as a botanist--the learned abbé said he could almost study the _flowers_ and the _trees_ of the central and eastern portion of the united states in these grounds. mr. king loved, too, the song of birds--and his taste was rewarded by the number of them which took shelter in this secure and shady plantation, where no guns were ever allowed to be fired, nor trap nor snare to be set. the garden and the farm also came in for their share of interest and attention; and nowhere did care judiciously bestowed, and expenditure wisely ordered, produce more sure or gratifying results. about the year mr. king turned his attention to the importation of some cattle of the north devon breed. in the preceding year he received as a token of a friendship contracted during his residence in england, from mr. coke of holkham (the great english commoner, and warm friend of america in the revolutionary contest, and always interested in whatever might promote the welfare of the people in whose early struggle for their rights he had sympathized), two beautiful cows of the north devon breed, as being particularly adapted, as mr. coke supposed, to the light, level soil of the southern slope of long island,--similar in these qualities to that of his own magnificent domain at holkham, in norfolk. mr. king was so much pleased with these animals, so beautiful in themselves, of a uniform mahogany color, with no white marks, finely limbed almost as deer, with regularly curved and tapering horns, of extreme docility, and easily kept, that in he imported several more, and was thus enabled to preserve the race in purity, and measurably to supply the demand for the pure stock, which is now widely scattered throughout the country. while thus enjoying with the real zest of a cultivated mind, and of a disposition keenly alive to the aspect, the voices and the beauties of nature, the pleasures of a country life; mr. king was not unmindful of, nor indifferent to the great and interesting contemporaneous drama of politics, which, although mainly played out in europe, swept our republic too at last into its vortex. his early training, early instruction, and early and eminent successes in public life, made it alike unsuitable and impossible for him to withdraw himself wholly from the scene. and accordingly, although never in the whole course of his life seeking office, or putting himself forward, mr. king was frequently appealed to, in his retirement, by political friends, sometimes consulted by political opponents,--while he was in the habit of receiving with elegant and cordial hospitality at jamaica, distinguished visitors, both of his own country, and from abroad. among such visitors was the abbé corréa, as already stated, about the period when, as secretary of state to president monroe, john quincy adams was asserting in his correspondence with the english minister the right of the united states to the free navigation of the st. lawrence. after discussing with mr king in the library, the points of international law brought up by this claim,--in the course of which, somewhat to the surprise of the abbé, mr. king evinced entire familiarity with the analogous points brought up and settled, as regards european rivers, in the then recently held congress of vienna; and maintained the position, that what was law between states in europe conterminous to great navigable streams, must be law here; and that what great britain had assented to, and had joined in requiring others to assent to, in respect to the rhine, she must assent to in respect to the st. lawrence,--the abbé proposed a walk in the grounds, and once there, laying aside politics, diplomacy, and international law, the two statesmen were soon very deep in botany and the system of linnæus, and agriculture, and in all the cognate questions of climate, soils, manures, &c., and seemed quite as eager in these pursuits, as in those grave and more solemn questions of state policy, which occupy, but do not, in the same degree, innocently and surely reward the attention and interest of public men. it was on occasion of this visit, that the abbé corréa expressed his gratification at finding in the plantation of mr. king so large a collection of the plants and shrubs indigenous to that part of our country,--a gratification enhanced, as he added, by the previous discussions in the library, in the course of which he had such demonstration of mr. king's varied and comprehensive, yet minute knowledge of the great public questions which had agitated europe, and of the more recent, as well as more ancient expositions of international law applicable thereto. previously to this period, however, mr. king had been recalled to public life. at the commencement of the war of with great britain, mr. king, though disapproving both of the time of declaring, and of the inefficiency in conducting, the war, and reposing little confidence either in the motives or the abilities of the administration, did nevertheless feel it his duty, the sword being drawn, to sustain, as best he might, the cause of his country. among the first, and for a time most discouraging results of the war, was the stoppage of specie payments by all the banks south of new england. the panic in new-york unavoidably was very great; and very much depended upon the course to be taken by its banks and its citizens, as to the effect to be produced upon the national cause and the national arm, by the suspension of payments. in this emergency, appealed to by his former fellow-citizens, mr. king went to the city, and at the tontine coffee house, at a general meeting called to deliberate on the course to be taken by the community in regard to the banks, and in general in regard to the rights and duties alike, of creditors and debtors under the circumstances, he made a speech to the assembled multitude, in which, after deploring the circumstances which had forced upon the banks the necessity of suspension, he went on to show that it was a common cause, in which all had a part, and where all had duties. that the extreme right of the bill-holder, if enforced to the uttermost against the banks, would aggravate the evil to the public, although possibly it might benefit a few individuals; while, on the other hand, good to all, and strength and confidence to the general cause, would result from a generous forbearance, and mutual understanding that, if the banks on their part would restrict themselves within the limits as to issues and credits recognized as safe previous to the suspension, the community at large on their part, might, and possibly would continue to receive and pass the bills of the banks as before, and as though redeemable in coin. he urged with great power and earnestness the duty of fellow-citizens to stand shoulder to shoulder in such an emergency,--when a foreign enemy was pressing upon them, and when, without entering into the motives or causes which led to the war, about which men differ,--all americans should feel it as their first and foremost obligation to stand by their country. the particular province of those he addressed was not so much to enlist in the armed service of the country, as to uphold its credit, and thus cherish the resources which would raise and reward armies; and if new-york should on this occasion be true to her duty--which also he plainly showed to be her highest interest--the clouds of the present would pass away, and her honor and her prosperity, with those of the nation of which she formed part and parcel, would be maintained and advanced. the effect of this address was decisive, and to an extent quite unprecedented in any commercial community under such circumstances; confidence was restored, and the course of business went on almost unruffled and undisturbed. in , mr. king, after a lapse of seventeen years from his former service as a senator of the united states, was again chosen by the legislature of the state of new-york, as one of its senators in congress; and from the moment he resumed his seat in the senate, he took leave, for the remainder of his life, of the undisturbed enjoyments of his rural abode; for a large portion of his time was necessarily spent at washington, it being part of his notion of duty, never to be remiss in attendance upon, or in the discharge of, any trust committed to him. still, his heart was among his plantations and his gardens, and even when absent, he kept up a constant correspondence with his son and his gardener, and always returned with fond zest to this quiet home. in , mrs. king, whose health had been long declining, died, and was buried with all simplicity in the yard of the village church; where together they long had worshipped, and which stood on ground originally forming part of mr. king's property. at the time of her death, all the children had left the paternal roof, and settled in life with their own families around them; and solitude, therefore, embittered the loss to mr. king of such a companion. and she was eminently fitted by similarity of tastes and acquirements, to share with her husband the cares and the pleasures of life, as well as its weightier duties. she was in an especial manner a lover of the country, and had cultivated the knowledge which lends additional charms to the beauties and the wonders of the vegetable creation. over all these beauties, her death cast a pall; and although he repined not, it was easy to see how deep a sorrow overshadowed his remaining years. yet he nerved himself to the discharge of his public duties with unabated zeal and fidelity; and when re-elected in to the senate, was punctual as always at his post, and earnest as ever in fulfilling all its requirements. his own health, however, before so unshaken, began to fail; and at the closing session of , mr. king, in taking leave of the senate, announced his purpose of retiring from public life; having then reached the age of seventy years, of which more than one half had been spent in the service of his country, from the period when he entered the continental congress in , to that in which he left the senate of the united states in . but john q. adams, who had become president, pressed upon mr. king the embassy to england. his enfeebled health and advanced age induced him at once to decline, but mr. adams urged him to refrain from any immediate decision, and to take the subject into consideration after he should return home, and then determine. recalling with lively and pleasant recollection the years of his former embassy to england, and hoping assuredly to be able--if finding there the same fair and friendly reception before extended to him--to benefit his country by the adjustment of some outstanding and long-standing points of controversy between the two nations; influenced too, in a great degree, by the opinion, of eminent physicians, that for maladies partaking of weakness, such as he was laboring under, a sea-voyage could hardly fail to be beneficial, mr. king, rather in opposition to the wishes of his family, determined to accept the mission,--first stipulating, however, that his eldest son, john a. king, should accompany him as secretary of legation. it is proof of the strong desire of the then administration to avail of mr. king's talents and character, and of the hope of good from his employment in this mission, that an immediate compliance with this request was made; and the gentleman who had been previously nominated to, and confirmed by, the senate, as secretary of legation, having been commissioned elsewhere, mr. john a. king was appointed secretary of legation to his father. the voyage, unhappily, aggravated rather than relieved the malady of mr. king; his health, after he reached england, continued to decline, and he therefore, after a few months' residence in london, asked leave to resign his post and come home. he returned accordingly, but only to die. he languished for some weeks, and finally, having been removed from jamaica to the city for greater convenience of attendance and care, he died in new-york, on the th of april, . as with mrs. king, so with him--in conformity with the unaffected simplicity of their whole lives--were the funeral rites at his death. borne to jamaica, which for more than twenty years had been his home, the body was carried to the grave by the neighbors among whom he had so long lived,--laid in the earth by the side of her who had gone before him, to be no more separated for ever; and a simple stone at the head of his grave, records--and the loftiest monument of art could do no more--that a great and a good man, having finished his course in faith, there awaits the great judgment. children, and grandchildren, have since been gathered in death around these graves, which lie almost beneath the shadow of trees planted by mr. king, and within sight of the house in which he lived. it was desired, if possible, to introduce a glimpse of the pretty village church into the engraving, but the space was wanting. mr. john a. king, the eldest son of rufus king, now occupies the residence of his father, and keeps up, with filial reverence and inherited taste, its fine library, and its fine plantations. the engraving presents very accurately the appearance of the house; the closely shaven lawn in its front, and the noble trees which surround it, could find no adequate representation in any picture. =clay.= [illustration: clay fac-simile of letter] [illustration: ashland, residence of henry clay] clay. the dryads are plainly no american divinities. a reverence for trees and groves, for woods and forests, is not an american passion. as our fathers and many of ourselves have spent the best of our strength in wrestling with, prostrating, using up the leaf-crowned monarchs, gray with the moss of age ere columbus set foot on cat island, to expect us to love and honor their quiet majesty, their stately grace, were like asking natty bumpo or leather-stocking to bow down to and worship pontiac or brandt, as the highest ideal of manhood. an uncouth backwoodsman lately stated our difficulty with immediate reference to another case, but the principle is identical: "when i was a boy," said he, plaintively, "it was the rule to love rum, and hate niggers; now they want us to hate rum, and love niggers: for my part, i stick to the old discipline." and so it were unreasonable to expect the mass of americans now living, to go into heroics over the prospect of a comely and comfortable mansion, surrounded by a spacious lawn or "opening" of luxuriant grass, embracing the roots and lightly shaded by the foliage of thrifty and shapely trees. why is it, then, that the american's pulse beats quicker, and his heart throbs more proudly as, walking slowly and thoughtfully up a noble avenue that leads easterly from lexington,--once the capital and still the most important inland town in kentucky,--he finds the road terminating abruptly in front of a modest, spacious, agreeable mansion, only two stories in height, and of no great architectural pretensions, and remembers who caused its erection, and was for many years its owner and master? that house, that lawn, with the ample and fertile farm stretching a mile or more in the distance behind them, are hallowed to the hearts of his countrymen by the fact, that here lived and loved, enjoyed and suffered, aspired and endured, the orator, the patriot, the statesman, the illustrious, the gifted, the fiercely slandered, the fondly idolized henry clay. a friend who visited ashland as a stranger in may, , thus writes of the place and its master: "i have at last realized one of my dearest wishes, that of seeing mr. clay at ashland. i called on him with a friend this morning, but he was absent on his farm, and charles, his freed slave, told us he would not be at home till afternoon; so we returned to lexington, and, at five p.m., we retraced our steps to ashland. mr. clay had returned; and meeting us at the door, took hold of our hands before i could even present a letter of introduction, and made us welcome to his home. his manners completely overcame all the ceremonies of speech i had prepared. we were soon perfectly at home, as every one must be with henry clay, and in half an hour's time we had talked about the various sections of the country i had visited the past year, mr. clay occasionally giving us incidents and recollections of his own life; and i felt as though i had known him personally for years. "mr. clay has lived at ashland forty years. the place bore the name when he came to it, as he says, probably on account of the ash timber, with which it abounds; and he has made it the most delightful retreat in all the west. the estate is about six hundred acres large, all under the highest cultivation, except some two hundred acres of park, which is entirely cleared of underbrush and small trees, and is, to use the words of lord morpeth, who staid at ashland nearly a week, the nearest approach to an english park of any in this country. it serves for a noble pasture, and here i saw some of mr. clay's fine horses and durham cattle. he is said to have some of the finest in america; and if i am able to judge i confirm that report. the larger part of his farm is devoted to wheat, rye, hemp, &c., and his crops look most splendidly. he has also paid great attention to ornamenting his land with beautiful shade trees, shrubs, flowers, and fruit orchards. from the road which passes his place on the northwest side, a carriage-road leads up to the house, lined with locust, cypress, cedar, and other rare trees, and the rose, jasmine, and ivy, were clambering about them, and peeping through the grass and the boughs, like so many twinkling fairies, as we drove up. mr clay's mansion is nearly hidden from the road by the trees surrounding it, and is as quiet and secluded, save to the throng of pilgrims continually pouring up there to greet its more than royal possessor, as though it were in the wilderness." here let the house, the lawn, the wood, the farm, pass, if they will, from the mind. they are all well in their way, and were doubtless well adapted in his time to smooth the care-worn brow, and soothe the care-fraught breast of the lofty, gallant, frank, winning statesman, who gave and still gives them all their interest. be our thoughts concentrated on him who still lives, and speaks, and sways, though the clay which enrobed him has been hid from our sight for ever, rather than on the physical accessories which, but for him, though living to the corporal sense, are dead to the informing soul. for it was not here, in this comfortable mansion, beneath those graceful, hospitable, swaying trees, that the great commoner was born and reared; but in a rude, homely farm-house,[ ] which had any man given five hundred dollars for, he would have been enormously swindled, unless he paid in continental money,--in a primitive, rural, thinly peopled section of hanover county (near richmond), virginia; where his father, rev. john clay, a poor baptist preacher, lived, and struggled, and finally died, leaving a widow and seven young children, with no reliance but the mother's energies and the benignant care of the widow's and orphan's god. this was in , near the close of the revolutionary war, when so much of the country as had not been ravaged by the enemy's forces, had been nearly exhausted by our own, and by the incessant exactions of a protracted, harassing, desolating, industry-paralyzing civil war. the fifth of these seven children was henry, born on the th of april, , who remained in that humble home until fourteen years of age, when his mother, who had married a second time, being about to remove to kentucky, placed him in a store at richmond, under the eye of his oldest brother, then nearly or quite of age, but who died very soon afterwards, leaving henry an orphan indeed. he was thus thrown completely on his own exertions, when still but a child, and without having enjoyed any other educational advantages than such as were fitfully afforded by occasional private schools, in operation perhaps two or three months in a year, and kept by teachers somewhat ruder than the log tenement which circumscribed their labors. such was all the "schooling" ever enjoyed by the ragged urchin, whose bright summer days were necessarily given to ploughing and hoeing in the corn-fields, barefoot, bareheaded, and clad in coarse trowsers and shirt, and whose daily tasks were diversified by frequent rides of two or three miles to the nearest grist-mill, on a sorry cob, bestrode with no other saddle than the grain-bag; whence many of his childhood's neighbors, contrasting, long afterward, the figure he cut in congress, at ghent, in paris or london, with that which they had seen so often pass in scanty garb, but jocund spirits, on these family errands, recalled him to mind in his primitive occupation as _the mill-boy of the slashes_, by which _sobriquet_ he was fondly hailed by thousands in the pride of his ripened renown. forty-five years after his childish farewell to it, henry clay stood once more (in ), and for the last time, in the humble home of his fathers, and was rejoiced to find the house where he was born and reared, still essentially unchanged. venerable grandames, who were blooming matrons in his infancy, had long since indicated to their sons and daughters the room wherein he was born; and the spring whence the family had drawn their supplies of water wore a familiar aspect, though the hickory which formerly shaded it, and was noted for the excellence of its nuts, had passed away. over the graves of his father and grandparents the plough had passed and repassed for years, and he only fixed their position by the decaying stump of a pear-tree, which had flourished in his childhood, and often ministered to his gratification. beyond these, nothing answered to the picture in his memory, and he would not have recognized the spot, had he awoke there unconscious of the preceding journey. familiar groves and orchards had passed away, while pines which he left shrubs, just dotting with perennial green the surface of the exhausted "old fields," unhappily too common throughout the southern states, had grown up into dense and towering forests, which waved him a stately adieu, as he turned back refreshed and calmed, to the heated and dusty highway of public life. the boy henry, spent five years in richmond,--only the first in the store where his mother had placed him; three of the others in the office of mr. clerk-in-chancery peter tinsley; the last in that of attorney-general brooke. from mr. tinsley, he learned to write a remarkably plain, neat, and elegant hand,--more like a schoolmistress's best, than a great lawyer and politician, and this characteristic it retained to the last. from mr. tinsley, mr. brooke, and perhaps still more from the illustrious chancellor wythe, who employed him as his amanuensis, and repaid him with his friendship and counsel, young clay derived his knowledge of the principles of common law, whereof he was, all his life, a devoted champion. at length, in november, , when still lacking some months of his legal majority, he left richmond and virginia, for the location he had chosen--namely, the thriving village of lexington, in the then rapidly growing territory of kentucky--the home of his eventful adult life of more than half a century. how he here was early recognized and honored as a man of the people, and rapidly chosen ( ) member of the legislature, once ( ) appointed to fill a vacancy in the united states senate, and soon after ( ) elected out of, and by the legislature, to fill another and longer vacancy in that same dignified body; chosen in a member of the more popular branch of congress, and, immediately on his appearance on its floor, elected its speaker--probably the highest compliment ever paid to a public man in this country--appointed thence ( ) a plenipotentiary to göttingen (afterwards changed to ghent), to negotiate a treaty of peace with great britain, which was signed near the close of that year; re-elected, immediately on his return, to a seat in the house, and to the speakership, which he retained thenceforth (except during a temporary retirement from public life, rendered necessary by heavy pecuniary losses as an indorser), down to march d, , when he finally retired from the house on being appointed secretary of state by president john q. adams; quitting this station for private life on the inauguration of president jackson in , returning to the senate in , and continuing one of its most eminent and influential members till , when he retired, as he supposed for ever; but was returned, by an unanimous vote of the legislature, in , and dying a senator in washington on the th of june, , aged more than seventy-five years, of which more than half had been spent in the public service, and nearly all, since his majority, in active, ardent, anxious familiarity with public men and public measures,--this is no place to set forth in detail. the merest glance is all we can give to the public, official career of henry clay. for our business is not here with tariffs, banks, vetoes, and presidential contests or aspirations. our theme is the _man_ henry clay,--what he was intrinsically, and in his daily dealings with, and deportment toward, his fellow-beings. if there be a better mode of developing his character than plutarch's, we have not now time to ascertain and employ it, so we must e'en be content with that. a tall, plain, poor, friendless youth, was young henry, when he set up his ebenezer in lexington, and, after a few months' preliminary study, announced himself a candidate for practice as an attorney. he had not even the means of paying his weekly board. "i remember," he observed in his lexington speech of , "how comfortable i thought i should be, if i could make £ virginia money, per year; and with what delight i received my first fifteen shilling fee. my hopes were more than realized. i immediately rushed into a lucrative practice." local tradition affirms that the bar of lexington, being unusually strong when mr. clay first appeared thereat, an understanding had grown up among the seniors, that they would systematically discountenance the advent of any new aspirants, so as to keep the business remunerating, and preserve each other from the peril of being starved out. it was some time, therefore, before young clay obtained a case to manage in court; and when he did appear there, the old heads greeted the outset of his argument with winks, and nods, and meaning smiles, and titters, intended to disconcert and embarrass him. so they did for a few minutes; but they soon exasperated and roused him. his eyes flashed, and sentence after sentence came pouring rapidly out, replete with the fire of eloquence and genius. at length, one of the old heads leaned across the table and whispered to another, "_i think we must let this young man pass._" of course they must!--the case was as plain as the portliest of noses on the most rubicund of faces. henry clay passed, _nem. con._, and his position and success at that bar were never more disputed nor doubted. general cass, in his remarks in the senate on the occasion of mr. clay's death, has the following interesting reminiscence: "it is almost half a century since he passed through chilicothe, then the seat of government of ohio, where i was a member of the legislature, on his way to take his place in this very body, which is now listening to this reminiscence, and to a feeble tribute of regard from one who then saw him for the first time, but who can never forget the impression he produced by the charms of his conversation, the frankness of his manner, and the high qualities with which he was endowed." that an untaught, portionless rustic, reared not only in one of the rudest localities, but in the most troublous and critical era of our country, when the general poverty and insecurity rendered any attention to personal culture difficult, almost impossible, and graduating from a log school-house, should have been celebrated for the union in his manners, of grace with frankness, ease with fascination, is not unworthy of remark. of the fact, those who never knew mr. clay personally, may have abundant attestations, which none others will need. while in europe as a negotiator for peace with great britain, mr. clay was brought into immediate and familiar contact, not only with his associates, the urbane and cultivated john quincy adams, whose life had been divided between seminaries and courts; the philosophic gallatin and the chivalric bayard, but also with the noble and aristocratic commissioners of great britain, and with many others of like breeding and position, to whom the importance of their mission, its protracted labors and its successful result, commended our plenipotentiaries. a single anecdote will illustrate the impression he every where produced. an octogenarian british earl, who had retired from public life because of his years, but who still cherished a natural interest in public men and measures, being struck by the impression made in the aristocratic circles of london by the american commissioners, then on their way home from ghent, requested a friend to bring them to see him at his house, to which his growing infirmities confined him. the visit was promptly and cheerfully paid, and the obliging friend afterwards inquired of the old lord as to the impression the americans had made upon him. "ah!" said the veteran, with the "light of other days" gleaming from his eyes, "i liked them all, but _i liked the kentucky man best_." it was so every where. one specimen has been preserved of mr. clay's felicity of repartee and charm of conversation, as exhibited while in paris, immediately after the conclusion of peace at ghent. he was there introduced to the famous madame de stael, who cordially addressed him with--"ah, mr. clay! i have been in england, and have been battling your cause for you there." "i know it, madame; we heard of your powerful interposition, and are grateful and thankful for it." "they were much enraged against you," said she: "so much so, that they at one time thought seriously of sending the duke of wellington to command their armies against you!" "i am very sorry, madame," replied mr. clay, "that they did not send his grace." "why?" asked she, surprised. "because, madame, if he had beaten us, we should have been in the condition of europe, without disgrace. but, if we had been so fortunate as to defeat him, we should have greatly added to the renown of our arms." at his next meeting with "corinne," at her own house, mr. clay was introduced by her to the conqueror at waterloo, when she related the above conversation. the duke promptly responded that, had it been his fortune to serve against the americans, and to triumph over them, he should indeed have regarded that triumph as the proudest of his achievements. mr. clay was in london when the tidings of waterloo arrived, and set the british frantic with exultation. he was dining one day at lord castlereagh's, while bonaparte's position was still uncertain, as he had disappeared from paris, and fled none knew whither. the most probable conjecture was that he had embarked at some little port for the united states, and would probably make his way thither, as he was always lucky on water. "if he reaches your shores, mr. clay," gravely inquired lord liverpool (one of the ministers), "will he not give you a great deal of trouble?" "not the least," was the prompt reply of the kentuckian; "we shall be very glad to receive him; to treat him with all hospitality, and very soon make him a good democrat." a general laugh here restored the hilarity of the party. the magnetism of mr. clay's manner and conversation have perhaps received no stronger testimony than that of gen. glascock, a political antagonist, who came into congress from georgia, during the fierce struggle which followed the removal of the deposits. "gen. glascock," said a mutual friend, at a party one evening, "shall i make you acquainted with mr. clay?" "no, sir!" was the prompt and stern response; "i choose not to be fascinated and moulded by him, as friend and foe appear to be, and i shall therefore decline his acquaintance." mr. clay had a natural repugnance to caucuses, conventions, and the kindred contrivances whereby great men are elaborated out of very small materials, and was uniformly a candidate for congress "on his own hook," with no fence between him and his constituents. only once in the course of his long representative career was he obliged to canvass for his election, and he was never defeated, nor ever could be, before a public that he could personally meet and address. the one searching ordeal to which he was subjected, followed the passage of the "compensation act" of , whereby congress substituted for its own per diem a fixed salary of $ , to each member. this act raised a storm throughout the country, which prostrated most of its supporters. the hostility excited was especially strong in the west, then very poor, especially in money: $ , then, being equal to $ at present. john pope (afterward gen. jackson's governor of arkansas), one of the ablest men in kentucky, a federalist of the old school, and a personal antagonist of mr. clay, took the stump as his competitor for the seat, and gave him enough to do through the canvass. they met in discussion at several local assemblages, and finally in a pitched battle at higbie; a place central to the three counties composing the district, where the whole people collected to hear them. pope had the district with him in his denunciation of the compensation bill, while clay retorted with effect, by pressing home on his antagonist the embittered and not very consistent hostility of the latter to the war with great britain, recently concluded, which uniformly had been very popular in kentucky. the result was decisive: mr. clay was re-elected by about six hundred majority. that excited canvass was fruitful of characteristic incidents like the following: while traversing the district, mr. clay encountered an old hunter, who had always before been his warm friend, but was now opposed to his re-election on account of the compensation bill. "have you a good rifle, my friend?" asked mr. clay. "yes." "did it ever flash?" "once only," he replied. "what did you do with it--throw it away?" "no, i picked the flint, tried it again, and brought down the game." "have _i_ ever flashed but upon the compensation bill?" "no!" "will you throw me away?" "no, no!" exclaimed the hunter with enthusiasm, nearly overpowered by his feelings; "i will pick the flint, and try you again!" he was afterward a warm supporter of mr. clay. an irish barber in lexington, jerry murphy by name, who had always before been a zealous admirer and active supporter of mr. clay, was observed during this canvass to maintain a studied silence. that silence was ominous, especially as he was known to be under personal obligation to mr. clay for legal assistance to rescue him from various difficulties in which his hasty temper had involved him. at length, an active and prominent partisan of the speaker called on the barber, with whom he had great influence, and pressed him to dispel the doubt that hung over his intentions by a frank declaration in favor of his old favorite. looking his canvasser in the eye, with equal earnestness and shrewdness, murphy responded; "i tell you what, docthur; i mane to vote for the man _that can put but one hand into the treasury_." (mr. pope had lost one of his arms in early life, and the humor of pat's allusion to this circumstance, in connection with mr. clay's support of the compensation bill, was inimitable.) mr. clay was confessedly the best presiding officer that any deliberative body in america has ever known, and none was ever more severely tried. the intensity and bitterness of party feeling during the earlier portion of his speakership cannot now be realized except by the few who remember those days. it was common at that time in new england town-meetings, for the rival parties to take opposite sides of the broad aisle in the meeting-house, and thus remain, hardly speaking across the line separation, from morning till night. hon. josiah quincy, the representative of boston, was distinguished in congress for the ferocity of his assaults on the policy of jefferson and madison; and between him and mr. clay there were frequent and sharp encounters, barely kept within the limits prescribed by parliamentary decorum. at a later period, the eccentric and distinguished john randolph, the master of satire and invective; and who, though not avowedly a federalist, opposed nearly every act of the democrat administrations of - , and was the unfailing antagonist of every measure proposed or supported by mr. clay, was a thorn in the side of the speaker for years. many were the passages between them in which blows were given and taken, whereof the gloves of parliamentary etiquette could not break the force: the war, the tariff, the early recognition of greek and south american independence, the missouri compromise, &c. &c., being strenuously advocated by mr. clay and opposed by mr. randolph. but of these this is no place to speak. innumerable appeals from mr. clay's decisions, as speaker, were made by the orator of roanoke, but no one of them was ever sustained by the house. at length, after mr. clay had left congress, and mr. randolph been transferred to the senate, a bloodless duel between them grew out of the virginian's unmeasured abuse of the kentuckian's agency in electing j.q. adams to the presidency; a duel which seems to have had the effect of softening, if not dissipating randolph's rancor against mr. clay. though evermore a political antagonist, his personal antipathy was no longer manifested; and one of the last visits of randolph to the capitol, when dying of consumption, was made for the avowed purpose of hearing in the senate the well-known voice of the eloquent sage of ashland. on the floor of the house, mr. clay was often impetuous in discussion, and delighted to relieve the tedium of debate, and modify the sternness of antagonism by a sportive jest or lively repartee. on one occasion, gen. alexander smythe of virginia, who often afflicted the house by the verbosity of his harangues and the multiplicity of his dry citations, had paused in the middle of a speech which seemed likely to endure for ever, to send to the library for a book from which he wished to note a passage. fixing his eye on mr. clay, who sat near him, he observed the kentuckian writhing in his seat as if his patience had already been exhausted. "you, sir," remarked smythe addressing the speaker, "speak for the present generation; but i speak for posterity." "yes," said mr. clay, "and you seem resolved to speak until the arrival of _your_ auditory." revolutionary pensions were a source of frequent passages between eastern and western members; the greater portion of those pensions being payable to eastern survivors of the struggle. on one occasion when a pension bill was under discussion, hon. enoch lincoln (afterwards governor of maine) was dilating on the services and sufferings of these veterans, and closed with the patriotic adjuration, "soldiers of the revolution! live for ever!" mr. clay followed, counselling moderation in the grant of pensions, that the country might not be overloaded and rendered restive by their burden, and turning to mr. lincoln with a smile, observed--"i hope my worthy friend will not insist on the very great duration of these pensions which he has suggested. will he not consent, by way of a compromise, to a term of nine hundred and ninety-nine years instead of eternity?" a few sentences culled from the remarks in congress elicited by his death, will fitly close this hasty daguerreotype of the man henry clay. mr. underwood (his colleague) observed in senate that "his physical and mental organization eminently qualified him to become a great and impressive orator. his person was tall, slender and commanding. his temperament, ardent, fearless, and full of hope. his countenance, clear, expressive, and variable--indicating the emotion which predominated at the moment with exact similitude. his voice, cultivated and modulated in harmony with the sentiment he desired to express, fell upon the ear with the melody of enrapturing music. his eye beaming with intelligence and flashing with coruscations of genius. his gestures and attitudes graceful and natural. these personal advantages won the prepossessions of an audience even before his intellectual powers began to move his hearers; and when his strong common sense, his profound reasoning, his clear conceptions of his subject in all its bearings, and his striking and beautiful illustrations, united with such personal qualities, were brought to the discussion of any question, his audience was enraptured, convinced and led by the orator as if enchanted by the lyre of orpheus. "no man was ever blessed by his creator with faculties of a higher order than mr. clay. in the quickness of his perceptions, and the rapidity with which his conclusions were formed, he had few equals and no superiors. he was eminently endowed with a nice discriminating taste for order, symmetry, and beauty. he detected in a moment every thing out of place or deficient in his room, upon his farm, in his own or the dress of others. he was a skilful judge of the form and qualities of his domestic animals, which he delighted to raise on his farm. i could give you instances of the quickness and minuteness of his keen faculty of observation, which never overlooked any thing. a want of neatness and order was offensive to him. he was particular and neat in his handwriting and his apparel. a slovenly blot or negligence of any sort met his condemnation; while he was so organized that he attended to, and arranged little things to please and gratify his natural love for neatness, order, and beauty, his great intellectual faculties grasped all the subjects of jurisprudence and politics with a facility amounting almost to intuition. as a lawyer, he stood at the head of his profession. as a statesman, his stand at the head of the republican whig party for nearly half a century, establishes his title to pre-eminence among his illustrious associates. "mr. clay was deeply versed in all the springs of human action. he had read and studied biography and history. shortly after i left college, i had occasion to call on him in frankfort, where he was attending court, and well i remember to have found him with plutarch's lives in his hands. no one better than he knew how to avail himself of human motives, and all the circumstances which surrounded a subject, or could present themselves with more force and skill to accomplish the object of an argument. "bold and determined as mr. clay was in all his actions, he was, nevertheless, conciliating. he did not obstinately adhere to things impracticable. if he could not accomplish the best, he contented himself with the nighest approach to it. he has been the great compromiser of those political agitations and opposing opinions which have, in the belief of thousands, at different times, endangered the perpetuity of our federal government and union. "mr. clay was no less remarkable for his admirable social qualities, than for his intellectual abilities. as a companion, he was the delight of his friends; and no man ever had better or truer. no guest ever thence departed, without feeling happier for his visit." mr. hunter of virginia (a political antagonist) following, observed: "it may be truly said of mr. clay, that he was no exaggerator. he looked at events through neither end of the telescope, but surveyed them with the natural and the naked eye. he had the capacity of seeing things as the people saw them, and of feeling things as the people felt them. he had, sir, beyond any other man whom i have ever seen, the true mesmeric touch of the orator,--the rare art of transferring his impulses to others. thoughts, feelings, emotions, came from the ready mould of his genius, radiant and glowing, and communicated their own warmth to every heart which received them. his, too, was the power of wielding the higher and intenser forms of passion, with a majesty and an ease, which none but the great masters of the human heart can ever employ." mr. seward of new-york, said: "he was indeed eloquent--all the world knows that. he held the key to the hearts of his countrymen, and he turned the wards within them with a skill attained by no other master. "but eloquence was nevertheless only an instrument, and one of many, that he used. his conversation, his gestures, his very look, were magisterial, persuasive, seductive, irresistible. and his appliance of all these was courteous, patient, and indefatigable. defeat only inspired him with new resolution. he divided opposition by the assiduity of address, while he rallied and strengthened his own bands of supporters by the confidence of success, which, feeling himself, he easily inspired among his followers. his affections were high, and pure, and generous; and the chiefest among them was that one which the great italian poet designated as the charity of native land. in him, that charity was an enduring and overpowering enthusiasm, and it influenced all his sentiments and conduct, rendering him more impartial between conflicting interests and sections, than any other statesman who has lived since the revolution. thus, with great versatility of talent, and the most catholic equality of favor, he identified every question, whether of domestic administration or foreign policy, with his own great name, and so became a perpetual tribune of the people. he needed only to pronounce in favor of a measure or against it, here, and immediately popular enthusiasm, excited as by a magic wand, was felt, overcoming and dissolving all opposition in the senate chamber." in the house, about the same time, mr. breckenridge of kentucky (democrat), spoke as follows: "the life of mr. clay, sir, is a striking example of the abiding fame which surely awaits the direct and candid statesman. the entire absence of equivocation or disguise in all his acts, was his master-key to the popular heart; for while the people will forgive the errors of a bold and open nature, he sins past forgiveness who deliberately deceives them. hence mr. clay, though often defeated in his measures of policy, always secured the respect of his opponents without losing the confidence of his friends. he never paltered in a double sense. the country never was in doubt as to his opinions or his purposes. in all the contests of his time, his position on great public questions was as clear as the sun in the cloudless sky. sir, standing by the grave of this great man, and considering these things, how contemptible does appear the mere legerdemain of politics! what a reproach is his life on that false policy which would trifle with a great and upright people! if i were to write his epitaph, i would inscribe as the highest eulogy, on the stone which shall mark his resting-place, 'here lies a man who was in the public service for fifty years, and never attempted to deceive his countrymen.'" let me close this too hasty and superficial sketch, with a brief citation from rev. c.m. butler, chaplain of the senate, who, in his funeral discourse in the senate chamber, said: "a great mind, a great heart, a great orator, a great career, have been consigned to history. she will record his rare gifts of deep insight, keen discrimination, clear statement, rapid combination, plain, direct, and convincing logic. she will love to dwell on that large, generous, magnanimous, open, forgiving heart. she will linger with fond delight on the recorded or traditional stories of an eloquence that was so masterful and stirring, because it was but himself struggling to come forth on the living words--because, though the words were brave and strong, and beautiful and melodious, it was felt that, behind them, there was a soul braver, stronger, more beautiful, and more melodious, than language could express." such was the master of ashland, the man henry clay! * * * * * after this article was in type, we received from a western paper the following notice of the sale of the ashland estate. "we are glad to learn that ashland, the home of henry clay, which was sold september th, at public auction, was purchased by james b. clay, eldest son of the deceased statesman. the ashland homestead contained about acres. it lies just without the limits of the city of lexington. the country immediately surrounding it, is justly regarded as the garden spot of the west, and ashland, above all others, as the most beautiful place in the world. the associations about it are of the most interesting character. when kentucky was, in fact, the 'dark and bloody ground,' the country around lexington was the only oasis--every where else, the tomahawk and the rifle were more potent than laws. how many incidents of these terrible days are garnered in the minds of the descendants of the old families of kentucky! in those thrilling days, ashland belonged to daniel boone, whose name is connected with many of the daring tragedies enacted in the then far west. it passed from his hands into those of nathaniel hart, who fell, gloriously fighting, in the battle at the river raisin, where so many kentuckians offered up their lives in defence of their country. henry clay married lucretia hart, to whom the demesne of ashland descended. "there is so much of the arab in the habits of the americans,--there is so much migratoriness, and so little love for old homesteads,--we were afraid the children of henry clay would allow classic ashland to pass into other and alien hands. but our fears are to gladness changed; and ashland is still the dwelling-place of the clays. "mr. clay was thoroughly versed in agricultural matters, and was never better contented (as the editor of the ohio journal truly remarks), than when surrounded by his neighbors, many of whom knew and loved him when he was quite young and obscure, and afterwards rejoiced at his fame, and followed his fortunes through every phase of a long and eventful career. the residence does not present any imposing appearance, but is of a plain, neat, and rather antique architectural character, and the grounds immediately surrounding it are beautifully adorned, and traversed by walks; not in accordance with the foolish and fastidious taste of the present day, for this, in every thing connected with the place has been neglected, and the only end seems to have been to represent nature in its proudest and most imposing grandeur. many of the walks are retired, and are of a serpentine character, with here and there, in some secluded spot along their windings, a rude and unpolished bench upon which to recline. the trees are mostly pines of a large growth, and stand close together, casting a deep and sombre shade on every surrounding object. the reflections of one on visiting ashland are of the most interesting character. every object seems invested with an interest, and although the spirit with whose memory they are associated, has fled, one cannot repel the conviction, that while reposing under its silent and sequestered shades, he is still surrounded by something sublime and great. old memories of the past come back upon him, and a thousand scenes connected with the life and history of henry clay, will force themselves upon you. the great monarchs of the forest that now stretch their limbs aloft in proud and peerless majesty, have all, or nearly all been planted by his hand, and are now not unfit emblems of the towering greatness of him who planted them. "the walks, the flowers, the garden and the groves, all, all are consecrated, and have all been witnesses of his presence and his care. in the groves through which you wander, were nursed the mighty schemes of statesmanship, which have astonished the world and terrified the tyrant, beat back the evil counsels for his country's ruin, and bound and fettered his countrymen in one common and indissoluble bond of union." [illustration: clay's birth-place] footnotes: [ ] see vignette title-page to this volume. =calhoun.= [illustration: calhoun fac-simile of letter] calhoun. in writing the lives of our american statesmen, we might say of almost any of them, "that he was born in such a year, that he was sent to the common school or to college, that he studied law, that he was chosen, first a member of the state legislature, and then of the national congress, that he became successively, a senator, a foreign ambassador, a secretary of state, or a president, and that finally he retired to his paternal acres, to pass a venerable old age, amid the general respect and admiration of the whole country." this would be a true outline in the main, of the practical workings and doings of nine out of ten of them: but in filling in the details of the sketch, in clothing the dry skeleton of facts with the flesh and blood of the living reality, it would be found that this apparent similarity of development had given rise to the utmost diversity and individuality of character, and that scarcely any two of our distinguished men, though born and bred under the same influence, bore even a family resemblance. it is said by the foreign writers, by de tocqueville especially, that very little originality and independence of mind can be expected in a democracy, where the force of the majority crushes all opinions and characters into a dead and leaden uniformity. but the study of our actual history rather tends to the opposite conclusion, and leads us to believe that the land of washington, franklin, jefferson, patrick henry, the adamses, clay, webster and calhoun, is favorable to the production of distinct, peculiar, and decided natures. at least we may be sure, that our annals are no more wanting than those of other nations, in original, self-formed, and self-dependent men. among these, there was no one more peculiar or more unlike any prototype, than john c. calhoun, of south carolina. in the structure of his mind, in the singular tenacity of his purposes, in the rare dignity and elevation of his character, and in the remarkable political system to which he adhered, he was wholly _sui generis_, standing out from the number of his forerunners and contemporaries in bold, positive and angular relief. he could only have been what he was, in the country, and during the times, in which he flourished: he was a natural growth of our american society and institutions: had formed himself by no models ancient or modern; and the great leading principles of his thought faithfully rendered in all his conduct, were as much an individual possession as the figure of his body or the features of his face. in seeing him, in hearing him speak, or in reading his books, no one was ever likely to confound him with any second person. mr. calhoun was born in the abbeville district of south carolina, on the th of march, . his parents on both sides were of irish extraction, who had first settled in pennsylvania, and then in virginia, whence they were driven by the indians, at the time of braddock's defeat, to south carolina. the father appears to have been a man of the most resolute and energetic character, equally ready to defend his home against the incursions of the savages, and his rights as a citizen against legislative encroachments. on one occasion, he and his neighbors went down to within thirty miles of charleston, armed, to assert a right of suffrage which was then disputed; and he always steadily opposed the federal constitution, because it allowed other people than those of south carolina to tax the people of south carolina. "we have heard his son say," writes a friend of the latter, "that among his earliest recollections was one of a conversation when he was nine years of age, in which his father maintained that government to be best, which allowed the largest amount of individual liberty compatible with social order and tranquillity, and insisted that the improvements in political science would be found to consist in throwing off many of the restraints then imposed by law, and deemed necessary to an organized society. it may well be supposed that his son john was an attentive and eager auditor, and such lessons as these must doubtless have served to encourage that free spirit of inquiry, and that intrepid zeal for truth, for which he has been since so distinguished. the mode of thinking which was thus encouraged may, perhaps, have compensated in some degree the want of those early advantages which are generally deemed indispensable to great intellectual progress. of these he had comparatively few. but this was compensated by those natural gifts which give great minds the mastery over difficulties which the timid regard as insuperable. indeed, we have here another of those rare instances in which the hardiness of natural genius is seen to defy all obstacles, and developes its flower and matures its fruit under circumstances apparently the most unpropitious. "the region of the country in which his family resided was then newly settled, and in a rude frontier state. there was not an academy in all the upper part of the state, and none within fifty miles, except one at about that distance in columbia county, georgia, which was kept by his brother-in-law, mr. waddell, a presbyterian clergyman. there were but a few scattered schools in the whole of that region, and these were such as are usually found on the frontier, in which reading, writing and arithmetic were imperfectly taught. at the age of thirteen he was placed under the charge of his brother-in-law to receive his education. shortly after, his father died; this was followed by the death of his sister, mrs. waddell, within a few weeks, and the academy was then discontinued, which suspended his education before it had fairly commenced. his brother-in-law, with whom he was still left, was absent the greater part of the time, attending to his clerical duties, and his pupil thus found himself on a secluded plantation, without any white companion during the greater portion of the time. a situation apparently so unfavorable to improvement turned out, in his case, to be the reverse. fortunately for him, there was a small circulating library in the house, of which his brother-in-law was librarian, and, in the absence of all company and amusements, that attracted his attention. his taste, although undirected, led him to history, to the neglect of novels and other lighter reading; and so deeply was he interested, that in a short time he read the whole of the small stock of historical works, contained in the library, consisting of rollin's ancient history, robertson's charles v., his south america, and voltaire's charles xii. after dispatching these, he turned with like eagerness to cook's voyages (the large edition), a small volume of essays by brown, and locke on the understanding, which he read as far as the chapter on infinity. all this was the work of but fourteen weeks. so intense was his application that his eyes became seriously affected, his countenance pallid, and his frame emaciated. his mother, alarmed at the intelligence of his health, sent for him home, where exercise and amusement soon restored his strength, and he acquired a fondness for hunting, fishing, and other country sports. four years passed away in these pursuits, and in attention to the business of the farm while his elder brothers were absent, to the entire neglect of his education. but the time was not lost. exercise and rural sports invigorated his frame, while his labors on the farm gave him a taste for agriculture, which he always retained, and in the pursuit of which he finds delightful occupation for his intervals of leisure from public duties." it is not our purpose, however, to enter into any detail of the life of mr calhoun. suffice it to say that he was educated, under dr. dwight, at yale college, that he studied law at litchfield in connecticut, that he was for two sessions a member of the legislature, that from to during the war with great britain, and the most trying times that followed it, he was a member of the lower house of congress. that he was then appointed secretary of war, under madison, when he gave a new, thorough, and complete organization to his department. that he was chosen vice-president in , and subsequently served his country as senator of the united states, and secretary of state, until the year , when he died. during the whole of this long period his exertions were constant, and he took a leading part in all the movements of parties. acting for the most of the time with the democratic party, he was still never the slave of party, never guilty of the low arts or petty cunning of the mere politician, always fearless in the discharge of his duties, and though ambitious, ever sacrificing his ambition to his clearly discerned and openly expressed principles. mr. webster, who, during nearly the whole of his legislative career, and on nearly all questions of public concern, had been an active opponent, in an obituary address to the senate, bore this testimony to his genius and his greatness. "differing widely on many great questions respecting our institutions and the government of the country, those differences never interrupted our personal and social intercourse. i have been present at most of the distinguished instances of the exhibition of his talents in debate. i have always heard him with pleasure, often with much instruction, not unfrequently with the highest degree of admiration. "mr. calhoun was calculated to be a leader in whatsoever association of political friends he was thrown. he was a man of undoubted genius and of commanding talents. all the country and all the world admit that. his mind was both perceptive and vigorous. it was clear, quick, and strong. "sir, the eloquence of mr. calhoun, or the manner in which he exhibited his sentiments in public bodies, was part of his intellectual character. it grew out of the qualities of his mind. it was plain, strong, terse, condensed, concise: sometimes impassioned, still always severe. rejecting ornament, not often seeking far for illustration, his power consisted in the plainness of his propositions, in the closeness of his logic, and in the earnestness and energy of his manner. these are the qualities, as i think, which have enabled him through such a long course of years to speak often, and yet command attention. his demeanor as a senator is known to us all, is appreciated, venerated, by us all. no man was more respectful to others; no man carried himself with greater decorum, no man with superior dignity. i think there is not one of us, when he last addressed us from his seat in the senate, his form still erect, with a voice by no means indicating such a degree of physical weakness as did in fact possess him, with clear tones, and an impressive, and, i may say, an imposing manner, who did not feel that he might imagine that we saw before us a senator of rome, while rome survived. "sir, i have not, in public, nor in private life, known a more assiduous person in the discharge of his appropriate duties. i have known no man who wasted less of life in what is called recreation, or employed less of it in any pursuits not connected with the immediate discharge of his duty. he seemed to have no recreation but the pleasure of conversation with his friends. out of the chambers of congress, he was either devoting himself to the acquisition of knowledge pertaining to the immediate subject of the duty before him, or else he was indulging in those social interviews in which he so much delighted. "my honorable friend from kentucky[ ] has spoken in just terms of his colloquial talents. they certainly were singular and eminent. there was a charm in his conversation not often equalled. he delighted especially in conversation and intercourse with young men. i suppose that there has been no man among us who had more winning manners, in such an intercourse and such conversation, with men comparatively young, than mr. calhoun. i believe one great power of his character, in general, was his conversational talent. i believe it is that, as well as a consciousness of his high integrity, and the greatest reverence for his talents and ability, that has made him so endeared an object to the people of the state to which he belonged. "mr. president, he had the basis, the indispensable basis of all high character; and that was, unspotted integrity and unimpeached honor. if he had aspirations, they were high, and honorable, and noble. there was nothing grovelling, or low, or meanly selfish, that came near the head or the heart of mr. calhoun. firm in his purpose, perfectly patriotic and honest, as i am sure he was, in the principles that he espoused, and in the measures which he defended, aside from that large regard for the species of distinction that conducted him to eminent stations for the benefit of the republic, i do not believe he had a selfish motive or selfish feeling. however he may have differed from others of us in his political opinions or his political principles, those principles and those opinions will now descend to posterity under the sanction of a great name. he has lived long enough, he has done enough, and he has done it so well, so successfully, so honorably, as to connect himself for all time with the records of his country. he is now an historical character. those of us who have known him here, will find that he has left upon our minds and our hearts a strong and lasting impression of his person, his character, and his public performances, which, while we live, will never be obliterated. we shall hereafter, i am sure, indulge in it as a grateful recollection, that we have lived in his age, that we have been his contemporaries, that we have seen him, and heard him, and known him. we shall delight to speak of him to those who are rising up to fill our places. and, when the time shall come that we ourselves must go, one after another, to our graves, we shall carry with us a deep sense of his genius and character, his honor and integrity, his amiable deportment in private life, and the purity of his exalted patriotism." the event in mr. calhoun's political life which will give him the greatest distinction in our history, was the bold and perilous course he took on the subject of nullification. it brought him and his native state directly in conflict with the powers of the federal government, and but for the compromise of the tariff question, out of which the controversy grew, would have ended in civil war. we shall not undertake to narrate the origin or the purpose of this most fearful crisis, referring our readers to the regular memoirs of mr. calhoun for the details, but we cannot refrain from expressing our high admiration of the gallant bearing of the great south carolinian during the whole of the protracted and embarrassing dispute. the energy with which he pursued his ends, the originality with which he defended them, the boldness of his position, the devotion to his friends, the formidable objects that he had to encounter, the calm, earnest self-reliance with which he encountered them, and, in the end, the graceful concessions on both sides, by which the difficulties of the juncture were avoided, are brilliant illustrations both of the lofty energies of his spirit, and of the happy, peaceful working of our national institutions. in any other country, and under any other government, if it had been possible for such a conflict to arise, it could only have terminated in bloodshed or war. either the reigning authority would have been overturned, or the chief agent in the insurrection would have been executed as a traitor. under the benign and conciliatory genius of our constitution, by that pacific legislation, which knows how to temper the rigid and inflexible exercise of law by the spirit of concession, the struggle ended in compromise. it was in his domestic life that mr. calhoun won the warmest homage of the heart. miss bates, who was for many years a governess in his family, and who enjoyed the finest opportunities for observing him, has given us the following record of his private virtues and peculiarities. "in mr. calhoun were united the simple habits of the spartan lawgiver, the inflexible principles of the roman senator, the courteous bearing and indulgent kindness of the american host, husband, and father. this was indeed a rare union. life with him was solemn and earnest, and yet all about him was cheerful. i never heard him utter a jest; there was an unvarying dignity and gravity in his manner; and yet the playful child regarded him fearlessly and lovingly. few men indulge their families in as free, confidential, and familiar intercourse as did this great statesman. indeed, to those who had an opportunity of observing him in his own house, it was evident that his cheerful and happy home had attractions for him superior to those which any other place could offer. here was a retreat from the cares, the observation, and the homage of the world. in few homes could the transient visitor feel more at ease than did the guest at fort hill. those who knew mr. calhoun only by his senatorial speeches, may suppose that his heart and mind were all engrossed in the nation's councils; but there were moments when his courtesy, his minute kindnesses, made you forget the statesman. the choicest fruits were selected for his guest; and i remember seeing him at his daughter's wedding take the ornaments from a cake and send them to a little child. many such graceful attentions, offered in an unostentatious manner to all about him, illustrated the kindness and noble simplicity of his nature. his family could not but exult in his intellectual greatness, his rare endowments, and his lofty career, yet they seemed to lose sight of all these in their love for him. i had once the pleasure of travelling with his eldest son, who related to me many interesting facts and traits of his life. he said he had never heard him speak impatiently to any member of his family. he mentioned, that as he was leaving that morning for his home in alabama, a younger brother said, 'come soon again, and see us, brother a--, for do you not see that father is growing old? and is not father the dearest, best old man in the world!' "like cincinnatus, he enjoyed rural life and occupation. it was his habit, when at home, to go over his grounds every day. i remember his returning one morning from a walk about his plantation, delighted with the fine specimens of corn and rice which he brought in for us to admire. that morning--the trifling incident shows his consideration and kindness of feeling, as well as his tact and power of adaptation--seeing an article of needlework in the hands of sister a--, who was then a stranger there, he examined it, spoke of the beauty of the coloring, the variety of the shade, and by thus showing an interest in her, at once made her at ease in his presence. "his eldest daughter always accompanied him to washington, and in the absence of his wife, who was often detained by family cares at fort hill, this daughter was his solace amid arduous duties, and his confidant in perplexing cases. like the gifted de staël, she loved her father with enthusiastic devotion. richly endowed by nature, improved by constant companionship with the great man, her mind was in harmony with his, and he took pleasure in counselling with her. she said, 'of course, i do not understand as he does, for i am comparatively a stranger to the world, yet he likes my unsophisticated opinion, and i frankly tell him my views on any subject about which he inquires of me.' "between himself and his younger daughter there was a peculiar and most tender union. as by the state of her health she was deprived of many enjoyments, her indulgent parents endeavored to compensate for every loss by their affection and devotion. as reading was her favorite occupation, she was allowed to go to the letter-bag when it came from the office, and select the papers she preferred. on one occasion, she had taken two papers, containing news of importance which her father was anxious to see, but he would allow no one to disturb her until she had finished their perusal. "in his social as well as in his domestic relations he was irreproachable. no shadow rested on his pure fame, no blot on his escutcheon. in his business transactions he was punctual and scrupulously exact. he was honorable as well as honest. young men who were reared in his vicinity, with their eyes ever on him, say that in all respects, in small as well as in great things, his conduct was so exemplary that he might well be esteemed a model. "his profound love for his own family, his cordial interest in his friends, his kindness and justice in every transaction, were not small virtues in such a personage. "he was anti-byronic. i never heard him ridicule or satirize a human being. indeed he might have been thought deficient in a sense of the ludicrous, had he not by the unvarying propriety of his own conduct proved his exquisite perception of its opposites. when he differed in opinion from those with whom he conversed, he seemed to endeavor by a respectful manner, to compensate for the disagreement. he employed reason, rather than contradiction; and so earnestly would he urge an opinion and so fully present an argument, that his opponent could not avoid feeling complimented rather than mortified. he paid a tribute to the understandings of others by the force of his own reasoning, and by his readiness to admit every argument which he could, although advanced in opposition to one he himself had just expressed. "on one occasion i declined taking a glass of wine at his table. he kindly said, 'i think you carry that a little too far. it is well to give up every thing intoxicating, but not these light wines.' i replied, that wine was renounced by many for the sake of consistency, and for the benefit of those who could not afford wine. he acknowledged the correctness of the principle, adding, 'i do not know how temperance societies can take any other ground,' and then defined his views of temperance, entered on a course of interesting arguments, and stated facts and statistics. of course, were all men like mr. calhoun temperance societies would be superfluous. perhaps he could not be aware of the temptations that assail many men--he was so purely intellectual, so free from self-indulgence. materiality with him was held subject to his higher nature. he did not even indulge himself in a cigar. few spent as little time, and exhausted as little energy in mere amusements. domestic and social enjoyments were his pleasures--kind and benevolent acts were his recreations. "he always seemed willing to converse on any subject which was interesting to those about him. returning one day from fort hill, i remarked to a friend, 'i have never been more convinced of mr. calhoun's genius than to-day, while he talked to us of a flower.' his versatile conversation evinced his universal knowledge, his quick perception, and his faculty of adaptation. a shower one day compelled him to take shelter in the shed of a blacksmith, who was charmed by his familiar conversation, and the knowledge he exhibited of the mechanic arts. a naval officer was once asked, after a visit to fort hill, how he liked mr. calhoun. 'not at all,' said he--'i never like a man who knows more about my profession than i do myself.' a clergyman wished to converse with him on subjects of a religious nature, and after the interview remarked, that he was astonished to find him better informed than himself on those very points wherein he had expected to give him information. i had understood that mr. calhoun avoided an expression of opinion with regard to different sects and creeds, or what is called religious controversy; and once, when urged to give his views in relation to a disputed point, he replied, 'that is a subject to which i have never given my attention.' "mr. calhoun was unostentatious, and ever averse to display. he did not appear to talk for the sake of exhibition, but from the overflowing of his earnest nature. whether in the senate or in conversation with a single listener, his language was choice, his style fervid, his manner impressive. never can i forget his gentle earnestness when endeavoring to express his views on some controverted subject, and observing that my mind could hardly keep pace with his rapid reasoning, he would occasionally pause and say, in his kind manner, 'do you see?' "he did not seek to know the opinion of others with regard to himself. anonymous letters he never read, and his daughters and nieces often snatched from the flames letters of adulation as well as censure, which he had not read. although he respected the opinions of his fellow-men, he did not seek office or worldly honor. a few years since, one to whom he ever spoke freely, remarked to him that some believed he was making efforts to obtain the presidency. at that moment he had taken off his glasses, and was wiping them, and thus he replied: 'm----, i think when a man is too old to see clearly through his glasses, he is too old to think of the presidency.' and recently he said to her, 'they may impute what motives they please to me, but i do not seek office.' so much did he respect his country, that he might have been gratified by the free gift of the people; so much did he love his country, that he might have rejoiced at an opportunity to serve it; but would he have swerved one iota from his convictions to secure a kingdom? who, that knew him, believes it?" mr. calhoun was an author as well as a statesman, and in the dissertations on the constitution and on government published since his death, has bequeathed us the ripened fruits of his life-long study. they are works of the rarest penetration and sagacity, of subtle logic, of earnest conviction, of profound observation of men and things, and of unquestionable genius. the particular conclusions at which the writer arrives, as to the nature and limits of government, and as to the amendments that ought to be made in the constitution of the united states, will not be adopted by large classes of readers; but none of them will arise from a perusal of his pages, without an additional admiration of the keenness and force of his intellect, the ardor of his patriotism, and the purity of his character. footnotes: [ ] mr. clay. =clinton.= [illustration: clinton fac-simile of letter] [illustration: clinton's residence, maspeth, l.i.] clinton. the academy of sciences at dijon recently asked of their municipality, that all houses in the commune which deserved to be historical, might be marked by commemorative inscriptions. the council, we are told, readily acceded to the request, and among the birth-places and residences thus designated are those of buffon, crebillon, guyton de morveau, and the marshal tavennes. we in this country, whether fortunately or unfortunately, live in too progressive an age to allow us to ask for similar remembrances. unless a statesman happens to be reared in a rural district, the house of his birth seldom survives his youth, possibly his manhood. new structures arise, and the succeeding generation know little or nothing of what preceded. in the instance of dewitt clinton, the difficulty is increased by the diversity of statements that are made relative to his birth-place. he was the son of james clinton, a gallant soldier in both of the now classic wars of this country. commissioned as an ensign in the war of , mr. clinton served during most of its campaigns. the continental congress, in , appointed him colonel of one of the new-york regiments; and after particularly distinguishing himself at fort montgomery and yorktown, he retired from the army of the revolution with the rank of major-general. it was after the close of the french war that mr. clinton was married to mary dewitt. she is represented as having been beautiful in her youth--an only sister, with nine brothers. to them four sons were born, of whom dewitt was the second. the date of his birth is well settled--being the year ;--not so the place. many of his biographers unite in stating that this was little britain, in orange county, where his father resided. some assert that he was born at new windsor, in the same county, in a house still standing, and which can be seen from the river; while others relate the tradition that his parents were on a visit to the fort at minisink, then under the command of colonel dewitt, a brother of mrs. clinton; that a severe and long-continued snow-storm occurred, and that the mother was there confined. on his education it is scarcely necessary to dwell, farther than to trace its influence on his subsequent career. his parents bestowed on him that inestimable gift--the best education that the state could afford--first at kingston academy, and subsequently at columbia college. the professors' chairs were filled by eminent men, who appear to have appreciated the talents of their pupil. he was the first graduate after the revolution. at the age of seventeen he commenced the study of the law with the elder samuel jones, whose eminence as an advocate, and honesty as a high state officer, still linger amongst our earliest reminiscences. thus prepared, as well by preliminary instruction as by earnest self-improvement, he was about entering on the profession of the law, with elders and contemporaries equal to any bar in the union, when his destiny was at once and permanently changed. he was the nephew of george clinton, the governor of the young state of new-york; distinguished by his civil and military talents; admirably qualified to guide the rising republic through its forming stages, although possibly too tenacious of his peculiar opinions, and, unfortunately, too long opposed to the adoption of the constitution. the parties that from time to time controlled the destinies of the country were now in active collision. in the state of new-york, jay and hamilton were the leaders and guides of the federalists, and governor clinton needed all the intellectual aid that could be brought to bear on the contest. he selected his nephew as his private secretary, and the sagacity, at least, of the choice has never been disputed. several papers on subjects of public and permanent interest, known to have emanated from the pen of dewitt clinton, are still preserved. we are told that he remained in this station until --the close of the long administration (continued by re-elections) of his uncle. in , he was elected a member of the assembly from the city of new-york, and the next year, of the senate. the tenure of the first of these was annual, and of the last for four years. from the above date to the hour of his death, with short intervals, he continued to be chosen in succession to the senate, and as lieutenant-governor and governor. he was for the space of two years a member of the united states senate. from to , and from to , he served as mayor of the city of new-york. this is a brief outline of the situations he held, and it is only necessary to fill up the sketch with notices of what he proposed and accomplished, to complete the picture. his "homes," with the brief exception of two winters at washington, were, of course, mainly in new-york and albany. in the former, his town residence was at the lower end of broadway--then the fashionable part of the city, and where wealthy bankers, and merchants, and distinguished professional men loved to fix their dwellings. at a short distance from the bowling-green and the battery, the breezes from the ocean occasionally found their way and shed their influences. commerce has commanded the removal of most of these private residences, and she has been rigidly obeyed. the merchandise of the old and of the new world needs still increasing depositories. while remaining in new-york, he owned a country-seat at maspeth, on long island, to which he frequently resorted, and where he indulged in his favorite pursuits of angling and hunting. he was greatly attached to these, until in after life an unfortunate accident rendered active exercise too laborious. of albany, the place in which a large portion of his mature life was spent, we feel some constraint in giving, what we consider, a just account. by many, even intelligent travellers, it is only known as a place of transfer from steamboats and railroads--as excessively hot in summer, and as the capital of the state, where the legislature holds its sessions during the winter. but its antiquities--if antiquities are to be spoken of in this country--are of some interest. here an american congress once assembled, of which franklin was a member. whenever england and france contended for mastery on this continent, many of the officers and troops of the former halted here for a while, or passed on for the finally accomplished object of the conquest of canada. here for a time were howe and abercrombie, amherst and sir william johnson; while, to the french, it seems to have been the limit, which, though they burnt schenectady and ravaged the western part of the state, they seemed scarcely able to reach. passing over intermediate occurrences, during the war of there was here concentrated a large portion of the military force of the united states, which went forth in all the pomp and circumstance of war to its mingled career of defeat and success. two dwellings still remain in albany dear to revolutionary memory--the residences of general philip schuyler and general abraham ten broeck. the latter was distinguished as a brave and capable militia officer. the services and talents of the former are not as yet sufficiently appreciated. the wise man--the trusted of washington--the able statesman--who early pointed out the way to internal improvement in the state of new-york, only needs an impartial and well-instructed biographer to be duly known. it is a matter of satisfaction that both of these residences--crowning heights north and south of the city--are in excellent preservation, owned by wealthy persons, and destined, we may hope, to a long existence. governor clinton occupied during his residence in albany (part of the time he was out of office) two different houses, which possess an interest only inferior to those we have just mentioned. one of them, formerly almost a country residence,--built by peter w. yates, an eminent counsellor at law, and now owned by another of the same name,--was, for a series of years, the dwelling-place of governors of the state of new-york. here tompkins dispensed his hospitality, while he wielded, in a manner but partially understood, the destinies of the nation during the war of ; and from this beautiful seat he departed, in an evil hour to himself, to be vice-president of the united states. clinton succeeded. in this house he met with a severe accident,--a fracture of the knee-pan from a fall; after a slow recovery he was enabled to use the limb with but slight indication of the injury. still it prevented him from taking exercise on horseback, to which he had been much accustomed, and it probably led to an increased fulness of habit, in the later years of his life. subsequently to this he occupied a house (it was that in which he died) in pearl-street, built by goldsboro banyer, one of the last deputy secretaries of state of the colony of new-york. it was bequeathed to his son's widow, a daughter of governor jay, and on her removal to new-york, was taken as a governor's residence. it would scarcely be proper to conclude these sketches, without briefly enumerating the services of dewitt clinton to his state and country. most of these were thought of, developed and produced ready for adoption, within the sacred precincts of his "home." as mayor of new-york, he was at that time head of the judicial department of the city. subsequently that officer has been relieved of these duties, and several local courts have been found necessary, to dispose of the cases which the tangled relations of commerce are constantly bringing forth. some records of his ability both as a civil and a criminal judge still remain. a catholic priest had been called upon to disclose what had been communicated to him at the confessional. in his opinion, mr. clinton sustained the sacred nature of the secret thus imparted, and subsequent legislation, doubtless founded on this case, extended the exemption not only to the clergyman, but also to the physician. he also aided with great energy in putting down and punishing riots, caused by excited political feelings. nor should we omit to say, that before him was tried the peculiar case of whistelo, in which the wit of counsellor sampson, and the peculiarities of dr. samuel latham mitchill were equally conspicuous. as a member of the senate of new-york, he became _ex officio_ also a member of the highest court in the state--the court for the trial of impeachments, and the correction of errors in the inferior courts. several of his decisions are to be found in the volumes of new-york state reports. he grappled with the subjects of insurance law, of libel, the power of committing for contempt, the construction of the habeas corpus act, and the effect of foreign admiralty decisions. "some of these," says chancellor kent, "are models of judicial and parliamentary eloquence, and they all relate to important questions, affecting constitutional rights and personal liberty. they partake more of the character of a statesman's discussions, than that of a dry technical lawyer, and are therefore more interesting to the general scholar." as a legislator, it is quite sufficient to refer to the long list of laws drawn up and supported by him, as it is given in the eighth chapter of professor renwick's life, to appreciate the high class of subjects to which he applied his best efforts. we select only a portion. an act respecting a digest of the public laws of the state. an act to enlarge the powers of and to endow the orphan asylum society,--to amend the insolvent laws, to prevent the inhuman treatment of slaves, for the support of the quarantine establishment, to revise and amend the militia law, to incorporate the society for the relief of poor widows with small children, for promoting medical science, for the further encouragement of free schools, for securing to mechanics and others, payment for their labor and materials in the city of new-york. it has been urged that others by their efforts, or their votes, have been as useful as was mr. clinton, in procuring the passage of these and similar laws. be it so. it is not even attempted to deny this. it would be treason to the great interests of humanity to claim exclusive honor for a single man. but he knows little of practical legislation, who is not perfectly aware how efficient and important it is to have one individual, eminent in talents, high in power, who is willing to initiate useful measures--propose their adoption, and support them with his best abilities. in the matter of the canals of new-york, this is his high honor; this his crowning glory. even during life, he gave due credit to all who suggested or supported the work; but his pre-eminent merit is, that he adopted the canal policy as his own party policy. it has been said, in words which cannot be bettered, that "in the great work of internal improvement, he persevered through good report and through evil report, with a steadiness of purpose that no obstacle could divert; and when all the elements were in commotion around him, and even his chosen associates were appalled, he alone, like columbus, on the wide waste of waters, in his frail bark with a dis-heartened and unbelieving crew, remained firm, self-poised and unshaken." heaven in its goodness allowed life till the great work was completed. of governor clinton's devotion to science and to literature, of his patronage and support of societies and institutions, for their diffusion, all are knowing; but it is not sufficiently understood, that these were amateur pursuits, followed during hours that he could scarcely spare from his legitimate duties. whatever of imperfection or of crudeness may therefore be found in them, should be charitably considered. his domestic habits were simple and unobtrusive. he was industrious through life--the earliest riser in the house--frequently, if not generally, making his office fire in the winter, and dispatching most of his voluminous correspondence before the breakfast hour. in his family, he was every thing that became a man--a kind and faithful husband; an affectionate, indeed indulgent father; a warm, devoted, and often self-sacrificing friend. what wonder is it, that his memory should continue to be cherished with sincere love and ever increasing esteem. [illustration: h.k. brown's statue of clinton] =story.= [illustration: story fac-simile of letter] [illustration: story's house at cambridge, mass.] story. it is a common saying among lawyers, that in proportion to the labor which their profession exacts, and the degree of distinction which success confers upon them during their lifetime, their fate is a hard one in the struggle for immortality. they are accustomed to say in a tone of half complaint, that the zeal and ability which would earn for them a cheap celebrity in some other pursuit, is expended upon the establishing of some nice distinction, or the solving of some intricate problem which no one but themselves can appreciate, and in which no one but themselves (and their clients) take any interest. there is some truth in all this. the whole community stands ready to read the last production of the literary man, so only that he make it worth reading, and often without requiring even so much; whereas, the neatest point that a lawyer could take is constitutionally repulsive to one-half of creation, and dry and unmeaning to the greater part of the remainder. even those whose names are on the lips of men, owe their good fortune often to something other than their law. if blackstone were not among the most classical writers of the english language, we should not have lived to see twenty-one english editions of his commentaries. he was probably a less profound lawyer than several sergeants who practised before him in the court of common pleas, whose names would escape an insertion in the most universal biographical dictionary. so the successful lawyer must content himself with his worldly prosperity,--if in his lifetime he receives his good things, that must be his comfort, and in truth it is no small one. but the nature of a lawyer's employment, even if he combine with it the kindred one of politics and legislation, is not apt to invest his home with that attraction to the stranger which the home of the literary man possesses. we are at once interested to know who the author is, who has charmed us by the quaintness of his conceits, or the freshness and purity of his style. we want to see the house and the room, where those intricate plots are matured, or those life-like characters are first conceived. but coke upon littleton, seems pretty much the same, whether read upon the green slope of a country hill, or in the third story of an office down town. besides, the author is at liberty to seek the most secluded spots, and dwell amongst the most romantic scenery, and surround himself with all that makes life beautiful to contemplate; and it is for his interest to do this, in order that his mind may be kept open to impressions, his spirits elevated and serene, and his whole life calm and happy. the lawyer on the other hand, must seek communion, not with nature, but with men; he must dwell among large communities, and rail even there where merchants most do congregate. the home of the distinguished lawyer and statesman whose name is placed at the head of these lines, is an exception from the homes of others of his peers; if it be true that it is the fate of a lawyer's home to be an object of interest to its inmates alone. there was something in his frank, enthusiastic and generous nature, which made him always susceptible to the influences of home, and always fitted to awake and to wield those enchantments with which a home is invested. the secluded peninsula of marblehead, with its long firm beach upon one side, and its rocky precipitous shore upon the other, begirt on three sides by the ever-changing atlantic, is considered by his biographer to have had its effect in moulding the character of the boy; and in the quiet, tame inland beauty of cambridge, with its academical proprieties, and its level streets, and its spacious marshes, through which the winding charles "slips seaward silently;" many remain outside of the family circle, to testify to the magical attraction which once hung about the narrow brick house where he lived, and the cordial greeting which the visitor received at the hands of its former occupant. judge story was born in the antiquated, primeval fishing town of marblehead; a town presenting such a rocky and barren surface, that when whitfield entered it for the first time, he was fain to inquire, "pray, where do they bury their dead?" story himself speaks of his birth-place as "a secluded fishing town, having no general connection with other towns, and, not being a thoroughfare, without that intercourse which brings strangers to visit it, or to form an acquaintance with its inhabitants." in fact it could not well be a thoroughfare, since it leads only from salem to the sea, and the inhabitants of the latter town have a sufficiently ready access of their own. but though marblehead with its scanty soil, and its isolated position, is neither an eden nor a thoroughfare, it is at least a stout old place where men are grown; where an entire regiment was furnished for the cause of american independence, completely officered and manned by brave men, to whom the dangers of war were but a continuation of previous lives of peril, and who supplied besides more privateers than history has recorded, to harass the enemy upon an element with which they were more familiar. the town of marblehead is supported by the fishery business. a large portion of its inhabitants are simple fishermen, whose manhood is passed in voyages to the great banks, and voyages back; a constant succession of those perils which are incident to the sea, with long winter evenings of sailors' yarns and ghost stories, in one monotonous round, till they finally depart "on that drear voyage from whose night the ominous shadows never lift." it was among a population of this kind, and at a time when a long and disastrous war had crippled their resources, that the youthful story began with his accustomed enthusiasm to acquire that education whose root is bitter when grown in the most favorable soil. without advantages of good schooling, or a plentiful supply of books, he did what thousands of others, great and small, have done and are doing; that is, he acquired an education without the modern improvements on which our boys rely, and whose value their parents and teachers are so apt to over-estimate. in the shop of the marblehead barber, the village great men assembled to hear the news, and to hold forth upon the condition and prospects of the young republic, as well as to have their ambrosial locks powdered and their beards removed. here, in place of the modern lecture room, our young hero resorted, and listened reverently to oracular utterances from wise mouths in the intervals of the shaving brush and the razor. the village barber himself, endowed with an easy garrulity, more natural and professional than the stately reserve of his metropolitan brother, could, at his leisure, retail the wisdom of his many councillors, diluted to the point where it admitted of the mental digestion of a child. this, together with the usual toils and discouragements of the classics, and the hopes and fears which a college examination inspires, made up a boy's life in marblehead before this century began. the old judge, late in life recalling these early marblehead times, speaks of other influences, some of whose effect is, we imagine, derived from the fact that he is viewing them in his maturity, as they then appear, softened as seen down the long vista of nearly forty years. "my delight," he says, "was to roam over the narrow and rude territory of my native town; to traverse its secluded beaches and its shallow inlets; to gaze upon the sleepless ocean; to lay myself down on the sunny rocks, and listen to the deep tones of the rising and the falling tides; to look abroad when the foaming waves were driven with terrific force and uproar against the barren cliffs or the rocky promontories, which every where opposed their immovable fronts to resist them; to seek, in the midst of the tremendous majesty of an eastern storm, some elevated spot, where, in security, i could mark the mountain billow break upon the distant shore, or dash its broken waters over the lofty rocks which here and there stood along the coast, naked and weather-beaten. but still more was i pleased in a calm, summer day, to lay myself down alone on one of the beautiful heights which overlook the harbor of salem, and to listen to the broken sounds of the hammers in the distant ship-yards, or to the soft dash of the oar of some swift-moving boat, or to the soft ripple of the murmuring wave; or to gaze on the swelling sail, or the flying bird, or the scarcely moving smoke, in a revery of delicious indolence." when story left marblehead and entered harvard college in , he was brought in contact with somewhat different circumstances and different temptations from those which there await the youthful student in these days. coming from a small and tolerably illiterate fishing town, into the midst of such literary shades, being in daily converse with young men at an age when the mind is lively, and full of the easy self-confidence which the mutual flattery of a college begets, his enthusiasm was quickened anew, and his generous nature attacked on its weakest side. "i seemed," he says, "to breathe a higher atmosphere, and to look abroad with a wider vision and more comprehensive powers. instead of the narrow group of a village, i was suddenly brought into a large circle of young men engaged in literary pursuits, and warmed and cheered by the hopes of future eminence." there is, perhaps, no impropriety in saying, that at fifteen, we look abroad with a wider vision and more comprehensive powers than we do at twelve, and such young men as channing, his friendly rival in college, and tuckerman, his chum, might well be warmed and cheered by the hopes of future eminence. the students in those days enjoyed as much seclusion as now, with perhaps a little less general culture and a little more dissipation. but, as we have intimated, in some respects the changes were greater. the anti-republican system of "fagging" had not then become quite obsolete and forgotten, but existed at least in oral tradition, whereas now, its less rigorous substitute has recently fallen into disuse. in those days there was not even an unsuccessful attempt, to render the intercourse between the professors and the students in any sense parental, but the formal and unconfiding manners of the old school were preached, as well as practised. the line of division between the college and the town was sharply drawn and unhesitatingly maintained on the part of the former, and the opportunities for social intercourse with boston were comparatively limited, when omnibuses were unknown, and the bridge regarded as a somewhat hazardous speculation. now the students are to be seen in washington street on saturdays, and there is scarce an evening's entertainment in boston, without young representatives from cambridge. and the old town itself has added so many new houses to its former number, that a great change is coming over the face of cambridge society. the term "the season" is beginning to have its proper significance, the winter months being pretty well filled with the customary social observances. it is true that the college is still the controlling element. festivities are mostly suspended during the first two months of the year, which is the time of the winter vacation, and revive again with the return of the spring and the students. but from faint symptoms which may be detected by the anxious observer, there is reason to fear that it may not be long before the great body of the students will have cause on their part, to complain of that exclusiveness which they have exercised as their prerogative for more than two centuries. the four short years of story's undergraduate existence were passed free, alike from this species of social pleasure and social anxiety. he was naturally fond of company, and had a healthy, youthful taste for conviviality; but he shrank instinctively from excesses, and was, fortunately, also ambitious to win a high rank for scholarship. his companions were of his own age, and those divinities who people the inner chambers of a young man's fancy at the age of nineteen, were not upon the spot to distract overmuch his attention from his studies. he left his home within the college walls before he had arrived at manhood, and returned again some thirty years after in the maturity of his powers, to repay to his foster mother the debt which he owed for his education, by imparting to her younger children the results of his experience. cambridge is to be considered as his home; it was there that he won his greatest fame, it was there that he fondly turned to refresh himself after his labors on the full bench and the circuit; this was the home of his affections and his interests, and there his earnest and active life was brought to its calm and peaceful close. in brattle-street, a little distance on the road from the colleges to mount auburn, there stands a narrow brick house, with its gable end to the street, facing the east, and a long piazza on its southern side. it is situated just at the head of appian way--not the queen of ways, leading from rome to brundusium, over which horace journeyed in company with virgil, and paul's brethren came to meet him as far as appii forum and the three taverns, but a short lane, boasting not many more yards than its namesake miles; leading from cambridge common to brattle-street, journeyed over by hurrying students with horace and virgil under their arms, without a single tavern in it, and hardly long enough to accommodate three. the external appearance of the house would hardly attract or reward the attention of the passer by. it stands by itself, looking as much too high for its width as an ordinary city residence in new-york, that has sprung up in advance of the rest of its block. the street in which it stands is flat and shady, but wonderfully dusty nevertheless, for cambridge is a town "where dust and mud the equal year divide." the old inhabitants may be supposed to be reconciled to that dust, of which they are made, and to which they naturally expect in a few years to return. thus lowell finds it in his heart to sing the praises of cambridge soil, "dear native town! whose choking elms each year with eddying dust before their time turn gray, pining for rain,--to me thy dust is dear; it glorifies the eve of summer day." but, however native cantabs may feel, the temporary resident hails the friendly watering-cart, which appears at intervals in the streets, since the old town has changed itself into a city. a flower-garden on the south side, separates judge story's house from the village blacksmith, who has had the rare happiness of being celebrated in the verses of his two fellow-townsmen, the poets longfellow and lowell; "under a spreading chestnut tree, the village smithy stands; the smith, a mighty man is he, with large and sinewy hands, and the muscles of his brawny arm are strong as iron bands. "his hair is crisp, and black, and long, his face is like the tan, his brow is wet with honest sweat, he earns whatever he can, and looks the whole world in the face for he owes not any man. "week in, week out, from morn to night, you can hear his bellows blow; you can hear him swing his heavy sledge, with measured beat and slow, like a sexton ringing the village bell, when the evening sun is low. "and children coming home from school look in at the open door; they love to see the flaming forge, and hear the bellows roar, and catch the burning sparks that fly like chaff from a threshing floor." among the children who thus looked in upon the old smith in former days, was lowell himself, who has embodied this juvenile reminiscence in a few lines, which may be appropriately inserted here, and the curious reader may contrast the image they contain, with the parallel one in the concluding lines from longfellow, quoted above. "how many times prouder than king on throne, loosed from the village school-dame's a's and b's, panting have i the creaky bellows blown, and watched the pent volcano's red increase, then paused to see the ponderous sledge brought down by that hard arm voluminous and brown, from the white iron swarm its golden vanishing bees." the village blacksmith is dead now; the fires which he lighted in the forge have gone out, and an unknown successor wields the sledge, which may still be heard as ever, from the piazza of his neighbor's house, and down the road on the other side, as far as the row of lindens which overshadow a mansion once inhabited by the worthy old tory, brattle, who has given his name to the street. the external appearance of judge story's house does not add much to the poetry of its surroundings. it runs back in an irregular way, a long distance from the street, and at its furthermost end, in the second story, is, or used to be, the library, commanding the same view which constituted such a recommendation to dick swiveller's house, namely, the opposite side of the way. there is not, therefore, an opportunity for much romance to cluster about it, nor is its attractiveness increased, when the reader is reminded that the story beneath answered the purposes of a woodshed. but the house which witnessed the daily labors of such a man, need not covet or pretend to those outside attractions which it unquestionably lacks. judge story removed to cambridge, for the purpose of taking charge of the law-school connected with the university. this institution had just received an endowment from nathan dane, which, together with the labors and reputation of the new professor, were the prime causes of its establishment upon such a durable foundation, that the number of its students was increased five fold. from this period, his time was divided among washington, during the sitting of the supreme court, the first circuit in the new-england states, and cambridge, which henceforward was his home. the law-school he regarded as his favorite and most important field of labor, and always recurred to his connection with it, with pleasure and pride; and a word concerning this institution may, with propriety, be coupled with a description of his personal habits, so that both together will furnish, better than any thing else, a correct picture of the daily life of the man. at the time that story accepted the dane professorship in the law-school in cambridge he had already achieved the labor of a lifetime. a lucrative business at the bar, was quitted for a seat upon the bench of the supreme court of the united states. he began his political life as a democrat and stanch supporter of jefferson, when there were not many such in massachusetts; but in later life he became a whig. the natural effect of a judicial station upon a mind like his, was to make him cautious and conservative; and he finally seemed a little distrustful of even the party with which he was associated. in the convention of , which formed the existing constitution of massachusetts, he took an active part with such men as webster, parker, quincy and prescott, and many of our important mercantile statutes and bankrupt laws were drawn by him, nearly, or quite in the form in which they were finally passed by congress. he had been for about eighteen years an associate justice of the supreme court, when, without resigning that position, he assumed the almost equally onerous duties of a professor of law. this new field of activity was entered upon with earnestness and zeal, and it is not necessary to state the success with which his efforts were attended. towards the students his manner was familiar and affectionate. he was fond of designating them as "my boys," and without assuming any superiority, or exacting any formal respect, he participated so far as he was able in their success and failure; and extended beyond the narrow period of the school, far into active life, that interest in their behalf which he had contracted as their teacher. his lectures upon what are commonly considered the dry topics of the law, were delivered with enthusiasm, and illustrated with copious anecdotes from the store-house of his memory and his experience, and filled with episodes which were suggested to his active mind at almost every step. indeed, if one were disposed to point out his prominent fault as a legal writer, he would probably select that diffuseness of style and copiousness of illustration, which, though it contributes somewhat to fulness and perspicuity, does it nevertheless at the cost of convenient brevity; which can more easily be dispensed with in a poem than in a law-book. but that characteristic which might perhaps be considered as a blemish in his legal treatises, only rendered him better, qualified for a successful oral lecturer. a printed volume admits of the last degree of condensation, because repeated perusals of one page will effect every thing which could be expected from a prolonged discussion over many; and to text-books of law, the student or the practitioner resort principally for a statement of results, with the addition of only so much general reasoning as may render the results intelligible. in an oral lecture on the other hand, as the attention cannot be arrested; or time taken to overcome difficulties, repetition and reiteration, so far from being a blemish, is a merit. to these qualifications story added engaging manners, and a personal presence, which gave him extraordinary influence over the young men who crowded to receive the benefit of his instructions. his zeal was contagious, and awakened similar feelings in his hearers, and the enthusiasm of the speaker and the audience acted and reacted upon each other. many anecdotes are related to show the interest in the study of the law, which, under his magical influence, was awakened, not only among the few who are naturally studious, but among the whole body of the students almost without exception. saturday is a day of rest in cambridge by immemorial usage. to force upon the undergraduates a recitation on saturday afternoon, would outrage their feelings to such an extent, as to justify in their opinion a resort to the last appeal, namely, a rebellion. yet under story's ministrations the law-students were eager to violate the sacredness of saturday, to which the judge assented, animated by a zeal superior to their own. so that the whole week was devoted to lectures, and the conducting in moot courts of prepared cases. "i have given," says the judge in a letter to a friend, "nearly the whole of last term, when not on judicial duty, two lectures every day, and even broke in upon the sanctity of the _dies non juridicus_, saturday. it was carried by acclamation in the school; so that you see we are alive." one of the pupils describes a similar incident; a case was to be adjourned, and saturday seemed the most convenient time, "the counsel were anxious to argue it; but unwilling to resort to that extreme measure. judge story said--gentlemen, the only time we can hear this case, is saturday afternoon. this is _dies non_, and no one is obliged or expected to attend. i am to hold court in boston until two o'clock. i will ride directly out, take a hasty dinner, and be here by half-past three o'clock, and hear the case, if you are willing. he looked round the school for a reply. we felt ashamed, in our own business in which we were alone interested, to be outdone in zeal and labor by this aged and distinguished man, to whom the case was but child's play, a tale twice told and who was himself pressed down by almost incredible labors. the proposal was unanimously accepted." the same interesting communication describes the scene which took place when the judge returned to cambridge in the winter from washington. "the school was the first place he visited after his own fireside. his return, always looked for, and known, filled the library. his reception was that of a returned father. he shook all by the hand, even the most obscure and indifferent; and an hour or two was spent in the most exciting, instructive, and entertaining descriptions and anecdotes of the events of the term. inquiries were put by the students from different states, as to leading counsel, or interesting causes from their section of the country; and he told us as one would have described to a company of squires and pages, a tournament of monarchs and nobles on fields of cloth of gold:--how webster spoke in this case, legaré or clay, or crittenden, general jones, choate or spencer, in that; with anecdotes of the cases and points, and all the currents of the heady fight." judge story's gracious and dignified demeanor upon the bench is too well known, and not closely enough connected with an account of his home life, to justify a description here. all who have spoken upon the subject, have borne witness to the kindness and courtesy with which he treated the bar, particularly the younger members, who most need, and best appreciate such consideration. no lawyer was provoked by captious remarks, or mortified by inattention or indifference, or that offensive assumption of superiority which places the counsel at such disadvantage with the judge, and lowers his credit with his clients and the spectators. with novices at the bar his manner was patient and encouraging, with the leaders whose position was nearly level with his own, attentive, cordial, at times even familiar, but always dignified. among the prominent lawyers upon the maine circuit, was his classmate in college, and intimate friend, hon. stephen longfellow, the father of the poet, of whom the following story is told. when any objection or qualification was started by the court, to a point which he was pressing upon its attention, too courteous to question or oppose the opinion of the judge, he would escape under this formula, "but there is this _distinction_, may it please your honor;" which distinction, when it came to be stated, was often so exceedingly thin, that its existence could be discerned only by the learned gentleman himself. this little mannerism was known and observed among his friends in the profession, one of whom now living composed and passed round the bar this epitaph: "here lies stephen longfellow, ll. d. born &c. died &c. with this _distinction_. that such a man can never die." this epitaph reached the bench; and mr. longfellow himself, who not long afterwards on an argument, was met by a question from the judge. "but, may it please your honor, there is this dis----" "out with it, brother longfellow," said judge story with a good-humored smile. but it would not come. the epitaph records the death of the distinction. the interest which judge story felt in the prosperity of his university, was not wholly confined to the law-school, with which he was immediately connected. he was one of the overseers of the college, and entered warmly and prominently into every question affecting the welfare of the institution; from an elaborate and recondite argument upon the meaning of the word "fellows," in the charter of the college,--the doubt being, whether none but resident instructors were eligible as fellows, or whether the word is merely synonymous with _socius_ or associate,--down to a reform in the social observances of the students upon the occasion of what is called class day. the old custom had been for the students on the last day of their meeting, before commencement, to partake together of an undefined quantity of punch from a large reservoir of that beverage previously prepared. in more modern times, this habit came to be justly considered as subversive of sobriety and good order, and it was proposed to recast entirely the order of exercises. of this reform judge story was an advocate; he was present at the first celebration under the new order of things, and was much gratified and elated at the change. class day is now the culminating point of the student's life--the exercises are an oration and poem in the morning, and a ball and reception in the afternoon and evening. more ladies visit the college on that day, than on any other, and the students have in lieu of their punch the less intoxicating recreation of a polka. judge story was about five feet eight inches tall, not above the middle height, with a compact and solid figure; and active and rapid in his movements. he seldom, if ever, loitered along; his customary gait was hasty and hurried, and he had a habit of casting quick eager glances about him as he moved. the expression of his face was animated and changing, his eyes were blue, his mouth large, his voice clear and flexible, and his laugh hearty and exhilarating. late in life he was bald upon the top of his head, and his white hair below, and the benign expression of his countenance, gave him a dignified and venerable appearance, particularly when seated upon the bench. his personal habits were regular and systematic in the extreme. he never rose before seven, and was always in bed by half-past ten. his constitution required eight good hours of sleep, and he did not hesitate to gratify it in that particular. it was never intended that all men should rise at the same hour, and it is no great exercise of virtue on the part of those who do not enjoy sleep, to get up early. after breakfasting he read a newspaper for a half hour, and then worked faithfully, till called off to attend the lecture room or the court. after dinner he resumed his labors so long as daylight lasted, and the evening was devoted until bedtime to light reading, or social recreation in the midst of his family. he could pass easily from one species of employment to another without loss of time, and by working steadily when he did work, he was enabled to go through a very great amount of labor without any excessive fatigue or exhaustion. in this way his life was prolonged, and he retained to the last, undisturbed possession of all his faculties. he died in september , at the age of sixty-six, having been for thirty-four years a judge of the supreme court of the united states, and for sixteen years a professor of law in the school at cambridge. =wheaton.= [illustration: wheaton fac-simile of letter] [illustration: wheaton's residence near copenhagen] wheaton. among the persons whom religious persecution compelled to leave england during the reign of charles i., and seek an asylum in the new world, was robert wheaton, a baptist clergyman. he first established himself in salem, but when the intolerance of that community led those of his persuasion to remove elsewhere, he joined roger williams, and assisted him in founding the now flourishing state of rhode island. from him henry wheaton was descended. he was born in providence, , and entered rhode island college at the age of thirteen. he was already remarkable for his love of reading, particularly in the branches of history and literature, and appears to have studied more from the pleasure he had in the acquisition of knowledge, than from any love of distinction. he graduated at the age of seventeen, and immediately after entered upon the study of the law, in compliance with his father's wishes rather than from personal inclination; for at that period he is said not to have entertained any particular leaning towards the legal profession. in he went abroad to complete his education. he passed some time at poitiers, where he learned to speak and write french fluently, and had an opportunity of studying french law, and especially the code napoleon, which had then but recently been promulgated. he also attended the courts of justice, and heard some of the most distinguished lawyers of the time, of whose eloquence he often spoke in his letters to his family. he always recurred with pleasure in later years to the time he passed at poitiers. the kindness he experienced from the family in which he lived, the graceful politeness and cheerfulness of the french character, gave him ever after a predilection in favor of france. after spending a few weeks in paris, he went to england, where he applied himself to the study of english law. he was often at the house of mr. monroe, then our minister in london, who seems to have taken some pains to converse with him on the political and social state of europe. perhaps these conversations contributed to form his taste for diplomatic life, in which he was destined to play so distinguished a part, and also to lead him in its course to show that willingness to impart information of a similar kind, to the young men by whom he was himself surrounded, which was so pleasing a trait in his character. soon after his return from europe he was admitted to the bar in his native state, where he continued to practise till . at that period, feeling the want of a wider field in which to exercise his talents, he determined, having previously married his cousin, the daughter of dr. wheaton of providence, to remove to new-york with his wife. we must not omit to mention, that before leaving providence he pronounced a fourth of july oration, in which he spoke with generous indignation of the bloody wars which then distracted europe, and the disastrous consequences of which his residence in france had given him an opportunity to observe. but although thus warmly opposed to wars of conquest, there were cases in which he deemed resistance a sacred duty; he therefore zealously devoted his pen to encouraging his fellow-countrymen in resisting the unjust encroachments of england. during two years he edited the national advocate, and the spirit as well as the fairness with which its leading articles were written, insured the success of the paper, and established his reputation in new-york. at the same time he held the office of justice of the marine court, and for a few months that also of army judge advocate. in he returned to the practice of his profession, and published in the same year a treatise on the law of maritime captures and prizes, which mr. reddie of edinburgh has since pronounced to have been the best work then published on the subject; no small praise, if we consider that mr. wheaton was only thirty years of age at the time it was written. in he was named reporter of the supreme court at washington, and continued to hold this place until . the reports, of which he published a volume yearly, and which were highly esteemed by american lawyers, were abridged without his consent soon after he went abroad. the publication of this abridgment occasioned a lawsuit, which ended only with his life. the following letter, for which we are indebted to the kindness of professor parsons, of the law-school in cambridge, will, we think, be read with interest. we must only remark, that it is an error to suppose that mr. wheaton shunned general society after he went to europe; he joined in it, on the contrary, more than is usual to men of his age in our country. cambridge, may , . "i am very glad to offer even a slight contribution to this memorial, of one so worthy of all respect as the late mr. wheaton. and you must permit me to express the hope that the sketch you now propose to make, will hereafter be expanded into that history of his life and exhibition of his character, which should be given to the world, in justice to him and to the very many to whom it would be most acceptable. i can speak of him from personal acquaintance, only after a long interval, when even recollections so pleasant as those of my intercourse with him have become somewhat dim. "it was at the very close of the year , that i went to washington, to pass some months there. the commissioners to distribute the money due to american citizens under the then recent treaty with spain, began their sessions that winter. mr. webster was employed by most of the large claimants in new england, and i went with him to assist him generally, and also charged by some of those claimants with the especial care of their interests. in new-york i became acquainted with mr. wheaton; and he was with us during a part of the journey to washington. as fellow-travellers, we became intimate, and during the whole of my stay in washington,--nearly three months,--this intimacy was kept up. from many parts of the country, eminent lawyers were at washington, in attendance upon the supreme court, or charged with the care of cases before the commissioners under the spanish treaty, and i was meeting them continually in society; and i had the good fortune also to, become acquainted with many of the most distinguished members of government and of congress, and visited freely in the whole range--then less broad than now--of society in washington. "wherever i went i met mr. wheaton. every where he was upon the footing, not of a received, but of a welcomed guest; and he seemed to be most intimate in the best houses. it was easy to see the cause of this. his important position as reporter of the decisions of the supreme court of the united states--which office he had then held for six years--brought him into immediate contact not only with the judges of the court, but with all who practised in it; and it might be supposed that with them he would be on terms of intimacy and friendship. but there was something in the character of that friendship, that no mere position explained; and he inspired an equally warm regard in many who never met him in his official duties. among all his friends, if i were to name any persons, i think it would be mr. webster himself, who treated him as he might a brother; sir stratford canning, minister from england, and m. de neuville, the french minister, who appeared to give tone and character to washington society so far as any persons can influence elements so diversified and refractory, and in whose houses he stood on the footing of a confidential friend; mr lowndes of south carolina, a most wise and excellent man; and lastly and most of all, chief justice marshall. let me pause a moment to say one word of this great and good man, to whose greatness and whose goodness, equally, this country is, and while its prosperity endures, will be indebted; for his greatness rested upon his goodness as its foundation. even his wide and accurate learning, his clear and close reasoning, his profound insight into the true merits and exact character and bearing of every question, and the unerring sagacity which enabled him to see the future in the present; all these together, and whatever more there might have been of merely intellectual power, would not have enabled him to lay the foundations of our national and constitutional jurisprudence with the depth, breadth, and firmness, which all attacks upon them have, as yet, only made more apparent, if it had not been for his moral character. here lay the inmost secret of his power. men felt, and the nation felt, his incorruptibility; meaning by this, not merely the absence of that baser and more obvious selfishness, which most men of decent self-respect overcome or suppress; but his perfect and manifest freedom from all motives and all influences whatever, which could tend to cloud or warp his understanding, or qualify the utterance of his wisdom. he did not stand before us a man of living ice, perfectly safe because perfectly cold; for he was affectionate and gentle as a child; excitable even to enthusiasm, when that kind heart was touched; listening, not only with an equal strength to the strongest, but with a perfect sympathy to the eloquent, and with a charming courtesy to all. there he stood, and no one ever saw him and heard him, and did not know that his one wish was to do his great duty; and that his admirable intellect came to its daily tasks, and did them, wholly free from all possible distortion or disturbance, not because he was strong enough to repel all the influences of party, or passion, or prejudice, or interest, or personal favor, but because none of these things could come near enough to him to be repelled. by the happy constitution of his nature, there was no flaw in him to give entrance to any thing which, could draw him one hair's breadth aside from the straight course of truth and justice, and of the law, which in his mind was but their embodiment and voice. of this good and great man there is as yet no adequate memorial; and it would require a strong hand, and if not an equal, at least a sympathizing mind and heart, to construct one which shall indeed be adequate. but i indulge the hope that it will be given to us before the generation which knew him shall pass wholly away. and you, i am sure, will pardon me for using this opportunity to render to his cherished memory this slight and evanescent tribute. i do but indulge myself in saying a part of what i have frequent occasion to say to the many students to whom it is my official duty to teach the law of their country as well as i can, and therefore to speak often of marshall. "the chief justice treated mr. wheaton with the fondest regard, and this example would have had its influence had it been necessary; but in fact the best men then in washington were on the most intimate and confidential terms with him. the simple truth is, that universal respect was rendered to him because he deserved it. he was a gentleman: and therefore the same gentleman to all and under all circumstances; yes, he was indeed and emphatically a gentleman, and combined--with no base admixture--all the elements which go to compose what we mean, or should mean, by that word, as thoroughly as any one that i have ever known. "i did not meet him after leaving washington until a short time before his death, and then not often. i saw very little change in his manner, for he appeared to be as glad as i was to revive the pleasant recollections of that distant winter. but i have been told that after he went abroad, he was considered somewhat silent, and even disposed to avoid rather than seek general society. i cannot say how this was during those later years; but when i knew him in washington, no one more enjoyed society, and few sought it more, or were more sought by it. he was,--not perhaps gay,--but eminently cheerful; and his manner was characterized by that forgetfulness of self, which, as in great things, it forms the foundation for the highest excellence, so in the lesser matters of social intercourse it imparts a perpetual charm, and constitutes almost of itself, the essence of all true politeness. there was with mr. wheaton, no watching of opportunity for display; no indifference and want of interest when the topics of conversation, or the parties, or other circumstances, made it impossible for him to occupy the foreground; no skilful diversion of the conversation into paths which led to his strongholds, where he might come forth with peculiar, advantage. still less did he--as in this country so many do--play out in society the game of life, by using it only as a means of promoting his personal or professional objects. certainly, one may sometimes help himself importantly in this way. very useful acquaintances may thus be made and cultivated, who might be rather shy if directly approached. facts may be learned, and opportunities for advancement early discovered, or effectually laid hold of, by one who circulates widely in a society like that in washington, or indeed any where. nor perhaps should it be a ground of reproach to any one, that in a reasonable way and to a reasonable extent, he seeks and cultivates society for this purpose. but, whatever may be the moral aspect of this matter, or whatever the degree in which conduct of this kind is or is not justifiable, there was in mr. wheaton's demeanor nothing of this; nothing of it in appearance, because nothing of it in fact; for one who is mainly, or in any considerable degree governed by a purpose of this kind, must be cunning indeed, to hide it effectually; and cunning of any sort, was a quality of which he had none whatever. every body felt and knew this: and therefore every body met him with a sense of confidence and repose, which of itself would go far in making any person more acceptable as a friend or as a mere companion, in a society of which the very surface constantly exhibited the many whirling under currents of washington life. in one word, there was in him nothing of _trick_; but that constant and perfect suavity which is the spontaneous expression of universal kindness; and an excellent understanding, well and widely cultivated, and always ready to bring forth all its resources, not to help himself, but to help or gratify others, and all others with whom he came into contact, and all this, with no appearance of purpose or design of any kind; for it was but the natural outpouring of mind and heart, of one who was open to the widest sympathy, and whose interest in all persons and things about him was most real and honest, because he loved nothing so well as to do all the good he could, by word or deed, or little or much, to one, or few, or many. he was therefore most popular in society. but when we speak of mr. wheaton's social _popularity_, we must be careful to use this word in a higher than its common sense; and if i have made myself at all intelligible, i think you will understand both the cause and the character of that popularity. "and more than this i cannot say. time has effaced from my memory details and especial circumstances; nor can i therefore, by their help, illustrate this slight sketch of mr. wheaton's character and position, during those pleasant months which he helped so much to make pleasant. of these particulars, my recollection is dim enough. but no lapse of time will efface from my mind the clear and distinct recollection of the high excellence of his character, or the charms of his conversation and manners; nor shall i ever lose any portion of the affection and respect with which i regard his memory. "i am, very sincerely, "your friend and obedient servant, "theophilus parsons." cambridge, may , . in , mr. wheaton was elected a member of the convention for revising the constitution of the state of new-york, which having been formed amid the tumults and perils of war, seemed defective and insufficient to the wants of a richer, more enlightened, and more numerous society. in his sittings he turned his attention more particularly to the organization of the tribunals. in , he was appointed by the new-york legislature a member of the commission appointed to draw up the civil and criminal code of the state, a work in which he continued to be engaged until . it has been remarked that this was the first effort made by any state possessing the common law, to reduce its disconnected and diffusive legislation to the unity of a code; so that his name is thus connected with one of the most important landmarks in the history of american law. it may easily be imagined, that a person of so serious and thoughtful a disposition could not have failed at some period of his life, to turn his attention to the important subject of religion. while in college, and during the ensuing years, he had studied deeply the works of the great english theologians, and when the unitarian church was established in new-york, he united himself with it. his other occupations did not prevent him from entering into literary pursuits. in he pronounced a discourse before the historical society of new-york, and in , one at the opening of the new-york athenæum, both of which are considered to have unusual merit; he was in the habit of contributing to the north american review, and also translated the code napoleon. unfortunately, this manuscript and some other interesting papers were soon after destroyed by fire. in he published the life of william pinkney, whom he had known in washington, and for whom he had the highest regard and admiration. this he afterwards abridged for sparks's american biography. his familiarity with the french language, laws, and customs, led to an intimacy with most of the exiles whom the downfall of napoleon brought to this country. count réal, the minister of police under the empire, count regnault, the most brilliant orator of that time, general bernard and prince achille murat, all considered him as a friend, and retained as long as they lived a warm recollection of the kind welcome they had found at his house. in he was appointed by president adams, chargè d'affaires to denmark, and charged with negotiations the object of which was to obtain an indemnity for the american vessels seized during the last war between france and england. he embarked in july for england, where he had the satisfaction of again seeing the friends whose kindness had made his first visit to that country so pleasant, and also of meeting some of the most distinguished literary and legal characters of the day. among the former, was dr. bowring, with whom he afterwards became intimate, and who was indeed one of the warmest friends he had in europe. although the first few months passed in copenhagen were not without the trials attendant on a removal to a foreign home, and in this instance were still more overshadowed by the news of his father's death, and by the illness and death of his wife's brother, who had gone with them, mr. wheaton soon became acclimated, formed pleasant acquaintances among his colleagues and among the danes, who are remarkably kind and hospitable to foreigners, and availed himself of the resources the country offered to one of his tastes. the letter to judge story, of which we give a _fac-simile_, will show his first impressions of copenhagen. the climate of denmark is damp like that of england, and its verdure quite as beautiful. copenhagen is prettily situated, and contains as many objects of interest as any city of the size in europe. it has fine palaces, a military and a naval academy, admirable hospitals, an extensive public library, a valuable collection of northern antiquities, a good gallery of pictures, and fine public walks. the vicinity of the capital, although level, is highly cultivated, and affords a number of charming residences. the most pleasant of these are situated on the strandvei, a road which runs along the shore of the baltic to the dyr-hange, a fine park well stocked with deer, which is a favorite place of resort during the summer season to the danes, who enjoy out-of-door life as much as the inhabitants of a southern clime. many of the houses which stand at intervals along the pleasant strandvei are rented by their proprietors to foreigners. of one of those occupied by mr. wheaton and his family, we engrave a cut, from a view painted by an artist of the country. it stood, and still stands, at some distance from the road, with a green lawn before it, and surrounded by lilacs, laburnums and beech-trees, whose white bark and light green leaves give a peculiar character to the scenery of denmark. from the windows of the house the blue waves of the baltic, studded with every variety of sail, may be seen, and in clear weather the opposite coast of sweden is discernible. the road is enlivened by the brilliant equipages of the royal family and nobility, by the holstein-wagen, long open carriages which contain ten persons, two only being seated abreast, and much used for parties of pleasure, and by the women from the neighboring fishing villages, with their green petticoats and red boddices, carrying large baskets of fish to the city. at the time of mr. wheaton's arrival in denmark, count schimmelmann occupied the post of minister of foreign affairs. this nobleman was possessed of great talents and worth, and for nearly thirty years was employed in the service of his government. although a great part of his income was derived from his estates in the danish west indies, it was chiefly by his influence that the emancipation of the negroes was effected. he was a generous patron of art and science, and one of the earliest friends of niebuhr. by such a man mr. wheaton could not fail to be appreciated; and although the business transacted between them was of a delicate, and to the danish government, which had been greatly impoverished by the war, of a trying nature, these meetings were always pleasant to both. the negotiations were terminated in , by the signature of a convention, by which the american government obtained nearly all it had demanded. while thus engaged, mr. wheaton had not neglected the literary pursuits to which, in moments of leisure, he always turned with pleasure. he prepared himself by the study of the languages, literature, and history of northern europe, for writing a work which was published in london, in , under the title of history of the northmen. at that period, scandinavia was a new, and almost untrodden field, but although much has since been added to the information we then possessed respecting its history and antiquities, this work is still considered very valuable by those who take an interest in the subject to which it relates. it was translated into french in , and a new edition of it being desired in this country, mr. wheaton undertook the task of preparing it, but did not live to complete it. in the course of these studies he became acquainted with the most distinguished literary characters of denmark, such as bask, rafn, finn-magnusen, the poet ohlenschläger, münter, bishop of zealand, and others. we must not omit to add madame frederika brun, the sister of münter, and herself a poetess of celebrity, whose splendid mansion in copenhagen and charming country-seat of fredericksdal, were for many years the resort of the most distinguished persons in denmark. it was in that he bade adieu to the country where nine pleasant years had been passed, and where his amiable disposition, high integrity and talents, had won him many friends. for more than a quarter of a century, our country had no representative in prussia; but our increased trade with germany rendering it important that we should renew our relations with that country, he was appointed by president jackson, minister resident to the court of prussia. on his arrival in berlin, his new colleagues took pleasure in pointing out to him the house which had been the residence of his predecessor, john quincy adams, so long before. mr. ancillon, the minister of foreign affairs, was the descendant of a huguenot family, who, after the revocation of the edict of nantes, sought an asylum in germany, and is even better known as a philosophical writer and historian, than as a statesman. to him mr. wheaton presented his credentials, and as the king, frederick william iii., and his ministers, soon after left berlin, according to custom, for the summer months, he devoted the interval to visiting the rhenish provinces, in order to examine their resources and report to government concerning them. during the ensuing summers he made excursions into different parts of germany with the same object. in his private letters, he speaks with delight of the beauty and fertility of the country, to which historical associations gave additional charm in his eyes. in a dispatch, he says: "having diligently explored every state and every province, comprehended in the customs-association, with the view of studying their economical resources, i have been forcibly struck with the vast variety and rich productions with which heaven has endowed this beautiful and highly favored land. its fields teem with luxuriant harvests of grain and fruit, the hillsides are clad with vineyards yielding the most exquisite wines, the mountains contain inexhaustible treasures of useful minerals, whilst the valleys are filled with health-giving fountains of salubrious waters. when we add to these productions of nature and of agricultural labor, the vast variety of useful and ornamental fabrics, furnished by the persevering and patient industry of the german people, and their extensive consumption of the peculiar staple productions of the new world, we must be convinced of the great and increasing importance of the constituent elements of german commerce, of the valuable exchange it offers to the trade of other countries, and of the benefits which may be derived to our own country, from cultivating and extending the commercial relations between the united states and germany." in , mr. wheaton was raised by president van buren to the rank of minister plenipotentiary and envoy extraordinary; and we cannot forbear remarking, that after the opposition which--although never a violent party man--he had in previous years shown mr. van buren, it is most honorable to the latter, that no feeling of rancor or pique, withheld him from making a nomination which he felt the public services of his former opponent to deserve. in , he published, in england and in the united states, his "elements of international law," and in republished it in this country with numerous additions. in he wrote in french, "histoire du progrès du droit des gens depuis la paix de westphalie," which obtained a _mention honorable_ from the french institute. this work was published in french at leipsic, , and afterwards in new-york, under the title of "history of the law of nations." competent judges have spoken of it as the best work of the kind ever written; mr. reddie and mr. manning in great britain, baron gagern in germany, and the enlightened and accomplished minister of the king of sardinia, marquis d'azeglio, have all awarded high praise to it. by diplomatists, it is considered an invaluable book of reference; by british statesmen, it has several times been quoted in parliament, and there can be no exaggeration in saying, that it has entitled the author to a lasting reputation in the old world. in , mr. wheaton had the misfortune to lose his eldest son, a lad of great promise, who died after a few days' illness in paris, where he was at school. from that moment, all the father's hopes centred in robert, his only remaining son. of the latter, this is not the place to speak fully; but we cannot forbear to say, that he lived long enough to realize the fondest anticipations of his parents, and that his early death, at the age of twenty-five years, will ever be a source of regret to all who knew him. he died on the th of october, , only three years after his father. in , he was made a corresponding member of the french institute, in the section of moral and political sciences. this nomination increased the pleasure he felt in visiting paris, which he did, whenever his official duties would permit. in the literary and political circles of that great capital, he found the stimulus which every mind like his requires, and of which, he felt the want in berlin, where men of letters and _savans_ do not mix in the court-circles, which his official position compelled him frequently to attend. he knew most of the eminent statesmen and politicians of france; he was particularly well acquainted with m. guizot, for whose character and talents he entertained the highest respect, and with m. thiers, the charm of whose conversation he admired no less than his works, he also enjoyed the opportunity he had in paris of meeting his countrymen, of whom comparatively few visited berlin. nor did he neglect when there, to transmit to government such information respecting the general state of europe, as his long residence abroad, and his relations with the leading men in several of its countries, enabled him to collect. in the ten years during which his mission to berlin lasted, scarcely a week elapsed without his addressing a dispatch to government. these dispatches are extremely interesting, both from the variety and extent of information they contain concerning the political and commercial state of prussia, and the picture they present of europe and of european governments, and, if ever published, will form a valuable addition to the history of american and european diplomacy. in many respects, mr. wheaton was peculiarly well qualified for diplomatic life. his knowledge of international law, the soundness of his judgment, the calmness and impartiality with which he could look at the different sides of a question, his gentle and forbearing disposition, his amiable and conciliating manners, were all in his favor. to these advantages, he added the purest integrity, and the highest sense of the duties and responsibilities attached to the profession he so long followed. in the speech made at the public dinner offered him in new-york, on his return to his native country after an absence of twenty years, he said, and this was the true expression of his feelings on the subject: "you will excuse me for remarking that the mission of a diplomatic agent is, or ought to be, a mission of peace and conciliation; and that nothing can be further removed from its true nature and dignity, than intrigue, craft, and duplicity; qualities too often, but in my opinion, erroneously, attributed to the diplomatic character. at least, it may i believe be confidently asserted, that the ablest public ministers, and those who have most effectually advanced the honor and interest of their country, have been those who were distinguished for frankness, directness, and a strict regard to truth." the amount of business which devolved on him during his mission to berlin, independent of the negotiations for a commercial treaty with the german customs-union or zollverein, can hardly be estimated by reading his dispatches only. not a week elapsed without his receiving letters from different parts of germany and the united states, asking for advice with regard to emigration, or to the disposition of property left by friends in america or in germany, and all requiring immediate attention. but notwithstanding these demands upon his time, he did not neglect the pursuits of literature. in he published, jointly with dr. crichton, the volumes entitled "scandinavia," which form a portion of the edinburgh family library; and in , and the succeeding years, wrote a number of interesting letters addressed to the national institute at washington, which were published in the columns of the national intelligencer. in , he was named member of the academy of sciences at berlin, and we must not omit to mention, that he was the only foreign diplomat to whom the honor had then been awarded. with raumer and ranke, with ritter, the celebrated geographer, encke, the astronomer, he was of course acquainted; savigny, gans, and eichorn, he knew well; and with alexander von humboldt he was on the most friendly and familiar terms. count raczynski, whose work on "modern art," has made his name known in this country, and whose fine gallery is to amateurs of painting one of the chief objects of interest in berlin, was also his intimate friend. with bunsen, one of the most agreeable as well as intellectual men in germany, whose diplomatic duties kept him absent from berlin, he passed many delightful hours in switzerland, and in london. all his colleagues in berlin met him on the most friendly terms; but the russian, french and english ministers were those whose company he most enjoyed, and who perhaps entertained for him the most cordial friendship. the two latter gave him their entire confidence, often showing him their dispatches, and freely discussing with him the interests of their respective governments. it was in the spring of , that the negotiations with the zollverein, with which mr. wheaton had been charged, and which the various interests of the nineteen different states which it then included, had protracted, drew to a close. on the th of march he signed a convention with baron bulow, the prussian minister of foreign affairs, of whose enlightened and liberal views he always spoke in high terms. this treaty, to the accomplishment of which he had devoted all his energies during several years, and which he fondly hoped would prove satisfactory to government and the country, was rejected by the senate. it is hardly necessary to say, that he felt this disappointment deeply. in , he was recalled by president polk, and on the d july had his farewell audience of the king of prussia, by whom he had always been treated with marked distinction and courtesy. he went to paris to pass the ensuing winter, during which he read to the academy of sciences a paper on the schleswig-holstein question, which is still unpublished. in may, , he returned to his native land. a public dinner, to which we have already alluded, was given him in new-york, where so much of his early life had been spent, and where he had first distinguished himself; a dinner was also offered him in philadelphia, but this, circumstances compelled him to decline. the city of providence requested him to sit for his portrait, to be placed in the hall of the city council, "as a memorial of one who shed so much honor on the place of his nativity." it is interesting to mark the contrast between this portrait, which was painted by healy, and one painted by jarvis nearly thirty years before. though the countenance has lost something of the animation of youth, and the eyes have no longer the fire which flashes from the portrait of jarvis, the head has gained in intellectual expression, and the brow wears that air of thoughtful repose, the mouth that pleasant smile, familiar to those who knew him in his later years. in september, , he delivered an address in providence, before the phi beta kappa society, the subject of which was the progress and prospects of germany. this was the last public occasion on which his voice was heard. the chair of international law at harvard university, to which he had been called, on his return home, he never lived to fill. his health gradually failed, and on the th of march, , he breathed his last. =webster.= [illustration: webster fac-simile of letter] [illustration: webster's birth-place] webster. what justice can be done "in an half-hour of words, to fifty years of great deeds on high places." the most meagre epitome of daniel webster's career, can not be compressed into the few pages allotted him in this book. foremost, in the highest spheres of intellectual exertion, as a lawyer, orator and statesman--great in all these, yet greater as a man--how can his character, even in outline, be sketched by an unskilled pencil, on so small a canvas? high as were his stations, and severe as were his labors, they were not high nor severe enough, to exhaust his force, or exhibit his full proportions, but while meeting and mastering all, it was still manifest, that he had powers in reserve, superior to greater tasks than were ever imposed. at the bar, the puzzles of jurisprudence yielded too readily to his analysis. in congress, but one question only ever wrung his withers or strained his strength. he shook off the perplexities of diplomacy, like dew-drops from his mane; too great for party, too great for sycophancy, too great to be truly appreciated, the exalted position to which he aspired, would have added no new lustre to his name, no additional guarantee of its immortality. there was no niche in our temple, vast enough for his colossal image. consider too, the extent and profundity of his opinions, during the half-century of his public life. on all questions of our foreign and domestic policy, on all the important epochs of our history, on everything respecting the origin, growth, commerce, peace and prosperity of this union of states, "everywhere the philosophical and patriotic statesman and thinker, will find that he has been before him, lighting the way, sounding the abyss. his weighty language, his sagacious warnings, his great maxims of empire, will be raised to view and live to be deciphered, when the final catastrophe shall lift the granite foundation in fragments from its bed." merely to review the record of these opinions, his public speeches, historical discourses, and state papers would be to write the civil and constitutional history of the country since the war of . assaying none of these ambitious flights, and bearing in mind the title of this book, we shall confine ourselves to the humble task of collating from the fragmentary reminiscences of personal friends, and from his own autobiographical allusions, a brief account of the homes and home life of webster.[ ] there is a "vulgar error," which needs no sir thomas browne to refute, that the possession of great intellectual endowments, is incompatible with the growth and development of the affections. during his entire career mr. webster suffered from this misconception. when he refused to adopt any of the arts of popular adulation; when he manifested his real respect for the people, by addressing their understandings, rather than by cajoling their weaknesses; when, rapt in his own meditations, he forgot to bow, to smile, to flatter, and bandy unmeaning compliment; when the mean stood abashed before his nobleness, and the weak before his strength, disappointed self-conceit, invariably turned from his presence, with the sneering remark, "webster has no soul." death strips off all disguises. calumny is silent over the graves of the great. it was not, until he was removed beyond the reach of party warfare and interested depreciation, it was not, until the veil that hid his true lineaments, was drawn aside, that mr. webster's inner life, and social relations, were revealed to his countrymen, and they began to discover, that underneath the giant's brain, there was a giant heart. the disclosures of those who enjoyed his familiarity and confidence, have now placed it beyond all controversy, that home, home affections, home pursuits, home enjoyments, were more congenial to mr. webster's nature, than the dizzy heights of office, or the stormy forum. he saw not merely in home, the walls that protected him, from boreas and the dog-star, the spot of earth appropriated to himself, the place that ministered to his material enjoyments, but while the sense of comfort and the sense of property entered into its complex idea, his sentiments and affections gave to it a higher and holier meaning. the word home carried him back to his infancy, and forward to his age. it connected itself with all his affections, filial, fraternal, parental, with those grand and solemn epochs of humanity, birth, marriage and death. to his lofty imagination, the roof-tree was consecrated with ceremonies, more imposing than those of our saxon ancestors. it symbolized the family tie, the domestic virtues, the lares and penates of classic mythology. home was his retreat from the world of action, to the world of contemplation. here he was to _live_. these walls would witness those experiences, sweet, bitter, mournful; those communings with god, with friends, kindred and himself; those aspirations, dreams, disappointments--that are embraced in that word of infinite significance, _life_. here his wife was to administer love and consolation; here children were to be born, hostages to fortune, heritors of name and fame, idols upon whom can be lavished the inexhaustible treasures of love. here the pilgrimage was to end, here he was to die. on the bleak and rugged soil of salisbury, new hampshire, in a green nook, hardly sheltered from the wintry blasts, he was born. under an aged elm, whose branches reach across the highway, stands this ancient habitation. it is in the shadow of lofty mountains, while a broad and rapid river winds through the meadows spread out before the door. "looking out at the east window," says he, in one of his letters, from this hallowed spot, "my eye sweeps along a level field of one hundred acres. at the end of it, a third of a mile off, i see plain marble grave-stones, designating the places where repose my father and mother, brother and sisters. the fair field is before me. i could see a lamb on any part of it. i have ploughed it, and raked it, but never mowed it; somehow, i could never learn to hang a scythe." as webster advances, in years and distinction, he seems only to have been drawing a lengthened chain from his first home. with what constancy does he carry its features in his mind, kearsarge, the merrimack and punch brook! he spares no expense to cultivate the old acres and keep, the old house in repair. with what regularity does he revisit it and explore all his boyish haunts, the orchard, the mill, the meeting-house, the well, the hillside and the trout stream! with what a swelling heart, and moistened eye, does he sit beneath the ancestral elms that stretch their arms, in benediction, over the old homestead, while busy fancy repeoples these familiar scenes with the absent and the dead, the mother that bore him, the father on whose shoulder he wept, the much beloved brother, whose education he earned, "with weary fingers by the midnight lamp?" how from the great popular gathering, from the "sea of upturned faces," and even from the important issues that hung on his eloquence, does his mind impulsively wander to this cherished home--"raised amid the snow-drifts of new hampshire, at a period so early that, when the smoke first rose from its rude chimney, and curled over the frozen hills, there was no similar evidence of a white man's habitation between it and the settlements on the rivers of canada. its remains still exist. i make to it an annual visit. i carry my children to it to teach them the hardships endured by the generations which have gone before them. i love to dwell on the tender recollections, the kindred ties, the early affections, and the touching narratives and incidents, which mingle with all i know of this primitive family abode. i weep to think that none of those who inhabited it are now among the living; and if ever i am ashamed of it, or if i ever fail in affectionate veneration for him who reared and defended it against savage violence and destruction, cherished all the domestic virtues beneath its roof, and, through the fire and blood of seven years' revolutionary war, shrunk from no danger, no toil, no sacrifice to serve his country, and to raise his children to a condition better than his own, may my name and the name of my posterity be blotted forever from the memory of mankind." "take care," says he, in one of the last letters which he wrote to john taylor, "take care to keep my mother's garden in good order, even if it cost you the wages of a man to take care of it." one of mr. webster's most cherished relics, which he sometimes carried in his vest pocket, and exhibited to his friends, was an antique tea-spoon, covered with rust, which john taylor found in this very garden of his mother. in the library at marshfield, the eye turns from healey's splendid portraits, to a small and unpretending silhouette, with the inscription, "my excellent mother," in the handwriting of her immortal son. when he selected as the home of his manhood, the old mansion by the far-resounding sea, how completely was every want of his nature represented in the grand and impressive features of the place. marshfield lies within the limits of the pilgrims' earliest colony, and on mr. webster's farm stands the house to which edward winslow carried his household gods, from aboard the tempest-tost mayflower, and the house to which a company of british soldiers bade final adieu, when they marched from it to storm the redoubts on bunker hill. it thus connects two chapters of that colonial history, which mr. webster loved to study and paint, and two imperishable monuments to his own renown. it is surrounded by vast and fertile fields, meadows and pastures green, dotted here and there with groves and orchards, for one who worshiped, as in a sanctuary, beneath the over-hanging branches of trees, and dotted also with great herds of red and black oxen, for one who "was glad when his cattle lifted up their large-eyed, contemplative faces, and recognized their master by a look." its border, landward, is hedged with nothing less than a vast forest of pines, and within a few hours' ride, lies a fresh wilderness, unbroken, as when the pilgrims first saw it from the mayflower's mast-head, where the wild eagle still soars, and the timid deer "glances through the glade." his eye, far as its glance could penetrate, rested on the most sublime of all nature's attractions, on thee-- "glorious mirror where the almighty's form glasses itself in tempests; in all time, calm or convulsed--in breeze, or gale, or storm, icing the pole, or in the torrid zone dark heaving; boundless, endless, and sublime, the image of eternity, the throne of the invisible." scattered over its far-reaching expanse, he could always see the white sails of that commerce he loved to defend, and occasionally, one of those "oak leviathans," bearing the glorious flag of the union--"not a stripe erased, or polluted, not a single star obscured;" memorials at once of the nation's glory, and of his own proudest triumph. as deep answereth unto deep, none of the majestic harmonies of the domain, but found a full and equal response in the bosom of its lord. old ocean never rolled its waves, at the feet of one who could better grasp their immeasurable extent, unfathomable depth. when, with these surroundings, he stood on that autumn eve, beneath that magnificent elm that grows by his door-side, the sea's eternal anthem in his ear, and in his eye, the infinite vault of the starry heavens, he could find in recorded language but this one utterance: "when i consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers; the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? for thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor." while his tastes were thus attuned to the grandest aspects of nature, all the rural sights and rural sounds of this chosen spot, ministered to the delight of his acute sensibilities. "the smell of new-mown hay," says mr. hillard, "and of the freshly turned furrows of spring, was cordial to his spirit. the whetting of the mower's scythe, the beat of the thresher's flail, the heavy groan of loaded wagons, were music to his ear!" the rich verdure of clover, the waving of the golden grain, the shriek of the sea-mew and the softest song of the nightingale; all the varying aspects of sky and field and sea, furnished him with a distinct and peculiar enjoyment. the shrinking quail whistled in his garden shrubbery, and fed, unscared, in his carriage-way. the observer can not fail to notice characteristics of webster in all the features of this favorite abode. his door-yard is a broad field of twenty acres, unbroken by fence or hedge. around it, sweep in concentric circles, of vast diameter, great belts of forest-trees, planted with his own hands, offering secluded recesses and shady walks, where "musing solitude might love to roam." gotham hill, once a sand-bank, piled up by the ocean, and long defeating, by its barrenness, the ingenuity of his culture, he at length clothed with a green garment of beautiful clover. cherry hill was converted from a lean and parched mole, into a cool and inviting grove, within a rod of his door, almost an alcove to the library. everything in and about the house were as thoroughly systemized and adapted to each other, as the points of one of his briefs. the appurtenances of the mansion, the main barn, the sheep barn, the piggery, are all where the necessities of the farm and the comeliness of the homestead require them to be placed. in the interior, the parlors, the library filled with the lore of all ages, the ample hospitality of the dining-room, the breakfast-room, opening toward that morning light he loved so dearly, the dairy cooled by its proximity to the ice-house, the gun-room furnished with every appliance for field sports, the decorations and the furniture; everything in his mansion as in his arguments, bespeaks the mind of webster. within a stone's throw of this parlor-window, observe those two young english elms; they are called "the brother and sister," and were thus named and thus planted, by the bereaved father, when julia and edward were torn from his heart. "i hope the _trees_ will live," said he, with touching pathos of tone, as he completed this labor of love. there is no more pathetic expression of parental sorrow, to be found in our language, than the dedication of the sixth volume of his works, to the same departed twain. "with the warmest parental affection, mingled with afflicted feelings, i dedicate this, the last volume of my works, to the memory of my deceased children, julia webster appleton, beloved in all the relations of daughter, wife, mother, sister and friend; and major edward webster, who died in mexico, in the military service of the united states, with unblemished honor and reputation, and who entered the service solely from a desire to be useful to his country, and do honor to the state in which he was born. "go, gentle spirits, to your destined rest; while i--reversed our nature's kindlier doom-- pour forth a father's sorrow on your tomb." and yet mr. webster was "cold as marble; all intellect." but let us pass into the library; the library! here vulcan forged those infrangible chains, that impenetrable armor--the shield of achilles and the sword of hector. here you feel nearer to webster than even when you enter his tomb; much that is in this room his immortal spirit carried with it in its upward flight. it is not that life-like portrait, by healey, that introduces you, as it were, into the visible presence of the great statesman. it is the inspiration of the place, these scattered tools, just as they were dropped by the master-workman, that well-worn manual, thumbed by his own hand; that turned leaf, indicating the last page of human lore upon which his eye ever gazed; that arm-chair, his favorite seat. he seems just to have left it, and you will now find him, in one of those shady lanes, that lead to cherry hill, walking slowly, as he welds together the facts and principles he has gleaned from yonder opened folio. here then, with these surroundings, with that beautiful landscape in his eye, daniel webster studied, pondered, and communed with these old tomes as with familiar faces. how often has he turned from the living world, to find kindred here in bacon, chatham, fox and burke! how often has his eye run over that complete set of parliamentary debates! how often has he conned those volumes of hansard, and these of mccullough! how often has he resorted to that full alcove of dictionaries, to learn the precise and exact meaning of some important word; and to you, shakspeare, milton and gray, how often has he fled for refreshment and consolation! how often, harassed by cares, and stung by ingratitude, has he murmured, in this air, the music of his favorite cicero, "hæc studia adolescentiam alunt, senectutem oblectant, secundas res ornant, adversis perfugium ac solatium præbent, delectant domi, non impediunt foris, pernoctant nobiscum, peregrinantur, rusticantur." let us now ascend this staircase, (adorned with no costly paintings, but with some choice engravings, interesting from the associations they recall, or as mementos from friends, or tributes from artists,) and approach this darkened chamber, looking toward the setting sun; tread softly and slowly! within these walls, on that plain bedstead, beneath that window commanding an ocean prospect, webster died. here occurred that grand and affecting leave-taking, with kindred, friends and the world; here, "the curfew tolled the knell of parting day;" here occurred a death-scene, which can find no parallel in human history, but in the death of socrates; here, with the assured consciousness, that his own contributions to the fund of human wisdom were imperishable, and that the "next ages" could not fail to do justice to his patriotic labors, he faintly murmured, as his spirit took its flight, and his eye closed forever, "i still live." on an eminence overlooking the sea, by the side of the burial-place of the first pilgrims, is webster's last home. a mound of earth and marble slab, mark the spot where sleeps all that is mortal of the great american. footnotes: [ ] we have consulted principally the "memorials of daniel webster," published by the appletons, containing the letters of gen. lyman, and the eulogies of everett, choate and hildreth, all enjoying the precious favor of his personal intimacy. the reminiscences of mr. lanman, his private secretary, and everett's life prefixed to the complete edition of his works, are our authority for many of the following details. +--------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | transcriber's notes | | | | spelling has been made consistent throughout but kept to | | authors' original format except where noted. | | | | small caps has been capitalized in this text version. | | | | images have been moved from the middle of a paragraph to the | | closest paragraph break. "washington's" has been added to | | captions for headquarters on pages , , , , , , | | , and . | | | | footnotes have been moved to the end of the chapters. also, | | "the" has been added to "works of john adams" (for footnotes | | - ) and "life and works" (for footnotes - and - ) for | | consistency. | | | | page viii: page numbers added to "fac-similes of letters". | | henry clay is added to the list, whereas patrick henry's | | copy is not available. | | | | page : (hudson's statue) changed to (houdon's statue) | | | | page : (to recruit in mind and body) changed to (to | | recoup his mind and body) | | | | page : (great lakes) changed to (great lakes) | | | | page : (old style, , on a house) changed to | | (old style, , in a house) | | | | page : hyphen removed (much like the-lime tree of europe) | | | | page : " removed from ("in mr. adams was appointed) | | | | page : ? changed to , (early companions? so that his) | | | | page : (apalachian) changed to (appalachian) | | | | page : , replaces ; in (his countenance, clear, | | expressive; and) | | | | page : typo "then" corrected in (legislature, and thne) | | | | page : , replaces ; in (the other; begirt) | | | | page : (webster, parker, quincy and prescott,) replaces | | (webster and parker, and quincy; and prescott,) | | | | page : ; removed from (a tale twice told and; who was) | | | +--------------------------------------------------------------+ available by internet archive (http://www.archive.org) note: project gutenberg also has an html version of this file which includes the original illustrations. see -h.htm or -h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/ / -h/ -h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/ / -h.zip) images of the original pages are available through internet archive. see http://www.archive.org/details/historicshrines faririch transcriber's note: text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). historic shrines of america by john t. faris [illustration: independence hall, rear view, philadelphia _photo by ph. b. wallace_] historic shrines of america being the story of one hundred and twenty historic buildings and the pioneers who made them notable by john t. faris member of the historical society of pennsylvania and fellow of the american geographical society author of "real stories from our history," "old roads out of philadelphia," etc. illustrated new york george h. doran company copyright, , by george h. doran company printed in the united states of america foreword circular tours have long been popular in england. there was a time--as there will be a time again--when american visitors felt that to make the rounds of the cathedral towns or the historic castles or the homes and haunts of great men and women, was a necessary part of seeing the tight little island. "what a pity it is that we in america have no such wealth of historic places," one returning tourist was heard to remark. "oh, of course, there are a few spots like independence hall and concord and lexington," he went on, "but there are not enough of them to make it worth while to plan a tour such as those in which we have taken delight in england." it was easy to point out to the traveler his mistake; most americans know that the country is rich in places of historic interest. just how rich it is they may not realize until they make a serious study of the landmarks of their own land, as does the european tourist of the centers noted in his guidebook. in fact, there are in america so many houses, churches, and other buildings having a vital connection with our history that volumes would be required to tell of them all. even a brief record of the buildings whose owners or occupants played a conspicuous part in the early history of the country would fill a large book. it is fascinating to learn of these houses and public buildings and to delve into the biographies which tell what happened to the people who lived in them. fiction seems tame after connecting, for instance, the story of alexander hamilton and elizabeth schuyler with the ford mansion and the campfield house at morristown, new jersey, then with the schuyler mansion in albany, new york, and the grange in new york city. the heart of the patriot burns with new love for his country as he reads of faneuil hall and the old south church and carpenters' hall. the story of the revolution is clothed with living interest when washington and his generals are followed to valley forge and newburgh and cambridge and morristown and princeton. fresh appreciation of the sacrifice of the pioneers comes from going with them into the garrison houses of new england, along the wilderness road in kentucky, to the settlements on the ohio, or to the banks of the wabash where more than one indian treaty was made. next comes the keen pleasure of visiting the houses and churches which, through the piecing together of these facts, have become like familiar friends. the vacation journey that includes a careful study of a few of these buildings becomes a fascinating course in patriotism. it is the purpose of the author of "historic shrines of america" to tell just enough about each of one hundred and twenty of these buildings of historic interest to create a hunger for more; to present pictures sufficiently attractive to make those who turn the pages of the book determine to visit the places described; to arrange the brief chapters in such sequence that it will be possible for the reader to plan for successive vacations a series of journeys through the centers where historic buildings may be found, and, in doing this, to pass by so many structures of interest that the reader and the tourist will have abundant opportunity to discover houses and churches of which he will say, "i wonder why this was not included." contents chapter page one: in the land of the pilgrims i the old state house, boston, massachusetts ii paul revere's house, boston, massachusetts iii faneuil hall, boston, massachusetts iv three historic churches of boston v elmwood, cambridge, massachusetts vi the craigie house, cambridge, massachusetts vii the adams houses, quincy, massachusetts viii the quincy mansion, quincy, massachusetts ix fernside farm, haverhill, massachusetts x the duston garrison house, haverhill, massachusetts xi the old manse and the wayside, concord, massachusetts xii the royall house, medford, massachusetts xiii broadhearth and the bennet-boardman house, saugus, massachusetts xiv the colonel jeremiah lee house, marblehead, massachusetts xv the old south church, newburyport, massachusetts xvi the first baptist church, providence, rhode island two: where patroons and knickerbockers flourished xvii the morris-jumel mansion, new york city xviii the philipse manor house, yonkers, new york xix st. paul's chapel, new york city xx fraunces' tavern, new york city xxi the grange, new york city xxii the van cortlandt house, new york city xxiii the hasbrouck house, newburgh, new york three: across the jerseys with the patriots xxiv the franklin palace, perth amboy, new jersey xxv the church at caldwell, new jersey xxvi old tennent church, freehold, new jersey xxvii the ford mansion, morristown, new jersey xxviii nassau hall, princeton, new jersey xxix three historic houses at princeton, new jersey xxx the springfield meeting house, new jersey four: rambles about the city of brotherly love xxxi the letitia penn house, philadelphia xxxii carpenters' hall, philadelphia xxxiii st. peter's church, philadelphia xxxiv cliveden, germantown, philadelphia xxxv old pine street church, philadelphia xxxvi independence hall, philadelphia xxxvii the david rittenhouse home, near philadelphia xxxviii the headquarters at valley forge, pennsylvania xxxix three headquarters of washington xl sweetbrier-on-the-schuylkill, philadelphia xli mill grove and fatlands, near philadelphia xlii waynesborough, near paoli, pennsylvania xliii the moravian church, bethlehem, pennsylvania five: over the mason and dixon line xliv historic landmarks at new castle, delaware xlv the ridgely house, dover, delaware xlvi rehoboth church on the pocomoke, maryland xlvii doughoregan manor, near ellicott city, maryland xlviii the upton scott house, annapolis, maryland xlix the capitol at washington l the white house, washington li the octagon house, washington six: homes and haunts of the cavaliers lii mount vernon, virginia liii arlington, virginia liv christ church, alexandria, virginia lv the mary washington house, fredericksburg, virginia lvi greenway and sherwood forest, virginia lvii two historic courthouses of virginia lviii st. john's church, richmond lix the nelson house and the moore house, yorktown, virginia lx the john marshall house, richmond, virginia lxi five old houses of tidewater, virginia lxii gunston hall, virginia lxiii the washington college building, lexington, virginia lxiv bruton parish church, williamsburg, virginia lxv william and mary college, williamsburg, virginia lxvi the monumental church, richmond, virginia lxvii montpelier, orange county, virginia lxviii oak hill, loudoun county, virginia lxix red hill, charlotte county, virginia lxx pohick church, truro parish, virginia lxxi mount airy, richmond county, virginia lxxii two of virginia's oldest church buildings lxxiii monticello, near charlottesville, virginia lxxiv the university of virginia at charlottesville, virginia seven: through the sunny south lxxv three old churches in charleston, south carolina lxxvi the house of rebecca motte, charleston, south carolina lxxvii the independent church, savannah, georgia lxxviii the cabildo of new orleans lxxix the alamo, san antonio, texas lxxx the hermitage, nashville, tennessee lxxxi ashland, lexington, kentucky lxxxii sportsman's hall, whitley's station, kentucky lxxxiii white haven, near st. louis, missouri eight: all the way back to new england lxxxiv the abraham lincoln house, springfield, illinois lxxxv the governor's palace at vincennes, indiana lxxxvi the house of general rufus putnam, marietta, ohio lxxxvii monument place, elm grove, west virginia lxxxviii the castle at fort niagara, new york lxxxix the schuyler mansion, albany, new york xc the wentworth house, portsmouth, new hampshire xci the wadsworth longfellow house, portland, maine bibliography index illustrations independence hall, rear view, philadelphia, pennsylvania _frontispiece_ page old state house, boston, massachusetts paul revere house, boston, massachusetts hancock-clarke house, lexington, massachusetts old north church, boston, massachusetts old south church, boston, massachusetts craigie house, cambridge, massachusetts fernside farm, haverhill, massachusetts duston garrison house, haverhill, massachusetts royall house, medford, massachusetts broadhearth, saugus, massachusetts bennet-boardman house, saugus, massachusetts old south church, newburyport, massachusetts morris-jumel house, new york city philipse manor house, yonkers, new york fraunces' tavern, new york city van cortlandt house, new york city the franklin palace, perth amboy, new jersey old tennent church, freehold, new jersey nassau hall and the first president's house, princeton, new jersey morven, princeton, new jersey letitia penn house, philadelphia, pennsylvania st. peter's protestant episcopal church, philadelphia, pennsylvania cliveden, philadelphia, pennsylvania third (old pine street) presbyterian church, philadelphia, pennsylvania david rittenhouse's house, norristown, pennsylvania dawesfield, near philadelphia, pennsylvania emlen house, near philadelphia, pennsylvania fatlands, near phoenixville, pennsylvania waynesborough, paoli, pennsylvania moravian church, bethlehem, pennsylvania amstel house, new castle, delaware doorway of amstel house, new castle, delaware hall of read house, new castle, delaware doorway of rodney house, new castle, delaware doorway of stewart house, new castle, delaware doorway of read house, new castle, delaware doorway of presbyterian church, new castle, delaware immanuel church, new castle, delaware ridgely house, dover, delaware doughoregan manor, near ellicott city, maryland upton scott house, annapolis, maryland octagon house, washington, d. c. the stairway, octagon house, washington, d. c. mount vernon, virginia, rear view arlington, virginia christ church, alexandria, virginia mary washington's house, fredericksburg, virginia hanover court house, virginia st. john's church, richmond, virginia nelson house, yorktown, virginia westover on the james, virginia gunston hall on the potomac, virginia washington college building, lexington, virginia bruton parish church, williamsburg, virginia monumental church, richmond, virginia pohick church, virginia mount airy, richmond county, virginia university of virginia, charlottesville, virginia independent presbyterian church, savannah, georgia pringle house, charleston, south carolina the cabildo, new orleans, louisiana the hermitage, nashville, tennessee ashland, lexington, kentucky sportsman's hall, whitley's station, kentucky white haven, st. louis, missouri abraham lincoln's house, springfield, illinois william henry harrison's house, vincennes, indiana rufus putnam's house, marietta, ohio the schuyler mansion, albany, new york wentworth house, portsmouth, new hampshire warner house, portsmouth, new hampshire wadsworth longfellow house, portland, maine one: in the land of the pilgrims the riches of the commonwealth are free, strong minds, and hearts of health; and more to her than gold or grain, the cunning hand and cultured brain. for well she keeps her ancient stock, the stubborn strength of pilgrim rock; and still maintains, with milder laws, and clearer light, the good old cause! nor heeds the skeptic's puny hands, while near her school the church-spire stands; nor fears the blinded bigot's rule, while near her church-spire stands the school. --john greenleaf whittier. one: in the land of the pilgrims [illustration: old state house, boston _photo by halliday historic photograph company, boston_ see page ] i the old state house, boston, massachusetts from whose balcony the declaration of independence was proclaimed thirty-three years after captain john smith sailed into boston harbor, the first town house was built. this was in . the second town house, which was built on the same site, was erected in . in the third town house, later the old state house, followed the structure of , the outer walls of the old building being used in the new. since , when governor andros' tyranny was overthrown, the old building has been in the thick of historic events. how it figured in the boston massacre was shown by john tudor in his diary. he wrote: "march, . on monday evening the th current, a few minutes after o'clock a most horrid murder was committed in king street before the custom house door by or soldiers under the command of capt. thos preston of the main guard on the south side of the town house. this unhappy affair began by some boys & young fellows throwing snow balls at the sentry placed at the custom house door. on which or soldiers came to his assistance. soon after a number of people collected, when the capt commanded the soldiers to fire, which they did and men were kil'd on the spot & several mortaly wounded, one of which died next morning.... leut governor hutchinson, who was commander in chiefe, was sent for & came to the council chamber, where some of the magustrates attended. the governor desired the multitude about o'clock to sepperat & to go home peaceable & he would do all in his power that justice should be done &c. the regiment being then under arms on the south side of the townhouse, but the people insisted that the soldiers should be ordered to their barracks first before they would sepperat. which being done the people sepperated aboute o'clock." next day the people met in faneuil hall, and demanded the immediate removal of the troops. the demand being refused, they met again at faneuil hall, but adjourned to old south church, since the larger hall was required to accommodate the aroused citizens. a new committee, headed by samuel adams, sought hutchinson in the council chamber of the town house, and secured his permission to remove the troops without delay. the next event of note in the history of the old building was the public reading there of the declaration of independence on july , , in accordance with the message of john hancock, president of the continental congress, who asked that it be proclaimed "in such a mode that the people may be impressed by it." abigail adams told in a letter to her husband, john adams, of the reading: "i went with the multitude to king street to hear the declaration proclamation for independence read and proclaimed.... great attention was given to every word.... thus ends royal authority in the state." a british prisoner on parole, who was an invited guest at the reading of the declaration, wrote a detailed narrative of the events of the day, in the town hall, in which he said: "exactly as the clock struck one, colonel crafts, who occupied the chair, rose and, silence being obtained, read aloud the declaration, which announced to the world that the tie of allegiance and protection, which had so long held britain and her north american colonies together, was forever separated. this being finished, the gentlemen stood up, and each, repeating the words as they were spoken by an officer, swore to uphold, at the sacrifice of life, the rights of his country. meanwhile the town clerk read from the balcony the declaration of independence to the crowd; at the close of which, a shout began in the hall, passed like an electric spark to the streets, which rang with loud huzzas, the slow and measured boom of cannon, and the rattle of musketry." thirteen years later, when washington visited boston, he passed through a triumphal arch to the state house. in his diary he told of what followed his entrance to the historic building: "three cheers was given by a vast concourse of people, who, by this time, had assembled at the arch--then followed an ode composed in honor of the president; and well sung by a band of select singers--after this three cheers--followed by the different professions and mechanics in the order they were drawn up, with their colors, through a lane of the people which had thronged about the arch under which they passed." the ode sung that day was as follows: "general washington, the hero's come, each heart exulting hears the sound; see, thousands their deliverer throng, and shout his welcome all around. now in full chorus bursts the song, and shout the deeds of washington." the old state house was near destruction in , as a result of the uproar that followed the attempt of william lloyd garrison to make an abolition address in the hall next door to the office of the _liberator_, whose editor he was. a furious crowd demanded his blood, and he was persuaded to retire. later the doors of the _liberator_ office where he had taken refuge were broken down, and, after a chase, the hunted man was seized and dragged to the rear of the old state house, then used as the city hall and post-office. the mayor rescued him from the mob, which was talking of hanging him, and carried him into the state house. the threats of the outwitted people became so loud that it was feared the building would be destroyed and that garrison would be killed. as soon as possible, therefore, he was spirited away to the leverett street jail. for many years, until , the old state house was used for business purposes, after previous service as town house, city hall, court house, and state house. it is now used as a historical museum by the bostonian society. the historic halls within the building have the same walls and ceilings as when the old house was erected in . for many years the exterior was covered with unsightly paint, but this has been scraped off, and the brick walls gleam red as in former days. [illustration: paul revere house, boston _photo by halliday historic photograph company_ see page ] ii paul revere's house, boston, massachusetts where the mercury of the revolution lived and toiled "_take three fourths of a paine that makes traitors confess_ (rac) _with three parts of a place which the wicked don't bless_ (hel) _joyne four sevenths of an exercise which shop-keepers use_ (walk) _add what bad men do, when they good actions refuse_ (er) _these four added together with great care and art will point out the fair one that is nearest my heart._" thus wrote paul revere, the boston goldsmith, on the back of a bill to mr. benjamin greene for "gold buttons," "mending a spoon," and "two pr. of silver shoe buckles," which was made out one day in in the old house in north square, built in . to this house he planned to lead as his second wife rachel walker; his eight children needed a mother's care, and he wanted some one to share the joys and the burdens of his life. before his first marriage, in , he had served as a second lieutenant in a company of artillery, in the expedition against crown point. soldiering was succeeded by work at his trade of goldsmith and silversmith, learned from his father. he was a skilled engraver; most of the silverware made in boston at this period testified to his ability. later, when the rising patriotic tide seemed to call for lithographs and broadsides, he engraved these on copper with eager brain and active hand. he began his patriotic work as a member of the secret order the sons of liberty, which had organizations in nearly all the colonies, held frequent meetings, and laid plans for resisting the encroachments of great britain. once, when some three hundred of these sons dined at dorchester, paul revere was present, as well as samuel adams, john adams, and john hancock. it was necessary to have a trusted messenger to carry tidings of moment from place to place, and paul revere was one of those chosen for the purpose. his first important ride was at the time of the destruction of the tea in boston harbor. he had a leading part in bringing together the patriots who gathered on november , , first at faneuil hall, then at old south meeting house, to protest against the landing of the tea from the ship _dartmouth_, and he was one of the men who, on december , in indian disguise, threw £ , worth of tea into the harbor. in preparation for the rallying of the men of the tea party at the "green dragon," the following ditty was composed: "rally mohawks! bring out your axes, and tell king george we'll pay no taxes on his foreign tea. his threats are vain, and vain to think to force our girls and wives to drink his vile bohea! then rally boys, and hasten on to meet our chief at the green dragon. "old warren's there, and bold revere, with hands to do, and words to cheer, for liberty and laws; our country's brave and free defenders shall ne'er be left by true north-enders fighting freedoms cause! then rally boys, and hasten on to meet our chiefs at the green dragon." of the work done by the mohawks on that december night john adams wrote on december , , "this destruction of the tea is so bold, so daring, so firm, intrepid, and inflexible, and it must have so important consequences, and so lasting, that i can't but consider it as an epoch in history." the enactment of the boston port bill was the cause of revere's next ride. a meeting of citizens in boston decided to ask the other colonies "to come into a joint resolution to stop all importation from, and exportation to, great britain and every part of the west indies till the act be repealed," in the thought that this would "prove the salvation of north america and her liberties." these resolutions were given to paul revere by the selectmen of boston, and he was urged to ride with all speed to new york and philadelphia. on may , , the essex _gazette_ told of the return of the messenger, and announced, "nothing can exceed the indignation with which our brethren of rhode island, connecticut, new york and philadelphia have received this proof of ministerial madness. they universally declare their resolution to stand by us to the last extremity." four months later another ride to philadelphia was taken, to carry to the continental congress the suffolk resolves. six days only were taken for the journey. when congress learned of the protest in new england against the principle "that parliament had the right to legislate for the colonies in all cases whatsoever," there was no question that a new nation was ready for birth. "i think i may assure you, that america will make a point of supporting boston to the utmost," samuel adams wrote, the day after revere's message was read. once more during the historic year the boston silversmith turned aside from his shop long enough to ride to portsmouth, new hampshire, to give information of the prohibition by great britain of further importations of gunpowder, and to tell of the coming of a large garrison to fort william and mary at portsmouth. the immediate result of the ride was the sending of a party of four hundred patriots against the fort, which surrendered at once. little attention has been paid to this event by historians, yet it was one of the most potent of the events preceding the revolution. one hundred barrels of gunpowder were seized at the fort, and this was a large part of the ammunition used later at bunker hill. then came april , , the date of "that memorable ride, not only the most brilliant, but the most important single exploit in our national annals." the provincial congress and the committee of safety were in session at concord. general warren had remained in boston to watch the movements of the british, and revere had been holding himself in readiness to carry tidings as soon as there was anything of importance to be told. now word was to be sent to john hancock and samuel adams, who were at the residence of rev. mr. clarke at lexington, "that a number of soldiers were marching towards the bottom of the common, ... and that it was thought they were the objects of the movement." revere had foreseen the necessity for the ride, and, fearing that he might not be able to cross the charles river, or get over boston neck, had arranged with patriots in charleston that two "lanthorns" would be shown in the north church steeple if the british went out by water, and one if they went by land. on the night of april revere was rowed by two friends across charles river, passing almost under the guns of the _somerset_. after conferring with the charleston patriots, who had seen the signals, he secured a horse, and started toward lexington, proceeding with extreme care, because he had been told that ten mounted british officers had been seen going up the road. once he was chased by two british officers. at medford he awakened the captain of the minute men. "after that i alarmed almost every house till i got to lexington," the patriot rider later told the story. messrs. hancock and adams were aroused. then revere went on to concord, accompanied by two others, that the stores might be secured. once more residents by the roadside were awakened. he himself was soon surrounded by four mounted british soldiers, but his companions were able to proceed. after a time he was released by his captors, and he made his way to the clarke house, where hancock and adams still were. [illustration: hancock-clarke house, lexington, mass. _photo by halliday historic photograph company_ see page ] thus the way was prepared for concord and lexington. that the patriots were not taken by surprise, and the stores at concord taken, as the british had hoped, was due to the courage and resourcefulness of paul revere. revere's rides as messenger did not end his services to the colonists. in he engraved the plates and printed the bills of the paper money of massachusetts, and later he built and operated a powder mill. he was made lieutenant-colonel of state artillery, and took part in the unfortunate penobscot expedition out of which grew the charges of which he was triumphantly acquitted by the court-martial held at his own request. the old house in north square was the home of the revere family until about . iii faneuil hall, boston "the cradle of american liberty" andrew faneuil was one of the huguenots who fled from france as a result of the edict of nantes. by way of holland he came to boston. it is a matter of official record that on february , , he was admitted by the governor and council of the massachusetts bay colony. within a few years the refugee was looked upon as a leader both in the french church and in business. copies of invoices of merchandise consigned to him show that he was a dealer in all kinds of supplies of food, household furnishings, and dress goods. when he died, in , the boston _news letter_ said that " , persons of all ranks, beside the mourners," followed the body to the grave. "and 'tis supposed that as the gentleman's fortune was the greatest of any among us, so his funeral was the most generous and expensive of any that has been known here." peter faneuil, the heir and successor to the fortune and business of his uncle, was a shrewd business man who knew how to make the most of his opportunities. but he took time to think and plan for his fellow-townsmen. he was disturbed because there was no adequate public market in boston, and he was not discouraged by the fact that numerous attempts to establish such a convenience had been received with hostility by the people, especially the farmers, who felt that they would have a better chance to sell from house to house on any day than in a fixed place on a set day. his proposition to provide the market by gift to the town stirred up a spirited controversy. at a town meeting called to consider the proposition, held on july , , the attendance was so large that the company adjourned to the brattle street meeting house. there the people set themselves to consider the proposition of peter faneuil, who "hath been generously pleased to offer at his own cost and charge to erect and build a noble and complete structure or edifice to be improved for a market, for the sole use, benefit and advantage of the town, provided that the town of boston would pass a vote for the purpose, and lay the same under such proper regulation as shall be thought necessary, and constantly support it for the said use." the gift had a narrow escape from the voters who cast the ballots. the majority in favor of accepting the market was only seven! the average giver would have been discouraged by such a reception; but peter faneuil, on the contrary, did more than he had proposed. when the selectmen were told in august, --seven months before faneuil's death--that the building was ready, there was not only a market house, but above it a hall for town meetings and other gatherings. by action of the meeting called to accept the building the hall over the market was named faneuil hall. "i hope that what i have done will be of service to the whole country," was the donor's response to this graceful act. at once the hall became a boston institution. the town offices were removed to the building, town meetings were held there, and a series of public concerts was given in it. the market, however, was not popular. the fire of january , , destroyed the interior of the building. the money for rebuilding was raised by a lottery. faneuil hall began its career as a national institution on august , , when the voters, in mass meeting, denounced the lawless acts of "persons unknown" by which they had shown their hatred of the iniquitous stamp act. at a second meeting, held on september , the voters instructed their representatives "as to their conduct at this very alarming crisis." "the genuine sons of liberty" gathered in the hall march , , that they might rejoice together because of the repeal of the stamp act. the boston _gazette_ reported that "a large company of the principal inhabitants crowded that spacious apartment, and with loud huzzas, and repeated acclamations at each of the twenty-five toasts, saluted the glorious and memorable heroes of america, particularly those who distinguished themselves in the cause of liberty, which was ever growing under the iron hand of oppression." what has been called "perhaps the most dramatic scene in all history" was staged in this cradle of liberty on the day after the boston massacre, march , . the crowd was so large that it was necessary to adjourn to old south before action could be taken requesting the governor to withdraw the troops whose presence had led to the massacre. then came the tea meetings. the first of these was held in the hall on november , . at this meeting committees were appointed to wait on the several persons to whom tea had been consigned by the east india company, "and in the name of the town to request them from a regard to their character, and to the peace and good order of the town, immediately to resign their trust." the response made to these committees and to subsequent tea meetings was unsatisfactory, and on december a number of disguised citizens gathered at the waterfront and held the "boston tea party." the occupation of boston by the british interrupted the faneuil hall town meetings, but soon after the evacuation of the city the people turned their steps thither for public gatherings of many sorts. fortunately the building had not been seriously injured. when washington entered the city he spoke with feeling of the safety of the structure that had meant so much to the people. it was fitting that, in the stirring days that preceded the war of , meetings to protest against the acts of great britain should be held here. historic gatherings followed during this war, as also during the war of - . three times faneuil hall has been rebuilt since its donor turned it over to his fellow-citizens. the first reconstruction came after the fire. in the building was enlarged and improved. again in it was completely rebuilt and made fireproof, though, wherever possible, original materials were used. while it is much larger than in the early days, the general appearance is so similar that the structure would be recognized by such an ardent lover of the early structure as lafayette, who, when he was in boston in , said: "may faneuil hall ever stand, a monument to teach the world that resistance to oppression is a duty, and will under true republican institutions become a blessing." [illustration: old north church, boston _photo by halliday historic photograph company_ see page ] iv three historic churches of boston the story of old north, old south, and king's chapel the first church of boston would have been large enough for all its members for many years longer than they worshipped together, if they had been of one mind politically. but the differences that separated people in england in the troublous days of charles i were repeated in boston. for this reason some of the members of the first church thought they would be better off by themselves, and in they organized the second church. later the church became known as north church, by reason of its location. as it grew older the name old north was applied to it. from its organization old north became known as the church of spirited reformers, a real school for patriots. increase mather, one of its early pastors, was responsible for developing and directing the peculiar genius of its organization. at the time of the revolution the british officers spoke of the church as "a nest of traitors." many mass meetings to protest against the acts of great britain were held in this church. the corporation used it for a time as a fire house and a public arsenal, and when signals were given by the direction of paul revere on the night of his famous ride the lanterns were hung in the steeple of old north. the original building of was burned in . the second building was also burned, but by the british, who tore it down and used it for firewood during the cold winter of the occupation of the city. after the destruction of the building the members of new brick church, an offshoot of old north, invited the congregation to worship with them. the invitation was accepted, and soon the congregations came together, under the name old north. the building occupied ever since by the reunited congregation was erected in . ralph waldo emerson served as pastor and conducted services in this structure. in there were many earnest people who felt that the teachings of the older church were not liberal enough for them, and they decided to have a church after their own heart. they felt that all who had been baptized might be citizens of the town; they were unwilling to be associated longer with those who insisted, as the general synod of massachusetts recommended, that all citizens must be church members, as formerly. so permission to organize was asked of the other churches. on their refusal appeal was taken to the governor. the next appeal, to the selectmen of boston, was successful. [illustration: old south church, boston _photo by halliday historic photograph company_ see page ] the new church, which was called the south meeting house, was built on the site of governor winthrop's house. in the people began to call the church "the old south," to distinguish it from another church which was still further south. in governor andros insisted that the old south building should be used for the church of england service, as well as for the services of the owners of the building. for two years churchmen and congregationalists occupied it harmoniously at different hours on sunday. on a fast day in judge sewall stood up before the congregation while they heard him read his prayer for the forgiveness of god and his fellow-citizens for any possible guilt he had incurred in the witchcraft trials. ten years later, on the day he was born, january , , benjamin franklin was baptized in the church, though not in the present building. the building made famous by the series of town meetings before and during the revolution was erected in . when faneuil hall was too small to hold the crowds that clamored for entrance, old south was pressed into use. on june , , at one of these meetings, a petition was sent to the governor asking that the british frigate be removed from the harbor. john hancock was chairman of this committee. the boston tea party followed a mass meeting held here. burgoyne's cavalry used old south church as a riding school. pigs were kept in one of the pews, while many of the furnishings were burned. since march, , when the church was repaired, it has been little changed. services were discontinued in . after the great fire the building was used as a post-office. five years later there was talk of destroying the historic structure that the valuable lot might be used for business purposes, but the efforts of patriotic women were successful in preserving the relic. since that time it has been kept open as a museum. while old north and old south were organizations expressing the will of the people, the third of the famous churches of boston was the expression of the will of king james ii of england. during more than sixty years of the city's history there had been no congregation of the church of england; members of that body were required to attend service in the existing parishes. a minister and a commission sent from england to arrange for the new church were received with scant courtesy by the churches when request was made that opportunity be given to hold church of england services in the building of one of them. not satisfied with the offer of a room in the town house, governor andros demanded that old south make arrangements to accommodate the new body. on the refusal of the trustees to do as the governor wished, the sexton of the church was one day ordered to ring the bell and open the doors for the governor and his staff, and those who might wish to attend with them. then the trustees submitted to the inevitable. this was in . the first chapel was built for the new congregation in , on land appropriated for the purpose, since no one would convey a site willingly. this building was enlarged in . the present striking structure dates from - . peter faneuil was treasurer of the committee that raised the necessary funds. the expense was but £ , , though granite from the new quincy quarry was used. the colonnade surrounding the tower was not built until . king's chapel, as the new church building came to be called, was known as the abode of loyalists, just as old north and old south were famous as the haunts of patriotic worshippers. the presence on the walls of the insignia of royalty and varied heraldic devices seriously disturbed the minds of those who felt that a house of worship should have no such furnishings. during the revolution the building was respected by the british as well as by the citizens of the town. when the war was over, the congregation of old south was invited to use the chapel because their own church needed extensive repairs in consequence of the use the british had made of it. since king's chapel has been a unitarian church. the change was made under the leadership of rev. james freeman. v elmwood, cambridge, massachusetts where james russell lowell was born, and where he died when thomas oliver, lieutenant governor and president of george iii's provincial council, built his house in cambridge about , he did not dream that within nine years he would have to abandon it because of his allegiance to the same george iii. but so it proved. he was a tory, and his neighbors would not suffer him to remain among them. on september , , he wrote his resignation of the offices he held, adding the statement, "my house at cambridge being surrounded by five thousand people, in compliance with their command, i sign my name." at his request, made to general gage and the admiral of the english fleet, troops were not sent to cambridge, according to plan. "but for thomas oliver's intercession," edward everett hale says, "elmwood would have been the battle-ground of the first encounters." after his summary departure the house was used as a hospital by the continental army. when the government sold it at auction it became the property first of arthur cabot, then of elbridge gerry, a signer of the declaration of independence, governor of massachusetts from to , and vice-president under madison. the next occupant was rev. charles lowell, pastor of the west church of boston. he bought the property just in time to make it ready for his son, james russell lowell, who was born february , . as a boy james never wearied of rambling over the old house and the ten acres of ground, all that was left of the original ninety-five acres. many of his poems contain references to the memories of these early years. "the first snowfall," "music," and "a year's life" are, in part, autobiographical. lines on "the power of music" told of the days when he was his father's companion in the chaise, on the way to make a sunday exchange of pulpits with a neighboring minister: "when, with feuds like ghibelline and guelf, each parish did its music for itself, a parson's son, through tree-arched country ways, i rode exchange oft in dear old days, ere yet the boys forgot, with reverent eye, to doff their hats as the black coat went by, ere skirts expanding in their apogee turned girls to bells without the second e; still in my teens, i felt the varied woes of volunteers, each singing as he chose, till much experience left me no desire to learn new species of the village choir." life at elmwood was interrupted by college days, but he returned to the cambridge house with his wife, maria lowell. the oldest children were born here. here, too, came the first great sorrow of the parents, the death of their first born. at that time mrs. lowell found comfort in writing "the alpine sheep," a poem that has helped many parents in a like time of bereavement. the next great sorrow came during the civil war, when the death from wounds was announced first of general charles russell lowell, then of james jackson lowell, and finally of william lowell putnam, all beloved nephews. in the biglow papers, second series, the poet referred to these three soldiers. leslie stephen called the lines "the most pathetic that he ever wrote" in which he spoke of the three likely lads, "whose comin' step ther' 's ears thet won't, no, not lifelong, leave off awaitin'." during the closing year of the war, one of the students who attended his lectures on dante at harvard college wrote of a visit to his preceptor: "i found the serene possessor of elmwood in good spirits, ate a graham biscuit and drank some delicious milk with him and his wife, then enjoyed a very pleasant conversation. he read some of shakspeare's sonnets, to make me think better of them, and succeeded.... he gave me a very welcome copy of macaulay's essays and poems, and the little visit was another oasis in school life's dearth of home sociability. mabel, his only child, was not there at supper, but came home some time after: 'salute your progenitor!' and the answer was a daughter's kiss." after spending years abroad, part of the time as minister to spain, then as minister to england, lowell returned to elmwood. to a friend who congratulated him on being at home again, he said, "yes, it is very nice here; but the old house is full of ghosts." his cousin, as quoted by dr. hale, says of these closing six years of the poet's life: "the house was haunted by sad memories, but at least he was once more among his books. the library, which filled the two rooms on the ground floor to the left of the front door, had been constantly growing, and during his stay in europe he had bought rare works with the intention of leaving them to harvard college. here he would sit when sad or unwell and read calderon, the 'nightingale in the study,' whom he always found a solace. except for occasional attacks of the gout, his life had been singularly free from sickness, but he had been at home only a few months when he was taken ill, and, after the struggle of a strong man to keep up as long as possible, he was forced to go to bed. in a few days his condition became so serious that the physician feared he would not live; but he rallied, and, although too weak to go to england, as he had planned, he appeared to be comparatively well. when taken sick, he had been preparing a new edition of his works, the only full collection that had ever been made, and he had the satisfaction of publishing it soon after his recovery. this was the last literary work he was destined to do, and it rounded off fittingly his career as a man of letters." he died in august, , when he was seventy-two years old. elmwood remains in the possession of the lowell heirs. the ten acres of the poet's boyhood days have been reduced to two or three, but the house is much the same as when the poet lived in it. [illustration: craigie house, cambridge, mass. _photo by ph. b. wallace, philadelphia_ see page ] vi the craigie house, cambridge, massachusetts made famous by george washington and henry wadsworth longfellow "_somewhat back from the village street stands the old-fashioned country seat. across its antique portico tall poplar-trees their shadows throw; and from its station in the hall an ancient timepiece says to all,-- 'forever, never! never--forever.'_" the clock of which longfellow wrote stood on the stair-landing of the old craigie house, cambridge, massachusetts, which he bought in , after having occupied it a number of years. here he wrote the majority of his poems. here, one june day, nathaniel hawthorne dined with the poet. in the course of conversation, the author of "the house of seven gables" told longfellow the heart-moving story of the acadian maiden who was separated from her lover by the cruel mandate of the conquerors of acadia, and here the poem was written that told the story. here were spent days of gladness with friends who delighted to enter the hospitable door. here the poet rejoiced in his home with the children of whom he wrote in "the children's hour": "between the dark and the daylight, when the night is beginning to lower, comes a pause in the day's occupations, that is known as the children's hour." and here, one sad day in july, , mrs. longfellow was so severely burned that she died the next day. this great sorrow bore rich fruit for those who loved the poet. "above the grave the strong man sowed his thoughts, and they ripened like the corn in autumn," one of his biographers has said. the house was named for andrew craigie, who became the owner of the property in . he had given valuable service during the revolutionary war, acting as an "apothecary-general" in the continental army. he was a man of wealth, and his home was the popular resort for people of note from all parts of the country. during his later years he lost all his money, and his widow was compelled to rent rooms to harvard students. in this way edward everett became a resident of the house. the builder of the mansion was john vassall. in , when he occupied the house, it was surrounded by a park of one hundred and fifty acres. soon after the beginning of the war he went to boston, and later he removed to england, for his sympathies were with the crown. accordingly, in , the property was declared forfeited to the state. but the estate really became public property three years before this, when a regiment, under the command of colonel glover, pitched its tents in the park. in july, , washington made the house his headquarters, remaining until april , . during these months the house was a busy place. officers gathered here both for business and for pleasure. military conferences and court-martials were held in the large room in the second story which was later used by longfellow as a study. dinners and entertainments were frequent; these provided a needed safety valve during the weeks of anxious waiting near the british line. mrs. washington was a visitor here, thus giving to her husband the taste of home life which he was unwilling to take during the revolution by making a visit to his estate at mt. vernon. on one of the early days of the commander-in-chief's occupancy of the house, he wrote this entry in his carefully-kept account book: "july , , paid for cleaning the house which was provided for my quarters, and which had been occupied by the marblehead regiment, £ s. d." the day before this entry was made general green wrote to samuel ward: "his excellency, general washington, has arrived amongst us, universally admired. joy was visible in every countenance, and it seemed as if the spirit of conquest breathed through the whole army. i hope i shall be taught, to copy his example, and to prefer the love of liberty, in this time of public danger to all the soft pleasures of domestic life, and support ourselves with manly fortitude amidst all the dangers and hardships that attend a state of war. and i doubt not, under the general's wise direction, we shall establish such excellent order and strictness of discipline as to invite victory to attend him wherever he goes." a council of war was held in the upstairs room on august , . after this council general sullivan wrote to the new hampshire committee of safety: "to our great surprise, discovered that we had not powder enough to furnish half a pound a man, exclusive of what the people have in their homes and cartridge boxes. the general was so struck that he did not utter a word for half an hour." further hints of the serious straits caused by the lack of ammunition were contained in a letter of elias boudinot. he said that at the time there were fourteen miles of line to guard, so that washington did not dare fire an evening or morning gun. "in this situation one of the committee of safety for massachusetts ... deserted and went over to general gage, and discovered our poverty to him. the fact was so incredible, that general gage treated it as a stratagem of war, and the informant as a spy, or coming with the express purpose of deceiving him & drawing his army into a snare, by which means we were saved from having our quarters beaten up...." the strange inactivity of the british in the face of the unpreparedness of the continental troops was remarked in a letter written to congress on january , from headquarters: "it is not in the pages of history, perhaps, to furnish a case like ours. to maintain a post within musket shot of the enemy, for six months together, without [powder], and at the same time to disband one army, and recruit another, within that distance of twenty odd british regiments, is more, probably, than was ever attempted." to-day visitors are free to roam through the rooms that echoed to the tread of washington and his generals, in which the children played in longfellow's day, and where the poet wrote so many of his messages that have gone straight to the hearts of millions. vii the adams houses, quincy, massachusetts where two presidents were born john adams was born and spent his boyhood in a simple farmhouse near braintree (now quincy), massachusetts. it has been described as a "plain, square, honest block of a house, widened by a lean-to, and scarcely two stories high." this house, built in , daniel munro wilson says was "the veritable roof-tree, under which was ushered into being the earliest and strongest advocate of independence, the leader whose clear intelligence was paramount in shaping our free institutions, the founder of a line of statesmen, legislators, diplomats, historians, whose patriotism is a passion, and whose integrity is like the granite of their native hills." it is a remarkable fact that john adams and john hancock, who stood shoulder to shoulder in the fight for american independence, were born within a mile of each other, on days only a little more than a year apart. the baptismal records show that october , , was the birthday of john adams, while john hancock was born on january , . from the modest home in braintree john adams went to college. later he taught school and studied law. soon after he returned home in he wrote in his diary: "rose at sunrise, unpitched a load of hay, and translated two more leaves of justinian." after the death of his father, in , the burden of the home fell on his shoulders, and in the same year he was called to serve the country. his diary tells of the call: "in march, when i had no suspicion, i heard my name pronounced (at town meeting) in a nomination of surveyor of highways. i was very wroth, because i knew better, but said nothing. my friend, dr. savil, came to me and told me that he had nominated me to prevent me from being nominated as a constable. 'for,' said the doctor, 'they make it a rule to compel every man to serve either as constable or surveyor, or to pay a fine.' accordingly, i went to ploughing and ditching." thus john adams showed the spirit of service that later animated his son, john quincy adams, who, after he had been president, became a representative in congress, and made answer to those who thought such an office beneath his dignity, "an ex-president would not be degraded by serving as a selectman in his town if elected thereto by the people." during those early years the young lawyer had other occupations than ditch-digging. the records of the family show that he was assiduously courting abigail smith, daughter of rev. william smith, minister in weymouth, near by. probably he first met her in the historic house, for she was a frequent visitor there. the marriage of the young people on october , , excited much comment. in puritan new england the profession of the law was not a popular calling, and many of the people thought abigail smith was "throwing herself away." parson smith was equal to the occasion; as he had helped his eldest daughter out of a similar difficulty by preaching on the text, "and mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her," so, on the sunday after abigail's marriage, he announced the text, "for john ... came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, he hath a devil." the year of the marriage witnessed the beginning of john adams' fight for independence. for it was the year of the iniquitous stamp act. in his diary he wrote: "i drew up a petition to the selectmen of braintree, and procured it to be signed by a number of the respectable inhabitants, to call a meeting of the town to instruct their representatives in relation to the stamps." the following year, when a meeting was held in braintree to take action in consequence of the failure of great britain to heed the protest against the stamp act, he wrote: "i prepared a draught of instruction at home, and carried them with me. the cause of the meeting was explained at some length, and the state and danger of the country pointed out. a committee was appointed to prepare instructions, of which i was nominated as one. my draught was unanimously adopted without amendment, reported to the town, and accepted without a dissenting voice.... they rang through the state and were adopted in so many words ... by forty towns, as instructions to their representatives." less than two years later, on july , , in the town close by his own birthplace, to which john adams had taken his bride, john quincy adams was born. the delights of the new home have been pictured in a pleasing manner by daniel munro wilson: "elevated was life in this 'little hut,' but it was real, genuine, beautifully domestic. the scene of it, visible there now to any pious pilgrim, and reverently preserved in many of its antique appointments by the quincy historical society, assists the imagination to realize its noble simplicity. the dining-room or general living room, with its wide open fireplace, is where the young couple would most often pass their evenings, and in winter would very likely occupy in measureless content a single settle, roasting on one side and freezing on the other. the kitchen, full of cheerful bustle, and fragrant as the spice isles, how it would draw the children as they grew up, the little john quincy among them! here they could be near mother, and watch her with absorbing attention as she superintended the cooking, now hanging pots of savory meats on the crane, and now drawing from the cavernous depths of the brick oven the pies and baked beans and indian puddings and other delicacies of those days. we can more easily imagine the home scene when we read these words written by mrs. adams to her husband: 'our son is much better than when you left home, and our daughter rocks him to sleep with the song of "come papa, come home to brother johnnie."' 'johnnie' is the dignified president and 'old man eloquent' that is to be." when it became evident that there must be revolution, the patriot adams was compelled to leave his family and go into the thick of the fight. he did not want to go. "i should have thought myself the happiest man in the world if i could have returned to my little hut and forty acres, which my father left me in braintree, and lived on potatoes and sea-weed the rest of my life. but i had taken a part, i had adopted a system, i had encouraged my fellow citizens, and i could not abandon them in conscience and in honor." from the old home abigail adams wrote him letters that moved him to renewed efforts for his struggling countrymen. in one of them she said, "you cannot be, i know, nor do i wish to see you, an inactive spectator; but if the sword be drawn, i bid adieu to all domestic felicity, and look forward to that country where there are neither wars nor rumors of war, in a firm belief, that through the mercy of its king we shall both rejoice there together." the wife rejoiced when her husband's ringing words helped to carry the declaration of independence; she urged him to make the trips to france which congress asked him to undertake; she encouraged him when he was vice-president and, later, president, and she made home more than ever an abode of peace when, in , he returned to braintree, to a house of leonard vassall, built in , which he bought in . in this house husband and wife celebrated their golden wedding, as john quincy adams was to celebrate his golden wedding many years later. here, for many years, the son enjoyed being with the mother of whom he once wrote: "my mother was an angel upon earth. she was a minister of blessings to all human beings within her sphere of action.... she has been to me more than a mother. she has been a spirit from above watching over me for good, and contributing by my mere consciousness of her existence to the comfort of my life.... there is not a virtue that can abide in the female heart but it was the ornament of hers." and in this house the mother died, on october , . john quincy adams lived there until his death, on july , . viii the quincy mansion, quincy, massachusetts the home of three dorothy quincys among the settlers to whom boston granted large allotments of outlying lands were william coddington and edmund quincy. in they went, in company with their associate settlers, to "the mount," which became braintree, now quincy. by the side of a pleasant brook, under the shade of spreading trees, coddington built in his house of four rooms. downstairs was the kitchen and the living room, while upstairs were two bedrooms. the upper story overhung the lower in the old manner, and a generous chimney, which afforded room for a large open fireplace, dominated the whole. this house became the meeting place for a group of seekers after religious liberty who were looked upon with suspicion in boston--rev. john wheelwright, sir harry vane, atherton hough, ann hutchinson, and others. in consequence of their views the company was soon broken up. ann hutchinson and wheelwright were banished, while coddington would have been banished if he had not gone hastily to rhode island. edmund quincy, who succeeded to coddington's house, probably would have been banished if he had not died before the decree could be pronounced. for a season his widow, judith, lived in the house, which, from that time, became known as the quincy mansion. with her were the children, edmund and judith. judith, who married at twenty, and became the mother of hannah (betsy) hull, whose dowry, when she became the bride of judge samuel sewell, was her weight in pine-tree shillings, the gift of her father, the master of the colony's mint. florence royce davis has written of the wedding: "then the great scales were brought, amid laughter and jest, and betsy was called to step in and be weighed; but a silence fell over each wondering guest when the mint-master opened a ponderous chest and a fortune of shillings displayed. "by handfuls the silver was poured in one side till it weighed from the floor blushing betsy, the bride; and the mint-master called: 'prithee, sewell, my son, the horses are saddled, the wedding is done; behold the bride's portion; and know all your days your wife is well worth every shilling she weighs.'" edmund quincy married at twenty-one, and became the next occupant of the mansion. during his long life there were welcomed to the hospitable roof many of those whose words and deeds prepared the way for the liberty that was to come to the country within a century. the second of the quincy line was a leader in the town. at one time he was its representative in the general court, and as colonel of the suffolk regiment, he was the first of a long list of colonels in the family. but the day came when it was written of him, "unkel quincy grows exceeding crazy," and in the second edmund yielded the house to edmund the third. this edmund also became a colonel and a representative and, later, a judge of the supreme court. his pastor said of him, "this great man was of a manly stature and aspect, of a strong constitution and of good courage, fitted for any business of life, to serve god, his king and country." not only did he enlarge the glory of the family, but, in , he enlarged the house, yet in such a way that the original coddington house could be clearly traced after the improvements were finished. judge sewell, the cousin of the builder, was one of the welcome occupants of the improved house. on his way to plymouth he stopped at "braintry." "i turned in to cousin quinsey," he said, "where i had the pleasure to see god in his providence shining again upon the persons and affairs of the family after long distressing sickness and losses. lodged in the chamber next the brooke." later on another chamber near the brook was provided for mrs. quincy's brother, tutor flynt of harvard, when he came that way for rest and change. the oldest child of this generation was edmund, whose daughter, dorothy quincy, married john hancock, while the fourth child was dorothy quincy, the great-grandmother of oliver wendell holmes. the continuity of life at the mansion was sadly broken when, within a year, the grandmother, the mother, and the father died. the death of the latter occurred in england, where he had gone on business for the colony. when news came of the ending of his life, the general court of massachusetts declared that "he departed the delight of his own people, but of none more than the senate, who, as a testimony of their love and gratitude, have ordered this epitaph to be inscribed on his tomb in bunhill fields, london." for a year dorothy quincy remained in the house; but on her marriage the place ceased for a time to be the chief residence of a quincy. edmund was in business in boston. he resorted to the house for a season now and then, but his boston home remained his permanent abiding place until after the birth of his daughter dorothy. then failing fortune sent him back to the ancestral home. during the next few years john adams, benjamin franklin, and john hancock were favored visitors at the mansion. john hancock won dorothy quincy for his bride, and family tradition says that preparations were made for the wedding in the old home. "the large north parlor was adorned with a new wall paper, express from paris, and appropriately figured with the forms of venus and cupid in blue, and pendant wreaths of flowers in red," writes the author of "where american independence began." but the approaching revolution interfered. the bridegroom hurried away to boston and then to lexington. dorothy, under the care of mrs. hancock, the mother of john hancock, also went to lexington on april , , the very day when paul revere aroused the patriots, and hancock was once more compelled to flee for his life. four months later, at fairfield, connecticut, the lovers were married. the old mansion was never again the home of the quincys. josiah, brother of edmund the fourth, built for himself in a beautiful home not far from the family headquarters. here he lived through the war. visitors to the house are shown on one of the windows the record he made of the departure of the british from boston harbor, scratched there when he saw the welcome sight, on october , . for much more than a century the house was in the hands of other families, but, fortunately, it has come under the control of the colonial dames of massachusetts. they have made it the historic monument it deserves to be. the visitors who are privileged to wander through the rooms hallowed by the presence of men and women who helped to pave the way for american independence read with hearty appreciation the lines which holmes addressed to the portrait of his ancestress, "my dorothy q," as he called her: "grandmother's mother: her age, i guess thirteen summers, or something less; girlish bust, but womanly air; smooth, square forehead, with uprolled hair; lips that lover has never kissed, taper fingers and slender wrist; hanging sleeves of stiff brocade; so they painted the little maid." [illustration: fernside farm, haverhill, mass. _photo by halliday historic photograph company_ see page ] ix fernside farm, haverhill, massachusetts the birthplace and boyhood home of john g. whittier the first house built by thomas whittier, the three-hundred-pound ancestor of the poet whittier, and first representative of the family in america, was a little log cabin. there he took his wife, ruth flint, and there ten children were born. five of them were boys, and each of them was more than six feet tall. no wonder the log house grew too small for the family. so, probably in , he built a house whose massive hewn beams were fifteen inches square, whose kitchen was thirty feet long, with a fireplace eight feet wide. the rooms clustered about a central chimney. in this house the poet was born december , , and here he spent the formative years of his life. when he was twenty-seven years old he wrote for _the little pilgrim_ of philadelphia a paper on "the fish i didn't catch." in this he described the home of his boyhood: "our old homestead nestled under a long range of hills which stretched off to the west. it was surrounded by woods in all directions save to the southeast, where a break in the leafy wall revealed a vista of low, green meadows, picturesque with wooded islands and jutting capes of upland. through these, a small brook, noisy enough as it foamed, rippled and laughed down its rocky falls by our garden-side, wound, silently and scarcely visible, to a still larger stream, known as the country brook. this brook in its time, after doing duty at two or three saw and grist mills, the clack of which we could hear across the intervening woodlands, found its way to the great river, and the river took it up and bore it down to the great sea." whittier's poems are full of references to the life on the farm; many of his best verses had their inspiration in memories of the past. for instance, the description of the building of the fire in "snow-bound," a poem which describes the life at the farm when he was twelve years old, is a faithful picture of what took place in the old kitchen every night of the long new england winter, when "we piled, with care, our nightly stack of wood against the chimney back-- the oaken log, green, huge and thick, and on its top the thick back-stick; the knotty fore-stick laid apart, and filled between with curious art. the ragged brush; then, hovering near, we watched the first red blaze appear, heard the sharp crackle, caught the gleam on whitewashed wall and sagging beam, until the old, rude-fashioned room burst, flower-like, into rosy bloom." young whittier was a faithful worker on the farm. one day, when he was nineteen years old, william lloyd garrison, the young editor of a newburyport newspaper, to which whittier had contributed a poem, found him assisting in repairing a stone wall. the visitor urged the father of the young poet to send him to school. as a result of this visit whittier entered the academy in haverhill, with the understanding that he was to earn his way. at intervals during the succeeding ten years the poet returned to the old farm, but when he was thirty years old the place was sold, the family went to amesbury, and he left soon afterward for philadelphia, where he was to edit an anti-slavery paper. all through life whittier dreamed of buying back the homestead. when he received a check for $ , as the first proceeds from "snow-bound," he set the sum aside as the beginning of a redemption fund. but the citizens of haverhill, led by alfred a. ordway, asked the privilege of buying the property themselves, and making it a memorial to the poet. whittier died before the purchase was completed, but soon afterward fernside farm, as the poet called it, was taken over by mr. ordway. it is now in the hands of an association that has restored it and keeps it open to visitors whose hearts have been stirred by the work of the quaker poet. [illustration: duston garrison house, haverhill, mass. _photo by w. r. merryman, haverhill_ see page ] x the duston garrison house, haverhill, massachusetts from which hannah duston was carried away by the indians the attention of visitors to haverhill, massachusetts, is attracted to a great granite boulder set in a place of honor in the old town. when they ask about it they are told the story of hannah duston, heroine. thomas and hannah duston were married in , and at once built a humble house of imported brick on the spot where the boulder now stands. frequently one of the bricks is uncovered on the site; those who examine it marvel at the thought of the building material brought across the sea. later thomas duston uncovered deposits of clay near his home which led him to make experiments in brick making. he was so successful that his product was in demand; villagers said that the haverhill bricks were fully as good as those brought from england. strong building material was needed, for hostile indians were all about. in order to afford protection against them, mr. duston determined to build a new house, which should serve as a garrison in time of danger. by the village authorities he was appointed keeper of the garrison, as this commission shows: "to thomas duston, upon the settlement of garrisons. you being appointed master of the garrison at your house, you are hereby in his maj's name, required to see that a good watch is kept at your garrison both by night and by day by those persons hereafter named who are to be under your command and inspection in building or repairing your garrison, and if any person refuse or neglect their duty, you are accordingly required to make return of the same, under your hand to the committee of militia in haverhill." the new house was well under way when this command was given. as it is still standing, it is possible to tell of its construction. a haverhill writer says that "white oak, which is to-day well preserved, was used in its massive framework, and the floor and roof timbers are put together with great wooden pins. in early days the windows swung outward, and the glass was very thick, and set into the frames with lead." on march , , the watching indians decided that their opportunity had come to attack the village. they knew that if they waited for the completion of the new garrison, there would be little chance of success. so they struck at once. the story of what followed was told by cotton mather, in his "magnalia christi americana," published in london in : "on march , , the salvages made a descent upon the skirts of haverhil, murdering and captiving about thirty-nine persons, and burning about half a dozen houses. in the broil, one hannah dustan having lain-in about a week, attended with her nurse, mary neffe a widow, a body of terrible indians drew near unto the house where she lay, with design to carry on their bloody devastations. her husband hastened from his employment abroad unto the relief of his distressed family; and first bidding seven of his eight children (which were from two to seventeen years of age) to get away as fast as they could into some garrison in the town, he went in to inform his wife of the horrible distress come upon them. e'er he could get up, the fierce indians were got so near, that utterly despairing to do her any service, he ran out after his children.... he overtook his children about forty rod from his door, ... a party of indians came up with him; and now though they fired at him, and he fired at them, yet he manfully kept at the reer of his little army of unarmed children, while they marched off with the pace of a child of five years old; until, by the singular providence of god, he arrived safe with them all unto a place of safety about a mile or two from his house.... "the nurse, trying to escape with the new-born infant, fell into the hands of the formidable salvages; and those furious tawnies coming into the house, bid poor dustan to rise immediately.... "dustan (with her nurse) ... travelled that night about a dozen miles, and then kept up with their new masters in a long travel of an hundred and fifty miles.... "the poor women had nothing but fervent prayers to make their lives comfortable or tolerable, and by being daily sent out upon business, they had opportunities together and asunder to do like another hannah, in pouring out their souls before the lord." the indians were "now travelling with these two captive women, (and an english youth taken from worcester a year and half before,) unto a rendezvous of salvages which they call a town somewhere beyond penacook; and they still told, these poor women, that when they came to this town they must be stript, and scourg'd, and run the gantlet through the whole army of indians. they said this was the fashion when the captives first came to a town;... "but on april , while they were yet, it may be, about an hundred and fifty miles from the indian town, a little before break of day, when the whole crew was in a dead sleep ... one of these women took up a resolution to imitate the action of jael upon sisera; and being where she had not her own life secured by any law unto her, she thought she was not forbidden by any law to take away the life of the murderers.... she heartened the nurse and the youth to assist her in this enterprize; and all furnishing themselves with hatchets for the purpose, they struck such home blows upon the heads of their sleeping oppressors, that e'er they could any of them struggle into any effectual resistance, at the feet of those poor prisoners, they bow'd, they fell, they lay down; at their feet they bowed, they fell; where they bowed, there they fell down dead." one old squaw and a boy of eleven escaped to the forest. the scalps were not taken at first, but soon hannah duston returned to the camp and gathered the trophies, in order that she might claim the bounty offered by the colony for the scalps of hostile indians. then all the indians' canoes were scuttled, their arms were taken, and the party of three embarked. day after day they paddled down the merrimac, the three taking turns in the unaccustomed labour. at night they paused to rest. cautiously a fire was kindled, and food was cooked. always they feared discovery by the bands of indians. two slept, while a third stood guard. but no indians appeared. at last the home village was in sight. the wondering villagers came out to see who the visitors could be. their astonishment and delight can be imagined. the general assembly of massachusetts voted mrs. duston twenty-five pounds' reward, while a similar amount was divided between mrs. neff and the boy samuel lennardson. later the governor of maryland sent mrs. duston a silver tankard. the duston descendants, who hold a reunion every year, prize these souvenirs. but most of all they prize a letter (the original of which is in the possession of the haverhill historical society) written by mrs. duston in , in which she gave a wonderful testimony to god's goodness to her and hers. this is the message she gave to children and grandchildren: "i desire to be thankful that i was born in a land of light & baptized when i was young and had a good education by my father, tho' i took but little notice of it in the time of it--i am thankful for my captivity, 'twas the comfortablest time that ever i had. in my affliction god made his word comfortable to me. i remember ye ps. ult. [probably meaning last part] and those words came to my mind--ps. : --i have had a great desire to come to the ordinance of the lord's supper a great while, but fearing i should give offense and fearing my own unworthiness has kept me back. reading a book concerning x's sufferings did much awaken me. in the th of isa. beg [beginning] we are invited to come: hearing mr. moody preach out of ye rd of mal. last verses it put me upon consideration. ye th of matt., ending, has been encouraging to me--i have been resolving to offer my self from time to time ever since the settlement of the present ministry. i was awakened by the first sacraml sermon [luke : ]. but delays and fears prevailed upon me: but i desire to delay no longer, being sensible it is my duty--i desire the church to receive me tho' it be the eleventh hour; and pray for me that i may honer god and receive the salvation of my soul. "hannah duston, wife of thomas. Ã�tat ." mrs. duston lived in the old house at haverhill for many years after her remarkable escape. xi the old manse and the wayside, concord, massachusetts two houses made famous by nathaniel hawthorne nathaniel hawthorne was thirty-eight years old before he was able to begin the ideal life of adam with his eve, to which he had looked forward for many years. "i want a little piece of land that i can call my own, big enough to stand upon, big enough to be buried in," he said to a friend when he was thirty-four years old. lack of money delayed the realization, but it is a curious fact that the marriage to sophia peabody took place just after he had made up his mind that the thousand dollars he had invested in the emerson brook farm experiment was gone forever. the marriage took place july , , and housekeeping was at once begun in the old manse at concord, which was built in by emerson's grandfather. but he was merely a renter; his dream of ownership was to be delayed ten years longer. the great rooms of the curious gambrel-roofed house were rather bare, and there was a scarcity of everything except love, yet the author and his bride found nothing but joy in the retired garden and the dormer-windowed house. hawthorne's own charming description of the house and grounds is so attractive that the reader wishes to visit them: "between two tall gateposts of rough-hewn stone (the gate itself having fallen from its hinges at some unknown epoch), we beheld the grey front of the old parsonage terminating the vista of an avenue of black ash trees. it was now a twelvemonth since the funeral procession of the venerable clergyman, the last inhabitant, had turned from that gateway toward the village burying ground.... "nor, in truth, had the old manse ever been profaned by a lay occupant until that memorable summer afternoon when i entered it as my home. a priest had built it; a priest had succeeded to it; other priestly owners from time to time had dwelt in it; and children born in the chambers had grown up to assume the priestly character. it was awful to recollect how many sermons must have been written there. the latest inhabitant there--he by whose translation to paradise the dwelling was left vacant--had penned nearly three thousand discourses.... how often, no doubt, had he paced along the avenue, attuning his meditations to sighs and gentle murmurs, and deep and solemn peals of the wind among the leafy tops of the trees!... i took shame to myself for having been so long a writer of idle stories, and ventured to hope that wisdom would descend upon me with the falling leaves of the autumn, and that i should light upon an intellectual treasure in the old manse well worth those hoards of long-hidden gold which people seek for in moss-grown houses." two years after their marriage, mrs. hawthorne wrote to her mother: "i have no time, as you may imagine. i am baby's tire-woman, hand-maiden, and tender, as well as nursing mother. my husband relieves me with her constantly, and gets her to sleep beautifully.... the other day, when my husband saw me contemplating an appalling vacuum in his dressing-gown, he said he was a man of the largest rents in the country, and it was strange he had not more ready money.... but, somehow or other, i do not care much, because we are so happy." hawthorne did much of his work in the rear room where emerson wrote. in the introduction to "mosses from an old manse" he said of this apartment: "when i first saw the room, the walls were blackened with the smoke of unnumbered years, and made still blacker by the grim prints of puritan ministers, that hung around.... the rain pattered upon the roof and the sky gloomed through the dirty garret windows while i burrowed among the venerable books in search of any living thought." from his writing hawthorne turned easily to wandering in the garden or rowing on the river or helping his wife about the house. "we had a most enchanting time during mary the cook's holiday sojourn in boston," mrs. hawthorne wrote at one time. "we remained in our bower undisturbed by mortal creature. mr. hawthorne took the new phases of housekeeper, and, with that marvellous power of adaptation to circumstances that he possesses, made everything go easily and well. he rose betimes in the mornings and kindled fires in the kitchen and breakfast room, and by the time i came down the tea-kettle boiled and potatoes were baked and rice cooked, and my lord sat with a book superintending." poverty put an untimely end to life at the old manse. the years from to were spent in boston and salem. in hawthorne was able to buy a dilapidated old house at concord, which he called the wayside. here he remained until his appointment in as american consul at liverpool, and to it he returned after long wandering. the wayside had been the home of bronson alcott. here mr. and mrs. hawthorne made their second real home. they rejoiced as, a little at a time, they were able to improve the property, and they showed always that they knew the secret of finding happiness in the midst of privations. hawthorne described his new abode for his friend, george william curtis: "as for my old house, you will understand it better after spending a day or two in it. before mr. alcott took it in hand, it was a mean-looking affair, with two peaked gables; no suggestion about it and no venerableness, although from the style of its architecture it seems to have survived beyond its first century. he added a porch in front, and a central peak, and a piazza at each end, and painted it a rusty olive hue, and invested the whole with a modest picturesqueness; all which improvements, together with the situation at the foot of a wooded hill, make it a place that one notices and remembers for a few minutes after passing it.... "the house stands within ten or fifteen feet of the old boston road (along which the british marched and retreated), divided from it by a fence, and some trees and shrubbery of mr. alcott's setting out. wherefore i have called it 'the wayside,' which i think a better name and more morally suggestive than that which, as mr. alcott has since told me, he bestowed on it, 'the hillside.' in front of the house, on the opposite side of the road, i have eight acres of land,--the only valuable portion of the place in a farmer's eye, and which are capable of being made very fertile. on the hither side, my territory extends some little distance over the brow of the hill, and is absolutely good for nothing, in a productive point of view, though very good for many other purposes. "i know nothing of the history of the house, except thoreau's telling me that it was inhabited a generation or two ago by a man who believed he should never die. i believe, however, he is dead; at least, i hope so; else he may probably appear and dispute my title to his residence." in furnishing the house mrs. hawthorne took keen pleasure in putting the best of everything in her husband's study. she called it "the best room, the temple of the muses and the delphic shrine." in these surroundings, supported by a wife who worshipped him, hawthorne wrote until the call came to go to england. it was before he returned to the wayside. there he hoped to end his life, but death overtook him at plymouth, new hampshire, while he was making a tour of new england with franklin pierce. mrs. hawthorne survived him seven years. [illustration: royall house, medford, mass. _photo by ph. b. wallace_ see page ] xii the royall house, medford, massachusetts from whose roof molly stark signalled to her husband one who is familiar with the old plantation houses of virginia is tempted to rub his eyes when he first sees the royall house at medford, massachusetts, for this relic of colonial days has the outbuildings, the slave-quarters, and other characteristics of so many virginia houses. true, it has not the low wings and the stately columns at the entrance, but the doorway is so chaste and dignified that this is not felt to be a lack. those who enter the doorway and walk reverently through the rooms of what has been called the finest specimen of colonial architecture in the vicinity of boston, are filled anew with admiration for the builders of another day who chose the finest white pine for their work, and would not dream of scamping anywhere. evidently there was little need in those days of the services of an inspector to see that the terms of a contract were carried out. the history of the property goes back to , when governor john winthrop, the first governor of the massachusetts bay colony, who served for nineteen years, secured a grant to the farm on which, within six or seven years, the original dormer-windowed royall house was built. this was smaller than the present house, but it was later incorporated in the present stately mansion; one story was added, and the outer wall was moved a few feet. thus it is really a house within a house. at the time of governor winthrop's ownership it was called the ten-hill farmhouse, because ten hills could be seen from its windows. john winthrop, jr., sold the place to mrs. elizabeth lidgett. lieutenant governor usher married a lidgett, and owned the estate until he lost it through business reverses. the name was not changed until , when the house was bought by isaac royall, a planter from antigua, in the leeward islands, a descendant of william royall of salem. he paid £ , for the estate, which then consisted of five hundred and four acres. it was he who enlarged the house. for five years the neighbors watched the transformation of the comfortable ten-hill farmhouse to the great royall house, with its enclosing wall, elm-bordered driveway, pleasing garden, summerhouse, great barn, and rambling slave-quarters. two generations of royalls entertained lavishly here. among the guests were the most celebrated men of the time, as well as many who were not so well known, for all were welcome there. many of these guests drove up the driveway to the paved courtyard in their own grand equipages. some were brought in the four-horse royall chariot. but those who came on foot were welcomed as heartily. isaac royall, ii, was a tory, and in he was compelled to abandon the property. thereupon colonel, later general, john stark made it his headquarters. the regiment which he had himself raised, and whose wages he paid for a time from his own pocket, was encamped near by. from the royall house these men and their intrepid leader went out to the battle of bunker hill. under the direction of molly stark the house maintained its reputation for hospitality, and she did her best to make the place the abode of patriotism. on the day when the british evacuated boston she promised her husband to signal to him from the roof the movements of the enemy. passing on with his soldiers to dorchester heights, he anxiously awaited the news sent to him by his faithful molly. the royall family regained possession of the property in . to-day it is owned by the royall house association, which keeps it open to the visitors. these come in large numbers to see relics of former days, including what is said to be the only chest that survived the boston tea party, the sign of the royall oak tavern in medford, which bears the marks of the bullets of the soldiers who were on their way to the battle of bunker hill, the old furniture, the first fork used in the colony, and the furnishings of the quaint kitchen fireplace, which dates from . [illustration: broadhearth, saugus, mass. _photo by wallace nutting, inc., framingham center, mass_ see page ] xiii broadhearth and the bennet-boardman house, saugus, massachusetts two remarkable specimens of the overhang house "thomas dexter of lyn, yeoman," was the first owner of much of the land on which lynn, massachusetts, is built. evidently he was land poor, for on october , , he "mortgaged his fearme in lyn ... for two oxen & bulls upon condition of payment to simon broadstreet of ipswich £ the first day of august, the next following with a reservation upon the sale of the said fearme to give the said dexter the overflow above the debt and damages of the said £ ." six years later the registry of deeds at salem told of the sale, to richard leader, gent, of england, of a bit of the farm on which governor broadstreet held a mortgage. mr. leader was the agent of "ye company of undertakers of ye iron works," and he thought that dexter had the best location for the purposes of the company that proposed to start what proved to be the first successful iron works in the colonies. the quaint story of the transaction was entered thus: "thomas dexter of lyn in the county of essex ye[oman] for the sum of £ st[erling] hath sowld unto richard leder for ye use of ye iron works all that land, wch by reason of [a] damme now agreed to be made, shall overflow and all sufficient ground for a water course from the damme, to the works to be erected, and alsoe all [the] land betwene the an[cient] water course and the new extended flume or water course togeather with five acres and an halfe of land lying in the corn field most convenient for the iron works and also tooe convenient cartwayes that is to one on each side of the premises as by a deed indented bearing date the twentie seaventh of january, , more at lardge apth." on the ground thus bought a sturdy house, broadhearth, was built in . the second story overhung the first story, after the manner of many english houses of the period. the overhang is still in evidence, though a veranda has hidden it except to the careful observer. the first product of the iron works, a kettle, was made in . this is still in existence. during more than one hundred years neighboring colonists looked to the foundry for their supplies of house hardware, furnishings, and implements of iron. the site of the foundry was opposite the house, while traces of the pits from which the bog ore was dug are easily found in the field at the rear. remains of scoria and slag are also pointed out to the visitor by employees of the wallace nutting corporation, which has restored the house as nearly as possible to its original condition and has placed in it furniture of the period. a caretaker has been placed in charge who will copy for applicants iron work in the house, or other old examples. thus, in a modest way, the saugus iron works has been reëstablished. [illustration: bennet-boardman house, saugus, mass. _photo by halliday historic photograph company_ see page ] another specimen of the overhang house is not far away. this is the house built some time between and by samuel bennet, carpenter. it is famous as the house that has been in two counties, suffolk and essex, and in four towns, boston, lynn, chelsea, and saugus. that it was once in boston was due to the narrow strip of the territory of the city that stretched far out in the country, somewhat after the manner of a portion of a modern gerrymandered legislative district. when the district was set off as chelsea and lynn, in response to a petition of citizens who were inconvenienced by their distance from town meetings, the boundaries between chelsea and lynn were carelessly marked; one line ran directly through the front door and the chimney of the bennet house. this mistake, which caused annoyance and expense to those who occupied the house, was not corrected for more than one hundred years. finally abijah boardman asked that he be relieved of his double liability to lynn and chelsea, and in , by act of the general court, the petition was granted. bennet, the builder of the house, figured more than once in the courts. in the grand jury indicted him as "a common sleeper in time of exercise," and he was fined s. d. in he brought suit against the iron works company for £ for labor. in connection with this suit john paule, whose "constant employment was to repair carts, coale carts, mine carts, and other working materials" for the "tiemes" at the iron works, testified that "my master bennet did yearly yearme a vast sum from said iron works, for he commonly yearmed forty or fifty shillings a daye, for he had five or six teemes goeing generally every faire day." bennets and boardmans have held the house from the beginning. the society for the preservation of new england antiquities has interested itself in the protection of the property. xiv the colonel jeremiah lee house, marblehead, massachusetts the home of one of the earliest martyrs to the cause of the colonies marblehead was a comparatively insignificant port when jeremiah lee came to town. at once he made a place for himself among the humble fishermen and other seafaring men of the place. he was a member of the board of firewards in the town's first fire department, and he served on important committees. when, in , he built a wonderful mansion that cost more than ten thousand pounds, the most wonderful house in massachusetts at the time, his townsmen knew him well enough to understand that he was their good friend, even if he did have much more money than any of them. the lee mansion was a hospitable home. the colonel and his wife martha entertained lavishly, not only the people of the town but famous men from abroad. in washington was entertained in the house. but it was one of the glories of the mansion that the humblest mariner in the place was not slow to go there if he wished to have a chat with the bluff owner or if he desired to go to the quaint cupola from which it is possible to look far out to sea. to this outlook colonel lee himself often went, for his ships were sailing to marblehead from all parts of the world, and he was as eager as any one to turn his eyes seaward. the house is sixty-four feet by forty-six feet, and the walls are of brick, though they are covered with wooden clapboards two feet by one and a half feet. there are fifteen rooms, in addition to the great halls that make the house seem like a palace. in these rooms the colonel conferred with other patriots as to the welfare of massachusetts and all the colonies. from the house he went out to the town meetings where the men gathered to talk over the boston port bill and the boston tea party and questions of taxation without representation. he rejoiced to serve as a representative in the general court and on the committee of safety and supplies of the province. he was chosen to represent the town in the continental congress, and when he was unable to go, elbridge gerry, who later became vice-president of the united states, was sent in his place at the expense of the town. on the night of april , , in company with elbridge gerry and azor orin, who were members with him of the committee of safety and supplies, he was attending a meeting at weatherby's black horse tavern just outside of cambridge. the meeting adjourned so late that the three men decided to spend the night at the tavern. the eight hundred british soldiers who were on their way that night to lexington learned of the presence in cambridge of the patriots. some one rushed to the tavern and roused them from slumber. they did not even have time to put on their clothes, but ran at once from the house and hid themselves at some distance from the tavern. when the disappointed troops had gone on, the hunted men returned to their room. three weeks later lee died as the result of the exposure. he has been called one of the earliest martyrs to the cause of the colonies. before he died he left directions that five thousand pounds should be given to the treasury of the provinces. mrs. lee, who was martha swett of marblehead, lived on in the mansion with those of her eight children who had not gone already to homes of their own. under her guidance the hospitality for which the house had become noted was maintained. those who pass between the beautiful porch pillars and enter the chaste colonial doorway are amazed at the remarkable hallway and the stairs. the hall is fifteen feet wide and extends the length of the house. it is heavily wainscoted with mahogany. on the walls hangs remarkable panelled paper whose designs, depicting ancient architecture, are in keeping with the majestic proportions of the place. the stairway is so wide that four or five people can climb it abreast and the balustrade and the spindles are of exquisite workmanship. the rear stairway is far more ornate than the best stairway in most houses, and the rooms are in keeping with the hall and the stairways. the cupola is one of the most striking features of the house. here six windows give a view that is worth going far to see. when mrs. lee died, the property descended to her son. judge samuel sewell was a later owner. but the day came when it was to be sold at auction. all marblehead feared that the historic place would be destroyed. fortunately the marblehead historical society was able to raise the fifty-five hundred dollars needed to secure it. since july , , the society has owned the mansion. for six months of every year it is open to visitors who throng to see the choice collection of china, portraits, embroidery, and furniture that has been gathered together by the society. [illustration: old south church, newburyport, mass. _photo furnished by rev. a. mcdonald, newburyport, mass._ see page ] xv the old south church, newburyport, massachusetts where george whitefield, the great evangelist, is buried more than one hundred years after the organization of the first church of newburyport, rev. george whitefield, then a young man of twenty-six, preached in the community. "the great awakening," which followed, spread all over new england, and more than thirty thousand were converted. whitefield, jonathan edwards, the tennents, and others led in the work that had such wonderful results. five years after whitefield's visit to newburyport the old south church was organized, most of those who became members having been converted under whitefield's preaching. the new church was actually a presbyterian church from the beginning, though it did not finally adopt the presbyterian form of government until . the members of the new church were called "a misguided band," and "new schemers." their first pastor was called a dissenting minister. their protest against these aspersions took the form of a petition to "the king's most excellent majesty," which was a prayer for that "equal liberty of conscience in worshipping god" that had already been granted to others. the petition recited the desire of the people to be relieved of taxation "for the support of ministers on whose ministry they cannot in conscience attend," and stated that, because of their refusal to pay what they felt were unjust taxes, "honest and peaceable men have been hauled away to prison to their great hurt and damage." when the petition was presented to the king by mr. partridge, their agent, he declared that they were not "a wild, friekish people," and cited as an argument for relief from double taxation that, while they had some wealthy members, there were among them "more poor widows than all the other congregations in town put together." he said those who protested against double taxation had been "dragged about upon the ground," dressed up in bear skins and worried, and imprisoned. the protest did not bring relief at once; it was before the general court granted the plea of the members. for more than twenty years more the town tried to collect double taxes, but in the rights of the members of old south were conceded. the first building, erected in , gave way in to the structure still in use. alterations made since that time have not made any great change in its appearance, except in the tower, which was repaired in , because it was thought that the timber must be decaying. however, to the surprise of the carpenters who undertook the repairs, they were found as sound as ever. a half-hour was required to saw through one of them! the bell in the new tower was cast by paul revere. surmounting the spire is a cock which was perched on the original tower. when this tower, after the carpenters had done all they could with their saws, was pulled over by horses and oxen, the cock broke loose and fell at some distance. the man who picked up the figure was surprised to find that it was of solid copper, instead of wood, as had been thought, and that it weighed more than fifty pounds. in the original pews there was a central chair, surrounded by seats hung on hinges. over the pulpit was a sounding board. at the head of the pulpit stair a seat was provided for the sexton, that he might be on hand to trim the candles during the evening service. the official history of the church, written by dr. h. c. hovey, gives interesting facts concerning the heating of the old building: "for seventy years those who crowded this church depended on footstoves altogether for warmth in winter; while the minister preached in his ample cloak, and wore gloves with a finger and thumb cut off to enable him the better to turn the leaves. a law was made allowing the sexton twenty cents for each footstove that he had to fill before service and remove afterward. a great sensation was made in by the introduction of wood stoves at an outlay of $ . the first day they were in place the people were so overcome that some of them fainted away and were carried out of the house; but they revived on learning that as yet no fire had been kindled in the new stoves. the doors of the stoves opened into the ample vestibule, where the custom continued of ranging the many footstoves in a wide circle to be filled with live coals from the stove." on the sunday after the battle of lexington dr. jonathan parsons made an appeal in the name of liberty. after this captain ezra lunt stepped into the aisle and formed a company of sixty men, which is said to have been the first company of volunteers to join the continental army. later newburyport supplied a number of companies. but the call came for still another company. "day after day the recruiting officers toiled in vain," dr. hovey writes, "finally the regiment was invited to the presbyterian church, where they were addressed in such spirited and stirring words that once again a number of this church stepped forth to take the covenant, and in two hours after the benediction had been spoken the entire company was raised." during the war twenty-two vessels and one thousand men, from the towns of newbury and newburyport, were lost at sea. the first american flag seen in british waters, after the cessation of hostilities, was displayed in the thames by nicholas johnson of newburyport, captain of the _compte de grasse_. among the treasures of the church is the bible which whitefield used. the evangelist, who died sunday, september , , is buried in the crypt under the pulpit where he had planned to preach on the very day of his death, as he had preached many times during the years since the building of the church. to this dark crypt thousands of reverent visitors have groped their way. one, less reverent, removed an arm of the skeleton and carried it to england as a relic. no one knew what had become of it until, after the death of the thief, it was returned to newburyport, together with a bust of whitefield. this bust is also one of the treasures of old south. those who love this old church at newburyport delight in the lines of john greenleaf whittier: "under the church of federal street, under the tread of its sabbath feet, walled about by its basement stones, lie the marvellous preacher's bones. no saintly honors to them are shown, no sign nor miracle have they known; but he who passes the ancient church stops in the shade of its belfry-porch, and ponders the wonderful life of him who lies at rest in that charnel dim. long shall the traveller strain his eye from the railroad car, as it plunges by, and the vanishing town behind him search for the slender spire of the whitefield church; and feel for one moment the ghosts of trade and fashion and folly and pleasure laid, by the thought of that life of pure intent, that voice of warning, yet eloquent, of one on the errands of angels sent. and if where he labored the flood of sin like the tide from the harbor-bar sets in. and over a life of time and sense the church-spires lift their vain defence, as if to scatter the bolts of god with the points of calvin's thunder-rod,-- still, as the gem of its civic crown, precious beyond the world's renown, his memory hallows the ancient town!" xvi the first baptist church, providence, rhode island the oldest baptist church in america when roger williams, welshman, left england for america because he could not find in the church of england freedom to worship god according to his conscience, he came to salem, in the massachusetts bay colony. there he joined others who had sought america for the same purpose, but to his disappointment he found that his ideas of liberty of worship did not agree with theirs, and he was once more adrift. on october , , the authorities of the colony ordered that he "shall depart out of this jurisdiction." he was later given permission to remain until spring, on condition that he make no attempt "to draw others to his opinions." on the ground that he had broken the implied agreement, the governor, on january , , sent for him to go to boston, from whence he was to be banished to england. williams sent word that he was ill and could not come at the time. a force of men was sent to seize him, but when they reached his house he had departed already, turning his face toward the southern wilderness. he was "sorely tossed for fourteen weeks in a bitter winter season, not knowing what bread or bed did mean." on april , , he came to the country of the wampanoags, where the sachem massasoit made him a grant of land. within a short time some of his friends joined him, and primitive houses were built. then came word from the governor of massachusetts bay that he must go beyond the bounds of the plymouth colony. accordingly, with six others, he embarked in canoes and sought for a location. when this was found canonicus and mantonomi agreed to let the company have lands, and soon the new settlement was made and named providence, in recognition of god's care of him during his journey. then others joined him and his companions. two years after the settlement of providence twelve of the citizens decided that they must have a church. one of the company, ezekiel hollyman, baptized roger williams and williams baptized hollyman and ten others. the twelve then baptized were the original members of the first church of providence, rhode island, the first baptist church in america, and the second in the world. roger williams was the first pastor, but he withdrew before the close of the year in which the church was organised. during the remaining forty-five years of his life he remained in providence as a missionary among the indians, whose friendship he had won by his scrupulously careful and honorable method of dealing with them. the church met in private houses or under the trees, for more than sixty years. the first meeting house was not erected until . the builder was pardon tillinghast, the sixth pastor of the church, who, like his predecessors, served without salary. however, he urged that the church should begin to pay its way, and that his successor should receive a stipulated salary. the tillinghast building was in use for fifteen years after it was deeded to the congregation, in . the deed, which is on record at the providence city hall, calls the church a "six-principle church." the growth of the congregation called for a larger building. this was erected in and was used until . an old document gives an interesting side light on the building of the meeting house. this is an account of richard brown, dated may , , which reads: the account of what charge i have been at this day as to the providing a dinner for the people that raised the baptist meeting-house at providence (it being raised this day,) is as followeth: one fat sheep, which weighed forty-three lbs. £ , , for roasting the said sheep, etc. for one lb. butter for two loaves of bread which weighed fifteen lbs. for half a peck of peas , when the building was planned the charitable baptist society was incorporated, that it might hold title to "a meeting-house for the public worship of almighty god, and to hold commencement in." nearly a third of the £ , required for the new building was raised by a lottery, authorized by the state. the architects modelled the church after the popular st. martins-in-the-fields in london, whose designer was james gibbs, a pupil of sir christopher wren. in the two-hundred-foot spire was hung the bell made in london, on which were inscribed the strange words: "for freedom of conscience this town was first planted; persuasion, not force was used by the people: this church is the eldest, and has not recanted, enjoying and granting bell, temple, and steeple." the pastor at the time the new church was first occupied, on may , , was president of rhode island college, an institution which had been located in providence in , in consequence of the generosity and activity of the members of the church. the institution later became brown university. every one of the presidents of the college has been a member of the first church. a church whose building was dedicated "midway between the battles of lexington and bunker hill" should have a patriotic history. the story of providence during the revolution shows that the members were keenly alive to their opportunities. the first suggestion for the continental congress came from providence. rhode island was the first state to declare for independence. pastor and people were ardent supporters of these movements. many soldiers were furnished to the army by the congregation. naturally, then, people would be interested in a man like stephen gano, who became pastor in . he had been a surgeon in the revolutionary army, and had been taken prisoner, put on board a prison-ship, and bound in chains, which made scars that lasted for life. his pastorate of thirty-six years was the longest in the history of the church. the stately building erected in is still in use. the gallery long set apart for the use of slaves has given way to a square loft, the old pews have been displaced by modern seats, and the lofty pulpit and sounding-board have disappeared. otherwise the church is much as it was when the first congregation entered its doors in . two: where patroons and knickerbockers flourished _where nowadays the battery lies, new york had just begun, a new-born babe, to rub its eyes, in sixteen sixty-one. they christened it nieuw amsterdam, those burghers grave and stately, and so, with schnapps and smoke and psalm, lived out their lives sedately._ _two windmills topped their wooden wall, on stadthuys gazing down, on fort, and cabbage-plots, and all the quaintly gabled town; these flapped their wings and shifted backs, as ancient scrolls determine, to scare the savage hackensacks, paumanks, and other vermin_. _at night the loyal settlers lay betwixt their feather-beds; in hose and breeches walked by day, and smoked, and wagged their heads. no changeful fashions came from france, the vrouwleins to bewilder; no broad-brimmed burgher spent for pants his every other guilder._ _in petticoats of linsey red, and jackets neatly kept, the vrouws their knitting-needles sped and deftly spun and swept. few modern-school flirtations there set wheels of scandal trundling, but youths and maidens did their share of staid, old-fashioned bundling._ edmund clarence stedman. two: where patroons and knickerbockers flourished [illustration: morris-jumel house, new york city. _photo by frank cousins art company_ see page ] xvii the morris-jumel mansion, new york city where washington escaped from the british by a fifteen minute margin "a pleasant situated farm, on the road leading to king's bridge, in the township of harlem, on york-island, containing about acres, near acres of which is wood-land, a fine piece of meadow ground, and more easily be made: and commands the finest prospect in the whole country: the land runs from river to river: there is fishing, oystering, and claming at either end...." when, in , roger morris, whose city house was at the corner of whitehall and stone streets, saw this advertisement in the new york _mercury_, he hungered for the country. so he bought the offered land, and by the summer of he had completed the sturdy georgian house that, after a century and a half, looks down on the city that has grown to it and beyond it. in an advertisement published in , in the new york _daily advertiser_, a pleasing description of the mansion of roger morris was given: "on the premises is a large dwelling-house, built in modern style and taste and elegance. it has ... a large hall through the centre; a spacious dining room on the right.... on the left is a handsome parlor and a large back room.... on the second floor are seven bedchambers ... on the upper floor are five lodging rooms ... and at the top of the house is affixed an electric conducter. underneath the building are a large, commodious kitchen and laundry and wine cellar, storeroom, kitchen pantry, sleeping apartments for servants, and a most complete dairy room...." for nine years roger morris and his family lived in the mansion on the heights. as a member of the legislative council much of his time was given to the interests of his fellow-citizens. but as time passed he found himself out of sympathy with his neighbors. they demanded war with great britain, and he felt that he could not join the revolt. accordingly, in , he sailed for england, leaving his large property in the care of mrs. morris. mrs. morris kept the house open for a time, but finally, taking her children with her, she went to her sister-in-law at the philipse manor house at yonkers. on september , , general washington decided to abandon the city to the british. he planned to go to harlem, to the fortification prepared in anticipation of just such an emergency. on september he took possession of the roger morris house as headquarters. two days later his orderly book shows the following message, referring to the battle of harlem heights: "the general most heartily thanks the troops commanded yesterday by major leitch, who first advanced upon the enemy, and the others who so resolutely supported them. the behavior of yesterday was such a contrast to that of some troops the day before [at kip's bay] as must show what may be done when officers and soldiers exert themselves." during the weeks when the mansion remained washington's headquarters the curious early flag of the colonists waved above it. in the space now given to the stars was the british union jack, while the thirteen red and white stripes that were to become so familiar completed the design. this flag the english called "the rebellious stripes." on november , , washington was at fort lee, on the new jersey shore, opposite the present th street. desiring to view from the heights the british operations in their attack on fort washington, he crossed over to the morris house. fifteen minutes after he left the heights to return to new jersey, fourteen thousand british and hessian troops took possession of the heights, the morris mansion, and fort washington. the period of british occupation continued, at intervals, until near the close of the war. since the owner was a loyalist, the british government paid rent for it. after the revolution the property was confiscated, as appears from an entry in washington's diary, dated july , : "having formed a party consisting of the vice-president, his lady, son & miss smith; the secretaries of state, treasury, & war, and the ladies of the two latter; with all the gentlemen of my family, mrs. lear & the two children, we visited the old position of fort washington, and afterwards dined on a dinner provided by a mr. mariner at the house lately colo. roger morris, but confiscated and in the occupation of a common farmer." for nearly thirty years after the revolution the stately old house was occupied as a farmhouse or as a tavern. in it became the home of stephen jumel, a wealthy new york merchant, whose widow, madam jumel, later gave such wonderful entertainments in the house that the whole city talked about her. after many years of life alone in the mansion, in july, , she married aaron burr. he was then seventy-two years old, while she was fifty-nine. madam jumel-burr lived until july , . during her last years she was demented and did many strange things. for a time she maintained an armed garrison in the house, and she rode daily about the grounds at the head of fifteen or twenty men. the mansion passed through a number of hands until, in , title to it was taken by the city of new york, on payment of $ , . for three years the vacant house was at the mercy of souvenir hunters, but when, in , it was turned over to the daughters of the american revolution, to be used as a revolutionary museum, twelve thousand dollars were appropriated for repairs and restoration. this amount was woefully inadequate, but it is hoped that further appropriation will make complete restoration possible. the spacious grounds that once belonged to the mansion have been sold for building lots, but the house looks down proudly as ever from its lofty site almost opposite the intersection of tenth avenue and one hundred and sixty-first street with st. nicholas avenue. the corner of its original dooryard is now roger morris park. [illustration: philipse manor house, yonkers, n. y. _photo by a. v. card, yonkers_ see page ] xviii the philipse manor house, yonkers, new york the home of mary philipse, in whom george washington was interested at first glance one would not think that the name yonkers was derived very directly from the name of the first settlers of the region, de jonkheer adriaen van der donck. when, in , he secured a large tract of land bounded by the hudson, the bronx, and spuyten duyvil creek, this was called "colen donck" (donck's colony) or "de jonkheer's" (the young lord's). as the dutch "j" is pronounced "y," the transition from jonkheers to yonkers was easy. on september , , after the death of the original owner, , acres of the princely estate were sold to three men, of whom frederick philipse (originally ffreric vlypse) was one. a few years later philipse bought out the heirs of the other two purchasers, and added to his holdings by further purchases from his countrymen and from the indians. on june , , he was permitted to call himself lord of the manor of philipsburgh. from that day the carpenter from friesland, who had grown so rich that he was called "the dutch millionaire," lived in state in the house he had begun in . this lord of the manor became still more important in consequence of the acceptance of his offer to build a bridge over spuyt-den-duyvil, or "spiting devil" creek, when the city declined to do so for lack of funds. the deed given to him stated that he had "power and authority to erect a bridge over the water or river commonly called spiten devil ferry or paparimeno, and to receive toll from all passengers and drovers of cattle that shall pass thereon, according to rates hereinafter mentioned." this bridge, which was called kingsbridge, was a great source of revenue until , when it was removed to the present site. then tolls were charged until , or, nominally, until . part of the manor house was used as a trading post. everything philipse handled seemed to turn into gold. all his ventures prospered. it was whispered that some of these ventures were more than a little shady, that he had dealings with pirates and shared in their ill-gotten gains, and that he even went into partnership with captain kidd when that once honest man became the prince of the very pirates whom the government had commissioned him to apprehend. and philipse, as a member of the governor's council, had recommended this kidd as the best man for the job! it is not strange that the lord of the manor felt constrained to resign his seat in the council because of the popular belief in the statement made by the governor, that "kidd's missing treasures could be readily found if the coffers of frederick philipse were searched." colonel frederick philipse, the great-grandson of captain kidd's partner, enlarged the manor house to its present proportions and appearance. he also was prominent in the affairs of the colony. he was a member of the provincial assembly, and was chairman of a meeting called on august , , to select delegates to the county convention which was to select a representative to the first continental congress. thus, ostensibly, he was taking his place with those who were crying out for the redress of grievances suffered at the hands of great britain. yet it was not long until it was evident that he was openly arrayed with those who declined to turn from their allegiance to the king. the most famous event that took place in the philipse manor was the marriage, on january , , of the celebrated beauty, mary philipse, to colonel roger morris. a letter from joseph chew to george washington, dated july , , shows that--in the opinion of the writer, at least--the young virginian soldier was especially interested in mary philipse. in this letter, which he wrote after his return from a visit to mrs. beverly robinson in new york, the sister of mary philipse, he said: "i often had the pleasure of breakfasting with the charming polly, roger morris was there (don't be startled) but not always, you know him he is a lady's man, always something to say, the town talk't of it as a sure & settled affair. i can't say i think so and that i much doubt it, but assure you had little acquaintance with mr. morris and only slightly hinted it to miss polly, but how can you be excused to continue so long in phila. i think i should have made a kind of flying march of it if it had been only to have seen whether the works were sufficient to withstand a vigorous attack, you a soldier and a lover, mind i have been arguing for my own interest now for had you taken this method then i should have had the pleasure of seeing you--my paper is almost full and i am convinced you will be heartily tyred in reading it--however will just add that i intend to set out to-morrow for new york where i will not be wanting to let miss polly know the sincere regard a friend of mine has for her--and i am sure if she had my eyes to see thro would prefer him to all others." while it is true that george washington went to new york to see the charming polly, there is no evidence that he was especially interested in her. colonel morris later built for his bride the morris-jumel mansion, which is still standing near th street. mrs. morris frequently visited at the home of her girlhood. the last visit was paid there during christmas week of . her father, who had been taken to middletown, connecticut, because of his activities on the side of the king, was allowed to go to his home on parole. in the manor house and lands were declared forfeited because the owner refused to take the oath of allegiance to the colonies, and frederick philipse, iii, went to england. the property was sold in . until it was in the hands of various purchasers. to-day the manor house is preserved as a relic of the days when washington visited the house, when loyalists were driven from the doors, and when it was the centre of some of the important movements against the british troops. xix st. paul's chapel, new york city where washington attended service on his first inauguration day in the new york _gazette_ of may , , appeared this notice concerning st. paul's chapel: "we are told that the foundation stone of the third english church which is about erecting in this city, is to be laid this day. the church is to be by feet." for two years those who passed the corner of broadway and partition (fulton) street watched the progress of the building. on october , , it was ready for the first service. on the opening day there was no steeple, no organ, and no stove. but those who entered the doors were abundantly satisfied with the work of the architect, who is said to have been a scotchman named mcbean, a pupil of gibbs, the designer of st. martins-in-the-fields, london, to which church the interior of st. paul's chapel bears a marked resemblance. in the account of the opening the new york _journal and general advertiser_ said that the new church was "one of the most elegant edifices on the continent." between april , , when washington arrived in new york, and september , , when lord howe occupied the city, the church was closed, since the rector did not see his way to omit from the service the prayers for the king. but when the british took possession of new york the doors were opened once more. until the city was evacuated, november , , lord howe and many of his officers were regular attendants at st. paul's. six days after the beginning of the british occupation the church had a narrow escape from destruction. a fire, which howe declared was of incendiary origin, burned four hundred of the four thousand homes in new york. st. paul's chapel was in the centre of the burnt district. trinity church was destroyed, and st. paul's was saved by the efforts of its rector, dr. inglis. this was the first of five such narrow escapes. the steeple was actually aflame during the conflagration of , but the building was saved. three times during the nineteenth century, in , , and , fire approached or passed by the chapel. immediately after the first inauguration of washington, at the city hall, he walked to st. paul's to ask god's blessing on the country and his administration. during his residence in new york, until trinity church was rebuilt, he was a regular attendant at the services. from to his diary records the fact many times, "went to st. paul's chappel in the forenoon." at first he used the pew built for the governor of new york, but later, when a president's pew was built, he moved to this. canopies covered both pews, while they were further marked by the arms of the united states and of new york. dr. morgan dix, in his address at the centennial anniversary of the completion of the building, told of an old man who had said to him that when he was a boy he used to sit with other school-boys in the north gallery, and from there he would watch the arrival of the general and "lady washington" as they came up fair street to the church, in a coach and four. in the same address dr. dix said: "the church remains, substantially, such as it was in the first days; alterations have been made in it, but they have not changed its general appearance. for justness of proportion and elegance of style, it still holds a leading place among our city churches, and must be regarded as a fine specimen of its particular school of architecture. when it was built, the western end commanded an uninterrupted view of the river and the jersey shore, for the waters of the hudson then flowed up to the line of greenwich street, all beyond is made land." in the portico of the old church is a monument to general montgomery, a member of st. paul's parish, who fell at quebec, and is buried in the chapel. this monument, which was sent from france by benjamin franklin, had an adventurous career. the vessel in which it was shipped was captured by the british, and some time elapsed before it reached its destined place. [illustration: fraunces' tavern, new york city _photo by frank cousins art company_ see page ] xx fraunces' tavern, new york city where washington took leave of his soldiers the subscribers of the _pennsylvania packet_, on the morning of december , , read the following pleasing despatch from new york city, which was dated november , : "yesterday in the morning the american troops marched from haerlem, to the bowery lanes. they remained there until about one o'clock, when the british troops left the fort in the bowery, and the american troops marched in and took possession of the city.--after the troops had taken possession of the city, the general and governor made their public entry in the following manner:--their excellencies the general and governor with their suites on horseback. the lieutenant governor, and the members of the council for the temporary government of the southern district, four a-breast.--major-general knox, and the officers of the army, eight a-breast.--citizens on horseback, eight a-breast.--the speaker of the assembly and citizens, on foot, eight a-breast. "their excellencies the governor and commander-in-chief were escorted by a body of west chester light horse, under the command of captain delavan. the procession proceeded down queen [now pearl] street, and through the broad-way to cape's tavern. the governor gave a public dinner at fraunces' tavern; and which the commander-in-chief, and other general officers were present." the building which washington made famous that day was erected by etienne de lancey, probably in . samuel fraunces purchased the place in . soon it became one of the most popular taverns in new york. among its patrons were some of the leaders in the revolution, as well as many who were loyal to king george. but fraunces himself never wavered in his allegiance to the colonies. one of the clubs that met regularly at fraunces' was the social club, of which john jay, gouverneur morris, and robert r. livingston were members. during the occupation of new york by the british the tavern did not have an opportunity to play a part in the history of the country, though the daughter of the proprietor, who was a tavern keeper at washington's richmond hill headquarters, made ineffective a plot to poison the commander-in-chief. ten days after washington's triumphal entry into the city, and the dinner at the tavern, one of the rooms was the scene of a historic event of which rivington's _new york gazette_ told in these words: "last thursday noon (december ) the principal officers of the army in town assembled at fraunces' tavern to take a final leave of their illustrious, gracious and much loved comrade, general washington. the passions of human nature were never more tenderly agitated than in this interesting and distressful scene. his excellency, having filled a glass of wine, thus addressed his brave fellow-soldiers: "'with an heart full of love and gratitude i now take leave of you: i most devoutly wish that your latter days may be as prosperous and happy as your former ones have been glorious and honorable.' "these words produced extreme sensibility on both sides; they were answered by warm expressions, and fervent wishes, from the gentlemen of the army, whose truly pathetic feelings it is not in our power to convey to the reader. soon after this scene was closed, his excellency the governor, the honorable the council and citizens of the first distinction waited on the general and in terms the most affectionate took their leave." two years later fraunces sold the tavern, but it retains his name to this day. it is still at the corner of broad and pearl streets. many changes have been made in the building, under the direction of the sons of the revolution, and it will continue to attract visitors as long as it stands. xxi the grange, new york city where alexander hamilton spent his last years after nineteen years of moving from house to house and from city to city, alexander hamilton made up his mind to have a home of his own. in he had taken elizabeth schuyler from a mansion in albany that was, in its day, almost a palace; and in he felt that the time had come to give her a home of corresponding comfort. at this time he was commander-in-chief of the army of the united states, a service that was made notable, among other things, by his suggestion and preparation of plans for the west point military academy. the chosen site for the house, nine miles from bowling green, was bounded by the present st. nicholas and tenth avenues and st and th streets. the coach from new york to albany afforded regular transportation to the spot, though, of course, hamilton had his own equipage. when he planned the house he thought his income of $ , would be ample to care for the property. accordingly he felt justified in offering £ for sixteen acres, one-half of which was to be paid in cash, the balance within a year. the architect chosen was john mccomb, the designer of new york's old city hall. hamilton and his father-in-law, general schuyler, had a hand in the development of the plans. in a letter to hamilton, written august , , general schuyler said: "if the house is boarded on the outside, and the clapboards put on, and filled on the inside with brick, i am persuaded no water will pass to the brick. if the clapboards are well painted, and filling in with brick will be little if any more expensive than lath and plaister, the former will prevent the nuisance occasioned by rats and mice, to which you will be eternally exposed if lath and plaister is made use of instead of brick." the mason's specifications, quoted by allan maclane hamilton, were as follows: "proposal for finishing general hamilton's country house--viz. to build two stacks of chimneys to contain eight fire-places, exclusive of those in cellar story. to fill in with brick all the outside walls of the st and nd stories, also all the interior walls that separate the two octagon rooms--and the two rooms over them--from the hall and other rooms in both stories. to lath and plaster the side walls of st and nd stories with two coats & set in white. to plaster the interior walls which separate the octagon room in both stories, to be finished white, or as general hamilton may chose. to lath and plaster all the other partitions in both stories. to lath and plaster the ceiling of the cellar story throughout. to plaster the sidewalls of kitchen, drawing room, hall & passage, & to point & whitewash the stone and brick walls of the other part of cellar story. to point outside walls of cellar story and to fill in under the sills. to lay both kitchen hearths with brick, placed edge ways. to put a strong iron back in the kitchen fire-place, five feet long by ½ " high. to put another iron back in the drawing room '-- " by '-- ". to place two iron cranes in the kitchen fire place--& an iron door for the oven mouth. the rooms, hall and passage of the first story to have neat stocco cornices--those of octagon rooms of best kind (but not inriched). to put up the two setts of italian marble in the octagon room, such as general hamilton may choose--and six setts of stone chimney pieces for the other rooms. the four fireplaces in the two octagon rooms & the two rooms over them, to have iron backs and jambs, and four fire places to have backs only. to lay the foundations for eight piers for the piazza. mr. mccomb to find at his own expense all the material requisite for the afore described work and execute it in a good & workmenlike manner for one thousand eight hundred and seventy five dollars. general hamilton to have all the materials carted and to have all the carpenter work done at his expense-- general hamilton is to find the workmen their board or to allow ---- shillings per day for each days work in thereof." one of the workmen on the house was paid $ . for three and one-half years' work. another laborer was given $ . for sixteen months and twenty-seven days, or ninepence per day. the cost of the house, complete, was £ , . the country place was a joy, both indoors and out. the garden was especially attractive to hamilton. in a letter written from the grange to a friend in south carolina, he said: "a garden, you know, is a very usual refuge of a disappointed politician. the melons in your country are very fine. will you have the goodness to send me some seed, both of the water and musk melons?" guests were numerous. gouverneur morris and general schuyler were often at the grange. chancellor kent, after a visit paid in april, , wrote to his wife: "i went with general hamilton on saturday, the st, and stayed till sunday evening. there was a furious and dreadful storm on saturday night. it blew almost a hurricane. his house stands high, and was much exposed, and i am certain that in the second story, where i slept, it rocked like a cradle. he never appeared before so friendly and amiable. i was alone, and he treated me with a minute attention that i did not suppose he knew how to bestow. his manners were also very delicate and chaste. his daughter, who is nineteen years old, has a very uncommon simplicity and modesty of deportment, and he appeared in his domestic state the plain, modest, and affectionate father and husband." the ideal life at the grange continued only until july , . that morning hamilton set out as if for the office in the city as usual, without informing mrs. hamilton of the impending duel with aaron burr. at noon the wife was at the side of her husband, who died next day. after his death there were put in her hands two letters. in these he told of his purpose to permit his antagonist to shoot him: "the scruples of a christian have determined me to expose my own life to any extent rather than subject myself to the guilt of taking the life of another. this much increases my hazards, and redoubles my pangs for you.... "if it had been possible for me to have avoided the interview, my love for you and my precious children would have been alone a decisive motive. but it was not possible, without sacrifices which would have rendered me unworthy of your esteem." mrs. hamilton remained at the grange as long as possible, directing the men in the care of the estate and caring for her children. but she could not afford to keep a carriage, and the inaccessibleness of the estate and the drain it made on her limited purse soon made it necessary for her to rent a house in the city. though friends proposed the raising of a fund that would care for mrs. hamilton and the children, it does not seem that there was any relief until , when congress gave to mrs. hamilton back pay amounting to ten thousand dollars. after the grange was sold to pay debts, its career was checkered. some years ago it was moved to the east side of convent avenue, and it then became the schoolhouse of st. luke's episcopal church. [illustration: van cortlandt house, new york city _photo by ph. b. wallace_ see page ] xxii the van cortlandt house, new york city at the edge of the manhattan "neutral ground" in jacobus van cortlandt bought the first fifty acres of the ground now included in van cortlandt park, new york city, and for one hundred and ninety years the property remained in the van cortlandt family. until fifty-three years before the first of the van cortlandts acquired it, the indians were the undisputed possessors of the plot. adriæn van der donck, the first settler to acquire title, lived until his death in the _bouwerie_ or farmhouse, which he built on the shore of a brook. when jacobus van cortlandt built his _bouwerie_ by the side of the same brook, he dammed the water to make a mill-pond, which is to-day the beautiful van cortlandt lake. there he built a grist mill which remained in use until . early visitors to the lake delighted to study the ancient structure to which, during the revolution, both british and patriot soldiers resorted with their grain. the mill was struck by lightning and destroyed in . the third house on the estate was built in by frederick the son of jacobus, who acquired by the will of his father the "farm, situate, lying, and being in a place commonly called and known by the name of little or lower yonkers." this house, which was modelled after the philipse manor house at yonkers, is still in a fine state of preservation. since , it has been used as a public museum, in charge of the colonial dames of the state of new york. the room fitted up as a museum was occupied by general washington on the occasion of his visit to the house in . this room is also pointed out as the scene of the death of captain rowe of the hessian jaegers, who was severely wounded near the house. when he realised that he could not recover, he sent in haste for the young woman who had promised to marry him, and he died in her arms. other famous visitors were rochambeau, admiral digby, and william henry, duke of clarence, who became king william iv of england. admiral digby, after his departure, sent to augustus van cortlandt, the owner of the house, two wooden vultures, which he had captured from a spanish privateer. these vultures are now in the museum. the old house was the centre of important military operations during the revolution. washington fortified eight strategic spots in the vicinity of kingsbridge, and when he withdrew before the british occupied the fortification, a number of hessian jaegers were quartered in the van cortlandt house. to the north of the house was the neutral ground for which the two armies continually struggled for possession. in , when washington was about to withdraw his army to yorktown, he directed that camp-fires be lit on vault hill, the site of the van cortlandt family vault. by this stratagem he succeeded for a time in deceiving the enemy as to his movements. since the building of the broadway subway van cortlandt park has been so easy of access that the number of visitors to the historic spot has rapidly increased. xxiii the hasbrouck house, newburgh, new york where the closing drama of the revolution was staged during the entire period of the revolution the country about newburgh was an important centre of military operations. west point was fortified in , that the british might not be able to carry out their design of separating new england from the middle colonies. many officers had their headquarters within a few miles of these fortifications. lafayette was at the williams house, three miles north of newburgh, while generals green, gates, and knox were at vail's gate, four miles south of the town. general george clinton was at little britain, and general anthony wayne was in newburgh. washington's first stay in the vicinity was at vail's gate, new windsor, in the winter of - . his longest sojourn, however, was in the house which jonathan hasbrouck built in and enlarged in . the best description of this substantial one-story stone house at the time of washington's residence there is contained in the "memoirs" of marquis de chastellux, who was the guest of the commander-in-chief on december , : "the largest room in it, (which was the proprietor's parlor for his family, and which general washington has converted into his dining-room) is in truth tolerably spacious, but it has seven doors and only one window. the chimney, or rather the chimney back, is against the wall; so that there is in fact but one vent for the smoke, and the fire is in the room itself. i found the company assembled in a small room, which served by way of parlor. at nine supper was served, and when the hour of bed-time came, i found that the chamber, to which the general conducted me, was the very parlor i speak of, wherein he had made them place a camp bed...." the records of the months when washington was an occupant of the old dutch house are among the most interesting of the war. for instance, on may , , there came tidings of the arrival in new york of sir guy carleton, the new british commander, who wrote that he desired to tell of the king's idea of a possible peace, and of the attitude of the house of commons. he closed his letter by saying, "if war must prevail, i shall endeavor to render its miseries as light to the people of this continent as the circumstances of such a condition will possibly permit." two days earlier washington wrote a letter to meschech weare in which he seems to have anticipated and discredited carleton's word of appeal: "they are meant to amuse this country with a false idea of peace, to draw us off from our connection with france, and to lull us into a state of security and inactivity, which having taken place, the ministry will be left to prosecute the war in other parts of the world with greater vigor and effect." in less than two weeks a tempter of an entirely different sort approached washington. lewis nicola, colonel of the corps of invalids, wrote to tell of the fact that the officers and soldiers were discontented because they had not received their pay. then he intimated that he had no hope of the success of republican institutions, but thought this country needed a ruler like a king, though he might not be called king, owing to the objection to that word. yet he added, "i believe strong arguments might be produced for admitting the title of king, which i conceive would be attended with some material advantages." to this letter washington sent prompt reply, on may , : "sir: with a mixture of great surprise and astonishment, i have read with attention the sentiments you have submitted to my perusal. be assured, sir, no occurrence in the course of the war has given me more painful sensations, than your information of there being such ideas existing in the army, as you have expressed, and i must view with abhorrence and reprehend with severity. for the present the communication of this will rest in my own bosom, unless some further agitation of the matter shall make a disclosure necessary. "i am much at a loss to conceive what part of my conduct could have given encouragement to an address, which to me seems big with the greatest mischiefs that can befall my country. if i am not deceived in the knowledge of myself, you could not have found a person to whom your schemes are more disagreeable. at the same time, in justice to my own feelings, i must add that no man possesses a more sincere wish to see ample justice done to the army than i do, and so far as my power and influence, in a constitutional way, extend, they shall be employed to the utmost of my abilities to effect it, should there be any occasion. let me conjure you then, if you have any regard for your country, concern for yourself or respect for me, to banish these thoughts from your mind, and never communicate, as from yourself or any one else, a sentiment of the like nature. "with esteem i am, sir, your most obedient servant, "george washington." that washington desired to be a simple resident on his own estate at mount vernon instead of king of the new country, was emphasized by a letter written on june to archibald cary: "i can truly say, that the first wish of my soul is to return speedily into the bosom of that country which gave me birth, and, in the sweet enjoyment of domestic happiness and the company of a few friends, to end my days in quiet, when i shall be called from this stage." there was joy in the village on the banks of the hudson when, late in , a letter came from sir guy carleton announcing that negotiations for a general peace had already begun in paris, and that the king had decided to propose the independence of the thirteen provinces "in the first instance, instead of granting it as a condition of a general treaty." in the long interval before the receipt of decisive word concerning peace, the sagacity of washington was once more tested severely. there was still disaffection among the officers and the men because they had not been paid, and because congress seemed to pay no attention to their protests. washington learned that a call had been issued for a meeting of officers to be held in new windsor to consider taking matters into their own hands and forcing congress to act. washington did not hesitate. he asked the officers to meet him in the very building in which they had planned to make their plans for revolt. then he appealed to their patriotism, urging them not to put a stain on their noble service by hasty action. when he had gone, the officers acted in a way that justified the general's confidence. unanimously they promised all that had been asked of them, and voted to thank washington for his method of dealing with them. on march , , four days after this action, washington acknowledged to congress receipt of word that the preliminary articles of peace had been signed on november , and on april he ordered the cessation of hostilities, in accordance with the proclamation of congress. the hasbrouck house was sold by the family to new york state in . for twenty-four years, by act of assembly, the historic quarters were cared for by the trustees of the village, and later by the city authorities. in may, , trustees appointed by the legislature took over the property and have held it ever since, for the benefit of the people. three: across the jerseys with the patriots _see the ancient manse meet its fate at last! time, in his advance, age nor honor knows; axe and broadaxe fall, lopping off the past: hit with bar and maul, down the old house goes!_ _sevenscore years it stood; yes, they built it well, though they built of wood, when that house arose. for its cross-beams square oak and walnut fell; little worse for wear, down the old house goes!_ _on these oaken floors high-shoed ladies trod; through those panelled doors trailed their furbelows; long their day has ceased; now, beneath the sod, with the worms they feast,-- down the old house goes!_ _many a bride has stood in yon spacious room; here her hand was wooed underneath the rose; o'er that sill the dead reached the family tomb; all that were have fled,-- down the old house goes!_ _once, in yonder hall, washington, they say, led the new year's ball, stateliest of beaux; o that minuet, maids and matrons gay! are there such sights yet? down the old house goes!_ _doorway high the box in the grass-plot spreads; it has borne its locks through a thousand snows; in an evil day, from those garden beds now 'tis hacked away,-- down the old house goes!_ edmund clarence stedman. three: across the jerseys with the patriots [illustration: the franklin palace, perth amboy, n. j. _photo furnished by w. a. little, d.d., perth amboy_ see page ] xxiv the franklin palace, perth amboy, new jersey the home of the son of whom benjamin franklin vainly tried to make a patriot there was a time when benjamin franklin was proud of his son william, and was glad to have his name coupled with that of the young man. the first year of the father's service in the pennsylvania assembly william was appointed clerk of that body; this fact is mentioned with pride in the autobiography. when general braddock was sent from england to america to oppose the union of the colonies for defence, "lest they should thereby grow too military and feel their own strength," franklin was sent by the assembly to fredericktown, maryland, to confer with the general. "my son accompanied me on the journey," the autobiography says. at braddock's request franklin advertised at lancaster, pennsylvania, for one hundred and fifty wagons for the proposed expedition into the interior, and at the close of the advertisement was the note, "my son, william franklin, is empowered to enter into like contracts with any person in cumberland county." later, when the father was asked to secure financial assistance for certain subalterns in braddock's company, he wrote to the assembly, recommending that a present of necessaries and refreshments be sent to those officers. "my son, who had some experience of camp life and of its wants, drew up a list for me which i enclos'd in my letter," the father wrote. when, during the french and indian war, the governor of pennsylvania asked franklin to take charge of "our northwestern frontier which was infested by the enemy, and provide for the defence of the inhabitants by raising troops and building a line of forts," he went to the front with five hundred and sixty men. in the autobiography he wrote, "my son, who had in the preceding war, been an officer in the army rais'd against canada, was my aid-de-camp, and of great use to me." and in , when beginning his autobiography, franklin addressed it "dear son," and spoke of the trip the two had taken together to england, to make "enquiries among the remains of my relations." then he added: "imagining it may be equally agreeable to you to know the circumstances of my life, many of which you are yet unacquainted with, and expecting the enjoyment of a week's uninterrupted leisure in my present country retirement, i sit down to write them for you." six years before the beginning of the autobiography, franklin, in company with six other philadelphians, entered on a land speculation in nova scotia. together they bought two hundred thousand acres of land. there they intended to found a colony. two shiploads of emigrants were taken to monkton, the site of the proposed colony, but most of the men settled on other land, finding that this could be had practically for nothing. franklin's will later provided that william be given an interest in the nova scotia property, and he explained the gift by saying that this was "the only part of his estate remaining under the sovereignty of the king of great britain." what was the explanation of the father's changed attitude to his son that led him to make his bequest in such unpleasant terms? after william franklin's return from the frontier, he was appointed governor-in-chief of the province of new jersey. a mansion was built for him in perth amboy by the lord proprietor. its construction required a somewhat extended time, for it was a grand place; no wonder it was called "the palace." but in the governor took possession. of course this was not the reason for the breach with his father. again benjamin franklin was proud of his son, and of the lavish entertainments he made for his associates. but the father began to shake his head when his son became a favorite of the tories in perth amboy who had looked askance on his appointment, the year before. he was told that william would himself remain a loyalist when the break came with great britain, and he was compelled to believe that there was serious ground for the charge. he decided, however, to make a supreme effort to rouse the governor to the call of patriotism. accordingly, in , he sought the palace and pleaded with william to forsake his tory associates, turn his back on the king who had turned his back on the colonies, and become a steadfast defender of his country's rights. what a subject that interview would make for an artist! opposed to the luxury-loving governor, in the house furnished for his satisfaction by the tories with whom he had chosen to ally himself, was the sturdy figure of the sage of pennsylvania, who was ready to lay down his life in the defence of his country. it must have been a stirring interview. but it was fruitless. benjamin franklin went back to philadelphia a disappointed man. his feelings were expressed in the letter in which he said, "i am deserted by my only son." within a year governor franklin was practically a prisoner in the palace, in consequence of the discovery that he was plotting against the colonies. when he persisted in courses that troubled congress, he was arrested and taken to burlington. mrs. franklin fled to new york, and the palace was at the mercy of the british. on several occasions the house was used as headquarters by british generals, and soldiers made their encampment on the grounds. though the interior of the palace was destroyed by fire soon after the war, the house was restored, and it still looks much as it did when franklin, the patriot, stood within its walls. for years it was used as a hotel, and later as a private residence. in it was made a home for aged ministers of the presbyterian church. to-day it is again used as a hotel. xxv the church at caldwell, new jersey with glimpses of the fighting chaplain caldwell the trying days of the revolution would not seem to be a favorable time for the beginning of a church, especially in the section of new jersey which was so often overrun by the soldiers of both armies. yet it was at this critical time that many of the people of horseneck (now caldwell), new jersey, near montclair, were looking forward to the organization of a church and the building of a house of worship. timbers were in fact drawn and framed for church purposes, but the war interfered with the completion of the project. the donation, in , of ninety acres of wild land in the centre of the settlement gave the prospective congregation new heart. on this land a parsonage was begun in . the upper portion of this house, unplastered and unceiled, was used for church purposes until . the final organization of the church dates from december , , when forty persons signed their names to the following curious agreement: "we whose names are under writen living at the place called horse neck, being this day to be formed or embodied as a church of _jesus christ_, do solemnly declare that as we do desire to be founded only on the rock christ jesus, so we would not wish to build on this foundation, wood hay and stubble, but gold and silver and precious stones; and as it is our profested sentiments that a visible church of christ, consists of visible believers with their children, so no adult persons ought to be admitted as members but such as credibly profess true faith in jesus christ, love, obedience, and subjection to him, holding the fundamental doctrines of the gospel, and who will solemnly enter into covenant to walk worthy such an holy profession as we do this day." the last survivor of those who signed this document was general william gould, who died february , , in his ninetieth year. during the revolution he saw much active service, especially at the battles of springfield and monmouth and the campaigns that preceded and followed these conflicts. but the connection of the church with the revolution came rather through rev. james caldwell, who was pastor of the first presbyterian church of elizabeth town. during the early years of the struggling congregation he was their adviser and helper, and after his death the name of the church was changed to caldwell, in his honor. mr. caldwell--who had among his parishioners in elizabeth town william livingston, the governor of the state, elias boudinot, commissary general of prisons and president of congress, abraham clark, one of the signers of the declaration of independence, as well as more than forty commissioned officers of the continental army--was one of the famous chaplains of the war, having been chosen in chaplain of the regiment largely made up of his own members. later he was assistant commissary general. the british called him the "fighting chaplain," and he was cordially hated because of his zeal for the cause of the patriots. his life was always in danger, and when he was able to spend a sunday with his congregation he would preach with his cavalry pistols on the pulpit, while sentinels were stationed at the doors to give warning. the enmity of the british led to the burning of the chaplain's church, and the murder, a few months later, of mrs. caldwell. while she was sitting in a rear room at the house at connecticutt farms, where she had been sent for safety, surrounded by her children, a soldier thrust his musket through the window and fired at her. mr. caldwell survived the war, in spite of the efforts of the british to capture him, only to be murdered on november , , by a continental soldier who was thought to have been bribed by those whose enmity the chaplain had earned during the conflict. the elizabeth town congregation succeeded in rebuilding their church five years after it was destroyed, but the delayed caldwell church building was not ready for its occupants until . the timbers for the church were hewed in the forest where the trees were felled and were drawn by oxen to the site selected. forty men worked several days to raise the frame. lime was made from sea shells, which were hauled from bergen, and then burned in a kiln erected near the church lot. the interior of the building was plain. the pulpit, "about the size of a hogshead," was built on a single pillar, against the wall; above this was a sounding board. the windows had neither blinds nor curtains, and nothing was painted but the pulpit. the backs of the pews were exactly perpendicular. provision was made regularly for the purchase of sand to freshen the floors. this building was burned in . the first pastor, rev. stephen grover, received as salary one hundred and fifty dollars a year, though this sum was to be increased ten dollars a year until the total was two hundred and fifty dollars. of course the use of the parsonage and land was given in addition. mr. grover was pastor for forty-six years, and his successor was rev. richard f. cleveland, to whose son, born in the old manse at caldwell,--which was purchased in by the grover cleveland birthplace memorial association,--was given the name stephen grover, in memory of the first pastor of the church. forty-seven years later stephen grover cleveland became president of the united states. for the first ten months of its history the caldwell church was presbyterian, then it became congregational, but since it has been a presbyterian body. [illustration: old tennent church, freehold, n. j. _photo by hall's studio, freehold_ see page ] xxvi old tennent church, freehold, new jersey on the battle field of monmouth one of the bas-reliefs on the monument commemorating the decisive battle of monmouth, which has been called the turning-point of the war for independence, represents the famous molly pitcher as she took the place at the gun of her disabled husband. in the background of the relief is the roof and steeple of old tennent, the church near which the battle raged all day long. tennent presbyterian church was organized about . the first building was probably built of logs. the second structure, more ambitious, was planned in . twenty years later a third structure was demanded by the growing congregation. this building, which was twenty-seven years old at the time of the battle of monmouth, is still standing. the plan called for a building sixty feet long and forty feet wide. the present pastor of the church, rev. frank r. symmes, in his story of the church, says of the building: "the sides were sheathed with long cedar shingles, and fastened with nails patiently wrought out on an anvil, and the interior was finished with beaded and panelled jersey pine.... the pulpit ... is placed on the north side of the room, against the wall, with narrow stairs leading up to it, closed in with a door. the bible desk is nine feet above the audience floor, with a great sounding board overhanging the whole.... below the main pulpit a second desk or sub-pulpit is built, where the precentor used to stand.... the galleries extend along three sides of the room." among the early pastors of the church were rev. john tennent and his brother, rev. william tennent, members of a family famous in the early history of the presbyterian church in new jersey. in consequence of their forty-seven years of service the church became known as "old tennent." the story of the marriage of rev. william tennent is a tradition in the congregation. in spite of his salary of about one hundred pounds, and the use of the parsonage farm, he became financially embarrassed. a friend from new york who visited him when he was thirty-three years old told him he ought to marry and suggested a widow of his acquaintance. mr. tennent agreed to the proposition that he go to new york in company with his friend, and see if matters could not be arranged. so, before noon next day, he was introduced to mrs. noble. "he was much pleased with her appearance," the story goes on, "and when left alone with her, abruptly told her that he supposed her brother had informed her of his errand; that neither his time nor his inclination would suffer him to use much ceremony, but that if she approved ... he would return on monday, be married, and immediately take her home." thus in one week she found herself mistress of his house. she proved a most invaluable treasure to him. the year after the death of mr. tennent, on sunday, june , , general washington, at the head of about six thousand men, hurried by old tennent. that morning he had been at englishtown where the sound of cannon told him his advance forces under general lee were battling with the british. washington was about one hundred yards beyond the church door when he met the first straggler who told him that lee had retreated before the british. a little further on the commander-in-chief met lee. after rebuking him sharply he hastened forward, and rallied the retreating continentals. the renewed battle continued until evening when the british were driven back to a defensive position. during the night they retired, to the surprise of washington, who hoped to renew the battle in the morning. the victory snatched from defeat in this, one of the most stubbornly contested and longest battles of the war, gave new courage to the colonies. during the battle wounded soldiers were carried to the church, where members of the congregation tended them, in what could not have been a very secure refuge, since musket balls pierced the walls. an exhausted american soldier, while trying to make his way to the building, sat for rest on the grave of sarah mattison. while he was there a cannon ball wounded him and broke off a piece of the headstone. watchers carried him into the church where he was laid on one of the pews. the stains of blood are still to be seen on the board seat, while the marks of his hands were visible on the book-rest of the pew until the wood was grained. a tablet has been placed on the front wall of the church with this message: - in grateful remembrance of patriots who, on sabbath june , , gained the victory which was the turning point of the war for independence, and to mark a memorable spot on the battlefield of monmouth, this tablet is placed by monmouth chapter daughters of the american revolution september , . not far from the church is the monument commemorating the battle itself. spirited bronze reliefs on this tell the story of some of the picturesque incidents of the memorable struggle. xxvii the ford mansion, morristown, new jersey from which alexander hamilton went courting new jersey, which was the scene of so many battles during the revolution, was also the scene of what was perhaps washington's pleasantest winter during the war. from december, , to june, , the commander-in-chief lived at the ford mansion with his "family," as he was fond of calling mrs. washington and his aides. during these months he was busily engaged in making plans for the later successful conduct of the war, yet he took time for those social relaxations which were a needed relief from the anxious strain of the long conflict. among those who helped to make that winter memorable were surgeon general john cochrane and mrs. cochrane, who occupied the campfield house close by, and general and mrs. philip schuyler, who had come down from albany for a season at headquarters. mrs. schuyler and mrs. cochrane were sisters. elizabeth schuyler had come in advance of her parents, and for a time was a guest at the campfield house. visitors from france were arriving from time to time, bringing word of the alliance that was to mean so much to the colonies, and conferring as to methods of cooperation. in one wing of the ford mansion lived mrs. ford and her son timothy. in the rooms set apart for the use of washington's family eighteen people were crowded. two of these were alexander hamilton and tench tilghman, both members of the general's staff. though mrs. washington delighted to put on style, on occasion, she could also be plain and simple. there had been times during the war when she was not ashamed to drive to headquarters in a coach and four. but sometimes at morristown she was in a different mood--as, for instance, one day when a number of the ladies of the neighborhood, dressed in their best, called to pay their respects to her. to their surprise they found her sitting in a speckled apron, knitting stockings. if they were ill at ease at first, their state of mind can be imagined when their hostess began to talk to them of the need of care in their expenditures for their country's sake. after telling them of a dress she had made out of the carefully unravelled upholstery of a set of chairs, she completed their consternation by saying: "american ladies should be patterns of industry to their countrywomen, because the separation from the mother-country will dry up the source whence many of our comforts have been derived. we must become independent by our determination to do without what we cannot make ourselves. while our husbands and brothers are examples of patriotism, we must be examples of thrift and economy." the coming of elizabeth schuyler to the campfield house was the signal for a spirited contest for her favor between two of washington's aides. both hamilton and tilghman had met her at her father's house in albany, and both called on her. but hamilton soon distanced his comrade in the race for her favor. it was not long until everybody was watching developments. both of the young people were favorites. it is related that even a young soldier on sentry duty late one night was persuaded to a breach of military rules by his interest in hamilton's courtship. that night the lover was on his way home after spending an evening with his betsey. evidently the young man had been thinking of anything but the countersign, for when he was halted and asked to give the countersign words he cudgelled his brain in vain. then he whispered to the sentry, "tell me!" and the sentry did tell. whereupon hamilton drew himself up before the soldier, gravely gave the countersign, and passed on to his quarters. there was no time for long courtship in those days of quick movements in military circles. so, before long, hamilton was writing to elizabeth schuyler such cheering letters as the following: "i would not have you imagine, miss, that i write you so often to gratify your wishes or please your vanity, but merely to indulge myself, and to comply with that restless property of my mind which will not be happy unless i am doing something, in which you are concerned. this may seem a very idle disposition in a philosopher and a soldier; but i can plead illustrious examples in my justification. achilles liked to have sacrificed greece and his glory for a female captive; and anthony lost the world for a woman. i am very sorry times are so changed as to oblige me to go to antiquity for my apology, but i confess to the disgrace of the present that i have not been able to find as many who are as far gone as myself in their laudable zeal of the fair sex. i suspect, however, that if others knew the charms of my sweetheart as well as i do, i should have a great number of competitors. i wish i could give you an idea of her. you have no conception of how sweet a girl she is. it is only in my heart that her image is truly drawn. she has a comely form, and a mind still more lovely; she is all goodness, the gentlest, the dearest, the tenderest of her sex. oh, betsey, how i love her!" who could withstand such a lover? elizabeth schuyler did not, and her father commended her judgment. for he wrote to hamilton: "you cannot, my dear sir, be more happy at the connexion you have made with my family than i am. until the child of a parent has made a judicious choice, his heart is in critical anxiety; but this anxiety was removed the moment i discovered on whom she had placed her affection. i am pleased with every instance of delicacy in those who are dear to me; and i think i read your soul on that occasion you mention. i shall therefore only entreat you to consider me as one who wishes in every way to promote your happiness, and i shall." the young people were married at the schuyler homestead in albany on december , . to-day the ford mansion where hamilton dreamed of a conquest in which the british had no part is owned by the washington association of new jersey, and is open to visitors. the campfield house is to be found on a side street; it has been moved from its original site. [illustration: nassau hall and the first president's house, _photo by r. h. rose and son, princeton_ princeton, n. j. see page ] xxviii nassau hall, princeton, new jersey where the congress of met for five months where the college of new jersey, as princeton university was officially known until , erected its first building at princeton, the far-sighted trustees arranged what was long ago the largest stone structure in the colonies. the records of early travellers on the road between philadelphia and new york tell of their amazement at the wonderful building. in the college abandoned its rooms in the first presbyterian church of newark, new jersey, and occupied the ambitious quarters in princeton, which had cost about £ , . originally the halls extended from end to end of nassau hall, a distance of one hundred and seventy-five feet. these long, brick-paved halls afforded students inclined to mischief wonderful opportunity to make life miserable for the tutors who were charged with their oversight. "rolling heated cannon balls, to tempt zealous but unwary tutors, was a perennial joy," writes varnum lansing collins, in his book, "princeton." then he adds the statement that at a later epoch there were wild scenes, "when a jackass or a calf was dragged rebelliously up the narrow iron staircase, to be pitted in frenzied races with the model locomotive purloined from the college museum." there was no provision for lighting the long halls, so the rollicking students were accustomed to fix candles to the walls with handfuls of mud. when a tutor was heard approaching, the candles would be blown out and he would be foiled in his attempt to identify the offenders. sometimes barricades of cordwood were built hastily on the stairs or across the entrance to one of the halls. in vain the authorities tried to correct these abuses by the passage of strict regulations. "no jumping or hollowing or any boisterous noise shall be suffered, nor walking in the gallery in the time of study," was a regulation which could be made known far more easily than it could be enforced. lest there be breaches of decorum inside the rooms, tutors were directed to make at least three trips a day to the quarters of the students, to see that they were "diligent at the proper business." they were to announce their coming to a room "by a stamp, which signal no scholar shall imitate on penalty of five shillings." should the occupant of the room refuse to open the door, the tutor had authority to break in. at a later date, students in nassau hall liked to have double doors to their rooms, so that the obnoxious tutor might be hindered in his efforts to force an entrance, long enough to give them opportunity to hide all evidence of wrongdoing. in a code of "orders and customs" was issued by the authority of president aaron burr. one of the most astounding directions in this code was that "every freshman sent on an errand shall go and do it faithfully and make quick return." other rules, as indicated in mr. collins' book, concerned deportment, and demanded constant deference to superiors. "students are to keep their hats off 'about ten rods to the president and about five to the tutors;' they must 'rise up and make obeisance' when the president enters or leaves the prayer hall, and when he mounts into the pulpit on sundays. when walking with a superior, an inferior 'shall give him the highest place.' when first coming into the presence of a superior, or speaking to him, inferiors 'shall respect by pulling their hats;' if overtaking or meeting a superior on the stairs, he 'shall stop, giving him the banister side;' when entering a superior's, 'or even an equal's' room, they must knock; if called or spoken to by a superior, they must 'give a direct, pertinent answer concluding with sir;' they are to treat strangers and townspeople 'with all proper complaisance and good manners;' and they are forbidden to address any one by a nickname." evidently rules like these helped to make good patriots, for princeton students were among the most sturdy adherents of the colonists' cause. in september, , the entire graduating class wore american cloth, as a protest against great britain's unjust taxation measures. in january, , the students broke into the college storeroom and carried the winter's supply of tea to a bonfire in front of nassau hall. while the tea burned the college bell tolled and the students--in the words written home to a parent by one of them--made "many spirited resolves." the spirited students were jubilant on the evening of july , , when the news of the declaration of independence was read in princeton. nassau hall was illuminated and the whole town rejoiced that president witherspoon, as a member of the continental congress, had been a signer of the document. in november, , the students who had not enlisted in the army were sent from the town just in time to escape the british, who took possession of the building and used it as barracks and hospital. early in the morning of january , , the british held the building. after the battle washington's troops took possession, but abandoned it almost at once. at evening the british were once more in control. soon they hurried on to new brunswick. the next occupants were the soldiers of general putnam, who found room here for a hospital, a barracks, and a military prison. they found that during the battle of princeton a round shot had struck the portrait of george ii in the prayer hall. after the british left princeton college classes were continued in the president's house, and it was before a serious attempt was made to reoccupy nassau hall, which was found to be "mostly bare partition walls and heaps of fallen plaster." a year later, when temporary repairs had been made, the continental congress, which had been besieged by a company of troops who were insistent in their demands for overdue pay, made its way to princeton. from june to november the sessions were held in nassau hall. commencement day came during the sessions and congress sat, with washington, on the platform. on that occasion washington gave fifty pounds to the college. this sum was paid to charles wilson peale for a portrait of the donor, which was placed in the frame from which the portrait of george ii had been shot more than seven years before. congress was still in session at nassau hall when, in october, the first authentic news came of the signing of the definitive treaty of peace with great britain. a few weeks later the college was left to its sedate ways. never since then has it witnessed such stirring events. but the experiences of the years from to had made nassau hall one of the nation's picturesque monuments. [illustration: morven, princeton, n. j. _photo by r. h. rose and son, princeton_ see page ] xxix three historic houses at princeton, new jersey morven, the mercer house, and washington's rocky hill headquarters "sollemnity & distress appeared almost on every countenance, several students that had come & miles & just got letters in college were now obliged under every disadvantage to retire with their effects, or leave them behind, which several through the impossibility of getting a carriage at so confused a time were glad to do, & lose them all, as all hopes of continuing longer in peace at nassau were now taken away i began to look out for some place where i might pursue my studies & as mr. g. johnson had spoke to me to teach his son i accordingly went there & agreed to stay with him till spring." so wrote john clark, one of the students at the college of new jersey, who, in , was dismayed by the threatened approach of cornwallis and his army. he was able to remove his effects in ample time, for he had only a "trunk & desk." but there were others in the peaceful village who were not so fortunate. one of them was mrs. richard stockton of morven, a beautiful home still standing not far from the college campus. the activity of her husband in the interests of the colonies had angered the british, and they were not slow to take advantage of the absence of the family by pillaging the mansion and destroying many things it contained. fortunately mrs. stockton, before leaving hurriedly for freehold, had buried the family silver, and this was not discovered, though cornwallis and his officers occupied the house as headquarters. probably, while they were here, they talked gleefully of what they called the collapse of the war. they felt so sure that the war was over that cornwallis was already planning to return to england. then came the surprise at trenton, when nearly a thousand hessians of a total force of twelve hundred were captured. immediately cornwallis, who had returned to new york, hastened back to princeton, where he left three regiments and a company of cavalry. then he hurried on to trenton. on the way he was harassed by washington's outposts, and the main force of the general delayed his entrance into the town until nightfall. he expected to renew the attack next morning, but during the night washington stole away toward princeton. within two miles of princeton the force of general mercer encountered the reserve troops of cornwallis, which were on their way to their commander's assistance. washington, hearing the sound of the conflict that followed, hastened to the field in time to rally the forces of mercer, who had been wounded. the day was saved, but general mercer was lost; he died in the farmhouse on the battle field to which he was carried. to this day visitors are shown the stain made on the floor by the blood of the dying man. those who express doubt as to the stain are not welcomed. alfred noyes has written of this conflict which meant more to the struggling colonies than some historians have indicated. the reference in the first line of the second stanza is to the tigers that crouch at the entrance of nassau hall in princeton: _"here freedom stood by slaughtered friend and foe, and, ere the wrath paled or that sunset died, looked through the ages; then, with eyes aglow, laid them to wait that future, side by side._ * * * * * "the dark bronze tigers crouch on either side where redcoats used to pass; and round the bird-loved house where mercer died, and violets dusk the grass, by stony brook that ran so red of old, but sings of friendship now, to feed the old enemy's harvest fifty-fold the green earth takes the plow. "through this may night, if one great ghost should stray with deep remembering eyes, where that old meadow of battle smiles away its blood-stained memories, if washington should walk, where friend and foe sleep and forget the past, be sure his unquenched heart would leap to know their souls are linked at last." after the battle came happier days for princeton. morven was restored, and washington was frequently an honored guest within the walls, as have been many of his successors in the white house. more than six years after the memorable battle of princeton, another house in the neighborhood received him. when congress convened in nassau hall, it rented for washington the rocky hill house, five miles from the village, which was occupied by john berrian, associate justice of the supreme court of new jersey. this house, which was suitably furnished for the general, was the last headquarters of the revolution. while at the berrian house, washington sat to william dunlap for his portrait. in his "arts of design" the artist, who at the time of which he wrote was eighteen years old, said: "my visits are now frequent to headquarters. the only military in the neighborhood were the general's suite and a corporal's guard whose tents were on the green before the berrian house, and the captain's marquee nearly in front. the soldiers were new england yeomen's sons, none older than twenty.... i was quite at home in every respect at headquarters; to breakfast and dine day after day with the general and mrs. washington and members of congress." it was washington's custom to ride to princeton, mounted on a small roan horse. the saddle was "old and crooked, with a short deep blue saddle cloth flowered, with buff cloth at the edge, buckskin seat, the cloth most below the skirt of the saddle at the side, double skirts, crupper, surcingle, and breast straps, double belted steel bridle and plated stirrup." the real closing scene in the revolution was washington's farewell address to the army, which he wrote in the southwest room of the second story. on sunday, november , from the second-story balcony, he read this to the soldiers. two days later orders of discharge were issued to most of them. fortunately the berrian house has become the property of "the washington headquarters association of rocky hill," and is open to the patriotic pilgrim. xxx the springfield meeting house, new jersey whose psalm books furnished wadding for the continental guns "one pint of spring water when demanded on the premises" was the strange payment stipulated by the donor of one hundred acres of land given in to the trustees of the first presbyterian church in springfield, new jersey, to be for the use of the minister of the parish. the church records do not state that the rent has been paid regularly, but they do state that the woodland enabled them for many years to furnish the free firewood that was a part of the support promised to every one of the early pastors. the first building occupied by the church was completed in . fifteen years later the second building was first occupied, and it continued to be the centre of the community's religious life until november, , when it was needed for military stores. the church was gladly given up to the army, and services were held in the garret of the parsonage. the british under general knyphausen, determined to drive washington and his men from the new jersey hills and to destroy his supplies, marched from elizabeth town on june , . there were five thousand men, with fifteen or twenty pieces of artillery, in the expedition. a few miles away, near springfield, was a small company of patriots, poorly equipped but ready to die in the defence of their country. warning of the approach of the enemy was given to the continentals by the firing of the eighteen-pounder signal gun on prospect hill; twelve continentals stationed at the cross roads, after firing on the enemy, had hurried to the hill. after firing the gun they lighted the tar barrel on the signal pole. instantly the members of the militia dropped their scythes, seized their muskets, and hurried to quarters. "there were no feathers in their caps, no gilt buttons on their home-spun coats, nor flashing bayonets on their old fowling pieces," the pastor of springfield church said in , on the one hundredth anniversary of the skirmish that followed, "but there was in their hearts the resolute purpose to defend their homes and their liberty at the price of their lives." the sturdy farmers joined forces with the regular soldiers. for a time the battle was fierce. the enemy were soon compelled to retreat, but not before they had burned the village, including the church. chaplain james caldwell was in the hottest of the fight. "seeing the fire of one of the companies slacking for want of wadding, he galloped to the presbyterian meeting house nearby, and rushing in, ran from pew to pew, filling his arms with hymn books," wrote headley, in "chaplains and clergy of the revolution." "hastening back with them into the battle, he scattered them about in every direction, saying as he pitched one here and another there, 'now put watts into them, boys.' with a laugh and a cheer they pulled out the leaves, and ramming home the charge did give the british watts with a will." the story has been attractively told by bret harte: "... stay one moment; you've heard of caldwell, the parson, who once preached the word down at springfield? what, no? come--that's bad; why, he had all the jerseys aflame! and they gave him the name of the 'rebel high priest.' he stuck in their gorge, for he loved the lord god--and he hated king george! "he had cause, you might say! when the hessians that day marched up with knyphausen, they stopped on their way at the 'farm,' where his wife, with a child in her arms, sat alone in the house. how it happened none knew but god--and that one of the hireling crew who fired the shot! enough!--there she lay, and caldwell, the chaplain, her husband, away! "did he preach--did he pray? think of him as you stand by the old church to-day--think of him and his band of military ploughboys! see the smoke and the heat of that reckless advance, of that straggling retreat! keep the ghost of that wife, foully slain, in your view-- and what could you, what should you, what would you do? "why, just what he did! they were left in the lurch for the want of more wadding. he ran to the church, broke down the door, stripped the pews, and dashed out in the road with his arms full of hymn-books, and threw down his load at their feet! then above all the shouting and shots rang his voice, 'put watts into 'em! boys, give 'em watts.' "and they did. that is all. grasses spring, flowers blow pretty much as they did ninety-three years ago. you may dig anywhere and you'll turn up a ball-- but not always a hero like this--and that's all." the battle of springfield is not named among the important battles of the revolution, but it had a special meaning to the people of all that region, for it taught them that the enemy, who had been harassing them for months, was not invulnerable. from that day they took fresh courage, and their courage increased when they realized that the british would not come again to trouble them. after the burning of the springfield church, the pastor, rev. jacob vanarsdal, gathered his people in the barn of the parsonage. later the building was ceiled and galleries were built. for ten years the barn was the home of the congregation, but in the building was erected which is in use to-day. four: rambles about the city of brotherly love _in that delightful land which is washed by the delaware's waters, guarding in sylvan shades the name of penn the apostle, stands on the banks of its beautiful stream the city he founded. there all the air is balm, and the peach is the emblem of beauty, and the streets still re-echo the names of the trees of the forest, as if they fain would appease the dryads whose haunts they molested. there from the troubled sea had evangeline landed, an exile, finding among the children of penn a home and a country. there old rene leblanc had died; and when he departed, saw at his side only one of all his hundred descendants. something at least there was in the friendly streets of the city, something that spake to her heart, and made her no longer a stranger; and her ear was pleased with the thee and thou of the quakers, for it recalled the past, the old acadian country, where all men were equal, and all were brothers and sisters._ henry wadsworth longfellow. four: rambles about the city of brotherly love [illustration: letitia penn house, philadelphia _photo by ph. b. wallace_ see page ] xxxi the letitia penn house, philadelphia william penn's first american home when william penn, english quaker, met guli springett, he fell in love with her at once. in they were married. ten years later when, as proprietor of pennsylvania, penn was about to sail in the _welcome_ for america, he wrote a letter of which the following is a portion: "my dear wife and children, my love, which neither sea, nor land, nor death itself, can extinguish or lessen toward you, most tenderly visits you with eternal embraces and will abide with you for ever.... my dear wife, remember thou wast the love of my youth and the joy of my life, the most beloved as well as the most worthy of all my earthly comfort, and the reason of that love were more thy inward than thy outward excellencies, which were yet many. god knows, and thou knowest it, that 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." penn landed at new castle, delaware, in october, . he had already sent forward the plot of his new country village; his cousin, lieutenant governor markham, had come to america in , bringing with him instructions for the beginning of the settlement. on this plot there was evidence of his thought for his wife and his daughter letitia; two lots were set apart for the family, on one of which he planned to build, while the other he designed for letitia. when he reached america, he found that, by some mistake, letitia's lot had been given to the friends for a meeting house. he was vexed, but nothing could be done. so he decided that the lot reserved for his own use should be made over to her. he did not carry out his purpose for some time, however. for a time penn remained at upland (now chester), but in , he went to philadelphia to oversee the erection of the houses for the settlers. his own house he built on a large plot facing the delaware river and south of what is now market street. the house was of brick, which was probably made nearby, though many of the interior fittings had been brought from england in the _john and sarah_ in . it was the first brick house in the new settlement, the first house which had a cellar, and was built in accordance with the request the proprietor had made: "let every house be placed, if the person pleases, in the middle of the plat, as to breadth way of it, that so there may be ground on each side for garden or orchard, or fields, that it may be a green country town, which will never be burnt and always wholesome." for a few months the quaker kept bachelor's hall in his new house. then he went to england, intending to return before long. before his departure he arranged that the house should be used in the public service. probably it was the gathering place for the provincial council for many years. thus it was the first state house of pennsylvania. during the fourteen years' stay in england many misfortunes came to penn. he was accused of treason, and his title to the american lands was taken away from him. later he was acquitted, and his lands were returned. in guli penn died, and in penn married hannah callowhill. in , when he returned to america, he brought with him his wife and letitia, who was then about twenty-five years old. evidently the old house was not good enough for the ladies of the family. at any rate they occupied for a time the "slate-roof house," one of the most pretentious buildings in the colony. when the manor, pennsbury, twenty miles up the delaware, was completed, the family was taken there. great style was maintained at the country estate in the woods. the house had cost £ , , and was "the most imposing house between the hudson and potomac rivers." the philadelphia house was transferred to letitia on "the th of the st month ." at once extravagant letitia tried to dispose of it. she succeeded in selling a portion of the generous lot, but it was some years before she was able to sell the whole. in the meantime the proprietor felt that he must return to england because of the threat of parliament to change the government of the american colonies. mrs. penn and letitia, who did not like america, pleaded to go with him. he thought he would be returning soon, and he urged them to remain. they insisted. in a letter to james logan he wrote: "i cannot prevail on my wife to stay, and still less with _tish_. i know not what to do." later he wrote: "the going of my wife and tish will add greatly to the expense.... but they will not be denied." in letitia married william aubrey, who had all of penn's keenness and none of his genial qualities. almost from the day of the marriage both husband and wife pestered penn for money. aubrey insisted on a prompt payment of his wife's marriage portion. his father-in-law was already beginning to feel the grip of financial embarrassment that later brought him to the verge of bankruptcy, but, on this occasion as well as later, he felt compelled to yield to the insistent demands of the grasping aubrey. the only members of the penn family who ever returned to america were the children of the second wife, to whom most of the property descended. the letitia penn house, as it came to be known, fell on evil days. it was an eating house in , and in it was the rising sun inn. later it was called the woolpack hotel. in funds were raised by public subscription, and the venerable house was taken down and rebuilt in fairmount park. visitors who enter the city by the pennsylvania railroad from new york city may easily see it from a right-hand car window, for it is the only house in the corner of the park on the west side of the river. xxxii carpenters' hall, philadelphia called by benson j. lossing "the temple of freedom" philadelphia was but forty-two years old when a number of builders in the growing town decided to have a guild like the journeymen's guilds of london. accordingly they formed, in , "the carpenters' company of the city and county of philadelphia," whose object should be "to obtain instruction in the science of architecture; to assist such of the members, or the widows and children of members, as should be by accident in need of support," as well as "the adoption of such a system of measurements and prices that every one concerned in a building may have the value of his money, and every workman the worth of his labor." at first the meetings were held here and there, probably in taverns. in the company decided to build a home. a lot was secured on chestnut street, between third and fourth streets, for which an annual ground rent of " spanish milled pieces of eight" was to be paid. the sum of three hundred pounds necessary to begin operations was subscribed in about a week. the company's annual meeting of january , , was held within the walls, though the building was not entirely completed until . three years after the opening of the hall came the first event that linked the building with the history of america. a general meeting of the people of philadelphia was held here to protest against the failure of governor penn to convene the assembly of the colony. a committee of three was appointed to wait on the speaker and ask him for "a positive answer as to whether he would call the assembly together or not." the assembly was then called to meet on the " th day of the th month." three days before the time fixed, another meeting was held in carpenters' hall to consider what measures for the welfare of the colony should be proposed to the assembly. at this meeting the necessity of holding "a general congress of delegates from all the colonies" was voiced. later the assembly approved of the idea of such a conference, and a call was issued. on september , , the delegates from eleven provinces met in the city tavern. learning that the carpenters' company had offered the hall for the use of the continental congress, the delegates voted to inspect the accommodations. john adams, one of their number, said after the visit: "they took a view of the room and of the chamber, where there is an excellent library. there is also a long entry, where gentlemen may walk, and also a convenient chamber opposite to the library. the general cry was that this was a good room." when this first continental congress met, it was decided that the session of the second day should be opened with prayer. rev. jacob duché of christ church and st. peter's was asked to be present and conduct an opening service. this historic account of the service was written by john adams: "next morning he appeared with his clerk and having on his pontificals, and read several prayers in the established form, and then read the psalter for the seventh day of september, which was the thirty-fifth psalm. you must remember that this was the next morning after we had heard of the horrible cannonade of boston (the account proved to be an error). it seemed as if heaven had ordered that psalm to be read on that morning. after this, mr. duché, unexpectedly to everybody, struck out into extemporary prayer, which filled the bosom of every man present. i must confess, i never heard a better prayer, or one so well pronounced." in part, this prayer was as follows: "be thou present, o god of wisdom! and direct the councils of this honorable assembly, enable them to settle things on the best and surest foundation, that the scene of blood may be speedily closed, that order, harmony, and peace may be effectually restored, and truth and justice, religion and piety, prevail and flourish amongst thy people." on october the congress was dissolved. the second congress was called to meet on may , , at the state house, later known as independence hall. when the british took possession of the city in , a portion of the army was quartered in the building. officers and men alike borrowed books from the library company of philadelphia, which had quarters here, invariably making deposits and paying for the use of volumes taken in strict accordance with the rules. in the united states commissary of military stores began to occupy the lower story and cellar of the building. from to various public organizations sought quarters here, including the bank of the united states, the bank of pennsylvania, the united states land office, and the united states custom house. the carpenters' company therefore, in , erected a second building on this lot, which they occupied until . when benson j. lossing visited the historic hall, on november , , he wrote of his great disappointment because the banner of an auctioneer was on the front of the building. he said: "i tried hard to perceive the apparition ... to be a classic frieze, with rich historic trigliphs, but it would not do.... what a desecration! covering the façade of the very temple of freedom with the placards of grovelling mammon! if sensibility is shocked with this outward pollution, it is overwhelmed with indignant shame on entering the hall where that august assembly of men--the godfathers of our republic--convened to stand as sponsors at the baptism of infant american liberty--to find it filled with every species of merchandise, and the walls which once echoed the eloquent words of henry, lee, and the adamses, reverberating with the clatter of the auctioneer's voice and hammer. is there not patriotism strong enough in philadelphia to enter the temple, and 'cast out all them that buy and sell, and overthrow the tables of the money-changers?'" at length the carpenters' company decided that the time had come to do what the historian pleaded for. in they returned to the building, and since then they have held their meetings within the walls consecrated by the heroes of revolutionary days. the rooms were restored to their original condition, and relics and mementoes of early days were put in place. the hall has ever since been open to visitors "who may wish to visit the spot where henry, hancock, and adams inspired the delegates of the colonies with nerve and the sinew for the toils of war." [illustration: st. peter's protestant episcopal church, philadelphia _photo by ph. b. wallace_ see page ] xxxiii st. peter's church, philadelphia whose building is practically unchanged after more than one hundred and fifty years there were but fifteen thousand people in philadelphia when, on march , , the suggestion was made to the vestry of christ church that a new church or chapel of ease of christ church be built for the accommodation of the people in the southern part of the city. thomas and richard penn gave a site for the building of the new church, and on september , , the corner stone was laid. in the church was opened, though it was not completed until march, . to the new organization was given the name st. peter's, and it was ordered by the vestry of christ church, "that the said church ... in every respect whatever shall be upon an equal footing with christ church, and be under the same government with it." at the same time, in view of the gift of the site, it was ordered that "the first and best pew in the said church shall be set apart forever for the accommodation of the honorable proprietary's family." when the building was completed the building committee reported that the cost was £ , , s. ½ d. added to this report were statements that sound quite modern. "the sudden rise in the prices of materials and labor," and "the inability of some subscribers to meet their engagements," had added to the burdens of the committee. from the beginning prayers were read in the church for the king and all the royal family, but on july , , the vestry ordered that patriotic prayers be substituted. while the british were in philadelphia the prayers for the king were renewed by order of dr. duché, rector of christ church and st. peter's. the official history of st. peter's refers to dr. duché, who ordered this, in the following sentences: "from an advocate of the colonies, he became an advocate of the king, and on the sunday following the occupation of philadelphia by the british, he restored the prayers for the king to the liturgy. this compromise with conditions availed him nothing, and he was arrested for serving as chaplain to congress after the adoption of the declaration of independence. the influence of his loyalist friends secured his speedy release.... not long afterward he went to england, where he remained practically an exile for twelve years, returning to philadelphia several years before his death, when, it is said, no truer american could have been found in the city. he ... was buried in st. peter's churchyard." during the occupation of the church by british troops in the pews were burned for fuel, but the building was never closed for lack of fuel or for any other reason, until the late winter of - , when coal could not be secured. the wooden fence that surrounded the property originally was burned by the british for fuel, and the brick wall that is now in place was built in . washington frequently occupied a pew in st. peter's, and many other men who were prominent in the early history of the country worshipped here. the building is practically as it was when they lived. "it is the same church to which the colonists in their knee-breeches and rich coats came to attend the first service in ," a member of the vestry said in . "the pulpit, reading desk, and chancel rails were built in , and the present organ loft was put up over the chancel in . in all other respects the plain, austere interior of this old church ... remains unchanged, the only relic in pennsylvania, and one of the very few in the country at large, of the church in colonial days. bishop de lancey, in his centennial sermon, preached september , , said: 'we enter by the same doors--we tread the same aisles--we kneel where they knelt--we sit where they sat; the voice of prayer, instruction, and praise ascends from the same desk from which it reached their ears, in the privacy and seclusion of the same high, strait unostentatious pews.'" in the crowded churchyard are the graves of many colonial worthies as well as many leaders in the early history of america. stephen decatur is buried here, and charles wilson peale, who painted a famous portrait of washington. the _pennsylvania evening post_ of january , , told of the burial of one of the patriots whose bodies were laid here: "yesterday the remains of captain william shippen, who was killed at princeton the third instant, gloriously fighting for the liberty of his country, were interred in st. peter's churchyard. his funeral was attended by the council of safety, the members of assembly, officers of the army, a troop of virginia light horse, and a great number of inhabitants. this brave and unfortunate man was in his twenty-seventh year, and has left a widow and three children to lament the death of an affectionate husband and a tender parent, his servants a kind master, and his neighbors a sincere and obliging friend." captain shippen, before joining washington's army, was captain of the privateer _hancock_, which, between july and november , , sent to american ports ten prizes captured at sea. [illustration: cliveden, philadelphia _photo by ph. b. wallace_ see page ] xxxiv cliveden, germantown, philadelphia on the field of the battle of germantown in the days before the revolution there were many residents of philadelphia who had, in addition to a sumptuous town house, a country house, to which they could resort in the summer or at other times when they wished relief from the cares of daily life. germantown, the straggling village five miles from the town of william penn, was one of the popular places for such establishments. samuel chew's town house was at front and dock streets when he built cliveden at germantown in . at that time he was attorney-general of pennsylvania, though in he became chief-justice of the supreme court of pennsylvania. both in philadelphia and in germantown he maintained the hospitable traditions he had learned at maidstone, near annapolis, where he was born, in , of a family whose first american ancestor, john chew, came to virginia a century earlier. during the days of the continental congress judge chew seemed to sympathize with the colonists in their protests against the aggression of great britain, but when independence was proposed, he let it be known that he was unwilling to act with the patriots. accordingly he was arrested by order of congress, together with john penn, and when he refused to sign a parole, he was banished from the state. during his absence the battle of germantown was fought. on october , , the british forces were disposed on nearly all sides of the chew mansion. washington planned to attack these scattered forces by four columns, which were to advance from as many directions. general wayne's column successfully opened the attack at daybreak october , driving before him the enemy encountered at mount airy. colonel musgrave checked the retreat of the soldiers at cliveden. with six companies he took possession of the mansion, prepared to defend themselves behind hastily barricaded doors and windows. wayne and the leaders who were with him pushed on past the house, continuing the pursuit of that portion of the enemy which had continued its retreat; he did not know that he was leaving an enemy in his rear. when washington came to cliveden, he was surprised by the fire of the entrenched enemy. after a hasty conference with others, it was decided not to pass on, leaving a fortress behind. cannon were planted so as to command the door, but they were fired without much effect. the next attempt was made by a young frenchman who asked others to carry hay from the barn and set fire to the front door. thinking they were doing as he asked, he forced open a window and climbed on the sill. from this position he was driven back, and he found that he had not been supported by those on whom he had counted. in the meantime the artillery fire continued, but with little effect. general wilkinson, who was present, afterward wrote: "the doors and shutters of the lower windows of the mansion were shut and fastened, the fire of the enemy being delivered from the iron gratings of the cellars and the windows above, and it was closely beset on all sides with small-arms and artillery, as is manifest from the multiplicity of traces still visible from musket-ball and grape-shot on the interior walls and ceilings which appear to have entered through the doors and windows in every direction; marks of cannon-ball are also visible, in several places on the exterior of the wall and through the roof, though one ball only appears to have penetrated below the roof, and that by a window in the passage of the second story. the artillery seem to have made no impression on the walls of the house, a few slight indentures only being observable, except from one stroke in the rear, which started the wall." in a few minutes washington, realizing that precious time was being lost in the attack on the thick walls of the house, ordered a regiment to remain behind to watch cliveden, while his main force hastened on. it has been claimed that this brief delay was responsible for the defeat at germantown. wilkinson, on the contrary, insists that this delay saved washington's army from annihilation, since he would otherwise have hurried on in the thick fog until he was in contact with the main body of the british army. the result, he thinks, would have been a far greater disaster than actually overtook the american arms that day. the damage done to the house was so great that five carpenters were busy for months making repairs. evidently judge chew was not satisfied with the result, for in he sold cliveden for $ , , only to buy it back again in for $ , . the property descended to benjamin chew, jr., on the death of his father. during his occupancy of cliveden, lafayette was a guest there in . [illustration: third (old pine street) presbyterian church, philadelphia _photo by ph. b. wallace_ see page ] xxxv old pine street church, philadelphia whose pastor inspired john adams to plead for independence there were four thousand, seven hundred and seventy-four houses in philadelphia in when the pine street presbyterian church, the third church of this denomination in the city, was built. the subscription paper, still in existence, shows that £ , "in money or otherwise" was subscribed for the purpose. the sum needed to complete the building was raised by a lottery, which yielded £ , . in the proceeds of the lottery the market street church and the second church shared, £ , going to the pine street building. the original building was of but one story, with gable ends. when alterations were made in the top of the church was raised bodily, while a larger roof was built over the old roof. the visitor who climbs to the loft is able to see the old walls and windows. the floor was raised one step above the street level, and was paved with brick. rev. george duffield, d.d., who was pastor from to , was a prominent figure during the revolution. he was chaplain of the continental congress and of the pennsylvania militia during the period of the war, and he delivered fiery messages that stirred patriots to action. john adams, who was a member of the church, called him a man of genius and eloquence. on may , , after listening to a sermon in which dr. duffield likened the conduct of george iii to the americans to that of pharaoh to the israelites, and concluded that god intended the liberation of the americans, as he had intended that of the israelites, he wrote to his wife: "is it not a saying of moses, who am i that i should go in and out before this great people? when i consider the great events which are passed, and those greater which are rapidly advancing, and that i may have been instrumental in touching some springs, and turning some small wheels, which have had and will have such effects, i feel an awe upon my mind, which is not easily described. great britain has at last driven america to the last step, complete separation from her; a total, absolute independence...." headley, in "chaplains and clergy of the revolution," says: "the patriots of the first congress flocked to his church, and john adams and his compeers were often his hearers.... in a discourse delivered before several companies of the pennsylvania militia and members of congress, four months before the declaration of independence, he took bold and decided ground in favor of that step, and pleaded his cause with sublime eloquence, which afterwards made him so obnoxious to the british that they placed a reward of fifty pounds for his capture." later on in the same sermon he prophesied: "whilst sun and moon endure, america shall remain a city of refuge for the whole earth, until she herself shall play the tyrant, forget her destiny, disgrace her freedom, and provoke her god." as chaplain of the pennsylvania militia, dr. duffield was frequently in camp, where "his visits were always welcome, for the soldiers loved the eloquent, earnest, fearless patriot." headley gives this incident of the courageous chaplain's work: "when the enemy occupied staten island, and the american forces were across the river on the jersey shore, he repaired to camp to spend the sabbath. assembling a portion of the troops in an orchard, he climbed into the forks of a tree and commenced religious exercises. he gave out a hymn.... the british on the island heard the sound of the singing, and immediately directed some cannon to play on the orchard, from whence it proceeded. soon the heavy shot came crashing through the branches, and went singing overhead, arresting for a moment the voices that were lifted in worship. mr. duffield ... proposed that they should adjourn behind an adjacent hillock. they did so, and continued their worship, while the iron storm hurled harmlessly overhead." in spite of his almost constant service in the field, dr. duffield was in philadelphia among his people every little while. the church records show that he baptized children every month during the revolution, except for the period of the british occupation of philadelphia, when the church was occupied as a hospital, and more than one hundred hessian soldiers were buried in the churchyard. another remarkable fact is that of the one hundred and ten men who had signed the call to george duffield in , sixty-seven served in the army during the war. colonel thomas robinson, whose portrait is in independence hall, was a member of the church; captain john steele, who was field officer on the day of the surrender of cornwallis, and colonel william linnard, whose company attempted to keep the british from crossing the brandywine, were also members. many other officers and private soldiers were on the rolls; the stones and vaults in the cemetery tell of many of them. one of the original trustees of pine street was dr. william shippen, jr., first professor of medicine in america and director general of all the hospitals during the war. benjamin rush, signer of the declaration, was an attendant at the services, and his mother was a member. xxxvi independence hall, philadelphia where american independence was born william penn was a man of vision. when, in , thomas holme surveyed for him the site of philadelphia, the quaker pioneer gave instruction that "the centre square," one mile from the delaware, be set apart for the public buildings of the city and colony. but for many years after the founding of the city, centre square was far out in the country. during these years temporary public buildings were provided for official meetings, including the assembly, but in steps were taken to erect a suitable public building within reach of the people of the young city. ground was bought on chestnut street, between fifth and sixth streets, and the state house was begun in . the total cost of the building was $ , . two wings were added in and ; these cost some $ , more. two years after the completion of the main building the pennsylvania assembly passed an act in which this statement was made: "it is the true intent and meaning of these presents, that no part of the said ground lying to the southward of the state house, as it is now built, be converted into or made use of for erecting any sort of building thereupon, but that the said ground shall be enclosed and remain a public open green and walks forever." eighty years after the passage of the act an attempt was made to divert the state house yard to other purposes. in a curious old document, dated february , , w. rawle and peter s. duponceau made an argument against this diversion, showing conclusively that the state house square had been "irrevocably devoted to the purpose of an open and public walk." thanks to their efforts and the efforts of others who have labored to the same end, the grounds are to-day, and must forever remain, open to the use of the people. the first public function held in the new state house was a banquet, given in the "long room," in the second story. of this franklin's _pennsylvania gazette_ of september , , said: "thursday last william allen, esq., mayor of this city for the past year, made a feast for his citizens at the state house, to which all the strangers in town of note were also invited. those who are judges of such things say that considering the delicacy of the viands, the variety and excellency of the wines, the great number of guests, and yet the easiness and order with which the whole was conducted, it was the most grand, the most elegant entertainment that has been made in these parts of america." the builders were dilatory. it was before the assembly was able to hold its first session in the chamber provided for it, and not until was the room completed. three years more passed before the apartment intended for the governor's council was ready for its occupants. in the tower was built, and on november edmund wooley sent to the province of pennsylvania an interesting bill, "for expenses in raising the tower of the state house": loaves of bread £ ¾ lb. bacon, at d ½ lb. beef at ½d potatoes and greens limes at s ½ barrels of beer at s lb. mutton at ½d ¾ lb. veal at ½d lb. venison at d turnips pepper and mustard jugs and candles, pipes and tobacco butter s. d. turkey s. pair fowls s ¼ of a hundred of flour two former hookings at getting on two floors, and now for raising the tower, fire wood, etc. provision was made in for the extension of the tower for the accommodation of a bell, and on october , , the superintendent of the state house sent a letter to the colonial agent in london. in this letter he said: "we take the liberty to apply ourselves to thee to get us a good bell, of about two thousand pounds weight, the cost of which we presume may amount to about one hundred pounds sterling, or, perhaps, with the charges, something more.... let the bell be cast by the best workmen, and examined carefully before it is shipped, with the following words well-shaped in large letters round it, viz:-- "'by order of the assembly of the province of pennsylvania, for the state house in the city of philadelphia, ,' "and underneath, "'proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all the inhabitants thereof--levit. xxv. .'" when the new bell was hung it was cracked by a stroke of the clapper. isaac norris wrote: "we concluded to send it back by captain budden, but he could not take it on board, upon which two ingenious workmen undertook to cast it here, and i am just now informed they have this day opened the mould and have got a good bell, which, i confess, pleases me very much, that we should first venture upon and succeed in the greatest bell cast, for aught i know, in english america. the mould was finished in a very masterly manner, and the letters, i am told, are better than [on] the old one. when we broke up the metal, our judges here generally agreed it was too high and brittle, and cast several little bells out of it to try the sound and strength, and fixed upon a mixture of an ounce and a half of copper to one pound of the old bell, and in this proportion we now have it." but when the bell was in place it was found to contain too much copper, and pass & stow, the founders, "were so teazed with the witticisms of the town," that they begged to be allowed to recast it. in june, , this third bell was hung, and in the following september the founders were paid £ s. d. in arrangements were made for a clock. the works were placed in the middle of the main building, immediately under the roof. these were connected by rods, enclosed in pipes, with the hands on the dial plates at either gable. early views of the state house show these dials. the cost of the clock, which included care for six years, was £ s. ½d. during the twenty years that followed the installation of the clock and the bell the state house became a civic centre of note; but not until the stirring events that led up to the revolution did it become of special interest to other colonies than pennsylvania. on april , , the day after news came to philadelphia of the battles of lexington and concord, the great bell sounded a call to arms that was the real beginning of making the building a national shrine. in response to the call eight thousand people gathered in the yard to consider measures of defence. on april the newspapers reported that "the company unanimously agreed to associate for the purpose of defending with arms their lives, liberty, and property, against all attempts to deprive them of them." this determination of the people was soon sanctioned by the assembly, and pennsylvania prepared to raise its quota towards the army of the revolution. on may , , the second continental congress met in the assembly chamber, and took action that made inevitable the adoption of the declaration of independence the next year. on friday, june , , in the eastern room on the first floor of the state house, richard henry lee of virginia introduced the following: "resolved, that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the british crown and that all political connection between them and the state of great britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved." at the same time the pennsylvania assembly was considering, in the chamber upstairs, what instruction to give to its delegates. when the assembly adjourned the continental congress removed to the upper room. there, on july , the virginian's motion was carried. later the declaration itself was adopted, and on july , it was "resolved, that copies of the declaration be sent to the several assemblies, conventions, and committees or councils of safety, and to the several commanding officers of the continental troops; that it be proclaimed in each of the united states and at the head of the army." it was ordered that the declaration be proclaimed from the state house on monday, july , . on that day the state house bell sounded its glad call; for the first time did it indeed "proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof." and in the hearing of those who gathered in response to its call the declaration was read. from that day the state house has been known as independence hall, while the state house yard has become independence square. the sittings of congress in independence hall were interrupted by the approach of the british. for five months the building was used as a british prison and hospital. but on july , , congress returned; the building once more belonged to the nation. the building became more than ever a national shrine when, in , the constitutional convention met there. on september , , the votes of eleven states were recorded in favor of the constitution, and benjamin franklin, looking toward a sun which was blazoned on the president's chair, said of it to those near him, "in the vicissitudes of hope and fear i was not able to tell whether it was rising or setting; now i know that it is the rising sun." in , the congress of the united states met in the western portion of the buildings on the square, erected in for the pennsylvania assembly.[ ] this building was, by that body, offered to congress and accepted for the term of ten years, until the capital should be removed to the shore of the potomac. during these ten years, and for thirty-five years more, the liberty bell continued to sound notes of joy and of sorrow. on july , , it was tolling for chief justice marshall. when the funeral procession was on chestnut street, not far from independence hall, the bell cracked. since that day it has been mute. the passing years have brought many changes to independence hall, as well as to the liberty bell. the bell cannot be renewed, but the historic building and the square have been restored until they present essentially the appearance of the days of . the chief difference is in the steeple. the present steeple was built in . it is much like the old steeple, but a story higher. as the visitor passes from room to room of the venerable building, and examines the relics and studies the portraits of the great men who gathered there so long ago, his heart is stirred to thankfulness to those who dared to call a nation into being, and he cannot but think that it is good to live for one's country. [illustration: david rittenhouse's house, norriton, penna. _photo by ph. b. wallace_ see page ] xxxvii the david rittenhouse home, near philadelphia the headquarters of benjamin franklin's friend and co-laborer _"see the sage rittenhouse with ardent eye lift the long tube and pierce the starry sky! he marks what laws the eccentric wanderers bind, copies creation in his forming mind, and bids beneath his hand in semblance rise with mimic orbs the labors of the skies."_ this was barlow's way of telling of the achievement of david rittenhouse, the colonial astronomer, in fashioning the marvellous orrery, the mechanical representation of the movements of the planetary system. thomas jefferson's prose description was a little more readable: "a machine far surpassing in ingenuity of contrivance, accuracy and utility anything of the kind ever before constructed.... he has not indeed made a world, but he has by imitation approached more its maker than any man who has lived from the creation to this day." the father of the maker of the orrery was a paper manufacturer near germantown, but when david was three years old he moved to a little farm in norriton, nineteen miles from philadelphia, where, in , he built the stone house in which his son spent the rest of his life. it was his purpose to make a farmer of david, and he might have succeeded if he had not invested in a few mathematical books. the twelve-year-old boy was fascinated by these volumes. samuel w. pennypacker has told the result: "the handles of his plough, and even the fences around the fields, he covered with mathematical calculations.... at seventeen he made a wooden clock, and afterward one in metal. having thus tested his ability in an art in which he had never received any instruction, he secured from his somewhat reluctant father money enough to buy in philadelphia the necessary tools, and after holding a shop by the roadside, set up in business as a clock and mathematical instrument maker." dr. benjamin rush once said that "without library, friends, or society, and with but two or three books, he became, before he had reached his four-and-twentieth year, the rival of two of the greatest mathematicians of europe." the skilled astronomer was soon called upon to render a service to several of the colonies. by means of astronomical instruments he did such accurate work in marking out the boundary between delaware and pennsylvania that mason and dixon later accepted his results, and he settled the dispute between new jersey and new york as to the point where the forty-first degree of latitude touches the hudson river. perhaps, however, the achievement that won for him greatest fame was the observation, made in , of the transit of venus. the importance of the observation is evident from the facts that it provides the best means for calculating the distance between the heavenly bodies, which had never been satisfactorily made, and that the opportunity would not occur again for one hundred and five years. after months of preparation, which included the making of delicate instruments, rittenhouse, one of a committee of three appointed by the american philosophical society, succeeded. in the words of pennypacker, "the first approximately accurate results in the measurement of the spheres were given to the world, not by the schooled and salaried astronomers who watched from the magnificent royal observatories of europe, but by unpaid amateurs and devotees to science in the youthful province of pennsylvania." benjamin franklin found in him a kindred spirit, and the philadelphian was frequently a visitor at the norriton farmhouse. on sunday the two friends often went to the old norriton presbyterian church, which had been built on the corner of the rittenhouse farm, within sight of the house. this church, which probably dates from , is still standing in good repair. some years after the successful observation of the transit of venus brought fame to the american astronomer, he moved to philadelphia. there, among other duties, he had charge of the state house clock. at the beginning of the revolution the council of safety asked that he should "prepare moulds for the casting of clock weights, and send them to some iron furnace, and order a sufficient number to be immediately made for the purpose of exchanging them with the inhabitants of this city for their leaden clock weights." the leaden weights were needed for bullets. later he was sent to survey the shores of the delaware, to choose the best points for fortifications. when he became engineer of the council of safety "he was called upon to arrange for casting cannon of iron and brass, to view the site for the erection of a continental powder mill, to conduct experiments for rifling cannon and muskets, to fix upon a method of fastening a chain for the protection of the river, to superintend the manufacture of saltpeter, and to locate a magazine for military stores on the wissahickon." this was but the beginning of service to pennsylvania during the revolution. his activities were so valuable to the colonies that a tory poet published in the _pennsylvania evening post_ of december , , a verse addressed "to david rittenhouse," of which the first stanza read: "meddle not with state affairs, keep acquaintance with the stars; science, david, is thy line; warp not nature's great design. if thou to fame would'st rise." the following year thomas jefferson wrote to him: "you should consider that the world has but one rittenhouse, and never had one before.... are those powers, then, which, being intended for the erudition of the world, are, like light and air, the world's common property, to be taken from their proper pursuit to do the commonplace drudgery of governing a single state?" to the call of the nation rittenhouse responded in april, , when president washington appointed him the first director of the mint. his closing years were full of honors, but his strength was declining rapidly; he had spent himself so fully for his country that his power of resistance was small. just before he died, on june , , he said to a friend who had been writing to him, "you make the way to god easier." xxxviii the headquarters at valley forge, pennsylvania where washington lived during the winter of - a few rods from the beautiful schuylkill river, at valley forge, pennsylvania, twenty-four miles from philadelphia, is the quaint stone house where washington spent nearly six months of the most trying year of the revolution. while the british troops were occupying philadelphia congress was in session at york, pennsylvania. valley forge was accordingly a strategic location, for from here it was comparatively simple to guard the roads leading out of philadelphia, and to prevent both the exit of the british and the entrance of supplies designed for the enemy. the eleven thousand men who marched to the site selected for the camp were miserably equipped for a winter in the open. provisions were scarce, and clothing and shoes were even more scarce. but the men looked forward bravely to the months of exposure before them. washington did everything possible to provide for their comfort. realizing that the soldiers needed something more than the tents in which they were living at first, he gave orders that huts should be built for them. the commanding officers of the regiments were instructed to divide their soldiers into parties of twelve, to see that each party had the necessary tools, and to superintend the building of a hut for each group of twelve soldiers, according to carefully stated dimensions. a reward was offered to the party in each regiment which should complete its hut in the quickest and best manner. since valuable time would be lost in preparing boards for the roofs, he promised a second sword to the officer or soldier who should devise a material for this purpose cheaper and more quickly made than boards. some of the first huts were covered with leaves, but it was necessary to provide a more lasting covering. after a few weeks fairly acceptable quarters were provided for the men, in spite of the scarcity of tools. colonel pickering, on january , wrote to mrs. pickering, "the huts are very warm and comfortable, being very good log huts, pointed with clay, and the roof made tight with the same." at first, washington sought to encourage his soldiers by assuring them that he would accept no better quarters than could be given them; he would set the example by passing the winter in a hut. but officers and men alike urged that it would be unwise to risk his health in this way, and he consented to seek quarters in a near-by house. however, he refused to make himself comfortable until the men were provided for. his headquarters were finally fixed in the two-story stone house of isaac potts. there he met his officers, received visitors, planned for the welfare of the army, and parried the attacks of those who could not understand the difficulties of the situation. once he wrote to congress: "three days successively we have been destitute of bread. two days we have been entirely without meat. the men must be supplied, or they cannot be commanded." to the objections of those who thought that the army should not be inactive during the winter weather, he wrote: "i can assure these gentlemen, that it is a much easier and less distressing thing to draw remonstrances in a comfortable room by a good fireside, than to occupy a cold, bleak hill, and sleep under frost and snow, without clothes or blankets. however, although they seem to have little pity for the naked and distressed soldiers, i feel superabundantly for them, and, from my soul, i pity those miseries which it is neither in my power to relieve or prevent." the heavy hearts of washington and his officers rejoiced when, on february , , baron steuben and peter s. du ponceau called at headquarters. du ponceau wrote later: "i cannot describe the impression that the first sight of that great man made upon me. i could not keep my eyes from that imposing countenance--grave, yet not severe; affable, without familiarity.... i have never seen a picture that represents him to me as i saw him at valley forge.... i had frequent opportunities of seeing him, as it was my duty to accompany the baron when he dined with him, which was sometimes twice or thrice in the same week. we visited him also in the evening, when mrs. washington was at head-quarters. we were in a manner domesticated in the family." an order was sent from headquarters, dated march , that baron steuben be respected and obeyed as inspector general. the need of his services is revealed by his description of the condition of the army when he arrived in camp: "the arms at valley forge were in a horrible condition, covered with rust, half of them without bayonets, many from which a single shot could not be fired. the pouches were quite as bad as the arms. a great many of the men had tin boxes instead of pouches, others had cow-horns; and muskets, carbines, fowling-pieces, and rifles were to be seen in the same company.... the men were literally naked.... the officers who had coats, had them of every color and make. i saw officers, at a grand parade in valley forge, mounting guard in a sort of dressing-gown, made of an old blanket or woolen bed-cover...." mrs. washington joined the circle at headquarters on february . she was not favorably impressed. "the general's apartment is very small," she wrote. "he has had a log cabin built to dine in, which has made our quarters much more tolerable than they were at first." the most joyful day at valley forge was may , , when a fête was held to celebrate the conclusion of the treaty of alliance between france and the united states. after religious service, the army was reviewed, and washington dined in public with his officers. "when the general took his leave, there was a universal clap, with loud huzzas, which continued till he had proceeded a quarter of a mile." on june the glad tidings came to headquarters that the british were evacuating philadelphia. next day the camp was left behind. washington did not see it again for nine years. in the isaac potts house was bought by the continental memorial association of valley forge. and in the pennsylvania legislature created the valley forge park commission, which has since acquired the entire encampment, has laid it out as a park, and has arranged for the erection of many monuments and markers and a number of memorial structures. but the house in which washington lived must always be the central feature of the grounds. [illustration: dawesfield, near philadelphia, penna. _photo by h. c. howland, philadelphia_ see page ] xxxix three headquarters of washington pennypacker's mills, dawesfield, and emlen house, near philadelphia during the closing months of , one of the darkest times of the revolution, washington made famous by his occupancy three houses, all located within a few miles of philadelphia. the first of these, pennypacker's mills, is the only building used by the commander-in-chief during the war that is still in the hands of the family that owned it when he was there. pennypacker's mills is delightfully situated in the angle formed by the union of the two forks of the perkiomen, the largest tributary of the schuylkill. hans joest heijt, who built the grist mill and house on the land in , sold the property in to john pauling. he was succeeded in by peter pannebecker. his son samuel was the owner of the house by the creek when, on september , , washington reached the mills. the orderly book of the following days and letters written from the house shed light on the events of the stay here. on the day he reached the mills, washington wrote to william henry at lancaster: "you are hereby authorized to impress all the blankets, shoes, stockings, and other articles of clothing that can be spared by the inhabitants of the county of lancaster, for the use of the continental army, paying for the same at reasonable rates or giving certificates." the entry in the orderly book on september read: "the commander-in-chief has the happiness again to congratulate the army on the success of the americans to the northward. on the th inst. an engagement took place between general burgoyne's army and the left wing of ours, under general gates. the battle began at o'clock, and lasted till night--our troops fighting with the greatest bravery, not giving an inch of ground.... to celebrate this success the general orders that at o'clock this afternoon all the troops be paraded and served with a gill of rum per man, and that at the same time there be discharges of pieces of artillery from the park." on the same day there was a council of war. it was found that there were in camp, fit for duty, , men. the whole army in all the camps then contained about eight thousand continental troops and three thousand militia. next day washington wrote: "i shall move the army four or five miles lower down to-day from whence we may reconnoitre and fix upon a proper situation, at such distance from the enemy, as will entitle us to make an attack, should we see a proper opening, or stand upon the defensive till we obtain further reinforcements...." later in the day the army marched to skippack, within about twenty-five miles of philadelphia. the next stage in the advance was methacton hill, and from there the army began to move, on october , at seven o'clock in the evening, to the attack on the british at germantown. after the battle of germantown washington wrote to the president of congress: "in the midst of the most promising appearances, when everything gave the most flattering hopes of victory, the troops began suddenly to retreat, and entirely left the field, in spite of every effort that could be made to rally them." the commander's marvellous ability to handle men was shown by the entry made in his orderly book the next day, when he was back at pennypacker's mills. instead of reprimanding the soldiers for their strange retreat, he "returned thanks to the generals and other officers and men concerned in the attack on the enemy's left wing, for their spirit and bravery, shown in drawing the enemy from field to field, and although ... they finally retreated, they nevertheless see that the enemy is not proof against a vigorous attack, and may be put to flight when boldly pursued." the good results of this message were evident from the letter of a soldier written from the mills on october . he said: "our excellent general washington ... intends soon to try another bout with them. all our men are in good spirits and i think grow fonder of fighting the more they have of it." to the joy of the soldiers the word was given on october to march toward philadelphia. in three short stages the army arrived, on october , at whitpain, where washington took up his headquarters in the house of james morris, dawesfield. from here messages were sent that tied his men still closer to him. on october he issued a proclamation of full pardon to deserters who should return before a specified date, and next day he congratulated the troops on the victory at red bank. the chief event of the stay at dawesfield was the court-martial convened october , to try brigadier-general wayne, at his own request, on the charge that his negligence was responsible for the defeat at paoli, september . the verdict was that "he did everything that could be expected from an active, brave, and vigilant officer, under the orders he then had." [illustration: emlen house, near philadelphia, penna. _photo by ph. b. wallace_ see page ] three days after the trial the army moved to whitemarsh, near the junction of the skippack and bethlehem roads. there washington lived at emlen house, of which lossing says, "at the time of the revolution it was a sort of baronial hall in size and character, where its wealthy owner dispensed hospitality to all who came under its roof." the house was modernized in , but it still retains many of the original features. among these is the moat at the side of the house. washington followed the example of the owner of the house by welcoming guests, in spite of the handicaps mentioned in the orderly book on november : "since ... the middle of september last, he [the general] has been without his baggage, and on that account is unable to receive company in the manner he could wish. he nevertheless desires the generals, field officers and brigadier-major of the day, to dine with him in the future, at three o'clock in the afternoon." it was from emlen house that washington gave the first intimation that he knew of the infamous attempts to discredit and displace him which later became known as the "conway cabal." to general conway himself he wrote saying that he had heard of conway's letter to general gates in which he had said, "heaven has been determined to save your country, or a weak general and bad counsellors would have ruined it." a few glimpses of the awful condition of privation that were to prevail that winter at valley forge were given on november : "the commander-in-chief offers a reward of ten dollars to any person, who shall, by nine o'clock on monday morning, produce the best substitute for shoes, made of raw hide." the movement to valley forge was begun on december . the army went by way of "sweeds" ford (norristown), where, as the quaint diary of albigence waldo says: "a bridge of waggons made across the schuylkill last night consisted of waggons, with a bridge of rails between each. sun set--we are order'd to march over the river. the army were 'till sun rise crossing the river--some at the waggon bridge, & some at the raft bridge below. cold and uncomfortable." xl sweetbrier-on-the-schuylkill, philadelphia the home of the father of the free schools of pennsylvania when samuel breck was fifty-eight years and six months old--on january , --he wrote: "my residence has been ... for more than thirty years ... on an estate belonging to me, situated on the right bank of the schuylkill, in the township of blockley, county of philadelphia, and two miles from the western part of the city. the mansion on this estate i built in . it is a fine stone house, rough cast, fifty-three feet long, thirty-eight broad, and three stories high, having out-buildings of every kind suitable for elegance and comfort. the prospect consists of the river, animated by its great trade, carried on in boats of about thirty tons, drawn by horses; of a beautiful sloping lawn, terminating at that river, now nearly four hundred yards wide opposite the portico; of side-screen woods; of gardens, green-house, etc. sweetbrier is the name of my villa." mr. breck spent his boyhood in boston, but his parents removed to philadelphia in to escape what they felt was an unjust system of taxation. during the first years of their residence in the city of william penn it had "a large society of elegant and fashionable and stylish people," mr. breck said in his diary. "congress held its sessions in philadelphia until the year , and gave to the city the style and tone of a capital. all the distinguished emigrants from france took up their abode there." among the associates of the brecks were some of the leaders of the new nation. samuel breck was frequently at the robert morris house, and later, during the four years' imprisonment of mr. morris, he "visited that great man in the prune street debtors' apartment, and saw him in his ugly whitewashed vault." the diarist's comment was bitter: "in rome or greece a thousand statesmen would have honored his mighty services. in a monarchy ... he would have been appropriately pensioned; in america, republican america, not a single voice was raised in congress or elsewhere in aid of him or his family." there is not a more striking passage in the diaries than that written on august , , during the second war with england: "i was in town to-day ... at half past twelve o'clock i went with an immense crowd to the post-office to hear the news from the south. the postmaster read it to us from a chamber window. it imported that the navy-yard had been burnt (valued at from six to eight millions of dollars) including the new frigate _essex_, sloop-of-war _argus_, some old frigates, a vast quantity of timber, from five to eight hundred large guns, and many manufactories of cordage, etc., by our people; that the president's house, capitol, and other important buildings had been destroyed, and all this by a handful of men, say, six thousand!" the diary told also of some interesting experiences at the mansion on the schuylkill. in "a newly invented iron grate calculated for coal" was installed at sweetbrier. after less than three weeks' trial mr. breck wrote, "by my experiment in coal fuel i find that one fireplace will burn from three to three and a half bushels per week in hard weather and about two and a half in moderate weather. this averages three bushels for twenty-five weeks, the period of burning fire in parlors." the coal cost forty-five cents a bushel, and mr. breck decided that wood was a cheaper fuel. even in those early days city families had their troubles with servants. "this is a crying evil, which most families feel very sensibly at present," was mr. breck's sorrowful statement. fifteen years after this entry was written, a bitter complaint was made: "in my family, consisting of nine or ten persons, the greatest abundance is provided; commonly seventy pounds of fresh butcher's meat, poultry and fish a week, and when i have company nearly twice as much; the best and kindest treatment is given to the servants; they are seldom visited by mrs. breck, and then always in a spirit of courtesy; their wages are the highest going, and uniformly paid to them when asked for; yet during the last twelve months we have had seven different cooks and five different waiters.... i pay, for instance, to my cook one dollar and fifty cents, and chambermaid one dollar and twenty-five cents per week; to my gardener eleven dollars per month; to the waiter ten dollars; to the farm servant ten dollars, etc., etc. now, if they remain steady (with meat three times a day) for three or four years, they can lay by enough to purchase two or three hundred acres of new land." on one occasion, learning that the ship _john_ had arrived from amsterdam, mr. breck visited it in search of men and women. he wrote: "i saw the remains of a very fine cargo, consisting of healthy, good-looking men, women and children, and i purchased one german swiss for mrs. ross and two french swiss for myself.... i gave for the woman seventy-six dollars, which is her passage money, with a promise of twenty dollars at the end of three years, if she serves me faithfully, clothing and maintenance of course. the boy had paid twenty-six guilders towards his passage money, which i have agreed to give him at the end of three years; in addition to which i paid fifty-three dollars and sixty cents for his passage, and for two years he is to have six weeks' schooling each year." it was like mr. breck to make the provision for schooling. he was an ardent friend of education in an age when too many were indifferent. in , when the fortunes of a proposal for free schools in pennsylvania were in doubt, he consented to become a member of the state senate. there he bent every effort to secure the passage of a generous provision for common schools. on the first day of the session he moved successfully for the appointment of a joint committee on education of the two houses, "for the purpose of digesting a general system of education." of this committee he was made chairman. after seven weeks of unremitting labor the bill incorporating the committee's report, a bill drafted by mr. breck, was introduced. in six weeks more it became a law, four votes only having been cast against it. wickersham, in his "history of education in pennsylvania," says that the passage of the bill was "the most important event connected with education in pennsylvania--the first great victory for free schools." at the close of the session the author of the bill retired to sweetbrier, in accordance with his intention to decline any further public honors. he felt that his work for the state and the nation was done. [illustration: fatlands, near phoenixville, penna. _photo by ph. b. wallace_ see page ] xli mill grove and fatlands, near philadelphia the homes of john j. audubon and of his bride, mary bakewell about two hundred years ago, there lived in france a poor fisherman named audubon, who had nineteen daughters and two sons. one of the sons was sent away to make his fortune when he was twelve years of age. his entire patrimony was a shirt, a suit of clothes, a cane, and a blessing. for five years he was a sailor before the mast. then he bought a boat. he prospered and bought other vessels. after many years he had large wealth, and was trading to the distant quarters of the earth. when he was an old man he paid a visit to america. in two widely separated places, attracted by the country, he bought land. one estate was on perkiomen creek, near philadelphia; the other was in louisiana. in louisiana he spent much of his time; and there, on may , ,[ ] his son, john james audubon, was born. commodore audubon wanted his son to be a seaman, and he took him to france that he might be educated for the navy. but the boy's tastes were in another direction altogether. one of the teachers provided for him was an artist, who gave him lessons in drawing that were intended as a part of his training for the profession the father had chosen for him. but the boy put it to a use of his own. on his holidays he used to take a lunch into the country, and would return loaded down with all kinds of natural history specimens. these he would preserve in a cabinet of his own devising, and drawings of many of them would be made and treasured. commodore audubon was not pleased with his son's habits, and he thought he would give him something to do that would distract his mind. the estate in pennsylvania needed a superintendent. so he sent the would-be naturalist to america, with instructions to look after the estate. but the wild woods about philadelphia offered so many opportunities for tramping and nature investigation that the estate was neglected. the house on the estate, mill grove, which is still standing, is near the mouth of the perkiomen. along this pleasing stream he could ramble for hours, with his gun or his fishing rod or his collecting instruments. before long the attic room which he occupied was a treasure house of birds and animals and natural-history specimens. he was his own taxidermist. he would do his work seated at a window that looks toward the valley forge country, where washington spent the winter of - with his faithful soldiers. the marks of his work are still to be seen on the old boards beneath the window. these boards came from the sawmill on the estate which gave the house its name. here in this attic room the young naturalist dreamed of making careful, accurate drawings of all the birds of america. he knew that this would be a difficult matter, but he was not deterred by thought of hardship and poverty. while he was dreaming of what he would do for the world, something was happening in london that was to have an effect on his life. an official named bakewell refused to be silent about a matter that the king felt should be forgotten. bakewell was a conscientious man, and he did not feel that silence would be proper. the king rebuked him, and he resigned his office. at once he made up his mind to leave england and make a home in america, taking with him his wife and daughter. after many investigations, he found an estate near philadelphia that pleased him--fatlands, on the schuylkill, near the perkiomen, so named because every year the latter stream overflows and deposits rich sediment on the surrounding lands. the mansion house at fatlands was built in , and there washington as well as the british commander had been entertained by the quaker owner who felt that he could not show partiality. here the english immigrant made his home. of course audubon heard of the coming of the strangers to the house across the road, not half a mile from his own quarters. but he did not go to call on them. he was french and they were english; he felt sure they would be undesirable acquaintances, and that he had better keep to the woods and follow his own pursuits, without reference to others. then came a day when he was having a delightful stroll through the woods. he was carrying specimens of many kinds. a stranger, also a hunter, encountered him and made a remark about his burden that touched a responsive chord. soon the two were on good terms. "you must come and see me," the stranger said. the invitation was accepted with alacrity. then came the question, "where do you live?" to his surprise, audubon heard that this pleasing man was his new neighbor at fatlands. deciding that an englishman was not so bad, after all, he made it convenient to call very soon. then when he saw mary bakewell, the daughter of the house, he was sure he liked the english. she showed great sympathy for his pursuits, and he liked to talk with her about them. before long she decided to help him in his great life work, the american ornithology. the marriage was postponed because of the death of mrs. bakewell, who pined away, homesick for her native england. but the time came when, on april , , the two nature lovers became husband and wife. then they began the long wanderings in the west and the south, the fruit of which was what has been called one of the most wonderful ornithological treatises ever made, audubon's "birds of america." mr. and mrs. audubon floated down the ohio river, spent a season in kentucky and missouri, had narrow escapes from the indians, and finally found their way to louisiana. there for a time the wife supported herself by teaching at the home of a planter. friends and acquaintances thought the husband was a madman to continue his quest of birds when his family was in straitened circumstances. but mrs. audubon believed in him, urged him to go to europe and study painting in oils, that he might be better equipped for the preparation of his bird plates. she secured a good situation as teacher at bayou sara, and was soon enjoying an income of three thousand dollars a year. finally, with some of his own savings, as well as some of his wife's funds, he went to england, where he was well received. plans were made to publish the bird plates, with descriptive matter, at one thousand dollars per set. he had to have one hundred advance subscribers. these he secured by personal solicitation. at last the work was issued. cuvier called it "the most magnificent work that art ever raised to ornithology." many years later, audubon, after the death of his wife, returned to the scenes of his early life as a naturalist. "here is where i met my dear mary," he said, with glistening eyes, as he looked into one of the rooms of the old mansion. mill grove was built in . five years after audubon's marriage the estate was bought by samuel wetherill, the grandfather of the present owner, w. h. wetherill. fatlands, which is one of the most beautiful old houses in the vicinity of philadelphia, was built in . during the revolution it was occupied by a quaker named vaux, who entertained many officers of both armies. it is related that one day general howe, the british commander, was entertained at breakfast, while washington was in the house for tea the same evening. the house was rebuilt in , on the old foundations, according to the original plan. [illustration: waynesborough, near paoli, penna. _photo by h. c. howland_ see page ] xlii waynesborough, near paoli, pennsylvania the home of "mad anthony" wayne captain isaac wayne, who commanded a company at the battle of the boyne, came from ireland to pennsylvania in . two years later he bought sixteen acres of land in chester county and built waynesborough. his son isaac, who was a captain in the french and indian war, enlarged the mansion in . while a wing was added in , it presents much the same appearance to-day as it did at the time anthony wayne left it to go to war with general washington, even to the crooked hood above the entrance door. the present owner, william wayne, is as unwilling as were his ancestors to have this hood straightened. on the front of the house is a tablet which reads: the home of general anthony wayne, born in this house, january , . died at erie, pennsylvania, december , . a leader of the american revolution in pennsylvania and a soldier distinguished for his services at brandywine, germantown, valley forge, monmouth, stony point, and yorktown. subdued the indians of ohio, . commander-in-chief of the united states army - . marked by the chester county historical society. to this record the statement might have been added that general lafayette visited the home of his old commander when he was in the united states in . reverently the general bowed his head in wayne's favorite sitting-room, to the right of the entrance hall, where nothing had been disturbed since the death of the patriot. the furnishings and ornaments of the room are the same to-day as then. anthony wayne was a delegate to several of the conventions which took the preliminary steps leading to the revolutionary war. in he was a member of the committee of safety, and in the same year he organized a regiment of "minute men" in chester county. his first active service was as colonel with troops sent to canada in january, , and from november, , to april, , as commander of twenty-five hundred men at ticonderoga. "it was my business to prevent a junction of the enemy's armies and ... to keep at bay their whole canadian force," he wrote in a private letter. here, in the midst of difficulties with soldiers who wanted to desert, he heard that the british were threatening waynesborough. but, like a true soldier, he stuck to his work, and urged his wife to be brave. "should you be necessitated to leave east-town, i doubt not but you'll meet with hospitality in the back parts of the province," he wrote to her. his fidelity and resourcefulness were recognized in february, , by a commission as brigadier general. washington, who was then in new jersey, wrote to him a little later, saying that his presence with him was "materially needed," to guard the country between west point and philadelphia. and when the british fleet sailed out of new york harbor, washington sent him to chester, to organize the militia of pennsylvania. a few weeks later he was in charge of a division at brandywine. historians say that his steadfastness on the left prevented the advance of knyphausen, and saved the right from entire destruction. less than a week later, within a mile of his own house, he was surprised by the enemy near paoli, in consequence, it is said, of the act of an inn-keeper who betrayed wayne's presence to the british. the result was the only defeat of his brilliant career. eighty of his men were killed. the engagement has been called "the paoli massacre," because of the conduct of the victors. wayne escaped. a squad of soldiers searched for him at waynesborough. when they could not find him in the house, they thrust their bayonets into the great boxwood bush that is still to be seen in the rear of the mansion. because some said that the general was responsible for the defeat, he demanded a court-martial. the court-martial was held soon after, and he was acquitted with the highest honor, and was declared to be "an active, brave, and vigilant officer." washington's letters and orderly book are full of references to wayne. he was a trusted commander, and his advice was followed many times. he it was who first proposed that the army should "hut" during the winter of - , some twenty miles from philadelphia. he was always eager to do his commander's bidding. on one occasion, when he was in philadelphia, on his way to greet his family, he was met by a fast rider who handed him a despatch in which washington said, "i request that you join the army as soon as you can." during his long absence from waynesborough his wife polly and his children were continually in his thoughts. once he wrote: "i am not a little anxious about the education of our girl and boy. it is full time that peggy should be put to dancing school. how does she improve in her writing and reading? does isaac take learning freely? has he become fond of school?" just before the storming of stony point, he prepared for death, sending to a friend a letter which was not to be opened until the author was dead. the letter said: "i know that your friendship will induce you to attend to the education of my little son and daughter. i fear that their mother will not survive this stroke. do go to her." on the way up the mount he was grievously wounded and fell senseless. soon he roused himself and cried, "lead me forward.... let me die in the fort." several hours later he was able to send word to washington, "the fort and garrison are ours." in this spirit he served through the war. and when the action was won he continued to fight for his country. on february , , claypool's _daily american advertiser_ told of his return from his successful campaign against the indians of ohio: "four miles from the city, he was met by the entire troop of philadelphia light horse, and escorted by them to town. on his crossing the schuylkill, a salute of fifteen guns was fired from the centre-square, by a party of artillery. he was ushered into the city by the ringing of bells and other demonstrations of joy." [illustration: moravian church, bethlehem, penna. _photo by rev. a. d. therelar, bethlehem_ see page ] xliii the moravian church, bethlehem, pennsylvania a religious community whose founders were true patriots the unitas fratrum or church of the brethren arose in the fifteenth century in bohemia and moravia. in intolerance led its leaders to begin to plan an emigration to america. a colony was sent to pennsylvania in , while a second colony went to georgia in . late in the year the remnant of the emigrants to georgia joined forces with the pennsylvania contingent, and settled on five thousand acres of land in the "forks of the delaware," as the locality just within the confluence of the delaware river and the lehigh or "west fork of the delaware" was called. the object of the settlers was to preach to the indians, and they began at once to win the confidence of the delawares. the first house was built in . this was twenty by forty feet, one story high, with sleeping quarters for a number of persons in the attic under the steep pitched roof. the cattle were kept in a portion of the house partitioned off for them. the common room in which they lived was also the place of worship for more than a year. the site of this house is marked by a memorial stone, which was put in place in . the foundation for the gemeinhaus, or community house, was laid in september. for many years this was to serve as home and hospice, manse and church, administration office, academy, dispensary, and town-hall. as "the house on the lehigh," it became known through all the countryside. the event of the year was the coming of count zinzendorf. the community house was not yet finished, but two rooms in the second story were hurriedly prepared for the guest. no name had yet been given to the settlement, but on christmas eve, after zinzendorf had celebrated the holy communion in the building, the only fitting name suggested itself. bishop levering of the moravian church tells the story: "this humble sanctuary, with beasts of the stall sharing its roof, brought the circumstances of the saviour's birth vividly before their imagination.... acting upon an impulse, the count rose and led the way into the part of the building in which the cattle were kept, while he began to sing the quaintly pretty words of a german epiphany hymn which combined christmas thoughts and missionary thoughts.... its language expressed well the feeling of the hour.... the little town of bethlehem was hailed, its boon to mankind was lauded.... with this episode a thought came to one and another which gave rise to a perpetual memorial of the occasion.... by general consent the name of the ancient town of david was adopted and the place was called bethlehem." the chapel of the gemeinhaus was used by the congregation for nine years. during this period many of the indians were baptised there. in and again in councils were held here with the representatives of the nanticoke and shawnee indians from the wyoming valley. the second place of worship was an extension of the gemeinhaus, completed in . here congregations gathered for fifty-five years. here the gospel was preached by some of the most eminent ministers of colonial days, while the records show that famous visitors sat in the pews. among them were governor john penn; generals washington, amherst, gage, gates, and lafayette; john hancock, henry laurence, samuel and john adams, richard henry lee, and many other delegates to the continental congress. during the revolution there were no more earnest patriots than the members of the moravian community at bethlehem. at one time the single brethren's house was used for eight months as a hospital, and no charge was made, though in a bill for repairs was sent which amounted to $ . a letter from david rittenhouse, received on september , , caused great excitement, for he told of the despatch to bethlehem of all the military stores of washington's army, carried in seven hundred wagons. this was done because washington's army had been compelled to fall back on philadelphia. it was also thought wise to send the bells of christ church and of independence hall to allentown, by way of bethlehem. the wagon on which independence bell was loaded broke down on descending the hill in front of the hospital, and had to be unloaded while repairs were being made. the most distinguished patient cared for in bethlehem was the marquis de lafayette, who was brought from brandywine, and was nursed by sister liesel beckel. twenty years after the close of the war it was decided that the time had come for the building of a permanent church. the first estimate was made in . at that time it was thought that the total cost would be $ , . "it is interesting to note how very modern they were in underestimating the probable cost of a church," bishop levering says. the actual cost, including the organ, was more than five times the estimate. the excavation for the building was made in march, , by volunteer laborers, to whom the residents of the sisters' house furnished lunch. the work was completed in two weeks. then the great foundation walls were laid, six feet thick. for the services of consecration, held from may to may , , six thousand people gathered in the village of five hundred inhabitants. on the first day, "at five o'clock in the morning the jubilant note of trombones, trumpets, and other wind instruments from the belfry of the church broke the stillness of the awaking village with a musical announcement of the festival day." the moravian community at bethlehem has grown. but those who worship in the old church are animated by the same missionary enthusiasm that characterized those who founded the institution so long ago. footnotes: [ ] a building to the east of independence hall was completed in . in this building, which was the philadelphia city hall until , the supreme court of the united states held its first session, february , . in the arcades connecting the main building with the wings were removed, and new buildings were erected which connected independence hall with the corner buildings. in the city of philadelphia became the owner of the whole property. [ ] this date and place were generally accepted until , when francis hobart herrick published proof that audubon was born in santo domingo in . five: over the mason and dixon line _afar, through the mellow hazes where the dreams of june are stayed, the hills, in their vanishing mazes, carry the flush, and fade! southward they fall, and reach to the bay and the ocean beach, where the soft, half-syrian air blows from the chesapeake's inlets, coves, and creeks on the fields of delaware! and the rosy lakes of flowers, that here alone are ours, spread into seas that pour billow and spray of pink, even to the blue wave's brink, all down the eastern shore!_ bayard taylor. five: over the mason and dixon line xliv historic landmarks at new castle, delaware the first landing place of william penn how many students of united states history would be able to answer the question, "what town has had at least seven different names and has been under the flags of four different countries?" there is such a town, and but one--new castle, delaware. the swedes laid it out in , and called it new stockholm. in the dutch built a fort there, and called it fort kasimir. sandhoec was a second dutch name. when the dutch west india company ceded it to the city of amsterdam it was named new amstel. after the english took a hand in naming the village. grape wine point, delaware town, and, at length, new castle were the last names assigned to the seaport that, within a generation, boasted twenty-five hundred inhabitants. the site of fort kasimir was long ago covered by the delaware. a quaint house, still occupied, is the only survival from the dutch period. but it would be difficult to find a town of four thousand inhabitants which is so rich in buildings and traditions that go back to the earliest english occupation. many of the buildings and traditions centre about the old market square, in the centre of the town, only a few hundred feet from the delaware. this square dates from the days of petrus stuyvesant, in . at one end of the square is the old stone-paved courthouse, which has been in use since . to this building william penn was welcomed, as a tablet on the outer wall relates: "on the th day of october, , william penn, the great proprietor, on his first landing in america, here proclaimed his government and received from the commissioner of the duke of york the key of the fort, the turf, twig, and water, as symbols of his possession." from the steps of the courthouse, as a centre, was surveyed the twelve-mile circle whose arc was to be the northern line of delaware, according to the royal grant made to penn. this arc forms the curious circular boundary, unlike any other boundary in the united states. [illustration: immanuel church, newcastle, del. _photo by ph. b. wallace_ see page ] in the rear of the courthouse, though still on the green market square, is old emmanuel protestant episcopal church, which was organized in , though the building now occupied was begun in . this cruciform structure is the oldest church of english building on the delaware, and services have been held here continuously since , when it was completed. queen anne gave to the church a "pulpit and altar cloath, with a box of glass." a memorial tablet on the wall tells of the first rector, rev. george ross, who came as a missionary from england in , and served for fifty years. his son, also george ross, was one of the signers of the declaration of independence. his daughter gertrude married george read, another of the signers. the tomb of george read is in the rear of the church. [illustration: doorway of presbyterian church, new castle, del. _photo by ph. b. wallace_ see page ] across the street from the market square is the presbyterian church, whose first building, erected in , is still in use as a part of its ecclesiastical plant. the pastor and many of the members of this church had a prominent part in the war of the revolution. the visitor who crosses from one of these churches to the other is attracted by a stone pyramid, on the edge of the market square, whose story is told by a tablet: "these stones were sleepers in the new castle and frenchtown railroad, completed in , the first railroad in delaware, and one of the first in the united states." [illustration: doorway of rodney house, new castle, del. _photo by ph. b. wallace_] [illustration: doorway of stewart house, new castle, del. _photo by ph. b. wallace_] the fire of which burned a large part of new castle destroyed many of the old houses, but there remain enough to make the town a mecca for those who delight in studying things that are old. most of these houses are on the square, or are within a short distance of it. all are remarkable for the beautiful entrance doorways and wonderfully carved interior woodwork. artists from all parts of the country turn to these houses for inspiration in their work. [illustration: amstel house, newcastle, del. _photo by ph. b. wallace_ see page ] the amstel house, the home of henry hanby hay, is the oldest of these; it was probably built about . one of its earliest owners was nicholas van dyke, who was a major of militia during the revolution, and later served six years in the continental congress. for three years he was governor of delaware. during his residence in this house it was called "the corner." so, at least, it was referred to by kensey johns in a love-letter to comely anne van dyke, written during the cold winter of : "this evening i visited 'the corner.' soon after i went in mrs. v. says, 'well, mr. johns, what say you to a ride below with me, and bringing miss nancy up?' after an hour passed, i recovered myself and answered in the negative, that my business would not permit of it--your papa discovered by his countenance the lightest satisfaction at my refusal; this approbation of his afforded me great pleasure. the more i regard your happiness, the more desirous i am by assiduity and attention to business to establish a character which will give me consequence and importance in life. i wish to see you more than words express. "mrs. b. says she wants you to come up very much; she asked me to use my influence to persuade you. all i can say is, that if your grand mama's indisposition will admit of it, and your inclination prompts you to come, it will much contribute to my happiness, even if i should only see you now and then for a few moments. my fingers are so cold i can scarce hold my pen, therefore adieu. be assured that i never cease to be, "yours most affectionately, "kensey johns." [illustration: doorway of amstel house, newcastle, del. _photo by ph. b. wallace_ see page ] on a pane of glass in the guest chamber of the old house some one long ago scratched with a diamond a message that sounds as if it came from the heart of the lover: "around her head ye angels constant vigil keep, and guard fair innocence her balmy sleep." three months after kensey johns wrote the ardent letter to anne van dyke, the day after the wedding, april , , george washington came to the corner, and there was a reception in his honor and that of the bride and groom. the father of his country received the guests standing before an old fireplace whose hearthstone has been lettered in memory of the event. a few years later kensey johns, then chief justice of maryland, built near by a beautiful colonial mansion where he entertained many of the leading men of the nation. kensey johns' predecessor as chief justice was george read, the signer. his house, an old record says, stood so near the delaware, which is here two and a half miles wide, that when the tide was high one wheel of a carriage passing in the street in front of it was in the water, and in violent storms the waves were dashed against the building. the house was in the midst of a wonderfully beautiful garden. this garden is still one of the sights of the town, though the house was destroyed in the fire of . [illustration: doorway of read house, new castle, del. _photo by ph. b. wallace_ see page ] george read, the signer's son, in , built a house in the corner of the garden, which was saved from the fire by a carpet laid on the roof and kept thoroughly wet until the danger was past. this georgian house is a marvel of beauty, both inside and out. the hand-carved moldings, mantels, and arches bring to the house visitors from far and near. miss hatty smith, the present owner, delights to show the place to all who are interested. [illustration: hall of read house, newcastle, del. _photo by ph. b. wallace_ see page ] in the early days new castle was on the king's road from philadelphia to baltimore. washington passed this way when on his journeys. lafayette visited the town in . the house built by nicholas van dyke, son of the owner of the corner, received him for the marriage of charles i. du pont and dorcas m. van dyke. it is recorded that on this occasion he gave the bride away. cæsar rodney, too, passed through the town frequently, notably when he made the famous ride in july, , that helped to save the declaration of independence; here he rested after the first stage of his historic journey. the name of george thomson, secretary of congress during the revolution, is also enrolled in the list of the worthies who visited the town. in his father, when on his way from ireland to america with his three sons, died on shipboard. the captain appropriated the meagre possessions of the family and set the boys ashore at new castle, penniless. george was sheltered by a butcher who was so delighted with him that he decided to bring him up to the trade. george was terrified when he overheard the man's plan; he did not intend to be a butcher. so he stole out of the town between dark and daylight and made his way to surroundings where the way was opened that led him to usefulness and fame. [illustration: ridgely house, dover, del. _photo by r. c. holmes_ see page ] xlv the ridgely house, dover, delaware a boyhood haunt of cÃ�sar rodney, the signer on the green in dover, delaware, is one of the most striking houses of the quaint old town--the ridgely house. the date of its erection is not certain, but it is an interesting fact that on one of the bricks is the date . originally there were but two rooms in the house; subsequent enlargements have been so harmonious that one who sees the place from the green must pause to admire. admiration turns to delight when the interior of the house is examined. the old-fashioned garden at the rear intensifies delight. dr. charles greenburg ridgely became owner of the property in . the house was a gift from his father, nicholas ridgely. the second of the wives who lived here with dr. ridgely was ann, the daughter of squire william moore of moore hall, near valley forge, pennsylvania, whose determined advocacy of armed preparation for defence against a threatened indian attack once aroused the indignation of the pennsylvania assembly, most of whose members were friends. the ridgely house was famous throughout delaware as the resort of patriots. dr. ridgely was six times a member of the provincial assembly, and was also an active member of the constitutional convention of delaware in . during the days when patriotic feelings were beginning to run high, cæsar rodney, the ward of dr. ridgely's father, was often an inmate of the ridgely house. cæsar was born near dover in . at dover he received most of his education. some twenty years after the little town saw so much of him he became famous because of his vital service to the colonies, as a member of the continental congress in philadelphia. "he was the most active, and was by odds the leading man in the state in espousing the american cause," henry c. conrad once said to the sons of delaware. in the course of his address mr. conrad told the thrilling story of cæsar rodney's most spectacular service. on july , , when the vote was taken in the committee of the whole of the continental congress as to the framing and proclaiming of the declaration of independence, ten of the thirteen colonies voted yes. "pennsylvania had seven delegates, four of whom were opposed to it, and three in favor of it. delaware had two members present, mckean and read. rodney was absent. mckean was in favor of, and read against the declaration. mckean, appreciating that it was most important, for the sentiment it would create, that the declaration of independence should be proclaimed by the unanimous vote of the thirteen colonies, sent for rodney, who was at that time at one of his farms near dover. rodney came post-haste, and he arrived just in time to save the day, and cast the vote of delaware in favor of the declaration. mckean, writing of the event years afterward to cæsar a. rodney, a nephew of cæsar rodney, said: "i sent an express, at my own private expense, for your honored uncle, the remaining member from delaware, whom i met at the state house door, in his boots and spurs, as the members were assembling. after a friendly salutation, without a word in the business, we went into the hall of congress together, and found we were among the latest. proceedings immediately commenced, and after a few minutes the great question was put. when the vote of delaware was called, your uncle arose and said: 'as i believe the voice of my constituents and of all sensible and honest men is in favor of independence, and my own judgment coincides with theirs, i vote for independence.'" since pennsylvania also voted in favor of the declaration, it was adopted unanimously. cæsar rodney was governor of delaware from to . on april , , the state council, of which he was presiding officer, met at his house near dover, because he was too ill to go to dover. less than three months later he died. a monument marks his last resting-place in christ episcopal churchyard in dover. xlvi rehoboth church on the pocomoke, maryland the first presbyterian church in america the pocomoke river rises in southern delaware, forms a part of the eastern boundary of somerset county, maryland, and empties into pocomoke sound, an inlet of chesapeake bay. on the banks of this stream, not far from the mouth, colonel william stevens, a native of buckinghamshire, england, located in , taking out a patent on what he called the rehoboth plantation, the name being chosen from genesis : . "and he called the name of it rehoboth. and he said, for now the lord hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in this land." when somerset county was organized he was made judge of the county court. he also became a member of "his lordship's councill," and was one of the deputy lieutenants of the province. as the years passed many followed colonel stevens to somerset county, in search of religious freedom. scotch, scotch-irish, french, and quakers were represented in the village that was known at first as pocomoke town, though later it was called rehoboth. many of these settlers were presbyterians, who had lost their property through persecution. in the grand jury, encouraged by judge stevens, asked rev. robert maddux to preach at four points in the county. one of these points was the plantation house at rehoboth. the next year george fox, the quaker, was in the community. he also preached in his famous "leather breeches" at colonel stevens' plantation, to a great congregation of several thousand whites and indians. a quaker monthly meeting followed. the number of presbyterians increased to such an extent that in colonel stevens asked the presbytery of laggan in ireland for a godly minister to gather the band of exiles into a church. francis makemie was sent as a result. soon rehoboth church was organized by him, as well as a number of other churches in the neighborhood. the exact date of the beginning of rehoboth church is uncertain, but it is probable that the first building was erected about . for some years makemie travelled from place to place, preaching and organizing churches as he went, but from to , except in and , when he visited europe, he lived in the neighborhood and preached at rehoboth whenever he was at home. when it became necessary to erect a new church building, he decided to have this on his own land, because of maryland's intolerant laws. this building, which is still in use, dates from , the year when its builder assisted in organizing the first presbytery of the presbyterian church at philadelphia. makemie's name will ever be connected with the struggle for religious liberty. he had a certificate from the court that permitted him to preach in the province of maryland, but he had many trying experiences in spite of this fact. his congregation groaned under the necessity of paying taxes to support the rectors of three neighboring parishes. the greatest trial was not in maryland, but in new york, where he spent a portion of and . his experiences there should be familiar to all who are interested in the struggle for religious liberty in america. the story is told in a curious document written by makemie himself, which was printed in new york in , under the title "a particular narrative of the imprisonment of two non-conformist ministers; and prosecution & tryal of one of them, for preaching one sermon in the city of new-york. by a learner of law and lover of liberty." the warrant for the arrest of the "criminal" was addressed to thomas cordale, esqr., high-sheriff of queens county on long-island, or his deputy, and was signed by lord cornbury. it read: "whereas i am informed, that one mackennan, and one hampton, two presbyterian preachers, who lately came to this city, have taken upon them to preach in a private house, without having obtained my licence for so doing, which is directly contrary to the known laws of england, and being likewise informed, that they are gone into long-island, with intent there to spread their pernicious doctrines and principles, to the great disturbance of the order by law established by the government of this province. you are therefore hereby required and commanded, to take into your custody the bodies of the said mackennan and hampton, and then to bring them with all convenient speed before me, at fort-anne, in new-york." when brought before lord cornbury, makemie said: "we have liberty from an act of parliament, made the first year of the reign of king william and queen mary, which gave us liberty, with which law we have complied." but lord cornbury replied: "no one shall preach in my government without my licence.... that law does not extend to the american plantations, but only to england.... i know, for i was at making thereof.... that act of parliament was made against strowling preachers, and you are such, and shall not preach in my government." makemie again challenged lord cornbury to show "any pernicious doctrine in the confession of faith of the presbyterian church." later he refused to give "bail and security to preach no more." "then you must go to gaol," his lordship said. on january another warrant was given to the high sheriff of new york. he was told "to safely keep till further orders" the prisoners committed to him. from the prison makemie sent a petition asking to know the charge, and demanding a speedy trial. later the prisoner was released on habeas corpus proceedings. at the trial, where makemie conducted his own defence, he read chapter of the westminster confession of faith, as a complete reply to the charge that he believed what incited the people to disregard the authority of the king. the jury brought in a verdict of "not guilty," but makemie was obliged to pay the costs, including the fees of the court prosecutor, which amounted to twelve pounds. the total cost of the trial, including the expense of a trip from his home in maryland, made necessary by a recess in the trial, was more than eighty pounds. a few months later makemie died. it was felt by those who knew him that the trying experiences at new york hastened his end. he had not lived in vain. his struggles for religious liberty were to bear rich fruit before many years. henry van dyke wrote a sonnet to the memory of francis makemie, which was read on may , , when the monument to the memory of the pioneer was unveiled: "to thee, plain hero of a rugged race, we bring a meed of praise too long delayed! thy fearless word and faithful work have made of god's republic a firmer resting-place in this new world: for thou hast preached the grace and power of christ in many a forest glade, teaching the truth that leaves men unafraid of frowning tyranny or death's dark face. "oh, who can tell how much we owe to thee, makemie, and to labor such as thine, for all that makes america the shrine of faith untrammelled and of conscience free? stand here, grey stone, and consecrate the sod where rests this brave scotch-irish man of god." [illustration: doughoregan manor, near ellicott city, md. _photo by james f. hughes company, baltimore_ see page ] xlvii doughoregan manor, near ellicott city, maryland whose owner was the last surviving signer of the declaration of independence it is true that when charles carroll was about to sign his name to the declaration of independence he added the words, "of carrollton," but the story that he added the words there that he might be distinguished from a second charles carroll is an error; he had been writing his name thus since . it would have been just as true a description if he had used the name of another of the numerous carroll estates, doughoregan manor, but the designation he chose was simpler. at any rate he could not spell it in so many ways as the name of the family estate where he lived and died. letters written by him at different periods show such diverse spellings as "doeheragen," "doohoragen," "dooheragon," and "dougheragen," before he settled down to "doughoregan." doughoregan manor, which was named for one of the o'carroll estates in ireland, is one of the most ancient family seats in maryland. in charles carroll, i, came over from england. he became a large landed proprietor, in part as a result of his appeal to the king of england for a part in the estate of the o'carrolls of king's county, ireland. the king satisfied the claim by offering him , acres of land in the colonies. his heir was charles carroll, ii, who was born in . fifteen years later doughoregan manor was built, and twenty-seven years later charles carroll, ii, and his brother daniel sold sixty acres of land which became the site of old baltimore. charles carroll, ii, divided his time between doughoregan manor and the carroll mansion in annapolis, his town house. here was born, in , charles carroll, iii, the signer. most of the education of this heir to the vast estate of charles carroll, ii, was secured in france. he was in paris when his father wrote to him, in , telling him of the large property that was to come to him. after speaking of this in detail, he concluded: "on my death i am willing to add my manor of doughoregan, , acres, and also , acres called chance adjacent thereto, on the bulk of which my negroes are settled. as you are my only child, you will, of course, have all the residue of my estate at my death." when the estate of his father finally came into his hands, charles carroll, iii, was the richest man in maryland. that he knew how to handle such a large property he showed by a letter which he wrote to his son, charles carroll, iv, on july , : "he who postpones till to-morrow what can and ought to be done to-day, will never thrive in this world. it was not by procrastination this estate was acquired, but by activity, thought, perseverance, and economy, and by the same means it must be preserved and prevented from melting away." but while the owner of doughoregan manor was careful, he was not penurious. he kept open house to his numerous friends, of whom george washington was one. in one of the rooms of the manor washington sat to gilbert stuart for his portrait. both mr. carroll's property and his services were at his country's call. from the days of the stamp act to the close of the revolution there was no more ardent patriot than he. he served as a member of the continental congress, was for three months with washington at valley forge, by appointment of congress, was later united states senator, and was a leader in business as well as in political affairs. with washington he was a member from the beginning of the potomac canal company, which later was merged into the chesapeake and ohio canal company. after the revolution he spent most of his time at doughoregan manor, where he completed the remarkable three-hundred-foot façade by the addition of the chapel which has been used by the family for more than a century. one by one the sons and daughters went out from the house, carrying the carroll name or the carroll training into many sections of maryland and virginia. perhaps the most interesting marriage was that of charles carroll, iv, who was mentioned by washington in his diary for : "march --mr. charles carroll, jr. ... came to dinner. "march --mr. carroll went away after breakfast." william spohn baker, in "washington after the revolution," after quoting these extracts from the diary, says: "the visit of young mr. carroll having given rise at annapolis to a rumor that it was made with the intention of paying his addresses to nelly custis, her brother wrote to the general in allusion to it, saying, 'i think it a most desirable match, and wish that it may take place with all my heart.' in reply, under date of april , washington wrote, 'young mr. carroll came here about a fortnight ago to dinner, and left on next morning after breakfast. if his object was such as you say has been reported, it was not declared here; and therefore, the less is said upon the subject, particularly by your sister's friends, the more prudent it will be, until the subject develops itself more.' "but youthful alliances are not always made at the nod of dame rumor, nor are they always controlled by the wishes of relatives. nelly custis married, february , , at mount vernon, laurence lewis, a nephew of washington; and charles carroll, junior, found, in the following year, a bride at philadelphia, harriet, a daughter of benjamin chew" [of cliveden]. a delightful picture of life at the manor was given by adam hodgson, an english visitor, who wrote from baltimore on july , : "i have lately been paying some very agreeable visits at the country seats of some of my acquaintances in the neighborhood.... the other morning i set out, at four o'clock, with general h, on a visit to a most agreeable family, who reside at a large manor, about seventeen miles distant. we arrived about seven o'clock, and the family soon afterward assembled to breakfast. it consisted of several friends from france, canada, and washington, and the children and grandchildren of my host, a venerable patriarch, nearly eighty-five ( ) years of age, and one of the four survivors of those who signed the declaration of independence.... after breakfasting the following morning, the ladies played for us on the harp; and in the evening, i set out on horseback, to return hither, not without a feeling of regret, that i had probably taken a final leave of my hospitable friend, who, although still an expert horseman, seldom goes beyond the limits of his manor...." the other three surviving signers died first, so that when charles carroll of carrollton followed on november , , the last signer was gone. among his last words were these: "i have lived to my ninety-sixth year; i have enjoyed continued health, i have been blessed with great wealth, prosperity, and most of the good things which this world can bestow--public approbation, esteem, applause; but what i now look back on with the greatest satisfaction to myself is, that i have practiced the duties of my religion." he was buried under the pavement of the chapel at the manor. the present occupants of doughoregan are mr. and mrs. charles carroll, who followed governor john lee carroll, after his death in . [illustration: upton scott house, annapolis, md. _photo by m. m. carter, annapolis_ see page ] xlviii the upton scott house, annapolis, maryland where, as a boy, the author of "the star-spangled banner" was a frequent visitor when colonel james wolfe was campaigning in scotland in to , one of the surgeons in his command was upton scott, a young irishman from county antrim. at that time began a friendship between the two men that continued through life. another friend made at this time by the young surgeon was horatio sharpe. in , when sharpe planned to go to america, dr. scott decided to go with him, though it was not easy to think of resigning his commission, for this would mean the severance of pleasant relations with his colonel. when wolfe said good-bye to his comrade he gave him a pair of pistols as a remembrance. these are still treasured by descendants of the surgeon. from to horatio sharpe was proprietary governor of maryland, and dr. scott was his companion and physician. the young surgeon was popular among the young people whom he met at annapolis, the colonial capital. in , when he persuaded elizabeth ross, the daughter of john ross, the register of the land office of maryland, to become his bride, he built for her the stately house in annapolis, maryland, which is now occupied by the sisters of notre dame. the new house, with its charming doorway and wonderful hall carvings, was well worth the attention even of one who had spent her girlhood at belvoir, a quaint mansion of great beauty, six miles from annapolis. governor sharpe was a welcome visitor at the scott house until the time of his death in , when he appointed his friend, the owner, one of his executors. governor robert eden, the last of the proprietary governors, who served from to , was at times almost a member of the scott household. governor eden was looked upon with favor by the patriots in maryland because he was always moderate and advised the repeal of the tax on tea. in he went to england, but in he returned to maryland to look after the estate of mrs. eden, who was caroline calvert, sister of lord baltimore; by the terms of the treaty of he was entitled to this property. while in annapolis he was the guest of dr. scott. there, in the room now used by the sisters of notre dame as a chapel, he died. but probably the most famous visitor to the scott mansion was francis scott key, who was the grandson of mrs. scott's sister, ann arnold ross key of belvoir. when he was a boy he was often in annapolis. his college training was received at st. john's in the old town, and in later life he frequently turned his steps to the house of his great-aunt and listened to the stories of dr. scott that helped to train him in the patriotism that was responsible, a few years later, for the composition of the "star-spangled banner." many garbled stories have been told of the circumstances that led to the writing of this song that has stirred the hearts of millions. the true story, and in many respects the simplest, was told by key himself to his brother-in-law, r. r. taney, who was later chief justice of the supreme court. in , when the "poems of the late francis scott key, esq.," were published, the volume contained the story as related by judge taney. in , the main body of the british invaders passed through upper marlboro, maryland. many of the officers made their headquarters at the home of dr. william beanes, a physician whom the whole town loved. when some of the stragglers from the army began to plunder the house, dr. beanes put himself at the head of a small body of citizens and pursued these stragglers. when the british officers heard of this, dr. beanes was seized and treated, not with kindness as a prisoner of war, but with great indignity. key, as an intimate friend of the doctor, and a lawyer, was asked by the townsmen to intercede for the prisoner. when application was made to president madison for help, he arranged to send key to the british fleet, under a flag of truce, on a government vessel, in company with john s. skinner, a government agent. for a week or ten days no word came from the expedition. the people were alarmed for the safety of key and his companion. the bearers of the flag of truce found the fleet at the mouth of the potomac. they were received courteously until they told their business. the british commander spoke harshly of dr. beanes, but fortunately mr. skinner had letters from the british officers who had received kindness at the doctor's hands. general ross finally agreed that, solely as a recognition of this kindness, the prisoner would be released. but he told the americans that they could not leave the fleet for some days. they were therefore taken to the frigate _surprise_, where they were under guard. they understood that an immediate attack on baltimore was contemplated, and that they were being restrained that they might not warn the city of the plans of the enemy. that night fort mchenry was attacked. the admiral had boasted that the works would be carried in a few hours, and that the city would then fall. so, from the deck of the _surprise_, key and his companion watched and listened anxiously all night. every time a shell was fired, they waited breathlessly for the explosion they feared might follow. "while the bombardment continued, it was sufficient proof that the fort had not surrendered. but it suddenly ceased some time before day.... they paced the deck for the remainder of the night in fearful suspense.... as soon as it dawned, and before it was light enough to see objects at a distance, their glances were turned to the fort, uncertain what they should see there, the stars and stripes, or the flag of the enemy. at length the light came, and they saw that 'our flag was still there.'" a little later they saw the approach of boats loaded with wounded british soldiers. then key took an envelope and wrote many of the lines of the song, and while he was on the boat that carried him to shore he completed the first rough draft. that night, at the hotel, he rewrote the poem. next day he showed it to judge nicholson, who was so delighted with it that the author was encouraged to send it to a printer, by the hand of captain benjamin eades. captain eades took the first handbill that came from the press and carried it to the old tavern next the holliday street theatre. there the words were sung for the first time, to the tune "anacreon in heaven," the tune key had indicated on his copy. long before the author's death in the song had won its place in the affections of the people. he wrote many other poems, and some of them have become popular hymns. at the memorial service conducted for him in christ church, cincinnati, by his friend and former pastor, rev. j. t. brooke, the congregation was asked to sing key's own hymn, beginning: "lord, with glowing heart i'd praise thee, for the bliss thy love bestows; for the pardoning grace that saves me, and the peace that from it flows. help, o lord, my weak endeavor; this dull soul to rapture raise; thou must light the flame, or never can my love be warmed to praise." dr. scott, in whose annapolis home key had spent so many happy days, died in , the year of the composition of "the star-spangled banner." mrs. scott lived until . xlix the capitol at washington the beginnings of washington city, and the story of the home of congress the selection of parts of virginia and maryland as the site of the federal district in which the national capital was to be located was made only after many years of discussion. in some of the members of congress talked of buying a few square miles near princeton, new jersey, as a site for the government's permanent home. four years later, the trustees of kingston, new york, sought to interest congress in that location. in annapolis, maryland, offered the state house and public circle to "the honorable congress" for their use. burlington, new jersey, also entered the lists, while in june, , virginia offered the town of williamsburg to congress and proposed to "present the palace, the capitol, and all the public buildings and acres of land adjoining the said city, together with a sum of money not exceeding , pounds, this state currency to be expended in erecting thirteen hotels for the use of the delegates in congress." in october, , congress decided to place the capital near trenton, new jersey. later it was decided to have a second capital on the potomac, congress to alternate between the two locations. neither congress nor the country was satisfied with this solution of the difficulty. after years of discussion, in september, , one house of congress fixed on the falls of the susquehanna in pennsylvania as the permanent site. the senate amended their proposal by suggesting germantown, pennsylvania. this action was reconsidered and a long dispute followed. finally, in , the site on the potomac was selected, and congress was ready to provide for the building of "a palace in the woods." president washington and vice-president adams disagreed as to the location of the capitol building. john adams wished to see it the centre of a quadrangle of other public buildings, but washington urged that congress should meet in a building at a distance from the president's house and all other public buildings, that the lawmakers might not be annoyed by the executive officers. the invitation to architects to present plans for the capitol was made in march, , five hundred dollars being promised for the best plan. none of the sixteen designs submitted were approved. later two men, stephen l. hallet and dr. william thornton, offered such good plans that it was not easy to decide between them. the difficulty was solved by acceptance of thornton's design and the engagement of hallet as supervising architect at a salary of two thousand dollars a year. this arrangement was not satisfactory; it became necessary to replace hallet first by george hadfield, then by james hoban, the architect of the white house. under his charge the north wing was completed in . the proceeds from the sale of lots in the new city proved woefully inadequate for the expenses of the building. congress authorized a loan of eight hundred thousand dollars, but this loan could not be disposed of until maryland agreed to take two-thirds of the amount, on condition that the commissioners in charge of the work add their personal guarantee to the government's promise to pay. congress was called to hold its first meeting in the capitol north wing on november , . a few months earlier the government archives had been moved from new york. these were packed in ten or twelve boxes, and were shipped on a packet boat, by sea. the arrival of the vessel was greeted by the three thousand citizens of washington, who rang bells, cheered, and fired an old cannon in celebration of the event. at that time the foundation for the dome had been laid, and the walls of the south wing had been begun. later a temporary brick building was erected for the house, on a portion of the site of the south wing. the legislators called the building "the oven." the south wing was completed under the guidance of benjamin henry latrobe, who also reconstructed the north wing and connected the two wings by a wooden bridge. that the building was far from satisfactory is evident from an article in the _national intelligencer_ of december , , which spoke with disgust of the wooden passageway as well as of the piles of débris on every hand. in less than a year after the printing of the criticism, conditions were far worse, for the british troops came to washington on august , . they piled furniture in the hall of the house, and set fire to it. the wooden bridge that connected the wings burned like tinder. in a little while nothing was left but the walls. "the appearance of the ruins was perfectly terrifying," architect latrobe wrote. thus was fulfilled in a striking way the prophecy made by john randolph when he pleaded with congress not to make war on great britain, "all the causes urged for this war will be forgotten in your treaty of peace, and possibly this capitol may be reduced to ashes." the next session of congress was held in the union pacific hotel, but by december, , there was ready a three-story building, erected by popular subscription, which congress used for three years, paying for it an annual rental of $ , . this was called "the brick capitol." of course efforts were made to remove the capital to another location, but congress made appropriation for the reconstruction of the capitol on the old site. work was begun almost at once, and was continued until , when the wings had been rebuilt as well as the rotunda and centre structure. in general appearance the building was the same as before the fire, but marble instead of sandstone was used for colonnades and staircases and floors. the beautiful capitals of the marble pillars were carved in italy or prepared by workmen brought from italy. during the latter part of this period the rotunda was used for all sorts of exhibitions. once a panorama of paris was shown there, an admission fee of fifty cents being charged. exhibits of manufactured goods were made in this "no man's land," over which nobody seemed to have jurisdiction. in a congressman spoke in the house of the fact that "triangles of steel to take the place of bells, stoves, stew pans, pianos, mouse traps, and watch ribbons were marked with prices and sundry good bargains were driven." the general public felt that they had a right even to the hall of the house; frequently popular meetings were held there. the present dome surmounting the rotunda is not the dome first planned. for latrobe's dome, which he did not build, a higher dome was substituted by bulfinch. the present dome is the work of thomas u. walter, the designer of girard college, philadelphia, whose plans for the completion of the capitol were approved in . the burning of the western front of the centre building in december, , proved a blessing in disguise, for walter was able to rebuild the section in perfect harmony with the other portions. the house first occupied its present quarters on december , , but the senate was not able to take possession of its new hall until january , . the great structure was finished in , work having been carried on throughout the civil war. though they knew that there would be delay in receiving payment for their work, the contractors insisted on continuing and completing what is one of the most harmonious public buildings in the world. the patriotic contractors had their reward, for the building was ready to receive the body of president lincoln when, on april , , after the services in the white house, the casket was placed on a catafalque under the dome of the rotunda, that the people of the country whose destinies he had guided through four years of civil war might gather there to do him honor. l the white house, washington the home of every president since washington when, in , james hoban suggested to the commission appointed to supervise the erection of public buildings at washington that the executive mansion be modelled after the palace of the duke of leinster in dublin, his proposition was accepted, and he was given a premium of five hundred dollars for the plan. more, he was engaged, at the same amount per year, to take charge of the builders. no time was lost in laying the corner stone. the ceremony was performed on october , , and operations were pushed with such speed that the building was completed ten years later! in november, , six months after the transfer of the government offices from philadelphia to washington, mrs. adams joined president adams at the white house. she had a hard time getting there. a few days after her arrival she wrote to her daughter: "i arrived here on sunday last, and without meeting any accident worth noticing, except losing ourselves when we left baltimore, and going eight or nine miles on the frederick road, by which means we were obliged to go the other eight miles through woods, where we wandered for two hours, without finding a guide, or the path. fortunately, a straggling black came up with us, and we engaged him as a guide to extricate us out of our difficulty; but woods are all you see, from baltimore until you reach the city, which is only so in name. here and there is a small cot, without a glass window, interspersed amongst the forests, through which you travel miles without seeing any human being. in the city there are buildings enough, if they were compact and furnished, to accommodate congress and those attached to it; but as they are, and scattered as they are, i see no great comfort for them." mrs. adams found no great comfort in the white house, either. "to assist us in this great castle," she wrote, "and render less attendance necessary, bells are wholly wanting, not one single one being hung through the whole house, and promises are all you can obtain.... if they will put me up some bells, and let me have wood enough to keep fires, i design to be pleased.... but, surrounded with forests, can you believe that wood is not to be had, because people cannot be found to cut and cart it.... the house is made habitable, but there is not a single apartment finished.... we have not the least fence, yard, or other convenience, without, and the great, unfinished audience-room i make a drying room of, to hang up the clothes in. the principal stairs are not up, and will not be this winter." the building itself was in good condition, though the surroundings were far from prepossessing, when it was burned by the british in . president and mrs. madison moved to the octagon house, and spent more than a year in this comfortable winter home of colonel john tayloe. the cost of rebuilding and refurnishing the executive mansion was about three hundred thousand dollars. the work was begun in , and in september, , the building was so far completed that president monroe was able to take up his quarters there in some degree of comfort, though the floor in the east room had not yet been laid and some of the walls were still without plastering. on january , , the first new year's reception was held there. "it was gratifying to be able to salute the president of the united states with the compliments of the season in his appropriate residence," the _national intelligencer_ said. it may be added that the editor called the building "the president's house." the title, "the white house," was not yet in common use. for many years the successive occupants of the building were subject to all sorts of criticism. mrs. monroe refused both to make first calls and to return calls. president monroe bought foreign-made furnishings! john quincy adams actually introduced a billiard table, and the use of public money to buy "a gaming table" was bitterly attacked! (of course the purchase was made with personal funds.) mrs. adams was cold and haughty! when president van buren left washington he took with him the gold spoons and the gilt dessert service that had attracted attention! but these were private property. however, most criticisms like these have been inspired by pride in the president and his household, and a pardonable feeling of possession in them and the white house. until within recent years the president's offices were in the east end of the white house. a pleasing description of these offices has come down from isaac n. arnold, who thus spoke of the quarters of president lincoln: "the furniture of the room consisted of a large oak table, covered with cloth extending north and south, and it was round this table that the cabinet sat when it held its meetings. near the end of the table and between the windows was another table, on the west side of which the president sat, in a large arm-chair, and at this table he wrote. a tall desk, with pigeon holes for paper, stood against the south wall. the only books usually found in this room were the bible, the united states statutes, and a copy of shakespeare. there were a few chairs and two plain hair-covered sofas. there were two or three map frames, from which hung military maps, on which the positions and movements of the armies were traced. there was an old and discolored engraving of general jackson over the mantel and a later photograph of john bright. doors open into this room from the room of the secretary and from the outside hall, running east and west across the house. a bell-cord within reach of his hand extended to the secretary's office. a messenger sat at the door opening from the hall, and took in the cards and names of visitors." during the time of president roosevelt, outside executive offices were built, and rooms that had long been needed for the personal uses of the president's household were released. the change has increased patriotic pride in the white house, one of the simplest mansions provided for the rulers of the nations. [illustration: the stairway, octagon house, washington, d. c. _from the monograph on the octagon house, issued by the american institute of architects_] li the octagon house, washington in which dolly madison lavished hospitality in john tayloe, the wealthiest man in the virginia of the late eighteenth century, had his summer home at mt. airy. his plantation, the largest in the state, was worked by more than five hundred slaves. when he wanted a winter home, he thought of building at philadelphia. but george washington, eager to secure him as a resident of the young federal city on the potomac, asked him to consider the erection of a house there. so mr. tayloe made an investigation of washington as a site for a residence, bought a lot for one thousand dollars, and in commissioned dr. william thornton to make the plans for a palatial house. during the construction of the building washington several times rode by and from the saddle inspected the progress of the work. thornton was at the time a well-known man, though he had been born in the west indies and was for many years a resident there. after receiving his education in europe, he lived for several years in the united states. during this period he was a partner of john fitch in the building and trial of the steamboat that for a time ran successfully on the delaware river, more than twenty years before fulton built the _clermont_. he was himself something of an inventor; he secured a number of patents for a device to move a vessel by applying steam to a wheel at the side of the hull. he had returned to the west indies when he read that a prize was to be given for the best plan submitted for the capitol to be built at washington. at once he wrote for particulars, and in due time he presented his plans. he was then living in the united states. the plans were considered the best that had been offered. jefferson said that they "captivated the eyes and judgment of all," while washington spoke of their "grandeur, simplicity, and convenience." while these plans were later modified by others, certain features of the capitol as it appears to-day are to be traced directly to dr. thornton's plans. at the time of the award he was but thirty-one years old, and had already won a place as a physician, an inventor, and a man of science. he was a friend of benjamin franklin, and had received the prize offered for the design for the new building of the library company of philadelphia, in which franklin was especially interested. later he was awarded a gold medal by the american philosophical society for a paper in which he outlined the method of the oral teaching of deaf and dumb children which is still in use in many institutions. [illustration: octagon house, washington, d. c. _photo by frank cousins art company from the monograph on the octagon house by the american institute of architects_ see page ] the building planned by dr. thornton for mr. tayloe, at the northeast corner of new york avenue and eighteenth street, was completed in . at the time it was the best house in washington. at once, as the octagon house, it became famous for the lavish hospitality of its owner. the next stirring period in the history of the octagon house was the later years of the second war with great britain. on the night of august , , when the british army entered the city, the french minister, m. serurier, looked from his window and saw soldiers bearing torches going toward the white house. quickly he sent a messenger to general ross and asked that his residence be spared. the messenger found general ross in the blue room, where he was collecting furniture for a bonfire. assured that "the king's house" would be respected, he returned to the minister. dr. thornton, who was at the time superintendent of the patent office, succeeded in persuading colonel jones to spare that building, on the ground that it was a museum of the arts, and that its destruction would be a loss to all the world. among the public buildings destroyed was the white house. mr. tayloe at once offered the octagon house to president madison. on september , , the _national intelligencer_ announced, "the president will occupy colonel tayloe's large house, which was lately occupied by the french minister." for more than a year the house was known as the executive annex. rufus rockwell wilson, in "washington, the capital city," tells how the mansion looked at this time: "its circular entrance hall, marble tiled, was heated by two picturesque stoves placed in small recesses in the wall. another hall beyond opened into a spacious and lovely garden surrounded by a high brick wall after the english fashion. to the right was a handsome drawing room with a fine mantel, before which mrs. madison was accustomed to stand to receive her guests. to the left was a dining-room of equal size and beauty. a circular room over the hall, with windows to the floor and a handsome fireplace, was president madison's office. here he received his cabinet officers and other men of note, listening to their opinions and reports on the progress of the war; and here, also, on a quaintly carved table, he signed, february , , the proclamation of the treaty of ghent, which ended the contest with england." the story of this table's history is interesting. from the octagon house it went to john ogle ferneaux, of king george county, virginia. he kept it until october , , when it was sold to mrs. a. h. voorhies, of california street, san francisco. when the fire that succeeded the earthquake of approached the house, the table was taken away hurriedly. mrs. voorhies says, "we wrapped sheets around the circular part of the table, and in part of the journey, it went turning round as a wheel to a place of safety." the san francisco chapter of the institute of architects purchased it for $ , , and sent it to washington, december , . it is said that on the day the message came to the octagon house that peace had been declared, miss sally coles, who was mrs. madison's cousin, called from the head of the stairs, "peace! peace!" one who was a guest at the time gave a lively account of the scene in the house: "late in the afternoon came thundering down pennsylvania avenue a coach and four foaming steeds, in which was the bearer of the good news. cheers followed the carriage as it sped on its way to the residence of the president. soon after nightfall, members of congress and others deeply interested in the event presented themselves at the president's house, the doors of which stood open. when the writer of this entered the drawing room at about eight o'clock, it was crowded to its full capacity. mrs. madison--(the president being with the cabinet)--doing the honors of the occasion; and what a happy scene it was!" mr. tayloe occupied the octagon at intervals until his death in . mrs. tayloe lived until . by this time the neighborhood had changed, and the property deteriorated. in it was occupied as a girls' school. from to it was the hydrographic office of the navy department. later it became a dwelling and studio. from to it was in the hands of a caretaker, and deteriorated rapidly. at the last eight or ten families of colored people lived within the storied walls. the institute of american architects leased the property in and later purchased the house for $ , . it is now one of the sights of washington. a tablet fixed to the wall relates the main facts of its history. six: homes and haunts of the cavaliers _i love the stately southern mansions with their tall white columns, they look through avenues of trees, over fields where the cotton is growing; i can see the flutter of white frocks along their shady porches, music and laughter float from the windows, the yards are full of hounds and horses. long since the riders have ridden away, yet the houses have not forgotten, they are proud of their name and place, and their doors are always open, for the thing they remember best is the pride of their ancient hospitality._ henry van dyke. six: homes and haunts of the cavaliers [illustration: mount vernon, virginia, rear view _photo by e. c. hall_ see page ] lii mount vernon, virginia sacred to the memory of george washington george washington was twenty years old when he became the owner of the mount vernon estate on the potomac, in accordance with the provisions of the will of laurence washington, his half-brother. at that time the house contained but eight rooms and an attic, four rooms on each floor. there were twenty-five hundred acres in the farm. as a boy washington had tramped over every acre of the estate. when he was sixteen he made a plot of the region around mt. vernon. the original of the survey made at that time may be seen in the library of congress at washington. the young owner looked forward to years of quiet on his estate, but he was frequently called away from home for service in the militia of virginia. in spite of these absences, however, he managed to make the acres surrounding the mansion give a good account of themselves. when he responded to the call of the colonies and became commander-in-chief of the army, he turned his back on mt. vernon with great reluctance, and for six years hardly saw the place he loved. but when the independence of the colonies had been won he returned home, in the hope that he might be permitted to remain there in obscurity, farming his land and entertaining his friends in the house on the potomac. that he might have more room for his friends, he enlarged the house. on july , , he wrote to his friend, william rumney of alexandria, asking him to inquire into the terms on which "a house joiner and bricklayer" might be engaged for two or three years. to the house, which dated from , he made additions until it was three times as large as when he inherited the property. the alterations were completed in . the completed house was ninety-six feet long, and thirty feet deep, with a piazza fifteen feet wide. the building material was wood, cut in imitation of stone. while these alterations were in progress a visitor to mt. vernon was charles vardo, an englishman. when he returned home he wrote an account of his visit, in which said: "i crossed the river from maryland into virginia, near to the renowned general washington's, where i had the honor to spend some time, and was kindly entertained with that worthy family. as to the general, if we may judge by the countenance, he is what the world says of him, a shrewd, good-natured, plain, humane man, about fifty-five years of age, and seems to wear well, being healthful and active, straight, well made, and about six feet high. he keeps a good table, which is always open to those of a genteel appearance.... "the general's house is rather warm, snug, convenient and useful, than ornamental. the size is what ought to suit a man of about two or three thousand a year in england. the out-offices are good and seem to be not long built; and he was making more offices at each wing to the front of the house, which added more to ornament than to real use. the situation is high, and commands a beautiful prospect of the river which parts virginia and maryland, but in other respects the situation seems to be out of the world, being chiefly surrounded by woods, and far from any great road or thoroughfare.... the general's lady is a hearty, comely, discreet, affable woman, some few years older than himself.... the general's house is open to poor travellers as well as rich, he gives diet and lodging to all that come that way, which indeed cannot be many, without they go out of their way on purpose...." a visitor of january , , was elkanah watson. in his diary washington wrote simply that mr. watson came in and stayed all night; and that he went away after breakfast next morning. but mr. watson had a fuller account to give: "i found him at table with mrs. washington and his private family, and was received in the native dignity and with that urbanity so peculiarly combined in the character of a soldier and eminent private gentleman. he soon put me at ease.... the first evening i spent under the wing of his hospitality, we sat a full hour at table by ourselves, without the least interruption, after the family had retired. i was extremely oppressed by a severe cold and excessive coughing, contracted by the exposure of a harsh winter journey. he pressed me to use some remedies, but i declined doing so. as usual after retiring, my coughing increased. when some time had elapsed, the door of my room was gently opened, and on drawing my bed-curtains, to my utter astonishment, i beheld washington himself, standing at my bedside, with a bowl of hot tea in his hand." the following may rev. thomas coke and bishop francis asbury were welcomed to mt. vernon. "the general's seat is very elegant," mr. coke wrote. "he is quite the plain, country-gentleman." after dinner the visitors presented to their host a petition for the emancipation of the negroes, "entreating his signature, if the eminence of his station did not render it inexpedient for him to sign any petition." washington told his guests that he was "of their sentiments, and had signified his thoughts on the subject to most of the great men of the state; that he did not see it proper to sign the petition, but if the assembly took it into consideration, would signify his sentiments to the assembly by a letter." an attractive picture of the general was given by richard henry lee after a visit to mt. vernon in november, : "when i was first introduced to him he was neatly dressed in a plain blue coat, white casimer waistcoat, and black breeches and boots, as he came from his farm. after having sat with us some time he retired.... later he came in again, with his hair neatly powdered, a clean shirt on, a new plain drab coat, white waistcoat and white silk stockings." john hunter, who was with colonel lee, added his impression: "the style of his house is very elegant, something like the prince de condé's at chantilly, near paris, only not quite so large; but it's a pity he did not build a new one at once, as it has cost him nearly as much as repairing his old one.... it's astonishing what a number of small houses the general has upon his estate for his different workmen and negroes to live in. he has everything within himself--carpenters, bricklayers, brewers, blacksmiths, bakers, etc., etc., and even has a well assorted store for the use of his family and servants." while the repairs were still in progress, the ship _mary_ arrived at alexandria, having a consignment for washington from samuel vaughan, a great admirer in london. this was a chimney-piece, wrought in italy from pure white and sienite marble, for the use of mr. vaughan. when the mantel reached england the owner learned of the improvements then in progress at mt. vernon. without unpacking the mantel he sent it on to america. when washington received word of the arrival of the gift, he wrote, "by the number of cases, however, i greatly fear it is too elegant and costly for my room and republican style of living." nevertheless the mantel was installed in the mansion and became a great delight to the household. washington's days at mt. vernon were interrupted by the renewed call of his country. for much of the time for eight years he was compelled to be absent, and when, at length, the opportunity came to resume the free life on his estate, he had less than three years left. but these years were crowded full of hospitality in the mansion and of joyous work on the estate, and when, on december , , he died as a result of a cold caught while riding on the estate, he left it to his "dearly beloved wife, martha washington." for many years mt. vernon continued its hospitable career. then came years of neglect, when the mansion was falling into ruins. but in - miss ann pamela cunningham of south carolina appealed to the women of the nation, and succeeded in organizing an association that took over the estate, restored it to its original condition, furnished it with washington relics gathered from far and near, and opened it for the visits of the reverent visitors to the city of washington, who continue their journey sixteen miles down the potomac that they may look on the scene that brought joy to the heart of the father of his country. [illustration: arlington, virginia _photo by h. p. cook_ see page ] liii arlington, virginia from which robert e. lee went to battle for the south after the death of george washington the mt. vernon family was gradually broken up, one after another going elsewhere for a home. george washington parke custis, washington's adopted son, and grandson of martha washington, decided to build a home on a hill overlooking the potomac, opposite washington city. there were eleven hundred acres in the estate of which arlington, the mansion he built in , was the central feature. it has been said that the stately house is an adaptation of the doric temple at paestum, near naples. the roof of the great portico rests on eight massive columns. the rooms within are of a size in keeping with the magnificent portal. perhaps the plan was too ambitious for the custis fortune. at any rate the rooms on the south side of the hall were not completed. but it was a famous house, nevertheless. guests were many. they delighted to look from the portico across the potomac to washington, where they could see the government buildings slowly taking shape. one of the favored guests was robert e. lee. his frequent visits led to his marriage, in , to mr. custis' daughter. at this time lee was a lieutenant in the united states army. mrs. lee remained at arlington, waiting for the husband whose military duties enabled him to spend only brief seasons with her and the growing family there. during the years before the war visitors to the capital city thronged to arlington. some of them were interested in the many washington relics in the house. chief among these was the bed on which washington died. others came to the picnic grounds at arlington spring, which mr. custis had opened for the pleasure of the people, building for the use of all comers a great dining-hall, a dancing pavilion, and a kitchen. one of these visitors told his impressions of arlington: "in front of the mansion, sloping toward the potomac, is a fine park of two hundred acres, dotted with groves of oak and chestnut and clumps of evergreens; and behind it is a dark old forest, with patriarchal trees bearing many centennial honors, and covering six hundred acres of hill and dale. through a portion of this is a sinuous avenue leading up to the mansion." at the time of the secession of virginia, robert e. lee was a colonel. duty seemed clear to him. it was not easy for him to take up arms against the united states government, but he considered himself first of all a citizen of his native state. to respond to the call of the confederacy meant ruin. his beautiful home, he feared, would be destroyed. but he did not hesitate. a desire to retain possession of his slaves had nothing to do with his decision. his own slaves had already been freed, and provision had been made in the will of mrs. lee's father that all his slaves should be freed in . when, in , general lee was urged to prolong the conflict by guerilla warfare, he said: "no, that would not do. it must be remembered that we are christian people. we have fought the fight as long and as well as we know how. we have been defeated. for us as a christian people there is but one course to pursue. we must accept the situation. these men must go home and plant a crop, and we must proceed to build up our country on a new basis." but he could not return to arlington. the government had taken possession of the estate for a national cemetery. for a time he lived in obscurity on a little farm. then he became president of washington college, later washington and lee university. with his family he lived on the campus at lexington, virginia, and there he died, october , . in the meantime the national cemetery at arlington was becoming a pilgrimage point for patriotic americans. the slopes of the beautiful lawn were covered with graves. the stately white mansion, with its eight great pillars and its walls of stucco seemed a fitting background for the ranks of little white tombstones. for years the title to the property was in dispute. in the united states bought it for $ , , when it was sold at auction for delinquent taxes. in the supreme court decided that g. w. c. lee, son of general lee, was entitled to the property, and the following year the government paid him $ , for eleven hundred acres, including the mansion. [illustration: christ church, alexandria, va. photo by h. p. cook see page ] liv christ church, alexandria, virginia where washington had a pew "at the upper part of the church" george washington was chosen one of the vestrymen of fairfax parish in , when this was formed by the division of truro parish, although he was already a vestryman in pohick church at truro. the records of the new parish show that in it was decided to build christ church at alexandria, and a second church at the falls of the potomac instead of the old church there. the members of the parish were asked to pay thirty-one thousand pounds of tobacco for the purpose of construction. james wren, the architect of christ church, is said to have been a descendant of sir christopher wren. while the building was well designed, no one ever thought of it as a masterpiece. but it has answered the purposes of the worshipper for more than a century and a half, and it promises to last at least a hundred and fifty years more. the original contract called for the expenditure of £ . colonel john carlisle, who was bondsman for the contractor, james parsons, in , agreed to complete the building on payment of £ additional, since parsons failed to fulfil his agreement. the church was built of brick, and was sixty by fifty feet long. the work was carefully done, but the structure was ready for the vestry to take possession early in . at the first sale of pews, of which there were fifty in all, washington paid £ s. for pew number five. he had already made a generous gift toward the building fund, but asked the privilege of giving the brass chandelier which still hangs from the ceiling. when the church and state were separated in virginia, after the revolution, washington subscribed five pounds a year to the rector's salary. by act of the legislature the glebe lands of churches in the state were confiscated, but, through the influence of washington and charles lee, christ church "and one other" (probably falls church) were allowed to retain their lands. many changes have been made in the building. the gallery was added in , that twenty-five pews might be provided for the growing congregation. the west aisle was built in , and the next year the chimneys were built, for stoves were placed in the church at that time. the bell was hung in . the pews were later divided, including that which washington occupied, but this pew has since been restored to its original condition. since the high pulpit and sounding board have been replaced as they were at first. washington's diary tells of his attendance at service on sunday, june , . perhaps it was of this sunday a visitor to alexandria wrote in a letter to a friend, which was quoted in "the religious opinions and character of george washington," published in . the writer said: "in the summer of i was in alexandria on a visit to the family of mr. h.... whilst there, i expressed a wish to see general washington, as i had never enjoyed that pleasure. my friend ... observed: 'you will certainly see him on sunday, as he is never absent from church when he can get there; and as he often dines with us, we will ask him on that day, when you will have a better opportunity of seeing him.' accordingly, we all repaired to church on sunday.... general washington ... walked to his pew, at the upper part of the church, and demeaned himself throughout the service of the day with that gravity and propriety becoming the place and his own high character. after the services were concluded, we waited for him at the door, for his pew being near the pulpit he was among the last that came out--when mrs. h. invited him to dine with us. he declined, however, the invitation, observing, as he looked at the sky, that he thought there were appearances of a thunderstorm in the afternoon, and he believed he would return home to dinner." [illustration: mary washington's house, fredericksburg, va. _photo by h. p. cook_ see page ] lv the mary washington house, fredericksburg, virginia where washington's mother spent her last years the first property mentioned in connection with the name of mary ball, who became the mother of george washington, was on the tract of four hundred acres "in ye freshes of rappa-h-n river," bequeathed to her in her father's will before she was six years old. her father, colonel joseph ball of epping forest, lancaster county, thought he was about to die, but he lived some years longer. ten years later an unknown writer spoke of mary ball in pleasing terms: "wmsburg, ye th of octr, . "dear sukey, madam ball of lancaster and her sweet molly have gone hom. mama thinks molly the comliest maiden she knows. she is about yrs old, is taller than me, is verry sensable, modest and loving. her hair is like unto flax, her eyes are the color of yours, and her chekes are like may blossoms. i wish you could see her." this "belle of the northern neck," as she came to be called, continued her conquests of young and old until, at twenty-two, an orphan, she left epping forest to live with her brother, joseph ball, at "stratford-by-bow, nigh london." there, on march , , she became the second wife of augustine washington, the second son of laurence washington, who was visiting england at the time. less than two years later, at wakefield, on the potomac, in westmoreland county, virginia, george washington was born. he was not three years old when the mansion was burned. the new home was at pine grove, in stafford county, on the rappahannock river, opposite fredericksburg. for eight years the family circle was unbroken, but on april , , augustine washington died. laurence washington, mary washington's stepson, then became the owner of mt. vernon, while to george washington was bequeathed pine grove, though the estate was to be managed by mrs. washington until the son became twenty-one. with wonderful skill mrs. washington directed the plantation and with firm purpose she devoted herself to the care of her five fatherless children. a picture of this capable woman at this period was recorded by laurence washington, a nephew of george washington's father. he wrote: "i was often there [at pine grove] with george, his playmate, schoolmate, and young man's companion. of the mother, i was more afraid than of my own parents; she awed me in the midst of her kindness; and even now, when time has whitened my locks and i am the grandfather of a second generation, i could not behold that majestic woman without feelings it is impossible to describe." the death, in , of laurence washington of mt. vernon made george washington the owner of that property. thereafter the twenty-five hundred acre estate became known as the home of the eldest son, while mrs. washington remained at pine grove with her younger children. only a few months later he stopped to see his mother, as he was on his way to the west to carry out a commission laid upon him by governor dinwiddie. as mrs. washington bade her son good-bye, she urged him to "remember that god only is our sure trust." then she added, "to him i commend you." her words were remembered. in , when general braddock asked colonel washington to accompany him to fort pitt, mrs. washington hurried to mt. vernon and urged him not to go. he considered her objections, but said: "the god to whom you commended me, madam, when i set out on a more perilous errand, defended me from all harm, and i trust he will do so now; do you?" one by one the children left pine grove. in betty washington was married to colonel fielding lewis, who built for her the stately house kenmore, not far from her mother's home, but across the river, on the edge of fredericksburg. this house is still among the show places of the old town. in the early days of the revolution colonel and mrs. lewis tried to persuade mrs. washington that she was getting too old to live alone at pine grove, and urged her to make her home at kenmore. at the same time colonel lewis offered to take over the management of the plantation. to both entreaties she turned a deaf ear; she said she felt entirely competent to take care of herself, and she would manage her own farm. however, she consented to make her home in a house purchased for her in fredericksburg, because "george thought it best." the dutiful son had time to help in the flitting to the new home before he hurried to the north. he was not to see her again for seven long years. a member of the family described later the days of waiting when mary washington directed her household in the preparation of clothes, provisions, and other comforts for the general and his associates: "during the trying years when her son was leading the continental forces, the mother was watching and praying, following him with anxious eyes," the story is told. "but to the messenger who brought tidings, whether of victory or defeat, she turned a calm face, whatever tremor of feeling it might mask, and to her daughter she said, chiding her for undue excitement, 'the sister of the commanding general should be an example of fortitude and faith.'" it was november , , when the victorious commander next saw fredericksburg, on his way to philadelphia from yorktown. george washington parke custis has described the meeting with his mother: "she was alone, her aged hands employed in the works of domestic industry, when the good news was announced, and it was told that the victor was awaiting at the threshold. she bade him welcome by a warm embrace, and by the well-remembered and endearing name of george.... she inquired as to his health, for she marked the lines which mighty cares and toils had made in his manly countenance, and she spoke much of old times and old friends, but of his glory not one word." when the peace ball was given in fredericksburg she was an honored guest. her son walked with her into the gaily decorated ballroom. she remained for a time, but after a while, from the seat where she had watched the dance, she called him to her side. when she was near she said, "come, george, it is time for old folks to be at home." lafayette visited fredericksburg in , that he might pay his respects to mrs. washington. he found her in her garden, dressed in a short linsey skirt, working among her flowers. after his visit he declared, "i have seen the only roman matron living at this day." she still went frequently to her plantation across the river, but as she became more feeble her son gave her a phaeton in which she could cross the ferry in comfort. her great-granddaughter has written of her appearance when she rolled in the phaeton down the village street: "in summer she wore a dark straw hat with broad brim and low crown, tied under her chin with black ribbon strings; but in winter a warm hood was substituted, and she was wrapped in the purple cloth cloak lined with silk shang (a present from her son george) that is described in the bequests of her will. in her hand she carried her gold-headed cane, which feeble health now rendered necessary as a support." one of the last visits paid by george washington to his mother was on march , . a fredericksburg paper of march said, "the object of his excellency's visit was probably to take leave of his aged mother, sister, and friends, previous to his departure for the new congress, over the councils of which, the united voice of america has called him to preside." on march washington's account book shows that the expenses of the trip were £ . . . he also noted that he advanced to his mother at the time " guineas." at new york, on september , , president washington was dining with friends when a messenger brought word of the death of mrs. washington. the notice of her death, as given in the _gazette of the united states_, on september , read: "fredericksburg, virginia, august , --on tuesday, the th inst. died at her home in this town, mrs. mary washington, aged years, the venerable mother of the illustrious president of the united states, after a long and painful indisposition, which she bore with uncommon patience. though a pious tear of duty, affection, and esteem is due to the memory of so revered a character, yet our grief must be greatly alleviated from the consideration that she is relieved from the pitiable infirmities attendant on an extreme old age.--it is usual when virtuous and conspicuous persons quit this terrestrial abode, to publish an elaborate panegyric on their characters--suffice it to say, she conducted herself through this transitory life with virtue, prudence, and christianity, worthy the mother of the grandest hero that ever adorned the annals of history." "o may kind heaven, propitious to our fate, extend that hero's to her lengthen'd date; through the long period, healthy, active, sage; nor know the sad infirmities of age." the house in fredericksburg which was occupied after by mrs. washington, is now the property of the association for the preservation of virginian antiquities. lvi greenway and sherwood forest, virginia two of the homes of john tyler a little girl was responsible for the fact that john tyler, who became the tenth president of the united states, was born, not at marlie, but at greenway. marlie was the name chosen by judge john tyler for his james river estate, but his young daughter, anne contesse, as soon as she began to talk, insisted on calling it "greenway," "because the grass grows so green there." the fact that anne's name displaced that chosen by her father is an indication of his great love for children. greenway was "a bird's nest full of young," but at various times he added to his own flock one or another of twenty-one children, of whom he was made guardian, all of whom he guided through childhood to earnest manhood and womanhood. these children must have enjoyed roaming about the estate, for, according to judge tyler's description, it was a delightful place. he said of it: "greenway contains five hundred acres, well improved. on it is a genteel, well-furnished dwelling-house, containing six rooms, all wainscoted, chair-board high, with fine dry cellars the full length of the house, which is feet; also every other building which a reasonable person could wish or desire, to wit: a handsome study, storehouse, kitchen, laundry, dairy, meat-house, spring-house, and an ice-house within the curtelage; a barn by feet, two granaries, two carriage houses, stalls for horses, a quarter for house servants; a handsome pigeon-house, well stocked; and several other houses for slaves; a well of water (so excellent that i can drink with delight after returning from a mountain circuit), a large, fertile garden, abounding with a great variety of shrubs, herbs, and beautiful flowers, well enclosed. the buildings new and well covered with shingles." on this attractive estate john tyler was born on march , . he was a slender, delicate-looking lad, but he was not afraid to stand up for himself when he felt he was being abused. his first schoolmaster, a mr. mcmurdo, who taught across the road from greenway, thought that it was impossible to teach well unless the rod was in daily use. "it was a wonder that he did not whip all the sense out of his scholars," john said once, years later. but one day the boys rebelled. "john and some of the larger boys tripped him up, and began to tie his hands and feet," the tyler family biographer tells the story. "mcmurdo scuffled bravely, but upon little william tyler, the smallest boy in school, throwing himself upon him, he exclaimed, in imitation of the great roman, '_et tu, brute!_' and ceased to resist. the boys firmly secured him, locked him up in the schoolhouse, and left with cheers of triumph and derision." hours later the schoolmaster was released by a passing traveller, who heard his cries. at once the enraged man hastened to judge tyler and told his story. "but the judge, born and bred in the revolutionary school, hated tyranny in any shape, and as he drew himself up to his full stature, he ... replied, in the language of virginia's motto, _'sic semper tyrannis_.'" at the age of twelve john entered the grammar school of william and mary college at williamsburg. there he had a good time, and he made a creditable showing in his classes. yet that he did not advance in at least one study is evident from a letter written by his father in . he said: "i can't help telling you how much i am mortified to find no improvement in your handwriting; neither do you construct your lines straight, which makes your letters look too abominable. it is an easy thing to correct this fault, and unless you do so, how can you be fit for law business?" some years later, when judge tyler was governor of virginia, he announced impressively to john that thomas jefferson would be among the dinner guests on a certain day. "be sure you have a good dinner," the governor added; for john was at the time in charge of the establishment. the future president asked himself, "what is the best thing for dinner?" "plum pudding!" was the answer. the appointed time came. the company was seated at table. the first course was served. then came a long wait. "suddenly a door flew open, and a negro servant appeared, bearing, with both hands raised high above his head, a smoking dish of plum pudding. making a grand flourish, the servant deposited it before governor tyler. scarcely had he withdrawn before another door flew open, and an attendant, dressed exactly like the first, was seen bringing another plum pudding, equally hot, which at a grave nod from john, he placed before mr. jefferson. the governor, who expected a little more variety, turned to his son, who sat surveying the puddings with tender interest, and exclaimed, in accents of astonishment, 'two plum puddings, john, two plum puddings! why, this is rather extraordinary!' 'yes, sir,' said the enterprising major domo, 'it is extraordinary; but' (and here he rose and bowed deferentially to mr. jefferson) 'it is an extraordinary occasion.'" in , john tyler married letitia christian. they did not make their home at greenway, however. on the death of judge tyler the old house was sold, but it became the property of john tyler in . there he retired for the season of rest which he sorely needed after his strenuous years as a member of the house of delegates, and representative in congress. during the intervals of his service as governor and united states senator he resided at the old home, but in he sold the property, and removed to gloucester county, to an estate which he took for debt. eighteen years later, at the close of his presidential term, he returned, with his bride, the second mrs. tyler, to the county where he was born, having bought an estate of twelve hundred acres, three miles from greenway, on the north side of the james, opposite brandon. he tore down the old house on the estate, and built a house on the same plan, which, with its connected out-buildings, was more than two hundred feet long. he called his place "sherwood forest," with grim humor; for was he not an outlaw, in the opinion of the whigs, just as really as was robin hood? not long after the beginning of life at sherwood forest he was appointed overseer of the road on which his estate was located. some claimed that this appointment was secured by the whigs to humiliate him. but he refused to be humiliated. instead he determined to be a good overseer and make the road the best in the state. all the men in the township were called, and they were kept at work day after day, as, according to law, he had a right to keep them. but it was harvest time, and the wheat was dead ripe. "the smiles that lately illuminated the countenances of the whigs turned to dismay. the august justice who had made the appointment repaired to mr. tyler's house, and represented to him the state of things. mr. tyler replied that the law made it his duty to put the road in good order, and to keep it so. the whigs expostulated. mr. tyler was firm. then the justice begged him to resign, and let the hands go home. the ex-president said, 'offices are hard to obtain in these times, and having no assurance that i can ever get another, i cannot think, under the circumstances, of resigning.'" one of the statesman's valued companions during these early years at sherwood forest was "general," the old horse which he had owned for many years. at length the horse died, and was buried in the grave at sherwood forest. on a wooden slab at the head of the grave the owner wrote: "here lieth the bones of my old horse, general, who served his master faithfully for twenty-seven years, and never blundered but once--would that his master could say the same!" the last years of john tyler's life witnessed the return of his popularity. enemies became friends, and all rejoiced to do him honor. he was called to a number of honorable posts, and he was about to take his seat as a member of the house of representatives of the confederate congress when he died, in richmond, on january , . [illustration: hanover court house, virginia _photo by h. p. cook_ see page ] lvii two historic courthouses of virginia old dominion county buildings at hanover and williamsburg a momentous announcement appeared in the williamsburg, virginia, _gazette_ on march , : "the common hall having this day determined to build a commodious brick court-house in this city and having appointed us to agree with and undertake to build the same, we do hereby give notice that we shall meet at mr. hay's (the raleigh tavern) on tuesday, the th of april, to let the building thereof; we are also appointed to dispose of the present court-house, and the ground on which the same stands. james cock, john carter, james carter, john tazewell." the building displaced by the new structure was erected in by william levington, and was given to the city in by "the gentlemen subscribers for the play house." the stone steps on the new building, which are still in use, were brought from england in . a copy of the letter in which william wilson acknowledged their receipt is in a letter book preserved in the library of the episcopal seminary, near alexandria. during the revolution, the patriots were called together, from time to time, by the bell in the picturesque tower. it was fitting, then, that when american independence was celebrated at williamsburg, on may , , the courthouse was made the rallying place for the people. on receipt of official notice from governor benjamin harrison that the treaty of peace had been signed, the mayor of williamsburg prepared an "order of the procession on the great day," which closed with the following direction: "the citizens to be conveyed on thursday, at o'clock at the court-house by a bellman. "after the convention of citizens they are to make proclamation at the c: house, after which the bells at the church, college, & capitol are to ring in peal. "from the ct house the citizens are to proceed to the college, and make proclamation at that place, from whence they are to proceed to the capitol and make proclamation there and from thence proceed to the raleigh (tavern) & pass the rest of the day." a frequent visitor to the williamsburg courthouse was the brilliant lawyer patrick henry, whose reputation as an orator was made long before he delivered his "give me liberty or give me death" speech at st. john's church, richmond. some years before the williamsburg courthouse was erected, this orator made his first public speech, at hanover courthouse, a building that dates from , in the celebrated suit of the clergy demanding the payment of their stipends in tobacco, according to law. in consequence of a short crop the price had increased, and they insisted that it was their right to have the advantage of the increase. their case had been tried once and won. the attorney of the people thereupon withdrew, and henry was engaged to appear for them in court. when the case was called, rev. patrick henry was present, to the regret of his nephew. the lawyer sought his uncle and said that he feared he would be too much overawed by his presence to do his duty to his clients, and added that he would be compelled to say some "very hard things of the clergy." the minister thereupon entered his carriage, and drove away. william wirt describes the scene at the opening of the case: "on the bench sat more than twenty clergymen, the most learned men in the colony, and the most capable, as well as the severest critics before whom it was possible for him to have made his début. the court house was crowded with an overwhelming multitude, and surrounded with an immense and anxious throng, who, not finding room to enter, were endeavoring to listen without, in the deepest attention. but there was something still more awfully disconcerting than all this; for in the chair of the presiding magistrate, sat no other person than his own father.... "and now came on the first trial of patrick henry's strength. no one had ever heard him speak, and curiosity was on tiptoe. he rose very awkwardly, and faltered much in his exordium. the people hung their heads at so unpromising a commencement; the clergy were observed to exchange sly looks with each other, and the father is described as having almost sunk with confusion, from his seat. but these feelings were of short duration, and soon gave place to others, of a very different character.... the spirit of his genius awakened all his features.... his action became graceful, bold, and commanding; and in the tones of his voice, but more especially in his emphasis, there was a peculiar charm, a magic, of which any one who ever heard him will speak as soon as he is named, but of which no one can give any adequate description.... "the people, whose countenances had fallen as he arose, had heard but very few sentences before they began to look up; then to look at each other with surprise, as if doubting the evidence of their own senses.... in less than twenty minutes, they might be seen in every part of the house, on every bench, in every window, stooping forward from their stands, in deathlike silence.... the mockery of the clergy was soon turned into alarm; their triumph into confusion and despair; and at one burst of his rapid and overwhelming invective, they fled from the bench in precipitation and terror. as for the father, such was his surprise, such his amazement, such his rapture, that, forgetting where he was, and the character which he was filling, tears of ecstasy streamed down his cheeks without the power or inclination to restrain them." the case was won. as soon as the verdict was announced the people seized the orator at the bar and bore him out of the courthouse. then, raising him on their shoulders, they carried him about the yard. [illustration: st. john's church, richmond, va. _photo by h. p. cook_ see page ] lviii st. john's church, richmond where patrick henry said, "give me liberty, or give me death" in sir thomas dale founded his town of henricopolis, the second established settlement in virginia. it was named in honor of prince henry, the eldest son of james i. a church was soon after built. the bounds of henrico parish, to which it belonged, were quite large until , when the parish was made to include the present chesterfield, powhatan, and goochland counties. soon after the marriage of pocahontas she moved to the plantation of her husband, john rolfe, near henricopolis, and they were both members of henrico parish until they left virginia. the written records of henrico parish begin with . at that time the principal church of the parish was on curle's plantation, on the north side of the james, some miles below the present city of richmond. curle's church disappeared during the civil war. the bowl of the baptismal font in st. john's church, richmond, is a relic of the old church. this was removed from the cellar of a house where it had been in use for beating hominy. steps were taken in to build the present st. john's church, because of the increase of population in richmond. the first action was recorded as follows: "at a vestry held at curls church for henrico parish ye th day of october anno dom. for laying ye parish levey-- "the vestry do agree to build a church on the most convenient place at or near thomas williamsons in this parish to be sixty feet in length and twenty-five in breadth and fourteen feet pitch to be finished in a plain manner after the moddle of curls church. and it is ordered that the clerk do set up advertisements of the particular parts of the said building and of the time and place of undertaking the same.... it is ordered that the collector do receive of every tithable person in this parish five pounds of tobacco after the usual deduction to be apply'd towards building the new church at williamsons." at a later meeting the location and the dimensions of the church were changed. richmond was decided on, and it was stated that "richard randolph gent undertakes the said building and engages to finish the same by the tenth day of june, which shall be in the year of our lord ; for which the vestry agrees to pay him the sum of £ s. current money to be paid by the amount of the sale of twenty thousand pounds of tob'o annually to be levyd on the parish and sold here for money till the whole payment be compleat." there is no record of the completion of the building, but probably it was finished at the appointed time. since that date various additions have been made, yet it is possible to trace the lines of the original structure. the original pews are still in use, though they have been lowered. the hinges of the pew doors are handwrought. the wainscoting and the window sashes are those first put in. the original weather-boarding is still in place. it is fastened by nails whose heads are half an inch broad. for the new church there were imported from england: "one parsons surples, a pulpit cushen and cloth, two cloths for reading desks, a communion table cloth, and a dozen of cushens--to be of good purple cloth, and the surples good hollond, also large bible and four large prayer books." an entry in the vestry book on december , , shows that the rector, mr. selden, received as salary , pounds of tobacco, worth £ . the clerk of the parish received , pounds of tobacco, or £ s., the sexton had pounds, or £ . s. d. selden was chaplain of the virginia convention which met in the church march , . at the closing session of this convention patrick henry "flashed the electric spark, which exploded the country in revolution," as burton says in his history of henrico parish. this was the speech that closed: "gentlemen may cry peace, peace, but there is no peace. the war is actually begun! the next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! our brethren are already in the field! why stand here idle? what is it that gentlemen wish? what would they have? is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? forbid it, almighty god. i know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death." dr. burton says that the orator "stood, according to tradition, near the present corner of the east transept and the nave, or more exactly, in pew , in the east aisle of the nave.... he faced the eastern wall of the transept, where were the two windows. in the more northern of these stood colonel edward carrington. he broke the silence that followed the orator's burning words with the exclamation, 'right here i wish to be buried!'" when the british took possession of richmond in , st. john's church became a barracks for arnold's men. and some of them stood on the spot where patrick henry spoke the words that had such large part in stirring up the people to drive all british soldiers from the colonies. after the close of the war the diocese of virginia was reorganized in the building, and plans were laid to overcome the difficulties that would soon come through the loss of the property of the protestant episcopal church, which led edmund randolph, later governor of virginia and secretary of state in washington's cabinet, to speak the famous words: "of what is the church now possessed? nothing but the glebes and your affections." that the affections of the people are a better dependence than rich endowments in money has been shown by the later history of the church, the parish, and the diocese. [illustration: nelson house, yorktown, va. _photo by h. p. cook_ see page ] lix the nelson house and the moore house, yorktown, virginia made memorable by the battle of yorktown and the surrender of cornwallis one day in a baby a little more than one year old, whose name was thomas nelson, stood by the side of his father, william nelson, as the father was about to lay the foundation of his new home in york, virginia. the babe had been stationed there that the brick for the corner might be placed in the little hands; then it could be said in later years that the babe had helped in the exercises of the day. the little fellow became a signer of the declaration of independence, a general in the revolutionary war, and governor of virginia. william nelson was a merchant, who had invested his savings in land and had become quite wealthy. when his son was fourteen years old he was able to send him to cambridge, england, to be educated. nine years later the young man married lucy grymes of brandon, and took up his residence in the house whose foundation he had helped to lay. for many years the home of the young people was noted for the hospitality shown there. whenever the owner could leave his guests, he rode to his plantation near town. he kept a pack of hounds, which were frequently employed in fox hunting. when discontent against england became pronounced, he was a leader of the patriots. he was a member of the house of burgesses of which was dissolved by lord dunmore because of the passage of a resolution against the boston port bill, and he was one of the eighty-nine men who met next day at a tavern and took action that led to the first continental congress. on july , when the convention of virginia delegates gathered in richmond decided to raise three regiments for home defence, patrick henry was named as commander of the first while nelson was put in charge of the second. he was among the patriots who sat in the continental congress of , , and , and his name was signed to the declaration of independence. on august , , he retired from public service because of failing health, but when, a little later, the governor of virginia, fearing the approach of the british fleet, asked him to serve as brigadier general and commander-in-chief of the forces of the state, he agreed, on condition that he be excused from accepting payment for his services. during the siege of yorktown he was at the head of the militia. the sketch of his life as given by sanderson in the "biography of the signers," says: "during the siege, observing his own house uninjured by the artillery of the american batteries he inquired the cause. a respect for his property, was assigned. nelson ... requested that the artillerists would not spare his house more than any other, especially as he knew it to be occupied by the principal officers of the british army. two pieces were accordingly pointed against it. the first shot went through the house and killed two ... officers.... other balls soon dislodged the hostile tenants." it is said that nelson gave ten guineas reward to the man who fired the first shot. again thomas nelson responded to the call of his state when in june, , he became governor, succeeding thomas jefferson. four months after the beginning of his term as chief executive of the state, george washington, in general orders, said: "the general would be guilty of the highest ingratitude, a crime of which he hopes he shall never be accused, if he forgot to return his sincere acknowledgments to his excellency governor nelson, for the succours which he received from him and the militia under his command, to whose activity, emulation, and bravery, the highest praises are due. the magnitude of the acquisition will be ample compensation for the difficulties and dangers which they met with so much firmness and patriotism." nelson's term as governor was shortened by ill health. in november, , he was compelled to resign. but he was not permitted to rest. attacks were made on him for certain courses taken during his term as governor. when he asked and was given permission to defend himself before the state delegates, he was triumphantly acquitted of all blame. on december , , this action was recorded: "an act to indemnify thomas nelson, junior, esquire, late governor of this commonwealth, and to legalize certain acts of his administration. whereas, upon examination, it appears that previous to and during the siege of york, thomas nelson, esquire, late governor of this commonwealth, was compelled by the peculiar circumstances of the state and army, to perform many acts of government without the advice of the council of state, for the purpose of procuring subsistence for the allied army under the command of his excellency general washington; be it enacted that all such acts of government, evidently productive of general good, and warranted by necessity, be judged and held of the same validity, and the like proceedings be had on them as if they had been executed by and with the advice of the council, and with all the formality prescribed by law. and be it enacted that the said thomas nelson, jr., esquire, be and he hereby is in the fullest manner indemnified and exonerated from all penalties and dangers which might have accrued to him from the same." nelson lived more than seven years after this act approving his emergency actions. but three years were spent in comparative poverty. most of his property was sold to satisfy the debts incurred by paying two regiments out of his own pocket, and by going security, with the state, for two million dollars needed to carry on the war. sanderson says of these acts of generosity: "he had spent a princely fortune in his country's service; his horses had been taken from the plough, and sent to drag the munitions of war; his granaries had been thrown open to a starving soldiery, and his ample purse had been drained to its last dollar, when the credit of virginia could not bring a sixpence into her treasury. yet it was the widow of this man who, beyond eighty years of age, blind, infirm, and poor, had yet to learn whether republics can be grateful." on the simple gravestone in yorktown, erected to the memory of the patriot, is this eloquent inscription: thomas nelson, governor of virginia. he gave all for liberty. not far from the grave is another historic house that should be named with the nelson house. this is the moore house, on temple farm, then less than a mile from yorktown. in this house, which was built in , the terms of the surrender of cornwallis were drawn up. it was once the summer home of the colonial governor, alexander spottswood. lx the john marshall house, richmond, virginia where the chief justice cared for his wife and entertained his friends an old book, "richmond in by gone days," says that john marshall was noted in richmond for his unpretending manner. "his dress was plain even to negligence. he marketed for himself and might be seen at an early hour returning home with a pair of fowls, or a basket of eggs in his hand, not with ostentatious humility, but for mere convenience." it is related by flanders that marshall "was one morning strolling through the streets of richmond, attired in a plain linen roundabout and shorts, with his hat under his arm, from which he was eating cherries, when he stopped in the porch of the eagle hotel, indulged in some little pleasantry with the landlord, and then passed on." just then a man from the country, who wished a lawyer to appear for him in court, was referred by the landlord to marshall, as the best advocate he could have, but the countryman declined to have anything to do with the careless young man. in court he asked the clerk for a lawyer, and was once more recommended to take john marshall. again he refused. just then a dignified old man in powdered wig and black coat entered. he was at once engaged, on his appearance. after a time the inferiority of the black-coated lawyer was so apparent that the countryman sought marshall, told him of the mistake he had made, said that he had left but five dollars of the one hundred dollars he had set aside for lawyers' fees, and asked marshall if he would assist on the case. the lawyer laughingly agreed. in , when marshall was twenty-five years old, he walked from virginia to philadelphia, to be inoculated for smallpox. "he walked at the rate of thirty-five miles a day. on his arrival, such was his shabby appearance, that he was refused admission into one of the hotels; his long beard, and worn-out garments, probably suggesting the idea that his purse was not adequate to his entertainment. and this in the city which had seen much of the young man's heroic services during the revolution!" before the close of the war, while visiting his father, colonel marshall, who was the commanding officer at yorktown, virginia, he met mary willis ambler, a daughter of jacqueline ambler, the treasurer of virginia. "she was just fourteen years of age at the time, and it is stated to have been a case of love at first sight." even when marshall called to see her he was not prepossessing in appearance, yet he was well received, "notwithstanding his slouched hat, and negligent and awkward dress," for his amiable manners, fine talents, and especially his love for poetry, which he read to them with deep pathos, led them to forget his dress. the young people were married on january , . after paying the fee of the minister, the groom's sole remaining fortune was a guinea! mrs. marshall was for many years a nervous invalid. bishop meade says, "the least noise was sometimes agony to her whole frame, and his perpetual endeavor was to keep the house and yard and out-houses from the slightest cause of distressing her; walking himself at times about the house and yard without shoes." the attitude of the people of richmond to the husband and wife is shown by the fact that "on one occasion, when she was in her most distressing state, the town authorities manifested their great respect for him and sympathy for her, by having either the town clock or town bell muffled." on his marriage john marshall took his wife to one of the best houses then available in the village of richmond, a two-room frame building. in he bought two acres of ground on shockoe hill, and here, in , he built a nine-room brick house. one of the rooms was a large apartment, in which he gave his famous "lawyer dinners." when marshall was not in washington, he lived in this comfortable house, which was near the home of his father-in-law. he had also a farm a few miles from richmond. bishop meade says that one morning, between daybreak and sunrise, he met marshall on horseback. he had a bag of clover seed lying before him, which he was carrying to his farm. an english traveller who spent a week in richmond in gave his impression of the richmond home: "the house is small, and more humble in appearance than those of the average of successful lawyers and merchants. i called there three times upon him; there is no bell to the door. once i turned the handle of it and walked in unannounced; on the other two occasions he had seen me coming, and had lifted the latch and received me at the door, although he was at the time suffering from severe contusions received in the stage while travelling on the road from fredericksburg to richmond." chief justice marshall frequently attended the monumental church. the narrow pews troubled him, for he was quite tall. "not finding room enough for his whole body within the pew, he used to take his seat nearest the door of his pew, and, throwing it open, let his legs stretch a little into the aisle." the death of his wife was a great grief to him. "never can i cease to feel the loss and to deplore it," he wrote on december , , the anniversary of her death. "grief for her is too sacred ever to be profaned on this day, which shall be, during my existence, marked by a recollection of her virtues." he survived mrs. marshall less than five years. in june, , he went to dr. physic in philadelphia, seeking relief for a disability that had been aggravated by the road accident of which the english visitor wrote, as already quoted. there he died, july , . on july he wrote the inscription which he wished placed above his grave: "john marshall, son of thomas and mary marshall, was born on the th of september, , intermarried with mary willis ambler the rd of january, , departed this life the ---- day of ---- ---- ." the marshall house is now in possession of the society for the preservation of virginia antiquities, having been purchased a few years ago from the misses harvie, the granddaughters of chief justice marshall. they had lived in the house until they sold it to the city of richmond. [illustration: westover on the james, virginia _photo by h. p. cook_ see page ] lxi five old houses of tidewater, virginia sabine hall, westover, shirley, brandon, and carter's grove the five houses mentioned briefly in this chapter are noteworthy, not only because of their beauty, but because the stories of those who lived in them show how the leading families of old virginia intermarried until the various relationships became a puzzle that delights the genealogist. on the rappahannock, in richmond county, virginia, landon carter, son of robert ("king") carter, the ancestor of the carter family of virginia, built sabine hall in . he was a great lover of the works of horace, and it was quite natural that he should adopt for his mansion the name of the roman poet's sabine farm. until his death in he was a recognized leader in both church and state. robert a. lancaster quotes an unnamed writer who says that he was "a high-minded public servant and a finished scholar, indulging a taste for science and a love for letters," and was considered "one of the most notable of the pre-revolutionary statesmen of the colony," and was "looked up to by the younger generation as a nestor among his compatriots." he was a friend of washington, and received many letters from him, some of which have been preserved. landon carter's second wife was maria byrd, of westover. her portrait, as well as those of the other two wives, the husband and "king" carter, are hanging to-day on the walls of sabine hall. the estate of four thousand acres descended to his son by his third marriage with elizabeth beale, robert wormeley carter, who was a member of the virginia assembly. the property is still in the possession of the descendants of the original owner. westover, where landon carter courted maria byrd, is on the james in charles city county, not far south of sabine hall. the mansion was built in the same year as sabine hall, , by william byrd, ii, whose father came from england about . william byrd, of westover, was famous as a literary man and as a statesman. at one time he was president of his majesty's council. but perhaps his greatest fame came to him because he was the father of evelyn byrd, who was a reigning belle. when, at the age of eighteen, she was presented at court, it was reported that the king of england complimented her by saying he was glad virginia could produce such "beautiful byrds." evelyn's brother, william byrd, iii, was the heir of the estate. he married elizabeth hill carter, of shirley, a neighboring estate. he was a member of the virginia council and attained distinction by his service as a colonel in the french and indian war. during the siege of yorktown some of the french officers made frequent visits to westover. one of them, marquis de chastellux, said that this was the most beautiful place in america. two armies have halted at westover. in april, , cornwallis passed that way, and, during the civil war mcclellan's army camped on the grounds. a war-time picture shows something of the havoc wrought by the soldiers. when elizabeth hill carter, of shirley, came to westover, she gave up one beautiful home for another. her father's charles city county mansion was probably built late in the seventeenth century, though the exact date is not known. one of the estate's claims to distinction is that it has never been offered for sale. colonel edward hill, the builder, colonel edward hill, ii, his son, and colonel edward hill, iii, his grandson, were leaders in the life of the county. at the death of colonel hill, iii, his sister, elizabeth hill, became heir to the estate. she married john carter, of corotoman, son of robert ("king") carter, who was secretary of the colony. it was his daughter who married william byrd, iii, of westover. her brother, charles carter, who was a patriot of prominence, was the father-in-law of light horse harry lee, and the grandfather of general robert e. lee. carter's grove, another seat of the carter family, is also on the james, in charles city county, not far from shirley. the builder was carter burwell, and the house dates from . the work was done by slaves, under the direction of a foreman who received £ for his work. in the construction of the house , feet of lumber, , shingles, , laths, and , bricks were used. the total cost was only £ . carter burwell was the son of elizabeth, daughter of robert ("king") carter, who married colonel nathaniel burwell. across the james, in prince george county, is brandon, whose builder was nathaniel harrison. the house dates from early in the eighteenth century. his son, also nathaniel harrison, married, as his second wife, lucy the daughter of robert ("king") carter of corotoman. benjamin harrison, the son by the first wife, mary digges, married evelyn taylor byrd, of westover. when she went to brandon she took with her the byrd portraits, which are to-day one of the attractions of the mansion. brandon has always been in the possession of descendants of the original owner. [illustration: gunston hall on the potomac, virginia _photo by h. p. cook_ see page ] lxii gunston hall, virginia the home of george mason, "the pen of the revolution in virginia" four miles from mt. vernon, on the potomac, is the well-preserved mansion, gunston hall, built in by george mason, the great-grandson of george mason, who fled to america after the battle of worcester, where he was in arms against the king of england. the first mention of the name of this george mason occurs in the virginia patent of land which he secured in march, . george washington and george mason were not only near neighbors, but they were warm friends. frequently washington drove to gunston hall for a talk with mason; or sometimes he floated down the stream in his four-oared gig, manned by his own slaves. sometimes the men roamed together through the woods or the fields; on one of these walks they sought to define the boundaries between their estates. gifts of various kinds passed back and forth between the two manors; one day in , when mason was driven from mt. vernon in washington's carriage, he sent back by the driver some young shoots of the persian jessamine and guelder rose. a few days later a hogshead of cider was broached at gunston hall, and a liberal sample was sent to washington. a note dated " th november, ," addressed to washington, begins, "the bearer waits on you with a side of venison (the first we have killed this season), which i beg your acceptance of." at one time both washington and mason were members of the vestry of truro parish. washington's list of the vestrymen shows that his friend was elected by two hundred and eighty-two votes, while he himself received but fifty-one votes. mason was as often at mt. vernon as washington was at gunston hall. after a visit made on christmas day, , one of the other guests, miss lewis, of fredericksburg, wrote: "among the most notable of the callers was mr. george mason, of gunston hall, who was on his way home from alexandria, and who brought a charming granddaughter with him.... he is said to be one of the greatest statesmen and wisest men in virginia. we had heard much of him and were delighted to look in his face, hear him speak, and take his hand, which he offered in a courtly manner. he is slight in figure, but not tall, and has a grand head and clear gray eyes." to the home of george mason other men of note delighted to come. in the guest room jefferson and richard henry lee, as well as washington, slept more than once. patrick henry, too, was a welcome visitor at gunston hall. george mason had as high an opinion of the orator as patrick henry had of the statesman. "he is by far the most powerful speaker i ever heard," mason once said of henry; "every word he says not only engages but commands the attention; and your passions are no longer your own when he addresses them. but his eloquence is the smallest part of his merit. he is in my opinion the first man upon this continent, as well in abilities as public virtues, and had he lived in rome about the time of the first punic war, when the roman people had arrived at their meridian glory and their virtue not tarnished, mr. henry's talents must have put him at the head of that glorious commonwealth." the orator returned the compliment by calling mason one of the two greatest statesmen he ever knew. george mason's statesmanlike vision was seen in , when he warned the british public of the results that would follow coercion. "three millions of people driven to desperation are not an object of contempt," he wrote. again he proved a good prophet when he wrote to george washington, on april , , after the general took possession of boston: "i congratulate you most heartily upon this glorious and important event--an event which will render george washington's name immortal in the annals of america, endear his memory to the latest posterity, and entitle him to those thanks which heaven appointed as the reward of public virtue." mason was of a retiring disposition, and he would have preferred to remain at home. but he was forced into the councils of the virginia convention, and during his service there he prepared the marvellous bill of rights which was later made a part of the constitution of that state and was the model for similar documents in many other states. he was also the author of the constitution of virginia, and the designer of the state seal. he was a member of the constitutional convention in philadelphia, where he proved himself "the champion of the state and the author of the doctrine of state rights." because the constitution as finally drafted by the convention contained so many provisions that he felt were dangerous, he refused to sign the document, "declaring that he would sooner chop off his right hand than put it to the constitution" whose provisions he could not approve. after the constitutional convention for more than four years the statesman lived quietly at gunston hall. when he died in october, , he asked to be buried by the side of his first wife, whose death in had been a grievous blow to him. over her tomb he had inscribed: "once she was all that cheers and sweetens life; the tender mother, daughter, friend and wife: once she was all that makes mankind adore; now view the marble, and be vain no more." no monument was ever raised over his own grave. a grandson planned to set a stone inscribed to "the author of the bill of rights and the constitution of virginia," but he was unable to do as he wished. gunston hall still stands, though it has passed through many hands since the death of him whom george esten cooke called "one of the most remarkable men, not only of his country, and of his epoch, but of all countries and all time." [illustration: washington college building, lexington, va. _photo by ph. b. wallace_ see page ] lxiii the washington college building, lexington, virginia how george washington solved a delicate problem even before the treaty of peace with great britain was signed, george washington was making plans for the development of the west. he was especially impressed with the possibilities of the potomac and james rivers, if improved by canals, as a means of communication with the ohio. companies were organized to the work. in both enterprises he was a stockholder. on august , , he wrote to edmund randolph: "the great object for the accomplishment of which i wish to see the inland navigation of the river potomack and james improved and extended is to connect the western territory with the atlantic states.... i have already subscribed five shares to the potomack navigation; and enclosed i give you a power to put my name down for five shares to that of james river." in patrick henry, governor of virginia, wrote to washington that the general assembly of the state had voted to give him one hundred shares in the james river company, "it being their wish, in particular, that those great works of improvement, which, both as springing from the liberty which he has been so instrumental in establishing, and as encouraged by his patronage, will be durable monuments of his glory, may be made monuments also of the gratitude of his country." washington replied that he could not accept money for his services to his country. then he added: "but if it should please the general assembly to permit me to turn the destination of the fund vested in me, from my private emolument, to objects of a public nature, it will be my study in selecting these to prove the sincerity of my gratitude for the honor conferred on me, by preferring such as may appear most subservient to the enlightened and patriotic views of the legislature." of course the legislature granted the desired permission, indicating that the gifts might be made either during washington's life, or by bequest. some years passed before washington fixed on a proper recipient for the canal shares. in , however, he gave them to the trustees of liberty academy, at lexington, virginia, which had been incorporated in . in recognition of the gift the trustees asked the legislature to change the name of the school to washington academy. in the name was once more changed to washington college. this, the first large gift received by the institution, is still yielding an income of three thousand dollars. during many times of crisis the income provided in this way has been of signal use to the institution, notably in , when the washington college building was begun. this structure is two hundred and fifty feet long, is built of brick, and each of its three porticoes is supported by white colonial columns. for more than seventy-five years after washington turned over the canal shares, the institution's sole endowment amounted to only about one hundred and twenty thousand dollars. the seventy thousand dollars added to the canal shares came from sources that were influenced by washington's confidence in the institution. the beginning of the larger life of the college was the election of general robert e. lee as president. the keynote of his five years of service was sounded in the letter which he wrote to the trustees on receiving notification of his election. he feared that, in view of his military history, he might cause harm to the college. he was never greater than when he said: "i think it is the duty of every citizen, in the present condition of the country, to do all in his power to aid in the restoration of peace and harmony, and in no way to oppose the policy of the state or general government directed to that object. it is particularly incumbent upon those charged with the instruction of the young to set them an example of submission to authority, and i would not consent to be the cause of animadversion on the college." following the death of general lee, which came after five years of remarkable development under his leadership, the name of washington college was changed to washington and lee university, that it might continue forever a memorial to its two greatest benefactors. [illustration: bruton parish church, williamsburg, va. _photo by h. p. cook_ see page ] lxiv bruton parish church, williamsburg, virginia "the court church of colonial virginia" jamestown was the capital of virginia until . then williamsburg became the seat of government. six years earlier the latter town had taken on some importance because of the founding there of william and mary college, and for more than sixty years efforts had been made to persuade the people to make their homes in the place. the records of the colony show that in rewards were offered to those who would locate in what seemed a promising situation for a town. the date of the building of the first church in williamsburg is not known. the first entry in the vestry book of bruton parish was made in april, , but the parish dates from . in that year harrop and middle plantation parishes were united, though the new parish was not called bruton for some time. the name was given because sir james ludwell, who afterward left a legacy of twenty pounds to the parish, was born in bruton, england. a building (that it was not the first is shown by the mention in the records of the old church) was completed in , and the first service was held on january , . the cost was "£ sterling and sixty thousand pounds of good sound, marketable sweet, scented tobacco." the minister, "mr. rowland jones," was "paid annually ye sum of sixteen thousand, six hundred and sixty pounds of tobacco and caske." the removal of the capital to williamsburg brought so many new people to town that the church became too small for the congregation. in the parish records show that there was talk of a new building. on october , , the vestry decided to levy a tax of twenty thousand pounds of tobacco as a beginning of the building fund. four years later the members of the vestry made known their hope that the house of burgesses would assist in the expense, which, they thought, would be about five hundred pounds. to the burgesses a message was sent indicating that the vestry "do not doubt in the least but the house of burgesses would show their pious and generous spirits by their liberall donation towards soe necessary and good a worke and that they would assure them to the best of their judgment they would appropriate the same according to the true intent thereof." the burgesses offered "to take care of the wings and intervening parts," if the vestry would build the ends of the church. they also agreed to build the pews for the governor, the council, and themselves. with their help, the building was completed and occupied in . the tower was added in . rev. james blair, who was minister of bruton parish at the time of the erection of the new building, had been instrumental in organizing william and mary college. the early history of that institution is bound up with that of the church. some of the most notable conflicts between church and state in the old colony took place during the years of mr. blair's activity. he died in , after serving the church as minister for thirty-three years, william and mary college as president for fifty years, and the colony as commissioner for fifty-three years. among the famous names on the vestry rolls are those of henry tyler, great-great-grandfather of president tyler, who was first mentioned on "the seaventh day of april, ," and george wythe, one of the signers of the declaration of independence. patrick henry, and george washington later worshipped with the congregation. when virginia was about to go to war with great britain, the house of burgesses, on may , , ordered that "the members of the house do attend in their places, at the hour of ten in the morning, on the first day of june next, in order to proceed with the speaker and the mace, to the church," for fasting, humiliation, and prayer. during the revolution the members of the church were noted for their loyalty to the colonies. to-day the building is about as it was during the troubled days of the war. no change has been made in the exterior, but in the interior was changed in many important particulars. in , however, it was restored as before. the pulpit was put in the old place. the canopy and curtain which had long stood above the pew of governor spotswood, were found and again put in position. king edward vii gave the new pulpit bible, and president roosevelt provided the lectern. lxv william and mary college, williamsburg, virginia the alma mater of thomas jefferson, james monroe, and john tyler three years before john harvard left a legacy for the founding of the college that bears his name, the first bequest for public education made by a resident of virginia was recorded, though this was used for a secondary school, rather than for a college. the project of a college, proposed in and by the london company, and in at the first session of the general assembly, languished until , when rev. james blair came to the colony as a missionary and settled in henrico county, where it had been proposed to found the college sixty-eight years earlier. for five years he brooded over the need of a college and in he made to a convention at jamestown "severall propositions for a free school and college, to be humbly presented to the consideration of the next general assembly." later, by authority of the assembly, dr. blair appealed to the merchants of london, "especially such as traffick with virginia," and three thousand pounds were pledged. on the occasion of dr. blair's visit to england in , he had an audience with king william, at which he presented the petition for "a charter to erect a free school and college." the king replied, "sir, i am glad that the colony is upon so good a design, and will promote it to the best of my power." queen mary also showed her interest in the college. to the endowment in lands and taxes provided by royal order, dr. blair secured an appreciable addition in an ingenious manner. learning that, some time before his arrival, the authorities had promised forgiveness to pirates who, before a set day, should confess their crimes and give up a portion of their booty, and that three famous pirates had come in after the appointed day, so that they were arrested, he visited them in jail and offered to use his influence in their behalf, if they would consent to give to the college a portion of their booty. they gladly agreed; dr. blair's efforts were successful, and they were given their liberty together with their treasure, minus the promised gift to the virginia college. another much larger gift was secured from the executor of an estate which held money devised indefinitely for "pious and charitable uses." the income from this portion of the endowment was to be used "to keep as many indian children in meat, drink, washing, clothes, medicine, books and education, from the first beginning of letters till they should be ready to receive orders and be sent abroad to convert the indians." in connection with the charter for "the college of william and mary," which was dated february , , authority was given to use the seal described as follows: "on a green field a college building of silver, with a golden sun, showing half its orb, rising above it." this is said to be the sole instance of a college, either english or american, which has a seal of such high origin. sir christopher wren, the designer of st. paul's cathedral, made the plan for the original building, which was to be two stories and a half high, one hundred and thirty-six feet long, and forty feet wide, and with two wings sixty feet long and twenty-five feet wide. in it was reported to the governor of the province that the front and north side of the proposed rectangle had been completed at williamsburg, and that funds were exhausted. the walls were more than three feet thick at the base, and contained , bricks, the product of a brickyard nearby. for some years subscriptions were paid slowly, and interest in the college languished, but conditions improved when king william sent to governor nicholson a proclamation urging him "yt you call upon ye persons yt have promised to contribute towards ye maintenance of ye sd college, to pay in full the severall contributions." the first of the disasters that have visited the main building came in , when the interior was burned. the college was rebuilt on the old walls, as was the case after the fire of . thus, after much more than two hundred years, the venerable building looks almost as it did when the first students entered its doors. a number of other structures have been erected since, including the brafferton building in , the house now occupied by the president, which dates from , and the chapel, begun in . interest must always centre about the central structure, however. during the revolution the president was james madison, second cousin of the future president of the united states. the president's house was occupied by cornwallis in . after his surrender french officers lived there. during their occupancy the house was badly damaged by fire, but it was repaired at the expense of the french army. three events of the years of the war are of special moment in the history of higher education in america. on december , , the phi beta kappa society, the first intercollegiate fraternity in the united states, was organized. on december , , the college was made a university, the first in the country, and the same year marked the beginning of the honor system of college government which worked such a revolution in other colleges more than a century later. when thomas jefferson, who was a student at william and mary in - , founded the university of virginia, the honor system was successfully inaugurated in the new institution. other famous men who have been connected with william and mary included george washington, who was chancellor in ; chief justice john marshall, student in ; secretary of state edmund randolph, student in ; james monroe, student in . john tyler was also educated there. it is a remarkable fact that the presidents who are responsible for adding to the original territory of the country louisiana, florida, texas, and most of the western territory, were products of william and mary. [illustration: monumental church, richmond, va. _photo by h. p. cook_ see page ] lxvi the monumental church, richmond, virginia on the site of a theatre whose burning moved the entire country "last night the playhouse in this city was crowded with an unusual audience. there could not have been less than persons in the house. just before the conclusion of the play, the scenery caught fire, and in a few minutes the whole building was wrapt in flames. it is already ascertained that persons were devoured by that most terrific element. the editor of this paper was in the house when the ever-to-be-remembered, deplorable accident occurred. he is informed that the scenery took fire in the back part of the house, by raising of a chandelier; that the boy, who was ordered by some of the players to raise it, stated, that if he did so, the scenery would take fire, when he was commanded in a peremptory manner, to hoist it. the boy obeyed, and the fire was instantly communicated to the scenery." this story the editor of the richmond (virginia) _american standard_ told in the columns of his paper on friday, december , . he added the fact that among those who perished were the governor of the state, as well as many of the leaders in the business and social life of the city. by order of the city council the remains of the victims were buried on the site of the burned building, which was bought for the purpose. at the same time it was ordered that "no person or persons should be permitted for and during the time of four months ... to exhibit any public show or spectacle ... within the city." by ordinance it was also decreed that a monument should be erected on the site. later it was suggested that there should be built there, by public subscription, "an edifice to be set apart and consecrated for the worship of god," and that this should be the monument. accordingly, on august , , the corner stone of the monumental church was laid, the lot having been purchased by the city for $ , . the building was consecrated as a protestant episcopal church in may, . in april, , the subscribers to the fund for the building, who had organized under the title, "the association for building a church on shockoe hill," were notified that one-half of their subscription money would be returned to them on application at the bank of virginia. in the middle of the front or main porch of the church a white marble monument was erected to the memory of the victims of the fire. to the general convention of the protestant episcopal church, which assembled in philadelphia on may , , report was made that "a magnificent church has sprung up in richmond from the ashes of the theatre; it has the patronage and support of men of the greatest talents and highest rank in virginia." among the communicants of the monumental church have been numbered many of the most prominent men in the virginia capital, and men famous in the early history of the country were attendants from time to time. in february, , general lafayette worshipped in the building. lxvii montpelier, orange county, virginia the lifelong home of james madison james madison was born at the residence of his mother's parents, at port conway, prince george county, virginia, but before long he was taken to his father's house, montpelier, which was the first brick house built in orange county. and montpelier continued to be his home to the day of his death. much of his life was spent in washington, but his heart was always turning to the old virginia plantation where he had spent his boyhood, and he took advantage of every possible opportunity to go there for a longer or shorter visit. the distance to shadwell, where thomas jefferson lived as a boy, was only thirty miles, but these two who were to have such a large place in the early history of america, did not meet until madison was seventeen years old. then lost time was made up. for many years the road between montpelier and the home of jefferson became quite familiar to the friends. in the years before he went to college madison roamed at will over the twenty-five hundred acres of the montpelier estate. he walked and rode, he hunted and fished, he learned to take delight in the quiet scenery of that beautiful blue ridge country. his tutor, who lived on the estate, was his companion on his expeditions. it was probably due to this outdoor life that his health was so much better in virginia than it was at the college of new jersey (princeton college). soon after he graduated in he returned to montpelier, somewhat broken by reason of overwork and lack of exercise. to a college friend in philadelphia he wrote rather pessimistically: "i am too tired and infirm now to look for extraordinary things in this world, for i think my sensations for many months have intimated to me not to expect a long or a healthy life, though it may be better for me after some time; but i hardly dare expect it, and therefore have little spirit or elasticity to set about anything that is difficult in acquiring and useless in possessing after one has exchanged time for eternity." he was right in thinking that he was not to have a healthy life, but he was wrong in thinking it was to be neither long nor eventful. for more than sixty years after he wrote the letter from which quotation has been made, he was energetic and devoted in the service of his country. in may, , he entered the virginia convention, thus beginning the career that led him to eight years in the white house. and after he retired from the presidency much of his time and thought was given to the affairs of the nation. during all these years the thought of his virginia home gave him new strength in the midst of his tasks. that home meant more to him than ever when, in september, , he entered the doors of montpelier with his bride, dorothy todd, the young philadelphia widow whom he had married at harewood, virginia. the estate was still the property of mr. madison's father, and both his father and mother continued to live there. before long the house was enlarged. the rooms so long occupied by the old people were made a part of the new mansion. the two families lived together in perfect harmony. the father lived to see his son president of the united states, and the mother was ninety-eight when she died. william o. stoddard, in his "life of james madison," says that "she kept up the old-fashioned ways of housekeeping; waited upon by her servants who grew old and faded away with her. she divided her time between her bible and her knitting, all undisturbed by the modern hours, the changed customs, or the elegant hospitality of the mansion house itself. she was a central point in the life of her distinguished son, and the object of his most devoted care to the end of her days." for mr. and mrs. madison, real life at montpelier began in , after the close of the stirring period in the white house. they did not have much opportunity to be alone, for guests delighted to come to them, and they liked to have others with them, yet they managed to secure a wonderful amount of joy out of the years spent "within a squirrel's jump of heaven," to use dolly madison's expressive phrase. among the guests were intimate friends like jefferson, who was almost a member of the family. lafayette, too, found his way to the estate, while harriet martineau told in her "recollections" of her pleasant sojourn there. frequently strangers who were on the way to the virginia hot springs took the five-mile detour merely to reach montpelier, and they were always made welcome. the dining-room was large, but there were sometimes so many guests that the table had to be set out of doors. mr. madison wrote in of one such occasion: "yesterday we had ninety persons to dine with us at our table, fixed on the lawn, under a large arbor.... half a dozen only staid all night." after a visit to her parents that was broken into by the presence of guests, a daughter of the house complained to her husband that she had not been able to pass one sociable moment with her father. his reply was sympathetic: "nobody can ever have felt so severely as myself the prostration of family society from the circumstances you mention.... but there is no remedy. the present manners and ways of our country are laws we cannot repeal. they are altering by degrees, and you will live to see the hospitality of the country reduced to the visiting hours of the day, and the family left to tranquillity in the evening." when the steward saw that madison would not curb these guests, he began to cut down on the fodder for the horses, but when the hospitable host learned of this he gave orders that there should be no further attempts of this sort. he realized that he was living beyond his income, but he saw no help for it. he longed for more time in his library or for riding or walking about the estate. the time came when walks had to be taken on the veranda; health was failing rapidly. he was not able to oversee the farm as he had long been accustomed to do, but depended on others. in mrs. madison wrote to her daughter: "my days are devoted to nursing and comforting my sick patient, who walks only from the bed in which he breakfasts to another." still later she wrote: "i never leave my husband more than a few minutes at a time, and have not left the enclosure around our house for the last eight months." when the owner of montpelier died, on june , , he was buried in the cemetery on the estate. mrs. madison spent a few lonely years in the old home, but the property was finally sold to satisfy the debts of her wayward son, payne todd. she was sometimes in actual want before she died, but congress provided for her relief by buying for twenty-five thousand dollars the madison letters and other papers. she lived until july , , and her body was finally laid by the side of that of her husband. william dupont, the present owner of montpelier, has enlarged the house by the addition of a second story to the wings. so the house that was built in by james madison, sr., and was enlarged by james madison, jr., has entered on a new era of hospitality. lxviii oak hill, loudoun county, virginia the home of james monroe's old age james monroe, at twenty-eight, wrote from new york to thomas jefferson, with whom he had studied law: "i shall leave this about the st of october for virginia--fredericksburg. believe me, i have not relinquished the prospect of being your neighbor. the house for which i have requested a plan may possibly be erected near monticello; to fix there, and to have yourself in particular, with what friends we may collect around, for society is my chief object; or rather, the only one which promises to me, with the connection i have formed, real and substantial pleasure; if, indeed, by the name of pleasure it may be called." the "connection" of which the future president wrote was his marriage to miss eliza kortwright of new york. of this he had spoken in an earlier letter to jefferson: "you will be surprised to hear that i have formed the most interesting connection in human life with a young lady in this town, as you know my plan was to visit you before i settled myself, but having formed an attachment to this young lady ... i have found that i must relinquish all other objects not connected with her." monroe was not permitted to practice law long. as united states senator, diplomat, governor, cabinet officer, and president, his time was so fully occupied that no one but a man of his fine physique and endurance could have stood the strain. once, during the war of , according to his friend, judge e. r. watson, when the burden of three of the departments of the government rested on him--state, treasury, and war--he did not undress himself for ten days and nights, and was in the saddle the greater part of the time. after some years he bought an estate in loudoun county, virginia, to which he retired for a brief rest whenever this was possible. for a time the old dormer-windowed house on the property satisfied him, but during his presidential term he built oak hill, the house for which jefferson had prepared the plans. it is said that the nails used in its construction were manufactured on the jefferson estate. the house--which was named oak hill because of the oaks on the lawn, planted by the owner himself, one for each state of the union--has been described by major r. w. n. noland as follows: "the building was superintended by mr. william benton, an englishman, who occupied the mixed relation to mr. monroe of steward, counsellor and friend. the house is built of brick in a most substantial manner, and handsomely finished; it is, perhaps, about x feet, three stories (including basement), and has a wide portico, fronting south, with massive doric columns thirty feet high, and is surrounded by a grove of magnificent oaks covering several acres. while the location is not as commanding as many others in that section, being in lower loudoun where the rolling character of the piedmont region begins to lose itself in the flat lands of tide water, the house in two directions commands an attractive and somewhat extensive view, but on the other side it is hemmed in by mountains, for the local names of which, 'bull run' and 'nigger mountain,' it is to be hoped the late president is in no wise responsible.... the little stream that washes the confines of the oak hill estate once bore the indian name gohongarestaw (the river of swans), and is now called goose creek." after the expiration of his second term as president monroe made oak hill his permanent home, though sometimes he was with his daughter, mrs. gouverneur, in new york. one who was a member of the household during a part of the six years of the life in virginia said that he "looked perhaps older than he was, his face being strongly marked with the lines of anxiety and care." there were many guests at oak hill, among these being madison and jefferson. monroe, in turn, was frequently at monticello and montpelier. his office as regent of the university of virginia also brought him into frequent touch with his two predecessors in the presidency, for they were fellow-members on the board. whenever weather and guests permitted he was accustomed to ride about the estate and through the countryside both morning and evening. one day, when he was seventy-two, his horse fell on him, and his right wrist was sprained so badly that for a time he could not write to his friends, as he had delighted to do. thus he was able to sympathize with madison when a letter came from montpelier a few months later: "in explanation of my microscopic writing, i must remark that the older i grow the more my stiffening fingers make smaller letters, as my feet take shorter steps, the progress in both cases being, at the same time, more fatiguing as well as more slow." monroe's last years of life were saddened by financial difficulties, though even these brought gleams of joy, because of the fidelity of his friends. lafayette, who visited oak hill in , wrote later to his friend a most delicately worded offer of assistance, indicating that he felt it was his right to offer this, since monroe, when minister to france, had exerted himself to bring about the release of lafayette, then a prisoner at olmütz, and had ministered to the wants of madame lafayette. a measure of relief came when congress voted to repay, in part, the extraordinary expense incurred by the statesman during his diplomatic career, but not before he had advertised oak hill for sale and had planned to go to new york to live near his daughter. the estate was later withdrawn from the market, but the plan to go to new york was carried out: he did not see how he could remain after the death of mrs. monroe, which took place in . he did not stay long in new york. on july , , he died. twenty-seven years later, on the one hundredth anniversary of his birth, his body was taken to richmond for burial. there, in his native state, rest the remains of him of whom thomas jefferson said, "he is a man whose soul might be turned inside out without discovering a blemish to the world." lxix red hill, charlotte county, virginia where patrick henry spent his last years patrick henry was only fifty-eight years old when he retired for rest and the enjoyment of family life to his , -acre estate, red hill, in the staunton valley, thirty-eight miles southeast of lynchburg. just before he made this move he wrote to his daughter betsy, "i must give out the law, and plague myself no more with business, sitting down with what i have. for it will be sufficient employment to see after my little flock." he had served his country well for thirty years, as member of the house of burgesses, as speaker of the first continental congress in philadelphia in , in the virginia convention of where he made his most famous speech, and as governor of virginia from to and again from to . he had well earned the rest he hoped to find. washington asked him to become secretary of state and, later, chief justice of the supreme court. john adams nominated him as minister to france. but he resisted all these efforts to draw him from his retirement. the house at red hill was a simple story and a half structure, to which the owner soon added a shed kitchen, solely because he "wished to hear the patter of the rain on the roof." this original portion of the house has been retained intact by later occupants, who have made additions with rare appreciation of what is fitting. the central portion was built by the son of the orator, john henry. the box hedges in which the sage of red hill took such delight have been retained and extended. george morgan, in "the true patrick henry," says that this life in retirement "might be designated as a patriarchal life, if it were not for the fact that the cradle was still rocking at red hill." henry's letters were full of references to his children. once he wrote to his daughter betsy, "i have the satisfaction to inform you that we are well, except johnny, christian, and patrick, and they are recovering fast now." and again, "i have great cause of thankfulness for the health i enjoy, and for that of your mamma and all the children.... we have another son, named winston." william wirt, in his "life of patrick henry," written in , said, "his visitors have not infrequently caught him lying on the floor, with a group of these little ones, climbing over him in every direction, or dancing around him with obstreperous mirth to the tune of his violin, while the only contest seemed to be who should make the most noise." that there were many visitors who had the opportunity to see such contests as these is evident from a paragraph in "homes of american statesmen": "his home was usually filled with friends, its dependences with their retinue and horses. but crowds, besides, came and went; all were received with cordiality.... those who lived near always came to breakfast, when all were welcomed and made full. the larder never seemed to get lean. breakfast over, creature comforts, such as might console the belated for the loss, were promptly set forth on side-tables in the wide entrance-hall.... meanwhile, the master saw and welcomed all with the kindliest attention, asked of their household, listened to their affairs, gave them his view, contented all. these audiences seldom ceased before noon, or the early dinner. to this a remaining party of twenty or thirty often sat down.... the dinner ended, he betook himself to his studies until supper, after which he again gave himself up to enjoyment." not only was he a total abstainer, but as he grew older he came to detest the odor of tobacco; so there were certain refreshments that were never offered to the guests at red hill. during the closing years of his life he spent hours over the bible. every morning he would take his seat in the dining-room, with the big family bible open before him. once he said to a visitor, "this book is worth all the books that ever were printed, and it has been my misfortune that i never found time to read it with the proper attention and feeling till lately. i trust in the mercy of heaven that it is not too late." to betsy, a daughter by his first marriage, he wrote in : "some good people think i am no christian. this thought gives me much more pain than the appellation of tory; because i think religion of infinitely higher importance than politics, and i find much cause to reproach myself that i have lived so long and have given no decided and public proof of my being a christian. but, indeed, my dear child, there is a character which i prize far above all this world has or can boast. and amongst all the handsome things i hear said of you, what gives me the greatest pleasure is, to be told of your piety and steady virtue." as, one by one, the older children grew up and went out from red hill to homes of their own, they were urged to read the bible. dorothea was the first to be married. then came martha catherine, who, at seventeen, fell in love with the hero who rescued her when she fell from a boat into the water. sarah married robert, the brother of the poet thomas campbell. it is said that at one time the poet was engaged to come to red hill as tutor for the younger children of the family, but was unable to keep his promise. because of the constant pleas that were made that he give up his quiet life and reënter politics, henry clay wrote, in : "i shall never more appear in a public character, unless some unlooked-for circumstance shall demand from me a transient effort.... i see with concern our old commander-in-chief most abusively treated--nor are his long and great services remembered, as any apology for his mistakes in an office to which he was totally unaccustomed. if he, whose character as our leader during the whole war was above all praise, is so roughly treated in his old age, what may be expected by men of the common standard of character?" he kept his resolution. a few months after writing this message, when notified that he had been elected governor of virginia, for a third term, he wrote, "my declining years warn me of my inability." but in january, , came an appeal from washington himself that he would present himself as a candidate "if not for congress, which you may think would take you too long from home, as a candidate for representative in the general assembly of the commonwealth." the reasons were given: "your insight of character and influence in the house of representatives would be a bulwark against such dangerous sentiments as are delivered there at present. it would be a rallying point for the timid, and an attraction of the wavering. in a word, i conceive it to be of immense importance at this crisis that you should be there, and i would fain hope that all minor considerations will be made to yield to the measure." though henry knew that he had little strength left, he responded to the appeal. on county court day, the first monday in march, he presented himself before the people at charlotte as a candidate for representative. how they flocked about him! a hampdon-sidney student, henry miller, who heard him that day, said afterward: "he was very infirm, and seated in a chair conversing with some friends who were pouring in from all the surrounding country to hear him. at length he rose with difficulty, and stood, somewhat bowed with age and weakness. his face was almost colorless. his countenance was careworn, and when he commenced his exordium, his voice was slightly cracked and tremulous. but in a few minutes a wonderful transformation of the whole man occurred, as he warmed with his theme. he stood erect; his eyes beamed with a light that was almost supernatural, his features glowed with the hues and fires of youth; and his voice rang clear and melodious, with the intonations of some great musical instrument whose notes filled the area, and fell distinctly and delightfully upon the ears of the most distant of the thousands gathered before him." near the close of this effective address he said: "you can never exchange the present government, but for a monarchy. if the administration have done wrong, let us all go wrong together, rather than split into factions, which must destroy that union upon which our existence hangs. let us preserve our strength for the french, the english, the german, or whoever else shall dare to invade our territory, and not exhaust it in civil commotion and intestine wars." after the conclusion of the oration, henry went back to red hill, and never left it again. in april he was triumphantly elected, but he was unable to take his seat. on june , , he was near death. when the physician offered him a vial of mercury, at the same time telling him that the remedy might prolong his life a little while, or it might be fatal, he drew over his eyes a silken cap which he usually wore, and, holding the vial in his hands, made "a simple childlike prayer for his family, for his country, and for his own soul. afterwards in perfect calm he swallowed the medicine." his last word was to his physician, commending the christian religion, which was so real a benefit to a man about to die. patrick henry and his wife lie side by side in the rear garden of red hill. "his fame his best epitaph" is the simple inscription on the stone above the patriot. [illustration: pohick church, virginia _photo furnished by aymar embury, ii_ see page ] lxx pohick church, truro parish, virginia the home church of george washington both truro parish and george washington were born in , and washington's connection with truro church began in , when his father, augustine washington, became a vestryman, and it continued throughout his life, though during his later years, when services were seldom held there, he went to christ church at alexandria. when washington was a boy he had to make a round trip of eighteen miles, frequently over extremely rough roads, when he wished to attend services. yet he was a faithful attendant, at all seasons. a number of the early rectors of truro were welcome guests at mt. vernon. one of these, charles green, was a physician as well as a minister, as appears from the record that he was called to prescribe for washington in , when the young campaigner was so seriously ill, in consequence of hardships suffered on his western trip, that he said he had "too much reason to apprehend an approaching decay." five years after this illness washington was elected a member of the vestry of the parish, and he was re-elected many times. his record for attendance was unusual, in spite of his many outside engagements. during the years from to thirty-one vestry meetings were held. he was absent from eight of these, once on account of sickness, twice because he was attending the house of burgesses, and at least three times because he was out of the county. for a few months, in , he did not serve, because, on the division of truro parish, mt. vernon was thrown over the line into the new fairfax parish. at once the new parish made him a member of its vestry, but when, in response to a petition which washington helped to present, the house of burgesses changed the parish line so that mt. vernon was once more in truro parish, he resumed his service in the old church. there he maintained his connection with an official body noted for the fact that, at one time or another, it had eleven members in the house of burgesses, two members in his majesty's council for virginia, as well as the author of the virginia bill of rights and the constitution of the state of virginia, george mason. when it was decided that a new church building was needed, washington was instrumental in settling the inevitable discussion as to site that followed. he made a map of the parish, showing where each communicant lived, and recommended that the building be placed at the centre of the parish, as shown by the map. his suggestion was adopted, and a site two miles nearer mt. vernon was chosen. for the new church washington himself drew the plan. he was also active in letting the plan and overseeing the building operation. at an auction of pews, held in , when the church was ready for use, he bought number , next the communion table, for £ , while he paid £ s. for pew . evidently he was thoughtful for the guests who frequently rode with him to service, either in the coach, or in the chaise that followed, or on horseback. when the mt. vernon contingent came to church there was usually quite a procession. under date october , , the diary of washington tells of one of these processions, as well as of an interesting event that followed: "went with fanny bassett, burwell, bassett, doctr stuart, g. a. washington, mr. shaw and nellie custis to pohick church to hear a mr. thompson preach, who returned with me to dinner.... after we were in bed (about eleven o'clock in the evening) mr houdon, sent from paris by doctr franklin and mr jefferson to take my bust, in behalf of the state of virginia ... arrived." for many years pohick church was practically deserted, but there is evidence that services were held here in . davies, an englishman, in his "four years in america," wrote: "about four miles from occoquon is pohick. thither i rode on sunday and joined the congregation of parson weims, who was cheerful in his mien that he might win me to religion. a virginia churchyard on sunday is more like a race-course than a cemetery; the women come in carriages and the men on horses which they tie to the trees. the church bell was suspended from a tree. i was confounded to hear 'steed threaten steed with dreadful neigh,' nor was i less astounded at the rattling of carriage-wheels, the cracking of whips, and the vociferation of the gentlemen to the negroes who attended them; but the discourse of parson weims calmed every perturbation, for he preached the great doctrines of salvation as one who has experienced their power; about half the congregation were negroes." this parson weems was no other than the author of weems' "life of washington," a readable but inaccurate biography that had a great vogue seventy-five years ago. for many years truro church was desolate, and relic hunters made spoil of the furnishings. but since it has been open for services once more. [illustration: mount airy, richmond county, va. _photo by h. p. cook_ see page ] lxxi mount airy, richmond county, virginia the plantation home of colonel john tayloe the purchase for £ of three thousand acres of productive land in charles county, on the potomac, gave a big boost to the fortunes of the tayloe family of virginia. this shrewd purchase was made by colonel john tayloe, the son of william tayloe (or taylor) who came from england in the seventeenth century. william tayloe was a member of the house of burgesses in . his son john became a member of the colonial council in , while his son john, who was born in , also had the honor of serving in the council under lord dunmore, as well as in the first republican council, during the administration of patrick henry. he married the sister of governor george plater of maryland. of his eight daughters one married richard lightfoot lee, a signer of the declaration of independence, while another married colonel william augustine washington, a nephew of george washington, by whom he was educated. colonel john tayloe, the father of three daughters, was the builder of mount airy, which was for many years the most superb mansion in virginia, and was so different from all other mansions that it attracted many visitors, even in the days when transit was difficult. its twenty-five spacious rooms afforded generous accommodation for the guests who were eager to accept the invitations of colonel and mrs. tayloe. among the entertainments provided for these guests by the thoughtful hosts were concerts by a band made up entirely of slaves who had been instructed by their master. on occasion this band was taken to the town house at williamsburg, the capital of the state. the letters of washington show that the builder of mount airy was an ardent patriot, and his friend and associate. these two men were joint executors of the estate of one of the lees. from his headquarters in the craigie house at cambridge the general wrote to mount airy a letter about the estate, asking tayloe to become sole executor. the varied interests of colonel tayloe were indicated by his remarkable will, which asked, among other things, that one part of his estate in prince william county, virginia, and baltimore county, maryland, be kept intact and worked for the making of pig iron. not only did he own a number of other plantations, but he was a large shipowner, and reaped unusual profits from trade. perhaps the best known owner of mount airy was john tayloe, iii, who was born in , and was the only son in a family of twelve. he was educated at eton and cambridge, england. before going abroad he had learned patriotism from his father, and on his return he was ready to administer his estate for the benefit of the country as well as his own family. when his inheritance was turned over to him the income was sixty thousand dollars. within a few years he increased this to seventy-five thousand dollars. his father's iron- and ship-building interests were conserved and enlarged. his master ship-builder at occoquon was his slave reuben. during his residence at mount airy the splendor of the mansion was increased. among his guests were men who had stood shoulder to shoulder with washington during the revolution, and those who later became prominent as associates of hamilton, jay, marshall, and pinckney. he married the daughter of governor ogle of maryland, and had fifteen children. the memorial by one of his sons, benjamin ogle tayloe, says that "his manners were refined and elegant. he was distinguished for his nice sense of honor, and a scrupulous regard to his word at all times. his wife was esteemed for sincerity and kindness of heart, graceful and dignified manners, and true and unaffected piety." he took time for the services of his country. as captain of dragoons he went to western pennsylvania, to help put down the whiskey insurrection. when president adams made him a major of dragoons, general washington wrote to him a warm letter of congratulation, but tayloe hesitated to accept the commission. he had just been elected as a federalist to the virginia senate, and he feared, as he wrote to washington, that if he resigned his seat the place would be filled by an opponent of the administration. on february , , washington replied that he was inclined to believe his civil service would be more important than military service, but he asked that decision be delayed until they could have a personal interview. later, on the breaking out of the war of , he was made commander of the cavalry of the district of columbia, and saw active service. washington's friendship led him to make his winter home in the district of columbia. in he occupied the octagon house, then the finest private residence in the city. when the british burned the white house he was at mount airy. at once he sent a mounted messenger to president madison, offering the use of the octagon as the temporary executive mansion. his establishment at mount airy was maintained in remarkable splendor. his household and equipages were the talk of the neighborhood. a lover of fine horseflesh, he was the owner of some of the swiftest animals of his day. the eldest son, john tayloe, inherited his father's ardor for public service. he was engaged brilliantly in the battles of the _constitution_ with the _guerriere_, and with the _cyano_ and the _levant_. after the action his native state gave him a sword, and he was promoted to a lieutenancy. though he was captured by the british, he lived to return to mount airy, where he died in . his father died four years later, while his mother lived until . mount airy has always been in the hands of a tayloe. it is now in possession of the family of the late henry tayloe. lxxii two of virginia's oldest church buildings st. luke's, in smithfield, and st. peter's, in new kent county captain smith in wrote of his discovery of the indian kingdom of warrosquoyacke. soon settlers were attracted to its fertile lands. twenty-seven years later the more than five hundred residents were organized into isle of wight county. in , the ancient brick church near smithfield was built. the tradition fixing this date was established in , when the date was read in some bricks that fell from the walls. the builder of the staunch church was joseph bridger, who was counsellor of state to charles ii. he is buried not far from the church, and on his tomb is the inscription: "he dyed april anno domini aged years. mournfully leaving his wife, three sons and four daughters." the oldest vestry book dates from , for the first book was destroyed at the time of general arnold's expedition made to isle of wight county, in the effort to capture general parker, of the continental army. fortunately, however, a few other records were saved. an entry in spoke of "the old brick church"; evidently the name st. luke's was of later origin. the architectural beauty of the old building is described in a pleasing manner by aymar embury, ii, the well-known new york architect, in his "early american churches": "the building is an extremely picturesque brick church, reminiscent not of the renaissance work then becoming dominant in england, but of the older gothic; it is not at all unlike many of the small english parish churches of the sixteenth century, when the gothic style was really extinct, although its superficial characteristics, the buttresses and the pointed arch, still obtained. the stepped gable at the chancel end of the church is an unusual feature in english architecture.... the tower is the only part of the building which shows the renaissance influence." when the building was some two hundred years old it began to fall into disrepair; the people preferred to attend the church in smithfield. bishop meade wrote his "old churches and families of virginia" at the time when the old church was most dilapidated. he said: "its thick walls and high tower, like that of some english castle, are still firm, and promise to be for a long time to come. the windows, doors, and all the interior, are gone. it is said that the eastern window--twenty-five feet high--was of stained glass. this venerable building stands not far from the main road leading from smithfield to suffolk, in an open tract of woodland. the trees for some distance round it are large and tall and the foliage dense, so that but little of the light of the sun is thrown upon it. the pillars which strengthen the walls, and which are wide at the base, tapering toward the eaves of the house by stair-steps, have somewhat mouldered, so as to allow various shrubs and small trees to root themselves therein." for nearly fifty years the church was closed. but in rev. david barr, who was in charge of a church nearby, began to raise funds for the reconstruction of the building. he persisted in spite of many discouragements. when matters looked darkest a man who signed himself "a virginian" made the following appeal: "there is still some plastering to be done in the tower, and the pews are to be made or bought. the church cannot be completed until the money is raised. can no generous giver be found who will contribute the money necessary to bring the east window from london?... for sixty odd years the church has stood there silent, without a service, facing and defying storms and decay, appealing in its desolation to every sentiment of the state, of the church and of the nation against abandonment and desertion, and now in its half completed condition, feeling the touch of revival and restoration, it pleads more imploringly still for just enough money to complete the repairs and to enable it once more to enter upon its life of activity, and to utter again with renewed joyousness the ancient but long suppressed voice of prayer and of thanksgiving. shall it appeal in vain?" the appeal was not in vain. the church was completed. twelve beautiful memorial windows were put in place. these bore the names of george washington, joseph bridger, the architect of the church, robert e. lee, rev. william hubbard, the first rector, sir walter raleigh, john rolfe, captain john smith, bishops madison, moore, meade, and johns, and dr. blair, whose connection with bruton church and william and mary college is told in another chapter of this volume. a building that is similar and yet in many respects quite different is in new kent county, about as far above williamsburg as smithfield is below that university town. this is st. peter's church. it is thought that the parish dates from , though the present building was not begun until . the minute which tells of the first plan for the structure is dated august , : "whereas, the lower church of this parish is very much out of repair and standeth very inconvenient for most of the inhabitants of the said parish; therefore ordered that as soon as conveniently may be a new church of brick sixty feet long and twenty fower feet wide in the clear and fourteen feet pitch with a gallery sixteen feet long be built and erected upon the main roade, by the school house near thomas jackson's; and the clerk is ordered to give a copy of this order to capt. nich. merewether who is requested to show the same to will hughes and desire him to draw a draft of said church and to bee at the next vestry." the cost of the new church was one hundred and forty-six thousand pounds of tobacco. this included the main building only, for the belfry was not built until . rev. david mossom, who was rector of the church from to , was the minister who married general washington, at the white house, as the home of his bride was called, a few miles from st. peter's church. the story is told of this eccentric minister that on one occasion, having quarrelled with his clerk, he rebuked him from the pulpit. the latter avenged himself by giving out to the congregation the psalm in which were these lines: "with restless and ungovern'd rage why do the heathen storm? why in such rash attempts engage as they can ne'er perform?" the epitaph on the tomb of mr. mossom in st. peter's churchyard states that he was the first native american admitted to the office of presbyter in the church of england. lxxiii monticello, near charlottesville, virginia the home of thomas jefferson "oh, my young master, they were all burnt, but ah! we saved your fiddle!" so the negro servant replied to thomas jefferson who, on returning from a trip, learning that his home at shadwell had been burned, asked after his books. to the negro's mind the fiddle was the most important thing in the house. fortunately the new mansion, monticello, near charlotte, which he had designed, was so nearly completed that he was able to take up his residence there. two years later he led into the new house his bride, martha skelton, a widow of twenty-three. before the marriage jefferson, in accordance with the virginia law, in company with francis eppes, entered into a license bond, of which the following is a copy: "know all men by these presents that we thomas jefferson and francis eppes are held and firmly bound to the sovereign lord the king his heirs and successors in the sum of fifty pounds current money of virginia, to the paiment of which well and truly to be made we bind ourselves jointly and severally, our joint and several heirs, executors and administrators, in witness whereof we have hereto set our hands and seals this twenty-third day of december in the year of our lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy one. the condition of the above obligation is such that if there be no lawful cause to obstruct a marriage intended to be had and solemnized between the above bound thomas jefferson and martha skelton of the county of charles county, widow, for which a license is desired, then this obligation is to be null and void, otherwise the same is in full force." edward bacon, who was overseer at monticello for twenty years, described the estate in vivid words: "monticello is quite a high mountain, in the shape of a sugar-loaf. a winding road led up to the mansion. on the very top of the mountain the forest trees were cut down, and ten acres were cleared and levelled.... i know every room in that house. under the house and the terrace that surrounded it, were the cisterns, ice-house, cellar, kitchen, and rooms for all sorts of purposes. his servants' rooms were on one side.... there were no negro and other out-houses around the mansion, as you generally see on plantations. the grounds around the house were beautifully ornamented with flowers and shrubbery.... back of the house was a beautiful lawn of two or three acres, where his grandchildren used to play. "his garden was on the side of the mountain. i had it built while he was president. it took a great deal of labor. we had to blow out the rocks for the walls for the different terraces, and then make the soil.... i used to send a servant to washington with a great many fine things for his table, and he would send back the cart loaded with shrubbery." jefferson spent most of his time on his estate until his death in , except when he was called away for the service of his country. nine years after the beginning of the happy married life in monticello there was a panic among the servants because of the approach of the british. because jefferson was governor of virginia, it was thought that of course the mansion would be pillaged. mrs. jefferson was put in the carriage and sent to a place of safety, while mr. jefferson remained at home, collecting his most valuable papers. later he followed his family. but when the soldiers reached the estate, the first inquiry of the leader of the party was for the master of the house. when he learned that jefferson had escaped, he asked for the owner's private rooms, and, on being shown the door which led to them, he turned the key in the lock and ordered that nothing in the house should be touched. this, it was explained, was in strict accordance with the orders that had been given by general tarleton; their sole duty was to seize the governor. a year later, when the marquis de chastellux, a nobleman from france, visited monticello, he was charmed with the house of which mr. jefferson was the architect, and often one of the workmen. he said it was "rather elegant, and in the italian taste, though not without fault; it consists of one large square pavilion, the entrance of which is by two porticoes, ornamented with pillars. the ground floor consists of a very large lofty saloon, which is to be decorated entirely in the antique style; above it is a library of the same size; two small wings, with only a ground floor and attic story, are joined to this pavilion, and communicate with the kitchen, offices, etc., which will form a kind of basement story, over which runs a terrace." another attractive picture was given by the duc de la rochefoucauld-liancourt, after his visit to monticello in . he noted the fact that jefferson owned five thousand acres, of which but eleven hundred were cultivated. "i found him in the midst of the harvest," he wrote, "from which the scorching heat of the sun does not prevent his attendance.... every article is made on his farm: his negroes are cabinet makers, carpenters, masons, bricklayers, smiths, etc. the children he employs in a nail factory, which yields already a considerable profit.... his superior mind directs the management of his domestic concerns with the same abilities, activity and regularity which he evinced in the conduct of public affairs." long absence from home and lavish hospitality wrecked the jefferson fortune, and when the owner of monticello finally returned home after his eight years as president, he was compelled to curtail his expenses. but still he made guests welcome. it is said that at times there were as many as fifty guests in the house at one time. one of those who sought the sage of monticello in was lieutenant francis hall, who wrote of his veneration as he looked on "the man who drew up the declaration of american independence, who shared in the councils by which her freedom was established, when the unbought voices of his fellow-citizens called to the exercise of a dignity from which his own moderation impelled him, when such an example was most salutary, to withdraw; and who, while he dedicates the evening of his glorious days to the pursuits of science and literature, shuns none of the humble duties of private life; but, having filled a seat higher than that of kings, succeeds with graceful dignity to that of the good neighbor, and becomes the friendly adviser, lawyer, physician, and even gardener of his vicinity." july , , the fiftieth anniversary of the declaration of independence, was the day of jefferson's death. the sale of his estate was sufficient to pay all his debts. to his daughter who was thus made homeless, the legislatures of south carolina and virginia each voted as a gift $ , . on the stone placed over the grave of the sage of monticello was carved the inscription which he himself had asked for: "here was buried thomas jefferson, author of the declaration of american independence, of the statute of virginia for religious freedom, and father of the university of virginia." [illustration: university of virginia, charlottesville, va. _photo by h. p. cook_ see page ] lxxiv the university of virginia at charlottesville the child of thomas jefferson's old age when thomas jefferson retired from the presidency he was surrounded at monticello by his daughter, her husband, and eleven grandchildren. daily association with the young people made him more anxious than ever to carry out a plan that was the growth of years. he wanted to see other children as happy as were those in his own home, and he felt that the one thing he could do to increase their happiness would be to see that the state made provision for their education. during the remainder of his life he never lost sight of his project. while he did not live to see his system of common schools established in virginia, it was his joy to see the university of virginia grow under his hands from an academy to a college and then to a university. from he labored for state appropriations for the school. a friend in the state senate assisted him nobly. the reader of the published volume of the correspondence between the two men, a volume of pages, will see how untiring was the labor that had its reward when the appropriation of funds made sure the founding of the university. three hundred thousand dollars were provided for construction, as well as $ , a year for maintenance. jefferson himself drew the plans for the buildings and superintended the construction. sarah n. randolph, in "the domestic life of thomas jefferson," says that "the architectural plan and form of government and instruction for this institution afforded congenial occupation for his declining years.... while the buildings were being erected, his visits to them were daily; and from the northeast corner of the terrace at monticello he frequently watched the workmen engaged on them, through a telescope which is still [ ] preserved in the library of the university." edmund bacon, the overseer at monticello, gave to hamilton w. pierson, the author of "jefferson at monticello," a humorous account of the early days of the project: "the act of the legislature made it the duty of the commissioners to establish the university within one mile of the court house at charlottesville. they advertised for proposals for a site. three men offered sites. the commissioners had a meeting at monticello, and then went and looked at all these sites. after they had made their examination, mr. jefferson sent me to each of them, to request them to send by me their price, which was to be sealed up. lewis and craven each asked $ per acre, and perry, $ . that was a mighty big price in those days.... they took perry's forty acres, at $ per acre. it was a poor old turned-out field, though it was finely situated. mr. jefferson wrote the deed himself. afterwards mr. jefferson bought a large tract near it. it had a great deal of timber and rock on it, which was used in building the university. "my next instruction was to get ten able-bodied hands to commence the work.... mr. jefferson started from monticello to lay off the foundation, and see the work commenced. an irishman named dinsmore, and i, went along with him. as we passed through charlottesville, i ... got a ball of twine, and dinsmore found some shingles and made some pegs.... mr. jefferson looked over the ground some time, and then stuck down a peg.... he carried one end of the line, and i the other, in laying off the foundation of the university. he had a little ruler in his pocket that he always carried with him, and with this he measured off the ground, and laid off the entire foundation, and then set the men at work." this foot-rule was shown to dr. pierson by mr. bacon, who explained how he secured it: "mr. jefferson and i were once going along the bank of the canal, and in crawling through some bushes and vines, it [the ruler] fell out of his pocket and slid down the bank into the river. some time after that, when the water had fallen, i went and found it, and carried it to mr. jefferson. he told me i ... could keep it.... when i die, that rule can be found locked up in that drawer. "after the foundations were nearly completed, they had a great time laying the corner-stone. the old field was covered with carriages and people. there was an immense crowd there. mr. monroe laid the corner-stone. he was president at that time.... he held the instruments, and pronounced it square. i can see mr. jefferson's white head just as he stood there and looked on. "after this he rode there from monticello every day while the university was building, unless the weather was very stormy.... he looked after all the materials, and would not allow any poor materials to go into the building if he could help it." a letter from jefferson to john adams, written on october , , spoke of the "hoary winter of age." "against this _tedium vitae_," he said, "i am fortunately mounted on a hobby, which, indeed, i should have better managed some thirty or forty years ago; but whose easy amble is still sufficient to give exercise and amusement to an octogenary rider. this is the establishment of a university, on a scale more comprehensive, and in a country more healthy and central than our old william and mary, which these obstacles have long kept in a state of languor and inefficiency." in designing the buildings jefferson acknowledged his indebtedness to palladio, who guided him in his adaptation of roman forms. the visitor who is familiar with rome is reminded of the baths of diocletian, the baths of caracalla, and the temple of fortuna virilis, while a reduction of the pantheon, with a rotunda, is the central feature of the group. the university was opened in march, . forty students were in attendance, though at the beginning of the second year the number was increased to one hundred and seventy-seven. the central feature of the collection of buildings, the wonderful rotunda, was badly injured in the fire of which destroyed the annex. the rotunda was soon rebuilt according to jefferson's original plan, and the group of buildings is more beautiful than ever. seven: through the sunny south _the long, grey moss that softly swings in solemn grandeur from the trees, like mournful funeral draperies,-- a brown-winged bird that never sings._ albert bigelow paine. _o magnet-south! o glistening perfumed south! my south! o quick mettle, rich blood, impulse and love! good and evil! o all dear to me! o dear to me my birth-things--all moving things and the trees where i was born--the grains, plants, rivers, dear to me my own slow sluggish rivers where they flow, distant, over flats of silvery sands or through swamps._ _o the cotton plant! the growing fields of rice, sugar, hemp! the cactus guarded with thorns, the laurel-tree with large white flowers, the range afar, the richness and barrenness, the old woods charged with mistletoe and trailing moss, the piney odor and the gloom, the awful natural stillness (here in these dense swamps the freebooter carries his gun, and the fugitive has his conceal'd hut;)_ the mocking bird, the american mimic, singing all the forenoon, singing through the moonlit night, the humming bird, the wild turkey, the raccoon, the opossum; a kentucky corn-field, the tall, graceful, long-leav'd corn, slender, flapping, bright green, with tassels, with beautiful ears each well-sheath'd in its husk; o my heart! o tender and fierce pangs, i can stand them not, i will depart; o to be a virginian where i grew up! o to be a carolinian! o longings irrepressible! o i will go back to old tennessee and never wander more. walt whitman. seven: through the sunny south lxxv three old churches in charleston, south carolina st. michael's, st. philip's, and the huguenot church, relics of colonial days the oldest church building in charleston, south carolina, st. michael's protestant episcopal church, is a relic of three wars. at the beginning of the revolution the rector and the vestry disagreed; the rector was a loyalist and most of the members were patriots. accordingly the rector resigned. later the beautiful tower, which is unlike any other church tower in america, was painted black, lest it become a guiding beacon to the british fleet. unfortunately the black tower against the blue sky proved a better guide than a white tower would have been. the clear-toned bells, which were cast in london in , were taken from the tower when the british evacuated the city in , and were sold in london as spoils of war. fortunately a mr. ryhiner, once a merchant in charleston, learned of this, bought them, and sent them to charleston as a business venture. when the bells were landed on the wharf from the brig _lightning_, on november , --according to johnson's "traditions of charleston"--"the overjoyed citizens took possession, and hurried them up to the church and into the steeple, without thinking that they might be violating a private right." in june, , mr. ryhiner asked for payment for the bells. later a subscription was ordered to pay the merchant. during the british occupation of the city horses were stabled in the church, and the lead roof was removed, for use in bullet making. in and the church figured in the second war with great britain. the vestry, whose patriotism was as great as ever, opened the building more than once for meetings of the citizens who wished to consider what they could do to help their country in the impending conflict. during the civil war the bells were taken to columbia, to be cast into cannon. fortunately they were not used for this purpose, but during sherman's march to the sea they were burned and broken into small pieces. a friend of the church in london, on learning of the disaster, searched records of the bell-founders till he learned who had cast the bells. these records told the proportions of metal used and the sizes of the bells. then the londoner wrote to charleston and asked that the fragments be sent to him. when these were received in london they were recast in the original moulds, which were discovered by an old employee. the cost of recasting the bells and restoring them to their places in the steeple was $ , , of which sum the city council contributed $ , ; $ , , the charge made for import duty, was later returned to the church by special act of congress. for nearly twenty years after the receipt of these new-old bells, they were used to sound fire-alarms, as well as for calling to the services of the church. the venerable building has suffered from fire, wind, and earthquake, as well as from war. in a cyclone damaged the spire and the roof, and in earthquake cracked the walls, destroyed a portion of the tower, and did so much further damage that a charleston paper spoke of it as the "saddest wreck of all." at first it was feared that the building would have to be demolished, but repairs were found to be possible at a cost of $ , . the structure dates from , when governor glenn of south carolina laid the corner stone. the cost was $ , . . st. michael's parish was set off in from st. philip's parish. the first st. philip's church was burned in or . a second church was opened in . this famous building survived until , in spite of wars and fires. the building was saved during the fire of by a slave who climbed to the tower and threw to the ground a burning brand. as a reward the vestry purchased his freedom. but during the great fire of february , , the edifice was destroyed. the old church had been so much a part of the life of the city and was so thoroughly identified with the history of the country, that the citizens rejoiced when the decision was reached to rebuild it in practically every detail like the original, with the addition of a chancel and spire. older than either st. philip's or st. michael's, as an organization, is the huguenot church of charleston. the early records of the congregation were destroyed in the fire of , though the building was saved. this first building was blown up during the fire of , in a vain effort to stay the progress of the conflagration. a second building followed in , and the present building was erected in , when english displaced the french language in the services. many of the early members became famous in history. the tablets erected to their memory are so numerous that the huguenot church might well dispute with st. philip's church the title, "the westminster of south carolina." [illustration: pringle house, charleston, s. c. _photo by h. p. cook_ see page ] lxxvi the house of rebecca motte, charleston, south carolina the spartan matron who helped burn her own property charleston, south carolina, was only about thirty years old when the englishman, robert brewton, and the huguenot exile, john de la motte, took up their residence there. in robert brewton's daughter rebecca married jacob motte, grandson of the huguenot. three daughters came to the motte home, and the family lived quietly until the outbreak of the revolution. in mrs. motte's brother, miles brewton, sailed for england with his family, intending to leave them with relatives there while he returned to charleston for the service of his country. but the vessel was lost, and was never heard from again. his charleston house on king street, which was built about , became the property of his sister. when the war broke out, mrs. motte, knowing that it was impossible for her husband to become a soldier because of his failing health, decided to do her part for her country. fortifications were to be built, and many laborers were needed, so she sent to her plantation for all the able-bodied men; these she placed at the disposal of those in charge of the work of defence. she had her reward when, first in , and again in , the british forces were unable to secure possession of the town. the third attempt, made by sir henry clinton in , was successful. for nearly three years the town was in the enemy's control. the motte house was made headquarters by clinton and his staff. the mottes were crowded into a small room, while the british lived in comfort in the large apartments. mrs. motte divided her time between her invalid husband, her timid daughters, and the invaders. it was her custom to preside at the long dinner table, but the young ladies were never allowed to appear in the presence of the officers. a reminder of the presence of the unwelcome guests is still to be seen on the marble mantel in one of the rooms--a caricature of clinton scratched on the polished surface, evidently with a diamond point. in the same room the women of charleston--who were accustomed to go about the streets in mourning, during the period of the occupation--presented a petition to lord rawdon, asking for the pardon of isaac hayne, a patriot who had been condemned for some infraction of the regulations of the invaders. their petition for clemency was in vain, though it was emphasized by the presence of hayne's two little children. after the death of mr. motte, in january, , mrs. motte and her daughters secured permission to leave charleston that they might return to the family plantation on the congaree, thirty or forty miles from columbia. they were disappointed in their desire to be alone, for it was not long till the english decided to build on the estate one of their long line of military stations. earthworks were thrown up around the house, which became known as fort motte. again the family were crowded into a few rooms, while officers occupied the remainder. after a time mrs. motte was asked to retire to a small house on the plantation, a rough structure, covered with weather-boards, unplastered and only partially lined. at first it seemed that there was no place here to conceal the silverware brought from fort motte. how the difficulty was solved has been told in "worthy women of our first century": "some one suggested that the unfinished state of the walls of their sitting-room afforded a convenient hiding place; and they set to work to avail themselves of it. nailing tacks in the vacancy between the outer and inner boarding, and tying strings around the various pieces of silver, they hung them along the inner wall. shortly afterwards a band of marauders did actually invade the premises; and one more audacious than the others jumped on a chair and thrust his bayonet into the hollow wall, saying he would soon find what they had come in search of; but, rapping all along on the floor within the wall, he did not once strike against anything to reward bad perseverance." after a time general marion and colonel lee led up troops for the siege of fort motte. fearing that british reinforcements were on the way, they decided they must make an attack at once. the best way seemed to be to set fire to the main building. the american leaders, knowing that this was the home of mrs. motte, took counsel with her. "do not hesitate a moment," was the prompt reply of the patriotic woman. then she added, "i will give you something to facilitate the destruction." so saying, she handed to general lee a quiver of arrows from the east indies which, so she had been told by the ship captain who brought them to charleston, would set on fire any wood against which they were thrown. two of the arrows were fired from a gun without result, but the third set fire to the shingles of the house. the efforts of the garrison to extinguish the flames were in vain, and before long the fortress was surrendered to the patriots. in later years, when mrs. motte was praised for her part in the siege, she was accustomed to say, "too much has been made of a thing that any american woman would have done." after the war mrs. motte returned to the house in charleston. the daughters married, and numerous grandchildren played in the rooms where the british officers lived during the occupation of charleston. the youngest of these granddaughters lived in the house in , when the story of rebecca motte was written for the women's centennial executive committee. during her last years in the old mansion, mrs. motte was proudly pointed out to visitors to the city. one of her great-grandchildren said that at the time "she was rather under-sized and slender, with a pale face, blue eyes, and grey hair that curled slightly under a high-crowned ruffled mob-cap. she always wore a square white neckerchief pinned down in front, tight sleeves reaching only to the elbow, with black silk mittens on her hands and arms; a full skirt with huge pockets, and at her waist a silver chain, from which hung her pin-cushion and scissors and a peculiarly bright bunch of keys." the body of this gracious patriot was buried in old st. philip's church, another of the revolutionary landmarks of the palmetto city. the mansion which she made famous should be called the brewton house, or the motte house. but a motte married an alston, and an alston married a pringle, and so many families of the latter name have been associated with the place that their name is popularly given to it. [illustration: independent presbyterian church, savannah, ga. _photo furnished by rev. rockwell s. brank, savannah_ see page ] lxxvii the independent church, savannah, georgia for which king george ii made a land grant when george ii, of his "special grace, certain knowledge and meer motion," gave a deed for a lot in savannah, "in our province of georgia," he declared that it was "for the use and benefit of such of our loving subjects ... as are or shall be professors of the doctrines of the church of scotland, agreeable to the westminster confession of faith." the further stipulation was made that the annual rent, if demanded, should be "one pepper corn." the date of the grant was january , , and within the three years allowed for the erection of the building a brick structure was ready for the use of the independent presbyterian church. the church was independent in fact as well as in name. there was at first no presbytery in georgia with which it could unite, and when a presbytery was organized, this independent relation continued. the first pastor was rev. john joachim zubly, who came to the colonies from switzerland. he remained with the church until , and became a prominent figure among the patriots of the early years of the revolution. when the first provincial congress of georgia met in savannah, july , , it adjourned, immediately after organization, to the independent church, where dr. zubly preached a sermon for which he received the public thanks of congress. _the london magazine_ for january, , contained an impassioned appeal for the colonies, which was signed by dr. zubly. the editor stated that the communication was printed at the request of "an old correspondent," who signed himself "o." it is supposed that this correspondent was general james e. oglethorpe, the founder of georgia. a few months later dr. zubly went to philadelphia, as a member of the second continental congress. he had also been a member of the first congress in . during the siege of savannah by the british the church building was badly injured by british cannon, in spite of the fact that it was used as a hospital. later the british used the church as barracks. a visitor who entered the city in said that he found the church in a ruinous condition. it was promptly repaired, however, and services were resumed. but there was another pastor in the pulpit. in dr. zubly resigned, probably because, for some strange reason, he deserted the colonies and made known his allegiance to great britain. fire destroyed the original building in , and a fine new church was built. twenty-one years later the rapidly increasing congregation made necessary a much larger structure. the new church was modelled after st. martin's-in-the-fields, london, and more than two years were required for its construction. the cost was $ , . ½, a large sum for that day in a town of ten thousand people. although the middle aisle was eleven feet wide and each of the side aisles four and a half feet wide, there were seatings for , people. the beautifully proportioned steeple was feet high. the day after the dedication a local paper said that "for grandeur of design and nature of execution, we presume this church is not surpassed by any in the united states." many architectural writers have told rapturously of the wonders of this building. president james monroe and his suite, as well as many other distinguished visitors, were reverent worshippers in the church on the day of dedication. lowell mason, who was organist of the church from to , composed the popular melody to which bishop heber's missionary hymn, "from greenland's icy mountains," is usually sung. this melody was first played by him for the sunday school of the church, whose organization dates from . dr. s. k. axson, the grandfather of ellen axson, the first wife of president woodrow wilson, was pastor of the church from to . the wilson marriage ceremony was performed by dr. axson in the manse of the church. all savannah mourned when, on april , , firebrands tossed by the wind lodged on a cornice of the graceful steeple, too high to be reached. soon the old church was in ruins. but the city resolved that the historic church must be restored. a new building was erected which is an exact reproduction of the former church. to it, as to its predecessors, ecclesiastical architects go on pilgrimage as a part of their education. one of the old customs still continued in the church is the assembling of the communicants at a table which is laid the entire length of the broad aisle, as well as in the transept aisle. [illustration: the cabildo, new orleans, la. _photo by ph. b. wallace_ see page ] lxxviii the cabildo of new orleans which saw the transfer of louisiana to the united states when count alejandro o'reilly, irish lieutenant-general of spain, entered new orleans on july , , he came as the avenger of the disorders that followed the transfer of louisiana to spain by the treaty of paris. after putting to death some of the leaders in the revolt, he reorganized the civil government. among other innovations he instituted the cabildo as the law-making body for the province, to take the place of the french superior council. the meeting place was a building on the place d'armes. in this square, on the coming of o'reilly, the flag of france had been displaced by that of spain as aubrey said, "gentlemen, by order of the king, my master, i absolve you from your oath of fidelity and obedience to his most christian majesty." the spanish and french officers then had gone together to the cathedral, next door to the meeting place of the cabildo. the original building occupied by the cabildo was destroyed in the fire of , when, in less than five hours, eight hundred and sixteen buildings were burned. the loss, amounting to three million dollars, was a blessing in disguise, for it cleared the ground for the reconstruction of the city under the leadership of don andres almonaster y roxas, who was a member of the cabildo. he had become rich since his arrival with the spaniards, and he had a vision of a city glorified through his wealth. first he built a schoolhouse, a church, and a hospital. on one side of the church he built a convent; on the other side he erected a new town hall, the cabildo. the walls--which are as sturdy to-day as in --are of brick, half the thickness of the ordinary brick. shell lime was used for the mortar. originally the cabildo was two stories in height, with a flat roof; the mansard roof was added in . at the same time the open arches of the second story loggia that corresponded to the arcade on the ground floor were closed, that there might be more room for offices. for eight years more the cabildo continued its sessions under spanish rule. then came the news that louisiana had been transferred by spain to france. great preparations were made for the ceremonies that were to accompany the lowering of the spanish flag and the raising of the french colors in the square before the cabildo. then the prefect laussat was thunderstruck by the coming of word that napoleon had appointed a commission not only to receive the colony from spain but also to give it into the hands of the united states, to whom the vast territory had been sold. the first transfer took place on november , . the official document was signed in the sala capitular, the hall where the cabildo met, and was read from the centre gallery. then the tricolor of france replaced the flag of spain. december , , was the date of the transfer to the united states. the american commission met the french commission in the sala capitular of the hôtel de ville, or city hall, as the french called the cabildo. governor claiborne received the keys of the city, and the tricolor on the flagstaff gave way to the stars and stripes. a vast company of citizens watched the ceremonies, listened to the addresses, and looked at the american troops in the square, as well as at the french soldiers who were to have no further power in the province. grace king, in "new orleans, the place and the people," tells what followed: "when, twenty-one days before, the french flag was flung to the breeze, for its last brief reign in louisiana, a band of fifty old soldiers formed themselves into a guard of honor, which was to act as a kind of death watch to their national colors. they stood now at the foot of the staff and received in their arms the tricolor as it descended, and while the americans were rending the air with their shouts, they marched silently away, their sergeant bearing it at their head. all uncovered before it; the american troops, as they passed, presented arms to it. it was carried to the government house, and left in the hands of laussat." during the years since that momentous transfer the cabildo has continued to be the centre of historical interest in new orleans. in lafayette was quartered here. in president mckinley was received in the building. in the centennial of the louisiana purchase was observed in the sala capitular, which had been for many years the meeting place of the state supreme court. the great hall is almost as it was when the cabildo of don almonaster met there. since the cabildo, in common with the presbytere, the old civil district court, a building of nearly the same age and appearance, located on the other side of the cathedral, has been the louisiana state museum. the curios are shown in a large hall on the ground floor. among these is the flag used by general jackson at the battle of new orleans. from this hall of relics a door leads to a courtyard, which is lined by tiers of gloomy cells. stocks and other reminders of the old spanish days are in evidence. the old place d'armes is now called jackson square. on either side are the pontalba buildings, which were erected by the daughter of don andres almonaster y roxas, who inherited millions from her generous father. on the spot where the stars and stripes were raised in is the statue to general jackson, the victor of the battle of new orleans, to which the same public-spirited woman was a large contributor. the tomb of don andres is shown in the cathedral he gave to the people, by the side of the cabildo which he built for the city he loved. lxxix the alamo, san antonio, texas "thermopylÃ� had her messenger of defeat: the alamo had none" early in the eighteenth century the spaniards built in texas, then a part of mexico, a number of staunch structures that were designed to serve not only as chapels but also as fortresses. the mission that at length became known as the alamo was first built on the rio grande in , and during the next forty-seven years was rebuilt four times in a new location, before it was given a final resting-place at san antonio, on the banks of the alazan river. there it was called alamo, or poplar church. though the alamo was begun in , it was not completed until . for nearly eighty years there was nothing specially notable about the building. then came the events that made the name famous. in sam houston was sent to texas by president jackson to arrange treaties with the indians for the protection of settlers on the border. just at this time settlers in texas, which was then a part of the state of coahuila, were seeking equal privileges with the other mexican states. most of the settlers had come from the united states, and they hoped that in time texas might become a part of that country. on february , , houston wrote to president jackson that the time was ripe for getting hold of the country. less than three months later he was asked to serve as a delegate to a constitutional convention, which demanded from mexico the organization of the territory into states, and was made the chairman of the committee which drew up for the proposed states a constitution based on that of the united states. stephen f. austin, who has been called "the father of texas," went to mexico city with the petition. but he was imprisoned, and the request of texas was denied by santa anna, president of mexico. later, when the colonists attempted to defend themselves against the indians and other lawbreakers, the demand was made that they give up their arms. the organization of a provincial government followed in , and houston was chosen commander-in-chief of the army. the brief war with mexico was marked by a number of heroic events, chief of which was the defence of the alamo, where a small force of texans resisted more than ten times the number of mexicans. when the army of santa anna approached san antonio, on february , , one hundred and forty-five men, under the leadership of colonel james bowie and lieutenant-colonel william b. travis, retired within the church fortress. for nearly two weeks these heroic men defended themselves, and the enemy did not gain entrance until every one of them was killed. the details of the heroic struggle were not known until , when captain r. m. potter printed an account in the san antonio _herald_, in which he had patiently pieced together the reports that came to him through those whom he regarded most dependable among the besiegers, and from one who was an officer in the garrison until within a few days of the assault. within the walls a well had been dug on the very day the mexican army entered the town. thus a plentiful supply of water supplemented the store of meat and corn for the defenders. a message sent out by colonel travis on the night of march told of the events of the first days of the siege: "with a hundred and forty-five men i have held this place ten days against a force variously estimated from , to , , and i shall continue to hold it till i get relief from my countrymen, or i will perish in the attempt. we have had a shower of bombs and cannon-balls continually falling among us the whole time, yet none of us have fallen." santa anna led a final assault on march . scaling ladders, axes, and fascines were to be in the hands of designated men. five columns were to approach the wall just at daybreak. at the first onset colonel travis was killed and breaches were made in the walls. the outer walls and batteries were abandoned, and the defenders retired to the different rooms within. "from the doors, windows, and loopholes of the several rooms around the area the crack of the rifle and the hiss of the bullet came fierce and fast; as fast the enemy fell and recoiled in his first efforts to charge. the gun beside which travis fell was now turned against the buildings, as were also some others, and shot after shot was sent crashing through the doors and barricades of the several rooms. each ball was followed by a storm of musketry and a charge; and thus room after room was carried at the point of the bayonet, when all within them had died fighting to the last. the struggle was made up of a number of separate and desperate combats, often hand to hand, between squads of the garrison and bodies of the enemy. the bloodiest spot about the fort was the long barrack and the ground in front of it, where the enemy fell in heaps." david crockett was among those who were killed in one of the rooms. he had joined the defenders a few days before the beginning of the siege. the chapel was the last point taken. "once the enemy in possession of the large area, the guns could be turned to fire into the door of the church, only from fifty to a hundred yards off. the inmates of the last stronghold fought to the last, and continued to fire down from the upper works after the enemy occupied the floor. towards the close of the struggle lieutenant dickenson, with his child in his arms, or, as some accounts say, tied to his back, leaped from the east embrasure of the chapel, and both were shot in the act. of those he left behind him the bayonet soon gleaned what the bullet had left; and in the upper part of that edifice the last defender must have fallen." this final assault lasted only thirty minutes. in that time the defenders of texas won immortal fame. four days before, the republic of texas had been proclaimed. those who fell in the alamo were hailed the heroes of the struggle. "remember the alamo!" was the battle cry of the war for independence that was waged until the mexican army was routed at san jacinto, april , . on the capitol grounds at austin, texas, stands a monument to the heroes of the alamo, with the inscription: "thermopylæ had her messenger of defeat; the alamo had none." [illustration: the hermitage, nashville, tenn. _photo by wiles, nashville_ see page ] lxxx the hermitage, nashville, tennessee andrew jackson's retreat in the intervals of his public service andrew jackson was a pioneer. from north carolina he crossed the mountains to what was then the western district. he was a lawyer, but he wanted to be a farmer also. his first land purchase was made in . this land was lost in the effort to pay the debts of another. the second effort at farming was more successful. this was begun in , when he bought a tract of some twenty-eight thousand acres, six thousand acres of which he retained permanently as the hermitage plantation. from the beginning he showed that he had a genius for farming. crops were large, and his wealth grew rapidly, until he became the wealthiest man in all that country. after a few years he became famous as a breeder of race horses. he owned a track of his own not far from the mansion. for fifteen years mr. and mrs. jackson lived in a log cabin. but they maintained a large establishment. they had their slaves, and they drove in a carriage drawn by four horses. and they entertained royally. jackson's biographer, james parton, tells of a nashville lady who said that she had often been at the hermitage "when there were in each of the four available rooms not a guest merely, but a family, while the young men and solitary travellers who chanced to drop in disposed themselves on the piazza, or any other shelter about the house." the log house was still the plantation-house when general jackson's neighbors gathered to welcome him home as the victor of new orleans. in the response he gave to their greeting he made a prophecy: "years will continue to develop our inherent qualities, until, from being the youngest and the weakest, we shall become the most powerful nation in the universe." general jackson was popular with all in the neighborhood of the plantation. to his slaves he was a hero. to his wife he was devoted. parton says that he always treated her as if she was his pride and glory. and words can faintly describe her devotion to him. she also was popular among the servants; her treatment of them was courteous in the extreme. a visitor to the hermitage told of being present at the hour of evening devotions. just before these began the wife of the overseer came into the room. mrs. jackson rose and made room for her on the sofa. one of the guests expressed her surprise to a lady sitting next her. "that is the way here," the lady whispered, "and if she had not done it, the general would." peter cartwright, the famous pioneer preacher, told in his autobiography an incident that revealed the general's nature. cartwright was preaching, when the pastor of a church, who was with him in the pulpit, leaned forward and whispered, "general jackson has just come in." the outspoken preacher replied, so that every one could hear: "what is that if general jackson has come in? in the eyes of god he is no bigger than any other man!" after the service jackson told mr. cartwright of his hearty approval of the sentiment. that there might be more room for entertaining passing strangers like mr. cartwright, as well as hosts of friends, jackson began to build the hermitage in , of brick made on the plantation. when this house was burned in , a new house was built on the old foundation, and with the same general plan. the building has the rather unusual length of feet. six pillars support the roof in front and in rear. between the building of the first house and its successor came most of jackson's political career. during this period also was the visit of general lafayette. on this occasion the frenchman, recognizing the pair of pistols which he had given to washington in , said that he had a real satisfaction in finding them in the hands of one so worthy of possessing them. "yes, i believe myself to be worthy of them," jackson began his reply, in words that seemed far less modest than the conclusion proved them; for he added: "if not for what i have done, at least for what i wished to do, for my country." the hermitage never seemed the same place to jackson after the death of his wife, on december , , only a few days after his first election to the presidency. two years after his final return from washington, after attending service at the little presbyterian church on the estate, he begged the pastor, dr. edgar, to return home with him. the pastor was unable to accept, but promised to be on hand early in the morning. all night the general read and prayed. next morning, when dr. edgar came, he asked to be admitted to the church. parton says that from this time to the end of his life "general jackson spent most of his leisure hours in reading the bible, biblical commentaries, and the hymn-book, which last he always pronounced in the old-fashioned way, _hime_-book. the work known as 'scott's bible' was his chief delight; he read it through twice before he died. nightly he read prayers in the presence of his family and household servants." soon after he united with the church, the congregation wished to choose him to the office of elder. "no," he said, "i am too young in the church for such an office. my countrymen have given me high honors, but i should esteem the office of ruling elder in the church of christ a far higher honor than any i have ever received." for six years he continued to be an unofficial member of the church. then, on june , , he said to those who had gathered about his death-bed: "i am my god's. i belong to him. i go but a short time before you, and i want to meet you all, white and black, in heaven." less than two months before his death, when the president and directors of the national institute proposed that an imported sarcophagus in their possession be set apart for his last resting-place, he declined, because he wished to lie by the side of his wife, in the garden of the hermitage. until andrew jackson, jr., and after his death, his widow occupied the house, during the last thirty-two years of this period as caretakers for the state, which had bought the property for $ , . since the mansion and twenty-five acres of ground have been cared for by the ladies' hermitage association. [illustration: ashland, lexington, ky. _photo by e. c. hall_ see page ] lxxxi ashland, lexington, kentucky the home of henry clay for forty-six years henry clay's mother, having married captain henry watkins, moved from hanover, virginia, to woodford county, kentucky, in . as soon as the future statesman was admitted to practice in the virginia court of appeals, he decided to follow her. accordingly, in november, , he became a resident of lexington. three years later the _kentucke gazette_, the first paper published west of the mountains, told of "an eloquent oration" that was "delivered by henry clay, esquire." the year before the young lawyer received this flattering notice he married lavinia hart, of lexington. seven years were spent in rented quarters, but in he purchased an estate about a mile and a half from town. clay took the keenest pleasure in the estate. once he wrote to a friend: "i am in one respect better off than moses. he died in sight of and without reaching the promised land. i occupy as good a farm as any he would have found had he reached it, and 'ashland' has been acquired not by hereditary descent but by my own labor." however, it was only at intervals that the proud owner was able to enjoy ashland. after the longest period of residence was six years, and this was toward the close of his life. the management of the property was largely in the hands of mrs. clay, and the prosperity of the plantation was proof of her capability. from washington he wrote frequently of things he would like to see done. he was especially interested in blooded stock which he secured in the east and abroad. once he wrote proudly of the fact that there were on the estate specimens of "the maltese ass, the arabian horse, the merino and saxe merino sheep, the english hereford and durham cattle, the goat, the mule and the hog." his race horses were famous, and he delighted to handle them himself. he also liked to feed the pigs, even when he was an old man. there were many slaves at ashland, and they were all attached to their master. his will provided for their emancipation, under wise conditions. once, when a friend bequeathed him twenty-five slaves, he sent them to liberia, by way of new orleans. harriet martineau, who visited ashland in , told of her pleasant impression of the place and its owner: "i stayed some weeks in the house of a wealthy landowner in kentucky. our days were passed in great luxury, and the hottest of them very idly. the house was in the midst of grounds gay with verdure and flowers, in the opening month of june, and our favorite seats were the steps of the hall, and chairs under the trees. from there we could watch the play of the children on the grass plot, and some of the drolleries of the little negroes.... there were thirty-three horses in the stables, and we roved about the neighboring country accordingly...." as the years passed visitors flocked to ashland in ever-increasing numbers. many of them were politicians, but more were plain people who were devoted to clay and could not understand why the country refused to elect him president. in , during his longest period of continuous residence at ashland, he received word of the disappointing result of the election. after a few days, when he was walking on the turnpike near the house, he was startled by a woman who, on passing him, burst into tears. when he asked her why she wept, she said: "i have lost my father, my husband, and my children, and passed through other painful trials; but all of them together have not given me so much sorrow as the late disappointment of your friends." a story is also told of a bride and groom who visited ashland on the day the news of defeat was received. the journey was continued down the mississippi river. on the boat the groom was taken seriously ill. the physician who was called to attend him was puzzled to define the ailment until the bride said that the cause was the defeat of henry clay. the old doctor threw his arms about the patient's neck and cried, "there is no cure for a complaint like that." the sting of defeat was forgotten one day in . mr. clay was in his bank in lexington, prepared to pay a part of the indebtedness that had all but swamped him, so that he felt he might have to sacrifice ashland. the bank told him that about $ , had been deposited in the bank by his friends from all parts of the country, enough to pay all his debts. he never knew the names of the generous friends who had made possible the retention of the property. he thought he was to spend the remainder of his days at home, and that he would die there in peace. one day he said, in an address in lexington, "i felt like an old stag which has been long coursed by the hunters and the hounds, through brakes and briars, and over distant plains, and has at last returned to his ancient lair to lay himself down and die." again in he tasted defeat, though on this occasion it was in the nominating convention, not in the election. in the trying days that followed he was sustained by his christian faith. he had been baptized in the parlor at ashland on june , . the reality of his religious convictions was seen one day by what he said to a company of friends who had been talking in a despairing manner of the future of the country. pointing to the bible on the table, he said, "gentlemen, i do not know anything but that book which can reconcile us to such events." in clay was sent to the united states senate because the legislature of kentucky felt that he was needed to help in the solution of questions raised by the mexican war. he spent three years in washington, then died in the midst of his work. after a journey that showed what a place he had won in the hearts of the people, his body was taken to lexington. the catafalque lay in state in ashland over one night. next day the body was buried near lexington. his son, james b. clay, who purchased the estate at auction, tore down the house because of its weakened foundations, but rebuilt it of the same materials, on the old site, and on almost the identical plans. both outside and inside the mansion has practically the appearance of the original. before the civil war ashland was purchased by the state college, but in it became the property of major henry clay mcdowell, whose widow lived there for many years. she was the daughter of henry clay, jr., whose death at the battle of buena vista was a sore blow to one who was always a fond father. [illustration: sportsman's hall, whitley's station, ky _photo by miss m. e. sacre, stanford, ky._ see page ] lxxxii sportsman's hall, whitley's station, kentucky the home of the man who killed tecumseh "then, billy, if i was you, i would go and see!" thus replied esther whitley of augusta, virginia, to her husband william whitley, when, early in , he had told her that he had a fine report of kentucky, and that he thought they could get their living in the frontier settlements with less hard work than was required in virginia. whitley took his wife at her word. two days later, with axe and plow and gun and kettle, he was on his way over the mountains. daniel boone had not yet marked out the wilderness road that was to become the great highway of emigration from virginia to kentucky. at first his only companion was his brother-in-law, george clark, but on the way seven others joined the party. during the next six years he was one of the trusted pioneers at boonesborough and harrod's fort, two stations on the wilderness road. when he had a house ready for his wife, he returned to virginia, and brought her to kentucky. it is said that she was the third white woman to cross the cumberland mountains, mrs. daniel boone and her daughter being the first and second. the claim has been made that their daughter, louisa, who was born in boonesborough, was the first white child born in the present limits of kentucky. louisa was perhaps four years old when whitley removed to the vicinity of crab orchard, the famous assembling place for parties about to take the dangerous journey back to virginia. two miles from the settlement he built whitley's fort. in he felt able to build for his growing family the first brick house in kentucky. the brick were brought from virginia, and the man who laid the brick was given a farm of five hundred acres for his services. the windows were placed high above the ground to prevent the indians from shooting in at the occupants. the window-glass was carried across the mountains in pack-saddles. the stairway had twenty-one steps, and on these steps were carved the heads of thirteen eagles to represent the original thirteen colonies. the doors were made of wood, elaborately carved, and were in two layers, a heavy sheet of iron being placed between these. the old-time leather hinges are still in use. the owner laid out on his property the first race track in kentucky, and he called his house sportsman's hall. in its walls scores of settlers found refuge in time of danger. famous men sat with mr. and mrs. whitley at their hospitable table, among these being daniel boone, george rogers clark, and general harrison. until his death at the battle of the thames in whitley was one of the chief defenders of the settlers against the indians. on his powder horn he cut the lines: william whitley, i am your horne, the truth i love, a lie i scorne, fill me with the best of powder, i'll make your rifle crack the louder. see how the dread, terrifick ball makes indians blench at toreys fall, you with powder i'll supply for to defend your liberty. one day in a messenger came to whitley's fort with the tidings that indians had captured a mother and her babe, after killing three older children. mr. whitley was not at home, but mrs. whitley sent for him. in the meantime she collected a company of twenty rescuers. on his return whitley placed himself at their head, pursued the indians, and rescued the prisoners. the title colonel was given to whitley in , when he commanded the nickerjack expedition against the tennessee indians, who had been conducting foraging expeditions into kentucky. the march was conducted with such secrecy and despatch that the enemy were taken by surprise, and were completely routed. the last of his campaigns took place in canada against the british, french, and indians in . many claim that before he received his mortal wound in the battle of the thames, he fired the shot that killed tecumseh, the chief who had given so much trouble to the settlers of kentucky and indiana. others say that the shot was fired by a colonel johnson. the body of the indian fighter rests in an unknown grave hundreds of miles from the territory he helped to wrest from the indians, but the brick house he built near crab orchard is still one of the historic buildings of kentucky. [illustration: white haven, st. louis _photo furnished by albert wenzlick_ see page ] lxxxiii white haven, near st. louis, missouri where ulysses s. grant courted julia dent immediately after ulysses simpson grant graduated from west point, he was sent to jefferson barracks, at st. louis. his military duties were not so arduous that he was unable to accept the invitation of fred dent, a former roommate at west point, to go with him to the dent homestead on the gravois road, four miles from the barracks. the young second lieutenant did not have to be urged to repeat his visit. in fact he went so often that the road between the barracks and the dent farm became as familiar to him as his old haunts on the banks of the hudson. he did not meet julia dent at first, for she was absent at school, but he found enough attraction in a sister to make him a frequent visitor. then came the eventful day when he met seventeen-year-old julia. the courtship was by no means a long-drawn-out affair; the young people were engaged before grant was ordered to the mexican border, though the fact was not announced until his return to st. louis in may, . the marriage took place in august, , after the close of the mexican war. for some years mrs. grant was a soldier's wife. grant took her with him to detroit, but he left her at her old home in st. louis when he was transferred to the pacific coast. in he accepted a commission as captain, which he soon resigned, determining to return to the east. several unfortunate speculations had left him without funds, and he was indebted to a friend in san francisco for transportation. "i rejoined my family to find in it a son whom i had never seen, born while i was on the isthmus of panama," grant said in his "personal memoirs." "i was now to commence, at the age of thirty-two, a new struggle for our support. my wife had a farm near st. louis, to which we went, but i had no means to stock it. a house had to be built also. i worked very hard, never losing a day because of bad weather, and accomplished the object in a moderate way." after working as a farm laborer for a time, he built a cabin on sixty acres given to mrs. grant by her father. "hardscrabble," as he called the four-room log house, was the home of the grant family for several years. this cabin, which was on the grounds of the louisiana purchase exposition at st. louis, and white haven, must both be counted homes of the family at this period. fred, nellie, and jesse grant were all born in white haven. ready money was scarce, but the father of a growing family felt the necessity of providing for their wants. "if nothing else could be done i would load a cord of wood on a wagon and take it to the city for sale," he wrote in his memoirs. "i managed to keep along very well until , when i was attacked by fever and ague. i had suffered very severely and for a long time from the disease while a boy in ohio. it lasted now over a year, and, while it did not keep me in the house, it did interfere greatly with the amount of work i was able to perform. in the fall of i sold out my stock, crops and farming utensils at auction, and gave up farming." the family remained at white haven for a time, and grant tried to make a living in the real estate business. his partner was a cousin of mrs. grant. the income of the business was not sufficient for two families, so he soon gave up the attempt. "he doesn't seem to be just calculated for business, but an honester, more generous man never lived," was the remark of one who knew him at this time. in the meantime he had taken his family to st. louis. he made one further attempt to support them there. learning that there was a vacancy in the office of county engineer, he applied for the position, but the appointment was to be made by the members of the county court, and he did not have sufficient influence to secure it. so the move to galena, illinois, in may, , became necessary. there, in the leather business, he earned but eight hundred dollars a year. and he had a family of six to feed. a year later he responded to the call of president lincoln, and began the army service that made him famous. white haven was built in by captain john long, who had won his title during the revolution. later the house and three hundred acres of the original farm were sold to frederick dent, who, at one period, had ninety slaves in the slave quarters still to be seen at the rear of the house. through mrs. grant the entire property came into the possession of general grant. at the time of the failure of grant & ward, the farm was pledged to william h. vanderbilt, who sold it to captain fuller h. conn of st. louis. captain conn disposed of it in a number of parcels. one of these, containing fifteen acres and the old homestead, was purchased by albert wenzlick, who makes his summer home in the house where ulysses s. grant met julia dent. eight: all the way back to new england _in verdurous tumult far away the prairie billows gleam, upon their crests in blessing rests the noontide's gracious beam. low quivering vapors steaming dim the level splendors break where languid lilies deck the rim of some land-circled lake._ _far in the east like low-hung clouds the waving woodlands lie; far in the west the glowing plain melts warmly in the sky. no accent wounds the reverent air, no footprint dints the sod,-- lone in the light the prairie lies, wrapt in a dream of god._ john hay. eight: all the way back to new england [illustration: abraham lincoln's house, springfield, ill. _photo by e. c. hall_ see page ] lxxxiv the abraham lincoln house, springfield, illinois from which president-elect lincoln went to washington in when abraham lincoln entered springfield, in , he did not own a house; in fact he did not own much of anything. joshua speed is quoted by ida tarbell thus: "he had ridden into town on a borrowed horse, with no earthly property save a pair of saddle-bags containing a few clothes.... lincoln came into the store with his saddle-bags on his arm. he said he wanted to buy the furniture for a single bed. the mattress, blankets, sheets, coverlid, and pillow ... would cost seventeen dollars. he said that perhaps was cheap enough; but small as the price was, he was unable to pay it. but if i would credit him till christmas, and his experiment as a lawyer was a success, he would pay then, saying in the saddest tone, 'if i fail in this i do not know that i can ever pay you.'" the storekeeper thereupon proposed that the young lawyer should share his own room above the store. lincoln promptly accepted, went upstairs, and in a moment was down again. with dry humor he said: "well, speed, i am moved." lincoln longed for better quarters, however, because he wanted to be married. he watched with interest the new buildings that were going up, probably reflecting sadly that none of them were for him. in his discouragement he wrote to miss mary owen of new salem, to whom he had said something about coming to live with him in springfield: "you would have to be poor, without the means of hiding your poverty. do you believe you could bear that patiently? whatever woman may cast her lot with mine, should any ever do so, it is my intention to do all in my power to make her happy and contented. and there is nothing i can imagine that would make me more unhappy than to fail in the effort. i know i should be much happier with you than the way i am, provided i saw no sign of discontent in you." miss owen declined to go to springfield, because she felt that lincoln was "deficient in those little links which make up the chain of a woman's happiness." five years later, on november , , lincoln married miss mary todd, a member of a prominent kentucky family, who had come to springfield in to live with her sister, mrs. ninian w. edwards. the house in which she spent the three years before her marriage was one of the handsomest in the town, and was a centre of social gayety. mr. and mrs. edwards opposed the marriage to the poor and plebeian lawyer; they urged the folly of exchanging a cultured home for the surroundings to which lincoln would take her. but she knew her own mind, and she went with lincoln to the home he provided for her. the character of the accommodations to which he took his bride is revealed by a letter written in may, : "we are not keeping house, but boarding at the globe tavern.... boarding only costs four dollars a week." but the day came when the young statesman was able to open for mrs. lincoln the door of their own modest one-story house. later a second story was added under the direction of his wife, most of the work being done while he was away from home, riding the circuit. j. g. holland's pleasing picture of life in the home during the years from to should be remembered: "it was to him a time of rest, of reading, of social happiness, and of professional prosperity. he was already a father, and took an almost unbounded delight in his children. the most that he could say to any rebel in his household was, 'you break my heart, when you act like this.' a young man bred in springfield speaks of a vision that has clung to his memory very vividly.... his way to school led by the lawyer's door. on almost any fair summer morning he could find mr. lincoln on the sidewalk in front of his house, drawing a child backward and forward, in a child's gig. without hat or coat, and wearing a pair of rough shoes, his hands behind him holding on to the tongue of the gig, and his tall form bent forward to accommodate himself to the service, he paced up and down the walk forgetful of everything around him. the young man says he remembers wondering how so rough and plain a man should live in so respectable a house." once lincoln was sitting on the porch when three-year-old willie escaped from the bathtub, ran out cf the house and the gate, up the street, and into a field. there his father caught him, and carried him home on his shoulder. the children liked to ride on his shoulder, and they clambered for the position. if they could not get there, they contented themselves with hanging to his coat tails. one day a neighbor heard the boys crying, and asked what was the matter. "just what's the matter with the whole world," was lincoln's reply. "i've got three walnuts, and each wants two." during the last day of the republican convention of , which was in session in chicago, lincoln was in the office of the springfield _journal_, receiving word of the progress of events. a messenger came in and said to him, "the convention has made a nomination, and mr. seward is--the second man on the list!" after reading the telegram, and receiving the congratulations of all in the office, lincoln spoke of the little woman on eighth street who had some interest in the matter, and said he would go home and tell her the news. when the news became generally known, the citizens followed him to the house on eighth street. in the evening, after a meeting in the state house, the republicans present marched to the lincoln home. the nominee made a speech, and invited as many as could get in to enter the house. "after the fourth of march we will give you a larger house," came the laughing response. next day lincoln was in a quandary. some of his friends had sent him a present of wines and other liquors, that he might be able to give what they thought would be appropriate refreshment to the committee sent from chicago to notify the nominee. before the formal notification, lincoln asked the members what he should do with the wine. j. g. holland says that "the chairman at once advised him to return the gift, and to offer no stimulants to his guests." a few years later, when he had closed the house which he was never to enter again, he said to his friends, who had gathered at the train to say good-bye: "my friends: no one, not in my situation, can appreciate my feeling of sadness at this parting. to this place, and the kindness of these people, i owe everything. here i have lived a quarter of a century, and have passed from a young to an old man. here my children have been born, and one is buried. i now leave, not knowing when or whether ever i may return, with a task before me greater than that which rested upon washington. without the assistance of that divine being who ever attended him, i cannot succeed. with that assistance i cannot fail. trusting in him, who can go with me, and remain with you, and be everywhere for good, let us confidently hope that all will yet be well. to his care commending you, as i hope in your prayers you will commend me, i bid you an affectionate farewell." when the body of the martyred president was brought back to springfield on may , , it was not taken to the old home on eighth street, but to the state capitol, and from there to oak ridge cemetery. the house is now the property of the state of illinois, the gift of robert t. lincoln, abraham lincoln's son. [illustration: william henry harrison's house, vincennes, ind. _photo furnished by frank h. curtis, vincennes_ see page ] lxxxv the governor's palace at vincennes, indiana where "old tippecanoe" welcomed his guests william henry harrison, son of benjamin harrison, one of the signers of the declaration of independence, was a ward of robert morris. the great financier opposed the young man's purpose to enlist in the ohio campaign against the indians that followed the war of the revolution, but when young harrison applied directly to washington he was appointed ensign and sent to the front. this was in , and the new ensign was but nineteen years old. gallant conduct during a campaign of four years under general anthony wayne brought to him promotion to a captaincy, the favor of his general, and the command of fort washington, at what is now cincinnati, ohio. this post was resigned in , when there seemed no further prospect of active service. thereupon washington appointed the twenty-four-year-old captain secretary of the northwestern territory and _ex officio_ lieutenant governor. when, in , the northwestern territory was divided, he was nominated by thomas jefferson governor of indiana territory, including what is now indiana, illinois, michigan, wisconsin, and iowa. vincennes, one of the three white settlements in all this vast territory, became the seat of government. as fort sackville vincennes had been made famous during the revolution by the brilliant exploit of george rogers clarke, who took it from the british after an approach across illinois and through the flooded valley of the wabash, for which he will ever be remembered by a grateful country. for thirteen years he was the autocrat in his remote outpost. to him were committed, in company with the judge, all legislative powers; he was commander-in-chief of the militia, and he had the power of treaty-making with the indians. his signature became a valid title to lands in the indian country. his care of the interests committed to him was so satisfactory that the legislature of indiana asked for his reappointment. he was especially successful in dealing with the indians. the victory at tippecanoe became a rallying cry when, in , he was nominated for the presidency. one of the most notable events of his career as governor took place before his house at vincennes. the indian warrior tecumseh, claiming that lands ceded by other tribes belonged to his own tribe, threatened vengeance on any who should attempt to settle on these lands. general harrison sent for him, promising to give him a careful hearing and full justice. accordingly, in august, , tecumseh came to vincennes, accompanied by several hundred warriors. the meeting of the governor and the indians took place in front of the official residence. at one point in the conference, tecumseh, being angry, gave a signal to his warriors, who seized their knives, tomahawks, and war clubs and sprang to their feet. the governor rose calmly from his armchair, drew his sword, and faced the savage. his bearing overawed the indians, and when he told tecumseh that he could have no further conference with such a bad man, the chief and his supporters returned to their camp. the house that looked down on this scene was probably the first house of burned brick built west of the alleghenies. it was erected in , at a cost of about twenty thousand dollars. the walls of the basement are twenty-four inches thick; the upper walls are eighteen inches thick. the outer walls are of hard red brick. the doors, sash, mantels, and stairs are of black walnut, and are said to have been made in pittsburgh. the basement contains the dining-room, the kitchen, in which hangs the old-fashioned crane, a storeroom in which the supplies of powder and arms were kept, and four servants' bedrooms. at one side of the large cellar is the entrance to a tunnel which led to the banks of the wabash, some six hundred feet distant. this was built, so tradition says, that the governor and his family, if too closely pressed by indians, might escape to the river and continue their flight in canoes. this would be useful also for the carrying in of water and food during a siege. on the first floor a commodious hallway communicates on the left with the council chamber, where notable visitors were received. this was also the chamber of early territorial lawmakers. here, in , by rev. thomas clelland, was preached the first presbyterian sermon in what is now the state of indiana. in the shutter of a room facing the rear is the mark of a bullet which, it is said, was fired by an indian who was attempting the life of the governor, while that official was walking the floor with his little son in his arms. to-day the house is cut off from the city by railroad tracks and is surrounded by factories. until it was owned by the vincennes water company, which proposed to raze it to the ground, that they might have room for extension. learning of this purpose, six members of the francis vigo chapter of the daughters of the american revolution begged the city council to buy the house and preserve it. when the council announced that the way was not open to do this, a number of patriotic women, led by mrs. frank w. curtis, raised the sum necessary for the purchase of the property. under the direction of the francis vigo chapter, the house has been restored, and opened for visitors. it is the intention to maintain it for the inspiration of those who visit vincennes to look on the scene of the wise labors of the first governor of the indian territory. [illustration: rufus putnam's house, marietta, o. _photo furnished by miss willia d. cotton, marietta_ see page ] lxxxvi the house of general rufus putnam, marietta, ohio the man who led the first permanent settlers to ohio in general washington decided that he must fortify dorchester heights, boston, if he was to force the british to leave the country. but how was he to do this? the ground was frozen to a depth of eighteen inches, and the enemy's cannon commanded the coveted position. lieutenant colonel putnam told the general that the seemingly impossible task could be performed. washington was dubious, but he had learned that colonel putnam was to be counted on. one night, after dark, the work was begun, and before daylight it was so far completed that the surprised enemy were compelled to retire. in recognition of services like this, colonel putnam was made a brigadier general. a reward even greater was his; he won the lasting friendship of washington. eight years after the fortification of dorchester heights, two hundred and eighty-three officers asked congress for a grant of land in the western country. general putnam forwarded the petition to washington, and urged that it be granted, in order that "the country between lake erie and the ohio might be filled with inhabitants, and the faithful subjects of the united states so established on the waters of the ohio and on the lakes as to banish forever the idea of our western territory falling under the dominion of any european power." action by congress was delayed. on june , , washington wrote to putnam: "i wish it was in my power to give you a more favorable account of the officers' petition for lands on the ohio and its water, than i am about to do.... for surely if justice and gratitude to the army, and general policy of the union were to govern in the case, there would not be the smallest interruption in granting the request." putnam did not lose heart. his next step, taken in january, , was to call a meeting of officers and soldiers and others to form an ohio company. the meeting was held at the bunch of grapes tavern, in boston, march , , and the ohio company of associates was duly formed. it was agreed to raise a fund to purchase from congress, for purposes of settlement, the western lands which congress had been asked to give them. on july , , a tract of , , acres on the ohio river, between the scioto and the muskingum rivers, was sold to the company at sixty-six and two-thirds cents per acre. half the amount was paid down. when, later, it became impossible to pay the remainder, congress gave a measure of relief. the first emigrants to go to the new lands set out from danvers, massachusetts, december , , under the guidance of general rufus putnam, while a second party started from hartford, connecticut, january , . the first party of twenty-two men followed the indian trail over the allegheny mountains and reached the youghiogheny river, on january , , while the second party of twenty-eight men, making better time, joined them on february . then a barge, called the _mayflower_, was built, forty-six feet long and twelve feet wide. a cabin was provided for the women of the party, and an awning was stretched. the men propelled the boat with ten oars. on april the voyage to the ohio was begun, and on april the party reached the mouth of the muskingum. the barge was moored to the bank, opposite fort harmar. thus came the massachusetts pioneers to the town of which washington wrote later: "no colony in america was ever settled under such favorable auspices as that which has just commenced at muskingum. information, property, and strength will be its characteristics. i know many of the settlers personally, and there never were men better calculated to promote the welfare of such a community." here the pioneers laid out the town of marietta among the famous indian mounds, naming it in honor of marie antoinette of france. the greatest mound of all was made the central feature of marie antoinette square. this mound is thirty feet high, while the circular base is feet in circumference. it is surrounded by a moat fifteen feet wide and five feet deep. beyond the moat is a parapet twenty feet thick and feet in circumference. this square was leased to general putnam for twelve years, on condition that he "surround the whole square with mulberry trees with an elm at each corner." the base of the mound was to be encircled with weeping willows, and evergreens were to be placed on the mound. the parapet was to be surrounded with trees, the square was to be seeded down to grass, and the whole was to be enclosed with a post and rail fence. this effort to create a park at the very beginning was an unusual feature of this pioneer experience. an enclosure of logs, with a log fort at each corner, was built for protection against the indians. between the corner forts were the cabins occupied by the various families. the forts and the enclosure were named the campus martius. one of the early houses built within this stockade became the home of general putnam. marie antoinette square soon became known as mound square. general putnam turned over his lease to the town, which set the property aside as a cemetery. many of the settlers had died during two epidemics of smallpox, and there was need of a cemetery nearer the town than the ground set aside at the beginning. it is claimed that more officers of the revolution have been buried in the mound cemetery than in any other cemetery in the country. there were twelve colonels, twelve majors, and twenty-two captains among the marietta pioneers. when general lafayette was in marietta in , the list was read to him, and he said: "i knew them all. i saw them at brandywine, yorktown, and rhode island. they were the bravest of the brave." over putnam's grave is the following inscription: gen. rufus putnam a revolutionary officer and the leader of the colony which made the first settlement in the territory of the northwest. born april , died may , . the house occupied by "the father of ohio," as he has been called, is preserved as a historical monument. in the daughters of the american revolution and marietta succeeded in persuading the ohio legislature to pass a bill making provision for its repair and care. lxxxvii monument place, elm grove, west virginia the plantation home of two makers of history at shepherdstown, the oldest town in what is now west virginia, moses shepherd was born on november , . his grandfather had founded the town. when moses was about seven years old his father, colonel shepherd, removed his large family to his plantation between big wheeling and little creek, which is now included within the limits of elm grove. on the banks of the creek he built fort shepherd, that the settlers for miles around might have a place of refuge from the indians. of this fort colonel shepherd was in command till it was destroyed by the indians in . the family was hastily removed to fort henry, nearer the present site of wheeling. there they were hard pressed by the indians. moses, along with other children, assisted in the defence by moulding bullets and carrying ammunition. word went out to the neighboring strongholds of the endangered settlers at fort henry. captain john boggs, then at catfish camp (now washington, pennsylvania), hurried to the assistance of colonel shepherd with forty armed men. with him was his daughter, lydia, who took her place with moses and the other young people as an assistant to the defenders. she was there when molly scott made her sally from the fort in search of shot, and she saw the heroine bring it in in her apron. she witnessed also the attempt of major samuel mccolloch to enter the fort at the head of a squad of men which he had brought from fort van meter, a few miles away. with joy she saw the men enter the gate of the fort, and her heart was in her mouth when she saw that mccolloch, who was her cousin, was unable to follow because the indians had managed to get between him and the gate. at last the gate was closed, lest the indians gain entrance, and the gallant major was left to his fate. the indians thought they could capture him easily. they hemmed him on wheeling hill, on three sides. on the fourth side was a rocky precipice almost sheer, covered with growth of trees and bushes. but the savages were not to have such an easy victory after all, for major mccolloch urged his horse over the brow of the steep hill, and, to the astonishment of all, slipped, slid, and fell to the bottom, where the way across the creek and to safety was comparatively easy. the indians were finally driven away, but not until moses shepherd had made the acquaintance of lydia boggs, his companion in service at the fort. they were married later. in , after the death of colonel david shepherd, colonel moses shepherd took her to the palatial new home built on the site of the second fort shepherd, near the banks of wheeling creek. this house, which was called at first the shepherd mansion or the stone house, later became known as the monument place. the story of the third name, which still persists, is interesting. when, during jefferson's administration, certain farsighted statesmen advocated the building of a national highway which should connect washington with ohio, indiana, and illinois, colonel shepherd became one of the earnest and influential advocates of the road. he was a friend of henry clay, to whose indefatigable advocacy of the road was due much of the success of the venture. clay was frequently a guest of the shepherds, and in the stately stone house he talked with them about the difficulties, progress, and final triumph. when the road was an accomplished fact colonel and mrs. shepherd caused to be built on the lawn a stone monument dedicated to their friend, in appreciation of his service. the monument, whose inscriptions have become illegible, is in plain sight from the cumberland road, or, as it came to be called, the national road, just before it makes a sharp turn to cross the sturdy stone bridge over little wheeling creek. possibly this was one of the bridges colonel shepherd constructed. at any rate he was a contractor for a section of the road, and several bridges were erected by him. along the cumberland road, which was the great highway between the east and the west, travelled home-seekers outward bound and business men and politicians to whom washington beckoned irresistibly. among the regular travellers at this and later periods were andrew jackson, william henry harrison, general houston, james k. polk, and others who made it a point never to pass the shepherd mansion without stopping. one of the early politicians who frequented the house, attracted there by mrs. shepherd, said: "she had a powerful intellect in her younger days. many of our caucuses were held in her drawing-room. she could keep a secret better than most women, but her love of sarcasm and intrigue kept her from being very effective." mrs. shepherd, in fun, had criticisms to offer of some of her visitors. once she spoke of burton, clay, and webster as "those young men, promising, but crude, crude." she was accustomed to go every winter with her husband to washington, where she would spend a few months during the season. they always travelled in a coach and four and they lived in great style at the capital. there she was sought for her beauty, for her eccentricities, and her familiarity with private political life. colonel shepherd died in . in mrs. shepherd married general daniel cruger, a new york congressman, who spent the last years of his life in west virginia. after the general's death in mrs. cruger lived at monument place, receiving visitors as of old, and increasing in the eccentricities that kept any one from being her warm admirer. always she proved herself an unusual woman. "if fate had placed her in the compressed centre of a court, instead of in the inconsequent hurly-burly of a republic, she would have made for herself a great place in history," mrs. rebecca harding davis once wrote of her. she was still managing a large plantation during the civil war, when a visitor dropped in to see her who has left the following picture of what she saw: "we saw a well-built house of dressed stone, very large and solid, with the usual detached kitchen and long row of 'negro quarters.' ... "mrs. cruger's age was told by the skin of face and hands, which were like crumpled parchment, but the lips were firm and the eyes, deep set in wrinkled lids, were still dark and keen. she was then one hundred years old. "we went up to see the ball-room, which was across the whole front of the house, with many windows and a handsome carved marble mantel at each end, and deep closets on both sides of these fire-places. "like queen elizabeth, mrs. cruger would seem to have kept all her fine clothes. the whole walls were hung thick with dresses of silk and satin and velvet pelisses trimmed with fur; braided riding-habits; mantles of damasked black silk; band-boxes piled from floor to ceiling full of wonderful bonnets, some of tremendous size, fine large leghorn straw, costing from fifty to one hundred dollars; also veils that would reach to the knee of fine old english lace; gold and silver ruching; and fine embroidered cashmere turbans, a perfect museum of fashion from to ." to another visitor mrs. cruger explained that it had long been her custom to put aside each year two gowns made in the fashion of that year. in her old age she liked to be alone. frequently she would send every one from the house that she might bathe at night. once her physician urged her to keep her maid near her. "why?" she asked; "because i am afraid? afraid of what? of death? death will not come to me for twenty years yet." she was then ninety years old, and she lived to be nearly one hundred and two. she is buried, by the side of her two husbands, in old stone church cemetery on the hill above elm grove. a rough monument carries inscriptions to the memory of the three pioneers whose lives, as has been pointed out by a local historian, "covered the indian war, the colonial period, the war of the american revolution, the war of , the mexican war, and the civil war." lxxxviii the castle at fort niagara, new york the oldest building in the northern united states, west of the mohawk "the story of fort niagara is peculiarly the story of the fur trade and the strife for commercial monopoly," frank h. severance of the buffalo historical society said in an address delivered at the fort in ; "and it is, too, in considerable measure, the story of our neighbor, the magnificent colony of canada.... it is a story replete with incidents of battle and siege, of indian cruelty, of patriot captivity, of white men's duplicity, of famine, disease, and death,--of all the varied forms of misery and wretchedness of a frontier post, which we in days of ease are wont to call picturesque and romantic. it is a story without a dull page, and it is two and a half centuries long.... i cannot better tell the story ... then to symbolize fort niagara as a beaver skin, held by an indian, a frenchman, an englishman, and a dutchman, each of the last three trying to pull it away from the others (the poor dutchman early bowled over in the scuffle), and each european equally eager to placate the indian with fine words, with prayers, or with brandy, or to stick a knife into his white brother's back." the story begins in , with the first efforts of the french to secure possession of the niagara country. it includes also the romance of the building of the _griffon_, the first vessel on the great lakes, and the episode of the early fortification of the late seventeenth century. but it was not until , the year of the building of the stone castle near the mouth of the niagara river, that the fort had its real beginning. the french felt compelled to build the fort because the activity of the english was interfering with their own fur trade with the indians, and their plan to build fort oswego would increase the difficulty. no time was to be lost; governor joncaire felt that he could not wait for the approval of the authorities at home. to these latter he sent word that he must build a fortress, and he asked for an appropriation; to the indians he declared that he wished to have a mere trading station. his real purpose was indicated when he wrote to france that the building "will not have the appearance of a fort, so that no offence will be given to the iroquois, who have been unwilling to allow any there, but it will answer the purpose of a fort just as well." the first step was the construction of two barques for use on lake ontario, to carry stone and timber for the building, and later, to cruise on the lake and intercept traders bound for oswego. after the construction of the barques had been begun, the consent of the five iroquois nations was secured. longueuil promised them that it would be to them "a house of peace" down to the third generation and farther. to gaspard chaussegros de léry, engineer, was committed the building of the structure. he determined to make it fireproof. "instead of wooden partitions i have built heavy walls, and paved all the floors with flat stone," he wrote in a report sent to france. the loft was paved with flat stones "on a floor full of good oak joists, upon which cannon may be placed above the structure." the trade with the indians at the completed stone house on the niagara increased. so did the activities of the english. governor burnet of new york craftily persuaded the onondaga indians that their interests had been endangered by the building of the french fort, since it penned them up from their chief hunting-place, and was therefore contrary to the treaty of utrecht; they agreed with him that the iroquois had no right to the territory, which was really the property of the senecas, and they asked the governor to appeal to king george to protect them in their right. therefore the suggestion was made that they "submit and give up all their hunting country to the king," and sign a deed for it. accordingly seneca, cayuga, and onondaga sachems deeded to the english a sixty-mile strip along the south shore of lake ontario, which included the niagara frontier, the niagara river being the western boundary. "from this time on the 'stone house' was on british soil; but it was yet to take the new owner a generation to dispossess the obnoxious tenant," frank h. severance writes in "an old frontier of france." the story of the next thirty years is a story of plots and counter-plots, of expeditions threatened and actual, of disappointing campaigns, of imprisonment and cruelty and death. more than once indians promised the english that the house at niagara should be razed. spies reported that the defences at the castle were in bad shape; "'tis certain that, should the english once attack it, 'tis theirs," one report ran. "i am informed that the fort is so dilapidated that 'tis impossible to put a pin in it without causing it to crumble; stanchions have been obliged to be set up against it to support it." another report disclosed that if the cannon were fired the walls would crumble. but the french were not ready to give up. they felt that fort niagara was the key to the ohio valley, which they wished to control. they strengthened the defences of the fort. the defeat of braddock at fort du quesne and the strange decision of general shirley to stop at oswego instead of continuing with his force to niagara, gave the french a new lease of life. in came the end of french rule. general prideaux's expedition from new york began the siege of the fort early in july, and after several weeks it capitulated. until the english flag floated above the "castle." the commander of this post, like the commanders of six other forts, refused on various pretexts to surrender to america, in spite of the terms of the treaty of . attempts were made to secure possession, but none of them were successful, and it was not until that great britain agreed to evacuate niagara and the other forts still held, "on or before the st of june, ." seventeen years later, in , the british flag again replaced the stars and stripes over the historic building, but the fort was restored to the united states in . since that time it has been a part of the army post that has been more important because of its history than for any other reason. the daughters of the war of have placed a suitable tablet on the old castle, and are interested in the proposition that has been made to turn the venerable edifice into an international museum, which shall commemorate the one hundred years of peace between great britain and america. in the eyes of the nation were once more turned on the fort by lake ontario, for it was made a training ground for officers who were to be sent to the battle front in france and belgium. the castle, nearly two hundred years old, and strong as ever, again witnessed the gathering of patriots, and the spot that had echoed to the tread of french who had yielded to the english, of english who had driven out the french, and of americans who had driven out the english, became the parade ground of americans who were making ready to stand side by side with french and english for the freedom of the world. [illustration: the schuyler mansion, albany, n. y. _photo furnished by hon. martin h. glynn, albany_ see page ] lxxxix the schuyler mansion, albany, new york the rallying place of the constitutionalists when catherine van rensselaer married philip schuyler, on september , , he was a soldier who had been engaged in the campaign against the french at crown point. she was glad when he resigned, in , but he returned to army life in and at intervals for more than twenty years he continued his military service. two days after the battle of bunker hill congress made him a major-general. during his three years in the army of the colonies, he was the subject of continual abuse on the part of those who felt that he had conducted carelessly his expedition to canada and the campaign against burgoyne. he was able to stand up against the public clamor because washington had confidence in him and because he was twice given a clean bill of health by a court of inquiry. during this season of misunderstanding he was sustained by his wife, who was a remarkable assistant both in his home and in public affairs. during the years when he was frequently incapacitated by gout she carried on much of his work for him, and so enabled him to maintain his place in the councils of the nation. it was in that mrs. schuyler first showed her great executive ability. while her husband was absent in england, where he had been sent by general bradstreet, she superintended the erection of a new house, a spacious mansion of yellow brick that is to-day as staunch as when it was built. from the beginning the schuyler mansion, the home of the first citizen of albany, was noted because of the boundless hospitality of its mistress. all were welcomed who sought its doors. one notable company was made up of nine catawba warriors from south carolina, who were on their way to ratify a covenant with the six nations at the close of the cherokee war. they were met at the wharf by major schuyler and taken directly to the house. among the visitors to albany in were three commissioners appointed by congress to visit the army of the north, one of whom, benjamin franklin, was so wearied by the journey from philadelphia that he was sincerely grateful for mrs. schuyler's care. one of the commissioners said later of general schuyler, "he lives in pretty style, and has two daughters, betsey and peggy, lively, agreeable gals." he was delighted to learn that the motto of philip schuyler and his household was, "as for me and my house, we will serve our country." another of the fortunate men who were privileged to be in the house for a season was tench tilghman, an aide-de-camp of general washington. he wrote in his journal of "miss ann schuyler, a very pretty young lady. a brunette with dark eyes, and a countenance animated and sparkling, as i am told she is." later he met "miss betsey, the general's nd daughter." "i was prepossessed in favor of the young lady the moment i saw her," he said. "a brunette with the most good natured dark lovely eyes i ever saw, which threw a beam of good temper and benevolence over her entire countenance. mr. livingstone informed me that i was not mistaken in my conjecture for she was the finest tempered girl in the world." tench tilghman was to renew the acquaintance in , when betsey and her parents spent a few months in morristown, new jersey. alexander hamilton also was there, and he secured betsey's promise to be his bride. the marriage took place at the albany homestead on december , . a few months later the young husband, having resigned from the army, was studying law in albany and was a welcome addition to the schuyler household. two years after the wedding came one of the incidents that has made the mansion famous. because of the general's influence with the indian allies of the british, a number of attempts were made to capture him; the british wished to put him where he could not interfere with their plans. one summer day, when mrs. carter, mrs. hamilton's sister margaret, was in the house with her baby philip, a party of tories, canadians, and indians surrounded the house and forced an entrance. mary gay humphreys, in "catherine schuyler," tells what followed: "the house was guarded by six men. their guns were in the hall, the guards being outside and the relief asleep. lest the small philip be tempted to play with the guns his mother had them removed. the alarm was given by a servant. the guards rushed for their guns, but they were gone. the family fled upstairs, but margaret, remembering the baby in the cradle below, ran back, seized the baby, and when she was halfway up the flight, an indian flung his tomahawk at her head, which, missing her, buried itself in the wood, and left its historic mark to the present time." after the attack on the mansion washington wrote to general schuyler, begging him to strengthen his guard. the following year the commander-in-chief was a guest at the mansion, while in he spent the night there, after an evening consultation with schuyler, while mrs. washington visited with her friend mrs. schuyler. lafayette, count de rochambeau, baron steuben, charles carroll of carrollton, john jay, and aaron burr had a taste of the delights of life at the mansion. the latter was destined to defeat general schuyler for reëlection to the senate, as he was to be in turn defeated by the general. the british general burgoyne and his staff also were entertained in the mansion, after general schuyler's victory at saratoga, and this in spite of the fact that much of the general's property had been destroyed by burgoyne's order. for many years the house was famous as the meeting place of the friends of the young nation. frequent conferences were held in the library on the proposed constitution. it is said that many sections of the document were written there by hamilton, and the steps of the campaign for the ratification of the document were outlined within the historic walls. when, at last, the victory was complete, general schuyler and alexander hamilton walked at the head of the gay procession that hailed the news with joy. the whole town was illuminated, but the most brilliantly lighted building was the old mansion. during the years that followed general schuyler's health failed gradually, and he became more than ever dependent on his wife. when she died, in , he did not know what to do without her. to hamilton he wrote: "my trial has been severe. i shall attempt to sustain it with fortitude. i hope i have succeeded in a degree, but after giving and receiving for nearly a half a century, a series of mutual evidences of affection and friendship which increased as we advanced in life, the shock was great and sensibly felt, to be thus suddenly deprived of a beloved wife, the mother of my children, and the soothing companion of my declining years. but i kiss the rod with humility. the being that inflicted the stroke will enable me to sustain the smart, and progressively restore peace to my wounded heart, and will make you and eliza and my other children the instruments of my consolation...." general schuyler died in november, , four months after the duel with burr in which hamilton was slain. the mansion in which he spent so many happy years was long an orphan asylum, but in it was purchased by the state. on october , , it was dedicated as a state monument. [illustration: wentworth house, portsmouth, n. h. _photo by halliday historic photograph company_ see page ] xc the wentworth house, portsmouth, new hampshire the scene of the romance of lady wentworth when, in , governor benning wentworth began to rebuild for his mansion at little harbor, two miles from the business centre of portsmouth a farm-house which dated from the latter part of the sixteenth century, he thought more of comfort than of architecture. evidently those who later added to the house thought as little of architecture as the original builder; the product became such a strange conglomeration of wings and "l's" that it is difficult to see which is the original portion. once the house contained fifty-two rooms, but a portion has been torn away, and the structure as it stands is not quite so spacious, though still large enough for a hotel. even the cellar is tremendous, for governor wentworth provided there a place for his horses, to be used in time of danger. thirty animals could be accommodated there. many of the rooms are small, but some are of impressive size, notably the council chamber, where meetings that helped to make history were held, and the billiard room, where the owner and his associates were accustomed to go when the strain of business became too great. longfellow thus describes the house: "it was a pleasant mansion, an abode near and yet hidden from the great high-road, sequestered among trees, a noble pile, baronial and colonial in its style; gables and dormer-windows everywhere, and stacks of chimneys rising high in air-- pandæan pipes, on which all winds that blew made mournful music the whole winter through. within, unwonted splendors met the eye, panels, and floors of oak, and tapestry; carved chimney-pieces, where on brazen dogs revelled and roared the christmas fire of logs; doors opening into darkness unawares, mysterious passages, and flights of stairs, and on the walls, in heavy gilded frames, the ancestral wentworths with old-scripture names." while governor wentworth was an important figure during the days preceding the revolution, the mansion is celebrated not so much because of his political service as because of the romance of his second marriage. martha hilton, the heroine of the romance, was "a careless, laughing, bare-footed girl." one day a neighbor saw her, in a short dress, carrying a pail of water in the street. "you, pat! you, pat! why do you go looking so? you should be ashamed to be seen in the street!" was the shocked comment. but the answer was not what the neighbor expected. "no matter how i look, i shall ride in my chariot yet, marm." the story of what followed is told by charles w. brewster, a historian of old portsmouth: "martha hilton afterwards left home, and went to live in the governor's mansion at little harbor, doing the work of the kitchen, and keeping the house in order, much to the governor's satisfaction.... the governor has invited a dinner party, and with many other guests, in his cocked hat comes the beloved rev. arthur brown, of the episcopal church. the dinner is served up in a style becoming the governor's table.... there is a whisper from the governor to a messenger, and at his summons martha hilton comes in from that door on the west of the parlor, and, with blushing countenance, stands in front of the fireplace. she seems heedless of the fire--she does not appear to have brought anything in, nor does she seem to be looking for anything to carry out--there she stands! a damsel of twenty summers--for what, no visitor can tell. "the governor, bleached by the frosts of sixty winters, rises. 'mr. brown, i wish you to marry me.' 'to whom?' asks his pastor, in wondering surprise. 'to this lady,' was the reply. the rector stood confounded. the governor became imperative. 'as the governor of new hampshire i command you to marry me!' the ceremony was then duly performed, and from that time martha hilton became lady wentworth." longfellow's record of the incident is given in the poem, "lady wentworth": "the years came and ... the years went, seven in all, and all these years had martha hilton served in the great house, not wholly unobserved: by day, by night, the silver crescent grew, though hidden by clouds, the light still shining through; a maid of all work, whether coarse or fine, a servant who made service seem divine! through her each room was fair to look upon; the mirrors glistened, and the brasses shone, the very knocker at the outer door, if she but passed, was brighter than before." then came the strange marriage scene: "can this be martha hilton? it must be! yes, martha hilton, and no other she! dowered with the beauty of her twenty years, how ladylike, how queenlike she appears; the pale, thin crescent of the days gone by is dian now in all her majesty! yet scarce a guest perceived that she was there until the governor, rising from his chair, played slightly with his ruffles, then looked down and said unto the reverend arthur brown: 'this is my birthday: it shall likewise be my wedding-day, and you shall marry me!'" governor wentworth died in , three years after the coming to america of michael wentworth, a retired colonel in the british army. mrs. wentworth married him, and he became the second lord of the mansion. during his residence there washington was welcomed to the house, one day in . martha wentworth, the only daughter of mr. and mrs. michael wentworth, married sir john wentworth, an englishman, and they lived in the old house until , when the property passed to a family of another name. [illustration: warner house, portsmouth, n. h. _photo by frank cousins art company_ see page ] there are a number of houses in portsmouth which tell of the ancient glories of different branches of the wentworth family. perhaps the most famous is the warner house, which was begun in by captain archibald macpheadris, and was finished in , at a cost of £ , . mrs. macpheadris was sarah wentworth, one of the sixteen children of lieutenant governor john wentworth, and sister of governor benning wentworth. their daughter, mary, married hon. jonathan warner, who was the next occupant of the house. the property is known by his name, rather than that of the builder--perhaps because it is so much easier to pronounce! the house is now occupied by miss eva sherburne, a descendant of the original owner. the warner house has a lightning rod, which was put up in , under the personal supervision of benjamin franklin. it is said that this was the first lightning rod erected in new hampshire. [illustration: _photo copyright by detroit photographic company_ wadsworth-longfellow house, portland, me. see page ] xci the wadsworth longfellow house, portland, maine where henry wadsworth longfellow spent his boyhood _the old house by the linden stood silent in the shade, and on the gravelled pathway the light and shadow played._ _i saw the nursery windows wide open to the air; but the faces of the children, they were no longer there._ _the large newfoundland house-dog was standing by the door; he looked for his little playmates who would return no more._ _they walked not under the linden, they played not in the hall; but shadow and silence, and sadness were hanging over all._ _the birds sang in the branches, with sweet familiar tone; but the voices of the children will be heard in dreams alone!_ _and the boy that walked beside me, he could not understand why close in mine, ah! closer, i pressed his little hand!_ when henry wadsworth longfellow wrote these lines perhaps he was thinking of the home of his boyhood in portland, which his grandfather, general peleg wadsworth, built in . the house was the wonder of the town, for it was the first brick building erected there. the brick had been brought from virginia. originally there were but two stories; the third story was added when the future poet was eight years old. longfellow was born in the house at the corner of fourth and hancock streets, but he was only eight months old when he was carried within the inviting front doors of the wadsworth house, and the mansion was home to him for at least thirty-five years. he was only five years old when he declared that he wanted to be a soldier and fight for his country. the war of was then in progress. his aunt wrote one day, "our little henry is ready to march; he had his gun prepared and his head powdered a week ago." but, agreeing with his parents that school was a better place for him than the army, he began his studies when he was five years old. a year later his teacher gave him a certificate which read: "master henry longfellow is one of the best boys we have in school. he spells and reads very well. he also can add and multiply numbers. his conduct last quarter was very correct and amiable." life in the longfellow home was delightful. samuel longfellow, the poet's brother, has given a pleasing picture: "in the evenings the children gathered with their books and slates round the table in the family sitting room. the silence would be broken for a minute by the long, mysterious blast of a horn announcing the arrival in town of the evening mail, then the rattle of its passing wheels, then silence again, save the singing of the wood fire. studies over, there would be games till bedtime. if these became too noisy, or the father had brought home his law papers from the office, enjoining strictest quiet, then there was flight to another room--perhaps, in winter, to the kitchen, where hung the crane over the coals in the broad old fireplace, upon whose iron back a fish forever baked in effigy. "when bedtime came, it was hard to leave the warm fire to go up into the unwarmed bedrooms; still harder next morning to get up out of the comfortable feather beds and break the ice in the pitchers for washing. but hardship made hardihood. in summer it was pleasant enough to look out from the upper windows; those of the boys' room looked out over the cove and the farms and woodlands toward mount washington, full in view on the western horizon; while the eastern chambers commanded a then unobstructed view of the bay, white head, port prebble, and the lighthouse on cape elizabeth." one day in , when the family was gathered about the fire, henry was on tiptoe with eager excitement. he had written a poem and had sent it to the portland _gazette_. would it be in the paper which his father had in his hand as he seated himself before the fire? robertson, in his life of the poet, has described those anxious moments: "how carefully his father unfolded the damp sheet, and how carefully he dried it at the fire ere beginning to read it! and how much foreign news there seemed to be in it! at last henry and a sympathetic sister who shared his secret, obtained a peep over their parent's shoulder--and the poem was there!" there are sixteen rooms in the old house. in henry's day these rooms were heated by eight fireplaces, which consumed thirty cords of wood during the long winter. on the first floor are the great living-room, the kitchen with its old fireplace, and the den, once the dining-room. on the desk still shown in this room longfellow wrote, in , "the rainy day," whose opening lines are: "the day is cold, and dark, and dreary, it rains, and the wind is never weary; the vine still clings to the mouldering wall, but at every gust the dead leaves fall, and the day is dark and dreary." into the ground floor rooms have been gathered many relics of the days when the poet was a boy. the four rooms of the second floor are also full of mementoes. but the most interesting part of the house is the third story, where there are seven rooms. to this floor the four children made their way on summer nights when the long hours of daylight invited them to stay up longer, and on winter evenings, when the fire downstairs seemed far more inviting than the cold floors and the colder sheets. one of these rooms is pointed out as the poet's chamber. here he wrote many of his earlier poems. among these was "the lighthouse." in this he described sights in which he delighted, sights the lighthouse daily witnessed: "and the great ships sail outward and return bending and bowing o'er the billowing swell, and ever joyful as they see it burn, they wave their silent welcome and farewell. "'sail on,' it says, 'sail on, ye stately ships! and with your floating bridge the ocean span; be mine to guard the light from all eclipse, be yours to bring man nearer unto man.'" during the years after , when longfellow bought the craigie house at cambridge, his thoughts turned back with longing to the old home and the old town, and he wrote: "often i think of the beautiful town that is seated by the sea; often in thought go up and down the pleasant streets of the dear old town, and my youth comes back to me." for nineteen years after the poet's death his sister ann, mrs. pierce, lived in the old home. when she died, in , she deeded it to the maine historical society, that the place might be made a permanent memorial of the life of the children's poet. bibliography bibliography adams, life of. by john quincy adams and charles francis adams. j. b. lippincott company, philadelphia. biographies of the signers of the declaration of independence. by john sanderson and robert waln, jr. r. 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mifflin company, boston. williamsburg, the old colonial capital. by lyman gordon tyler. whittet & shepperson, richmond. worthy women of the last century. by mrs. o. j. wister and miss agnes irwin. j. b. lippincott company, philadelphia. index abraham lincoln house, springfield, illinois, acrostic, adams house, cambridge, massachusetts, adams, abigail, , , adams, john, , , , , , , , , , , , , adams, john quincy, , , , adams, samuel, , , alamo, the, san antonio, texas, alamo, battle of the, alcott, bronson, american revolution, daughters of the, , , _american standard_, richmond, virginia, amesbury, massachusetts, amstel house, new castle, delaware, andros, governor, , , annapolis, maryland, arlington, virginia, asbury, bishop francis, ashland, lexington, kentucky, aubrey, william, audubon, john james, bakewell, mary, bell, mary, mother of george washington, bells of st. philip's, romance of the, bennet-boardman house, saugus, massachusetts, bennet, samuel, berrian, john, biglow papers, bill of rights, virginia's, "birds of america," audubon's preparation for, blair, rev. james, , boardman, abijah, boone, daniel, boonesborough, kentucky, boston, brattle street meeting, fire of , _gazette_, massacre, , _news letter_, north church, north square, old south church, port bill, , , tea party, , , , , , boudinot, elias, , braddock, general, , braintree, massachusetts, brandon, virginia, breck, samuel, brewton, miles, brick capitol, the, british at monticello, broadhearth, saugus, massachusetts, broadstreet, simon, brown, richard, brown university, bruton parish, virginia, budden, captain, bunker hill, , burgoyne, general, , , burlington, new jersey, burr, aaron, , , byrd, evelyn, cabildo, new orleans, louisiana, cabot, arthur, caldwell, new jersey, church at, caldwell, rev. james, cambridge, massachusetts, , campfield house, morristown, new jersey, canonicus, capitol at washington, carleton, sir guy, , carpenters' company of the city and county of philadelphia, carpenters' hall, philadelphia, carroll, charles, carter, elizabeth hill, carter, landon, carter's grove, virginia, cartwright, peter, castle at fort niagara, new york, chaplains: james caldwell, george duffield, charles river, charleston, massachusetts, chastellux, marquis de, , , chew, benjamin, jr., chew, joseph, chew, samuel, christ church, alexandria, virginia, christ church, philadelphia, , christmas, the first, at bethlehem, pennsylvania, church furnishings, primitive, , churches: old north, boston, , ; old south, boston, , , ; king's chapel, boston, ; west, boston, old south, newburyport, massachusetts, first baptist, providence, rhode island, st. paul's chapel, new york, st. martins-in-the-fields, london, trinity church, new york, caldwell, new jersey, old tennent, freehold, new jersey, springfield meeting house, new jersey, st. peter's, philadelphia, christ church philadelphia, old pine street, philadelphia, norriton presbyterian, moravian at bethlehem, pennsylvania, emmanuel, new castle, delaware, presbyterian, new castle, delaware, rehoboth, delaware, christ church, alexandria, virginia, , pohick, virginia, , st. john's, richmond, bruton parish, virginia, monumental, richmond, virginia, , pohick church, virginia, st. luke's, smithfield, virginia, st. peter's, new kent county, virginia, st. michael's, charleston, s. c., huguenot, charleston, south carolina, st. philip's, charleston, south carolina, , independent, savannah, georgia, old stone church, elm grove, west virginia, clark, george rogers, clay, henry, , , _clermont_, the, cleveland, stephen grover, clinton, general george, clinton, sir henry, cliveden, germantown, philadelphia, clock on independence hall, philadelphia, coddington, william, college of new jersey, , college customs at nassau hall, collins, varnum lansing, colonial dames of massachusetts, concord, massachusetts, , congress at princeton, new jersey, constitutional convention of , continental congress, , , conway cabal, cordale, thomas, cornwallis, lord, , council of safety, philadelphia, , courtship of alexander hamilton and elizabeth schuyler, crab orchard, kentucky, craigie, andrew, craigie house, cambridge, massachusetts, , crockett, david, crown point, cumberland road, cunningham, ann pamela, curtis, george william, custis, george washington parke, , custis, nelly, _daily advertiser_, new york, _daily american advertiser_, philadelphia, _dartmouth_, ship, daughters of the american revolution, , , daughters of the war of , decatur, stephen, declaration of independence, , , , , , dent, fred, desecration of carpenters' hall, desecration of the capitol, dexter, thomas, diaries: of john tudor, of albigence waldo, of george washington, , , , of john adams, of robert breck, of tench tilghman, dix, dr. morgan, dorchester heights, massachusetts, doughoregan manor, maryland, dowry of pine-tree shillings, duché, rev. jacob, , duffield, rev. george, dunlap, william, du ponceau, peter s., duston garrison house, haverhill, massachusetts, duston, hannah, duston, thomas, east india company, eden, governor robert, edwards, jonathan, elizabeth town, new jersey, , elmwood, cambridge, massachusetts, emerson, ralph waldo, emlen house, pennsylvania, emmanuel church, newcastle, delaware, everett, edward, expenses in raising the tower of the state house, philadelphia, fairmount park, philadelphia, faneuil, andrew, faneuil, peter, , faneuil hall, boston, , , , , fatlands, near philadelphia, federal district, location of the, fernside farm, haverhill, massachusetts, first baptist church, providence, rhode island, fitch, john, flag, american, flag, first american in british waters, flint, ruth, flynt, tutor, ford mansion, morristown, new jersey, forks of the delaware, fort washington, new york city, fort william and mary, fox, george, franklin, benjamin, , , , , , , , fraunces, samuel, fraunces' tavern, new york, freeman, rev. james, "from greenland's icy mountains," gage, general, , gano, rev. stephen, garrison, william lloyd, , _gazette_, boston, _gazette_, essex, _gazette_, new york, , _gazette of the united states_, _gazette_, portland, maine, _gazette_, williamsburg, virginia, germantown, battle of, , germantown, pennsylvania, gerry, elbridge, , girard college, philadelphia, glover, colonel, grant, ulysses s., green, general, greenway, virginia, _griffon_, building of the, gunston hall, virginia, hale, edward everett, hallet, stephen l., hamilton, alexander, , , hamilton, allan maclane, hancock, john, , , , , , , , hanover court house, virginia, "hardscrabble," st. louis, missouri, harlem heights, battle of, harmar, fort, harrison, benjamin, , harrison mansion, the, vincennes, indiana, harrison, william henry, , harte, bret, harvard college, hasbrouck, jonathan, haverhill historical society, haverhill, massachusetts, hawthorne, nathaniel, , hay, henry hanby, headquarters: washington's at roger morris house, new york, washington's at richmond hill, new york, washington's at van cortlandt house, new york, washington's at newburgh, new york, . washington's at morristown, new jersey, washington's at rocky hill, new jersey, washington's at rocky hill, new jersey, washington's at valley forge, washington's at pennypacker's mills, dawesfield, and emlen house, heijt, hans joest, henricopolis, virginia, henry, patrick, , , , , , , , , , henry, william, _herald_, the san antonio, texas, hermitage, the, nashville, tennessee, hoban, james, architect of white house, , hodgson, adam, . hollyman, ezekiel, holmes, oliver wendell, , honor system, the, in william and mary college, hospitality: at montpelier, virginia, at oak hill, virginia, at red hill, virginia, at mount airy, virginia, at monticello, at the hermitage, at ashland, kentucky, at the schuyler mansion, albany, new york, hough, atherton, house of seven gables, houses: paul revere's, boston, massachusetts, elmwood, cambridge, massachusetts, craigie house, cambridge, massachusetts, , adams house, cambridge, massachusetts, quincy mansion, quincy, massachusetts, fernside farm, haverhill, massachusetts, duston garrison house, haverhill, massachusetts, the old manse, concord, massachusetts, the wayside, concord, massachusetts, royall house, medford, massachusetts, bennet-boardman, saugus, massachusetts, broadhearth, saugus, massachusetts, jeremiah lee house, marblehead, massachusetts, morris-jumel house, new york city, philipse manor, yonkers, new york, , the grange, new york city, van cortlandt, new york city, hasbrouck, newburgh, new york, franklin palace, perth amboy, new jersey, ford mansion, morristown, new jersey, campfield, morristown, new jersey, morven, the mercer house and washington's headquarters at rocky hill, new jersey, letitia penn, philadelphia, pennsbury manor, pennsylvania, cliveden, germantown, pennsylvania, david rittenhouse, philadelphia, isaac potts, at valley forge, pennsylvania, pennypacker's mills, pennsylvania, dawesfield, pennsylvania, sweetbrier, philadelphia, mill grove, pennsylvania, fatlands, pennsylvania, waynesborough, paoli, pennsylvania, amstel, new castle, delaware, george read's, new castle, delaware, ridgely, dover, delaware, doughoregan manor, maryland, upton scott, annapolis, maryland, white house, washington, , octagon, washington, , , , mt. airy, virginia, , mt. vernon, virginia, arlington, virginia, mary washington's, fredericksburg, virginia, pine grove, virginia, kenmore, virginia, greenway, virginia, sherwood forest, virginia, nelson, yorktown, virginia, moore house, yorktown, virginia, john marshall's, richmond, virginia, sabine hall, virginia, westover, virginia, shirley, virginia, carter's grove, virginia, brandon, virginia, gunston hall, virginia, montpelier, virginia, shadwell, virginia, , oak hill, virginia, red hill, virginia, monticello, virginia, rebecca motte's, charleston, south carolina, pringle house, charleston, hermitage, nashville, tennessee, ashland, lexington, kentucky, whitley's station, kentucky, white haven, st. louis, missouri, "hardscrabble," st. louis, missouri, abraham lincoln's, springfield, illinois, harrison mansion, vincennes, indiana, rufus putnam's house, marietta, ohio, monument place, elm grove, west virginia, schuyler mansion, albany, new york, wentworth house, portsmouth, new hampshire, warner house, portsmouth, new hampshire, longfellow house, portland, maine, houston, sam, hovey, dr. h. c., howe, lord, , huguenot church, charleston, south carolina, hull, hannah, hutchinson, ann, independence bell, , independence, the declaration of, independence hall, philadelphia, , independent church, savannah, georgia, indians, attacked by the, , , institute of american architects, jackson, andrew, , , james river canal company, jamestown, virginia, jay, john, jefferson, thomas, , , , , , , , , , jeremiah lee house, marblehead, massachusetts, john marshall's house, richmond, virginia, johns, kensey, johnson, nicholas, _journal and general advertiser_, new york, _journal_, springfield, illinois, jumel-burr, madam, jumel, stephen, kasimir, fort, delaware, kenmore, virginia, kent, chancellor, _kentucke gazette_, key, francis scott, kidd, captain, king, washington asked to become, king's chapel, boston, kingston, new york, knyphausen, general, , lafayette, marquis de, , , , , , , , , , latrobe, benjamin henry, leader, richard, lee, jeremiah, lee, richard henry, , lee, robert e., , , "lehigh, house on the," letitia penn house, philadelphia, lexington, battle of, , lexington, massachusetts, , , _liberator, the_, liberty bell, , lidgett, mrs. elizabeth, _lightning_, ship, lincoln, abraham, , , , , _little pilgrim, the_ newspaper, livingston, robert r., logan, james, longfellow, henry wadsworth, , , longfellow, mrs. henry wadsworth, lossing, benson j., lottery for church building purposes, louisiana, louisiana purchase, louisiana transferred to the united states, lowell, general charles russell, lowell, james jackson, lowell, james russell, , lowell, maria, lowell, rev. charles, lowly office after the presidency, loyalists' houses confiscated, lunt, ezra, maddox, rev. robert, madison, james, , , , makemie, frances, mantonomi, marblehead, massachusetts, marietta, ohio, marion, general, marriages: mary philipse and roger morris, rev. william tennent and mrs. noble, alexander hamilton and elizabeth schuyler, william penn and guli springett, william penn and hannah callowhill, william aubrey and letitia penn, john james audubon and mary bakewell, kensey johns and anne van dyke, charles j. du pont and dorcas m. van dyke, upton scott and elizabeth ross, robert e. lee and miss custis, augustine washington and mary ball, john rolfe and pocahontas, john tyler and letitia christian, thomas nelson and lucy grymes, james madison and dorothy todd, james madison and eliza kortwright, george washington and martha custis, thomas jefferson and martha skelton, jacob motte and rebecca brewton, woodrow wilson and ellen axson, henry clay and lavinia hart, ulysses s. grant and julia dent, abraham lincoln and mary todd, moses shepherd and lydia boggs, philip schuyler and catherine van rensselaer, alexander hamilton and elizabeth schuyler, governor wentworth and martha hilton, michael wentworth and mrs. martha wentworth, marshall, chief justice, , , martineau, harriet, , _mary_, ship, mary washington house, fredericksburg, virginia, mason and dixon line, mason, george, , mason, lowell, massachusetts bay colony, massacre, boston, , massasoit, mather, cotton, mather, increase, _mayflower_, putnam's barge on the ohio, mccolloch's leap, mckinley, william, meade, bishop, , medford, massachusetts, , mercer, general, mercer house, princeton, new jersey, _mercury_, new york, mill grove, near philadelphia, monmouth, battle of, monroe, james, , , , montgomery, general, monticello, virginia, montpelier, virginia, monument place, elm grove, west virginia, monumental church, richmond, virginia, , moore house, yorktown, virginia, , moravian church, bethlehem, pennsylvania, morris, gouverneur, , morris-jumel house, new york city, , morris, robert, morris, roger, , morven, princeton, new jersey, "mosses from an old manse," mount airy, virginia, , mount vernon, virginia, , munitions, revolutionary, nantes, edict of, nassau hall, princeton, new jersey, _national intelligencer_, washington, national pike, nelson house, yorktown, virginia, nelson, thomas, newark, new jersey, newburyport, massachusetts, , new castle, delaware, , new england antiquities, society for the preservation of, new orleans, battle of, newspapers: _liberator_, essex _gazette_, boston _news letter_, boston _gazette_, _little pilgrim, the_, new york _mercury_, new york _daily advertiser_, new york _gazette_, , new york _journal and general advertiser_, philadelphia _pennsylvania packet_, _pennsylvania evening post_, , _pennsylvania gazette_, _daily american advertiser_, philadelphia, _national intelligencer_, washington, , _gazette of the united states_, williamsburg _gazette_, _american standard_, richmond, virginia, san antonio _herald_, _kentucke gazette_, springfield _journal_, portland _gazette_, nicola, lewis, tries to tempt washington, norriton, pennsylvania, norriton presbyterian church, north church, boston, northwestern territory, nova scotia, franklin's land speculation in, noyes, alfred, oak hill, virginia, octagon house, washington, , , , oglethorpe, general james e., ohio company, the, ohio river, floating down the, old manse, the, concord, massachusetts, old pine street church, philadelphia, old north church, boston, old south church, , , , old south church, newburyport, massachusetts, old state house, boston, old tennent church, freehold, new jersey, oliver, thomas, ordway, alfred a., o'reilly, count alejandro, orin, azor, "oven, the," temporary capitol, paoli massacre, , parsons, dr. jonathan, patriot who destroyed their own houses: thomas nelson, ; rebecca motte, pauling, john, paul revere's house, boston, massachusetts, peabody, sophia, peace, signing of, in , peale, charles wilson, , penn, letitia, penn, thomas and richard, penn, william, , , pennsbury manor, pennsylvania, _pennsylvania evening post_, , _pennsylvania gazette_, _pennsylvania packet_, philadelphia, pennypacker, samuel w., penobscot expedition, persecution, religious, in new york, phi beta kappa society, philadelphia, evacuation of, philadelphia, paul revere rides to, philipsburgh, manor of, philipse, colonel frederick, philipse, frederick, philipse manor house, yonkers, new york, philipse, mary, pine grove, virginia, pine-tree shillings, dowry of, plum pudding, the best dinner, plymouth, new hampshire, pohick church, virginia, , portsmouth, new hampshire, , potomac canal, , prayer at opening of first continental congress, prayer for the king, omitted, president's pew: in st. paul's chapel, new york, in st. peter's, philadelphia, in pohick church, virginia, princeton, battle of, , princeton university, pringle house, charleston, south carolina, providence, rhode island, putnam, william lowell, "put watts into them, boys," quincy, dorothy, quincy, edmund, , quincy, edmund, iii, quincy, josiah, quincy, judith, quincy mansion, quincy, massachusetts, quincy, massachusetts, quincy, massachusetts historical society, randolph, edmund, , randolph, john, read, george, red bank, new jersey, victory at, redemptioners, purchase of, red hill, virginia, revere, paul, , , , rhode island, ridgely, dr. charles greenburg, rittenhouse, david, rittenhouse house, philadelphia, rochefoucauld-liancourt, duc de la, rodney, cæsar, , roosevelt, theodore, , ross, george, royall house, medford, massachusetts, royall, isaac, royall, william, rufus putnam's house, marietta, ohio, rush, dr. benjamin, , st. john's church, richmond, virginia, , st. luke's church, smithfield, virginia, st. martins-in-the-fields, london, st. michael's church, charleston, south carolina, st. peter's church, new kent county, virginia, st. peter's church, philadelphia, st. philip's church, charleston, south carolina, , salem, massachusetts, savannah, georgia, siege of, schools, free, beginnings of, in pennsylvania, schuyler, catherine, schuyler, elizabeth, , schuyler, general philip, , schuyler mansion, albany, new york, scott house, annapolis, maryland, scott, molly, scott, upton, servants, problem of, in early days, severance, frank h., sewell, judge samuel, , shadwell, virginia, , sharpe, horatio, shepherd, moses, sherwood forest, virginia, , shippen, dr. william, jr., ships: _dartmouth_, _somerset_, _welcome_, _john and sarah_, _surprise_, _mary_, _constitution_ and _guerriere_, _cyano_ and _levant_, _lightning_, shirley, virginia, signers of the declaration of independence: john witherspoon, benjamin rush, george ross, george read, charles carroll of carrollton, thomas nelson, george wythe, richard lightfoot lee, skippack, pennsylvania, smith, abigail, smith, rev. william, "snow-bound," society for the preservation of virginia antiquities, _somerset_, ship, sons of the revolution, springett, guli, springfield, battle of, springfield meeting house, new jersey, stamp act, , , star-spangled banner, story of the, stark, general john, stark, molly, state house clock, philadelphia, state house yard, philadelphia, steuben, baron, stevens, colonel william, stockton, mrs. richard, stone church, elm grove, west virginia, stony point, new york, stuart, gilbert, stuyvesant, petrus, sullivan, general, susquehanna, falls of the, sweetbrier, philadelphia, swett, martha, symmes, rev. frank r., taney, chief justice r. r., tayloe, john, , , tea meetings, tecumseh, indian chief, tennent, rev. john, rev. william, texas, republic of, thames, battle of the, theatre fire in richmond, virginia, thomson, george, thornton, dr. william, , ticonderoga, tilghman, tench, , tillinghast, pardon, treaty of , trenton, battle of, tudor, john, tyler, henry, tyler, judge john, , , united states archives, removed to new capitol at washington, university of virginia, the, valley forge, pennsylvania, , , , , vanarsdal, rev. jacob, van buren, martin, van cortlandt, jacobus, van cortlandt park, van der donck, jonkheer adriaen, , van dyke, henry, van dyke, nicholas, vane, sir harry, vassall, john, vassall, leonard, venus, transit of, vincennes, indiana, waldo, albigence, walker, rachel, wallace nutting corporation, walter, thomas u., ward, samuel, warner house, portsmouth, new hampshire, warren, general, washington and lee university, washington, burning of, in , , , , , washington college, lexington, virginia, washington, george, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , washington, laurence, , washington, mrs. george, , , , wayne, captain isaac, wayne, general anthony, , , waynesborough, near philadelphia, wayside, the, concord, massachusetts, weare, meschech, webster, daniel, weems, parson, wentworth, governor benning, wentworth house, portsmouth, new hampshire, west church, boston, westover, virginia, west point military academy, , , wheelwright, rev. john, whitefield, rev. george, white haven, st. louis, missouri, white house, washington, , whitemarsh, pennsylvania, whitley's station, kentucky, whittier, john g., , whittier, thomas, wilkinson, general, william and mary college, williamsburg, virginia, , , williamsburg court house, virginia, williamsburg, virginia, williams, roger, wilson, daniel munro, , winthrop, governor, , wirt, william, describes patrick henry's first public speech, witherspoon, john, wolfe, colonel james, women's centennial executive committee, wren, james, wren, sir christopher, , wythe, george, yonkers, new york, , york, pennsylvania, yorktown, siege of, , zinzendorf, count, * * * * * transcriber's note: inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the original document have been preserved. obvious typographical errors have been corrected. page : " " possibly should be . page : "hampdon sidney" possibly should be "hampden sydney." various references to newcastle or new castle, delaware have been left as printed. all illustrations except the frontispiece have been moved to their references in the text. unmatched quotation marks were left as printed. scanned images of public domain material from the internet archive. _nooks & corners_ _of_ old new york by charles hemftreet _illustrated_ _by_ e. c. peixotto new york charles scribner's sons mdccccv copyright, by charles scribner's sons new york _introductory note_ the points of interest referred to in this book are to be found in the lower part of the island of manhattan. settlements having early been made in widely separated parts of the island, streets were laid out from each settlement as they were needed without regard to the city as a whole; with the result that as the city grew the streets lengthened and those of the various sections met at every conceivable angle. this resulted in a tangle detrimental to the city's interests, and in a commission was appointed to devise a city plan that should protect the interests of the _whole_ community. a glance at a city map will show the confusion of streets at the lower end of the island and the regularity brought about under the city plan above houston street on the east, and fourteenth street on the west side. the plan adopted by the commission absolutely disregarded the natural topography of the island, and resulted in a city of straight lines and right angles. list of illustrations page no. state street fraunces' tavern the "jack knife," gold and platt streets golden hill inn cell in the prison under the hall of records statue of nathan hale, city hall park no. reade street, where aaron burr had an office the tombs park street, with church of the transfiguration hudson and watts streets grave of charlotte temple tomb of alexander hamilton washington's pew, st. paul's chapel montgomery's tomb a house of other days "murderers' row" old houses, wiehawken street looking south from minetta lane old theological seminary, chelsea square church of sea and land bone alley milestone on the bowery entrance to marble cemetery college of the city of new york gate of old house of refuge the little church around the corner milestone on third avenue nooks and corners of old new york i [sidenote: fort amsterdam] on the centre building of the row which faces bowling green park on the south there is a tablet bearing the words: the site of fort amsterdam, built in . within the fortifications was erected the first substantial church edifice on the island of manhattan. in the fort was demolished and the government house built upon this site [sidenote: dutch west india co.] this was the starting-point of the settlement which gradually became new york. in a stockade, called fort manhattan, was built as a temporary place of shelter for representatives of the united new netherland co., which had been formed to trade with the indians. this company was replaced by the dutch west india co., with chartered rights to trade on the american coast, and the first step towards the forming of a permanent settlement was the building of fort amsterdam on the site of the stockade. in new amsterdam passed into british possession and became new york, while fort amsterdam became fort james. under queen anne it was fort george, remaining so until demolished in . on the fort's site was built the government house, intended for washington and the presidents who should follow him. but none ever occupied it as the seat of government was removed to philadelphia before the house was completed. after it became an office building, and was demolished in to make room for the present structures. [sidenote: bowling green] the tiny patch of grass at the starting-point of broadway, now called bowling green park, was originally the centre of sports for colonists, and has been the scene of many stirring events. the iron railing which now surrounds it was set up in , having been imported from england to enclose a lead equestrian statue of king george iii. on the posts of the fence were representations of heads of members of the royal family. in , during the revolution, the statue was dragged down and molded into bullets, and where the iron heads were knocked from the posts the fracture can still be seen. [sidenote: the battery] when the english took possession of the city, in , the fort being regarded as useless, it was decided to build a battery to protect the newly acquired possession. thus the idea of the battery was conceived, although the work was not actually carried out until . beyond the fort there was a fringe of land with the water reaching to a point within a line drawn from water and whitehall streets to greenwich street. sixty years after the battery was built fifty guns were added, it having been lightly armed up to that time. the battery was demolished about the same time as the fort. the land on which it stood became a small park, retaining the name of the battery, and was gradually added to until it became the battery park of to-day. [sidenote: castle garden] a small island, two hundred feet off the battery, to which it was connected by a drawbridge, was fortified in and called fort clinton. the armament was twenty-eight -pounders, none of which was ever fired at an enemy. in the island was ceded back to the city by the federal government--when the military headquarters were transferred to governor's island--and became a place of amusement under the name of castle garden. it was the first real home of opera in america. general lafayette was received there in , and there samuel f. b. morse first demonstrated the possibility of controlling an electric current in . jenny lind, under the management of p. t. barnum, appeared there in . in it became a depot for the reception of immigrants; in the offices were removed to ellis island, and in , after many postponements, castle garden was opened as a public aquarium. [illustration: no. state street] [sidenote: state street] state street, facing the battery, during the latter part of the eighteenth and the early part of the nineteenth century, was the fashionable quarter of the city, and on it were the homes of the wealthy. several of the old houses still survive. no. , now a home for immigrant irish girls, was the most conspicuous on the street, and is in about its original state. at no. lived john morton, called the "rebel banker" by the british, because he loaned large sums to the continental congress. his son, general jacob morton, occupied the mansion after his marriage in , and commanded the militia. long after he became too infirm to actually command, from the balcony of his home he reviewed on the battery parade grounds the tompkins blues and the light guards. the veterans of these commands, by legislative enactment in , were incorporated as the "old guard." [sidenote: the "stadhuis"] on the building at and pearl street, corner state street, is a tablet which reads: on this site stood the "stadhuis" of new amsterdam----erected this tablet is placed here in loving memory of the first dutch settlers by the holland dames of the new netherlands and the knights of the legion of the crown lavinia konigin it was set up october , , and marks the supposed site of the first city hall. what is claimed by most authorities to be the real site is at pearl street, opposite coenties slip. whitehall street was one of the earliest thoroughfares of the city, and was originally the open space left on the land side of the fort. [sidenote: the beaver's path] beaver street was first called the beaver's path. it was a ditch, on either side of which was a path. when houses were built along these paths they were improved by a rough pavement. at the end of the beaver's path, close to where broad street is now, was a swamp, which, before the pavements were made, had been reclaimed and was known as the sheep pasture. [sidenote: petticoat lane] marketfield street, whose length is less than a block, opens into broad street at no. , a few feet from beaver street. this is one of the lost thoroughfares of the city. almost as old as the city itself, it once extended past the fort and continued to the river in what is now battery place. it was then called petticoat lane. the first french huguenot church was built on it in . now the produce exchange cuts the street off short and covers the site of the church. [sidenote: broad street] through broad street, when the town was new amsterdam, a narrow, ill-smelling inlet extended to about the present beaver street, then narrowed to a ditch close to wall street. the water-front was then at pearl street. several bridges crossed the inlet, the largest at the point where stone street is. another gave bridge street its name. in the ways on either side were paved, and soon became a market-place for citizens who traded with farmers for their products, and with the indians who navigated the inlet in their canoes. the locality has ever since been a centre of exchange. when the inlet was finally filled in it left the present "broad" street. where beaver street crosses this thoroughfare, on the northwest corner, is a tablet: to commemorate the gallant and patriotic act of marinus willett in here seizing june , , from the british forces the muskets with which he armed his troops. this tablet is erected by the society of the sons of the revolution, new york, nov. , on one side of the tablet is a bas-relief of the scene showing the patriots stopping the ammunition wagons. [illustration: fraunces' tavern] [sidenote: fraunces' tavern] fraunces' tavern, standing at the southeast corner of broad and pearl streets, is much the same outwardly as it was when built in , except that it has two added stories. etienne de lancey, a huguenot nobleman, built it as his homestead and occupied it for a quarter of a century. it became a tavern under the direction of samuel fraunces in . it was washington's headquarters in , and in he delivered there his farewell address to his generals. [sidenote: pearl street] pearl street was one of the two early roads leading from the fort. it lay along the water front, and extended to a ferry where peck slip is now. the road afterwards became great queen street, and was lined with shops of store-keepers who sought the long island trade. the other road in time became broadway. on a building at pearl street, facing coenties slip, is a tablet which reads: the site of the first dutch house of entertainment on the island of manhattan later the site of the old "stadt huys" or city hall this tablet is placed here by the holland society of new york september, [sidenote: the first city hall] this is the site of the first city hall of new amsterdam, built . it stood by the waterside, for beyond water street all the land has been reclaimed. there was a court room and a prison in the building. before it, where the pillars of the elevated road are now, was a cage and a whipping-post. there was also the public "well of william cox." beside the house ran a lane. it is there yet, still called coenties lane as in the days of old. but it is no longer green. now it is narrow, paved, and almost lost between tall buildings. opposite coenties lane is coenties slip, which was an inlet in the days of the stadt huys. the land about was owned by conraet ten eyck, who was nicknamed coentje. this in time became coonchy and was finally vulgarized to "quincy." the filling in of this waterway began in and the slip is now buried beneath jeanette park. the filled-in slip accounts for the width of the street. for the same reason there is considerable width at wall, maiden lane and other streets leading to the water front. [sidenote: first printing press in the colony] at pearl street, close by coenties slip, the first printing-press was set up by william bradford, after he was appointed public printer in . a tablet marks the site, with the inscription: on this site william bradford appointed public printer april , a. d. established the first printing press in the colony of new york erected by the new york historical society april , a. d. in commemoration of the th anniversary of the introduction of printing in new york [sidenote: fire of ] across the way, on a warehouse at pearl street, is a marble tablet of unique design, to commemorate the great fire of , which started in merchant street, burned for nineteen hours, extended over fifty acres and consumed buildings. directly through the block from this point is cuyler's alley, a narrow way between the houses running off water street. although it is a hundred years old the only incident connected with its existence that has crept into the city's history, is a murder. in , a boston merchant was waylaid and murdered for his money, and was dragged through this street for final disposition in the river, but the murderer made so much noise in his work that the constable heard him and came upon the abandoned corpse. [sidenote: stone street] through a pretty garden at the back of the stadt huys, stone street was reached. it was the first street to be laid with cobble-stones ( ), and so came by its name, which originally had been brouwer street. delmonico's establishment at beaver and william streets is on the site of the second of the delmonico restaurants. (see fulton and william streets.) [sidenote: flat and barrack hill] exchange place took its name from the merchants' exchange, which was completed in william street, fronting on wall, in (the present custom house). before that date it had been called garden street. from hanover to broad street was a famous place for boys to coast in winter, and the grade was called "flat and barrack hill." scarcely more than an alley now, the street was even narrower once and was given its present width in . [sidenote: wall street] wall street came by its name naturally, for it was a walled street once. when war broke out between england and holland in , governor peter stuyvesant built the wall along the line of the present street, from river to river. his object was to form a barrier that should enclose the city. it was a wall of wood, twelve feet high, with a sloping breastwork inside. after the wall was removed in , the street came to be a chief business thoroughfare. [sidenote: federal hall] a new city hall, to replace the stadt huys, was built in , at nassau street, on the site of the present sub-treasury building. in front of the building was the cage for criminals, stocks and whipping-post. when independence was declared, this building was converted into a capitol and was called federal hall. the declaration of independence was read from the steps in . president washington was inaugurated there in . the wide strip of pavement on the west side of nassau street at wall street bears evidence of the former existence of federal hall. the latter extended across to the western house line of the present nassau street, and so closed the thoroughfare that a passage-way led around the building to nassau street. when the sub-treasury was built in , on the site of federal hall, nassau street was opened to wall, and the little passage-way was left to form the wide pavement of to-day. [sidenote: where alexander hamilton lived] alexander hamilton, in , lived in a house on the south side of wall street at broad. his slayer, aaron burr, then lived back of federal hall in nassau street. the custom house at william street and wall was completed in . at this same corner once stood a statue of william pitt, earl of chatham. in , during the revolution, the statue was pulled down by british soldiers, the head cut off and the remainder dragged in the mud. the people petitioned the assembly in to erect the statue to pitt, as a recognition of his zealous defence of the american colonies and his efforts in securing the repeal of the stamp act. at the same time provision was made for the erection of the equestrian statue of george iii in bowling green. the statue of pitt was of marble, and was erected in . [sidenote: tontine coffee house] the tontine building at the northwest corner of wall and water streets marks the site of the tontine coffee house, a celebrated house for the interchange of goods and of ideas, and a political centre. it was a prominent institution in the city, resorted to by the wealthy and influential. the building was erected in , and conducted by the tontine society of two hundred and three members, each holding a $ share. under their plan all property was to revert to seven survivors of the original subscribers. the division was made in . [sidenote: meal market] close to where the coffee house was built later, a market was set up in the middle of wall street in , and being the public market for the sale of corn and meal was called the "meal market." cut meat was not sold there until . in this market became the only public place for the sale and hiring of slaves. trinity church has stood at the head of wall street since . before the street was filled with tall trees, but during the intensely cold winter of that year most of them were cut down and used for kindling. the ferry wharf has been at the foot of the street since , when the water came up as far as pearl street. it was here that washington landed, coming from elizabethport after his journey from virginia, april , , to be inaugurated. the united states hotel, fulton, between water and pearl streets, was built in as holt's hotel. it was the headquarters for captains of whaling ships and merchants. a semaphore, or marine telegraph, was on the cupola, the windmill-like arms of which served to indicate the arrival of vessels. [sidenote: middle dutch church] on the building at the northeast corner of nassau and cedar streets is a tablet reading: here stood the middle dutch church dedicated a. d. made a british military prison restored occupied as the united states post-office - taken down this church was a notable place of worship; the last in the city to represent strict simplicity of religious service as contrasted with modern ease and elegance. the post-office occupied the building until its removal to the structure it now occupies. the second home of the middle dutch church was in lafayette place. [sidenote: pie woman's lane] nassau street was opened in , when teunis de kay was given the right to make a cartway from the wall to the commons (now city hall park). at first the street was known as pie woman's lane. [sidenote: the maiden's lane] where maiden lane is there was once a narrow stream or spring water, which flowed from about the present nassau street. women went there to wash their clothing, so that it came to be called the virgin's path, and from that the maiden's lane. a blacksmith having set up a shop at the edge of the stream near the river, the locality took the name of smit's v'lei, or the smith's valley, afterwards shortened to the v'lei, and then readily corrupted to "fly." it was natural, then, when a market was built on the maiden's lane, from pearl to south streets, to call it the fly market. this was pulled down in . [illustration: the jack knife, gold & platt sts.] [sidenote: the jack-knife] on gold street, northwest corner of platt street, is a wedge-shaped house of curious appearance. it is best seen from the platt street side. when this street was opened in by jacob s. platt, who owned much of the neighboring land and wanted a street of his own, the house was large and square and had been a tavern for a great many years. the new street cut the house to its present strange shape, and it came to be called the "jack-knife." [illustration: golden hill inn] [sidenote: golden hill] golden hill, celebrated since the time of the dutch, is still to be seen in the high ground around cliff and gold streets. pearl street near john shows a sweeping curve where it circled around the hill's base, and the same sort of curve is seen in maiden lane on the south and fulton street on the north. the first blood of the revolution was shed on this hill in january, , after the british soldiers had cut down a liberty pole set up by the liberty boys. the fight occurred on open ground back of an inn which still stands at william street, and is commemorated in a tablet on the wall of a building at the corner of john and william streets. it reads: "golden hill" here, jan. , the fight took place between the "sons of liberty" and the british regulars, th foot first bloodshed in the war of the revolution the inn is much the same as in early days, except that many buildings crowd about it now, and modern paint has made it hideous to antiquarian eyes. [sidenote: delmonico's] on the east side of william street, a few doors south of fulton, john delmonico opened a dingy little bake shop in , acted as chef and waiter, and built up the name and business which to-day is synonymous with good eating. in he removed to william street. burned out there in , he soon opened on a larger scale with his brother at william and beaver streets, on which site is still an establishment under the delmonico name. in time he set up various places--at chambers street and broadway; fourteenth street and fifth avenue; twenty-sixth street and broadway, and finally at forty-fourth street and fifth avenue. [sidenote: john street church] john street church, between nassau and william streets, was the first methodist church in america. in it was organized in a loft at william street, then locally known as horse and cart street. in the church was built in john street. it was rebuilt in and again in . john street perpetuates the name of john harpendingh, who owned most of the land thereabout. [sidenote: john street theatre] at what is now , and john street, in was built the old john street theatre, a wooden structure, painted red, standing sixty feet back from the street and reached by a covered way. an arcade through the house at no. still bears evidence of the theatre. the house was closed in , when the continental congress recommended suspension of amusements. throughout the revolutionary war, however, performances were given, the places of the players being filled by british officers. washington frequently attended the performances at this theatre after he became president. the house was torn down in . the site of the shakespeare tavern is marked by a tablet at the southwest corner of nassau and fulton streets. the words of the tablet are: on this site in the old shakespeare tavern was organized the seventh regiment national guard, s. n. y. aug. , [sidenote: shakespeare tavern] this tavern, low, old-fashioned, built of small yellow bricks with dormer windows in the roof, was constructed before the revolution. in it was bought by thomas hodgkinson, an actor, and was henceforth a meeting-place for thespians. it was resorted to--in contrast to the business men guests of the tontine coffee house--by the wits of the day, the poets and the writers. in hodgkinson died, and the house was kept up for a time by his son-in-law, mr. stoneall. [sidenote: first clinton hall] at the southwest corner of beekman and nassau streets was built, in , the first home of the mercantile library, called clinton hall. in the first steps were taken by the merchants of the city to establish a reading room for their clerks. the library was opened the following year with volumes. in the association was incorporated. it was located first in a building in nassau street, but in was moved to cliff street, and in occupied its new building in beekman street. de witt clinton, governor of the state, had presented a history of england as the first volume for the library. the new building was called clinton hall in his honor. in , the building being crowded, the astor place opera house was bought for $ , , and remodeled in into the second clinton hall. the third building of that name is now on the site at the head of lafayette place. [sidenote: st. george's church] the st. george building, on the north side of beekman street, just west of cliff street, stands on the site of st. george's episcopal church, a stately stone structure which was erected in . in it was burned; in rebuilt, and in removed to rutherford place and sixteenth street, where it still is. next to the st. george building is the tall shot-tower which may be so prominently seen from the windows of tall buildings in the lower part of the city, but is so difficult to find when search is made for it. [sidenote: barnum's museum] barnum's museum, opened in , was on the site of the st. paul building, at broadway and ann street. there p. t. barnum brought out tom thumb, the woolly horse and many other curiosities that became celebrated. on the stage of a dingy little amphitheatre in the house many actors played who afterwards won national recognition. [sidenote: original park theatre] the original park theatre was built in , and stood on park row, between ann and beekman streets, facing what was then city hall park and what is now the post office. it was feet from ann street, and extended back to the alley which has ever since been called theatre alley. john howard payne, author of "home, sweet home," appeared there for the first time on any stage, in , as the "young american roscius." in a ball in honor of charles dickens was given there. many noted actors played at this theatre, which was the most important in the city at that period. it was rebuilt in and burned in . [sidenote: first brick presbyterian church] at the junction of park row and nassau street, where the _times_ building is, the brick presbyterian church was erected in . there was a small burying-ground within the shadow of its walls, and green fields stretched from it in all directions. it was sold in , and a new church was built at fifth avenue and thirty-seventh street. [sidenote: where leisler was hanged] within a few steps of where the statue of benjamin franklin is in printing house square, jacob leisler was hanged in his own garden in , the city's first martyr to constitutional liberty. a wealthy merchant, after james iii fled and william iii ascended the throne, leisler was called by the committee of safety to act as governor. he assembled a continental congress, whose deliberations were cut short by the arrival of col. henry sloughter as governor. enemies of leisler decided on his death. the new governor refused to sign the warrant, but being made drunk signed it unknowingly and leisler was hanged and his body buried at the foot of the scaffold. a few years later, a royal proclamation wiped the taint of treason from leisler's memory and his body was removed to a more honored resting-place. [sidenote: tammany hall] the walls of the _sun_ building at park row and frankfort street, are those of the first permanent home of tammany hall. besides the hall it contained the second leading hotel in the city, where board was $ a week. tammany hall, organized in by william mooney, an upholsterer, occupied quarters in borden's tavern in lower broadway. in it removed to martling's tavern, at the southeast corner of nassau and spruce, until its permanent home was erected in . [sidenote: a liberty pole] there is a tablet on the wall of the south corridor of the post-office building, which bears the inscription: on the common of the city of new york, near where this building now stands, there stood from to a liberty pole erected to commemorate the repeal of the stamp act. it was repeatedly destroyed by the violence of the tories and as repeatedly replaced by the sons of liberty, who organized a constant watch and guard. in its defence the first martyr blood of the american revolution was shed on jan. , . the cutting down of this pole led to the battle of golden hill. [sidenote: city hall park] [sidenote: potter's field in city hall park] the post-office building was erected on a portion of the city hall park. this park, like all of the island of manhattan, was a wilderness a few hundred years ago. by , where the park is there was a clearing in which cattle were herded. in time the clearing was called the fields; later the commons. on the commons, in dutch colonial days, criminals were executed. still later a potter's field occupied what is now the upper end of the park; above it, and extending over the present chambers street was a negro burying-ground. on these commons, in , a poor-house was built, the site of which is covered by the present city hall. from time to time other buildings were erected. [illustration: cell in the prison under the hall of records] the new jail was finished in , and, having undergone but few alterations, is now known as the hall of records. it was a military prison during the revolution, and afterwards a debtors' prison. in it became the register's office. it was long considered the most beautiful building in the city, being patterned after the temple of diana of ephesus. the bridewell, or city prison, was built on the commons in , close by broadway, on a line with the debtors' prison. it was torn down in . [sidenote: third city hall] [sidenote: governor's room] the present city hall was finished in . about that time the commons were fenced in and became a park, taking in besides the present space, that now occupied by the post-office building. the constructors of the city hall deemed it unnecessary to use marble for the rear wall as they had for the sides and front, and built this wall of freestone, it being then almost inconceivable that traffic could ever extend so far up-town as to permit a view of the rear of the building. the most noted spot in the city hall is the governor's room, an apartment originally intended for the use of the governor when in the city. in time it became the municipal portrait gallery, and a reception room for the distinguished guests of the city. the bodies of abraham lincoln and of john howard payne lay in state in this room. with it is also associated the visit of lafayette when he returned to this country in and made the room his reception headquarters. the room was also the scene of the celebration after the capture of the "guerrière" by the "constitution"; the reception to commodore perry after his lake erie victory; the celebration in connection with the laying of the atlantic cable; and at the completion of the erie canal. it contains a large gilt punch-bowl, showing scenes in new york a hundred years ago. this was presented to the city by general jacob morton, secretary of the committee of defense, at the opening of the city hall. at the western end of the front wall of city hall is a tablet reading: near this spot in the presence of gen. george washington the declaration of independence was read and published to the american army july th, [sidenote: first savings bank] other buildings erected in the park were the rotunda, , on the site of the brown stone building afterwards occupied by the court of general sessions, where works of art were exhibited; and the new york institute on the site of the court house, occupied in by the american, or scudder's museum, the first in the city. the chambers street bank, the first bank for savings in the city, opened in the basement of the institute building in . in philip hone was president of this bank. it afterwards moved to the north side of bleecker street, between broadway and crosby, and became the bleecker street bank. now it is at twenty-second street and fourth avenue, and is called the bank for savings. [illustration: statue of nathan hale city hall park] [sidenote: fences of city hall park] the statue of nathan hale was erected in city hall park by the sons of the revolution. some authorities still insist that the martyr spy was hanged in this park. until there were fences of wooden pickets about the park. in that year iron railings, which had been imported from england, were set up, with four marble pillars at the southern entrance. the next year trees were set out within the enclosure, and just within the railing were planted a number of rose-bushes which had been supplied by two ladies who had an eye to landscape gardening. frosts and vandals did not allow the bushes more than a year of life. four granite balls, said to have been dug from the ruins of troy, were placed on the pillars at the southern entrance, may , . they were given to the city by captain john b. nicholson, u. s. n. the building and chambers street, opposite the court house, stands on the site of the pretty little palmo opera house, built in for the production of italian opera, by f. palmo, the wealthy proprietor of the café des mille colonnes on broadway at duane street. he lost his fortune in the operatic venture and became a bartender. in the house became burton's theatre. about , this site was occupied by the first reformed presbyterian church, a frame building which was replaced by a brick structure in . the church was moved to prince and marion streets in . [illustration: no. reade st. where aaron burr had an office....] [sidenote: office of aaron burr] at no. reade street is a dingy little house, now covered with signs and given over to half a dozen small business concerns, about which hover memories of aaron burr. it was here he had a law office in , and here when he was seventy-eight years old he first met mme. jumel whom he afterwards married. the house is to be torn down to make way for new municipal buildings. [sidenote: an historic window] at rose and duane streets stands the rhinelander building, and on the rose street side close by the main entrance is a small grated window. this is the last trace of a sugar-house, which, during the revolutionary war, was used as a british military prison. the building was not demolished until , and the window, retaining its original position in the old house, was built into the new. [illustration: the tombs] [sidenote: the tombs prison] [sidenote: the collect] where the tombs prison stands was once the collect, or fresh water pond. this deep body of water took up, approximately, the space between the present baxter, elm, canal and pearl streets. when the island of manhattan was first inhabited, a swamp stretched in a wide belt across it from where roosevelt slip is now to the end of canal street on the west side. the collect was the centre of this stretch, with a stream called the wreck brook flowing from it across a marsh to the east river. at a time near the close of the eighteenth century a drain was cut from the collect to the north river, on a line with the present canal street. with the progress of the city to the north, the pond was drained, and the swamp made into firm ground. in , the corporation yards occupied the block of elm, centre, leonard and franklin streets, on the ground which had filled in the pond. the tombs, or city prison, was built on this block in . [sidenote: the five points] the five points still exists where worth, baxter and park streets intersect, but it is no longer the centre of a community of crime that gained international notoriety. it was once the gathering-point for criminals and degraded persons of both sexes and of all nationalities, a rookery for thieves and murderers. its history began more than a century and a half ago. during the so-called negro insurrection of , when many negroes were hanged, the severest punishment was the burning at the stake of fourteen negroes in this locality. [sidenote: mulberry bend slum] one of the five "points" is now formed by a pleasant park which a few years ago took the place of the last remnant of the old-time locality. in no single block of the city was there ever such a record for crime as in this old "mulberry bend" block. set low in a hollow, it was a refuge for the outcasts of the city and of half a dozen countries. the slum took its name, as the park does now, from mulberry street, which on one side of it makes a deep and sudden bend. in this slum block the houses were three deep in places, with scarcely the suggestion of a courtyard between them. narrow alleys, hardly wide enough to permit the passage of a man, led between houses to beer cellars, stables and time-blackened, tumbledown tenements. obscure ways honeycombed the entire block--ways that led beneath houses, over low sheds, through fragments of wall--ways that were known only to the thief and the tramp. there "bottle alley," "bandit's roost" and "rag-picker's row" were the scenes of many wild fights, and many a time the ready stiletto ended the lives of men, or the heavy club dashed out brains. the five points house of industry's work was begun in , and has been successful in ameliorating the moral and physical condition of the people of the vicinity. the institution devoted to this work stands on the site of the "old brewery," the most notorious criminal resort of the locality. [illustration: park st. with church of the transfiguration] [sidenote: an ancient church] at mott and park streets is now the church of the transfiguration (catholic). on a hill, the suggestion of which is still to be seen in steep park street, the zion lutheran church was erected in . in it was changed to zion episcopal church. it was burned in ; rebuilt , and sold in to the church of the transfiguration, which has occupied it since. this last church had previously been in chambers street, and before that it had occupied several quarters. it was founded in , and is the fourth oldest church in the diocese. zion episcopal church moved in to thirty-eighth street and madison avenue, and in consolidated with st. timothy's church at no. west fifty-seventh street. the madison avenue building was sold to the south (reformed) dutch church. [sidenote: chatham square] chatham square has been the open space it is now ever since the time when a few houses clustered about fort amsterdam. the road that stretched the length of the island in formed the only connecting link between the fort and six large bouweries or farms on the east side. the bouwerie settlers in the early days were harassed by indians, and spent as much time defending themselves and skurrying off to the protection of the fort as they did in improving the land. the earliest settlement in the direction of these bouweries, which had even a suggestion of permanency, was on a hill which had once been an indian outlook, close by the present chatham square. emanuel de groot, a giant negro, with ten superannuated slaves, were permitted to settle here upon agreeing to pay each a fat hog and - / bushels of grain a year, their children to remain slaves. north of this settlement stretched a primeval forest through which cattle wandered and were lost. then the future chatham square was fenced in as a place of protection for the cattle. [sidenote: bouwerie lane] the lane leading from this enclosure to the outlying bouweries, during the revolution was used for the passage of both armies. at that period the highway changed from the bouwerie lane of the dutch to the english bowery road. in it became "the bowery." [sidenote: kissing bridge] the earliest "kissing bridge" was over a small creek, on the post road, close by the present chatham square. travelers who left the city by this road parted with their friends on this bridge, it being the custom to accompany the traveler thus far from the city on his way. what is now park row, from city hall park to chatham square, was for many years called chatham street, in honor of william pitt, earl of chatham. in the aldermen of the city changed the name to park row, and in so doing seemed to stamp approval of an event just one hundred years before which had stirred american manhood to acts of valor. this was the dragging down by british soldiers in of a statue of the earl of chatham which had stood in wall street. [sidenote: tea water pump] the most celebrated pump in the city was the tea water pump, on chatham street (now park row) near queen (now pearl) street. the water was supplied from the collect and was considered of the rarest quality for the making of tea. up to it was the chief water-works of the city, and the water was carted about the city in casks and sold from carts. [sidenote: home of charlotte temple] within a few steps of the bowery, on the north side of pell street, in a frame house, charlotte temple died. the heroine of mrs. rowson's "tale of truth," whose sorrowful life was held up as a moral lesson a generation ago, had lived first in a house on what is now the south side of astor place close to fourth avenue. her tomb is in trinity churchyard. [sidenote: bull's head tavern] the bull's head tavern was built on the site of the present thalia theatre, formerly the bowery theatre, just above chatham square, some years before . it was frequented by drovers and butchers, and was the most popular tavern of its kind in the city for many years. washington and his staff occupied it on the day the british evacuated the city in . it was pulled down in , making way for the bowery theatre. [sidenote: first bowery theatre] the bowery theatre was opened in , and during the course or its existence was the home of broad melodrama, that had such a large following that the theatre obtained a national reputation. many celebrated actors appeared in the house. it was burned in , rebuilt and burned again in , again in , in and in . new bowery street was opened from the south side of chatham square in . the street carried away a part of a jewish burying-ground, a portion of which, crowded between tenement-houses and shut off from the street by a wall and iron fence, is still to be seen a few steps from chatham square. the first synagogue of the jews was in mill street (now south william). the graveyard mentioned was the first one used by this congregation, and was opened in , so far from the city that it did not seem probable that the latter could ever reach it. early in the nineteenth century the graveyard was moved to a site which is now sixth avenue and eleventh street. [sidenote: washington's home on cherry hill] the franklin house was the first cherry hill place of residence of george washington in the city, when he became president in . it stood at the corner of franklin square (then st. george square) and cherry street. a portion of the east river bridge structure rests on the site. pearl street, passing the house, was a main thoroughfare in those days. the house was built in by walter franklin, an importing merchant. it was torn down in . the site is marked by a tablet on the bridge abutment, which reads: the first presidential mansion no. cherry street occupied by george washington from april , to february , erected by the mary washington colonial chapter, d.a.r. april , at no. cherry street gas was first introduced into the city in . this is the cherry hill district, sadly deteriorated from the merry days of its infancy. its name is still preserved in cherry street, which is hemmed in by tenement-houses which the italian population crowd in almost inconceivable numbers. at the top of the hill, where these italians drag out a crowded existence, richard sackett, an englishman, established a pleasure garden beyond the city in , and because its chief attraction was an orchard of cherry trees, called it the cherry garden--a name that has since clung to the locality. [illustration] ii [illustration: hudson & watts sts.] ii [sidenote: the origin of broadway] from new amsterdam, which centered about the fort, the only road which led through the island branched out from bowling green. it took the line of what is now broadway, and during a period of one hundred years was the only road which extended the length of the island. that broadway, beyond st. paul's chapel, ever became a greatly traveled thoroughfare, was due more to accident than design, for to all appearances the road which turned to the east was to be the main artery for the city's travel, and all calculations were made to that end. broadway really ended at st. paul's. [sidenote: the first graveyard] morris street was called beaver lane before the name was changed in . on this street, near broadway, the first graveyard of the city was situated. it was removed and the ground sold at auction in , when a plot was acquired opposite wall street. this last was used in conjunction with trinity church until city interment was prohibited. [sidenote: the first house built] on the office building at broadway there is fixed a tablet which bears the inscription: this tablet marks the site of the first habitations of white men on the island of manhattan adrian block commander of the "tiger" erected here four houses or huts after his vessel was burned november, he built the restless, the first vessel made by europeans in this country the restless was launched in the spring of adrian block was one of the earliest fur traders to visit the island after henry hudson returned to holland with the news of his discovery. the "tiger" took fire in the night while anchored in the bay, and block and his crew reached the shore with difficulty. they were the only white men on the island. immediately they set about building a new vessel, which was named the "restless." next door, at no. , president washington lived in the macomb's mansion, moving there from the franklin house in . subsequently the house became a hotel. [sidenote: tin pot alley] there is a rift in the walls between the tall buildings at no. broadway, near rector street, a cemented way that is neither alley nor street. it was a green lane before new amsterdam became new york, and for a hundred years has been called tin pot alley. with the growth of the city the little lane came near being crowded out, and the name, not being of proper dignity, would be forgotten but for a terra cotta tablet fixed in a building at its entrance. this was placed there by rev. morgan dix, the pastor of trinity church. at the southwest corner of broadway and rector street, where a sky-scraper is now, grace church once stood with a graveyard about it. the church was completed in , and was there until , when the present structure was erected at broadway and tenth street. upon the rector street site, the trinity lutheran church, a log structure, was built in . it was rebuilt in , and was burned in the great fire of . [sidenote: trinity churchyard] trinity churchyard is part of a large tract of land, granted to the trinity corporation in , that was once the queen's farm. [sidenote: annetje jans's farm] in there were a number of bouweries or farms above the fort. the nearest--one extending about to where warren street is--was set apart for the dutch west india company, and called the company's farm. above this was another, bounded approximately by what are now warren and charlton streets, west of broadway. this last was given by the company, in , to roelof jansz (contraction of jannsen), a dutch colonist. he died the following year, and the farm became the property of his wife, annetje jans. (in the feminine, the z being omitted, the form became jans.) the farm was sold to francis lovelace, the english governor, in , and he added it to the company's farm, and it became thereafter the duke's farm. in it became the king's farm. when queen anne began her reign it became the queen's farm, and it was she who granted it to trinity, making it the church farm. in , which was sixty-one years after the annetje jans's farm was sold to governor lovelace, the descendants of annetje jans for the first time decided that they had yet some interest in the farm, and made an unsuccessful protest. from time to time since protests in the form of lawsuits have been made, but no court has sustained the claims. the city's growth was retarded by church ownership of land, as no one wanted to build on leasehold property. it was not until the greater part of available land on the east side of the island was built upon that the church property was made use of on the only terms it could be had. not until were the streets from warren to canal laid out. trinity church was built in . for years before, however, there had been a burying-ground beyond the city and the city's wall that became the trinity graveyard of to-day. the waving grass extended to a bold bluff overlooking hudson river, which was about where greenwich street now is. through the bluff a street was cut, its passage being still plainly to be seen in the high wall on the trinity place side of the graveyard. [sidenote: oldest grave in trinity churchyard] the oldest grave of which there is a record is in the northern section of the churchyard, on the left of the first path. it is that of a child, and is marked with a sandstone slab, with a skull, cross-bones and winged hour-glass cut in relief on the back, the inscription on the front reading: w. c. hear . lyes . the . body of . richard . chvrch er . son . of . willia m . chvrcher . who . died . the . of . april . of . age years and . . months the records tell nothing of the churcher family. within a few feet of this stone is another that countless eyes have looked at through the iron fence from broadway, which says: ha, sydney, sydney! lyest thou here? i here lye, 'til time is flown to its extremity. it is the grave of a merchant--once an officer of the british army--sydney breese, who wrote his epitaph and directed that it be placed on his tombstone. he died in . [illustration] [sidenote: grave of charlotte temple] on the opposite side of the path, nearer to broadway, is a marble slab lying flat on the ground and each year sinking deeper into the earth. it was placed there by one of the sextons of trinity more than a century ago, in memory of charlotte temple. close by the porch of the north entrance to the church is the stone that marks the grave of william bradford, who set up the first printing-press in the colony and was printer to the colonial government for fifty years. he was ninety-two years old when he died in . the original stone was crumbling to decay when, in , the vestry of trinity church replaced it by the present stone, renewing the original inscription (see page ). [sidenote: martyr's monument] the tall freestone gothic shaft, the only monumental pile in the northern section of the churchyard, serves to commemorate the unknown dead of the revolution. trinity church with all its records, together with a large section of the western part of the city, was burned in when the british army occupied the city. during the next seven years the only burials in the graveyard were the american prisoners from the provost jail in the commons and the other crowded prisons of the city, who were interred at night and without ceremony. no record was kept of who the dead were. [sidenote: a churchyard cryptograph] close to the martyrs' monument is a stone so near the fence that its inscription can be read from broadway: here lies deposited the body of james leeson, who departed this life on the th day of september, , aged years. and above the inscription are cut these curious characters: [illustration] it is a cryptograph, but a simple one, familiar to school children. in its solution three diagrams are drawn and lettered thus: [illustration] the lines which enclose the letters are separated from the design, and each section used instead of the letters. for example, the letters a, b, c, become: [illustration] the second series begins with k, because the i sign is also used for j. the letters of the three series are distinguished by dots; one dot being placed with the lines of the first series; two dots with the second, but none with the third. if this be tried, any one can readily decipher the meaning of the cryptograph, and read "remember death." close to the north door of the church are interred the remains of lady cornbury, who could call england's queen anne cousin. she was the wife of edward hyde, lord cornbury, who was governor of new york in . he was a grandson of the earl of clarendon, prime minister of charles ii; and son of that earl of clarendon who was brother-in-law of james ii. so lady cornbury was first cousin of queen anne. she was baroness of clifton in her own right, and a gracious lady. she died in . [illustration: tomb of alexander hamilton] [sidenote: alexander hamilton's tomb] the tomb of alexander hamilton, patriot, soldier and statesman, stands conspicuously in the southern half of the churchyard, about forty feet from broadway and ten feet from the iron railing on rector street. in the same part of the churchyard are interred the remains of philip, eldest son of alexander hamilton. the son in fell in a duel with george l. eacker, a young lawyer, when the two disagreed over a political matter. three years later eacker died and was buried in st. paul's churchyard, and the same year alexander hamilton fell before the duelling pistol of aaron burr. [sidenote: last friend of aaron burr] close by hamilton's tomb, a slab almost buried in the earth bears the inscription "matthew l. davis' sepulchre." strange that this "last friend that aaron burr possessed on earth" should rest in death so close to his friend's great enemy. he went to the jersey shore in a row-boat with burr on the day the duel was fought with hamilton, and stood not far away with dr. hosack to await the outcome. he was imprisoned for refusing to testify before the coroner. afterwards he wrote a life of burr. he was a merchant, with a store at stone street, and was highly respected. [sidenote: tomb of capt. james lawrence] within a few steps of broadway, at the southern entrance to the church, is the tomb of captain james lawrence, u. s. n., who was killed on board the frigate chesapeake during the engagement with h. b. m. frigate "shannon." his dying words, "don't give up the ship!" are now known to every school-boy. the handsome mausoleum close by the church door, and the surrounding eight cannon, first attract the eye. these cannon, selected from arms captured from the english in the war of , are buried deep, according to the directions of the vestry of trinity, in order that the national insignia, and the inscription telling of the place and time of capture, might be hidden and no evidence of triumph paraded in that place--where all are equal, where peace reigns and enmity is unknown. the monument was erected august , . before that the remains of captain lawrence had been interred in the southwest corner of the churchyard, beneath a shaft of white marble. this first resting-place was selected in september, , when the body was brought to the city and interred, after being carried in funeral procession from the battery. "d. contant" is the inscription on the first vault at the south entrance, one of the first victims of the revocation of the edict of nantes to be buried in the city. there are many huguenot memorials in the churchyard, the oddest being a tombstone with a latin inscription telling that withamus de marisco, who died in , was "most noble on the side of his father's mother." [sidenote: cresap, the indian fighter] at the rear of the church, to the north, is a small headstone: in memory of michael cresap first captain of the rifle battalions and son of colonel thomas cresap who departed this life oct. , a. d. . his father had been a friend and neighbor of washington in virginia, and he himself was a brilliant indian fighter on the frontier of his native state. it was the men under his command who, unordered, exterminated the family of logan, the indian chief, "the friend of the white man." many a boy, who in school declaimed, unthinkingly, "who is there to mourn for logan? not one!" grown to manhood, cannot but look with interest on the grave of logan's foe. tradition has been kind to cresap's memory, insisting that his heart broke over the accusation of responsibility for the death of logan's family. there is another slab, close by the grave of captain cresap, which tells: "here lieth ye body of susannah nean, wife of elias nean, born in ye city of rochelle, in france, in ye year , who departed this life day of december, , age years." "here lieth enterred ye body of elias nean, catechist in new york, born in soubise, in ye province of caentonge in france in ye year , who departed this life day of september aged years." "this inscription was restored by order of their descendant of the th generation, elizabeth champlin perry, widow of the late com'r o. h. perry, of the u. s. navy, may, anno domini, ." but the stone does not tell that the huguenot refugee was for many years a vestryman of trinity church, and that among his descendants are the belmonts and a dozen distinguished families. before coming to america, elias nean was condemned to the galleys in france because he refused to renounce the reformed religion. [sidenote: where gov de lancy was buried] beneath the middle aisle in the church lie the bones of the eldest son of stephen (etienne) de lancey--james de lancey. he was chief justice of the colony of new york in , and lieutenant-governor in . he died suddenly in at his country house which was at the present northwest corner of delancey and chrystie streets. a lane led from the house to the bowery. [sidenote: home of the de lanceys] thames street is as narrow now as it was one hundred and fifty years ago, when it was a carriageway that led to the stables of etienne de lancey. the huguenot nobleman left his broad street house for the new home he had built at broadway and cedar street in . in , at his death, it became the property of his son, james, the lieutenant-governor. it was the most imposing house in the town, elegantly decorated, encircled by broad balconies, with an uninterrupted garden extending to the river at the back. after the death of lieutenant-governor de lancey in , the house became a hotel, and was known under many names. it was a favorite place for british officers during the revolution, and in was the scene of the first "inauguration ball" in honor of president washington. the house was torn down in . in the city hotel was erected on its site and became the most fashionable in town. it was removed in and a line of shops set up. in the present buildings were erected. a tablet on the building at broadway, corner of cedar street, marks the site, reading: the site of lieut. gove. de lancey's house, later the city hotel. it was here that the non-importation agreement, in opposition to the stamp act, was signed, oct. th, . the tavern had many proprietors by whose names it was successively called. it was also known as the province arms, the city arms and burns coffee house or tavern. opposite liberty (then crown) street, in the centre of broadway, there stood in a detached building x feet. it was the "up-town market," patronized by the wealthy, who did their own marketing in those days, their black slaves carrying the purchases home. [sidenote: washington market] washington market, at the foot of fulton street, was built in . the water washed the western side of it then, and ships sailed to it to deliver their freight. since then the water has been crowded back year by year with the growing demand for land. in its early days it was variously called country market, fish market and exterior market. [sidenote: st. paul's chapel] at the outskirts of the city, in a field that the same year had been sown with wheat, the cornerstone of st. paul's chapel was laid on may , . the church was opened two years later, and the steeple added in . it fronted the river which came up then as far as to where greenwich street is now, and a grassy lawn sloped down to a beach of pebbles. during the days of english occupancy, major andré, lord howe and sir guy carleton worshipped there. another who attended services there was the english midshipman who afterwards became william iv. [illustration: washington pew st. paul's chapel] [sidenote: the washington pew in st. paul's] president washington, on the day of his inauguration, marched at the head of the representative men of the new nation to attend service in st. paul's, and thereafter attended regularly. the pew he occupied has been preserved and is still to be seen next the north wall, midway between the chancel and the vestry room. directly opposite is the pew occupied at the same period by governor george clinton. back of the chancel is the monument to major-general richard montgomery, who fell before quebec in , crying, "men of new york, you will not fail to follow where your general leads!" congress decided on the monument, and benjamin franklin bought it in france for guineas. a privateer bringing it to this country was captured by a british gunboat, which in turn was taken, and the monument, arriving safe here, was set in place. the body was removed from its first resting-place in quebec, and interred close beside the monument in . in the burying-ground, which has been beside the church since it was built, are the monuments of men whose names are associated with the city's history: dr. william james macneven, who raised chemistry to a science; thomas addis emmet, an eminent jurist and brother of robert emmet; christopher collis, who established the first water works in the city, and who first conceived the idea of constructing the erie canal; and a host of others. [illustration] [sidenote: the actor cooke's grave] the tomb of george frederick cooke, the tragedian, is conspicuous in the centre of the yard, facing the main door of the church. cooke was born in england in , and died in new york in . early in life he was a printer's apprentice. by he had taken high rank among tragic actors. the grave of george l. eacker, who killed the eldest son of alexander hamilton in a duel, is near the vesey street railing. [sidenote: astor house] the astor house, occupying the broadway block between vesey and barclay streets, was opened in by boyden, a hotel keeper of boston. this site had been part of the church farm, and as early as , when there were only a few scattered farm houses on the island above what is now liberty street, there was a farm house on the astor house site; and from there extended, on the broadway line, a rope-walk. prior to the erection of the hotel in , the site for the most part had been occupied by the homes of john jacob astor, john g. coster and david lydig. on a part of the site, at broadway, in , m. paff, popularly known as "old paff," kept a bric-à-brac store. he dealt especially in paintings, having the reputation of buying worthless and old ones and "restoring" them into masterpieces. his was the noted curiosity-shop of the period. [illustration] [sidenote: a house of other days] where vesey and greenwich streets and west broadway come together is a low, rough-hewn rock house. it has been used as a shoe store since the early part of the century. on its roof is a monster boot bearing the date of , which took part in the croton water parade and a dozen other celebrations. in pre-revolutionary days, when the ground where the building stands was all hudson river, and the water extended as far as the present greenwich street, according to tradition, this was a lighthouse. there have been many changes in the outward appearance, but the foundation of solid rock is the same as when the waters swept around it. [sidenote: the road to greenwich] greenwich street follows the line of a road which led from the city to greenwich village. this road was on the waterside. it was called greenwich road. south of canal street, west of broadway, was a marshy tract known as lispenard's meadows. over this swamp greenwich road crossed on a raised causeway. when the weather was bad for any length of time, the road became heavy and in places was covered by the strong tide from the river. at such times travel took an inland route, along the post road (now the bowery) and by obelisk lane (now astor place and greenwich avenue). [sidenote: st. peter's church] st. peter's church, at the southeast corner of barclay and church streets, the home of the oldest roman catholic congregation in the city, was built in , and rebuilt in . the congregation was formed in , although mass was celebrated in private houses before that for the few scattered catholic families. [sidenote: columbia college] the two blocks included between barclay and murray streets, west broadway and church street, were occupied until by the buildings and grounds of columbia college. that part of the queen's farm lying west of broadway between the present barclay and murray streets--a strip of land then in the outskirts of the city--in was given to the governors of king's college. during the revolution the college suspended exercises, resuming in as columbia college under an act passed by the legislature of the state. in , in consideration of lands before granted to the college which had been ceded to new hampshire in settlement of the boundary, the college was granted by the state a tract of farming land known as the hosack botanical garden. this is the twenty acres lying between forty-seventh and forty-ninth streets, fifth and sixth avenues. at that time the city extended but little above the city hall park, and this land was unprofitable and for many years of considerable expense to the college. by the city had crept past the college and the locality being built up the college grounds were cramped between the limits of two blocks. in , park place was opened through the grounds of the college from church street to west broadway (then called college place). until about the section of park place west of the college grounds was called robinson street. in the college was moved to madison avenue, between forty-ninth and fiftieth streets, and in it was re-organized on a university basis. [sidenote: chapel place] west broadway was originally a lane which wound from far away canal street to the chapel of columbia college, and was called chapel place. later it became college place. in the street was widened south of chambers street, in order to relieve the great traffic from the north, and extended through the block from barclay to greenwich street. evidence of the former existence of the old street can be seen in the pillars of the elevated road on the west side of west broadway at murray street, for these pillars, once on the sidewalk, are now several feet from it in the street. [sidenote: bowling green garden and first vauxhall] in the vicinity of what is now greenwich and warren streets, the bowling green garden was established in the early part of the eighteenth century. it was a primitive forest, for there were no streets above crown (now liberty) street on the west side, and none above frankfort on the east. the land on which the garden stood was a leasehold on the church farm. the place was given the name of the vauxhall garden before the middle of the same century, and for forty years thereafter was a fashionable resort and sought to be a copy of the vauxhall in london. there was dancing and music, and groves dimly lighted where visitors could stroll, and where they might sit at tables and eat. by the time the city stretched past the locality, all that was left of the resort was what would now be called a low saloon, and its pretty garden had been sold for building lots. the second vauxhall was off the bowery, south of astor place. [sidenote: a. t. stewart's store] the stewart building, on the east side of broadway, between chambers and reade streets, has undergone few external changes since it was the dry goods store of alexander t. stewart. on this site stood washington hall, which was erected in . it was a hotel of the first class, and contained the fashionable ball room and banqueting-hall of the city. the building was destroyed by fire july , . the next year stewart, having purchased the site from the heirs of john g. coster, began the construction of his store. stewart came from ireland in , at the age of twenty. for a time after his arrival he was an assistant teacher in a public school. he opened a small dry goods store, and was successful. the broadway store was opened in . four years later stewart extended his building so that it reached reade street. all along broadway by this year business houses were taking the place of residences. the stewart residence at the northwest corner of thirty-fourth street and fifth avenue, was, at the time it was built, considered the finest house in america. mr. stewart died in , leaving a fortune of fifty millions. his body was afterwards stolen from st. mark's churchyard at tenth street and second avenue. at broadway and duane street, roasted chestnuts were first sold in the street. a frenchman stationed himself at this corner in , and sold chestnuts there for so many years that he came to be reckoned as a living landmark. at the same corner was the popular café des mille colonnes, the proprietor of which, f. palmo, afterwards built and conducted palmo's opera house in chambers street. [sidenote: first sewing machine] in a store window on broadway, close to duane street, the first sewing-machine was exhibited. a young woman sat in the window to exhibit the working of the invention to passers-by. it was regarded as an impracticable toy, and was looked at daily by many persons who considered it a curiosity unworthy of serious attention. [sidenote: masonic hall] at nos. and broadway, on the east side of the street just south of pearl street, stood masonic hall, the cornerstone of which was laid june , . it looked imposing among the structures of the street, over which it towered, and was of the gothic style of architecture. while it was in course of erection, william morgan published his book which claimed to reveal the secrets of masonry. his mysterious disappearance followed, and shortly after, the rise of the anti-masonic party and popular excitement put masonry under such a ban that the house was sold by the order, and the name of the building was changed to gothic hall. on the second floor was a room looked upon as the most elegant in the united states: an imitation of the chapel of henry viii, it was of gothic architecture, furnished in richness of detail and appropriateness of design, and was one hundred feet long, fifty wide and twenty-five high. in it were held public gatherings of social and political nature. [sidenote: new york hospital] the two blocks now enclosed by duane, worth, broadway and church streets, were occupied by the buildings and grounds of the new york hospital. thomas street was afterwards cut through the grounds. as the city hospital, the institution had been projected before the war of the revolution. the building was completed about . during the war it was used as a barrack. in it was opened for the admission of patients. on the lawn, which extended to broadway, various societies gathered on occasions of annual parades and celebrations. the hospital buildings were in the centre of the big enclosure. at the northern end of the lawn, the present corner of broadway and worth street, was the new jerusalem church. [sidenote: riley's fifth ward hotel] on the corner of west broadway and franklin street was riley's fifth ward hotel, which was a celebrated place in its day. it was the prototype of the modern elaborately fitted saloon, but was then a place of instruction and a moral resort. in a large room, reached by wide stairs from the street, were objects of interest and art in glass cases--pictures of statesmen, uniforms of the soldiers of all nations, indian war implements, famous belongings of celebrated men, as well as such simple curiosities as a two-headed calf. on franklin street, before riley's door, was a marble statue minus a head, one arm and sundry other parts. it was all that remained of the statue of the earl of chatham, william pitt, which had stood in wall street until dragged down by british soldiers. for twenty-five years the battered wreck had lain in the corporation yard, until found and honored with a place before his door by riley. at the latter's death the historical society took the remains of the statue, and it is in its rooms yet. the passage of washington through the island is commemorated by a tablet on a warehouse at west street, near laight, which is inscribed: to mark the landing place of general george washington, june , , on his way to cambridge to command the american army. [sidenote: st. john's church] st. john's church of trinity parish, in varick street close to beach, was built in . when the church was finished st. john's park, occupying the entire block opposite--between varick and hudson, laight and beach streets--was established for the exclusive use of residents whose houses faced it. before it was established, the place had been a sandy beach that stretched to the river. the locality became the most fashionable of the city in . by there had begun a gradual decline, for persons of wealth were moving up-town, and it degenerated to a tenement-house level after , when the park disappeared beneath the foundations of the big freight depot which now occupies the site. around the corner from the church, a block away in beach street, is a tiny park, one of the last remnants of the annetje jans farm. the bit of farm is carefully guarded now, much more so than was the entire beautiful tract. it forms a triangle and is fenced in by an iron railing, with one gate, that is fast barred and never opened. there is one struggling tree, wrapped close in winter with burlap, but it seems to feel its loneliness and does not thrive. [sidenote: the red fort] from the centre of st. john's park on the west, hubert street extends to the river. this street, now given over to manufacturers, was, in , the chief promenade of the city next to the battery walk. it led directly to the red fort at the river. the fort was some distance from the shore. it was built early in the century, was round and of brick, and a bridge led to it. it was never of any practical use, but, like castle garden, was used as a pleasure resort. [sidenote: lispenard's meadows] [sidenote: cows on broadway] early in the eighteenth century, anthony rutgers held under lease from trinity a section of the church farm which took in the dominie's bouwerie, a property lying between where broadway is and the hudson river. the southern and northern lines were approximately the present reade and canal streets. it was a wild spot, remaining in a primitive condition--part marsh, part swamp--covered with dwarf trees and tangled underbrush. cattle wandered into this region and were lost. it was a dangerous place, too, for men who wandered into it. to live near it was unhealthy, because of the foul gases which abounded. it seemed to be a worthless tract. about the year , anthony rutgers suggested to the king in council that he would have this land drained and made wholesome and useful provided it was given to him. his argument was so strong and sensible that the land--seventy acres, now in the business section of the city--was given him and he improved it. at the northern edge of the improved waste lived leonard lispenard, in a farm house which was then in a northern suburb of the city, bounded by what is hudson, canal and vestry streets. lispenard married the daughter of rutgers, and the land falling to him it became lispenard's meadows. in lispenard's time broadway ended where white street is now and a set of bars closed the thoroughfare against cows that wandered along it. the one bit of the meadows that remains is the tiny park at the foot of canal street on the west side. anthony rutgers' homestead was close by what is broadway and thomas street. after his death in it became a public house, and, with the surrounding grounds, was called ranelagh garden, a popular place in its time. [sidenote: canal street] on a line with the present canal street, a stream ran from the fresh water pond to the hudson river, at the upper edge of lispenard's meadows. a project, widely and favorably considered in , but which came to nothing, advocated the extension of canal street, as a canal, from river to river. the street took its name naturally from the little stream which was called a canal. when the street was filled in and improved, the stream was continued through a sewer leading from centre street. the locality at the foot of the street has received the local title of "suicide slip" because of the number of persons in recent years who have ended their lives by jumping into hudson river at that point. in broadway, between grand and howard streets, in , west's circus was opened. in this was converted into a theatre called the broadway. later it was occupied by tattersall's horse market. [sidenote: original olympic theatre] next door to tattersall's, at no. broadway, the original olympic theatre was built in . w. r. blake and henry e. willard built and managed the house. it was quite small and their aim had been to present plays of a high order of merit by an exceptionally good company. the latter included besides blake, mrs. maeder and george barrett. after a few months of struggle against unprofitable business, prices were lowered. little success was met with, the performances being of too artistic a nature to be popular, and blake gave up the effort and the house. in december, , wm. mitchell leased the house and gave performances at low prices. at no. broadway, between grand and howard streets, in john littlefield, a corn doctor, set up a place, designating himself as a chiropodist--an occupation before unknown under that title. at no. broadway, near broome street, brougham's lyceum was built in , and opened in december with an "occasional rigmarole" and a farce. in the house was opened, september , as wallack's lyceum, having been acquired by james w. wallack. wallack ended his career as an actor in this house. in he removed to his new theatre, corner thirteenth street and broadway. still later the lyceum was called the broadway theatre. [illustration] "murderers' row" has its start where watts street ends at sullivan, midway of the block between grand and broome streets. it could not be identified by its name, for it is not a "row" at all, merely an ill-smelling alley, an arcade extending through a block of battered tenements. after running half its course through the block, the alley is broken by an intersecting space between houses--a space that is taken up by push carts, barrels, tumbledown wooden balconies and lines of drying clothes. "murderers' row" is celebrated in police annals as a crime centre. but the evil doers were driven out long years ago and the houses given over to italians. these people are excessively poor, and have such a hard struggle for life as to have no desire to regard the laws of the health board. constant complaints are made that the houses are hovels and the alley a breeding-place for disease. [sidenote: greenwich village] greenwich village sprang from the oldest known settlement on the island of manhattan. it was an indian village, clustering about the site of the present west washington market, at the foot of gansevoort street, when hendrick hudson reached the island, in . the region was a fertile one, and its natural drainage afforded it sanitary advantages which even to this day make it a desirable place of residence. there was abundance of wild fowl and the waters were alive with half a hundred varieties of fish. there were sand hills, sometimes rising to a height of a hundred feet, while to the south was a marsh tenanted by wild fowl and crossed by a brook flowing from the north. it was this manetta brook which was to mark the boundary of greenwich village when governor kieft set aside the land as a bouwerie for the dutch west india company. the brook arose about where twenty-first street now crosses fifth avenue, flowed to the southwest edge of union square, thence to fifth avenue and eighth street, across where washington square is, along the line of minetta street, and then to hudson river, between houston and charlton streets. [sidenote: sir peter warren] the interests of the little settlement were greatly advanced in , when sir peter warren, later the hero of louisburg, married susannah de lancey and went to live there, purchasing three hundred acres of land. epidemics in the city from time to time drove many persons to greenwich as a place of refuge. but it remained for the fatal yellow-fever epidemic of , when persons died in the city, to make greenwich a thriving suburb instead of a struggling village. twenty thousand persons fled the city, the greater number settling in greenwich. banks, public offices, stores of every sort were hurriedly opened, and whole blocks of buildings sprang up in a few days. streets were left where lanes had been, and corn-fields were transformed into business and dwelling blocks. [sidenote: evolution of greenwich streets] the sudden influx of people and consequent trade into the village brought about the immediate need for street improvements. existing streets were lengthened, footpaths and alleys were widened, but all was done without any regard to regularity. the result was the jumble of streets still to be met with in that region, where the thoroughfares are often short and often end in a cul-de-sac. in time the streets of the city plan crept up to those of greenwich village, and the village was swallowed up by the city. but it was not swallowed up so completely but that the irregular lines of the village streets are plainly to be seen on any city map. near where spring street crosses hudson there was established, about , brannan's garden, on the northern edge of lispenard's meadows. it was like the modern road-house. greenwich road was close to it, and pleasure-seekers, who thronged the road on the way from the city to greenwich village, were the chief guests of the house. [sidenote: duane street church] crowded close between dwellings on the east side of hudson street, fifty feet south of spring, is the duane m. e. church, a quaint-looking structure, half church, half business building. this is the successor of the north church, the north river church and the duane street church, founded in , which, before it moved to hudson street, in , was in barley (now duane) street, between hudson and greenwich streets. in spring street, near varick, is the spring street presbyterian church, which was built in . before its erection the "old" spring street presbyterian church stood on the site, having been built in . [sidenote: richmond hill] although the leveling vandalism of a great city has removed every trace of richmond hill, the block encircled by macdougal, charlton, varick and vandam streets, is crowded thick with memories of men and events of a past generation. long before there was a thought of the city getting beyond the wall that hemmed in a few scattering houses, and when the indian settlement, which afterwards became greenwich village, kept close to the water's edge, a line of low sand hills called the zandtberg, stretched their curved way from where now eighth street crosses broadway, ending where varick street meets vandam. at the base of the hill to the north was manetta creek. the final elevation became known as richmond hill, and that, with a considerable tract of land, was purchased by abraham mortier, commissioner of the forces of george iii. of england. in he built his home on the hill and called it also richmond hill. [sidenote: burr's pond] the house was occupied by general washington as his headquarters in , and by vice-president adams in . aaron burr obtained it in , entertained lavishly there, improved the grounds, constructed an artificial lake long known as burr's pond, and set up a beautiful entrance gateway at what is now macdougal and spring streets, which he passed through in when he went to fight his duel with alexander hamilton. burr gave up the house in , and, the hill being cut away in the opening of streets in , the house was lowered and rested on the north side of charlton street just east of varick. it became a theatre later and remained such until it was torn down in . a quiet row of brick houses occupies the site now. [sidenote: st. john's burying ground] what is now a pleasant little park enclosed by hudson, leroy and clarkson streets, was part of a plot set aside for a graveyard when st. john's chapel was built. it was called st. john's burying-ground. its early limits extended to carmine street on one side and to morton street on the other. under the law burials ceased there about . there were , burials in the grounds, which, unlike the other trinity graveyards, came to be neglected. the tombstones crumbled to decay, the weeds grew rank about them and the trees remained untrimmed and neglected. about property owners in the vicinity began steps to have the burying-ground made into a park. conservative trinity resisted the project until the city won a victory in the courts and the property was bought. relatives of the dead were notified and some of the bodies were removed. in september, , the actual work of transforming the graveyard into a park was begun. laborers with crowbars knocked over the tombstones that still remained and putting the fragments in a pit at the eastern end of the grounds covered them with earth to make a play-spot for children. [sidenote: bedford street church] at morton and bedford streets is the bedford street m. e. church. the original structure was built in in a green pasture. beside it was a quiet graveyard, reduced somewhat in when the church was enlarged, and wiped out when the land became valuable and the present structure was set up in . the church was built for the first congregation of methodists in greenwich village, formed in at the house of samuel walgrove at the north side of morton street close to bleecker. [sidenote: where thomas paine lived and died] thomas paine--famous for his connection with the american and french revolutions, but chiefly for his works, "the age of reason," favoring deism against atheism and christianity; and "common sense," maintaining the cause of the american colonies--died in greenwich village june , , having retired there in . the final years of his life were passed in a small house in herring (now bleecker) street. on the site is a double tenement numbered no. bleecker street, southeast corner barrow. this last named street was not opened until shortly after paine's death. it was first called reason street, a compliment to the author of "the age of reason." this was corrupted to raisin street. in it was given its present name. shortly before his death paine moved to a frame building set in the centre of a nearby field. grove street now passes over the site which is between bleecker and west fourth streets, the back of the building having been where no. grove street is now. about the time that barrow street was opened grove street was cut through. it was called cozine street, then columbia, then burrows, and finally, in , was changed to grove. when the street was widened in , the house in which paine had died, until then left standing, was demolished. [sidenote: admiral warren and his family] the homestead of admiral sir peter warren occupied the ground now taken up in the solidly built block bounded by charles, fourth, bleecker and perry streets. the house was built in , in the midst of green fields, and for more than a century it was the most important dwelling in greenwich. admiral warren of the british navy was, next to the governor, the most important person in the province. his house was the favorite resort of social and influential new york. the admiral's influence and popularity had a marked effect on the village, which, by his coming, was given an impetus that made it a thriving place. of the three daughters of admiral warren, charlotte, the eldest, married willoughby, earl of abingdon; the second, ann, married charles fitzroy, afterwards baron southampton, and susannah, the youngest, married william skinner, a colonel of foot. these marriages had their effect also on greenwich village, serving to continue the prosperity of the place. roads which led through the district, of which the warren family controlled a great part, were named in honor of the different family branches. the only name now surviving is that of abingdon square. in the later years of his life, sir peter warren represented the city of westminster in parliament. he was buried in westminster abbey. [sidenote: state prison] in the state prison was built on about four acres of ground, surrounded by high walls, and taking in the territory now enclosed by washington, west, christopher and perry streets. the site is now, for the most part, occupied by a brewery, but traces of the prison walls are yet to be seen in those of the brewery. there was a wharf at the foot of christopher street. in the prison was purchased by the corporation of the state. the construction of a new state prison had begun at sing sing in . in the male prisoners were transferred to sing sing, and the female prisoners the next year. [sidenote: convict labor] the yard of the early prison extended down to the river, there were fields about and a wide stretch of beach. it was here that the first system of prison manufactures was organized. a convict named noah gardner, who was a shoemaker, induced the prison officials to permit him the use of his tools. in a short time he had trained most of the convicts into a skilled body of shoemakers. the gathering together of a number of convicts in a workroom was at first productive of some disorder, owing to the difficulty of keeping them under proper discipline under the new conditions. in came the first riot. the keepers fired upon and killed several convicts. there was another revolt in . gardner had been found guilty of forgery, but was reprieved on the gallows through the influence of the society of friends, of which he was a member, and sentenced to life imprisonment. because of his services in organizing the prison work, he was liberated after serving seven years. becoming then a shoe manufacturer, he was successful for several years, when he absconded, taking with him a pretty quakeress, and was never heard of again. [illustration: old houses wiehawken st.] [sidenote: quaint houses in wiehawken street] although the prison has been swept away, an idea of its locality can be had from the low buildings at the west side of nearby wiehawken street. these buildings have stood for more than a hundred years, having been erected before the prison. that part of greenwich village that was transformed from fields into a town in a few days, during the yellow fever scare of , centered at the point where west eleventh street crosses west fourth street. at this juncture was a cornfield on which, in two days, a hotel capable of accommodating three hundred guests was built. at the same time a hundred other houses sprang up, as if by magic, on all sides. [sidenote: bank street] bank street was named in . the year previous a clerk in the bank of new york on wall street was one of the earliest victims of yellow fever, and the officials decided to take precautions in case of the bank being quarantined at a future time. eight lots were purchased on a then nameless lane in greenwich village. the bank was erected there, and gave the lane the name of bank street. [sidenote: washington square] washington square was once a potter's field. a meadow was purchased by the city for this purpose in , and the pauper graveyard was established about where the washington arch is now. [illustration: looking south from minetta lane] manetta creek, coming from the north, flowed to the west of the arch site, crossed to what is now the western portion of the square, ran through the present minetta street and on to the river. in , during a yellow fever epidemic, the field was used as a common graveyard. in the pauper graveyard which had been in the present madison square, was abandoned in favor of this one. there was a gallows on the ground and criminals were executed and interred on the spot as late as . in the potter's field was abandoned and removed to the present bryant park at forty-second street and sixth avenue. in , three and one half acres of ground were added to the plot and the present washington square was opened. [sidenote: obelisk lane] past the pauper graveyard ran an inland road to greenwich village. this extended from the post road (now the bowery) at the present astor place near cooper union, continued in a direct line to about the position of the washington arch, and from that point to the present eighth avenue just above fifteenth street. this road, established through the fields in , was called greenwich lane. it was also known as monument lane and obelisk lane. a small section of it still exists in astor place from bowery to broadway. a larger section is greenwich avenue from eighth to fourteenth streets. monument lane took its name from a monument at fifteenth street where the road ended, which had been erected to the memory of general wolfe, the hero of quebec. the monument disappeared in a mysterious way during the british occupation. it is thought to have been destroyed by soldiers. [sidenote: graveyard in a side street] a few feet east of sixth avenue, on the south side of eleventh street, is a brick wall and railing, behind which can be seen several battered tombstones in a triangular plot of ground. this is all that is left of a jewish graveyard established almost a century ago. milligan's lane was the continuation of amos (now west tenth) street, from greenwich avenue to twelfth street where it joined the union road. this lane struck the line of sixth avenue where eleventh street is now. at the southwest corner of this junction the course of the lane can be seen yet in the peculiar angle of the side wall of a building there, and in a similar angle of other houses near by. close by this corner the second graveyard of shearith israel synagogue was established early in this century. it took the place of the beth haim, or place of rest, down town, a remnant of which is to be seen in new bowery off chatham square. [sidenote: milligan's lane] the eleventh street graveyard, established in the midst of green fields, fronted on milligan's lane and extended back feet. when eleventh street was cut through under the conditions of the city plan, in , it passed directly through the graveyard, cutting it away so that only the tiny portion now there was left. at that time a new place of burial was opened in twenty-first street west of sixth avenue. [sidenote: union road] at a point just behind the house numbered eleventh street, midway of the block between fifth and sixth avenues, union road had its starting-point. it was a short road, forming a direct communicating line between skinner and southampton roads. skinner road, running from hudson river along the line of the present christopher street, ended where union road began; and union road met southampton at what is now the corner of fifteenth street and seventh avenue. this point was also the junction of southampton and great kiln roads. evidences of the union road are still to be seen in twelfth street, at the projecting angle of the houses numbered and . it was just at this point that milligan's lane ended. on thirteenth street, the course of union road is shown by the slanting wall of a big business building, numbered . [sidenote: first presbyterian church] in twelfth street, between sixth and seventh avenues, is the first reformed presbyterian church. the congregation was started as a praying society in at the house of john agnew at no. peck slip. in the congregation worshipped in a school house in cedar street. they soon after built their first church at nos. and chambers street, where the american news company building is now. it was a frame building, and was succeeded in by a brick building on the same site. in a new church was erected at prince and marion streets. the foundation for the present church was laid in , and the church occupied it in the following year. [sidenote: society library] the new york society library, at university place, near fourteenth street, claims to be the oldest institution of its kind in america. it is certainly the most interesting in historical associations, richness of old literature and art works. it is the direct outcome of the library established in , with quarters in the city hall, in wall street, by richard, earl of bellomont, the governor of new york. in an association was incorporated for carrying on a library, and their collection, added to the library already in existence, was called the city library. the board of trustees consisted of the most prominent men in the city. in a charter was granted by george iii, under the name of the new york society library. during the revolutionary war the books became spoil for british soldiers. many were destroyed and many sold. after the war the remains of the library were gathered from various parts of the city and again collected in the city hall. in the members of the federal congress deliberated in the library rooms. in the library was moved to nassau street, opposite the middle dutch church; in to chambers street; in to broadway and leonard street; in to the bible house, and in to the present building. [sidenote: great kiln road] at the point that is now seventh avenue and fifteenth street, then intersected by the union road, the great kiln road ended. its continuation was called southampton road. from that point it continued to nineteenth street, east of sixth avenue, and then parallel with sixth avenue to love lane, the present twenty-first street. the line of this road, where it joined the great kiln road, is still clearly shown in the oblique side wall of the house at the northwest corner of seventh avenue and fifteenth street. here, also, it has a marked effect on the east wall of st. joseph's home for the aged. the first-mentioned house, with the cutting through of the streets, has been left one of those queer triangular buildings, with full front and running to a point in the rear. [sidenote: weavers' row] when the road reached what is now sixteenth street, a third of a block east of seventh avenue, it passed through the block in a sweeping curve to the present corner of seventeenth street and sixth avenue. the evidence of its passage is still to be seen in the tiny wooden houses buried in the centre of the block, which are remnants of a row called paisley place, or weavers' row. this row was built during the yellow-fever agitation of , and was occupied by scotch weavers who operated their hand machines there. the road took its name from sir peter warren's second daughter, who married charles fitzroy, who later became the baron southampton. [sidenote: graveyard behind a store] in twenty-first street, a little west of sixth avenue, is the unused though not uncared-for graveyard of the shearith israel synagogue. the graveyard cannot be seen from the street, but from the rear windows of a nearby dry-goods store a glimpse can be had of the ivy-covered receiving-vault and the time-grayed tombstones. when this "place of rest" was established the locality was all green fields. the graveyard had been forced from further down town by the cutting through of eleventh street in . interments were made in this spot until , when the cemetery was removed to cypress hills, l. i., the common council having in that year prohibited burials within the city limits. but though there were no burials, the congregation have persistently refused to sell this plot, just as they have the earlier plots, the remains of which are off chatham square and in eleventh street, near sixth avenue. [sidenote: love lane] abingdon road in the latter years of its existence was commonly called love lane, and more than a century ago followed close on the line of the present twenty-first street from what is now broadway to eighth avenue. it was the northern limit of a tract of land given by the city to admiral sir peter warren in recognition of his services at the capture of louisburg. from this road, when the warren estate was divided among the daughters of the admiral, two roads, the southampton and the warren, were opened through this upper part of the estate. the name love lane was given to the road in the latter part of the eighteenth century, and was retained until it was swallowed up in twenty-first street. this last was ordered opened in , but was not actually opened until some years later. there is no record to show where the name came from. the generally accepted idea is that being a quiet and little traveled spot, it was looked upon as a lane where happy couples might drive, far from the city, and amid green fields and stately trees confide the story of their loves. it was the longest drive from the town, by way of the post road, bloomingdale road and so across the west to southampton, great kiln roads, through greenwich village and by the river road back to town. the road originally took its name from the oldest daughter of admiral warren, who married the earl of abingdon. there are still traces of love lane in twenty-first street. the two houses numbered and stood on the road. the houses , and , small and odd appearing, are more closely identified with the lane. when built, these houses were conspicuous and alone, at the junction where southampton road from greenwich village ran into love lane. they are thought to have been a single house serving as a tavern. close by, at the northeast corner of twenty-first street and sixth avenue, the house with the gable roof is one that also stood on the old road, though built at a later date than the three next to it. the road ended for many years about on the line with the present eighth avenue, where it ran into the fitzroy road. some years previous to the laying out of the streets under the city plan in , love lane was continued to hudson river. before it reached the river it was crossed, a little east of seventh avenue, by the warren road, although there is no trace of the crossing now. [sidenote: chelsea village] [illustration: old theological seminary chelsea square] although chelsea village was long ago swallowed up by the city, and its boundaries blotted out by the rectangular lines of the plan under which the streets were mapped out in , there is still a suggestion of it in the green lawns and gray buildings of the general theological seminary of the protestant episcopal church, which occupies the block between twentieth and twenty-first streets, ninth and tenth avenues. chelsea got its name in , when captain thomas clarke, an old soldier, gave the name to his country seat, in remembrance of the english home for invalided soldiers. it was between two and three miles from the city, a stretch of country land along the hudson river with not another house anywhere near it. the house stood, as streets are now, at the south side of twenty-third street, about two hundred feet west of ninth avenue, on a hill that sloped to the river. the captain had hoped to die in his retreat, but his home was burned to the ground during his severe illness, and he died in the home of his nearest neighbor. soon after his death the house was rebuilt by his widow, mrs. mollie clarke. the latter dying in , a portion of the estate with the house went to bishop benjamin moore, who had married mrs. clarke's daughter, charity. it passed from him in to his son, clement c. moore. the latter reconstructed the house, and it stood until . clement c. moore's estate was included within the present lines of eighth avenue, nineteenth to twenty-fourth streets and hudson river. these are approximately the bounds of chelsea village which grew up around the old chelsea homestead. it came to be a thriving village, conveniently reached by the road to greenwich and then by fitzroy road; or by the bowery road, bloomingdale, and then along love lane. [sidenote: london terrace] in the streets were cut through and the village thereafter grew up on the projected lines of the city plan. it was for this reason that chelsea, when the city reached it, was merged into it so perfectly that there is not an imperfect street line to tell where the village had been and where the city joined it. there are houses of the old village still standing; notably those still called the chelsea cottages in twenty-fourth street west of ninth avenue, and the row called the london terrace in twenty-third street between ninth and tenth avenues. the block on which the general theological seminary stands was given to the institution by clement c. moore, and was long called chelsea square. the cornerstone of the east building was laid in , and of the west building, which still stands, in . it was this clement c. moore, living quietly in the village that had grown up around him, who wrote the child's poem which will be remembered longer than its writer--"'twas the night before christmas." [illustration] iii iii [sidenote: oliver street baptist church] the oliver street baptist church was built on the northwest corner of oliver and henry streets in . it was rebuilt in , and again in . later it was burned, and finally restored in . the structure is now occupied by the mariners' temple, and the record of its burning is to be seen on a marble tablet on the front wall. oliver street--that is, the two blocks from chatham square to madison street--was called fayette street before the name was changed to oliver in . james street was once st. james street. the change was made prior to . mariners' church, at catherine street, was erected in , on the southeast corner of madison street. prior to that, and as far back as , it had been at roosevelt street. [sidenote: madison street] banker street having become a byword, because of the objectionable character of its inhabitants, the name was changed to madison street in . between jefferson and clinton streets, and south of henry, was a pond, the only bit of water which, in early days, emptied into the east river between what afterward became roosevelt street and houston street. a wet meadow, rather than a distinct stream, extended from this pond to the river as an outlet. this became later the region of shipyards. [illustration: church of sea & land] [sidenote: where nathan hale was hanged] on what is now cherry street, between clinton and jefferson streets, was the house of col. henry rutgers, the revolutionary patriot, and his farm extended from that point in all directions. on a tree of this farm nathan hale, the martyr spy of the revolution, was hanged, september , . on this same farm the church of the sea and land, still standing with its three-foot walls, at market and henry streets, was built in . in , at the corner of henry and scammel streets, was erected all saints' church (episcopal). it still stands, now hemmed in by dwelling-houses. it is a low rock structure. a bit of green, a stunted tree and some shrubs still struggle through the bricks at the rear of the church, and can be seen through a tall iron railing from narrow scammel street. in the church occupied a chapel on grand street at the corner of columbia. [sidenote: first tenement house] the first house designed especially for many tenants was built in , in water street just east of jackson, on which site is now included corlears hook park. it was four stories in height, and arranged for one family on each floor. it was built by thomas price, and owned by james p. allaire, whose noted engine works were close by in cherry street, between walnut (now jackson) and corlears street. where grand and pitt streets cross is the top of a hill formerly known as mount pitt. on this hill the building occupied by the mount pitt circus was built in . it was burned in . at grand, corner of ridge street, is the st. mary's church (catholic), which was built in , a rough stone structure with brick front and back. in it was in sheriff, between broome and delancey streets. it had the first roman catholic bell in the city. in the church was burned by a burglar, and the new structure was built in grand street. actual work on the pier for the new east river bridge, at the foot of delancey street, was begun in the spring of . [sidenote: manhattan island] much confusion has arisen, and still exists, in the designation of the territory under the names of manhattan island and island of manhattan. the two islands a hundred years ago were widely different bodies. they are joined now. manhattan island was the name given to a little knoll of land which lay within the limits of what is now third, houston and lewis streets and the east river. at high tide the place was a veritable island. there seems to be still a suggestion of it in the low buildings which occupy the ground of the former island. about the ancient boundary, as though closing it in, are tall tenements and factory buildings. on the grounds of this old island the first recreation pier was built, in , at the foot of third street. the island of manhattan has always been the name applied to the land occupied by the old city of new york, now the borough of manhattan. in the heart of the block surrounded by rivington, stanton, goerck and mangin streets, there is still to be seen the remains of a slanting-roofed market, closed in by the houses which have been built about it. it was set up in , and named manhattan market after the nearby island. [illustration: bone alley] [sidenote: bone alley] work on the hamilton fish park was begun in , in the space bounded by stanton, houston, pitt and sheriff streets, then divided into two blocks by willett street. this was a congested, tenement-house vicinity, where misery and poverty pervaded most of the dingy dwellings. in wiping out the two solidly built-up blocks, bone alley, well known in police history for a generation, was effaced. on the west side of willett street, midway of the block, bone alley had its start and extended sixty feet into the block--a twenty-five-foot space between tall tenements, running plump into a row of houses extending horizontal with it. when these houses were erected they each had long gardens, which were built upon when the land became too valuable to be spared for flower-beds or breathing-spots. in time they became the homes of rag-and bone-pickers, and thus the alley which led to them got its name, which it kept even after the rag-pickers and the law-breakers who succeeded them had been driven away by the police. there was, forty years ago, a well of good, drinkable water at the point where rivington and columbia streets now cross. [sidenote: "mother mandelbaum"] the little frame house at the northwest corner or rivington and clinton streets was the home of "mother" frederica mandelbaum for many years, until she was driven from the city in . this "queen of the crooks," receiver of stolen goods and friend of all the criminal class, compelled, in a sense, the admiration of the police, who for years battled in vain to outwit her cleverness. when the play, "the two orphans," was first produced, mrs. wilkins, as the "frochard," copied the character of "mother" mandelbaum and gave a representation of the woman that all who knew the original recognized. other plays were written, and also many stories, having her as a central figure. she died at hamilton, ontario, in . at the crossing of rivington and suffolk streets was the source of stuyvesant's creek. from there, as the streets exist now, it crossed stanton street, near clinton; houston, at sheriff; second, near houston; then wound around to the north of manhattan island, and emptied into the east river at third street. [sidenote: allen street memorial church] in rivington street, between ludlow and orchard, is the allen street memorial church (m. e.), built in . the original church, which was built in , is two blocks away, in allen street, between delancey and rivington streets. it was rebuilt in , and when the new rivington street structure was erected the old house was sold to a jewish congregation, who still occupy it as a synagogue. in grand street, between essex and ludlow streets, the essex market was built in . the court next to it, in essex street, was built in . [illustration] [sidenote: mile stone on the bowery] on the bowery, opposite rivington street, is a milestone (one of three that yet remain) which formerly marked the distance from the city hall, in wall street, on the post road. the land to the east of the bowery belonged to james de lancey, who was chief justice of the colony in , and in became lieutenant-governor. a lane led from the bowery, close by the milestone, to his country house, which was at the present northwest corner of delancey and chrystie streets. it was in this house that he died suddenly in . james de lancey was the eldest son of etienne (stephen) de lancey, who built the house which afterwards was known as fraunces' tavern, and which still stands at broad and pearl streets. he later built the homestead at broadway and cedar street. originally the name was "de lanci." it became "de lancy" in the seventeenth century, and was anglicized in the eighteenth century to "de lancey." where grand street crosses mulberry was, until , the family burial-vault of the bayard family, it having been the custom of early settlers to bury their dead near their homesteads. the locality was called bunker hill. [sidenote: st. patrick's church] st. patrick's church, enclosed now by the high wall at mott and prince streets, was completed in , the cornerstone having been laid in . it was surrounded by meadows and great primitive trees. this region was so wild that in a fox was killed in the churchyard. in the interior of the church was destroyed by fire. it was at once reconstructed in its present form. amongst others buried in the vaults are "boss" john kelly, vicar-general starr and bishop connelly, first resident bishop of new york. at prince and marion streets, northwest corner, the house in which president james monroe lived while in the city still stands. [sidenote: an unsolved crime] the st. nicholas hotel was at broadway and spring street, and on the ground floor john anderson kept a tobacco store, to which the attention of the entire country was directed in july, , because of the murder of mary rogers. this tragedy gave edgar allan poe material for his story "the mystery of marie roget," into which he introduced every detail of the actual happening. mary rogers was a saleswoman in the tobacco store, and being young and pretty she attracted considerable attention. she disappeared one july day, and, soon after, her body was found drowned near the sibyl's cave at hoboken. the deepest mystery surrounded her evident murder, and much interest was taken in attempts at a solution, but it remained an unsolved crime. on the east side of broadway, between prince and houston streets, on july , , william niblo opened his garden, hotel and theatre, to be known for many years thereafter as niblo's garden. prior to that, he had kept the bank coffee house, at william and pine streets. [sidenote: niblo's garden] the metropolitan hotel was built in niblo's garden, on the corner that is now broadway and prince street, in , at a cost of a million dollars. the theatre in the hotel building was called niblo's garden. the building was demolished in , and a business block was put up on the site. across the street from niblo's, on broadway, in a modest brick house, lived, at one time, james fenimore cooper, the novelist. at no. broadway, between houston and bleecker streets, was laura keene's theatre. on march , , polly marshall made her first appearance on any stage at that theatre. later it became the olympic theatre. at broadway and bleecker streets, a well was drilled, in , which was four hundred and forty-eight feet deep, and which yielded forty-four thousand gallons of water a day. [sidenote: tripler hall] tripler hall was at no. broadway, near bond street. adelina patti appeared there on september , , when ten years old, giving evidence of her future greatness. she sang there for some time, usually accompanied by the boy violinist, paul julien. tripler hall had been renamed the metropolitan hall, when it was destroyed by fire in . lafarge house, which stood next it, was also burned. the house was rebuilt on the site, and opened in september, , under the name of the new york theatre and metropolitan opera house. rachel the great was first seen in america at this house, september , . later the house became the winter garden. [sidenote: first marble-fronted houses] the first marble-fronted houses in the city were built on broadway, opposite bond street, in . they were called the marble houses, and attracted much attention. being far out of the city, excursions were made to view them. afterwards they became the tremont house, and are still in use as a hotel. a pipe for a well was sunk in broadway, opposite bond street, in april, , it being thought that enough water for the supply of the immediate neighborhood could be obtained therefrom. the water was not found, however. [sidenote: burdell murder] no. bond street was the scene of a celebrated murder. the house is torn down now, but it was identical with the one which now stands at no. . on january , , dr. harvey burdell, a dentist, was literally butchered there, being stabbed fifteen times. a portion of the house had been occupied by a widow named cunningham, and her two daughters. after the murder, mrs. cunningham claimed a widow's share of the doctor's estate, on the ground that she had been married to him some months before. this claim started an investigation, which resulted in mrs. cunningham's being suspected of the crime, arrested, tried and acquitted. soon after her acquittal, she attempted to secure control of the entire burdell estate, by claiming that she had given birth to an heir to the property. the scheme failed, for the physician through whom she obtained a new-born child from bellevue hospital, disclosed the plot to district attorney a. oakey hall. the woman and her daughters left the city suddenly, and were not heard of again. the mystery of the murder was never solved. the part of houston street east of the bowery was, prior to november, , called north street. at the time the change in names was made the street was raised. between broadway and the bowery had been a wet tract of land many feet below the grade. in the street was extended from lewis street to the east river. the bleecker street bank, which was just east of broadway, on the north side of bleecker street, was moved in october, , to twenty-first street and fourth avenue, and called the bank for savings. it had originally been in the new york institute building in city hall park. [illustration: entrance to marble cemetery] [sidenote: marble cemetery] in the heart of the block inclosed by the bowery, second avenue, second and third streets, is a hidden graveyard. it is the new york marble cemetery, and so completely has it been forgotten that its name no longer appears in the city directory. on four sides it is hemmed about by tenements and business buildings, so that one could walk past it for a lifetime without knowing that it was there. on the second avenue side, the entrance is formed by a narrow passage between houses, which is closed by an iron gateway. but the gate is always locked, and at the opposite end of the passage is another gate of wood set in a brick wall, so high that nothing but the tops of trees can be seen beyond it. from the upper rear windows of the neighboring tenements a view of the place can be had. it is a wild spot, four hundred feet by one hundred, covered by a tangled growth of bushes and weeds, crossed by neglected paths, and enclosed by a wall seventeen feet high. there is no sign of a tombstone. in the southwest corner is a deadhouse of rough hewn stone. on the south wall the names of vault owners are chiseled. among these were some of the best known new yorkers fifty years ago. the records of the city show that this land was owned by henry eckford and marion, his wife. they deeded it to anthony dey and george w. strong when the cemetery corporation was organized, july , . there were one hundred and fifty-six vaults, and fifteen hundred persons were buried there. this cemetery is forgotten almost as completely as its own dead, and its memories do not molest the dwellers in the surrounding tenements who overlook it from their rear windows, and use it as a sort of dumping-ground for all useless things that can readily be thrown into it. [sidenote: the second marble cemetery] there is another marble cemetery which historians sometimes confuse with this hidden graveyard, namely, one on second street, between first and second avenues. some of the larger merchants of the city bought the ground in , and created the new york city marble cemetery. among the original owners was robert lenox. when he died, in , his body was placed in a vault of the first presbyterian church at wall street. when that church was removed to fifth avenue and twelfth street the remains of lenox with others were removed to this marble cemetery. the body of president james monroe was first interred here, but was removed in to virginia. thomas addis emmet, the famous jurist, is also buried here. one of the most conspicuous monuments in st. paul's churchyard, the shaft at the right of the church, was erected to the memory of emmet. a large column on the other side of the church preserves the memory of another man whose body does not lie in the churchyard, for william james macneven was interred in the burying-ground of the riker family at bowery bay, l. i. in second street, between avenue a and first avenue, stood a methodist church, and beside it a graveyard, until ; when the building was turned into a public school. there were fifteen hundred bodies in the yard, but they were not removed to evergreen cemetery until . only fifteen bodies were claimed by relatives. one man who applied for his father's body refused that offered him, claiming that the skull was too small, and that some mistake had been made in disinterment. second street methodist episcopal church, between avenues c and d, was built in , the congregation having previously worshipped in private houses in the vicinity. at one time this was the most prominent and wealthiest church on the eastern side of the city. [sidenote: bouwerie village] the bouwerie village was another of the little settlements--once a busy spot, but now so effaced that every outline of its existence is blotted out. it centred about the site of the present st. mark's church, second avenue and tenth street. in , when peter stuyvesant, the last of the dutch governors, had ruled four years, he purchased the great bouwerie, a tract of land extending two miles along the river north of what is now grand street, taking in a section of the present bowery and third avenue. as there was, from time to time, trouble with the indians, the governor ordered the dwellers on his bouwerie, as well as those on adjoining bouweries, to form a village and gather there for mutual protection at the first sign of an outbreak. very soon the settlement included a blacksmith's shop, a tavern and a dozen houses. in this way the bouwerie village was started. peter stuyvesant in time built a chapel, and in it hermanus van hoboken, the schoolmaster, after whom the city of hoboken is named, preached. years after the founding of the village, when new amsterdam had become new york, and when the old governor had returned from holland, where he had, before the states-general, fought for vindication in so readily giving up the province to the english, stuyvesant returned to end his days in the bouwerie village. he died there at the age of eighty, and was buried in the graveyard of the bouwerie church. st. mark's church, at tenth street and second avenue, stands on the site of the old church, and a memorial stone to peter stuyvesant is still to be seen under the porch. it reads: [sidenote: grave of peter stuyvesant] in this vault lies buried petrus stuyvesant, late captain-general and governor in chief of amsterdam in new netherland now called new york and the dutch west indies, died in a. d. / aged years. when judith, the widow of peter stuyvesant, died, in , she left the church in which the old governor had worshipped to the dutch reformed church. a condition was that the stuyvesant vault should be forever protected. by the church had fallen into decay. then another peter stuyvesant, great-grandson of the dutch governor, who was a vestryman of trinity church, gave the site and surrounding lots, together with $ , , and the trinity corporation added $ , , and erected the present st. mark's church. the cornerstone was laid in and the building completed in . it had no steeple until , when that portion was added. in the porch was added. in the churchyard were buried the remains of mayor philip hone and of governor daniel d. tompkins. it was here that the body of alexander t. stewart rested until stolen. close by the church was the mansion of governor stuyvesant. it was an imposing structure for those days, built of tiny bricks brought from holland. a fire destroyed the house at the time of the revolution. when peter stuyvesant returned from holland he brought with him a pear tree, which he planted in a garden near his bouwerie village house. this tree flourished for more than two hundred years. at thirteenth street and third avenue, on the house at the northeast corner, is a tablet inscribed: on this corner grew petrus stuyvesant's pear tree * * * * * recalled to holland in , on his return he brought the pear tree and planted it as his memorial, "by which," said he, "my name may be remembered." the pear tree flourished and bore fruit for over two hundred years. this tablet is placed here by the holland society of new york september, . [sidenote: first sunday school] in half a dozen persons in the first bouwerie village, then scattering to the school east from the site of cooper union, met at the "two mile stone"--so called from being two miles from federal hall--in the upper room of john coutant's house, on the site where cooper institute stands now. the room was used as a shoe store during the week. here, on sundays, ministers from the john street church instructed converts. peter cooper, who was a member of the church, a few years later conceived the idea of connecting the school with the church. the organization was perfected, and he was chosen superintendent of this, the first sunday school of new york. [sidenote: bowery village church] the quarters becoming cramped, in the congregation moved to a two-story building a block away, on nicholas william street. this street, long since blotted out, extended from what is now fourth avenue and seventh street, across the cooper institute site and part of the adjoining block, to eighth (now st. mark's place), midway of the block between third and second avenues. the street was named after nicholas william stuyvesant. when the old john street church was taken down, in , the timber from it was used to erect a church next to the sunday school (called the academy). this church was called the bowery village church. in , the bowery village church having been wiped out by the advancing streets of the city plan, nicholas william street went with it, and a church was then established a short distance to the east, on the line of what is now seventh street, north side, and this became the seventh street church. in persons living near by who objected to the church revivals presented the trustees with two lots, nearer third avenue. there a new church was built, which still stands. [sidenote: second vauxhall garden] vauxhall garden occupied (according to the present designation of the streets) the space south of astor place, between fourth avenue and broadway, to the line of fifth street. fourth avenue was then bowery road, and the main entrance to the garden was on that side, opposite the present sixth street. at broadway the garden narrowed down to a v shape. on this ground, for many years, john sperry, a swiss, cultivated fruits and flowers, and when he had grown old he sold his estate, in , to john jacob astor. the latter leased it to a frenchman named delacroix, who had previously conducted the vauxhall garden on the bayard estate, close by the present warren and greenwich streets. during the next eight years delacroix transformed his newly-acquired possession into a pleasure garden, by erecting a small theatre and summer-house, and by setting out tables and seats under the trees on the grounds, and booths with benches around the inside close up to the high board fence that enclosed the garden. he called the place vauxhall, thereby causing some confusion to historians, who often confound this garden with the earlier one of the same name. this last vauxhall was situated a mile out of town on the bowery road. it was an attractive retreat, and the tableaux were so fine, the ballets so ingenius and the singing of such excellence, that the resort became immensely popular, and remained so continuously until the garden was swept out of existence in . admission to the grounds was free, and to the theatre two shillings. in its last years it was a favorite place for the holding of large public meetings. [sidenote: cooper union] cooper union, at the upper end of the bowery, was built in . peter cooper, merchant and philanthropist, made the object of his life the establishment of an institution designed especially to give the working classes opportunity for self-education better than the existing institutions afforded. his store was on the site of the present building, which he founded. by a deed executed in the institution, with its incomes, he devoted to the instruction and improvement of the people of the united states forever. the institution has been taxed to its full capacity since its inception. from time to time it has been enriched by gifts from mr. cooper's heirs and friends. the statue of peter cooper, in the little park in front of the building, was unveiled may th, . it is the work of augustus st. gaudens, once a pupil in the institute. on a part of the site of cooper union, at the east side of what was then the bowery, and what is now fourth avenue, stood a house which was said to have been haunted. it was demolished to make way for cooper union. no permanent tenant, it is said, had occupied it for sixty years. it was a peaked-roofed brick structure, two stories high. the house of peter cooper was on the site of the present bible house, at eighth street and third avenue. he removed in to twenty-eighth street and fourth avenue, and his dwelling may still be seen there. [sidenote: astor place] astor place is part of old greenwich lane, which led from the bowery lane past the pauper cemetery, where washington square is now, over the sand hills where university place now is, and took the line of the present greenwich avenue. this was also called monument lane, because of a monument to the memory of general wolfe erected on the spot where the road ended, at the junction of eighth avenue and fifteenth street. astor place, as far as fifth avenue, was called art street when it was changed from a road to a street. the continuation of astor place to the east, now stuyvesant street, was originally stuyvesant road, and extended to the river at about fifteenth street. it was also called art when it became a street. on the south side of this thoroughfare, just west of fourth avenue, charlotte temple lived in a small stone house. at the head of lafayette place, fronting on astor place, is a building used at this time as a german theatre. it was built for dr. schroeder, once the favorite preacher of the city, of whom it was said that if anyone desired to know where schroeder preached, he had only to follow the crowds on sunday. but he became dissatisfied and left trinity for a church of his own. he very soon gave up this church, and for a time the building was occupied by st. ann's roman catholic congregation. afterward it became a theatre and failed to succeed. the ground at the junction of astor place and eighth street was made a public square in . in the midst of it may now be seen a statue of samuel s. cox. [sidenote: scene of forrest-macready riots] astor place opera house, at the junction of eighth street and astor place, where clinton hall stands now, was built in . it was a handsome theatre for those days, and contained eighteen hundred seats. it was opened on november nd with "ernani." on may th, , at this house occurred the first of the macready riots. the bitter jealousy existing between william charles macready, the english actor, and edwin forrest, which had assumed the proportions of an international quarrel, so far as the two actors and their friends were concerned, was the cause. the admirers of forrest sought, on this night, to prevent the performance of "macbeth," and a riot ensued in which no particular damage was done. on may th, in response to a petition signed by many prominent citizens, macready again sought to play "macbeth." an effort was made to keep all forrest sympathizers from the house. many, however, gained admission, and the performance was again frustrated. the ringleaders were arrested. a great crowd blocked astor place, and an assault upon the theatre was attempted. macready escaped by a rear door. the seventh regiment and a troop of cavalry cleared eighth street and reached astor place. the mob resisted. the riot act was read. that producing no effect, and the assault upon the building and the soldiers defending it becoming more violent each moment, the mob was fired upon. three volleys were fired. thirty-four persons were killed and some hundred injured. over one hundred soldiers and many policemen were also hurt. on august th, , the name of the house was changed to the new york theatre, under the direction of charles r. thorne. in a month's time he gave up the venture and frank chanfrau took it up. he also abandoned it after a few weeks. [sidenote: clinton hall] in the opera house was reconstructed and occupied by the mercantile library. it was given the name of clinton hall, which had been the name of the library's first home in beekman street. this building in time gave way to the present clinton hall on the same site. [sidenote: lafayette place] lafayette place was opened through the vauxhall garden in . the astor library, in lafayette place, was completed in , and was opened in . the site cost $ , . the middle dutch reformed church was built in lafayette place in , at the northwest corner of fourth street after its removal from nassau and cedar streets. a new church was built at seventh street and second avenue in . in the lafayette place building was a bell which had been cast in holland in , and which had first been used when the church was in nassau street. it was the gift of abraham de peyster, and now hangs in the reformed church at fifth avenue and forty-eighth street. next to this church, for many years, lived madam canda, who kept the most fashionable school for ladies of a generation ago. her beautiful daughter was dashed from a carriage, and killed on her eighteenth birthday--the age at which she was to make her début into society. the entire city mourned her loss. [sidenote: la grange terrace] soon after lafayette place was opened, la grange terrace was built. it was named after general lafayette's home in france. the row is still prominent on the west side of the thoroughfare, and is known as colonnade row. a riot occurred at the time it was built, the masons of the city being aroused because the stone used in the structure was cut by the prisoners in sing sing prison. john jacob astor lived on this street. he died march th, , and was buried from the home of his son, william b. astor, just south of the library building. [sidenote: sailors' snug harbor] a line drawn through astor place and continued to the washington arch in washington square, through fifth avenue to the neighborhood of tenth street, with fourth avenue as an eastern boundary, would roughly enclose what used to be the eliot estate in the latter part of the eighteenth century. it was a farm of about twenty-one acres in , when it was purchased for five thousand pounds from "baron" poelnitz, by captain robert richard randall, who had been a ship-master and a merchant. randall dying in , bequeathed the farm for the founding of an asylum for superannuated sailors, together with the mansion house in which he had lived. the house stood, approximately, at the present northwest corner of ninth street and broadway. it was the intention of captain randall that the sailors' snug harbor should be built on the property, and the farming land used to raise all vegetables, fruit and grain necessary for the inmates. there were long years of litigation, however, for relatives contested the will. when the case was settled in , the trustees had decided to lease the land, and to purchase the staten island property where the asylum is now located. the estate, at the time of captain randall's death, yielded an annual income of $ , . at present the income is about $ , a year. it is conceded that the property would have increased more rapidly in value had it been sold outright, instead of becoming leasehold property in perpetuity. many efforts have been made to cut through eleventh street from fourth avenue to broadway. the first was in , when the street was open on the lines of the city plan. hendrick brevoort, whose farm adjoined the sailors' snug harbor property, had a homestead directly in the line of the proposed street, between fourth avenue and broadway. he resisted the attempted encroachment on his home so successfully that the street was not opened through that block. he was again similarly successful in , when an ordinance was passed for the removal of his house and the opening of the street. [sidenote: grace church] grace church, at tenth street and broadway, was completed in . previous to that date it had been on the southwest corner of broadway and rector street, opposite trinity church. there is a reason for the sudden bend in broadway at tenth street, close by grace church. the bowery lane, which is now fourth avenue, curved in passing through what is now union square until, at the line of the present seventeenth street it turned and took a direct course north and was from thereon called the bloomingdale road. this road to bloomingdale was opened long before broadway, and it was in order to let the latter connect as directly as possible with the straight road north that the direction of broadway was changed about by the tenth street bend and a junction effected with the other road at the seventeenth street line. at thirteenth street and fourth avenue there was constructed in a tank which was intended to furnish water for extinguishing fires. it had a capacity of , gallons, and was one hundred feet above tide water. water was forced into it by a -horse power engine from a well and conducting galleries at the present tenth street and sixth avenue, on the site of the jefferson market prison. [sidenote: wallack's theatre] in james w. wallack moved from wallack's lyceum at broome street, and occupied the new wallack's, now the star theatre, at thirteenth street and broadway. his last appearance was when he made a little speech at the close of the season of . he died in . [sidenote: union square] union square was provided for in the city plan, under the name of union place. the commissioners decided that the place was necessary, as an opening for fresh air would be needed when the city should be built up. furthermore, the union of so many roads intersecting at that point required space for convenience; and if the roads were continued without interruption the land would be divided into such small portions as to be valueless for building purposes. the fountain in the square was operated for the first time in , on the occasion of the great croton water celebration. the bronze equestrian statue of washington was erected in the square close by where the citizens had received the commander of the army when he entered the city on evacuation day, november , . the statue is the work of henry k. brown. the dedication occurred on july , , and was an imposing ceremony. rev. george w. bethune delivered an oration, and there was a military parade. [sidenote: academy of music] the academy of music, at fourteenth street and irving place, was built in by a number of citizens who desired a permanent home for opera. on october nd of that year, hackett took his company, headed by grisi and matio, there, the weather being too cold to continue the season at castle garden. the building was burned in and rebuilt in . in third avenue, between sixteenth and seventeenth streets, is an old milestone which marked the third mile from federal hall on the post road. the friends' meeting house, at east sixteenth street and rutherford place, has existed since . in it was in pearl street, near franklin square. in it was taken down and rebuilt in in rose street, near pearl. [sidenote: st. george's church] st. george's (episcopal) church, at rutherford place and sixteenth street, was built in . the church was organized in , and before occupying the present site was in beekman street. early in the century a stream of water ran from stuyvesant's pond, close by what is now fourteenth street and second avenue, to first avenue and nineteenth street, having an outlet into the east river at about sixteenth street. in winter this furnished an excellent skating-ground. [sidenote: gramercy park] gramercy park, at twentieth and twenty-first streets and lexington avenue, was originally part of the gramercy farm. in it was given by samuel b. ruggles to be used exclusively by the owners of lots fronting on it. it was laid out and improved in . in the pavement, in front of the park gate on the west side, is a stone bearing this inscription: gramercy park founded by samuel b. ruggles commemorated by this tablet imbedded in the gramercy farm by john ruggles strong. . [sidenote: madison square] there was no evidence during the last part of the eighteenth century that the town would ever creep up to and beyond the point where twenty-third street crosses broadway. this point was the junction of the post road to boston and the bloomingdale road. the latter was the fashionable out-of-town driveway, and it followed the course that broadway and the boulevard take now. the post road extended to the northeast. at this point, in , a potter's field was established. there were many complaints at its being located there, where pauper funerals clashed with the vehicles of the well-to-do, and there was much rejoicing three years later, when the burying-ground was removed to the spot that is now washington square. [sidenote: arsenal in madison square] in was built, where the burying-ground had been, an arsenal which extended from twenty-fourth street and over the site of the worth monument. in the city plan, completed in , provision was made for a parade-ground to extend from twenty-third to thirty-fourth streets, and seventh to third avenue. the commissioners decided that such a space was needed for military exercises, and where, in case of necessity, there could be assembled a force to defend the city. in , the limits of the parade-ground were reduced to the space between twenty-third and thirty-first streets, sixth and fourth avenues, and given the name of madison square. [sidenote: house of refuge] the arsenal in madison square was turned into a house of refuge in , and opened january , . this was the result of the work of an association of citizens who formed a society to improve the condition of juvenile delinquents. the house of refuge was burned in , and another institution built at the foot of twenty-third street the same year. a portion of the old outer wall of this last structure is still to be seen on the north side of twenty-third street, between first avenue and avenue a. in , at the suggestion of mayor james harper, madison square was reduced to its present limits and laid out as a public park. up to this time a stream of water had crossed the square, fed by springs in the district about sixth avenue, between twenty-first and twenty-seventh streets. it spread out into a pond in madison square, and emptied into the east river at seventeenth street. it was suggested that a street be created over its bed from madison avenue to the river. this was not carried out, and the stream was simply buried. [sidenote: post road] the road which branched out of the bloomingdale road at twenty-third street, sometimes called the boston post road, sometimes the post road, sometimes the boston turnpike, ran across the present madison square, striking fourth avenue at twenty-ninth street; went through kipsborough which hugged the river between thirty-third and thirty-seventh streets, swept past turtle bay at forty-seventh street and the east river, crossed second avenue at fifty-second street, recrossed at sixty-third street, reached the third avenue line at sixty-fifth street, and at seventy-seventh street crossed a small stream over the kissing bridge. then proceeded irregularly on this line to one hundred and thirtieth street, where it struck the bridge over the harlem river at third avenue. the road was closed in . the monument to major-general william j. worth, standing to the west of madison square, was dedicated november , . general worth was the main support of general scott in the campaign of mexico. his body was first interred in greenwood cemetery. on november rd the remains were taken to city hall, where they lay in state for two days, then were taken, under military escort, and deposited beside the monument. [sidenote: fifth avenue hotel] for twenty years, or more, prior to , the site of the present fifth avenue hotel, at twenty-third street and broadway, was occupied by a frame cottage with a peaked roof, and covered veranda reached by a flight of wooden stairs. this was the inn of corporal thompson, and a favorite stopping-place on the bloomingdale road. an enclosed lot, extending as far as the present twenty-fourth street, was used at certain times of the year for cattle exhibitions. in the cottage made way for franconi's hippodrome, a brick structure, two stories high, enclosing an open space two hundred and twenty-five feet in diameter. the performances given here were considered of great merit and received with much favor. in the hippodrome was removed, and in the present fifth avenue hotel was opened. the madison square presbyterian church, at madison avenue and twenty-fourth street, was commenced in , the earlier church of the congregation having been in broome street. it was opened december, , with rev. dr. william adams as pastor. [illustration: college of the city of new york] [sidenote: college of city of new york] at the southeast corner of twenty-third street and lexington avenue, the college of the city of new york has stood since , the opening exercises having taken place in . in the legislature passed an act authorizing the establishment of a free academy for the benefit of pupils who had been educated in the public schools of this city. the name free academy was given to the institution, and under that name it was incorporated. it had the power to confer degrees and diplomas. in the name was changed to its present title, and all the privileges and powers of a college were conferred upon it. in the college was thrown open to all young men, whether educated in the public schools of this city or not. in ground was set aside in the northern part of the city, overlooking the hudson river, for the erection of modern buildings suitable to meet the growth of the college. [illustration: gate of old house of refuge] [sidenote: old house of refuge wall] the house of refuge in madison square was, after the fire in , rebuilt on the block bounded by twenty-third and twenty-fourth streets, first avenue and the east river. it was surrounded by a high wall, a section of which is still standing on the north side of twenty-third street, between first avenue and avenue a. the river at that time extended west to beyond the avenue a line. the old gateway is there yet, and is used now as the entrance to a coal-yard. some of the barred windows of the wall can still be seen. in the inmates were removed to randall's island, and were placed in charge of the state. [sidenote: bellevue hospital] bellevue hospital has occupied its present site; at the foot of east twenty-sixth street, since about . the hospital really had its beginning in , in the buildings of the public work-house and house of correction in city hall park. there were six beds there, in charge of the medical officer, dr. john van beuren. about the beginning of the nineteenth century, yellow fever patients were sent to a building known as belle vue, on the belle vue farm, close by the present hospital buildings. in about it was decided to establish a new almshouse, penitentiary and hospital on the belle vue farm. work on this was completed in . the almshouse building was three stories high, surmounted by a cupola, and having a north and south wing each one hundred feet long. this original structure stands to-day, and is part of the present hospital building, other branches having been added to it from time to time. the water line, at that time, was within half a block of where first avenue is now. in the almshouse section of the institution was transferred to blackwell's island. the ambulance service was started in , and was the first service of its kind in the world. [sidenote: bull's head village] bull's head village was located in the district now included within twenty-third and twenty-seventh streets, fourth and second avenues. it became a centre of importance in , when the old bull's head tavern was moved from its early home on the bowery, near bayard street, to the point which is now marked by twenty-sixth street and third avenue. it continued to be the headquarters of drovers and stockmen. as at that time there was no bank north of the city hall park, the bull's head tavern served as inn, bank and general business emporium for the locality. for more than twenty years this district was the great cattle market of the city. as business increased, stores and business houses were erected, until, toward the year , the cattle mart, which was the source of all business, was crowded out. it was moved up-town to the neighborhood of forty-second street; later to ninety-fourth street, and in the early 's to the jersey shore. the most celebrated person connected with the management of the bull's head tavern was daniel drew. he afterwards operated in wall street, became a director of the new york and erie railroad upon its completion in , and accumulated a fortune by speculation. [sidenote: peter cooper's house] at twenty-eighth street and fourth avenue, on the southeast corner, the house numbered - , stands the old "cooper mansion," in which peter cooper lived. it was formerly on the site where the bible house is now, at the corner of eighth street and fourth avenue. peter cooper himself superintended the removal of the house in , and directed its establishment on the new site so that it should be reconstructed in a manner that should absolutely preserve its original form. now it presents an insignificant appearance crowded about by modern structures, and it is occupied by a restaurant. this corner of twenty-eighth street and fourth avenue was directly on the line of the boston post road. just at that point the middle road ran from it, and extended in a direct line to fifth avenue and forty-second street. [illustration: the little church around the corner] [sidenote: little church around the corner] the little church around the corner, a low, rambling structure, seemingly all angles and corners, is on the north side of twenty-ninth street, midway of the block between fifth and madison avenues. it is the episcopal church of the transfiguration. its picturesque title was bestowed upon it in , when joseph holland, an english actor, the father of e. m. and joseph holland, the players known to the present generation, died. joseph jefferson, when arranging for the funeral, went to a church which stood then at madison avenue and twenty-eighth street, to arrange for the services. the minister said that his congregation would object to an actor being buried from their church, adding: "but there is a little church around the corner where they have such funerals." mr. jefferson, astonished that such petty and unjust distinctions should be persisted in even in the face of death, exclaimed: "all honor to that little church around the corner!" from that time until the present day, "the little church around the corner" has been the religious refuge of theatrical folk. for twenty-six years of that time, and until his death, the rev. dr. george h. houghton, who conducted the services over the remains of actor holland, was the firm friend of the people of the stage in times of trouble, of sickness and of death. [sidenote: lich gate] the lich gate at the entrance of the church is unique in this country, and is considered the most elaborate now in existence anywhere. it was erected in , at a cost of $ , . the congregation worshipped first in a house at no. east twenty-fourth street, in . the present building was opened in . lester wallack was buried from this church, as were dion boucicault, edwin booth, and a host of others. in the church is a memorial window to the memory of edwin booth, which was unveiled in . it represents a mediæval histrionic student, his gaze fixed on a mask in his hand. below the figure is the favorite quotation of booth, from "henry ii": "as one, in suffering all, that suffers nothing; a man that fortune's buffets and rewards has taken with equal thanks." and the further inscription: "to the glory of god and in loving memory of edwin booth this window has been placed here by 'the players.'" at lexington avenue and thirtieth street is the first moravian church, which has occupied the building since . this congregation was established in . in their first church was built at no. fair (now fulton) street. in a second house was erected on the same site. in a new building was erected at the southwest corner of houston and mott streets. this property was sold in , and the congregation then worshipped in the medical college hall, at the northwest corner of twenty-third street and fourth avenue, until the purchase of the present building from the episcopalians. it was erected by the baptists in . [sidenote: brick presbyterian church] at fifth avenue and thirty-seventh street is the brick presbyterian church, which stood at the junction of park row and nassau street until , when the present structure was erected. the locality was a very different one then, and the square quaintness of the church looks out of place amid its present modern surroundings. there is an air of solitude about it, as though it mourned faithfully for the green fields that shed peace and quietness about its walls when it was first built there. it is related of william c. h. waddell, who, in , built a residence on the same site, that when he went to look at the plot, with a view to purchase, his wife waited for him near by, under the shade of an apple tree. the ground there was high above the city grade. [sidenote: bryant park] the ground between fifth and sixth avenues, fortieth and forty-second streets, now occupied by bryant park and the old reservoir, was purchased by the city in , and in a potter's field was established there, the one in washington square having been abandoned in its favor. the reservoir, of egyptian architecture, was finished in . its cost was about $ , . on july th water was introduced into it through the new croton aqueduct, with appropriate ceremonies. the water is brought from the croton lakes, forty-five miles above the city, through conduits of solid masonry. the first conduit, which was begun in , is carried across the harlem river through the high bridge, which was erected especially to accommodate it. at the time the reservoir was put in use the locality was at the northern limits of the city. on sundays and holidays people went on journeys to the reservoir, and from the promenades at the top of the structure had a good view from river to river, and of the city to the south. the reservoir has not been in use for many years. the park was called reservoir square until , when the name was changed to bryant park. [sidenote: a world's fair] on july , , a world's fair, in imitation of the crystal palace, near london, was opened in reservoir square, when president pierce made an address. the fair was intended to set forth the products of the world, but it attracted but little attention outside the city. it was opened as a permanent exposition on may , , but proved a failure. one of the attractions was a tower feet high, which stood just north of the present line of forty-second street and fifth avenue. in august, , it was burned, and as a great pillar of flame it attracted more attention than ever before. the exposition buildings and their contents were in the hands of a receiver when they were destroyed by fire october , . bryant park has been selected as the site for the future home of the consolidated tilden, astor and lenox libraries. [sidenote: murray hill] murray hill derives its name from the possessions of robert murray, whose house, inclenberg, stood at the corner of what is now thirty-sixth street and park avenue, on a farm which lay between the present thirty-third and thirty-seventh streets, bloomingdale road (now broadway) and the boston post road (the present third avenue). the house was destroyed by fire in . on september , , after the defeat on long island, the americans were marching northward from the lower end of the island, when the british, marching toward the west, reached the murray house. there the officers were well entertained by the murrays, who, at the same time, managed to get word to the american army: the latter hurried on and joined washington at about forty-third street and broadway, before the english suspected that they were anywhere within reach. the murray farm extended down to kip's bay at thirty-sixth street. the kip mansion was the oldest house on the island of manhattan when it was torn down in . where it stood, at the crossing of thirty-fifth street and second avenue, there is now not a trace. jacob kip built the house in , of brick which he imported from holland. the locality between the murray hill farm and the river, that is, east of what is now third avenue between thirty-third and thirty-seventh streets, was called kipsborough in revolutionary times. [sidenote: turtle bay] the british forces landed, on the day of the stop at the murray house, in turtle bay, that portion of the east river between forty-sixth and forty-seventh streets. it was a safe harbor and a convenient one. overlooking the bay, on a great bluff at the present forty-first street, was the summer home of francis bayard winthrop. he owned the turtle bay farm. the bluff is there yet, and subsequent cutting through of the streets has left it in appearance like a small mountain peak. winthrop's house is gone, and in its place is corcoran's roost, far up on the height, whose grim wall of stone on the fortieth street side at first avenue became in modern times the trysting-place for members of the "rag gang." [sidenote: the elgin garden] forty-seventh and forty-ninth streets, between fifth and sixth avenues, enclose the tract formerly known as the elgin garden. this was a botanical garden founded by david hosack, m. d., in , when he was professor of botany in columbia college. in the land was purchased by the state from dr. hosack and given to columbia college, in consideration of lands which had been owned by the college but ceded to new hampshire after the settlement of the boundary dispute. the ground is still owned by columbia university. the block east of madison avenue, between forty-ninth and fiftieth streets, was occupied in by columbia college, when the latter moved from its down-town site at church and murray streets. the college occupied the building which had been erected in by the founders of the institute for the instruction of the deaf and dumb--the first asylum for mutes in the united states. the original intention had been to erect the college buildings on a portion of the elgin garden property, but the expense involved was found to be too great. the asylum property, consisting of twenty lots and the buildings, was purchased in . subsequently the remainder of the block was also bought up. [sidenote: st. patrick's cathedral] at fiftieth street and fifth avenue is st. patrick's cathedral, the cornerstone of which was laid in . the entire block on which it stands was, the preceding year, given to the roman catholics for a nominal sum--one dollar--by the city. the roman catholic orphan asylum in the adjoining block, on fifth avenue, between fifty-first and fifty-second streets, was organized in , but not incorporated until , when the present buildings were erected. [illustration: milestone rd ave. near th st.] [sidenote: four mile stone] there is still standing, in third avenue, just above fifty-seventh street, a milestone. it was once on the post road, four miles from federal hall in wall street. close by fiftieth street and third avenue, a potter's field was established about . near it was a spring of exceptionally pure water. this water was carried away in carts and supplied to the city. even after the introduction of croton water the water from this spring commanded a price of two cents a pail from many who were strongly prejudiced against water that had been supplied through pipes. [sidenote: beekman house] memories of nathan hale, the martyr spy of the revolution, hover about the neighborhood of fifty-first street and first avenue. the beekman house stood just west of the avenue, between fifty-first and fifty-second streets, on the site where grammar school no. is now. it was in a room of this house that major andré slept, and in the morning passed out to dishonor; and it was in a greenhouse on these grounds that nathan hale passed the last of his nights upon earth. the house was built in by a descendant of the william beekman who came from holland in with peter stuyvesant. during the revolution it was the headquarters of general charles clinton and sir william howe. it stood until , by which time it had degenerated into a crumbling tenement, and was demolished when it threatened to fall of natural decay. [sidenote: an old shot tower] a very few steps from the east river, at fifty-third street, stands an old brick shot tower; a lonely and neglected sentinel now, but still proudly looking skyward and bearing witness to its former usefulness. it was built in by a mr. youle. on october th it was nearing completion when it collapsed. it was at once rebuilt, and, as has been said, still stands. in mr. youle advertised the sale of the lots near the tower, and designated the location as being "close by the old post road near the four mile stone." [sidenote: the de voor farm] within half a dozen steps of the old tower, in the same lumber yard, is a house said to be the oldest in the city. it is of dutch architecture, with sloping roof and a wide porch. the cutting through and grading of fifty-third street have forced it higher above the ground than its builders intended it to be. the outer walls, in part, have been boarded over, and some "modern improvements" have made it somewhat unsightly; but inside, no vandal's art has been sufficient to hide its solid oak beams and its stone foundations that have withstood the shocks of time successfully. it was a farm-house, and its site was the spring valley farm of the revolution. it is thought to have been built by some member of the de voor family, who, after , had a grant of sixty acres of land along the river, and gave their name to a mill-stream long since forgotten, save for allusion in the pages of history. a block away in fifty-fourth street, between first avenue and the river, is another dutch house, though doubtless of much later origin. it stands back from the street and has become part of a brewery, being literally surrounded by buildings. [sidenote: central park] the first suggestion of a central park was made in the fall of , when andrew j. downing, writing to the _horticulturist_, advocated the establishment of a large park because of the lack of recreation-grounds in the city. on april , , mayor ambrose c. kingsland, in a special message to the common council, suggested the necessity for the new park, pointing out the limited extent and inadequacy of the existing ones. the common council, approving of the idea, asked the legislature for authority to secure the necessary land. the ground suggested for the new park was the property known as "jones' woods," which lay between sixty-sixth and seventy-fifth streets, third avenue and the east river. at an extra session of the legislature in july, , an act known as the "jones' woods park bill" was passed, under which the city was given the right to acquire the land. the passage of this act opened a discussion as to whether there was no other location better adapted for a public park than jones' woods. in august a committee was appointed by the board of aldermen to examine the proposed plot and others. this committee reported in favor of what they considered a more central site, namely, the ground lying between fifty-ninth and one hundred and sixth streets, fifth and eighth avenues. on july , , the legislature passed an act giving authority for the acquirement of the land, afterward occupied by central park, to commissioners appointed by the supreme court. the previous jones' woods act was repealed. these commissioners awarded for damages $ , , . , and for benefits $ , , . , which report was confirmed by the court in february, . in may, , the common council appointed a commission which took charge of the work of construction. on this commission were william c. bryant, washington irving and george bancroft. in , however, a new board was appointed by the legislature, because of the inactivity of the first one. under the new board, in april of the year in which they were appointed, the designs of calvert vaux and frederick l. olmsted were accepted and actual work was begun. the plans for the improvement of the park, which have been consistently adhered to, were based upon the natural configuration of the land. as nearly as possible the hills, valleys and streams were preserved undisturbed. trees, shrubs and vines were arranged with a view to an harmonious blending of size, shape and color--all that would attract the eye and make the park as beautiful in every detail as in its entirety. the year was one of much distress to the poor, and work on the park being well under way, the common council created employment for many laborers by putting them to work grading the new park. the original limits were extended from one hundred and sixth to one hundred and tenth street in . as it exists to-day, central park contains eight hundred and sixty-two acres, of which one hundred and eighty-five and one-quarter are water. it is two and a half miles long and half a mile wide. five hundred thousand trees have been set out since the acquisition of the land. there are nine miles of carriageway, five and a half miles of bridle-path, twenty-eight and one half miles of walk, thirty buildings, forty-eight bridges, tunnels and archways, and out-of-door seats for ten thousand persons. it is assessed at $ , , and worth twice that amount. more than $ , , have been spent on improvements. [illustration] index index abingdon, earl of, , abingdon road, , abingdon square, academy of music, all saints' church, allen street memorial church, american museum, andré, major, aquarium, public, arsenal in madison square, art street, astor house, astor, john jacob, , astor library, , astor place, astor place opera house, , , astor, william b., bank coffee house, bank street, banker street, bank for savings, the, , barnum, p. t., , barnum's museum, barrow street, battery, battery park, battery place, bayard family vault, beaver lane, beaver's path, beaver street, , , bedford street m. e. church, beekman house, belle vue farm, bellevue hospital, , , bible house, , bleecker street bank, block, adrian, , bloomingdale road, , , , , , bond street, bone alley, , booth, edwin, boston post road, , , boston turnpike, boulevard, bouwerie lane, bouwerie village, , , , , , bowery, the, bowery lane, , bowery road, , , , bowery theatre, bowery village church, bowling green, , bowling green garden, bradford, william, grave of, brannan's garden, breese, sydney, grave of, brevoort, hendrick, brick presbyterian church, , bridewell, bridge street, broad street, , broadway, , , , , broadway theatre, brougham's lyceum, brouwer street, bryant park, , , , bull's head tavern, , bull's head village, , bunker hill, burdell murder, the, , burr, aaron, home of, , office of, last friend of, burton's theatre, café des mille colonnes, , canal street, , , , canda, madam, castle garden, , cedar street, cemetery, new york city marble, , cemetery, new york marble, , , , central park, , , , , chambers street, chambers street bank, chanfrau, frank, chapel place, chatham, earl of, , , chatham square, , chatham street, chelsea cottages, chelsea village, , , , cherry hill, , cherry street, church, all saints', " allen street memorial, " bedford street memorial, " bowery village, " brick presbyterian, , " dr. schroeder's, " duane m. e., " first french huguenot, " first moravian, " first presbyterian, " first reformed presbyterian, , " friends' meeting house, " grace, , " john street, , , " little, around the corner, , , , " madison square presbyterian, " mariners', , " dutch middle reformed, , , " new jerusalem, " oliver street baptist, " st. ann's, " st. george's, , " st. john's, " st. mark's, , , , , " st. mary's, " st. patrick's, , " st. patrick's cathedral, " st. paul's, , , , " st. peter's, " sea and land, of, " second street methodist, " spring street presbyterian, " transfiguration, of the (episcopal), , , , " transfiguration, of the (catholic), , " trinity, , , , , church farm, churchyard, st. paul's, " trinity, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , churcher, richard, grave of, city hall, city hall (first) site of, , , city hall in wall street, city hall park, , , , , , city hospital, , city hotel, , city library, city prison in city hall park, clarke, capt. thomas, cliff street, clinton, gen. charles, clinton hall, , , coenties lane, coenties slip, , collect, the, college of the city of new york, , college place, collis, christopher, tomb of, colonnade row, columbia college, , , , commons, the, company's farm, cooke, george frederick, grave of, , cooper, james fenimore, house of, cooper mansion, cooper, peter, , , house of, , statue of, cooper union, , , corcoran's roost, cornbury, lady, corlears hook park, country market, coutant, john, house of, cox, samuel s., statue of, cresap, michael, grave of, croton water celebration, , cryptograph in trinity churchyard, , , crystal palace, custom house, , cuyler's alley, debtors' prison, , delacroix, de lancey, etienne, , , , de lancey, james, , , , de lancey, susannah, delmonico's, , de voor house, dickens, charles, drew, daniel, duane m. e. church, duke's farm, dutch west india company, eacker, george, grave of, east river bridge (second), eleventh street, elgin garden, , , eliot estate, emmet, thomas addis, , essex market, exterior market, fayette street, federal hall, , fields, the, fifth avenue hotel, fire of , first french huguenot church, first graveyard, first house built, first moravian church, first presbyterian church, first prison labor, first reformed presbyterian church, , first savings bank, first sunday school, first tenement house, fish, hamilton, park, fish market, fitzroy road, , five points, , five points house of industry, "flat and barrack hill", fly market, forrest, edwin, , forrest-macready riots, , , fort amsterdam, , fort clinton, fort george, fort james, fort manhattan, fountain in union square, franconi's hippodrome, franklin house, franklin square, fraunces' tavern, , free academy, , fresh water pond, friends' meeting house, fulton street, garden, bowling green, " brannan's, " castle, , " elgin, , , " niblo's, , " ranelagh, " vauxhall (first), , " vauxhall (last), , , " winter, garden street, gardner, noah, , general theological seminary, , , george iii, statue of, , gold street, golden hill, golden hill, battle of, golden hill inn, , government house, , governor's room, city hall, grace church, , gramercy park, graveyard, jewish, , , , , " paupers', , , , , , " st. john's, " st. paul's, " trinity, , , , , , , , , , " new york city marble, , " new york marble, , , , great bouwerie, great kiln road, , , , great queen street, greenwich avenue, " lane, , " road, , " street, , " village, , , , grove street, hale, nathan, , , hall of records, hamilton, alexander, grave of, hamilton, alexander, home of, hamilton, philip, haunted house, , holland, joseph, holt's hotel, hone, philip, horse and cart street, hosack botanical garden, hosack, david, hotel, astor, " city, , " fifth avenue, " holt's, " metropolitan, " riley's fifth ward, , " st. nicholas, " tremont, " united states, houghton, rev. dr. george h., house of aaron burr, , house, first, of white men, house of james fenimore cooper, house of peter cooper, , house of john coutant, house of the de lanceys, , , , house of alexander hamilton, house of thomas paine, , house of president monroe, house of refuge, house of charlotte temple, , house of francis bayard winthrop, houston street, howe, sir william, huguenot memorials in trinity churchyard, , inclenberg, institution for the instruction of the deaf and dumb, island of manhattan, "jack-knife," the, jail in city hall park, james street, jans' farm, , jeanette park, jefferson, joseph, jewish graveyard in new bowery, jewish graveyard in eleventh street, , jewish graveyard in twenty-first street, , , john street, john street church, , , john street theatre, jones' woods, jumel, mme., keene, laura, theatre of, king's college, king's farm, kip's bay, kip, jacob, kipsborough, , kissing bridge, , lawrence, capt., grave of, lafarge house, lafayette, general, lafayette place, , , , la grange terrace, leeson, james, grave of, leisler, jacob, where hanged, , lich gate of little church around the corner, light guards, lind, jenny, lispenard's meadows, , , , little church around the corner, , , , logan, the friend of the white man, london terrace, love lane, , , , , macneven, william james, , macomb's mansion, macready-forrest riots, , , macready, william charles, , madison square, , madison square presbyterian church, madison street, maiden lane, , mandelbaum, "mother", , manetta brook, manetta creek, , manhattan island, , , manhattan market, marble houses on broadway, , mariners' church, , mariners' temple, market, country, " essex, " exterior, " fish, " fly, " manhattan, " meal, " uptown, " washington, marketfield street, martyrs' monument, , masonic hall, , meal market, medical college hall, mercantile library, , , merchants' exchange, metropolitan hall, metropolitan hotel, middle dutch reformed church, , , middle road, mile stone, , , military prison window, milligan's lane, , minetta street, , , monroe, president james, , montgomery, general, monument lane, , moore, bishop benjamin, , moore, clement c., , morris street, morse, samuel f. b., morton, general jacob, , morton, john, mount pitt, mount pitt circus, mulberry bend, murder of dr. burdell, , murder of mary rogers, , murderers' row, murray family, , , murray farm, murray hill, , nassau street, , , , nean, elias, grave of, nean, susannah, grave of, negro insurrection, new jerusalem church, new york city marble cemetery, , new york hospital, , new york institute, new york marble cemetery, , , , new york society library, , new york theatre, new york theatre and metropolitan opera house, niblo's garden, , niblo's theatre, nicholas william street, north street, , obelisk lane, "old brewery", oldest grave in trinity churchyard, old guard, oliver street, oliver street baptist church, orphan asylum, roman catholic, olympic theatre, , paine, thomas, home of, , paisley place, palmo opera house, , parade-ground, park, battery, " bryant, , , , " central, , , , , " city hall, , , , , , " corlears hook, " gramercy, " hamilton fish, " jeanette, " st. john's, , park row, park theatre (first), patti, adelina, payne, john howard, pauper graveyard, , , , , , pearl street, , , , , peck slip, petticoat lane, , pie woman's lane, pitt, william, statue of, , , platt street, poelnitz, "baron", poor house in city hall park, post office, , post road, , , , , , , potter's field, bryant park, , potter's field, city hall park, potter's field, madison square, potter's field, third avenue, potter's field, washington square, , printing-press, first in colony, prison manufactures, prison riots, prison, state, , , , queen's farm, , rachel, the actress, "rag gang", randall, robert richard, , ranelagh garden, red fort, reservoir square, revolutionary house, revolutionary war, first blood of, richmond hill, , , riley's fifth ward hotel, , road, abingdon, " boston post, , , " bowery, , , , " fitzroy, , " great kiln, , , " greenwich, , " middle, " post, , , , , , , " skinner, " southampton, , , " union, , , , " warren, rogers, mary, murder of, , rotunda in city hall park, ruggles, samuel b., rutgers, anthony, , , rutgers, col. henry, rutgers farm, sailors' snug harbor, , st. ann's church, st. gaudens, augustus, st. george's church, , st. george square, st. james street, st. john's burying-ground, st. john's church, st. john's park, , st. mark's church, , , , st. mary's church, st. nicholas hotel, st. patrick's cathedral, st. patrick's church, , st. paul's chapel, , , , st. paul's churchyard, st. peter's church, savings bank, the first, schroeder, rev. dr., scudder's museum, second east river bridge, second street methodist church, sewing machine exhibited, shakespeare tavern, , shearith israel graveyard, , , sheep pasture, shot tower, shipyards, skinner road, smit's v'lei, southampton, baron, , southampton road, , , sperry, john, spring street presbyterian church, spring valley farm, stadhuis site, stadt huys, , state prison, , , , state street, , stewart, alexander t., , , stewart mansion, stone street, stuyvesant's creek, stuyvesant's pear tree, stuyvesant, peter, , , , , , stuyvesant's pond, stuyvesant street, sub-treasury building, "suicide slip", sunday school, the first, tammany hall, , tattersall's, , tea water pump, temple, charlotte, tomb of, , temple, charlotte, home of, , tenement house, the first, ten eyck, conraet, tompkins, daniel d., thames street, theatre alley, theatre, academy of music, " astor place opera house, , , theatre, bowery, " broadway, " brougham's, " burton's, " laura keene's, " john street, " metropolitan hall, " new york, " new york theatre and metropolitan opera house, " niblo's, " olympic, , " palmo's, , " park, " tripler hall, " wallack's, , " winter garden, thompson's inn, corporal, thorne, charles r., tilden, astor and lenox libraries, tin pot alley, , tombs, tompkins blues, tontine coffee house, tontine society, tremont house, trinity church, , , , , trinity churchyard, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , tripler hall, turtle bay, , turtle bay farm, twenty-first street, union place, union road, , , , union square, , united new netherland company, united states hotel, uptown market, van hoboken, hermanus, vauxhall garden (first), , vauxhall garden (last), , , virgin's path, wall, city's, wall street, , , , , , wall street, trees in, wallack, james w., wallack's lyceum, , warren, ann, warren, charlotte, warren road, warren, sir peter, , , , warren, susannah, washington inaugurated, washington inauguration ball, washington's broadway home, washington hall, washington's headquarters, washington's headquarters at richmond hill, washington's home in franklin house, washington's pew in st. paul's chapel, washington market, washington statue in union square, washington tablet, , washington square, , , , , water tank, weavers' row, well in broadway, well in rivington street, well of william cox, west broadway, west's circus, west india co., whitehall street, wiehawken street, william street, window of military prison, winter garden, winthrop, francis bayard, wolfe, gen., statue of, world's fair grounds, worth monument, , wreck brook, transcriber's note: text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). small capital text has been replaced with all capitals. ^{x} indicates superscript. legends of loudoun reprinting of this book has been granted to the loudoun museum by mrs. harrison williams and mr. and mrs. winslow williams. all proceeds from the sale of book will benefit the loudoun museum. we are indeed grateful to the williams family for this generous gesture and to the loudoun county independent bicentennial committee for assistance in making this possible. [illustration: john campbell, th earl of loudoun ( - ). governor-in-chief of virginia and commander-in-chief of british forces in america, for whom loudoun county was named in .] legends of loudoun _an account of the history and homes of a border county of virginia's northern neck_ by harrison williams [illustration: decoration--rider on horse] garrett and massie incorporated richmond virginia copyright, , by garrett & massie, incorporated richmond, virginia manufactured in the united states to j. s. a. preface many causes have contributed to the great upsurge of interest now manifesting itself in virginia's romantic history and in the men and women who made it. if, perhaps, the greatest and most potent of these forces is the splendid restoration of williamsburg, her colonial capital, through the munificence of mr. john d. rockefeller, jr., of new york, we must not lose sight of the part played by the reconstruction of her old historic highways and their tributary roads into the fine modern highway system which is today the commonwealth's boast and pride; the systematic and constructive activities of the virginia commission of conservation and development of which the present chairman is the hon. wilbur c. hall of loudoun; and the excellent work done by the garden club of virginia in holding its annual garden week celebration in each spring and the generous permission it obtains, from so many of the present owners of virginia's historic old homes and gardens, for the public to visit and inspect them at that time and thus capture, if but for the moment, a sense of personal unity with virginia's glamourous past. the increasing flow of visitors to loudoun and to leesburg, its county seat, has developed a steadily growing demand for more information concerning the county's past and its charming old homes than has been available in readily accessible form. these visitors, in their quest, usually call at leesburg's beautiful thomas balch library which, during garden week, lends its facilities to virginia's garden clubs for their loudoun headquarters; and miss rebecca harrison, its librarian, has upon occasion found the lack of published information in convenient form somewhat a handicap in her always gracious efforts to welcome and inform our growing tide of visitors. knowing as she did my lifelong interest in colonial history and the lives and family stories of the men and women who enacted their parts therein (my sole qualification, if such in charity it may be called, for such a task) she, from time to time, had suggested that i prepare a book upon loudoun, the people who built up the county and the old homes which they erected and in which they lived. the present volume has been written in an effort to respond to those requests. when some four years ago the work was contemplated, it was proposed to make it primarily a small, informal guidebook to loudoun's older homes; but as my research into her earlier days progressed, i became deeply conscious that the people of loudoun have forgotten much of her past that tenaciously and loyally should be remembered; and so the story of the county almost crowded out, beyond expectation, the story of the homes. it is hoped that, sometime in the future, another book pertaining wholly to these old plantations and their owners may be prepared and published. although there has been no very recent book devoted to her history, loudoun has had her historians within and without her boundaries and, above all, has been fortunate in attracting the interest of that outstanding scholar and historian of the northern neck, the late fairfax harrison, esq., whose beautiful country-seat of belvoir is near by in the adjoining county of fauquier. as the most casual reader of the following pages will quickly recognize, i have been under constant obligation, in the preparation of this work, to these earlier writers and can but here sincerely acknowledge the help i have derived from them. the first published history of loudoun was written by yardley taylor, a quaker of the upper country, prior to in which year it made its printed appearance. with it was published a map of the county prepared by him (for his vocation was that of a land-surveyor) and both map and book are highly creditable to their author. the book, however, is not very large and, concerning itself somewhat extensively with the topography, geology, etc. of the county, it has less to say of loudoun's history than its admirers could wish. the map, embellished with cartouches of old buildings, was the first county map to be prepared in this part of virginia and so accurate was it found to be that it was used by both federals and confederates in the devastating war between the states. that war, with its aftermath, set back the cultural activities of virginia for a full generation; thus it was not until that the next loudoun history appears, this time by mr. james w. head of leesburg. his volume is more comprehensive than mr. taylor's but, again, it covers far more than the county's history, including carefully prepared surveys of its minerals, soils, farm statistics, commercial activities, and many other interesting and closely related subjects. in messrs. patrick a. deck and henry heaton published their _economic and social survey of loudoun county_ which is somewhat similar in its scope to the work of mr. head but not so large a volume. in the meanwhile, however, in , mr. fairfax harrison, himself a scion of the fairfax family, had privately published his comprehensive _landmarks of old prince william_ covering the early history of all the territory originally comprised in old prince william county; and thereby built an enduring monument to his own erudition and industry that will stand as long as there remains a man or woman who retains an interest in the fairest part of the princely colepeper-fairfax proprietary. it remains a pleasant and grateful memory that i had the benefit of mr. harrison's personal suggestions and advice, as well as access to the overflowing treasury of his published writings, in my preparation of this volume. in addition to the authors named, much help was derived from mr. john alexander binns' treatise on his agricultural experiments, from the war-books of major general henry lee, col. john s. mosby, col. e. v. white, rev. j. j. williamson, captain f. m. myers and mr. briscoe goodhart, although in the case of the two latter authors their writings are measurably impaired by the rancour which controlled their pens. dr. e. g. swem's _virginia historical index_ was of constant assistance as were the publications of the virginia historical society, those of the college of william and mary and similar historical magazines as well as virginia's colonial records and the records of loudoun county. the resources of the library of congress, the smithsonian institution and those of our little thomas balch library in leesburg have all been available to me. in short, i had intended to append a bibliography of volumes consulted and relied upon for many of the views hereafter expressed; but when those volumes grew in number to five or six hundred i realized that limited space would permit no such project. therefore i have contented myself with frequently indicating in footnotes the principal sources from which my information has been derived. to my acknowledgment of aid obtained from books, pamphlets, newspapers and magazines, official records and documents, must be added my appreciation of the help of many friends. mr. thomas m. fendall of morrisworth and leesburg, of distinguished virginia background himself, has made such careful and comprehensive studies of loudoun's past that he was and is the logical prospective author of a book thereon; but his modesty equals his industry and scholarship to the very obvious loss, in this instance, to the county and its people. from him i have had such constant and constructive assistance and cheerful response to my frequent appeals that without his aid this book could not have attained its present form. to loudoun's present county clerk mr. edward o. russell and to his deputy miss nellie hammerley; to mrs. john mason; mrs. e. b. white and miss elizabeth white of selma; mrs. frederick page; the rev. g. peyton craighill, the present rector of shelburne parish; the rev. j. s. montgomery; miss lilias janney; judge and mrs. j. r. h. alexander of springwood; mrs. ashby chancellor; mrs. john d. moore; mr. frank c. littleton of oak hill, and his long studies of the history of that estate and of president monroe; trial justice william a. metzger; mr. j. ross lintner, loudoun's county agent; hon. charles f. harrison, commonwealth's attorney; mr. oscar l. emerick, superintendent of schools, for permission to use the map of the county prepared by him; mr. e. marshall rust; mr. george carter; hon. wilbur c. hall and his efficient official staff; mr. valta palma, curator of the rare book collection of the library of congress, and mr. hirst milhollen of the fine arts division of the same great institution; mr. john t. loomis, managing director of loudermilk and co. of washington, as well as to very many others, my sincere thanks are again tendered for the valuable help they all so willingly have given me. the illustrations used to embellish the text deserve a word of comment. the portrait of the right honourable john campbell, th earl of loudoun, captain-general of the british forces in america and governor-in-chief of virginia, in whose honour the county of loudoun was named, is reproduced from an engraving that appeared in the london magazine of october, , when loudoun was at the height of his career. it was copied from the engraving by charles spooner of an earlier painting of the earl by the scotch artist allan ramsay ( - ), who later became the principal portrait painter to king george iii and his court. i have in my collection two copies of this london magazine engraving, one of which i found in the hands of a dealer in new york and the other in london. no other copies, so far as i can learn, have recently been offered for sale. the fine portrait of the right honourable william petty-fitzmaurice, earl of shelburne and st marquess of landsdowne, for whom shelburne parish was named, is by sir joshua reynolds and is now in the national portrait gallery in london to which it was presented by his son henry, rd marquess of landsdowne, k. g., in june, . i obtained an official photograph of this painting at the national portrait gallery in the summer of , and permission to reproduce it in this book. the portrait of sir peter halkett, baronet, of pitfiranie, scotland, who commanded that part of braddock's army that passed through the present loudoun on its way to the fatal battle near fort duquesne, is from p. mcardell's engraving of the portrait painted by allan ramsay in , and is considered by me one of my most fortunate discoveries. the pictures of oak hill in the body of the book and that of the meeting of the middleburg hunt on its spacious lawns, reproduced on the dust-jacket, are from the extensive collections of mr. frank c. littleton. the original of the portrait of general george rust of rockland ( - ), builder of that cherished family seat in , belongs to and is in the possession of a grandson, mr. john y. rust of san angelo, texas, but a carefully executed copy hangs on rockland's walls. during the two administrations of president andrew jackson, general rust was in command of the united states arsenal at nearby harper's ferry and for many years he was one of the most respected and influential of the county's citizens. the photograph of the original portrait herein used i owe to another grandson, mr. e. marshall rust of leesburg and washington, as i do the picture of rockland itself and that of the old john janney residence in leesburg, later so long the home of the late mr. and mrs. thomas w. edwards, the latter a sister of mr. rust. they were all photographed in this masterly fashion by miss frances benjamin johnston of washington. the pictures of foxcroft, oak hill and the old valley bank in leesburg are from the pictorial archives of early american architecture in the division of fine arts of the library of congress and the negatives are also the work of miss johnston. reproduction of the portrait of nicholas cresswell, the journalist, is due to the courtesy of the dial press, of new york, publishers of the american edition of his journal. the original portrait is owned by mr. samuel thorneley of drayton house, near chichester, west sussex, england, a descendant of cresswell's younger brother, joseph cresswell. the map of loudoun is based on that prepared by mr. oscar l. emerick in , and is used by his kind permission. and now, gentle reader, step with me into the pleasant land of loudoun. harrison williams. roxbury hall near leesburg, virginia march, . contents preface vii the earlier indians england acquires virginia the passing of the indians settlement the melting pot roads and boundaries speculation and development the french and indian war organization of loudoun and the founding of leesburg adolescence revolution the story of john champe early federal period maturity civil war recovery index illustrations _john campbell, th earl of loudoun_ frontispiece face page _map of loudoun county_ _sir alexander spotswood_ _sir peter halkett, bart_ _the fall of braddock_ _william petty-fitzmaurice_ _nicholas cresswell_ _noland mansion_ _oatlands_ _foxcroft_ _rockland_ _general george rust_ _oak hill_ _oak hill, east drawing room_ _old valley bank_ _battle of ball's bluff_ _old john janney house_ legends of loudoun chapter i the earlier indians [illustration: map loudoun county, virginia] the county of loudoun, as now constituted, is an area of square miles, lying in the extreme northwesterly corner of virginia, in that part of the old dominion known as the piedmont and of very irregular shape, its upper apex formed by the potomac river on the northeast and the blue ridge mountains on the northwest, pointing northerly. it is a region of equable climate, with a mean temperature of from to degrees, seldom falling in winter below fahrenheit zero nor rising above the upper nineties during its long summer, thus giving a plant-growing season of about two hundred days in each year. the county exhibits the typical topography of a true piedmont, a rolling and undulating land broken by numerous streams and traversed by four hill-ranges--the catoctin, the bull run and the blue ridge mountains and the so-called short hills. these ranges are of a ridge-like character, with no outstanding peaks, although occasionally producing well-rounded, cone-like points. the whole area is generously well watered not only by the potomac, flowing for thirty-seven miles on its border and the latter's tributary goose creek crossing the southern portion of the county, but also by many smaller creeks or, as they are locally called, "runs"; and by such innumerable springs of most excellent potable water that few, if any, of the farm-fields lack a natural water supply for livestock. these conditions most happily combine to create a climate that for healthfulness and all year comfortable living is without peer on the eastern seaboard and, indeed, truthfully may be said to be among the best and most enjoyable east of the mississippi. before the advent of the white man, the land was covered by a dense forest of oak, hickory, walnut, sycamore, locust, ash, pine, maple, poplar and other varieties of trees--not by any means unbroken, for here and there the indian tribes that roamed the area, had burned out great clearings for grazing-grounds to entice the wild animals they hunted and in which the native grasses then quickly and indigenously sprang up; attracting particularly the buffalo, in those days, and at least until as late as , to be found in vast numbers all through the piedmont region and always in the forefront as an unending supply of flesh-food to their indian hunters. with the buffalo were great herds of "red and fallow deer" and wolves, foxes in abundance, bears in the mountains, opossum, racoons, and, along the streams, otter and beaver (later to be so greatly valued for their pelts) and whose presence, with that of other fur-bearing animals, was to have its influence on the history of the region. when in the doughty captain john smith--in writing of any part of virginia one sooner or later is certain to shake hands with that amourous hero--when captain smith made his first voyage to virginia and came in contact with her aboriginees, the latter were, in a broad sense, of several stocks or nations, distinguishable principally by linguistic affinity and more or less common cultural idiosyncracies rather than by close alliances; and indeed frequently appearing to cherish their bitterest enmities among their own blood-kindred. along the coast, in what we now know as tidewater, the territory running from the chesapeake to those rocky outcrops making waterfalls in all the great rivers flowing from virginia into the bay, the indians were generally of the algonquin stock, a tribe covering an enormous territory along the atlantic seaboard from the neighborhood of hudson's bay southerly to at least the carolinas but by no means monopolizing the regions where they were found. to the north, in what is now new york, centred the iroquoian tribes, with ramifications as far south as virginia and north carolina. among these more southerly indians of the iroquoian stock were the fierce and powerful "susquehannocks" along the river we still call by that name who later were to play a prominent rôle in our loudoun yet to be; the nottoways, occupying a part of southeastern virginia; the cherokees, occupying the area in virginia and north carolina west of the blue ridge, extending north as far as the peaks of otter near the headquarters of the james; and the tuskaroras of famous and bloody memory, who were paramount in north carolina until their conquest and all but annihilation by the english in . what were left of the fiercest and most implacable of the tuskaroras after that crushing defeat, retreated to new york where, as the sixth nation they joined the iroquois confederacy of their near kinsmen of the long house. a few of the more friendly were removed to a local reservation in but gradually, in small parties, says mooney, they too moved to join their kindred in the north. both algonquins and iroquois were to be classed as barbarians rather than savages. the former have been described as having generally "found locations in permanent villages surrounded by extensive cornfields. they were primarily agriculturists or fishermen, to whom hunting was hardly more than a pastime and who followed the chase as a serious business only in the interval between the gathering of one crop and the sowing of the next." the iroquois, who found their highest development in their confederacy of the five nations of the long house in central new york (the massawomecks so dreaded by the powhattans and manahoacs of smith's narratives) were even further advanced. described by historians as the romans of america, they led all other indians of what is now the united states in their powers of organization and extraordinary political development. they lived in cleverly and strongly palisaded villages and their agricultural activities, falling to the women's share of tribal work, were probably further advanced than those of any other indians north of mexico. our earliest knowledge places them on the banks of the st. lawrence, in the neighborhood of the present montreal, whence they were driven by the neighboring algonquins. their defeat and expulsion to the south bred in them a deep determination for revenge. in the new york wilderness they developed and cultivated a passion for ruthless warfare and forming their famous confederation somewhere about the year , they rapidly became the most powerful indian military force east of the mississippi and a sombre threat and terror to the other indian tribes far and wide. in contrast to both algonquins and iroquois, the siouan tribes who ranged the piedmont country from the potomac south, were primarily nomads--and nomads, observes mooney, have short histories. modern scholarship inclines to place the origin of the great siouan or dakotan family possibly amidst the eastern foothills of the southern alleghanies or at least as far east as ohio, whence, after a long period, they probably were driven by the iroquois and other enemies beyond the mississippi. being essentially nomadic, without permanent villages and relying on constant hunting for their food, following their game wherever it might lead, they necessarily ranged widely and covered broad areas. from the days of the earliest european invasion, locations of the iroquois and algonquin stock were known, but as the earliest english scouts and adventurers found no such long established villages in the piedmont country, their tendency and following them, that of the early writers and historians, was to loosely assume that the indians found there were, in common with their neighbours, either algonquins or iroquois. later antiquarians and ethnologists seem to have followed their lead; with an exasperating paucity of record, tradition or material remains, there was but little on which to base knowledge of language, whence racial stock might be deduced. it was not until horatio hale announced, sixty years ago, his discovery of a siouan language bordering the atlantic coast and james mooney, in , published his _siouan tribes of the east_ that these indians of the northern virginia piedmont, known to be members of the manahoac confederacy, were identified as of the siouan stock. they "consisted of perhaps a dozen tribes of which the names of eight have been preserved. with the exception of the stegarake," writes mooney, "all that is known of these was recorded by smith, whose own acquaintance with them seems to have been limited to an encounter with a large hunting party in ." as smith's narrative, after its wont, paints a vivid picture of the manahoacs, a picture which almost stands alone in the mist of conjecture and deductive reasoning making up what is left to us of them, it is well to quote it in full, bearing always in mind that while these people were found on the upper rappahannock, we have excellent reason to believe that they also occupied all the land now within the bounds of loudoun. as allied bands, without fixed habitation, they wandered over the lands between tidewater and the blue ridge, from the james to the potomac. the story is contained in smith's _generall historie of virginia_ which states on its title page to be "by captaine john smith sometymes governor in those countryes & admirall of new england." chapter vi of the book, from which we quote, is however apparently signed by anthony bagnall, nathaniel powell and anas todhill who were three of smith's companions on this adventure. bagnall and powell were among the six listed as "gentlemen" in distinction to an additional six listed as "souldiers," among the latter being todhill. on the th july, , smith and these twelve men set out on this second voyage of discovery along the shores of the chesapeake bay. going as far north as the head of the bay and the "susquesahannock's" river and noting their many findings, they eventually, upon their return south, came to "the discovery of this river some call rapahanock" up which they proceeded, with occasional brushes with the indians along its banks. on their third day upon the river "wee sailed so high as our boat would float, there setting up crosses, and graving our names in the trees. our sentinell saw an arrowe fall by him, though he had ranged up and downe more than an houre in digging in the earth, looking of stones, herbs, and springs, not seeing where a salvage could well hide himselfe. "upon the alarum by that we had recovered our armes, there was about an hundred nimble indians skipping from tree to tree, letting fly their arrows so fast as they could: the trees here served us for baricadoes as well as they. but mosco (their indian guide) did us more service than we expected, for having shot away his quiver of arrowes, he ran to the boat for more. the arrowes of mosco at the first made them pause upon the matter, thinking by his bruit and skipping, there were many salvages. about halfe an houre this continued, then they all vanished as suddenly as they approached. mosco followed them so farre as he could see us, till they were out of sight. as we returned there lay a salvage as dead, shot in the knee, but taking him up we found he had life, which mosco seeing, never was dog more furious against a beare, than mosco was to have beat out his braines, so we had him to our boat, where our chirugian who went with us to cure our captaines hurt of the stingray, so dressed this salvage that within an houre after he looked somewhat chearefully, and did eat and speake. in the meane time we contented mosco in helping him to gather up their arrowes, which were an armefull, whereby he gloried not a little. then we desired mosco to know what he was, and what countries were beyond the mountaines; the poore salvage mildly answered he and all with him were of hassinninga, where there are three kings more like unto them, namely the king of stegora, the king of tauxuntania and the king of shakahonea, that were coming to mohaskahod, which is onely a hunting towne, and the bounds betwixt the kingdom of the mannahocks, and the nantaughtacunds, but hard by where we were. we demanded why they came in that manner to betray us, that came to them in peace, and to seeke their loves; he answered they heard we were a people come from under the world, to take their world from them. we asked him how many worlds he did know, he replyed, he knew no more than that which was under the skie that covered him, which were the powhattans, with the monacans, and the massawomecks, that were higher up in the mountaines. then we asked him what was beyond the mountaines, he answered the sunne: but of anything els he knew nothing; because the woods were not burnt. these and many such questions we demanded, concerning the massawomecks, the monacans, their owne country, and where were the kings of stegora, tauxintania, and the rest. the monacans he said were their neighbours and friends, and did dwell as they in the hilly countries by small rivers, living upon rootes and fruits, but chiefly by hunting. the massawomecks did dwell upon a great water and had many boats, & so many men that they made warre with all the world. for their kings, they were gone every one a severall way with their men on hunting: but those with him came thither a fishing until they saw us, notwithstanding they would be altogether at night at mahaskahod. for his relation we gave him many toyes, with perswasions to go with us, and he as earnestly desired us to stay the coming of those kings that for his good usage should be friends with us, for he was brother to hassinninga. but mosco advised us presently to be gone, for they were all naught, yet we told him we would not till it was night. all things we made ready to entertain what came, & mosco was as dilligent in trimming his arrowes. the night being come we all imbarked, for the river was so narrow, had it biene light the land on the one side was so high, they might have done us exceeding much mischiefe. all this while the k. of hassinninga was seeking the rest, and had consultation a good time what to doe. but by their espies seeing we were gone, it was not long before we heard their arrowes dropping on every side the boat; we caused our salvage to call unto them, but such a yelling and hallowing they made that they heard nothing but now and then a peece, ayming for neere as we could where we heard the most voyces. more than miles they followed us in this manner; then the day appearing, we found ourselves in a broad bay, out of danger of their shot, where we came to an anchor, and fell to breakfast. not so much as speaking to them till the sunne was risen; being well refreshed, we untyed our targets[ ] that covered us as a deck, and all shewed ourselves with these shields on our armes, and swords in our hands, and also our prisoner amoroleck; a long discourse there was betwixt his countrimen and him, how good we were, how well wee used him, how we had a patawomeck with us, loved us as his life, that would have slaine him had we not preserved him, and that he should have his liberty would they be but friends; and to doe us any hurt it was impossible. upon this they all hung their bowes and quivers upon the trees, and one came swimming aboard us with a bow tyed on his head, and another with a quiver of arrowes, which they delivered to our captaine as a present, the captaine having used them so kindly as he could, told them the other three kings should doe the like, and then the great king of our world should be their friend, whose men we were. it was no sooner demanded than performed, so upon a low moorish poynt of land we went to the shore, where those foure kings came and received amoroleck: nothing they had but bowes, arrowes, tobacco-bags, and pipes: what we desired, none refused to give us, wondering at every thing we had, and heard we had done: our pistols they tooke for pipes, which they much desired, but we did content them with other commodities, and so we left foure or five hundred of our merry mannahocks, singing, dancing, and making merry and set sayle for moraughtacund." [ ] i.e. shields. the spelling, punctuation and capitalization follow the text of the first edition ( ) in which, opposite page , is a map shewing apparently the manahoacs (there spelled "mannahoacks") in possession of the present loudoun and the monacans south of them, around the upper waters of the james. with smith's return to the mouth of the rappahannock the mist descends again upon loudoun for many years. in and , john lederer made three journeys into the interior of virginia. his first journey took him up the york river; his second, up the james; and the route of his third he describes as "from the falls of the rappahannock river to the top of the apalataen mountains." although he obtained the consent of sir william berkeley before making his explorations, he seems to have incurred the ill-will of the virginians themselves and by them was forced to flee to maryland. there he met sir william talbot, who sympathized with and befriended him and translated his story of his travels from the latin in which it had been written. it was published in london in with a "foreword" by talbot in lederer's defense. of the "indians then inhabiting the western parts of carolina and virginia," lederer says: "the indians now seated in these parts are none of those which the english removed from virginia, but a people driven by the enemy from the northwest, and invited to sit down here by an oracle above four hundred years since, as they pretend for the ancient inhabitants of virginia were far more rude and barbarous, feeding only upon raw flesh and fish, until they taught them to plant corn, and shewed them the use of it." concerning the whole piedmont region, called by lederer "the highlands" he writes: "these parts were formerly possessed by the tacci, alias dogi, but they are extinct and the indians now seated here, are distinguished into the several nations of mahoc, nuntaneuck, alias nuntaly, nahyssan, sapon, managog, mangoack, akernatatzy and monakin &c. one language is common to them all, though they differ in dialects. the parts inhabited here are pleasant and fruitful because cleared of wood and laid open to the sun." apparently in lederer's "monakins" and "mangoacks" we may recognize smith's "monacans" and "mannahocks" or "mannahoacks"; but on his third or rappahannock journey he does not speak of such indians as he may have actually met. james mooney thinks that by that time the manahoacs may have been driven out of their earlier hunting grounds. the "tacci, alias dogi" described by lederer are suggested by mooney to have been only a mythic people, a race of monsters or unnatural beings, such as we find in the mythologies of all tribes and had no relation to the doeg, named in the records of the bacon rebellion in , who were probably a branch of the nanticoke. what became of the manahoacs? did their pursuit of the game they hunted gradually draw them westward or were they, more probably, driven from the piedmont country by their terrible foes the northern iroquois, aided perhaps by the susquehannocks who next appear upon the scene? but before taking up the story of the iroquois and susquehannock influence in loudoun, we must turn to the english kings and their grants of virginia and particularly its northern neck, that spacious territory lying between the rappahannock and potomac, extending from the chesapeake to a disputed western boundary. chapter ii england acquires virginia mighty in her military strength and with an all but inexhaustible wealth pouring into her coffers from her american conquests, spain stood as a very colossus over the europe of the sixteenth century; and england, watching and fearing her hostile growth, grimly determined that she too, should have her share of that fabulous new world and its treasure. so deeply planted and so greatly grew this determination that it eventually became a part of england's public policy and in june, , the great elizabeth, with her eyes on the american coast, issued letters patent to sir humphrey gilbert, and after gilbert's death reissued them on the th march, , to his half-brother sir walter raleigh, to discover, have, hold and occupy forever, such "remote heathern and barbarous lands, countries and territories not actually possessed by any christian prince, nor inhabited by christian people." as by its terms the new grant was to continue but for "the space of six yeares and no more," it was clear that advantage of its provisions should be taken with promptness; and raleigh was not a man given to delay or indecision. he had been making his preparations; hardly more than a month elapsed before an expedition of two ships captained by philip amidas and arthur barlow set sail from england, bound for america. on the th of the following july, having landed on an island off the coast of the present carolinas, these men raised the english flag and formally declared the sovereignty of england and its queen. they brought home with them such glowing accounts of their discovery that elizabeth was moved to bestow upon all the coast the name of virginia--the land of the virgin queen. two more attempts were made to establish permanent settlements in the neighborhood and although both failed, enough had been done to found a claim of english ownership and dominion, a claim which covered the entire coast from the french settlements in the north to the spanish settlements upon the florida peninsula, and thus the original virginia became coextensive with england's pretensions on the north american continent. it is true that spain then claimed the entire coast under a papal bull but papal bulls meant very little to elizabeth or to her pugnacious sea-rovers. one of the many curiosities of history is that neither raleigh nor his captains ever saw the soil of that part of america which was to become the virginia we know, nor did the queen who named it ever have knowledge of its physical characteristics, its resources or its inhabitants. in short, virginia proper was neither to be discovered nor have its first precarious settlement until after elizabeth's death. after these first abortive attempts to found english settlements under his patent, raleigh, on the th march, , assigned it and all his rights thereunder to a company of merchants and adventurers who were resolved to proceed with the enterprise. these assigns, after the death of elizabeth, became the leaders in seeking from king james i "leave to deduce a colony in virginia." that monarch, says bancroft, "promoted the noble work by readily issuing an ample patent" and on the th day of april, , signed and affixed his seal to the first charter of an english colony in america under which permanent settlement was to be effected. this charter declared the boundaries of virginia to extend from the th to the th parallels of longitude and authorized the planting of two colonies. the first of these, to be founded by the london company, largely made up of men of that city, was designated a "first colony" to be established in the southerly portion of england's claim; the right to establish a "second colony" to be planted in the north, went to the plymouth company, whose membership, headed by sir ferdinando gorges, governor of the garrison of plymouth in devonshire, came principally from the west of england. under this charter the king named the first "council for all matters which shall happen in virginia;" under it the london company dispatched the expedition of three ships in command of sir christopher newport and having captain john smith among its members; and under it and the second charter (of ) the infant colony was governed until, in the year , the charter was revoked and the crown took over the affairs of the colony. until the troubled reign of the first charles, the growth of virginia's population had been very slow. it was not until the defeat of the royalists in by the forces of the parliament and the king's execution in january, , that the first great increase in population occurred. in a pamphlet published in london in that latter year, by an unknown author, it is stated that her population was at that time , english and negroes and these were scattered along the lower portions of the james and the york and the shores of the chesapeake. then the defeated cavaliers began to arrive in such great numbers that by sir william berkeley estimated that , free whites, , indentured servants and , negroes were there. many of the old population and the newer arrivals as well, were pressing northward to the land between the mouth of rappahannock and that of the potomac which in had been organized into a new county, under the name of northumberland, to include all the lands lying between those latter rivers and running westerly to a still indefinite boundary. this was new territory recently, and still very sparsely, settled by the english and even as late as it was contemporaneously estimated that the indians between the two rivers had nearly warriors. although the stuarts had been deposed in england and the younger charles forced to fly to the continent, he was still king in virginia with loyal and devoted subjects. it was under such conditions that charles, actuated not only by a desire to reward certain of his cavalier adherents who were sharing his exile, but also to create a refuge for others of his followers from the ire and oppression of the triumphant roundheads, granted by charter dated the th day of september, , the whole domain between the rappahannock and potomac to seven of his faithful lieges who, during the civil war, had fought valiantly in the stuart cause. these men were described in the charter, still preserved in the british museum, as ralph lord hopton, baron of stratton; henry lord jermyn, baron of st. edmund's bury; john lord colepeper, baron of thoresway; sir john berkeley, sir william morton, sir dudley wyatt and thomas colepeper esq. and thus, says fairfax harrison, "the proprietary of the northern neck of virginia came into existence." he notes that of the patentees lord jermyn, after the restoration, became earl of st. albans and sir john berkeley, baron berkeley of stratton. "the only conditions" quotes head "attached to the conveyance of the domain, the equivalent of a principality, were that one-fifth of all the gold and one-tenth of all the silver, discovered within its limits should be reserved for the royal use and that a nominal rent of a few pounds sterling should be paid into the treasury at jamestown each year." but to receive a grant of this splendid proprietary from a fugitive and powerless king was one thing and to reduce it to actual possession was another and very different one. charles might and did consider himself king in both england and virginia and the ruling virginians might and did consider themselves his very loyal and obedient subjects; but unfortunately for the seven cavalier patentees of the northern neck, the parliament and cromwell took a radically different view of the matter and, even more unfortunately, were in a position to enforce that view. no sooner had the representatives of the new proprietors come to virginia and were duly welcomed by the royalist governor sir william berkeley, than a parliamentary fleet of warships arrived from england, deposed the governor, set up the rule of parliament in and abruptly ended, for the time being, the patentees' hopes of gaining possession of their new grant. there was little to be done by these cavaliers while parliament and cromwell ruled. and then the wheel of history, after its fashion, completed another cycle. on the rd september, , cromwell died and soon the ruthless and efficient but never very cheerful control of england by the puritans came to an end. in word came to virginia of the resignation of richard cromwell and the puritan governor mathews dying about the same time, the virginia assembly in march, , proceeded to elect sir william berkeley to be their governor again. on the th of the following may, charles ii was proclaimed king in england and in september a royal commission for berkeley, already elected by the assembly, arrived, the virginians themselves welcoming the restoration of stuart rule with great enthusiasm. the owners of the patent of the northern neck believed that their patience was at length to be rewarded. again they sent a representative to virginia, this time with instructions from king to governor to give his aid to the proprietors to obtain possession of their domain. but during all the years of their forced inactivity, the settlement of virginia had gone on apace. what had been in a thinly settled frontier, shewed now a largely increased population and land grants to these new settlers had been freely issued by virginia's government. many of those newly seated in the northern neck were very influential men and in their opposition to the claims of the patentees received popular sympathy and encouragement. as a result, berkeley found himself confronted by a council which obstructed his every effort to carry out the king's instructions and the endeavours of the proprietors to gain possession of their grant being completely blocked, they were obliged to appeal to the home government for relief. the outcome of negotiations between them and francis moryson, then representing virginia in london, was that the patent of was surrendered by its holders for a new grant carrying on its face substantial limitations of the earlier patent. this new grant was dated the th day of may, , almost twenty years after the first, and contained provisions recognizing the title to lands already seated or occupied under other authority; generally limiting the proprietors' title to such other lands as should be "inhabited or planted" within the ensuing twenty-one years, together with a constructive recognition of the political jurisdiction of the virginia government within the proprietary.[ ] [ ] harrison's _virginia land grants_, . this appeared a reasonably satisfactory compromise of the controversy to both sides. but suddenly in february, , charles made a grant of all virginia to the earl of arlington and lord colepeper to hold for thirty-one years at an annual rent of forty shillings to be paid at michaelmas. thus was virginia rewarded for her faithful loyalty to the stuarts. when the news came to jamestown the colony flamed with resentment and anger; and now berkeley and his council were in hearty accord with the wrathful indignation of the colonists. even though the king had not intended to interfere with the title of individual planters in possession of their land, his action threw the whole situation, and particularly in the northern neck, into turmoil and confusion. exasperation was directed against the holders of the charter of as well as those of and again the original patentees appealed to the privy council for relief. again the king sought to help them but by this time they had grown weary of the long controversy and indicated their willingness to sell out their rights to the colony; before an agreement could be reached, bacon's rebellion flared up and the whole subject was again in abeyance. * * * * * we must now return to the indians. the dutch settlements along the hudson had early developed a very lucrative and active trade with their native neighbours, particularly the iroquois, who brought to them furs for which they were given european manufactures, especially spirits and firearms and when, in , the english conquered and took possession of these hudson settlements, they continued the dutch trade and friendship with the iroquois. to obtain furs, the hunters and warriors of the five nations ranged further and further afield and before long were in bitter conflict with the susquehannocks who had their headquarters and principal stronghold fifty or sixty miles above the present port deposit in maryland on the east bank of that river from which they derived their name. they were mighty men and warriors, these susquehannocks. all the early english who mention them pay tribute to their splendid strength and stature. smith who, it will be remembered, came in contact with them before his skirmish with the manahoacs, said of them that "such great and well proportioned men are seldom seen, for they seem like giants to the english, yea to their neighbours." and in alsop wrote that the christian inhabitants of maryland regarded them as "the most noble and heroic nation of indians that dwelt upon the confines of america.... men, women and children both summer and winter went practically naked," and adds, among other details, that they painted their faces in red, green, white and black stripes; that the hair of their heads was black, long and coarse but that the hair growing on other parts of their bodies was removed by pulling it out hair by hair; and that some tattooed their bodies, breasts and arms with outlines. our american soil, from the beginning, appears to have favoured the art of the barber and beauty-shop. from the english in maryland these susquehannocks acquired guns and ammunition and thus were able to hold their own with their iroquois foe for over twenty years of the harshest warfare. but the iroquois were relentless and though repulsed again and again, returned year after year to the attack. the susquehannocks finally weakened by an epidemic of smallpox, were overcome, the iroquois captured their main stronghold and completely overthrew their power. fugitive bands of susquehannocks, nominally friendly to the english of maryland and virginia, then roamed the western frontiers of those colonies and along both banks of the potomac, still harassed by pursuing bands of senecas. under such conditions it was not long before they came in open conflict with the english settlers, some say through indian thefts, others because the english attacked a party of them, mistaking them for pilfering algonquin doegs. the fighting, once begun, spread rapidly and the settlers on their exposed frontiers, denied practical assistance by the virginia governor berkeley and his colleagues (whom rumor said were making such substantial profits from the indian trade that they were loath to antagonize the indians by sending organized forces against them) turned for leadership to nathaniel bacon, a young planter of gentle birth, not long come out from england. bacon was a natural leader, their cause was popular and soon virginia found herself in the midst of an indian war and a rebellion against the jamestown government as well. bacon led his men to victory over both indians and governor but suddenly dying from a dysentery or from poison--to this day the cause of his death is surrounded by uncertainty--the "rebellion collapsed with surprising suddenness," his former followers were overcome by the governor with the aid of english troops and berkeley proceeded to wreak a vindictive and merciless revenge. meanwhile knowledge of the turmoil had reached england and the king sent commissioners to virginia to investigate the causes of the trouble and berkeley's wholesale executions and confiscations of estates. these men made a fair report of their findings to the king, which, added to the many complaints from the families of berkeley's victims, caused charles to exclaim: "as i live, that old fool has taken more lives in that naked country than i have done for the murder of my father." in the spring of the royal order for berkeley's removal arrived and he sailed for england in an attempt to justify himself in an audience with charles, his departure being "joyfully celebrated with bonfires and salutes of the cannon" by the virginians. but in england he found that the king, resentful at his abuse of power, avoided meeting him and in july the old man fell ill and died, his end hastened, it is said, by his vexation and chagrin over the king's attitude. upon the death of berkeley, the king appointed lord colepeper governor of virginia. as he was not ready nor, possibly, inclined to go immediately to his post, the king issued a special commission to sir herbert jeffries, who had been one of his emissaries to investigate berkeley, as lieutenant governor in immediate charge of affairs. jeffries ruled until his death in when he was succeeded by sir henry chicheley as deputy governor under an old commission issued to him as early as . colepeper did not personally take charge on virginia's soil until , and then but for a brief period, soon returning to england and remaining there over two years. it was not until december, , that we again find him in virginia. colepeper, it will be remembered, was not only by inheritance a part owner of the patents of and to the northern neck but he was coproprietor with arlington under the grant of of all virginia and now in his own person governor of the colony as well. for good measure, his cousin, alexander colepeper, was also an owner by inheritance of a share in the grants of and . it was apparent that he was in a position at long last to turn his virginia interests to account; but in doing so he sought to make the new dispensation as personally profitable to his rapacious self as possible. therefore he opened negotiations with his old associates, by had succeeded in buying most of them out, and declared himself sole owner of all these grants, although his cousin still owned his one-sixth interest. but the king had become annoyed at his conduct and the stories of his rapacity and, seeking an opportunity to punish him, seized upon the pretext that he had been absent from his post without leave. on this charge he, in , was deprived of his office as governor. two years later ( ) colepeper sold out his rights under the so-called arlington charter of to the english crown for a pension of £ a year for twenty-one years. he tried also to sell to virginia his rights to the northern neck under the charter of , but in that transaction he was unsuccessful. a curiously ironic fate seemed intent upon keeping the northern neck proprietary, reward of cavalier loyalty and devotion, as an inheritance for the still unborn sixth lord fairfax, scion and representative of the family of two of the most able of the parliamentary leaders. although bacon and his men, when they took the field in , had thoroughly disciplined the indians in virginia, the iroquois and the susquehannocks still entered piedmont and roamed its forests. the iroquois are believed to have driven out the manahoacs and their kinsmen prior to and certainly claimed their lands by conquest; not coveting them for settlement but for hunting and particularly for such furs as they could trap and collect in a land plentiful of beaver and otter. the virginians built forts at the navigation heads of the great rivers for the protection of settlers; but the northern indians passed beyond and between them and not only attacked the tributary virginia algonquin tribes, from time to time, but were frequently in conflict with the english as well. lord howard of effingham, successor to colepeper as governor, met governor dongan of new york in july, , and with him closed a treaty with the iroquois whereby the latter were to call out of virginia and maryland "all their young braves who had been sent thither for war; they were to observe profound peace with the friendly indians; they were to make no incursions upon the whites in either state; and when they marched southward they were not to approach near to the heads of the great rivers on which plantations had been made."[ ] but the treaty also contained a provision that the iroquois, when in virginia, should "keep at the foot of the mountains" which seemed to acknowledge their right to be there and so continued the indian menace to such settlers as pushed into piedmont. nevertheless the frontier forts of the virginians were allowed to fall into disuse, the colony depending on companies of armed and mounted rangers to patrol the back country and keep the indians in order, and there seemed some prospect of peace though the outlying plantations, long keyed up to indian alarms, remained alert and watchful. however for awhile there was less indian trouble in the upper country and then a new alarm occurred, resulting in the first recorded exploration of the present loudoun. [ ] howison's _history of virginia_, i., . chapter iii the passing of the indians [illustration: sir alexander spotswood] when smith came to virginia, there was an indian tribe of the algonquin stock called by him the nacothtanks, a name later evolving into anacostans, which occupied the land about the present city of washington and some years later having moved its principal village southward to the banks of the piscataway creek, thereafter was known by the name of that stream. a daughter of their so called "emperor" or chief, having been converted to christianity, married giles brent of maryland and with him moved across the potomac to land he acquired on the north shore of aquia creek, then still in a frontier wilderness. the susquehannocks, at the time of their outbreak in , had sought refuge within the fort of the piscataways but had been refused asylum, the piscataways remaining loyal to their maryland neighbours and aiding them in the fighting. in consequence the susquehannocks bore these lower river indians bitter hatred. when the iroquois completed their conquest of the susquehannocks and reduced them to vassalage, they embraced their side of the quarrel. toward all the tribes of the east the attitude of the iroquois was simple, consistent and uncompromising. rule or ruin, subjugation or extinction, was the harsh choice offered and there was no alternative for these others save in remotest flight. to protect the piscataways, the marylanders gave them a reservation amidst their settlements. blocked and perhaps made jealous by this move, the iroquois changed from force to guile, seeking every opportunity to turn them against their maryland protectors and, it is thought, eventually in , persuading them to move across the potomac into the forests of the virginia piedmont where they camped for a while near what is now the plains in fauquier county. it was not long before white hunters or friendly indians brought the news to the settlements and the virginians, still having sporadic troubles with the iroquois and susquehannocks in these backwoods, viewed the incursion of another tribe with great alarm. they immediately sought to induce the newcomers to return to maryland but this they suavely, though none the less stubbornly, refused to do. at length in , feeling the loss of their normal and accustomed diet of fish, they, of their own accord, broke up their camp and traversing the forests of the present loudoun, settled on what has since been known as conoy island in the potomac at the point of rocks. there had recently occurred several murders of english settlers by indians, probably roving iroquois; and stafford county--which some years before, had come into existence to cover this upper country and was to include all this northern piedmont wilderness until through increasing settlement, it was separately formed into prince william county in --was again in fine ferment over the whole indian menace. by direction of governor nicholson, the county sent two of its officers, burr harrison of chipawansic and giles vandercastel whose plantation was on the upper accotink, to summon the "emperor" of the conoy piscataways to williamsburg. mounted on horseback and, we may believe well armed, the two intrepid emissaries promptly set out upon their mission, travelling it is thought, an indian trail about a mile or more south of the potomac, which is in its course approximately followed by the present alexandria pike, and fording as well as they could the various creeks which run into that stream from the south. the governor had ordered that they keep a record of their journey and a description of their route and the land traversed and complying with those instructions they wrote the first detailed description of any part of loudoun. their report exactly complied with the governor's orders as to its scope and became a document of primary importance in loudoun's history. it reads: "in obedience to his excellency's command and an order of this corte bearing date the th day of this instance, april," ( ) "we, the subscribers have beene with the emperor of piscataway, att his forte, and did then comand him, in his maj'tys name, to meet his excellency in a general assembly of this his maj'ties most ancient colloney and dominion of virginia, the ffirst of may next or two or three days before, with sume of his great men. as soone as we had delivered his excellency's commands, the emperor summons all his indians thatt was then at the forte--being in all about twenty men. after consultation of almost two oures, they told us they were very bussey and could not possibly come or goe downe, but if his excellency would be pleased to come to him, sume of his great men should be glad to see him, and then his ex-lly might speake whatt he hath to say to him if excellency could nott come himself, then to send sume of his great men, ffor he desired nothing butt peace. "they live on an island in the middle of the potomack river, its aboutt a mile long or something better, and aboute a quarter of a mile wide in the broaddis place. the forte stands att ye upper end of the island butt nott quite ffinished, & theire the island is nott above two hundred and ffifty yards over; the bankes are about ffoot high, and very heard to asend. just at ye lower end of the island is a lower land, and little or noe bank; against the upper end of the island two small island, the one on marriland side, the other on this side, which is of about fore acres of land, & within two hundred yards of the fforte, the other smaller and sumthing nearer, both ffirme land, & from the maine to the fforte is aboute foure hundred yards att leaste--not ffordable excepte in a very dry time; the fforte is about ffifty or sixty yardes square and theire is eighteene cabbins in the fforte and nine cabbins without the forte that we could see. as for provitions they have corne, they have enuf and to spare. we saw noe straing indians, but the emperor sayes that the genekers lives with them when they att home; also addes that he had maid peace with all ye indians except the ffrench indians; and now the ffrench have a minde to lye still themselves; they have hired theire indians to doe mischief. the distance from the inhabitance is about seventy miles, as we conceave by our journeys. the th of this instance april, we sett out from the inhabitance, and ffound a good track ffor five miles, all the rest of the days's jorney very grubby and hilly, except sum small patches, but very well for horses, tho nott good for cartes, and butt one runn of any danger in a ffrish, and then very bad; that night lay at the sugar land, which judge to be forty miles. the th day we sett ye river by a small compasse, and found it lay up n. w. b. n., and afterwards sett it ffoure times, and always ffound it neere the same corse. we generally kept about one mile ffrom the river, and a bout seven or eight miles above the sugar land, we came to a broad branch of a bout fifty or sixty yards wide, a still or small streeme, it tooke our horses up to the belleys, very good going in and out; about six miles ffarther came to another greate branch of about sixty or seventy yeards wide, with a strong streeme, making ffall with large stones that caused our horses sume times to be up to theire bellyes, and sume times nott above their knees; so we conceave it a ffreish, then not ffordable, thence in a small track to a smaller runn, a bout six miles, indeferent very, and soe held on till we came within six or seven miles of the forte or island, and then very grubby, and greate stones standing above the ground like heavy cocks--they hold for three or ffoure miles; and then shorte ridgges with small runns, untill we came to ye forte or island. as for the number of indeens, there was att the fforte about twenty men & aboute twenty women and abbout thirty children & we mett sore. we understand theire is in the inhabitance a bout sixteene. they informed us there was sume outt a hunting, butt we judge by theire cabbins theire cannot be above eighty or ninety bowmen in all. this is all we can report, who subscribes ourselves "yo'r ex'lly most dutifull servants giles vanderasteal bur harrison." this "sugar land" where our emissaries spent the first night of their journey, and the sugarland run passing through and named from it, are frequently referred to in the early records and the mouth of the run became in the starting point of loudoun's corrected southern boundary line with fairfax. they derived their name from the groves of sugar maples found growing there which, with the use of their sap, were well known to the indians from earliest times. in david strahane "lieut. of the rangers of pottomack" tells in his journal that while patrolling the upper woods, he and his men on the nd september "ranged due north till we came to a great runn that made into the sugar land, & we marcht down it about miles & ther we lay that night." the wording quite clearly shows that the sugar land was then well known to the whites. although, as their report shews, vandercastel and harrison reached their goal and duly delivered their message, the piscataways did not then or later comply with the governor's pressing invitation. that their attitude was not prompted by defiance but rather by worried caution based on their appreciation of the manifold difficulties of their then relations with the whites, is indicated by the report of two other english envoys who, later in the same year, were sent by the authorities to conoy. these men, giles tillett and david straughan, kept a journal from which we learn that in november, , they in their turn reached the fort and found that "one siniker" (i.e. seneca or iroquois) was among the piscataways who had had trouble with "strange indians" who they called wittowees and that the "suscahannes" had captured and brought two of these wittowees to the fort. the "emperor" received the englishmen very kindly and told them that he was then willing to "come to live amongst the english againe but he was afeared the sstrange indians would follow them and due mischief amongst the english, and he should be blamed for it, soe he must content himselfe to live there." he accused the french of stirring up these "strange indians" and "presents his services to the gove'n'r, and thanks him for his kindness to send men to see him to know how he did." our friend the emperor shews his knowledge of statecraft. doubtless he continued to find plausible reasons for holding on to conoy where he and his people complacently continued to remain until after the spotswood-iroquois treaty of which had such a broad effect on loudoun and which we shall presently consider. during this long occupation of the island, the piscataways finished building and occupied their fort and village and to this day evidence of their tenure, in arrowheads and other objects, is still, from time to time, discovered. the journey of harrison and his companion vandercastel is important to loudoun not only because it resulted in the first known description of any of the topography of what is now that county, but also because it marks the first definitely known white exploration of the locality above the sugarland run and while unknown english hunters may have theretofore penetrated some part of loudoun's wilderness, these men were, it is believed, the first whites _named and recorded_ who ever trod loudoun's soil above the sugarland. vandercastel's connection with our story then ends; but burr harrison became the progenitor of one of the most prominent and respected families of the county which has now been identified with its best life for five generations. he had been baptized in st. margaret's, westminster, in and came with his father cuthbert harrison of ancaster, yorkshire, to virginia some time prior to when burr, with others, patented land on asmale creek near occoquan. afterward, but before , he acquired land on the chipawansic, presumably from gerrard broadhurst. therefore, to distinguish him and his descendants from the other numerous and not necessarily related virginia harrisons, he and they were thenceforward usually known as the harrisons of chipawansic. it was not, however, until that burr harrison's descendants in the male line took up their permanent residence in loudoun; in that year the widow of his great-great-grandson mathew harrison moved with her children to morrisworth, an estate seven miles southeast of leesburg, now the home of mr. and mrs. thomas fendall, which had come to her from her family the ellzeys of dumfries, and there she continued to live until her death. in the year another courageous adventurer sought out conoy. the swiss baron christopher de graffenreid had been interested in forming a colony of germans, refugees from the lower palatinate, at new bern in north carolina and also having obtained authority to make a settlement on the shenandoah in virginia's remote frontier, he proceeded to explore the neighbourhood. he followed the potomac up to conoy island and drew a map of the surroundings. this map notes the great number of wild fowl on the river, particularly at the mouth of goose creek. "there is in winter," he wrote, "such a prodigious number of swans, geese and ducks on this river from canavest to the falls that the indians make a trade of their feathers." such a description is enough to reduce to envious inanition our loudoun nimrod of today whose occasional reward of a few wild ducks may at rare intervals reach the hardly hoped for bagging of a single wild goose, as a rule now far too alert and wary to alight in their spring and fall flights over the county. the wild swan has, alas, wholly disappeared. de graffenreid's reference to the vast number of wild fowl on the upper potomac, in those early days, has abundant confirmation from others. so numerous were the wild geese that the indians called the river above the falls "cohongarooton" or goose river and the english at first gave it the same name; applying the name potomac to only so much of the stream as lay between the falls and the bay. it was not until well after that the whole river was generally called by the latter name. the "canavest" referred to by de graffenreid was the village of the piscataways on conoy and in his journal he describes it as "a very pleasant and enchanting spot about forty miles above the falls of the potomac, we found a troop of savages there ... we made an alliance, however with these indians of canavest, a very necessary thing in connection with the mines which we hoped to find in that vicinity, as well as on account of the establishment which we had resolved to make in these parts of our small bernese colony which we were waiting for. after that we visited those beautiful spots of the country, those enchanted islands in the potomac above the falls." de graffenreid's "mines" and "establishments" were to be over the blue ridge in the nearby shenandoah valley; but he shrewdly recognized the advisability of making friends with a tribe so firmly and strategically planted as he found at the settlement on conoy. as to his "enchanted islands," those contiguous to the loudoun bank of the potomac long have had loudoun owners and seem to its people to be sentimentally part of her domain; as a matter of cold fact and colder law, they lie within the bounds of maryland; for in the long dispute over the sovereignty of the potomac was settled by a clause in virginia's constitution of that year relinquishing jurisdiction. two years before de graffenreid's expedition, there arrived in virginia as lieutenant governor, colonel (afterward sir) alexander spotswood, the most alert, devoted and able ruler the colony had had since smith--a man "who still enjoys an almost unrivalled distinction among virginia's colonial governors"[ ] and, says howison, whose "chief advantage consisted in his social and moral character, in which aspect it would not be easy to find one of whom might be truly asserted so much that is good and so little that is evil."[ ] spotswood came to love virginia as though it were his native land and great was the moral debt the colony, and especially the counties created from its old frontier, came to owe to his strong and conscientious administration. under a vicious practice by that time obtaining in england, the titular governship of virginia had been held, since , by george hamilton douglas, earl of orkney, who though never setting foot in the colony, drew £ , of the annual salary of £ , attached to the office until his death in ; and thus spotswood, preëminent among virginia's rulers, served but under a lieutenant-governor's commission. a great-grandson of john spottiswoode, archbishop of st. andrew's and lord high chancellor of scotland, who lies buried in henry vii's chapel in westminster abbey, spotswood descended from an old and aristocratic scottish family, whose progenitor, a cadet of the great house of gordon, married an heiress of the ancient race of spottiswoode which took its name from the barony of spottiswoode in the parish of gordon, county of berwick. born in in tangier where his father robert spotswood then served as physician to the english governor and garrison, spotswood "a tall robust man with gnarled and wrinkled face and an air of dignity and power"[ ] had, in , fought valiantly under marlborough and had been desperately wounded in the battle of blenheim. he brought with him recognition of the right of virginians to the writ of habeas corpus, which though, since magna carta, the common heritage of every free-born englishman, had not theretofore run in virginia. had this been his all, virginia would have been his debtor; in the event it was but an augury of many benefactions to follow. [ ] dr. p. a. bruce in _a virginia plutarch_. [ ] howison's _history of virginia_. [ ] fiske's _old virginia and her neighbours_. from the first, spotswood shewed a keen and enlightened interest in the problems of the frontier. his efforts to expand the settlements westerly and to subdue the indians did not always meet with co-operation from the virginia legislature, controlled by representatives of the more protected and densely settled tidewater sections, whose people, the "tuckahoes" as they were called, were frequently unresponsive to the plight of those in the upper country; and from time to time spotswood's impatience with his legislators boiled up into strong and bluntly worded reproof. to one of his assemblies, recalcitrant in indian affairs, he addressed his well remembered words of dismissal: "in fine i cannot but attribute these miscarriages to the people's mistaken choice of a set of representatives whom heaven has not ... endowed with the ordinary qualifications requisite to legislators; and therefore i dissolve you." a few spotswoods, scattered here and there in the seats of the mighty of our modern america, might not prove inefficacious. in may, , we find him reporting upon the indian situation to paul methuen, the then english secretary of state, that though the english had carefully kept the terms of lord howard's treaty of , the iroquois "had committed divers hostilitys on our ffrontiers, in they rob-d our indian traders of a considerable cargo of goods, the same year they murdered a gent'n of acco't near his out plantations; they carried away some slaves belonging to our inhabitants, and now threaten not only to destroy our tributary indians but the english also in their neighbourhood." he adds that such conduct requires "some reparation" and asks the secretary to instruct the governor of new york to cause his iroquois to "forebear hostilitys on the king's subjects of the neighbouring colonies and likewise any nation of indians under their protection."[ ] [ ] _official letters of alexander spotswood._ virginia historical society, . neither by temperament nor training was spotswood a man to acquiesce in such conditions. after consulting with and urging co-operation upon the governors of maryland and pennsylvania, he set out in the winter of -' for new york "to demand something more substantial than the bare promises of the chief men of those indians, w'ch they are always very liberal of, in expectation of presents from the english, while at the same time their young men are committing their usual depredations upon ye frontiers of these southern governments." he was fortunate in arriving in new york "very opportunely to prevent the march of a great body of those indians w'ch i had advice on the road was intended chiefly against the tributaries of this governm't, and the governor of new york's messengers overtook them upon their march and obtained their promise to abstain from any hostilitys on the english governments." it being late in the season for a conference with the sachems of the long house and the new york assembly being in the "height of its business and like to make a larger session than ordinary," spotswood arranged, through the governor of new york, preliminary negotiations with the indians and returned to his virginia. the discussions thus begun dragged along during the ensuing five years. at length, in , the iroquois sent their representatives to williamsburg with more definite proposals and in may, , the general assembly passed an act reciting in detail the terms on which the treaty would be made.[ ] later in the summer spotswood, with certain of his council, went to new york on a man-of-war and thence proceeding to albany (where he was joined by the governor of pennsylvania) the new treaty was closed after the usual endless speech making and other ceremony. by its terms the iroquois were prohibited from ever again crossing the potomac or the blue ridge "without the license or passport of the governor or commander-in-chief of the province of new york, for the time being"; and the virginia tributary indians were similarly prohibited from crossing the same boundaries. moreover, there were provisions that should any indians--iroquois or tributary--ignore the prohibition, they were, upon capture and conviction, to be punishable by death or transportation to the west indies, there to be sold as slaves. there was added a clause rewarding him who captured an indian found in virginia without permission, with , pounds of tobacco when the latter should be condemned to death; or, if he should be condemned to transportation, the captor should "have the benefit of selling and disposing of the said indian, and have and receive to his own use, the money arising from such sale." [ ] hening iv, . there was nothing ambiguous in this treaty's terms; the iroquois in signing it realized that their piedmont hunting grounds were lost to them and that the sportive raids of their war parties below the potomac were ended. and now spotswood's consulship had reached its end. his enemies in london and williamsburg had been industriously intriguing and upon his return he found he had been superseded. he had acquired a vast estate of over , acres in the piedmont forests and to settle and improve those lands he proceeded to devote his great and able energies. but he had far from retired from his public labours. as postmaster general for the american colonies he, by , developed a regular mail service from new england to the james; and was about to sail as a major-general on admiral vernon's expeditions against carthagena when he suddenly died. he was buried on his estate, temple farm, near yorktown, where latterly he had made his home. it was in his mansion there, then owned by his eldest daughter ann catherine and her husband m. bernard moore, senior, that many years later the negotiations for the surrender of lord cornwallis to general washington closed the american revolution. chapter iv settlement although spotswood's treaty, as we now know, had finally ended the indian menace in piedmont, the colonists had to be convinced of that fact by reassuring experience before any great movement to the upper lands would begin. there had been other treaties and, as they well knew to their cost, indian promise and performance were not always consistent. the first ten years following the treaty, or from to , are a twilight zone for loudoun in which one has to depend on fragmentary traditions and comparatively few grants as to actual settlement; but after the latter year the records become increasingly numerous and tradition more definite and the student stands on progressively firmer ground. slowly there grew a steady increase in trappers and hunters to the cismontane region and then, gradually and cautiously, the landless men, the poorer whites from the lower settlements, the redemptioners or indentured servants who had fulfilled their contracts of service, began to make their way by indian trail or through the untravelled woodlands. very soon, however, there were purchases of substantial tracts by a more prosperous class who began to seat themselves upon their new possessions. they were a rough and sturdy folk, those first poorer arrivals, illiterate for the most part, bred to primitive conditions of living, many accustomed from birth to self-reliance in meeting the problems of existence on a sparsely settled land and wholly ignorant of the relative comforts of life enjoyed by the prosperous planters in tidewater. they built their rude cabins of logs in such places as seemed best to them, paying scant attention to land titles and being in fact, for the most part, mere squatters on their holdings; and there they planted small patches of corn and beans which, with the abundant game in the woods and fish in the streams, provided their liberal and hearty fare. it has been traditional that these earliest pioneers found many open spaces burned over before their arrival; for so prevalent had been the indian habit of firing the woods, that historians have suggested that had the coming of the europeans to virginia been delayed for a few more centuries, its great forests would have vanished before their arrival. taylor records that the early whites found the timber (probably second or younger growth) "far inferior in size and beauty to what it is at present. indeed it has been asserted that in clearing ten acres of land there could hardly be obtained from it sufficient material to enclose it;" but as he was a quaker, living in the midst of the quaker settlement between the catoctin range and the short hills in the northern part of the county, whose people were in habits and daily life somewhat isolated and up to taylor's time at least, given to keeping largely to themselves, we may assume that his tradition applied more particularly to his locality. however, the present writer, some twenty years ago, while improving a farm then owned and occupied by him in the catoctin hills, about four miles northeast of leesburg, had occasion to clear woodland for roads and gardens, he found that none of the larger trees, many of them oaks, had rings indicating an age of over two hundred years. taylor, and following him head, places the responsibility of burning the forests upon the hunters (ranging over the ground before the first settlers) who are said to have fired the underbrush "the better to secure their quarries;" but it is unquestionable that the indians had preceded them in the practice. it will be remembered that more than a hundred years before, smith's manahoacs could not inform him of conditions _beyond_ the mountains "because the woods were not burnt;" obviously in contrast to conditions on the piedmont side; and beverly in his history, written in , amply confirms the indian usage. although tradition tells us, and the absence of recorded grants confirms, that these earliest settlers were mostly squatters, there had been acquisition of large tracts within present loudoun from the proprietor of the northern neck long before their arrival. in an earlier chapter the title to the northern neck has been traced down to the year when it vested for the most part in the second lord colepeper and it is now time to continue its history. upon colepeper's death, in , his only child catherine, with her mother, inherited the proprietary. this second lady culpeper, or colepeper as the name was then also spelled, was something of a character. by birth, it seems, she was dutch and had inherited from her own family both a large fortune and an independent spirit, not infrequently found together; and it was this fortune "which enabled lord colepeper to hold together his large properties, particularly the vast northern neck proprietary in the colony of virginia. it was also her fortune which rescued from bankruptcy the english property of her son-in-law, the fifth lord fairfax.... lady colepeper, it appears, never succeeded in mastering the english language. she both spoke and wrote it very imperfectly."[ ] [ ] _an historical sketch of the two fairfax families in virginia._ lindsay fairfax, ( ) p. . as to spelling of culpeper or colepeper, see fairfax harrison's _proprietors of the northern neck_; also _virginia magazine history and biography_, . lady culpeper died in . the daughter catherine had, some years before, married thomas, fifth lord fairfax, baron of cameron in the peerage of scotland and, on her mother's death, the grant rested in them; for in the meanwhile alexander colepeper also had died ( ) and left his one-sixth interest to lady margaret colepeper, the second lord's widow. the fifth lord fairfax, dying in , left three sons (all of whom later died without issue) and it was the eldest of these, thomas, who inherited the title and became the sixth lord. this sixth lord fairfax had been born in england in and came later to virginia, living out his long life as something of a misogynistic recluse (due, it is said, to an unfortunate love affair in early life with a mercenary adventuress) at his seat greenway court, then in the wilderness of frederick county, where he died in . today his body rests in christ church, winchester. he it was who became the friend and patron of the youthful george washington and who fills so large a part in the history of the northern neck. the family of fairfax had long been seated in yorkshire where the men were something more than typical english squires, often rising to positions of much national as well as local importance. it traced its descent from richard fairfax, lord chief justice of england in the reign of henry vi. sir thomas fairfax accompanied the earl of essex to france and was knighted for bravery in the camp before rouen. on the th may, , he was created a baron of scotland with the title of lord fairfax of cameron, which not very glorious honour he purchased for the sum of £ , .[ ] his son, sir ferdinando, was a general in the parliamentary army during the english civil war, becoming the second baron, and the latter's son sir thomas, later third baron, was commander-in-chief of the parliamentary armies and a most capable soldier. becoming dissatisfied with the extreme policies of the parliamentary party, he resigned his position in and was succeeded by oliver cromwell. this third baron died in , without male issue, and the title then passed to his cousin henry, grandson of the first lord. upon his death, in april, , he was succeeded by his son henry as the fifth lord fairfax who has already been mentioned as the husband of catherine culpeper. [ ] neill's _fairfaxes of england and america_, p. . ( .) the fifth lord fairfax, although his marriage brought the great proprietary into the family, seems to have been dissolute and extravagant. when he died in london, on the th of january, , his affairs were in great disorder and it is said that at that time "his servant who attended him robbed him of the little money he had left." his widow, however, was a woman of thrift and character and intent on guarding her virginia patrimony for the benefit of her sons. in robert carter had been appointed local agent for the proprietary; but after her husband's death lady fairfax became dissatisfied with his conduct of its affairs and the revenues she was receiving and appointed in his place edmund jenings and thomas lee (then only twenty-one years of age) as resident agents. as jenings was unable to go to virginia at the time, young lee found himself for four years in sole charge; and a most conscientious and capable agent he became and continued until jenings came to virginia in and took matters into his own hands. this jenings was a man of considerable prominence who later was to serve, for a short time, as acting governor awaiting the arrival of spotswood. after the death of lady fairfax, her testamentary trustees "turned again to micajah perry[ ] for help and he pursuaded robert carter to agree once more to assume the agency"[ ] ( ) which he continued to hold until his death ten years later. the virginia office of the estate then remained closed until when lord fairfax appointed his cousin william fairfax (whose son bryan by his second wife deborah clarke of salem, massachusetts, was eventually to succeed to the title as the eighth lord and in whose descendants the title still remains) to act as collector of rents. in lord fairfax himself assumed the management in virginia for a short time; once more the office was closed until in we find william fairfax again in charge, this time with more extensive powers until lord fairfax returned to virginia in and took upon himself control for the rest of his life. [ ] micajah perry, the great virginia merchant of london. [ ] _landmarks of old prince william_, i, . we are thus introduced to two more men who, in themselves and their families, had paramount rôles to play in and about the territory now loudoun; and between whom there was to develop no little rivalry and conflict of personal ambitions and interests. lee, himself between and a purchaser of several thousand acres of wilderness lying on either side of goose creek, had been born in at the family home mt. pleasant in westmoreland county and eventually became "president[ ] and commander-in-chief" of virginia, as he is described in his will. he was a grandson of that richard lee of a family long in possession of the estate of coton in shropshire who, coming to virginia sometime prior to , first settled in that part of york which subsequently became gloucester, later moved to northumberland and became the progenitor of a family ever since of outstanding importance in the northern neck and virginia. carter, a later purchaser of land on a truly vast scale, whose father colonel john carter, believed to have been the son of william carter of carstown, hertfordshire and of the middle temple, had come to virginia prior to and first settled in upper norfolk, now nansemond county, came to wield an even greater power than his long-time rival. our robert carter, ( - ) the "king carter" of towering memory, was the second surviving son, and his residence corotoman was in lancaster county. the descendants of both lee and carter continued for many years to hold great estates in loudoun. one of lee's grandsons, thomas ludwell lee, built coton (long since vanished) about and another grandson ludwell lee built about the same time and just across the highway, the beautiful belmont, that home of irresistible charm; while in george carter, great-grandson of the mighty robert, built and occupied oatlands. both lee and carter and their families and the great mansions built in loudoun by their descendants will receive later mention.[ ] [ ] president of the council. [ ] chapter xiii. unfortunately for the development of parts of the southern and southeastern portion of the county, the purchase of these great tracts by lee, carter and others greatly delayed their settlement and this to the disadvantage of the owners as well as the neighborhood. even lord fairfax is found setting off to himself large specific tracts.[ ] it was their intention to create hereditary landed estates, modelled on those existing in england and to be farmed by a numerous class of yeoman tenantry. but as the very type of farmer-settler most desired as tenants by the great owners came in, they early and strongly evinced that determination, common to all in the colonies, to hold their land in a freehold that could be passed on indefinitely to their children and thus insure to them the benefit of their parents' industry and thrift rather than to become tenants for a limited period of any great estate; and this no matter how advantageous or tempting the proffered terms of tenancy. under then existing conditions, with the supply of new and cheaply purchasable land seemingly inexhaustible if one had but the determination and courage to push on to the newer frontier, they went beyond the great manors, as they came to be called, and seated themselves in the upper lands or crossed the blue ridge to the shenandoah valley. eventually and much later, when parts of the manors were sold, it was often in comparatively large parcels and these and the remaining portions were, as a rule, farmed with slave labor, a custom practically nonexistent in the northwest part of the county. thus the relative thinness of settlement, persisting to this day, of much of the lower lands of loudoun may be attributed not wholly to the fact that the stronger and more fertile lands lay above goose creek but in part to the social history of those early days as well. [ ] the well known leeds manor in fauquier was one; named for leeds castle, the fairfax seat in kent. the first specific grant of land in the later loudoun appears long before the treaty of . under date of the nd february, , captain daniel mccarty "of the parish of cople in the county of westmoreland, esq." obtained title to , acres "above the falls of the potowmack river, beginning on said river side at the lower end of the sugar land island opposite to the upper part of the rocks in said river,"[ ] apparently for speculation or investment rather than for immediate occupation; the number and character of the indians still to be encountered thereabout made settlement on isolated plantations or farms far too risky to be inviting to rich or poor. this daniel mccarty was the founder of another eminent family of the northern neck which intermarried in early days with many of the best known of the early potomac gentry. he subsequently married, as her second husband, ann, sister to thomas lee already mentioned, and widow of colonel william fitzhugh of eagle's nest in king george county. the joining together of the prominent families of the lower peninsula began very early and by the closing years of the eighteenth century had gone so far that almost all were in very truth "virginia cousins" of various degrees and through numerous alliances. indeed this became so general that the social status of any family, tracing back to that period and locality, can generally be determined merely by the test of its affinities. [ ] land patents book, iii, . it is remarkable that the literature of romance has concerned itself so little with daniel mccarty. his ancestry, his own life and that of his descendants unite in offering the richest material but, save in the traditions of virginia, he is today all but unknown. he was the son of donal, the son of donough, earl of clancarty. donal was an officer in the irish army that fought against king william and was ruined with its defeat. the earl and his descendants were exiled and daniel came to virginia as a youth and settled in westmoreland county. the earls of clancarty were the heads of a family descended from cormac who was king of munster in ; and burke, the great authority on the british peerage, declares that "few pedigrees in the british empire, if any, can be traced to a more remote or more exalted source" than theirs; while another authority asseverates that "long before the founders of the oldest royal families of europe, before rudolph acquired the empire of germany, or a bourbon ascended the throne of france, cormac mccarty ruled over munster and the title of king was at least continued in name in his posterity down to the reign of elizabeth."[ ] daniel's eldest son and heir, colonel dennis, married sarah ball, first cousin to mary ball, mother of general washington; and augustine washington, the general's father, named him as one of the executors of his will. it was another descendant of captain daniel who was surviving principal in the famous mccarty-mason duel over a century later--an event that so profoundly stirred the country and cost the life of one of the most prominent and beloved citizens of the loudoun of that day.[ ] [ ] journal cork historical and genealogical society, nd series, vol. ii, p. . [ ] captain daniel's descent is given in _the mccarthys in early american history_, by michael j. o'brien, who corrects hayden's assumption that daniel was the son of dennis of lynn haven, lower norfolk. also see chapter xiv. francis aubrey became a large purchaser of loudoun land soon after the iroquois evacuation, first obtaining a grant at the mouth of broad run about . among the tracts he later acquired was a grant of about acres purchased on the th december, from lord fairfax on or near which later he built a home and lived. nothing of this early house has survived; but we know that it was near the "big spring" then as now a conspicuous landmark on the old carolina road and about two miles north of the present leesburg. probably "the chappel above goose creek" of the truro vestry books, the chapel of ease or convenient neighbourhood church, the building of which was supervised by him for the parish, was immediately adjacent to his home and the location of that structure, the first church edifice of any kind to be erected within the bounds of present loudoun, is known within a fair degree of accuracy and in with appropriate ceremonies, was marked with a stone monument.[ ] [ ] aubrey's house is shewn on robert brooke's survey ( ) of the potomac river below the shenandoah. original of survey is in enoch pratt library, baltimore; photostat copy is in library of congress. hamilton parish was coextensive with prince william county when the latter was created in . by a legislative act of may, , that part of prince william lying above "the river ockoquan, and the bull run (a branch thereof) and a course thence to the indian thoroughfare of the blue ridge of mountains" (ashby's gap) was set off as truro parish and a parish organization promptly followed. the new parish was named for truro in cornwall, a great mining district, for mining was expected to be an important industry there. the first vestry meeting was held on the th november, ; at a meeting held on the th april, , an agreement was made with the rev. lawrence de butts to preach at the parish church and "at the chappell above goose creek" for , pounds of tobacco, clear of the warehouse charges and abatements. the chapel was then either contemplated or preliminary work on its construction may have been begun; it was not finished until . but during that interval it is obvious, from the vestry records, that occasional services were held there--perhaps at first in the open air or at the nearby house of aubrey and thereafter in the unfinished chapel. at a vestry meeting held on the th october, , joseph johnson was chosen "reader to the new church and the chappell above goose creek.... in the parish levy for this year provision is made for , pounds of tobacco to captain francis aubrey toward building the chapel above goose creek, and the next year the same amount and in , , pounds for finishing said chapel."[ ] thus the construction of the chapel cost the parish , pounds of tobacco which about this time seems to have been valued at eleven shillings per pounds,[ ] making the money cost of the chapel about £ " s in virginia currency or much less in the more stable money of england. undoubtedly it was built of logs from the trees in its immediate vicinity and we may assume that it was very small. [ ] _history of truro parish_, by rev. philip slaughter, d.d., edited by rev. edward l. goodwin, p. . [ ] idem, . at a vestry meeting held on the th november, , a payment of , pounds of tobacco was ordered made to samuel hull, clerk of the chapel above goose creek. in a meeting nearly a year later, on the th october, , the vestry ordered "that the reverend mr. john holmes minister of this parish preach six times in each year at the chappell above goose creek; and it is also ordered, that the sundays he preached at the said chappell the sermon shall be taken from the new church;" but mr. holmes' ministry seems to have been somewhat irregular for at the bottom of the page is found this note signed by the rev. charles green "the first regular rector of truro parish": "the levity of the members of the vestry is worth notice. they applyed to collo. colvill & entered an order, d sept. for him to procure them a clergyman from england. by the order on the other page they gave cha. green a title to the psh. when ordained, and he had scarcely left the country when they received mr. john holmes into the parish as appears by the above order. n.b. mr. holmes was an itinerant preacher without any orders, & recd. contrary to law." this dr. green, for he was a physician before becoming a clergyman, was "received into, and entertained as minister" of truro parish at a vestry meeting held on the th day of august, . at the same meeting it was "ordered that the churchwardens place the people that are not already placed, in pohick and the new churches in pews, according to their several ranks and degrees." also "ordered that the reverend mr. charles green preach four times in a year only, at the chappell above goose creek. and that the sundays he preaches at the chappell, the sermon shall be taken from the new church." at a meeting on the rd october, , the vestry appropriated "to francis aubrey gent. for finding books for the chappell pounds tobacco." also "whereas the rev. charles green hath this day agreed with the vestry to take the tobacco levied to purchase books for the chappell above goose creek and ornaments for the churches, at the rate of eleven shillings current money per hundred. he by the said agreement obliging himself to find and provide the said books and ornaments, being allowed fifty per cent. upon the first cost in accounting with the church-wardens. it is ordered that the collector pay to the said green the sum of pounds of tobacco, it being the quantity this day levied for the purpose aforesaid." at a vestry meeting held on the th april, , it was ordered that messrs. john west, ellsey and french view what necessary repairs were wanting at goose creek chapel and agree with workmen therefor. that seems to be the extent of the truro parish records concerning the "chappell." it is believed to have been in use until about and thereafter utterly disappeared.[ ] in fairfax county was created, consisting of the parish of truro. in october, , the assembly passed an act dividing truro parish at difficult run and the upper part became cameron parish, in delicate compliment to the lord proprietor's barony; but most unfortunately the vestry book of cameron, which would be invaluable source material for the loudoun student seeking information for the period from until after the revolution, seems to have wholly disappeared or been destroyed.[ ] the chapel had from its beginning until it became a part of cameron parish, that is from to , these clerks and lay readers: joseph johnson, new or falls church and goose creek - samuel hull, goose creek, - john richardson, - john alden, - john moxley, thomas evans, [ ] _landmarks of old prince william_, . [ ] chapter x post. aubrey is believed to have been the son of john aubrey or awbrey of westmoreland, was an ally and close friend of thomas lee and, from his appearance in what is now loudoun until his death in , was of such dominant importance that he has been called its then "first citizen." when the county of prince william was set off from stafford in , he became a member of its first court and, in , "the inspector of the pohick warehouse and a member of the truro vestry." two years before his death he became the sheriff of prince william county and, at about the same time, established the ferry at the point of rocks.[ ] [ ] _landmarks of old prince william_, and . but before francis aubrey settled at big spring, philip noland in had purchased land at the mouth of broad run. he married aubrey's daughter elizabeth and later removed to lands on the potomac above the mouth of the monocacy which his wife had inherited from her father. as early as and probably before, noland operated a ferry across the potomac from his new plantation to the maryland side; thus joining the maryland and virginia sections of the carolina road, from the earliest days of local history a main artery of travel between north and south.[ ] it was in this immediate vicinity that he built the mansion he was destined never to finish and which still stands incomplete, a most interesting example of one of the earliest of the more pretentious homes of loudoun. [ ] chapter vi post. chapter v the melting pot thus far we have been noting the arrival of virginians from tidewater. rich or poor, great landowners or squatters, gentlemen of position and influence or the mere riff-raff of the settlements, with all the varying gradation between those extremes, they had at least in common their english blood and traditions and being the product of virginia life, either through birth or years of residence. it is now time to consider other and wholly dissimilar strains which, during this period of early settlement, were coming into the newly opened country and which were to have such a lasting influence on its population. as early as there was, it is said, a group of irish immigrants which had established itself on the virginia bank of the potomac, opposite the mouth of the monocacy. this particular cluster had come from maryland having, perhaps, been attracted to the large grant between the monocacy and the point of rocks which, before , had been acquired by the first charles carroll, founder of his family in maryland who, when he acquired the land on the monocacy, was acting as agent for maryland's proprietor, lord baltimore. later his grandson, another charles carroll, inherited the grant, added greatly thereto, bestowed upon it the name of carrollton manor and in signing the _declaration of independence_ as charles carroll of carrollton, gave it and himself immortality. the carrolls were irish and roman catholics; perhaps they had encouraged these newcomers to go out to their great holdings on the monocacy where life could be begun anew and there was less danger of interference with their religion than in the strongly protestant east. however, whether encouraged or not, our particular covey of irish seem eventually to have crossed to the virginia shore and there planted themselves with small formality and no title. all was wilderness on both sides of the potomac. the matter of a legal title was probably the least of our adventurers' troubles. in the first half-century following the founding of jamestown, few irish were to be encountered in virginia. the colony was overwhelmingly english with, it is true, occasional welsh, irish and scotch here and there; but these were accidental and the basic and dominating race of the settlers was so wholly anglo-saxon that the few others were submerged and lost in the english flood. but between and , hundreds of unfortunate irish, resisting cromwell, were shipped as political prisoners and little better than white slaves to virginia and the other colonies. again, after the defeat in of james ii and his irish supporters by william iii at the battle of the boyne and the resultant treaty of limerick the next year, great numbers of the irish were banished or condemned to transportation and of these many were sent to maryland and virginia where as servants or labourers on the land, their services were in demand. while the majority thus transported were ignorant peasants, feudal vassals of their lords, the "kerns and gallowglasses" of macaulay, numbers of the nobility and gentry were exiled as well, of which we have already recorded a prominent example in daniel mccarty. inasmuch as those transported were so treated as punishment for their uprising in favour of james and against the de facto english government of william, they were stigmatized as criminals, although, as shown, their offense was purely political. but irish offenders against the penal laws other than political were also from time to time condemned to transportation and as the demand for labourers by wealthier planters in virginia grew and until negro slaves later were generally available to them, there was also much kidnapping of wholly innocent irish who, too, were taken to the colonies and sold into servitude. among this heterogeneous mass of unfortunates there were undoubtedly many who were disorderly, depraved and vicious and who, we know, subsequently gave great trouble to the virginians; but to classify all the irish forcibly transported as criminals or lawless would be as unjust as it would be untrue. it well may be borne in mind that to most of the english, they were a strange, impulsive and foreign people and equally or even more damning, romanists in an intensely anti-roman community. as such, we may well believe, they seldom enjoyed the benefit of a doubt of their inherent depravity. the town of waterford was, according to tradition, founded by an irishman, one asa moore, who is reputed to have built his, the first house there in , naming the new settlement for the place of his nativity. later it received many english, scotch-irish, germans and, particularly, quakers to whom it largely owed the prosperity and progress it was then to enjoy. during the interminable wars of the seventeenth century--in ghastly refutation as they were of those blissful dreams of the solidarity of europe and that international brotherhood of peace and culture so fondly entertained by the erasmian school only a few generations before--few parts of that same europe had suffered more hideously than the land known as the palatinate along the rhine. the so-called thirty years war, from to , brought devastation particularly to its lower portion. in its whole territory was invaded again by the french of louis xiv--an invasion which, for sheer savage brutality to the people there and the inconceivable atrocities perpetrated on them, is difficult to parallel in the annals of civilized nations but which, with its certain legacies of distrust and hatred, is somewhat conveniently forgotten by the professional french patriot of today. the land was reduced to little more than a desert and such of its inhabitants as survived, to the utmost want and privation. for nine years, until the treaty of ryswick ( ), the french scourging of the land ground it to dust. a few years of quiet followed, in which the poor palatines sought to restore their ruined towns and farms but fate seemed resolved on their annihilation. in another war, that of the spanish succession, broke out and raged until and the palatinate again and again was overrun by hostile armies. it was during these years and after, that those left with the breath of life in their bodies appeared to give up hope of ever again occupying their homeland in peace. a great emigration began, ten thousand fugitives first going to england where they were received kindly by queen anne and her people and given much aid; but, in an england where work was none too plentiful, the germans soon became an economic and social problem. about , were sent to ireland where, in munster, their descendants are still to be found; but many more were sent to america, some to new york but the greater number to pennsylvania. in the latter colony they were so well received that they sent back word encouraging others to follow them; and soon the harassed germans began to arrive in such swarms that between , and , are believed to have come to pennsylvania between and , wholly changing its complexion. the colony's governor, george thomas, writing to the bishop of exeter in stated his belief that the germans then comprised three-fifths of the population of that province. but of the early arrivals many of the most impoverished worked out toward the cheaper and still wild lands on the then frontier and thence south through the strong and fertile regions of western maryland. meanwhile virginia had been encouraging settlements of refugee europeans on her frontiers in an effort to form buffer groups between the inimical french and indians to the north and the seated parts of her domain. in a grant of , acres on the shenandoah river was made to one stover for settlement by germans who began to pour south from pennsylvania and maryland and soon the valley was taking on that perceptible teutonic colour with which it is still dyed. in there came to the present loudoun the first colony of germans from the valley. of all the early settling it is doubtful if any was more intelligently planned or more reasonably could anticipate success. instead of a few individuals pioneering in haphazard fashion, there was a compact and homogeneous group of about sixty families, the men almost without exception artisans of various trades or peasants skilled in thrifty farming; and their lot had heretofore been so harsh and their fortune so adverse that the hardships inseparable from making a new home in the wilderness were, by comparison, a kindly dispensation of a hitherto hostile fate. on crossing the blue ridge they and those following them settled the land between the catoctin mountains and the short hills, north of the present morrisonville, which from that time on has been known as the german settlement and than which no part of loudoun has been more industriously and providently farmed. little those early teutons spent on luxury or even comfort; a sound and certain living was their objective and the land and its increase, rather than ornate dwellings, received their uttermost effort. even as late as , yardley taylor was moved to record that their "farms are generally small and well cultivated and the land rates high. this class of population seldom goes to much expense in building houses ... many old log houses that are barely tolerable are in use by persons abundantly able to build better ones." but if their houses were primitive, the occupants were generally prosperous and free from debt and in later years comfortable and commodious farmhouses have taken the place of the earlier cabins. these earliest germans, having neither speech nor habits in common with their neighbours, developed a self-sustained and independent community wholly different and set off from those of others around them and to this day their locality measurably carries on its distinctive life. following so closely upon the advent of the germans that there has arisen some dispute as to which actually entered first, we find the arrival of the quakers. "in amos janney left his residence at the falls of the delaware in bucks county, pennsylvania, and migrating to virginia with his family, established himself at waterford"[ ] and many other quakers soon joined him. local tradition places, even earlier than janney, david potts (another pennsylvania quaker) as a pioneer in the northern part of the present county but no record confirms his presence before the th november, , when he leased acres on "kittockton run" from catesby cocke for five shillings in hand paid with right of purchase. legend may or may not be correct; the earliest settlers, as we have seen, often seated themselves without title. both janney and potts were founders of well known families in the county where their descendants still worthily bear their names. it is definitely known, however, that soon the quakers became very numerous; and as ever since they have been such a conspicuous element in the diversified population of the county, a brief narration of their story and migration is of interest. [ ] _landmarks of old prince william_, i., . the "friends" or "quakers" as they were subsequently called, are a religious sect founded by george fox in england in when he was but twenty-three years old. they owe their name of quakers to their tendency, in their early religious meetings, to have become so wrought up in individual enthusiasm as to be seized with an emotional trembling or quaking and the earlier friends "definitely asserted that those who did not know quaking and trembling, were strangers to the experience of moses, david and other saints."[ ] their characteristic tenets included the doctrine of non-resistance and opposition to all formalism in religious services and as fox began his activities at a time of intense religious fanaticism met by relentless persecution, it was not long before he and his followers were in open conflict with the constituted authorities. from proselyting in public and interrupting conventional religious services, the more extravagant of the zealots indulged in activities which can only be ascribed to religious mania and the authorities promptly met their challenge.[ ] merciless whippings, dragging at cart-tails, the pillory, branding with hot irons and even occasional execution were their fate; but in common with other religious persecution their growth in number seems to have been coincident with the most vigourous efforts made to suppress them. fox, a man of humble birth, with no advantages of formal education, possessed tireless energy and great bodily vigour coupled with the assurance of a natural and magnetic evangelist; and although equally detested by churchmen and puritans and in conflict with every other religious body, his following rapidly grew throughout england. journeys by his proselytes to continental america, the west indies, holland, germany, austria, hungary and italy left converts where they preached and this was particularly so in the american colonies where fox himself came in . [ ] _encyclopedia britannica_, _"friends, society of."_ [ ] fiske's _beginnings of new england_. the first of the colonies to hear quaker preaching was massachusetts in , but virginia was a close second; for in the following year thomas thurston and josiah cole of bristol arrived in the old dominion and are said to have made a number of converts before they were promptly banished. the quakers were as little welcome in either massachusetts or virginia as in england itself and both colonies passed stringent laws for their repression. virginia ordained that any shipmaster found guilty of smuggling in quakers was to be fined £ and upon the third return of a quaker after banishment, he was to be treated as a felon. but even before the passage of the english toleration act of the persecution had died down. by the end of the century they had so increased in number that they were a major element in rhode island, controlled new jersey and delaware and had, under william penn in , founded and were supreme in pennsylvania. penn declared for liberty of conscience in the colony he termed his "experiment," with absolute religious freedom "for papists, protestants, jews and turks"--if not an absolutely unique, at least a sorely needed attitude in the seventeenth century religious life. thence forward pennsylvania was to be a great centre of quakerism and from it mainly but also from maryland, new york and other colonies, as well as directly from great britain, were recruited the quakers of loudoun. undoubtedly the familiar combination of economic pressure, the cheaper and more fertile lands of the new settlement and the pioneering spirit inherent in the british race explains the migration. it is interesting to note that by a quaker had become governor of south carolina and that from to there was a constant flow of friends from pennsylvania, new york, new england and great britain to that state. as a main north-and-south highway, the famous carolina road, passed through the loudoun to be, doubtless many came that way and we may believe that not a few of those emigrants joined their coreligionists who they found living in such comfort and prosperity in their fertile virginia colony. the quakers of loudoun had with characteristic shrewdness picked out for their settlement that part of the far-famed loudoun valley, between the catoctin hills and the blue ridge, that lies in the central part of the present county--perhaps the best and most fertile land the county boasts; and there the so-called "quaker settlement" continues to the present time. in common with their german neighbours to the north, they tended to form a more-or-less compact colony, segregated from the other pioneers. they were frugal, industrious, far better farmers than their virginia neighbours; but between germans and quakers no love was lost and, though each was isolated from the tidewater element, there was little or no intermingling. nevertheless we find them occasionally making common cause against the slaveholding portion of the community and, in the next century in the war between the states, both german and quaker adhered to the federal cause and were, at least for the time being, more than ever cut off from their then intensely confederate neighbours. time has softened and gradually worn down these old-time edges of difference and today, perhaps more than ever before, we find the descendants of these earlier opponents living in concord and mutual respect. our melting-pot is slowly filling. in the scotch-irish it now takes another human ingredient as distinct from the anglo-saxon as were the germans or irish but destined to make a major contribution not only to the new population of the piedmont but to that of virginia generally and the other colonies as well. they were splendid pioneering material with the persistent industry and frugality of the german and quaker but, unlike them, mixing freely with the other settlers, planting themselves anywhere and everywhere they found conditions and lands to their liking and so soon and freely intermarrying with their virginia neighbours that their blood today is found very generally mixed with the older virginia strain. concerning their origin and history there has been much misinformation and occasionally rather prejudiced and heated argument; but the main facts are not obscure. in the sixth century one of the irish tribes known as the scotti or scots, inhabiting the island then known as scotia, but which we now call ireland, crossed the irish sea and made a mass descent on the west coast of ancient caledonia; and driving before them the picts they found occupying the land, they settled down in possession of their newly conquered territory, covering roughly the present argyle. five centuries later the descendants of these invaders, having waxed mightily in power and numbers and become one of the four tribal kingdoms of caledonia, united with the others, the picts, british and angles, to make the kingdom of scotland to which they gave their name and of which their history thenceforth was a part. thus apparently their future destiny was fixed for all time in scotland; but providence had not forgotten them and had other plans. in all ireland, never renowned for its meekness nor pacification, there was in elizabethan days and before, probably no part more constantly and consistently embroiled than the province of ulster. more or less continuous fighting between its people and elizabeth's soldiers gradually wore down the irish and their final complete collapse came in when their native princes, the earls of tyrconnel and tyrone, deserted them and fled to the continent. thereupon the first james of england, having succeeded elizabeth, declared all the lands of the province forfeited and escheated to the english crown, thus providing a convenient and legal basis for dispossessing the native irish of their holdings, which the king thereupon undertook to repopulate with english and scotch. but the english did not view the king's inducements with enthusiasm. inasmuch as, in comparison with the scotch, they "were a great deal more tenderly bred at home in england, and entertained in better quarters than they could find in ireland, they were unwilling to flock thither except to good land such as they had before at home, or to good cities where they might trade, both of which in those days were scarce enough" in ulster.[ ] but the scotch, many of them from argyle found ulster, their old homeland, to their liking and james, scotch himself, seems to have preferred them for his purpose. they came in great numbers, took root immediately and soon were creating a peace and prosperity in the province unknown there for many a long day, their ranks being later heavily augmented by covenanters fleeing from the persecution of charles i. but between these presbyterian newcomers and the native irish roman catholics, their neighbours, there was friction and hostility from the beginning which has lasted unabated to the present day. [ ] testimony of a contemporary, the rev. andrew stewart. _the scotch-irish settlers in the valley of virginia_, by bolivar christian. had the english government the wit and policy to have let this new settlement alone all would have been well; but the england of those days had yet to learn, from the costly experience of the american revolution, that art of governing colonies in which she is today without peer. after the final crushing of the irish at the battle of the boyne, in which the new ulster population was of no small assistance, the english merchants grew jealous of the trade, manufactures and aggressive competition of the province and in succeeded in obtaining from parliament restrictive laws which all but ruined her industries, particularly in linen and woolen then, as now, outstanding. and now to the ruin of their trades was to be added religious coercion. although, as we have seen, a toleration act had been passed for england in , it was not until nearly one hundred years later that in the toleration act for ireland became law. from on there was a great effort to force the presbyterians of ulster, as well as those of scotland, to conform to the english church and those who refused were forbidden to keep schools, marriages performed by their ministers were declared invalid and other civil disabilities were imposed. by the people of ulster had been made desperate by this senseless interference and persecution and they, too, began to flock to america. as with the others, the movement, once started, grew rapidly and in this instance reached such proportions that it became by far the greatest immigration that, until the later day of steam, was to come to america's shores. again philadelphia appears to have been the chief port to receive them, as many as six shiploads landing there in one week alone. before the emigration was eased by the toleration act and a generally saner attitude in england, it is estimated that half a million of the scotch-irish had crossed the atlantic, carrying with them a deep resentment toward england, for which she later was to pay a heavy price in the stubborn and valiant support these people and their descendants gave to the american side in the war of the revolution. as most of these scotch-irish immigrants were very poor, many paid for their passage by selling their services and labour for a term of years, becoming a part of that flood of "indentured servants" which we shall soon consider. fairfax harrison in his _landmarks of old prince william_ vividly describes their advent and early distribution in the northern neck. as soon as the earlier arrivals had worked out their contracted years of servitude, colonel robert carter, about , began seating them around brent town and elk marsh. but as their numbers grew, they soon shewed a disinclination to become tenants, preferring to push further into the wilderness "where they could and did take up small holdings on the same terms that colonel carter took up his great ones and in that process they scattered."[ ] being too poor to purchase negro slaves and the supply of "redemptioners" or indentured servants by that time beginning to diminish, they bought the cheaper convicts for labourers and the piedmont backwoods of the proprietary acquired a reputation for turbulence and lawlessness to which both master and servant contributed his share. but they settled the land, planted tobacco and corn as persistently and relentlessly as did their more prosperous neighbours and in common with them laboured to develop the future loudoun. [ ] _landmarks of old prince william_, i., . to understand the status of the "indentured servants," who were so numerous in the virginia colony and were such a large and important factor in the population of the northern neck, it is well to first consider the meaning of the term. in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the word servant was not at all confined to one who was engaged in a menial task but broadly referred to anyone who, for compensation, rendered service to another and it was customary in all occupations, calling for especial training or instruction, to take on apprentices "bound to serve for a certain time in consideration of instruction in an art or trade"--the apprentice to be fed, lodged and clothed by the master during the term and to give his labour and services in compensation for his support and instruction. this custom obtained not only in the various crafts and trades but even in the professions as well, lawyers and doctors taking students on similar terms. in modern england the broader and older meaning of the word persists in the expression "civil servant" in reference to a government clerk or employé in what in america, too, is known as the civil service. virginia's agriculture was based on the cultivation of tobacco and corn--both hand-hoed crops, with practically no use whatever of the plow. as land was plentiful and the plantations increased in size, the great and pressing need was always for labor--and more labor. this system of indentured service in virginia began very early and opened a great supply of labor not otherwise available. there were many in england of the poorer class and even of those once more affluent who had for one reason or another become the victims of misfortune and sought a fresh start in the colonies but were without the money to pay their passage. no small number of those who had become bankrupt became indentured servants. the severe english laws against debtors forced many to fly from that country and virginia was a safe escape; for in a law had been passed in virginia protecting these fugitives from their english creditors.[ ] little social stigma seems to have attached to the indentured servants as such. frequently they lived with the family of their master, especially so when he was one of the smaller proprietors, and as they became proficient and earned their master's confidence they were often made overseers of their fellow workers. although by far the greater demand was always for workers on the land, not all of them were so employed; some were artisans, some of the better educated became teachers and it was not unusual for the wealthier planters to seek and purchase these latter for that purpose. george washington is said to have thus received his earlier schooling. as a whole, they appear to have been well and humanely treated in virginia, or at least after the earlier days of their introduction, with little or none of the shocking brutality they are known to have met with upon occasion in maryland, such as called for that colony's legislation of , , etc.[ ] [ ] hening, . also _patrician and plebeian in virginia, t. j. wertenbaker_, p. . [ ] e. i. mccormac's _white servitude in maryland_, p. . that there had been some earlier harshness, but more probably to convicts, is suggested by the effort made by robert beverley, in his _history of virginia_, first published in , to refute rumours of ill-treatment or undue hardship in the lives of these people which had been spread abroad in the england of his day. no doubt the writings of defoe and other authors without personal knowledge of what they undertook to describe, had had their affect. "a white woman is rarely or never put to work on the ground, if she be good for anything else," beverley declares and further on has this to say: "because i have heard how strangely cruel and severe the service of this country is represented in some parts of england, i can't forebear affirming, that the work of the servants and slaves is no other that what every common freeman does; neither is any servant required to do more in a day than his overseer; and i can assure you, with great truth, that generally their slaves are not worked so hard, nor so many hours in a day, as the husbandman and day labourer in england. an overseer is a man, that having served his time, has acquired the skill and character of an experienced planter, and is therefore entrusted with direction of the servants and slaves ... all masters are under the correction and censure of the county courts to provide for their servants food and wholesome diet, clothing and lodging." and again: "if a master should be so cruel, as to use his servant ill, that is fallen sick or lame in his service, and thereby rendered unfit for labor, he must be removed by the churchwardens out of the way of such cruelty, and boarded in some good planters home till the time of his freedom, the charge of which must be laid before the next county court, which has power to levy the same, from time to time, upon the goods and chattels of the master, after which, the charge of such boarding is to come upon the parish in general.... no master of a servant can make a new bargain for service or other matter with his servant, without the privity and consent of the county court, to prevent the masters over-reaching, or scaring such servant into an unreasonable compliance." moreover, when the servant had redeemed himself by working out his time, he received from his former master, as assistance to start out for himself "ten bushels of corn (which is sufficient for almost a year) two new suits of clothes, both linen and woolen, and a gun, twenty dollars value"; all of which were given to him as his due. he had the right to take up fifty acres of unpatented land and thereupon took his place, according to his merit and industry, in the free life of the colony. the system was necessary from the first; for if the servants had not been bound they promptly would have secured tracts of land to work for themselves, leaving those who had paid for their passage in the lurch. that it was advantageous to both master and servant is indicated by its growth. its end in virginia was caused by a cheaper labor supply having become available rather than from any lack of those seeking transportation. it has been estimated that, between the years and , from , to , came annually to virginia under its conditions and that from first to last not less than eighty thousand persons so arrived. but with the importation of negroes, beginning on a larger scale about , the custom declined until by the middle of the eighteenth century, it seems to have practically ended in virginia. the transporting of convicts by england to her american colonies--a far greater injustice to them than the later taxation by which they were lost to her--began early and was, in virginia, at once and most vigourously opposed; but the everpressing demand for laborers seems to have rapidly modified the opposition, at least on the part of the larger proprietors whose power and influence was out of all proportion to their number; and it was not long before convicts were not only accepted without protest but even sought. it is the old story, in america as elsewhere, of a selfish economic advantage blinding those in power to the welfare of the state as a whole, although many continued to hold misgivings of the outcome. thus we find beverley in a later edition of his history, recording: "as for malefactors condemned to transportation, the greedy planters will always buy them, yet it is to be feared that they will be very injurious to the country, which has already suffered many murders and robberies, the effect of that new law of england."[ ] [ ] he refers to the act passed in , on the transportation of convicts. but a loose assumption that all the convicts or prisoners arriving were moral derelicts, or those whose offense essentially involved moral depravity, and that the proportion these bore to others leaving europe for virginia fixes the ratio of their descendants or influence in the old dominion's later population, would be wholly and demonstrably untrue. we must be much more discerning and analytical than that and, as in another instance, look to our definitions. the penal law of england, in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, was far more severe than today. literally scores of offenses were punishable by death or transportation which today are either not crimes or, if still so considered, are punishable only by fine or imprisonment. among the transgressions most severely dealt with, were purely political offenses; and a political offense was essentially to have picked the wrong side in the many religious, dynastic or civic disturbances of the period. after the various irish upheavals of the seventeenth century--and that island, it may be said, was conquered by the english no less than three times within less than a hundred years--there was banishment or transportation of many of the losing side. the transportation was especially ruthless after cromwell's operations and again, a generation or more later, after the battle of the boyne. but the irish were not the only political victims. when the forces of parliament defeated the stuart followers, they condemned to transportation a goodly number of their opponents; treatment which was promptly reciprocated by the triumphant royalists after the restoration who meted out the same punishment to former cromwellian soldiers and non-conformists as well. again, after the abortive effort made in by the duke of monmouth to seize his uncle's crown, the vicious and bloody jeffries and his colleagues, in their less frenzied moments, sentenced, as criminals, multitudes of the unfortunate followers of monmouth to transportation to virginia--there to be sold into as virtual slavery as any thug convicted of murder or highway robbery who had, in one way or another, been lucky enough to escape hanging. on arrival they sold for from £ to £ each; and we find the king adding his gentle touch to the work. "take all care" wrote james to the council of virginia "that they shall serve for ten years at least; and that they be not permitted to return themselves by money or otherwise until that term be fully expired. prepare a bill for the assembly of our colony, with such clauses as shall be requisite for that purpose." thus the king; but in four years he has lost his throne and william iii is issuing a full pardon for all political offenders. hence no small part of the convicts were unfortunates, rather than criminals, to our modern way of thought. but there remained a large and unpalatable number who had been convicted of crimes of all degrees and in their ranks were found a motley crew ranging from the lowest type of profligate, whose escape from the noose had been a public misfortune, to the minor offenders punished for a first violation of law. however even this evil residue was fated to leave but a minor contamination of the colony's bloodstream. a great death-toll was taken by sickness on the transporting ships, particularly by the dreaded "goal distemper" as it was called. those who survived the voyage naturally received far less consideration from their purchasers than was accorded the indentured servant; the unaccustomed climate took its quota and all in all the mortality was very great. of those who outlived their period of servitude, some rose to positions of trust; many of the incorrigibles soon made the colony too hostile for their comfort and took themselves off either voluntarily or as fugitives--sometimes to the more remote and unseated parts of piedmont or, more generally, to the north carolina backwoods, a favorite refuge for the dregs of virginia's colonial population. and at length, in , came an opportunity for a great and general house-cleaning. in raising the virginia levies for the ill-fated expedition against carthagena, many a convict was pressed into service and, in the disasters attending that adventure, ended his turbulent career. but unfortunately the polluted stream continued to pour in on virginia's shores until after the revolution. an unduly large proportion of these undesirables appears to have found its way into the backwoods of the northern neck which, in , governor gooch described as "a part of the country remote from the seat of government where the common people are generally of a more turbulent and unruly disposition than anywhere else, and are not like to become better by being the place of all this dominion where most of transported convicts are sold and settled."[ ] one may, without an undue straining of the imagination, discover the descendants of some of these people in modern loudoun's small lawless element. [ ] _landmarks of old prince william_, i., . the negro slaves were practically confined to the eastern and southern parts of loudoun. they were all but unknown in the german settlement and the quakers as a sect were so opposed to the very institution of slavery that, as early as the eighteenth century, the society in america reached the decision to disown any member thereof who held slaves. in all this varied assortment of population, it is a tribute to the natural leadership of the tidewater virginian that he maintained his supremacy and control. from him the county inherits all that is best and most attractive in its social life--the courtesy of its people, the unfailing hospitality, the love of social intercourse, the ardour for outdoor sports, particularly the devotion to horses, dogs and fox-hunting, all of which so definitely distinguish it today and contribute to the outstanding and well-recognized charm of its life. chapter vi roads and boundaries we have mentioned in the foregoing pages that an unusual feature in the settlement of these stafford or prince william backwoods, soon to be known as loudoun, was not only the diversity of origin of the new population but that it came almost simultaneously from the north and the south and the west as well as from the tidewater east. as the falls of the potomac and rappahannock blocked continuous water transport from the older settlements, the pioneers all were forced to come through the woodland trails and these trails or roads, if they could be then so called, now demand our attention. what one might call the appian way of piedmont, the _longarum regina viarum_ as statius calls the roman road, was undoubtedly that aboriginal trail which, perhaps beginning as a buffalo path,[ ] was followed habitually by the indians in their north-south journeys to the earliest knowledge of the whites and appears in the records of the colony at a very early date. the carolina road, as it is best known, became a great highway between the north and the south and if our surmise be correct that, in common with so many of our earliest colonial roads, it owes its origin to a beaten trail made by the heavier animals of the forest, it was probably used by the manahoacks and their predecessor tribes long before the susquehannocks frequented it in the latter half of the seventeenth century, not only on their trading journeys between the dutch of manhattan and the carolina indians, but in their war forays as well. the iroquois of new york, as we have seen, followed their susquehannock kindred to piedmont and in spotswood's day it was their ordinary and accustomed route. we think we get our first record of it among the susquehannock "plain paths" noted in the virginia act of and it was sometimes referred to by that name. later and from about until at least , that part of the road between brent town and the rappahannock was also known as the "shenandoah hunting path," a name still occasionally heard; but the popular name was the carolina road with its no less popular descriptive appellation of "the rogue's road" due to the cattle and horse thieves who infested it throughout the eighteenth century. that these gentry misused the road only, rather than were residents of the country it traversed, was always maintained, and apparently with truth, by the piedmont people; but so numerous had they become by that the assembly passed an act[ ] calling on those driving stock along the public highways to have in their possession a bill of sale of their cattle and horses to be exhibited to any justice of the peace when due demand therefor was made. yet the rogues still continued to travel their road until the ebb and wane of its traffic in the early nineteenth century. although the records fail to shew that highwaymen plied their trade on this or other virginia roads, loudoun folklore has held to a belief in their activities as witness the legend concerning captain harper, loudoun's own robin hood: "this portion through the present loudoun of the old carolina road was then locally known as 'rogue's road' on account of the many bold robberies committed along its route by the famous gentleman highwayman of the day, captain harper, who regularly patrolled it and terrorized all those who lived adjacent to it until such was the fear of this dashing and bold highwayman, that women were afraid to venture out upon this road alone. a rather pretty story is related in this connection--a young virginia maiden was walking this road alone one evening about twilight, hurrying from a visit to a neighbour, when a dashing cavalier rode up and reined his horse beside her. 'are you not afraid to walk this road alone on account of captain harper and his band?' he asked. 'no' replied the maiden 'for i have always heard captain harper was a gentleman.' the dashing horseman looked at her a moment and then walked his horse beside her until she reached the gate leading to her home. and then raising his hat and bowing he said: 'captain harper bids you good night' and digging the rowels into his steed he vanished as he came."[ ] the writer omits to mention the local tradition that harper, though mercilessly robbing the rich, gave generously to the poor. [ ] _historic highways of america_, a. b. hulbert, i, . [ ] hening, v, . [ ] harry t. harrison in _loudoun times_, dec., . the carolina road entered virginia at a point on the bank of the potomac, above the mouth of maryland's monocacy, where noland's ferry sometime prior to became its connecting link with maryland; thence it ran in a southeasterly direction somewhere along the present clay road to christ church just south of modern lucketts; thence south, following closely the present leesburg-point of rocks state highway, through leesburg over what is known as king street (the king's highway of yesteryear) and approximately along the present james monroe highway (route of the united states highway system) to verts' corner, thence along what is still locally called the carolina road (or sometimes the gleedsville road) to goose creek at oatlands. the present hard road from verts' corner to oatlands, now the main road, was probably built and the old road's traffic at that point diverted about when the rough pavement of the road was undertaken. from goose creek at oatlands the old road followed united states route as at present to the little river turnpike, now known as the lee-jackson national highway, just east of the village of aldie; crossing this, it followed what is now but a local and little used county road which, in its progress south of the county and under changing conditions, eventually crosses the other great rivers above their falls line and so on to north carolina. along its route the first church in loudoun, aubrey's little log "chapel of ease," was erected at the big spring; and later many of the mansions of the loudoun gentlefolk, such as the noland house, rockland, springwood, selma, raspberry plain, morven, rokeby, oatlands, oak hill, and others in due time came to be built and historic "ordinaries" or taverns such as that known as west's and later as lacey's and towns such as leesburg and the nearby aldie grew up. all through the eighteenth century the flow of its colorful traffic continued and developed in volume until the founding of the city of washington, as the nation's capital, drew to the east those travelling between the northern and southern states. and now, over a hundred years after the passing of its golden days of activity, there are rumoured plans to revive the old road as a main north and south highway and once again, in the not too distant future, we may see its old life restored, with motors and trucks speeding along its surface where the old-time foot and horse-travel and indians and soldiers, missionaries and traders, drovers honest or otherwise, were wont slowly to pass. nor are the old mansions and towns the only surviving landmarks along its way. the famous big spring still rises in as steady volume as of yore; the tuscarora and goose creeks, no longer needfully forded but now spanned by modern concrete bridges, still flow complacently in their old-time channels and between them, on the west side of the present road and two and a half miles south of leesburg, still stand the old indian mounds. these mounds, for there are others scattered to the west of the one so noticeable from the highway, have always excited local interest but the present generation has all but forgotten their traditional story. somewhere in the neighbourhood of the house of mr. t. w. gaines, on whose land rises the mound nearest the road, or perhaps over the land where the mounds themselves now stand, there was fought a hardly contested indian battle at about the time the first of the white pioneers were coming into that neighbourhood. many years ago the late mrs. william h. martin, then a bride recently come to leesburg, with the assistance of the late miss lizzie worsley, who gave a lifetime of study to the past of leesburg and loudoun, carefully gathered up what she then could of the old story which had been handed down from generation to generation and incorporated it in a gracefully written "history and traditions of greenway" which was published in the _record_ of leesburg, then edited by her husband. "numberless were said to be dead warriors," wrote mrs. martin, "who found their last resting place so far from their native lands beneath the mounds that were easily distinguishable in the gloom of the thick forest. this battle had been between the catawbas of the carolinas and the delawares.[ ] an hereditary enmity existed between these two tribes, distant as they were, the one from the other. a large band of delawares, pushing into the territory of the catawbas had severely punished that tribe, and victorious, were travelling northward to their home. the catawbas followed and unexpectedly fell upon them, having overtaken them at the potomac. terrible and swift was their revenge, yet such were the fighting qualities of the delawares thus brought to bay, that the catawbas were forced to retreat, without prisoners. but when the remaining delaware warriors looked upon their dead they saw the flower of their tribe, stark in death, and too far to be carried to their own hunting grounds. so there they were buried...."[ ] [ ] according to c. w. sam's _the forest primeval_ (p. ) the delawares and catawbas were at war in . [ ] balch library. loudoun clippings, vol. , p. . the surviving conquerors gathered together the bodies of their slain tribesmen and over them toiled to erect the mounds that still stand. the mounds and many hundred acres of surrounding land were early acquired by the mead family, who later built nearby greenway, and in that family the legend was handed down that in the springtime of each year, about the anniversary of the battle, there came through the forest a band of indians who, when they reached the mounds, conducted weird mourning rites for their fallen brethren, made offerings of arrows and food and then disappeared in the surrounding woods as silently as they came. as the years passed, the mourners grew fewer and fewer until at length but a solitary old warrior arrived and held what proved to be the final ceremony. but the story does not end with those last solitary rites. according to the mead family tradition, year after year, as the night fell on the anniversary of the battle, weird sounds of conflict came from the indian mounds though no person or living thing could be seen. perhaps of equal antiquity and second only to the carolina road in early importance but in that respect now by far surpassing it, is the highway roughly paralleling the potomac, the old ridge road now generally known as the alexandria pike. this road also originated in an indian trail, possibly following an earlier buffalo path; it joined the famous potomac path of tidewater above the ford at hunting creek and it was along its course that we have seen giles vandercastel and burr harrison, in , exploring their way on their mission to conoy island. this was the main entrance from the lower part of the northern neck to at least so much of loudoun as lies between the potomac and the catoctin hills; and along its course and that of the colchester road to the south came the majority of the tidewater settlers. its route through what later was to be the town of leesburg is marked by loudoun street. the late charles o. vandevanter of leesburg, who made a careful study of the location of these old roads, believed that originally its course west of leesburg followed what is now known as the dry mill road to clark's gap; but there is reason to believe that he was mistaken. as the road approaches the rise of the catoctin hills, it certainly at one time followed the hollow to the west of the present established road and upon the land later owned by the author; so running west of the present roxbury hall and on to clark's gap, marks of its old route being still plainly discernible. when the highway was incorporated in , its route at this point was changed to approximately its present location to avoid the sharpness of the grade as it left the little branch now crossed by stone culverts. remains of the old road were discovered in when building the private road to the house last named. at the foot of the hill and in front of the present tenant house, rough piking was uncovered and nearby, where the path leaves the lane to go to the barn, some old brick were dug up. the late samuel norris, who died in at the age of eighty-four, said that at this point there once was a cottage where, as he had heard when a boy from older people, there had lived a man whose duty it was to care for the extra horses which were attached to the stage coaches before they began the abrupt rise of the road at that point in following the hollow northwesterly. from clark's gap the early road followed the present sandclay road to what is now known as ely's corner, past the present paeonian springs and warner's cross roads and wheatland and hillsboro to the depression in the blue ridge known as vestal's or key's gap--gershom keys having owned land at that point as early as and the vestal family having operated a ferry across the shenandoah nearby at least as early as and perhaps in ; for we know it was in operation at that time and that one g. vestal was living in the immediate neighbourhood then. washington followed this road on his mission to fort du quesne in and once again in as major of that expedition against the french on the alleghany (to the command of which he later succeeded on the illness and death of colonel fry), which resulted in the building and surrender by him of fort necessity.[ ] in the following year it was trodden by that brigade of braddock's army which, under the command of sir peter halkett, left the main body of the troops when that main body crossed the potomac over into maryland at the present georgetown as is related in a later chapter. [ ] _landmarks of old prince william_, , . in an effort to attract the increasing traffic to and from the west, leesburg citizens incorporated in the leesburg and snickers' gap turnpike company which built an improved road north from clark's gap to snickers' gap, as the old williams' gap had then come to be called; and this new road (which is the present alexandria-winchester highway) took the traffic theretofore going through vestal's gap and has since been the northerly main route across the blue ridge. to carry the old ridge road over broad run, we know that there was built, before , one of the earliest highway bridges in loudoun's territory of which record has been preserved; for on the edition of the fry & jefferson map a wooden bridge is shewn at that point. the picturesque stone bridge that now spans the stream, venerable as it appears, may not have been constructed before , at about which time that part of the road was being improved by the leesburg turnpike company; nevertheless in eastern loudoun it is a popular legend that it was built by george washington as a young man and the inhabitants of the neighbourhood firmly believe that to be true. the third of the principal roads of colonial loudoun is called by fairfax harrison the colchester road and is described by him as also, in its first beginning an indian path, developed about by king carter and his sons robin and charles from the occoquan below the falls "past the future sites of payne's church and the present fairfax court house all the way to the frying pan run."[ ] the carters believed that there was copper on certain of their recently acquired lands and this road was developed to bring the ore to tidewater. it became known as the ox road and a year or so later joined walter griffin's rolling road running west across little rocky run and eventually across elk lick and bull run, across the carolina road (near which crossing west's ordinary was built), and so above the ford over little river to the blue ridge road to williams' gap. it was over this road that the youthful washington returned in the spring of from his survey with george william fairfax of the lands of lord fairfax in the valley and thus first set foot in the present loudoun; crossing the blue ridge at williams' gap[ ] they proceeded to william west's house, later to be licensed as west's ordinary and still later as lacey's. incidentally this old building and landmark continued to stand until the year when it was quite needlessly and most unfortunately torn down. [ ] _landmarks_, ; also c. o. van devanter in _loudoun county breeders magazine_, spring, . [ ] washington's _journal of my journey over the mountains_. edited by dr. j. m. toner in . p. . the colchester road continued to be a main thoroughfare up to about when the construction of little river turnpike diverted most of its travel and the new road with its branches became the principal highway system in southern loudoun. the virginia roads in the early days were in terrible condition for wheeled traffic. their most earnest defenders can only allege that they were no worse than other american roads of those days and better than many, a defense that damns without even the proverbial faint praise. englishmen of the period were still asleep in their attitude toward road building and many of the highways of england seem to have been as bad as those in america. one peculiarity of the virginia road was its general lack of side-fencing. adjacent property owners were quite apt to run their boundary fences across the highway, leaving a gate for the traveller to open and pass through. curious as this may seem to us, it was not wholly without its advantage; for where the highway had become a sink-hole of mud, it thus was possible for the passer-by to make as wide a detour through adjacent fields or woods as might be necessary to avoid the obstruction. this throws light upon the effort at georgetown, predecessor settlement of the larger leesburg, to have the course of the carolina road as it passed through that hamlet definitely established by the court as early as and again in .[ ] [ ] balch library clippings, iii, and . bridges were few, far between, and primitive. there was, as we have shewn, a wooden bridge prior to carrying the ridge road over broad run and it is believed that prior to , the same road crossed difficult near colvin run over a bridge of sorts; but for the most part fords were used to cross streams, or ferries in the case of the potomac and other great rivers. when fords and ferries failed, the mounted traveller swam his horse across, leaving the wayfarer on foot to such more precarious adventure as conditions and his courage offered. in a preceding chapter we have seen the vestrymen of truro parish engaged in ecclesiastical affairs committed to their charge; among their secular duties was to appoint every four years reputable freeholders to "perambulate" the parish, that is to say to travel over the plantations and farms within it and renew their landmarks. in virginia this was called "processioning" but it derived from a very ancient english practice know as "beating the bounds" believed to have been brought by saint augustine to england from gaul where "it may have been derived from the roman festival of terminus, the god of landmarks, to whom cakes and ale were offered, sports and dancing taking place at the boundaries." in england we find the "beating of the bounds" observed under alfred and aethelstan, whose laws mention it. in later days, maps still being rare, it continued an english parish custom, generally observed on ascension day or during rogation week. a procession was formed, headed by the priest of the parish, the churchwardens and other parish dignitaries and followed by a crowd of boys who were armed with sticks with which they beat the parish boundary stones and were sometimes beaten themselves at each marker in order to fix those markers in their minds and to insure the location of the boundary stones being remembered through the life of the younger generation. the procession frequently ended in a "parish-ale" or feast which doubtlessly assisted in reconciling the boys to it all.[ ] in earlier days the priests sought the divine blessing for the following harvest on the lands within the parish. but translated to virginia the procedure was robbed of much of its formality and many of its picturesque features and came to apply to renewing the landmarks of private holdings rather than confirming in memory those of the parish bounds. there was a truro vestry meeting held on the th october, , to appoint "processioners," which meeting, the record states, was pursuant to an order of fairfax county court, loudoun then being included in fairfax. the vestrymen at their meeting "laid off the said parish into precincts and appointed processioners in manner following." as the men appointed were representative men in their neighbourhoods and as the "precinct" may be taken to forecast the later division of loudoun into its magisterial districts of modern days, it is interesting to study so much of the record as refers to the country above difficult run which in a few years was to be organized as loudoun: "that john trammell and john harle procession between difficult run and broad run; that anthony hampton and william moore procession between broad run and the south side of goose creek as far as the fork of little river; that philip noland and john lasswell procession between goose creek and limestone run as far as the fork of little river; that amos janney and william hawling procession between limestone run and the south branch of kitoctan. [ ] _encyclopedia britannica_, and w. s. walsh's _curiosities of popular customs_. "between the south fork of kitoctan and williams gap, no free holder in this precinct; between williams gap, ashley's gap, the county line and goose creek, to the beaver dam, and back to the gap, no freeholder in this precinct. between the beaver dam and the north east fork of goose creek no freeholder in this precinct." level jackson and jacob lasswell were ordered to procession between the northeast and northwest forks of goose creek; john middleton and edward hews between little river and goose creek; william west and william hall junior between little river and walnut "cabbin" branch; george adams and daniel diskin between walnut cabbin branch, broad run and cub run and popes head. the editors of the record add that these processioners owned land within their several precincts at that date.[ ] [ ] _history of truro parish in virginia_, . the statement that there were no freeholders (a) between the south fork of "kitoctan" and williams gap; and (b) between williams gap, ashley's gap, the county line and goose creek to the beaver dam and back to the gap; and (c) between the beaver dam and the north east fork of goose creek is interesting. a and c take in parts of the quaker settlement. also it is traditional in the osburn family of loudoun that their forebears john and nicholas osburn, sons of richard osburn of new jersey and later of chester county, pennsylvania, came from pennsylvania to the shenandoah valley near harper's ferry and thence in crossed the blue ridge and settled on its eastern foothills near the present bluemont. it may be that with other pioneers in the upper lands they occupied their farms at first without title and later were obliged to buy the lands they had rescued from the wilderness from the more shrewd and far-sighted land speculators for we find no grants from the proprietor to them. many of the earliest settlers were in that position. catesby cocke and benjamin grayson particularly, took title to great tracts west of the catoctin hills and in sold their holdings to john colvil of cleesch as will later appear.[ ] neither cocke nor grayson were settlers in loudoun. the former was the son of dr. william cocke, secretary of state and he himself had been successively clerk of the counties of stafford, prince william and fairfax. grayson, a scotch merchant from quantico, became the father of colonel william grayson of revolutionary fame who, with richard henry lee, first represented virginia in the united states senate. [ ] see chapter vii post. chapter vii speculation and development in the quarter century, between and the french and indian war of , the lands of the future loudoun became progressively more populous. although truro parish had been created as recently as , this pressure of incoming settlers seemed to call for the division, in its turn, of truro and in the government of the colony set off the upper part of truro, beyond difficult run, as a new parish which was named cameron in delicate compliment to the lord proprietor's scotch barony. most unfortunately, the first vestry book of the new parish, which would be invaluable source material for the loudoun student seeking information for the period from until the revolution, has vanished or been destroyed. the first parson of cameron was the rev. john andrews, probably the hero of a convivial incident soon to be related.[ ] [ ] see mrs. browne's narrative in next chapter. increasing population meant rapidly rising land values, exercising an irresistible lure to many of the more active speculators of the northern neck. such men of substance as aubrey and noland were developing the lands they purchased; but in another class were benjamin grayson, catesby cocke, george eskridge, the wealthy potomac trader john colvil of cleesh, that turbulent though gifted son of dublin john mercer and even william fairfax himself, all of whom, so far as loudoun was concerned, were active in land ventures rather than development. the germans we have met coming over the blue ridge were more intent upon subduing the wilderness than skilled in the niceties of land titles; hence they, in common with many of the other pioneers, appear to have frequently omitted to secure grants from the proprietor for their holdings, giving cocke, grayson, mercer and even aubrey the opportunity, knowingly or otherwise, to secure the legal title to the lands of which they had taken possession. in john colvil bought out cocke and his colleagues and, writes fairfax harrison "many lesser men and by pre-arrangement divided the territory with william fairfax. keeping for himself the lands lying between catoctin creek and the catoctin ridge and stretching from the potomac to waterford, he conveyed to william fairfax , acres, constituting all the territory on the potomac lying between catoctin creek and the shenandoah river, including the blue ridge from gregory's gap to harper's ferry. the purchaser divided the property at the short hills into two estates, naming the northern one 'shannondale' and the southern one 'piedmont' and administered them as manors, on leases for three lives. by his will he left these lands, with his mansion house, belvoir, to his eldest son, and the latter in turn, by his will of , entailed them, with the intention that they should constitute the 'plantation' of belvoir house, always to be held with it. but soon after this last will was written, the success of the american revolution made it necessary for george william fairfax, by codicil, to change his testamentary dispositions and his proposed entail was never made effective."[ ] [ ] _landmarks of old prince william_, . after colvil had settled with william fairfax, he still held , acres along catoctin creek, to say nothing of , acres on difficult run, his plantation on great hunting creek known as cleesh and other lands in the northern neck. born at newcastle-on-tyne, he was closely related to the earl of tankerville, through the latter's mother being his first cousin--a matter in which he took some pride and which was to be of even more moment to the earl; for when colvil came to make his will in , he left his plantation cleesh, then containing about , acres, to his own brother, thomas colvil, for life with remainder over "to the right honourable the present earl of tankerville and his heirs forever" and also "in consideration of my relation and alliance to the said earl of tankerville son of my father's brother's daughter," he left to him outright his , acres of land on the catoctin, his , acres on difficult and his interest in a certain nearby copper mine.[ ] thenceforth these lands remained in the earl's family until after the revolution. thus originated the earl of tankerville's title to certain loudoun lands, reference to which occasionally yet is heard. [ ] the will is on record in fairfax county. about josias clapham, of an ancient family of yorkshire (which long has been associated with the fairfaxes there) bought land near the point of rocks and before his death owned much land in the northern neck. he died sometime prior to the th december, , when his will, dated the th october, , was proven in fairfax county. in that will he left "to my brother's son josias clapham two hundred fourty three achres of four hundred joyning to madm. mason commonly called the flat spring to him and his heirs forever." a codicil added to the will reads "i leave my hole real estate and parsonable estate to my brothers son josias clapham and if he dont come in, it is my desire that his brother joseph should have it."[ ] [ ] _landmarks_, ; also fairfax county wills a , and b , . nicholas cresswell, the journalist, as we shall see in chapter xi, states that the younger josias lived in wakefield in yorkshire and was much in debt. he decided to "come in" by emigrating to virginia and soon appeared on his lands in the upper country. he became a great leader in loudoun affairs. toward the end of his long life he, in , deeded to his son samuel the estate later known as chestnut hill and the latter, soon thereafter, built the beautiful mansion which became another of loudoun's outstanding and stately family seats and which still stands, in all its old-time charm, not far from the point of rocks, in one of the most fertile and captivating regions of loudoun. through the marriage of betsy price, a granddaughter of josias clapham, to thomas f. mason of the gunston hall branch of that family (and therefore cousin to that thomson mason of raspberry plain who we are about to meet) the house and estate, until very recent years, continuously was occupied by these mason descendants of clapham.[ ] [ ] c. o. vandevantner in _northern virginian_, winter issue, . a few years after the death, in , of francis aubrey, much of his great estate lying between the old ridge road (where it now passes through leesburg under the name of loudoun street) north to the limestone branch and from the potomac westerly to the catoctin hills, came into the possession of mrs. ann thomson mason, widow of the third george of that ilk; thus introducing to our frontier of that day another of the most prominent of the tidewater families and one which also was to play a very notable rôle in loudoun for at least a century. this george mason, at the age of forty-five, had been drowned while attempting to cross the potomac in a sailboat in the year . in he had married, as his second wife, ann thomson, daughter of stevens thomson of hollins hall, staffordshire, england, who had served as attorney-general of virginia for some years during queen anne's reign. he, in turn, was the son of sir william thomson of the middle temple, a sergeant at law who, to his credit, in had had the courage to act as counsel for the defendants tasborough and price in the malodorous popish plot trials of disgraceful memory. by this second wife, mason had six or seven children, of whom only three were to survive him: george his eldest son (for his first wife had been childless) who later was to build gunston hall and become the author of the famous bill of rights; thomson, later to become at least a part-time resident of loudoun and a famous lawyer in his day; and mary, who, on the th april, , was to marry samuel selden of salvington in stafford county, near fredericksburg. she died at her mother's plantation chipawamsic, on the th day of january, , leaving two children, samuel and mary mason selden, the latter inheriting her loudoun lands. when george mason met his accidental death he left no will. under the colonial law of primogeniture, his extensive holdings of land therefore went to his eldest son. according to the family historian, his younger children were left penniless. his widow thereupon bent all her energies to create an estate for each of them. saving what she could, through every available economy and acting under the advice of her late husband's friends, she acquired "ten thousand acres of what was then called 'wild lands' in loudoun county, for which she paid only a few shillings per acre." she, during her lifetime, divided these lands between her two younger children "for the reason assigned by her that she did not wish her children to grow up with any sense of inequality among them in regard to fortune. the investment turned out a most fortunate one, and she thereby unwittingly made her younger children wealthier than their elder brother."[ ] [ ] _life of george mason_, by kate mason rowland. it is thus so many of the beautiful modern estates between leesburg and the limestone branch trace their title back to the mason family. mrs. ann thomson mason died on the th november, , "leaving a reputation among her connections and neighbours for great prudence and business capacity, united to the charms of an amiable, womanly, character." her rector, friend and relative, the rev. john moncure, described her as "a good woman, a great woman, and a lovely woman."[ ] [ ] _idem._, . though she planted the mason line in loudoun, she herself does not appear ever to have lived in that rough and for those days remote frontier country. the actual seating of her line on her large purchase was left to her son thomson who, after going to england to acquire his training in law and being admitted to the middle temple on the th august, , as its records show, returned to virginia, practiced law at dumfries, became, perhaps, the most eminent lawyer of his time at the virginia bar and vigourously aided the american revolution. he either had improved and extended the first raspberry plain home or, as lancaster says, built a new one for he deeded the existing structure with the supporting land to his son stevens thomson mason, confirming the grant in his will, together with the plate and furniture then in the dwelling; which indicates a more impressive home than the first building. thomson mason died at raspberry plain on the th february, , and was there buried; but the first mansion and burial place were not where the imposing modern house of the same name now stands but rather much to the north, near the fine spring and branch for a long time included in the present selma lands, for the latter estate was, of course, at that time and long afterward but another part of the extensive mason holdings. it is of interest to note that this original raspberry plain holding was never acquired by francis aubrey nor was it part of mrs. ann thomson mason's purchase. on the contrary, it comprised a small grant, stated to be acres, made by the proprietor to one joseph dixon, a blacksmith, by patent dated the nd july, .[ ] dixon, in turn, sold it to aeneas campbell by deed dated the th july, , for a consideration nominally stated as "five shillings"--the old-time equivalent of our "one dollar and other good and valuable considerations"--and campbell was living there when commissioned the first sheriff of loudoun in . in the deed to him the plantation is described as being "on the branches of limestone run called and known by the name of raspberry plain" and the grant goes on to give the exact location by metes and bounds. it apparently had been more carefully surveyed and found to have more area than first believed, for it is further described as containing " acres as appears by a survey thereof" and the grant specifically includes "all houses, buildings, orchards, ways, waters, water-courses," etc. therefore dixon may be credited with having built the first raspberry plain house, a matter long in doubt locally.[ ] the estate was subsequently sold by campbell and lydia his wife to thomson mason, by deed dated the th day of may, , for pounds current money of virginia. [ ] liber , fol. , n. n. grants. [ ] fairfax county land records liber c p. . around there came from scotland to this same country, north of the present leesburg, that william douglass who is to be so frequently mentioned by nicholas cresswell in his journal at the time of the revolution. colonel douglass, as he afterward became, was the son of hugh douglass of garalland in ayshire who, in turn, was sixth in descent from the earl of douglas and also a descendant of the campbell barons of loudoun, thus making the douglass family of loudoun county kinsfolk to the earl of loudoun for whom the county was to be named. our william douglass owned the estates of garalland and montressor in loudoun, served as one of her justices ( ) and as sheriff in . he died in the latter year, leaving a will which was probated on the th september .[ ] [ ] _douglass family_, by j. s. wise. in the meanwhile the settlement of the quakers was increasing rapidly in population. as early as , it is said, hannah janney, the wife of jacob janney, held the services of her sect twice a week on a tree-stump in the forest "and on that spot a log house was built in and a meeting established" which was and still is known as the goose creek meeting. this log hut in was superseded by a stone building and as the congregation grew and the latter building was found too small, it was replaced, in , by a brick meeting-house; but the old stone building of still stands and is owned by the friends. remodelled as a dwelling house it is now occupied by mr. and mrs. lawrence taylor. a monument today marks the place, now in the village of lincoln, where the good hannah janney worshipped. it stands in a grove of trees and reads: "here on a log in the unbroken forest hannah janney, wife of jacob janney, worshipped twice weekly in . in friends meetings were held in a private house once a month. then a log meeting house. then the old stone house in and the brick house in ." by or the friends had erected a church, known as the fairfax meeting, at waterford, where as we have seen in a prior chapter (v), they soon had become very numerous and through their energy and thrift had really established that little settlement's early character and prosperity. this first meeting house of the friends followed the fate which appeared to hover over so many of virginia's early structures; it duly disappeared in flames and in its place in there was constructed the present substantial and commodious edifice, now only too seldom used because of the dwindling of the quaker population there. concurrently another religious organization had been growing rapidly in the colonies. the baptists had experienced the well-proved truth that religious persecution is a most fertile soil for religious growth. "magistrates and mobs, priests and sheriffs, courts and parsons all vainly combined to divert them from their object," writes one of their historians. the baptists in virginia are said to have originated from three sources--emigrants in , directly from england, settling in the southeasterly part of the colony, others from maryland about going to the northwesterly part, and still another group leaving new england about and going to what is now berkely county in west virginia. between and john gerrard, a baptist preacher of maryland, is said to have gone to berkely county and thence journeyed over the blue ridge into the present loudoun "where he found the people ready to listen to the proclamation of the gospel." the first baptist church in loudoun (and perhaps in virginia as well) was built at ketocton in or , according to tradition, to be followed by a stone building in and then, in , by the present brick edifice. until the baptist congregations in virginia were united to the philadelphia association but in that year obtained their dismissal and set about the task of building their own association in virginia. their first convention was held "in ketocton in loudoun" the old church there thus giving the first baptist association in virginia its name. at that time the colony had only four baptist churches but all of them were represented at this first convention by the following delegates ketocton: john marks and john loyd. smith and lynsville creek: john alderson. mill creek: john garrard and isaac sutton. broad run: david thomas and joseph metcalf. a resolution was adopted to seek from the parent association in philadelphia instructions for the guidance of the new organization. as their association grew in membership, it "was divided into two in by a line running from the potomac a south course." the westerly portion retained the ketocton name and that to the east was known as the chappawamsick. this division continued until when the districts were again united.[ ] [ ] _baptists in virginia_, by r. b. semple; also balch library clippings, . it is believed that a congregation of the german reformed church at lovettsville was organized before and possibly at once on the arrival of the first german settlers in the lovettsville neighbourhood, about . again we are faced with the loss or destruction of early records; but the rev. michael schlatter, one of the early founders of the reformed church in america, kept a journal from which it appears that he preached to a reformed congregation in our german settlement at the home of elder william wenner in the month of may, . it is believed that there was, at a very early day, a building of logs used as a church and as a schoolhouse as well and that this continued to serve its congregation until , when a larger brick building was erected which gave way in to another structure.[ ] [ ] balch library clippings, iv, . by patent dated the th day of december, , rawleigh chinn of lancaster county acquired from lord fairfax , acres near goose creek and adjacent to a huge patent of , acres lying along the east side of goose creek which already had been granted to colonel charles burgess, also of lancaster. this grant to chinn was on the proprietor's usual terms, reserving to the latter "yearly and every year on the feast day of saint michael the archangel the fee rent of one shilling sterling money for every fifty acres of land hereby granted and so for a greater or lesser quantity"; and also meticulously reciting, "royal mines excepted and a full third part of all lead, copper, tin, coals, iron mines and iron ore that shall be found thereon." raleigh chinn had married esther, a daughter of colonel joseph ball of epping forest, lancaster county, an older sister of mary ball who was to marry augustine washington; and he, although never living on his purchase of forest lands in the "upper country," appears to have been so well pleased with his investment that he subsequently added heavily thereto; so that at the time of his death in august, , he left to his children a large estate in what later became loudoun and fauquier counties. one of raleigh chinn's sons, joseph, in january, , sold to leven powell acres of his inheritance and on a part of this land colonel powell later ( ) laid out the town of middleburg. thomas chinn, a brother of joseph, lived on the land on goose creek he had inherited from his father and according to family tradition, employed his young cousin, george washington, to survey it for him, washington occupying "an office on a beautiful hill," built for him by chinn. another surveyor who had run out the chinn lines was colonel thomas marshall who was the first county surveyor of fauquier, subsequently became its burgess and sheriff, played a most gallant part in the revolution and became the father of the famous chief justice.[ ] [ ] depositions in powell vs. chinn, loudoun archives. leven powell, at the time of his purchase from joseph chinn, was no stranger to loudoun, for his father, william powell, had acquired land in the neighbourhood of the present middleburg as early as . although these lands had been repeatedly surveyed from the time of the original patents to raleigh chinn, charles burgess and others, in a day when forest surveys customarily ran to a red or white oak, an ash or a walnut tree, it may be supposed that boundary lines, in spite of "processioning," not infrequently became the subject of vigourous dispute; so in the middleburg neighbourhood the chinn and powell heirs fell out, in , over their dividing lines and the accuracy of the survey made in by john barber for charles burgess, william stamp, thomas thornton and rawleigh chinn the burgess. about acres of arable land and acres of forest were involved and hot was the legal warfare and very numerous the depositions from distant witnesses in virginia and kentucky obtained and filed in loudoun's superior court. at the end, the litigation appears to have resolved itself into some sort of compromise; for on the th april, , we find the superior court ordering "this day came the parties by their attorneys and this suit is discontinued being agreed between the parties."[ ] but the memory of their warfare still ruffled the litigants' minds; for upon the settlement being effected, "sailor" rawleigh chinn, grandson and namesake of the patentee, proceeded to build upon the land set off to him "mount recovery" which, burned in the civil war, was afterwards rebuilt and became the home of mr. thomas dudley, subsequently being sold to mr. oliver iselin; while burr powell, the other litigant, built on the tract set off to him a house he called mount defiance which in later years was owned by the thatcher and bishop families. [ ] loudoun superior court orders c . in john hough, according to family tradition, settled in these fairfax backwoods "and served for many years as surveyor for the vast estate of lord fairfax." he became the progenitor of the family which has become numerous in loudoun and includes emerson hough, well known american novelist, though the latter was born in iowa.[ ] his surveys were much needed, for by the pressure of settlers for grants in these uplands had so increased that "lord fairfax's land office was crowded with applicants" we are told.[ ] [ ] balch library clippings, ii, . [ ] _virginia land grants_, . chapter viii the french and indian war [illustration: sir peter halkett, bart. in command of that part of braddock's army that marched through the present loudoun in .] we have come to the outbreak of that great world conflict between england and prussia on the one side against france and austria, russia, sweden, and saxony on the other which fiske, writing before the devastation of , called the most memorable war of modern times and which, involving three continents, ultimately passed the vast french territories in canada and india to the british crown. in european history the contest is known, somewhat inadequately, as the seven years war and gave frederick the great of prussia the fateful opportunity to demonstrate his extraordinary military genius; but in america it is known as the french and indian war from the terrible alliance that the english colonists were forced there to face. the menace of the french control of canada had never oppressed the imagination of virginia as it had that of new england and new york. distance and lack of colonial unity tended to build in the minds of the virginia assembly the belief that it was a matter, to the old dominion at least, of secondary interest; though her royal governors, and especially dinwiddie, recognized its true and pressing danger. virginia claimed jurisdiction over a vast and largely unknown western territory, including much of what is now western pennsylvania and that strategic point marking the confluence of the alleghany and monongahela rivers, now covered by the city of pittsburgh. the french in canada were well aware of the huge military importance of this "gateway of the west" and, although at the time peace was supposed to exist between england and france, in sent a small expedition south to take possession of it. news of these frenchmen in virginia territory came to governor dinwiddie who, in turn, sent the twenty-one year old washington, already a major in the militia of virginia, to remonstrate and protest to their commander. on his journey washington travelled the road to vestal's gap and crossed the blue ridge at that point. though he faithfully delivered his message, the english protest was ignored, the french commander asserting that all that domain belonged to his king and that the english had no territorial rights west of the mountains. thereupon the energetic dinwiddie decided that war or no war the french should be dislodged. a regiment of virginians was organized under colonel joshua fry, with major washington as second in command, to take possession of the disputed "gateway" and fortify it. this expedition, too, followed the road to vestal's gap and washington, as was his habit, kept a journal of his experience. by the mischance of events this journal was to be captured later by the french at fort necessity; but in , to bolster their claim that this english expedition was an unprovoked attack against a friendly power in time of peace, they published in french so much of it as served their purpose. unfortunately the published portion did not include the march through piedmont; but in washington's accounting with the virginia government we find these items: " "apl. to expences of the regim^{t} at edward thompson's in marching up ´´ . to bacon for d^{o} of john vestal at shenandoah & ferriges over . "[ ] [ ] _journal of washington ._ edited by j. m. toner m. d. edward thompson was a quaker who lived near the present hillsboro and who was to leave numerous descendants in loudoun. from the shenandoah the little force pressed on into western maryland where at will's creek (the present cumberland) then a trading station of the ohio company, miles west from their objective, colonel fry was stricken with an illness which, a short time later, was to prove fatal. leaving their colonel behind, the virginia militia, now under the command of major washington, advanced very slowly cutting a narrow road through the forest and sending a small force ahead to begin work on the proposed fort at the confluence of the rivers. that work was hardly begun, however, when a greatly superior force of french and indians, arriving suddenly on the scene from the north, drove the virginians away, took possession of the place and continued the fort's construction naming it, on completion, fort duquesne after canada's french governor. the retreating virginians fell back through the woods until they joined washington's main force, encamped at great meadows, and it was not long before washington learned from his indian scouts that a small party of enemy skirmishers was cautiously advancing to deliver a surprise attack. washington promptly determined on a counter-surprise with such complete success that the virginians killed jumonville, the french leader, and nine of his followers and captured the remaining twenty-two. but washington knew that a much larger force of french would soon attack him and that his position was precarious. with earthworks and logs he caused his men to hastily fortify their camp, grimly called by him fort necessity. they had not long to wait for the enemy. there soon emerged from the surrounding forest a force of six hundred french and indians from fort duquesne who, apparently not finding that the appearance of the fort or the reputation of its defenders invited an attack, settled down to a siege. washington, though in the meanwhile reinforced, had not more than three hundred virginians and about one hundred and fifty indian auxiliaries; but more serious than his inequality of numbers were his rapidly dwindling supplies of food and ammunition. this was the situation which resulted in washington's first and last surrender during his long military career. the french so little relished an attack on the fort or a longer siege that the english were allowed to march out and begin their retreat ( th of july, ) under arms and with full honors of war. all of this began to look very much like a fresh outbreak of war between england and france; but more and worse was to follow before a formal declaration of war was made in . the duke of cumberland, son of george ii, then captain general of the british armies, laid plans for a great american campaign which, once for all, was to cripple the french power in the west. three expeditions were devised against french strategic strongholds on the american continent: one was to proceed against crown point on lake george, a second against fort niagara and the third to capture the newly erected fort duquesne. major-general edward braddock, a veteran soldier thoroughly trained on europe's battlefields, of unquestioned personal courage but abysmally ignorant of indian warfare, was vested with the supreme command and with two british regiments, the th and th, set sail for america. the expedition landed at alexandria where a general conference was immediately called at which were present, in addition to braddock, governor dinwiddie of virginia, governor delancey and colonel william johnson of new york, governor shirley of massachusetts, governor sharp of maryland, governor morris of pennsylvania and other leaders. to these men braddock revealed his orders and plans and the governors received the king's instructions as to the part they were to play in the campaign. alexandria was a poor starting point for fort duquesne. far better would have been philadelphia, offering as it did not only a shorter route but more abundant and easily available supplies. maryland interests, seeking the advantage of the highway to the west which the army would make, brought pressure to bear to have the force go through that colony. it was finally decided to send a part of the troops through maryland and a part through virginia, the divided army to come together again at will's creek where, in the meanwhile, a large and strongly palisaded fort had been built by colonel james innes under the instructions of governor dinwiddie. a force of , virginians and marylanders was raised and added to the english troops and "on the th and th of april the provincials and six companies of the th under command of sir peter halkett set out for winchester, lieutenant colonel gage and four companies remaining to escort the artillery. on the th of april the th, under colonel dunbar, set out for frederick."[ ] although general braddock, with major washington on his staff, crossed over into maryland at rock creek and went to will's creek through that colony, never entering or even seeing the embryo loudoun, the local stories are still repeated, and with the utmost confidence, of the route he followed through that county and even where he spent the night. it was, as it still is, "braddock's army" in popular parlance and, as time passed, the commander's presence with the march through virginia became a part of its story. [ ] _history of an expedition against fort duquesne in _, by winthrop sargent p. . had the supreme command of the expedition been vested in halkett, rather than braddock, one may reasonably believe that there would have been a very different outcome. a trained and able soldier, no less courageous than his chief, he was more cautious, more susceptible to new ideas and methods and far less arbitrary than lay in braddock's nature to be. he learned to respect the dearly bought and superior knowledge of indian fighting traits possessed by the provincials and wished to follow their recommendations that to braddock, with his unbounded confidence in iron discipline, simply savoured of colonial ignorance and lack of military courage. loudoun should remember halkett not only as the commander of the march through her domain but as a brave and devoted soldier as well. "sir peter halkett of pitferran, fifeshire, a baronet of nova scotia," writes sargent, "was the son of sir peter wedderburne of gosford, who, marrying the heiress of the ancient family of halkett, assumed her name."[ ] our sir peter had married lady amelia stewart, second daughter of francis, th earl of moray, by whom he had three sons. of these, james, the youngest, was a subaltern in his father's regiment and accompanied him on the expedition. [ ] idem, . of the virginia troops serving in this campaign an effort has been made to identify such as came from the incipient loudoun. all the virginians were directly under the command of captain waggoner. as loudoun was then a part of fairfax her men were, of course, listed as from the latter county. in march, , the virginia legislature passed as its first act[ ] an emergency measure from which we learn the names of certain soldiers from the then undivided fairfax but from which side of difficult run each man came does not appear, or as to whether they went on braddock's expedition or served nearer home, then or subsequently. the small amount of compensation awarded to each indicates a period of active service too short to have permitted them to be at the battle. probably they were used east of the blue ridge. [ ] hening, . that not all of the virginia soldiers of the expedition of were enthusiastic volunteers is suggested by the passage of chapter ii of the session of which states in its preamble that as the king had instructed his lieutenant governor to raise soldiers for the expedition against the french on the ohio and that there were "in every county and corporation within this colony, able bodied persons, fit to serve his majesty, and who follow no lawful calling or employment" the justices of the peace, through the sheriffs, were ordered to forcibly enlist them, provided they were not voters or indentured servants![ ] to raise money for the campaign an act was passed in may, , instituting a public lottery with a first prize of £ , "current money" and many other prizes amounting altogether to £ , "current money."[ ] [ ] hening, . [ ] hening, . the route to be followed by halkett's command is given in braddock's orderly book as follows: "alexandria th april .... march rout of sir peter halkett's regiment from the camp at alexandria to winchester miles to y^{e} old court house to mr. colemans on sugar land run where there is indian corn &c to mr. miner's to mr. thompson ye quaker wh is wt. corn to mr. they's ye ferry at shanh from mr. they's to winchester -- " thus from the date of entry, only two days after the last of halkett's men had left the camp, we learn that the route given was the one ordered followed, rather than a report of one that had been pursued; but as it carefully describes the main northern road from alexandria to winchester it is safe to assume that the troops held to the course laid down for them. the "old court house" was the first courthouse of fairfax county built about and in use about ten years until another was built in alexandria. thus at the time of the march it was no longer used for the purpose for which it had been built. it stood near the present tyson's corner and in recent years its site has been marked by an appropriate inscription. the "mr. colemans on sugar land run" was the house of richard coleman who was thereafter in licensed by the fairfax court to keep an ordinary there. it stood where the road then crossed sugarland run at the mouth of colvin run. the "mr. miners" was the plantation of nicholas minor who served as a captain in this war and who soon was to lay out the town of leesburg on part of his estate. it was known as fruitland and the residence was situated on a knoll on the south side of the road about a mile east of the present leesburg where a later building but bearing the same name now stands. there miner in connection with his other activities, operated a distillery, probably for making brandy from peaches, apples and persimmons; according to general john mason, a son of the famous george of gunston hall "the art of distilling from grain was not then among us" and he spoke of the time of his boyhood--a period well after . a later writer comments: "the choice of such camping places as this perhaps explains in some measure the frequent court-martials in the army and the liberal rewards of from to , lashes to recreant soldiers for drunkenness and for giving liquor to the indians who accompanied the march or whom they met on the way."[ ] there is much evidence that the british regulars, who had been recently recruited, frequently were disciplined for infraction of military rules and the disciplinary measures employed in british armies of that day were not gentle. [ ] newspaper clipping balch library, leesburg, vol. . loudoun county . the "mr. thompson ye quaker" we have already met in the preceding year when washington, in fry's expedition against the french at the "gateway," noted his "expences." he lived, it will be recalled, in the locality which is now hillsboro. the "mr. they's ye ferry at shanh" was, it is believed, in error for "mr. key's" and was at the key's gap ferry. all of this gives very little local detail. fortunately that is more freely supplied from another and fortuitous source. there was attached to braddock's expedition, when it left england, a certain commissary who had a widowed sister, one mrs. browne. she accompanied her brother from london to fort cumberland and, following the valuable eighteenth century habit, kept a journal which in was owned by mr. s. a. courtauld of the howe, halstead, essex, and a photostatic copy of which has been acquired by the library of congress.[ ] this journal or diary runs from the th november, , to the th january, . when braddock and his men departed from alexandria in april he had a number of soldiers too ill to travel. these he left there temporarily in charge of a force of " officer and men" and the commissary (mrs. browne's brother), and mrs. browne stayed with them to help nurse the invalids. by june the sick men had so far recovered that they moved to join the main force, following the old ridge (alexandria-winchester) road over which halkett and his men had marched before them. here follows a full copy of mrs. browne's journal entries from her entrance into present loudoun until she reached the shenandoah: [ ] _virginia magazine of history and biography_, vol. , p. . . "june the . at break of day the drum beat. i was extreemly sleepy but got up, and as soon as our officer had eat eggs and drank a dram or two and some punch we march'd; but, my waggon being in the rear the day before, my coachman insisted that it was not right that madam browne should be behind, and if they did not give way they should feel the soft end of his whip. he gain'd his point and got in front. the roads are so bad that i am almost disjointed. at we halted at mr. coleman's, pitched our markeys and dined on salt gammon,[ ] nothing better to be had. [ ] i.e. cured ham or even bacon. "june the . at in the morning was awak'd by the drum, but was so stiff that i was at a loss to tell whether i had any limbs. i breakfasted in my waggon and then sent of in front; at which all the rest were very much enrag'd, but to no purpose for my coachman told them that he had but one officer to obey and she was in his waggon, and it was not right she should be blinded with dust. my brother the day before left his cloak behind, so sent his man back for it on his horse, and march'd on foot. on the road met with mr. adams a parson[ ] who left his horse & padded with them on foot. we halted at mr. minors. we order'd some fowls for dinner but not one to be had, so was obliged to set down to our old dish gammon & greens. the officer and the parson replenish'd their bowl so often that they began to be very joyous, untill their servant told them that their horses were lost, at which the parson was much inrag'd and pop'd out an oath but mr. falkner said 'never mind your horse, doctor, but have you a sermon ready for next sunday?' i being the doctor's country woman he mad me many compts. and told me he should be very happy if he could be better acquainted with me, but hop'd when i came that way again i would do him the honour to spend some time at his house. i chatted til and then took my leave and left them a full bowl before them. [ ] fairfax harrison suggests error; that rev. john andrews, then parson of cameron parish, was the man. no parson named adams then in virginia. "june the . at break of day my coachman came and tap'd my chamber door and said madam all is ready and it is right early. i went to my waggon and we moved on. left mr. falkner behind in pursuit of his horse. march'd miles and halted at an old sage quaker's with silver locks. his wife on my coming in accosted me in the following manner: 'welcome friend set down, thou seem's full bulky to travel, but thou art young and that will enable thee. we were once so ourselves but we have been married years & may say we have lived to see the days that we have no pleasure therein.' we had recourse to our old dish gammon, nothing else to be had; but they said they had some liquor they called whiskey which was made of peaches. my friend thompson being a preacher, when the soldiers came in as the spirit mov'd him, held forth to them and told them the great virtue of temperance. they all stared at him like pigs, but had not a word to say in their justification. "june the . my lodgings not being very clean, i had so many close companions call'd ticks that deprived me of my night's rest, but i indulg'd till . we halted this day all the nurses baking bread and boiling beef for the march to morrow. a fine regale chickens with milk and water to drink, which my friend thompson said was fine temperate liquor. several things lost out of my waggon, amongst the rest they took of my hams, which my coachman said was an abomination to him, and if he could find out who took them he would make them remember taking the next. "june the . took my leave of my friend thompson, who bid me farewell. a great gust of thunder and lightning and rain, so that we were almost drown'd. extreem bad roads. we pass'd over the blue ridge which was one continual mountain for miles. forg'd through rivers. at we halted at mr. key's, a fine plantation. had for dinner chickens. the soldiers desired my brother to advance them some whisky for they told him he had better kill them at once than to let them dye by inches, for without they could not live. he complied with their request and it soon began to operate; they all went to dancing and bid defiance to the french. my friend gore" (the coachman) "began to shake a leg. i ask'd him if it was consistent as a member of his society to dance; he told me that he was not at all united with them, and that there were some of his people who call'd themselves quakers and stood up for their church but had no more religion in them than his mare. i told him i should set him down as a ranter." but to return to halkett and the troops under his immediate command. from winchester they proceeded to the new fort at will's creek which braddock, upon his arrival, named fort cumberland in honour of his captain general. here the main detachments of the expedition came together again in accordance with the plans made in alexandria. the troops were given a short rest after their long march, the final plans were developed and on the th, th and th of june the army resumed its march to the west, widening the path through the woods made by washington and his men the year before and hauling its artillery over the mountains with the utmost difficulty. so slow was their progress that braddock decided to send on a large advance party, more lightly equipped, leaving the others to bring on the greater part of the supplies and baggage. [illustration: the fall of braddock. (from a painting by c. schuessele, published in .)] in contrast to braddock's unbounded assurance, halkett seems to have had a strong premonition of the impending disaster and his own tragic fate. lowdermilk, in his excellent _history of cumberland_, describes his dejection the night before the battle: "sir peter halkett was low spirited and depressed; he comprehended the importance of meeting the wily red skins with their own tactics, and while he urged the general to beat the bushes over every foot of ground from the camp to the fort, he had little hope of seeing his advice put into effect; when he wrapped his mantle about him that night as he lay upon his soldier's bed his soul was filled with the darkest forebodings for the morrow, which he felt would close his own career as well as that of many another gallant soldier, a presentiment which was sadly realized." upon the following day, the th of july, the advance party of british, now making better progress, pressed on to a point five or six miles from fort duquesne where they encountered the awaiting french and indians. against such british strength of numbers and equipment the french had one chance and well they knew it lay in meeting the attacking force in the forest before it could bring its artillery to play on their fortification. the mass of the scarlet-coated british troops were in close formation in the open; the french and indians hid themselves behind the surrounding trees. as the first bullets poured into their ranks the british could see no foe and braddock, deaf to the entreaties of the virginians, insisted that his troops hold their ranks in the unprotected and open clearing. the provincials scattered and fought the foe in its own manner from behind every tree and mound they could find to shelter them; but braddock, wholly immune to fear or reason himself, continued to hold his regulars together, in his anger beating back with his sword into the ranks those seeking cover. even so the situation, impossible though it were rapidly becoming, might have been saved by the desperate and determined efforts of the provincials who had found a small ravine or ditch from which they were able to deliver an effective flanking fire against the french; but as the latter began to waver and the americans left their protection to charge, the panic-stricken regulars fired upon them, killing and wounding a great number. it was the end. braddock, who throughout the fighting had shewn the most reckless and obstinate courage and had had his horses killed from under him again and again, now received a mortal wound and the surviving english broke into a wild and disorderly retreat. had the french and their allies pressed their advantage, hardly one of their foe would have escaped death or capture; but the indian allies of the french, when the british fled, addressed themselves to killing the wounded and robbing and scalping the dead, thus giving the english their chance of flight, disorderly and panic-stricken, back over the road they had come. braddock, crushed with the completeness of his defeat, died on the fourth day of the retreat and was buried in the roadway to protect his body from the indian savages. how overwhelming was the french victory is shewn by the english record that of the , men who were under braddock in the fight, only escaped. that the british regulars stood their ground bravely in the face of most difficult conditions and stupid leadership there seems no question. but the greater praise went to the americans who inflicted far more damage on the foe; and particularly to their leader washington who with cool courage was everywhere encouraging his men in the fight and though his clothing was pierced repeatedly with rifle balls, he escaped wholly unwounded. during the battle halkett was shot and killed and his son james, seeing him fall and rushing to his aid, at once met the same fate. both bodies were scalped and robbed and then left where they fell. three years later halkett's eldest son, the then sir peter halkett, a major in the nd regiment, joined general forbes' new and successful expedition against fort duquesne, especially to seek some trace of the fate of his father and brother. with friendly indian help the bodies were found and identified and given a military burial nearby. as the defeated english retreated to the east, the story of the calamity spread terror and dismay among the more westerly settlers. in virginia the people in the valley were panic-stricken and in great numbers fled over the blue ridge to the piedmont counties, spreading their terror among the people there. washington wrote that he learned from captain waggoner who, as we have seen, had had command of the virginia troops and had been wounded in the battle "that it was with difficulty he passed the ridge for crowds of people, who were flying as if every moment was death." the fear and restlessness continued among the colonists on both sides of the blue ridge until general forbes, as noted, in led his force to fort duquesne and took possession of what was left by the french who burned and abandoned it at his approach. from then until after the revolution this former outpost of france, under its new name of fort pitt, remained in the hands of the english government. on the st day of september, ,[ ] an act was passed in virginia to pay arrears to "forces in the pay of this colony" and to raise money therefor. section recites: "and whereas several companies of the militia were lately drawn out into actual service, for the defense and protection of the frontiers of this colony, whose names, and the time they respectively continued in the said service, together with the charge of provisions found for the use of the said militia are contained in the schedule to this act annexed.... "loudoun county l s d to captain nicholas minor aeneas campbell, lieutenant, francis wilks, james willock, to john owsley, and william stephens, s. each robert thomas john moss, jun. john thomas for provisions john moss, do william ross, do " [ ] hening, and . on page of the same act under the head of "fairfax county" appear the following items, the names suggesting that the list was prepared prior to the time of the setting off of loudoun from fairfax and for services prior to those above listed: l s d "to nicholas minor, captain josias clapham, lieutenant, william trammell, ensign to captain james hamilton his pay and guards subsistence carrying soldiers to winchester " the names of many other soldiers are given with the compensation awarded each. it is quite possible that among them were men who resided in that part of fairfax which, at the time of the passage of the act, had been set off as loudoun. chapter ix organization of loudoun and the founding of leesburg in the virginia of england's rule, the vestry of a parish "divided with the county court the responsibility of local government, having as their especial charge the maintenance of religion and the oversight of all things pertaining thereto in the domain of charity and morals."[ ] the parish was a territorial subdivision with large civil as well as ecclesiastical powers and duties and when, through increasing population, a parish came to be divided, in those days of expanding settlement, it usually was followed by the creation of a new county. as has been noted in a prior chapter, truro parish, then coextensive with fairfax county, was divided in by the assembly setting off the upper part thereof, above difficult run, as cameron parish, thus indicating the early organization of a new county. but the politicians of tidewater were beginning to look askance at the rapid increase of new counties in the upper country, fearing a diminution of their influence and control and perhaps there was some opposition in fairfax itself. a petition presented to the assembly in by the people of cameron that they be formed into a new county resulted in a bill being passed to that end which, however, was disapproved by the council. again a petition was presented to the next assembly with no better success; but on the th day of june, a bill was passed creating the new county. it reads as follows: "an act for dividing the county of fairfax "i. whereas many inconveniences attend the upper inhabitants of the county of fairfax by reason of the large extent of said county, and their remote situation from the court house, and the said inhabitants have petitioned this present general assembly that the said county be divided: be it, therefore enacted, by the lieutenant-governor, council and burgesses of this present general assembly, and it is hereby enacted, by the authority of the same, that from and after the st day of july next ensuing the said county of fairfax be divided into two counties, that is to say: all that part thereof, lying above difficult run, which falls into the patowmack river, and by a line to be run from the head of the same run, a straight course, to the mouth of rocky run, shall be one distinct county, and called and known by the name of loudoun: and all that part below the said run and course, shall be another distinct county, and retain the name of fairfax. "ii. and for the due administration of justice in the said county of loudoun, after the same shall take place: be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that after the first day of july a court for the said county of loudoun be constantly held by the justices thereof, upon the second tuesday in every month in such manner as by the laws of this colony is provided, and shall be by their commission directed. "iii. provided always, that nothing herein contained shall be constructed to hinder the sheriff or collector of the said county of fairfax, as the same now stands entire and undivided, from collecting and making distress for any public dues, or officers fees, which shall remain unpaid by the inhabitants of said county of loudoun at the time of its taking place; but such sheriff or collector shall have the same power to collect or distrain for such dues and fees, and shall be answerable for them in the same manner as if this act had never been made, any law, usage or custom to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding. "iv. and be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, that the court of the said county of fairfax shall have jurisdiction of all actions and suits, both in law and equity, which shall be depending before them at the time the said division shall take place; and shall and may try and determine all such actions and suits, and issue process and award execution in any such action or suit in the same manner as if this act had never been made, any law, usage, or custom to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding. "v. and be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that out of every hundred pounds of tobacco, paid in discharge of quit rents, secretary's, clerk's, sheriff's, surveyor's, or other officers fees, and so proportionately for a greater or lesser quantity, there shall be made the following abatements or allowances to the payer, that is to say: for tobacco due in the county of fairfax ten pounds of tobacco, and for tobacco due in the county of loudoun twenty pounds of tobacco; and that so much of the act of the assembly, intitled, an act for amending the staple of tobacco, and preventing frauds in his majesty's customs, as relates to anything within the purview of this act, shall be and is hereby repealed and made void."[ ] [ ] _history of truro parish_, i. [ ] known as chapter xxii. see hening, . the boundaries of the new county thus fixed have since that time been changed but once, when in , a part of the originally constituted loudoun was, by act of the legislature, returned to fairfax as later will be noted.[ ] [ ] see chapter xiii post. thus, from the formation of northumberland county in , it had taken years for a sufficient population to penetrate, settle and develop in the backwoods to justify the organization of loudoun. at first the creation of new counties out of the early northumberland had been rapid. lancaster along the rappahannock was formed in and westmoreland along the potomac in . out of westmoreland came stafford in . then, so far as the line of descent of loudoun is concerned, there is a long wait. indian warfare and indian domination of the upper country effectually held back settlement until spotswood's epochal treaty of . with the withdrawal of the indians the pressure from tidewater rapidly had its effect. out of the stafford "backwoods" and those of king george to the south was organized in prince william with a disputed western boundary, the proprietor claiming much of the shenandoah valley and the virginia government holding to the blue ridge but the act discretely leaving that question untouched. in the territory above "occoquan and bull run and from the head of the main branch of bull run by a straight course" to ashley's gap became the county of fairfax of which, as shown, loudoun in was born. her contiguous county fauquier was, by contrast, taken directly from prince william in . it would have been wholly appropriate to have named the new county lee or carter, honoring families and individuals which had been so active in its development but the lees then loved the carters not at all nor the carters the lees and doubtlessly each would, and perhaps did, prevent the honor going to the other. so it came about that the lusty infant became the namesake of a man whose fame, so far as virginia and the other american colonies were concerned, was highly ephemeral. on the th february, , in the winter following braddock's defeat, john campbell, fourth earl of loudoun, had been appointed captain-general and governor-in-chief of virginia and, on the th of the month following, commander-in-chief of the british forces in america. he seems to have owed his selection to his own and his family's influence with court and ministry; certainly nothing in his earlier career had logically earned the bestowal of a paramount command in such a critical period for britain. loudoun, the only son of the third earl of that ilk and his wife the lady margaret dalrymple (only daughter of john st earl of stair) had been born in and succeeded his father in the title and estates in . from , until his death in , he was one of the representative peers of scotland. at the age of twenty-two he entered the army and had been appointed governor of sterling castle in , becoming aide-de-camp to the king in . when the jacobite rebellion broke out in he had been a staunch supporter of the house of hanover, raising a regiment of highlanders of which he became colonel and which later was cut to pieces at the battle of preston. loudoun was one of the few who came out of the fight unscathed and, shewing that upon occasion he was capable of energy as well as loyalty, promptly he raised a force of more than two thousand new soldiers. when he arrived in new york on the rd july, , he found affairs in great confusion. after the care with which braddock's campaign had been planned for him and the disastrous outcome, the home authorities were now slow to adopt measures to cope with the crisis. not only fort duquesne but forts oswego and ontario were held by the french, aggressive and confident from their repeated successes. after spending a year in surveying the situation, loudoun headed an expedition against louisburg, going as far as halifax and then, though a caution made to appear the more excessive by inevitable comparison with the dash and reckless courage of pepperell's earlier and sensationally successful expedition, returned to new york without striking a blow. he had incurred great unpopularity earlier in new york and now in halifax although in the former, at least, his measures of quartering troops and interference with commerce fairly could be defended on the ground of military necessity. of more unfortunate importance, the ineptitude and dilatory inefficiency of his louisburg campaign had drained its defenders from the hudson valley, thus permitting a successful and disastrous invasion of the province of new york by the french and their indians and loudoun was peremptorily recalled to england ( ), general jeffrey amherst being sent over to take his place. loudoun's indecision inspired benjamin franklin's famous epigram which all down the years, to the few who remember loudoun, remains inseparably associated with his name: that, "he was like king george upon the signposts, always on horseback but never advancing." there was, however, at least one voice publicly raised on his behalf; an effort was made in england to defend his conduct in america through an anonymous pamphlet published in london the following year entitled "the conduct of a noble commander in america impartially reviewed with the genuine causes of the discontents at new york and hallifax," one of the few surviving copies of which is now lodged in the library of congress. and it was for this british general with but a year of american experience (and that far from glorious) who never, so far as it is known, set foot on virginia's soil that the fairest of piedmont's counties was named during those brief months when his ascendant star glowed with an all too temporary brilliance and hope and expectation ran high. had the county been organized when first proposed or had its formation been further postponed, it is a fair presumption that another name would have been chosen. lord loudoun's american record seemingly did not end his influence in london. in , when war broke out between england and spain, he was appointed second in command, under lord tyrawley, of the british troops sent to portugal. as he never married, his title upon his death at loudoun castle on the th april, , passed to his cousin, james mure campbell, a grandson of the second earl. of the first officials of loudoun county, the following men by commission of the virginia council, dated the th may, , became its first court or governing body: anthony russell, fielding turner, james hamilton, aeneas campbell, nicholas minor, william west, of the quorum, richard coleman, josias clapham, george west, charles tyler, john moss, francis peyton and john mucklehany. these men may be taken as outstanding residents. we can learn from the early records something concerning the actual procedure followed in organizing the new county. the first entry in the volume of court orders is a record on the th day of july, , that a commission of the peace and dedimus of the county directed to the last mentioned "gentlemen, justices of the said county was produced and openly read, and pursuant to the dedimus" that they took the oaths prescribed by law. the first county clerk was charles binns who served thirty-nine years in that capacity, from to ; to be succeeded by his son charles binns, jr., who, in his turn, served forty-one years or from to , a record indicating that loudoun had been fortunate in the selection for this office. it is traditional in the county that the first clerk's office was at rokeby, the present country seat of mr. and mrs. b. franklin nalle. the first sheriff was aeneas campbell who came to the then fairfax county from saint mary's county, maryland, just in time to become a lieutenant in that fairfax company in the french war captained by nicholas minor and whose home was at raspberry plain as already has been shown.[ ] it is also locally related that the first jail was a small brick building about twelve feet square, in his yard there. a ducking-spring was also a part of the new sheriff's equipment at his home and was used to temper the enthusiasm of females too greatly addicted to mischievous talking. a woman duly convicted of idle gossip and slandering her neighbours, was generally fined in tobacco; if the fine were not paid by her husband or the dame herself, she was taken to the ducking-spring, where a long pole had a chair with arms attached to its end. the talkative lady was then tied in the chair, the pole lowered and she was immersed in the pond a sufficient number of times to cause her ruefully to remember her experience and, let us hope, amend her conduct. alas! alas! _tempora mutantur_. [ ] see chapter vii ante. campbell's bond as sheriff occupies the place of honor in the first deed book of the county on page one. he and his two sureties, anthony russell and james hamilton, bind themselves "unto our sovereign lord king george the second in the sum of one thousand pounds current money to be paid to our said lord the king his heirs and successors." tobacco as money was all well enough in virginia but apparently was not appreciated by royalty across the sea. both county clerk and sheriff qualified at this first session of the court. aeneas campbell was one of the leading spirits in the new county. not only was he its first sheriff but he built its first courthouse, as later noted, and was an original trustee of leesburg when that town was "erected." in those days the outstanding men in a community were chosen for public office and the frequency of his name on the records unquestionably confirms his influential prominence. his later career was interesting. after he sold raspberry plain to thomson mason in , we find him, in , back in maryland and busily engaged in the work of the revolution. he became captain of the first maryland battalion of the flying camp in july of that year and on the th of the month in frederick county, is credited with presenting to that command thirty-two men, including his son aeneas campbell, jr., (who held the rank of cadet) all of whom were then reviewed and passed (accepted?) by major john fulford.[ ] his descendants, including the giddings family of leesburg, proudly retain the tradition that campbell raised and accoutred this force entirely at his own expense, setting an example of patriotism which loudoun should remember. [ ] archives of maryland, published by maryland historical society . the county lieutenant, first officer in rank but, in the present instance, the last to be chosen, was not commissioned until december, , when francis lightfoot lee, son of our old friend thomas lee, was selected and settled himself on lands which he had inherited from his father and which were within the boundaries of the new county. his residence in loudoun, however, did not prove to be permanent, for upon his marriage in , to miss rebecca tayloe of mount airy, he removed to menokin on the rappahannock where he continued to reside until his death, without issue, in the winter of ; but as a result of his frontier experience he was always thereafter called "loudoun" by his brothers.[ ] in addition to his position as county lieutenant he and james hamilton served as the first burgesses from loudoun and continuously so acted for a number of years. [ ] _landmarks_, i., and . the first county surveyor was recognized at the court held on the th august, , when "george west, gent. produced a commission to be surveyor of this county and thereupon he took the oath directed by the act of assembly and entered into and acknowledged his bond to the president and masters of the college of william & mary in virginia with charles binns & lee massey his sureties which is ordered to be recorded." the first attorneys to qualify to practice law before the loudoun court were hugh west, benjamin sebastian, william elzey, and james keith. few institutions of the northern neck of those days of slow travel and thin settlement were more important than the inns or as they are usually designated "ordinaries;" and the keeper of an ordinary was generally a man of parts and consequence in his community. the matter of cost of food, drink and lodging in the public inns was a subject close to the heart of the eighteenth century colonial and loudoun's court lost no time in taking control of the ordinaries within its boundaries. already several were in existence. as early as william west had acquired land on the carolina road near the present aldie and soon had constructed a dwelling and was keeping an ordinary there. the loudoun court on the th may, , gave him a license to keep his ordinary for a year--presumably to be annually renewed--but he had been acting as the local boniface for many years before that. the first loudoun license for an ordinary, however, was granted on the th august, , "to james coleman to keep ordinary at his house in this county (at the sugar lands) for one year he with security having given bond as the law directs;" but coleman, too, had been conducting an ordinary at his residence before then. on the th september, , the court licensed john moss to keep an ordinary at leesburg. but on the th day of august, , the day before it granted its first license to keep ordinary to james coleman, the court laid down its rules and regulations for loudoun inn keepers. that the gentlemen justices gave far more detailed attention to the charges for alcoholic refreshment than to the other matters regulated may or may not have been mere coincidence. "the court," so runs the record, "proceeded to rate the liquor for this county as follows: l s d for a gallon of rum and so in proportion nantz brandy pr gallon peach or apple brandy pr gallon new england rum pr gallon virginia brandy from grain pr gallon arrack the quart made into punch for a quart of white, red or madeira wine for royall and other low wines pr quart english strong beer pr quart london beer called porter pr quart virginia strong beer pr quart - / cyder the quart bottle - / english cyder the quart for a gill of rum made into punch with loaf sugar ditto with fruit - / for ditto with brown sugar - / for a hot diet for a cold diet for a gallon of corn or oats stableage & fodder for a horse hours or one night pasturage for a horse hours or one night for lodging with clean sheets d. otherwise nothing all soldiers and expresses on his majesty's service paying ready money shall have / part deducted. "ordered that the respective ordinary keepers in this county do sell according to the above rates in money or tobacco at the rate of s d per hundred and that they do not presume to demand more of any person whatsoever." the first deed recorded in loudoun but on page of the first volume of deed books, is dated the th day of august, , from andrew hutchison "of loudoun county and cameron parish" and runs to his sons john and daniel, also of loudoun; it conveys a piece of land "containing by estimation seven hundred acres more or less whereon now lives the said john huchison and to be equally divided between them." thus another old and well-known loudoun family is introduced. the first will recorded was that of "evan thomas of virginia coleney in loudoun county." it was proved at the court held on the th day of november, , and its record is followed by a long and interesting inventory of his estate. for some time prior to the organization of the county there had been a small backwoods settlement, perhaps only a few scattered log houses, near the intersection of the carolina and old ridge roads. this tiny hamlet had dignified itself with the name of george town in rugged loyalty to king george the second. deck and heaton say that in a little fort was built there. protection from attack by the french and indians was deemed necessary to every frontier settlement. nicholas minor, who was a captain in the virginia militia and in active service at this period, may have had a hand in the building of this fort and it is probable that he was in military command there. he lived on his nearby plantation of fruitland and his estate included some sixty acres or more at the intersection of the carolina and ridge roads. in the year , it is believed, he employed john hough (who, as stated in the last chapter, had in settled in these backwoods and was acting as a surveyor for lord fairfax) to survey this land for a town site. hough thereupon made his survey and perhaps mapped his first rough draft in , probably making a more carefully detailed copy in , after the establishment of the town had been formally authorized by the legislature and minor had sold off a number of the lots as plotted on the plan. if so, this first rough draft is now lost or has been destroyed and the copy of was destined for many years also to be involved in mysterious disappearance. though constantly in use for the first forty years of its existence, through oversight or negligence neither this "edition," nor the original draft, had been entered on the county records. then in the latter part of the eighteenth century, the copy was used as an exhibit in the suit of cavan vs. murray, involving land adjacent to the town and in folded up and filed with the county clerk together with other exhibits in that litigation. the story of its disappearance and recovery is attached to a photostatic copy of the map now before me: "for generations the mystery of its disappearance has been a subject of speculation and many believed that it had been withdrawn from the public records into private lands, and there held or possibly lost. in november , the bundle containing the papers in the above suit was opened by charles f. cochran, and the old plat brought to light, just years after it had been placed there. the paper was worn through at many of the creases, being completely in two through the middle, many minute bits were turned under or hanging only by a shred, and in places there has been shrinkage. through the courtesy of dr. herbert putnam, librarian of congress, and col. lawrence martin, chief of the division of maps, and in return for permission to file a photostat of the plat in the library of congress, the plat was mounted by mr. william f. norbeck, the library's expert in the restoration of old maps. it was due to mr. henry b. rust of rockland, near leesburg that the extended search of the loudoun county records was made, in which the plat was brought to light, and he has had it framed."[ ] [ ] i owe both the copy of the map and its history to mr. thomas m. fendall of morrisworth and leesburg. this framed map of was presented to the county, by delivery to mr. b. w. franklin, then county clerk of loudoun, on the th december, , by mr. e. marshall rust, the brother of henry b. rust. upon the organization of the county, the matter of location and establishment of a county seat had to be determined. it was not, however, until the th june, , that the council of the colony, by deciding to locate the courthouse of loudoun on the lands of nicholas minor on the old carolina road near the crossing of the alexandria-keys gap highway, fixed the importance of what was to be known as leesburg. the order of the council reads: "the council having this day taken under consideration the most proper place for establishing the court house of loudoun county, it appearing to them that the plantation of captain nicholas minor was the most convenient place and agreeable to the generality of the people in that county, it was their opinion, and accordingly ordered, that the court house for the said county be fixed on the land of the said minor." when this order of the council was made on the th june, , the loudoun court, as we have seen, had been duly organized and from time to time was meeting for the performance of its duties since the preceding th july. where these early meetings were held does not appear on the records, nor so far as i can learn, is now known. the record of the court's sittings at the time generally begin "at a court held at the courthouse" so that the presumption arises that, for the time being, the residence of one of its members may have been used for that purpose. apparently the court was becoming impatient to have an official home and weary of the council's delay; for at the court's session of the th day of july, , or four days before the date of the council's order, we find that it is, by the loudoun court, "ordered that the sheriff of this county advertise for workmen to build a courthouse to meet here at the next court to agree for the same." the proposed edifice was so carefully described that we can get a very clear idea of its appearance from the specifications recorded at this session of the th august, . it was to be a brick building x , with a jury room added sixteen feet square, having "an outside chimney and fireplace, eight feet in the clear from the foundation to the surface, two feet from the surface to the water table four feet, from thence to the joist ten feet." there significantly follows "and also a prison and stocks of the same dimensions as those in fairfax county for this county."[ ] [ ] loudoun orders a, . a month later, at the court's sitting of the th september, , it was "ordered that the courthouse for this county be built on a lott of captain nicholas minor's no. and and that he convey the same to william west and james hamilton gent. as trustees in fee for the use of the county."[ ] [ ] loudoun orders a, . nevertheless no deed from minor actually was obtained until nearly three years later, as will subsequently appear. that shrewd and careful founder of leesburg well might have been unwilling to give to the county two of the best lots in his new subdivision until he was abundantly protected; so the deed was not given until the new courthouse was built and any lingering doubt removed from his mind that the county's project would be carried out. at the court's session of the th september, , a contract to build the courthouse was confirmed to "aeneas campbell gent." for the sum of pounds current money to be paid in two equal payments, the first on the first day of august next ensuing and the remaining half in the year , campbell having given a bond for the due performance of his contract. at the same session the contract to build the "goal and stocks for this county" was confirmed to "daniel french gent" for pounds current money to be paid on or before the th day of august then next; and it is noted that campbell and french were the lowest bidders. the building operations duly progressed. at the court held on the th november, , a levy was laid in tobacco for the compensation of county officers and of , pounds of tobacco for the balance due campbell, referred to as being "late sheriff" and succeeded by "nicholas minor gt." upon completion of the building in the cautious captain minor felt assurance to execute his deed to the county. on the th day of june in that year he conveyed to "francis lightfoot lee gentleman the first justice named and nominated in the commission of the peace for the said county of loudoun for and in behalf of him the said francis lightfoot lee and the rest of the justices in the said commission named and their and his successors" for the nominal consideration of five shillings, "current money of virginia, the two lots of land situate lying and being in the town of leesburg in the county and colony aforesaid being the same whereon the courthouse and prison now stand laid off and surveyed by john hough to contain each lot half an acre and numbered twenty seven and twenty eight." there were some formal rites attending the transfer of the land and the ancient "livery of seizin" ceremony was duly enacted. then, following the signature of minor and his witnesses to the deed: "memorandum that on the eleventh day of june anno domini one thousand seven hundred and sixty one full peaceable and quiet possession of the within mentioned premises was given by nicholas minor gent to francis lightfoot lee and the other justices within named by delivery to him and them turf and twig on the said premises in the presence of the underwritten persons then present."[ ] [ ] loudoun deeds b, . and finally, at the court held on the th november, , it was "ordered that nicholas minor gen't. and john moss junr. agree with workmen to clear away the bricks and dirt about the courthouse and likewise for building a necessary house and posting and railing in the courthouse lott and bring in their account at the laying of the next levy."[ ] [ ] loudoun orders a, . and from that day to this the loudoun courthouse, in its various and successive reconstructions, has always stood on these lots of captain nicholas minor, thus granted by him to the county for that purpose. in the process of time the prison, the stocks and the "necessary house" have been removed. in september, , the assembly passed an act "erecting" leesburg as a town, in the same measure "erecting" stephensburg and enlarging winchester, which act reads, in part, as follows: "an act for erecting a town on the land of lewis stephens, in the county of frederick: for enlarging the town of winchester, and for erecting a town on the land of nicholas minor, in the county of loudoun.... "iii and whereas nicholas minor of the county of loudoun, gentleman, hath laid off sixty acres of his land, adjoining to the court-house of the said county into lots, with proper streets for a town, many of which lots are sold, and improvements made thereon, and the inhabitants of the said county have petitioned this general assembly that the same may be erected into a town, be it therefore enacted by the authority aforesaid, that the land so laid off into lots and streets, for a town, by the said nicholas minor, be and the same is hereby erected and established a town, and shall be called by the name of leesburg; and that the free holders and inhabitants thereof shall for ever hereafter enjoy the same privileges which the inhabitants of other towns, erected by act of assembly, now enjoy. "iv and whereas it is expedient that trustees should be appointed to regulate the buildings in the said towns of stephensburg, winchester and leesburg: be it therefore enacted by the authority aforesaid, ... and that the honorable philip ludwell lee, esquire, thomas mason, esquire, francis lightfoot lee, james hamilton, nicholas minor, josias clapham, aeneas campbell, john hugh, francis hague, and william west, gentlemen, be constituted and appointed trustees for the said town of leesburg; and that they, or any five or more of them, are hereby authorized and empowered, from time to time, and all times hereafter, to settle and establish such rules and orders for the more regular and orderly building of the houses in the said town of leesburg, as to them shall seem best and most convenient. and in the case of death or removal, or other legal disability of any one or more of the trustees above mentioned, it shall and may be lawful for the surviving or remaining trustees of the said towns of stephensburg, winchester, and leesburg, respectively, from time to time, to elect and choose so many other persons in the room of those so dead, removed or disabled, as shall make up the number of ten; which trustees, so chosen, shall by all intents and purposes be vested with the same power as any other in this act particularly named."[ ] [ ] hening, . of the members of the lee family participating in the early affairs of the town and county or owning land in loudoun, it is generally held that the new town was named in honour of francis lightfoot lee, the first county lieutenant. thus the lees are appropriately and locally commemorated, though their river still remains goose creek and the county of their large holdings goes by another and less congruous name. now it must be remembered that in this year of which marked the formal recognition and naming of leesburg, the french and indian menace was a very real and terrible anxiety in the minds of the loudoun settlers and had been responsible for the erection of the small frontier fort at this point which has been mentioned. the local tradition that the little town, when first built, was surrounded by a timber stockade seems not only plausible but highly probable.[ ] it was a well established custom of the english colonists on the indian frontier, north and south, to protect their outlying villages in that manner. leesburg people always insist that the noticeable crowding together of houses in the older part of the town and the pronounced local custom of building immediately on the street line is a survival of this very early need of concentration for protection. [ ] head, . where the two main roads, to which the town owes its existence, passed through its future site, they followed the old virginia custom in being decidedly indefinite in their bounds; and their condition was further complicated by the ground at this point being marshy and fed by numerous springs. therefore even before leesburg was laid out or loudoun organized, the people living in the neighborhood had petitioned the fairfax court for the construction of a highway at that point in such manner as would be most convenient for the travel from noland's ferry to the carolinas. when loudoun was organized the petition was certified to the court of the new county which, in its november term of , ordered that the roads leading from alexandria to winchester and from noland's ferry to the carolinas be opened to go through that neighbourhood "in the most convenient manner;" and james hamilton, john moss and thomas sorrell were ordered "to view the most convenient way for the same and make report to the court." these viewers proceeded to so efficiently fulfill their duties that when they eventually reported to the court, on the th april, , that they had "viewed the most convenient way for the roads to pass through the town and find them convenient and good with proper clearing,"[ ] a corduroy road had been constructed through the marshy ground and hough was thus able to have his king street in definite bounds when he mapped his survey for minor. [ ] loudoun orders a, . chapter x adolescence our upper country, at last, has graduated from being classified as merely part of the backwoods of lord fairfax's northern neck and is now enrolled in the rapidly growing roster of colonial virginia's counties. unfortunately the conferring of that dignity did not alter the social problems of the frontier nor change, to any great degree, the turbulence and heterogeneous character of its population. the irish element, particularly, appears to have been pugnacious and lawless, if one may judge from the frequency of proceedings before the court for "battery" wherein defendants carry distinctly hibernian names. there was no dearth of business, civil or criminal, awaiting the court's sessions. those of the poorer class, however, were not alone in taking the law into their own hands. cameron parish, as heretofore appears, was set up in . whether its vestry was more arbitrary and tenacious of office or merely less diplomatic than was the rule elsewhere is not clear; but that there developed great dissatisfaction with its activities the records show. the parish vestry, it will be remembered, exercised many powers of civil government. originally the vestry of twelve gentlemen and their successors were chosen by vote of the parishioners; but gradually the practice developed in existing vestries, upon the death or resignation of a member, for the survivors themselves arbitrarily to appoint his successor. there never was unanimity of religious belief in cameron the parish nor in loudoun the county. from the very beginning, as we have seen, the land was peopled by men and women of definitely divergent religious views--the churchmen from tidewater with some baptists and presbyterians, a large number of quakers from pennsylvania, germans from overseas and no small number whose religious convictions, if existent, were of nebulous tenuity. had the vestries stood annually for election the populace might have felt more closely represented; but with their membership exclusively taken from the landowning class which had migrated from the lower country, the quakers, the scotch-irish, the germans accepted a somewhat arbitrary rule less willingly than were they all churchmen and meeting together in common worship. the friction was not confined to cameron. similar troubles had developed elsewhere and petitions had been sent to williamsburg for relief. in the legislature decided to act. "whereas" reads the preamble to chapter xxi of the laws of - "it has been represented to this present general assembly, that the vestries of the parish of antrim, in the county of halifax; of the parish of cameron in the county of loudoun; of the parish of bath, in the county of dinwiddie; and of the parish of saint-patrick, in the county of prince edward, have been guilty of arbitrary and illegal practices to the great oppression of the inhabitants of said parishes ... and the inhabitants of said parishes have respectively petitioned this assembly that the said vestries may be dissolved;"[ ] [ ] hening, . the legislature thereupon dissolved the vestries named, their future acts were "declared utterly void to all intents and purposes whatsoever" and the freeholders and housekeepers of the respective parishes authorized to meet, on notice, and "elect twelve of the most able & discreet persons of the said parishes respectively to be vestrymen of the same." so far was the legislature willing to go; but the orthodox rulers of virginia did not for a moment propose to turn over control of the vestries in the dissatisfied parishes to a dissenting element; there was a further provision that should any vestrymen dissent from the communion of the church of england and join "themselves to a dissenting congregation, and yet continue to act as vestrymen" they should be displaced. during the ensuing ten years loudoun's population grew rapidly and a parish extending from difficult run to the blue ridge covered so much territory that it made it difficult for a vestry, chosen from different parts of the parish, to assemble frequently for business. the project of dividing cameron was the subject of a petition to the legislature in but because of opposition and disagreement the division was not made until june, , when an act was passed creating a new parish beyond goose creek and running to the blue ridge.[ ] it was given the name of shelburne in compliment to the british statesman william petty-fitzmaurice, lord shelburne. [ ] hening, . this contemplated division of cameron had repercussions in the relations between that parish and its mother parish truro. the new shelburne would take from cameron many of its tithables or taxpayers and suggested intensive study of its remaining economic resources. in november, , or twenty-eight years after the creation of cameron, the legislature passed an act empowering truro's vestry to sell its parish glebe and church plate and divide the proceeds between truro and cameron; while three years later, in the act creating shelburne, it was provided that as the cameron glebe was then located inconveniently, the latter's vestry was authorized to sell it and use the proceeds "toward purchasing a more convenient glebe, and erecting buildings thereon, for the use and benefit of the minister of the said parish of cameron, for the time being, forever."[ ] [ ] hening, . [illustration: william petty-fitzmaurice. earl of shelburne, st marquis of lansdowne, for whom shelburne parish was named.] the parish well may continue to take satisfaction in having been named worthily. shelburne came of an historical and noble family, being a direct descendant of the very ancient lords of kerry. born in dublin on the th may, , his childhood is said to have been "spent in the remotest parts of the south of ireland and according to his own account when he entered christ church, oxford in he had both everything to learn and everything to unlearn." perhaps his friendship and conciliatory attitude always shewn toward the american colonies arose from his naturally amiable and considerate disposition, perhaps from his participation under wolfe in campaigns against the french. however that may be, he was well-liked and trusted in virginia. he succeeded his father as earl of shelburne in . during the critical years of and he was serving, under pitt, as secretary of state and sought, as a friend of the colonies, to avoid the crisis which was surely developing. unfortunately his efforts toward conciliation were blocked by others of the ministry and the king and in shelburne was dismissed. in he reassumed office under lord rockingham, with the express understanding that the independence of the american colonies should be recognized; an attitude requiring courage and strength to maintain. when rockingham died, shelburne succeeded him as premier but through an alliance of fox with shelburne's old enemy north, he was forced to resign that position in . a year later, when pitt returned to power, he caused shelburne to be created first marquis of landsdowne with which his public career ended. he was succeeded in his titles and estates, upon his death on the th may, , by his eldest son.[ ] [ ] see biography in _encyclopedia britannica_ under name of landsdowne. more fortunate in its fate than the early vestry books of cameron, which have been destroyed or lost, the first vestry book of shelburne, covering the period from to , has been preserved and after being for many years in the library of the episcopal theological seminary at alexandria was sent to the state library in richmond. a photostatic copy has been made and is held in loudoun.[ ] [ ] in loudoun national bank. by way of contrast to the first vestry books of virginia's older parishes, the earliest entries in that of shelburne do not yield a great amount of interesting material. its pages are largely filled with details of the levy of taxes and there is a protracted quarrel over the sites to be chosen for new church buildings which, in the event, prevented action until the revolution and its aftermath deprived the vestries of much of their authority. a few entries in the vestry book have been abstracted: " th november ordered that the church wardens for the present year do provide benches to accomodate the persons who come to attend divine service at the court house in leesburg." and then, to shew what a church the parish might have had but did not, there is this entry on the th december . (page ) "ordered that there be a church built at or near the place where the chapple now stands at stephen rozels and that it be feet long & feet broad in the clear. to be built either of brick or stone. to be of sufficient pitch for two rows of windows, if built of brick the wall to be - / brick thick if built of stone the walls to be feet thick; the pews & all the carpenter work to be of pine plank (framing excepted) the base to be of stone - / feet thick & to be finished off in such manner as the person appointed shall direct." from the th day of june, , no meeting of the vestry is recorded until the st day of april . at the meeting of the th november, , mr. jones, the minister was ordered to preach "one sunday at the church at rozels & the rest at leesburg." thus the county was divided into two parishes. a little later cameron secured the services, as parson, of a member of another well-known family of the northern neck when, in , the rev. spence grayson returned from his theological studies and ordination in england and assumed that position. he was the son of benjamin grayson and susan monroe and had inherited from his father his home, belle air, in prince william county which he left to go to england to enter the church. he married mary elizabeth wagener, sister to colonel peter wagener (clerk of fairfax county and subsequently an officer in the revolution) and became one of the original trustees in of the town of carrborough on the south side of the mouth of quantico creek, where now are situated the marine corps barracks. his nephew was the well-known colonel william grayson who, after serving with distinction in the revolution, became one of the original two senators from virginia. but shelburne was not to be cast in the shade in this matter of parsons. in there was inducted there as minister the man who, of her long line of clergy, has left in church, state, and nation the most prominent name of all. the rev. dr. david griffith had been born in the city of new york in . like the rev. charles green, early minister of truro, dr. griffith first became a physician, taking his medical degree in london and then returning to new york and beginning his practice as a physician there in . determining to enter the church ministry, he returned to england and was ordained in london by bishop terrick on the th august, . again he returned to america and worked as a missionary in new jersey, whence he came to take charge of shelburne parish in . when the revolution came on, he, in , became chaplain of the rd virginia regiment and, in december of that year, he "was acting as a surgeon in the continental army in philadelphia." long a close and confidential friend of george washington, he became the rector of christ church, alexandria, in , in which position he continued until his death. he was a leader in building up the church in virginia from its depressed condition after the revolution, was a member of its first convention in richmond in and was elected first bishop of virginia at the second annual convention of the diocese in may, . unfortunately there were no funds available to pay his expenses to england and thus he was never formally consecrated. he died at the house of bishop white in philadelphia, while attending a church convention there, in . he has been described as "large and tall in person but firm in manner. without perhaps being brilliant, he was an able man of sound judgment and consecrated life, who had the esteem and affection as well as the confidence of his contemporaries. his memory ought to be held by us in highest honour."[ ] [ ] _the colonial church in virginia_, rev. e. l. goodwin, p. . also see _colonel leven powell_, by dr. r. c. powell and appleton's _encyclopedia american biography_. in those days loudoun shared, with other of virginia's frontier counties, a pest of numerous wolves which indeed penetrated into the older counties as well. there was a broad demand that the bounty for killing the animals be increased and in the assembly passed an act authorizing loudoun and six other counties to pay larger bounties, providing that a person killing a wolf within their respective boundaries "shall have an additional reward of fifty pounds of neat tobacco for every young wolf not exceeding the age of six months, and for every wolf above that age one hundred pounds of neat tobacco, to be levied and paid in the respective counties where the service shall be performed."[ ] the act was to continue in force, however, only three years. [ ] hening, . five years later the hunting activities of leesburg, at least, took on a more domestic hue. the inhabitants of the little town were busy in building up the reputation of a famous virginia delicacy but apparently were rather overdoing it. "it is represented" reads an act of "that a great number of hogs are raised and suffered to go at large in the town of leesburg, in the county of loudoun to the great prejudice of the inhabitants thereof;" so the act forbade owners from allowing such liberties to their porkers and permitted any person to "kill and destroy such swine so running at large."[ ] [ ] hening, . that francis aubrey established the first ferry from loudoun's shore across the potomac prior to has been noted in chapter iv. it was at the point of rocks and was inherited by thomas aubrey, son of its founder, who obtained a license for its operation in . by the travel was very light at that point and complaint was made of inadequate equipment. in it, with the surrounding land on the loudoun side, was in the possession of rebecca johnson and in in that of margaret graham. the construction of the point of rocks bridge by the potomac bridge company in ended its usefulness. a second ferry, also across the potomac and heretofore recorded, became far more famous than that of the aubreys. when philip noland acquired land on that river where travel over the old carolina road had, from time immemorial, crossed it, he had the most valuable and frequented ferry-site in the neighborhood. he had sought, but unsuccessfully, a ferry license as early as ; in , with or without a license, he was operating his ferry. its operation was eventually authorized by the legislature in to the land of arthur nelson in the state of maryland. no other ferry from loudoun's shores acquired the fame that did noland's. at the height of its activities the travel at that point is said to have supported a country store, a blacksmith's shop, a wagon shop, a tailor and a shoemaker. the coming of the railroads and the construction of the point of rocks bridge together were responsible for its ultimate abandonment. we have a suggestive glimpse of conditions there. in may, , the moravian emissary john frederick reichel, in the course of his ministrations to those of his faith in america, undertook a journey from bethlehem in pennsylvania down the carolina road to the present winston-salem in north carolina. one of his companions kept a journal from which we learn that upon successfully crossing into virginia at noland's ferry, bishop reichel and his company "made camp near mr. th. noland's house close to the road which turns to the right from the foart road towards noland's ferry which crosses the patomoak two miles from here. so far our journey had been very pleasant. now, however, the virginia air brought storms." while the weary travelers were resting that night from their journey, some of noland's negroes left their "quarters" and proceeded to lay their hands on the strangers' equipment. the diarist on the next day indignantly records the following "note. mr. th. noland and his father and father in law have negroes in this neighbourhood on both sides of the potomoack and this neighbourhood is far-famed for robbery and theft." on their return the travellers found that mr. noland had busied himself in recapturing much of the loot and duly returned the articles to their rightful owners.[ ] [ ] _landmarks_, . between noland and josias clapham there was a controversy for many years over which of the two should control the very profitable ferry business over the nearby stretches of the potomac. both had powerful associations and friends and both were, through their own activities and characters, outstanding figures in the loudoun of their day. noland as the son-in-law of the most prominent of loudoun's earliest settlers, francis aubrey, and through his wife in possession of part of aubrey's great land-grants, could well have entertained a conviction that he was aubrey's representative and as such entitled to especial consideration as well as for his own accomplishments; while, on the other hand, clapham's inherited friendship with lord fairfax and his own recent military services as a lieutenant in the troublous times following braddock's defeat and death, his early and continued ownership of extensive tracts of land, his sound personal qualities and the high esteem in which he was held by his neighbours, made him a formidable opponent and rival. he successfully fought noland's application to the legislature for a ferry license in and in obtained one himself for the operation of a ferry below that of noland, "from the lands of josias clapham, in the county of fairfax, over potowmack river, to the land on either side of monochisey creek, in the province of maryland; the price for a man four pence & for a horse the same."[ ] though this license was afterwards suspended, clapham appears to have operated his ferry until when the legislature ordered it discontinued as inconvenient. as clapham at that time was himself a member of that body, it is probable that the old rivalry between the neighbours had ended. [ ] hening, . we learn something of yet another ferry from this same act of the legislature passed in the war year of . therein it was also provided "that publick ferries be constantly kept at the following places and the rates for passing the same be as follows, that is to say: from the land of the earl of tankerville, in the county of loudoun (at present in the tenure of christian shimmer) across potowmack river to the opposite shore in the state of maryland, the price for a man eight pence, and for a horse the same: ..." the act authorized noland to collect the same tolls at his ferry, thus permitting the doubling of the ferry charges by the act of .[ ] [ ] in this ferry situation, _landmarks of old prince william_ is an invaluable guide. chapter xi revolution when the american colonies joined issue with great britain in the controversy which was to result in american independence, loudoun's population, beginning with a thin trickle of adventurers, had been growing for over fifty years, during which time, save for the short period before and after braddock's defeat, her sure but steady development and increase of people had received no serious reversal. the exact number of her inhabitants in is unknown; but fifteen years later she was credited with , whites and , slaves or a total of , individuals. one writer goes so far as to assert that the county was one of the most densely populated in the colony at that period.[ ] toward the close of the conflict, in and , her militia numbered no less than men, which is claimed by head to have been "far in excess of that reported by any other virginia county." when it is remembered that her present population does not greatly exceed , inhabitants and that, in the years which have intervened, the towns have substantially increased in number and size, it is probable that the country districts were quite as populous in as they are today. [ ] goodheart's _loudoun rangers_, . with her early diversity of population, it might well be expected that the county's inhabitants would be divided in their attitude as to the wisdom of war with england. there seems, however, to have been practically a solid front, save for the quakers who, because of their oppugnance to all war, opposed the revolution in loudoun as elsewhere and suffered bitterly in consequence as later will be related. as it was, loudoun lost no time in placing herself on record, as the following amply demonstrates: "at a meeting of the freeholders and other inhabitants of the county of loudoun, in the colony of virginia, held at the courthouse in leesburg, the th june --f. peyton, esq., in the chair--to consider the most effective method to preserve the rights and liberties of n. america, and relieve our brethren of boston, suffering under the most oppressive and tyranical act of the british parliament, made in the th year of his present majesty's reign, whereby their harber is blocked up, their commerce totally obstructed, their property rendered useless "_resolved_, that we will always cheerfully submit to such prerogatives as his majesty has a right, by law, to exercise, as sovereign of the british dominions, and to no others. "_resolved_, that it is beneath the dignity of freemen to submit to any tax not imposed on them in the usual manner, by representatives of their own choosing. "_resolved_, that the act of the british parliament above mentioned, is utterly repugnant to the fundamental laws of justice, in punishing persons without even the form of a trial; but a despotic exertion of unconstitutional power designedly calculated to enslave a free and loyal people. "_resolved_, that the enforcing the execution of the said act of parliament by a military power, must have a necessary tendency to raise a civil war, and that we will, with our lives and fortunes, assist our suffering brethren of boston, and every part of north america that may fall under the immediate hand of oppression, until a release of all our grievances shall be procurred; and our common liberties established on a permanent foundation. "_resolved_, that the east india company, by exporting their tea from england to america, whilst subject to a tax imposed thereon by the british parliament, have evidently designed to fix on the americans those chains forged for them by a venal ministry, and have thereby rendered themselves odious and detestable throughout all america. it is, therefore, the unanimous opinion of this meeting not to purchase any tea or other east india commodity whatever, imported after the first of this month. "_resolved_, that we will have no commercial intercourse with great britain until the above mentioned act of parliament shall be totally repealed, and the right of regulating the internal policy of n. america by a british parliament shall be absolutely and positively given up. _"resolved,_ that thompson mason and francis peyton, esqs., be appointed to represent the county at a general meeting to be held at williamsburg on the st day of august next, to take the sense of this colony on the subject of the preceeding resolves, and that they, together with leven powell, william ellzey, john thornton, george johnston and samuel levi, or any three of them, be a committee to correspond with the several committees appointed for this purpose "signed by john morton thomas williams thomas ray james noland thomas drake samuel peugh william booram william nornail benj. isaac humphrey thomas luttrell samuel mills james brair joshua singleton poins awsley jonathan drake john kendrick matthew rust edward o'neal barney sims francil triplitt john sims joseph combs samuel butler john peyton harrison thomas chinn robert combs appollos cooper stephen combs lina hancock samuel henderson john mcvicker benjamin overfield simon triplett adam sangster thomas awsley bazzell roads isaac sanders john wildey thomas williams james graydey henry awsley joseph bayley wm. finnekin john reardon richard hanson edward miller john dinker richard hirst jasper grant james davis"[ ] [ ] copy found among papers of colonel leven powell. see william and mary quarterly ( ) . the names of the following men, composing the committee for loudoun, are taken from the record of its meeting on the th may, : francis peyton, esq. james lane josias clapham jacob reed thomas lewis leven powell anthony russell william smith john thomas robert johnson george johnson hardage lane thomas shore john lewis with one of the members, george johnson, acting as clerk. when war began, the gentlemen justices of the county's court recommended certain of her men to the governor from time to time as worthy of commissions in the military forces being raised by the colony. many an old and familiar loudoun name appears on the list and for the interest of their descendants and relatives it is here appended as abstracted from the county records by james w. head in his very useful _history of loudoun_:[ ] [ ] loudoun "orders" g - . head, . "march : james whaley jr., second lieutenant; william carnan, ensign; daniel lewis, second lieutenant; josiah miles and thomas king, lieutenants; hugh douglass, ensign; isaac vandevanter, lieutenant; john dodd, ensign. "may . george summers and charles g. eskridge, colonels; william mcclellan, robert mcclain and john henry, captains; samuel cox, major; frans russell, james beavers, scarlet burkley, moses thomas, henry farnsworth, john russell, gustavus elgin, john miller, samuel butcher, joshua botts, john williams, george tyler, nathaniel adams and george mason, lieutenants; isaac grant, john thatcher, william elliott, richard shore, and peter benham, ensigns. "august, thomas marks, william robison, joseph butler and john linton, lieutenants; joseph wildman and george asbury, ensigns. "september francis russell, lieutenant, and george shrieve, ensign. "may joseph wildman, lieutenant, and francis elgin jr., ensign. "june , george kilgour, lieutenant and jacob caton, ensign. "july , john debell, lieutenant and william huchison, ensign. "october , francis russell, captain. "november , james cleveland, captain; thomas millan, ensign. "february , thomas williams, ensign. "march, john benham, ensign. "june, wethers smith and william debell, second lieutenants, francis adams and joel white, ensigns. "august, robert russell, ensign. "october, . john spitzfathem, first lieutenant; thomas thomas and matthew rust, second lieutenants; nicholas minor jr., david hopkins, william mcgeath and samuel oliphant ensigns; charles bennett, captain. "november, . james coleman, esq., colonel, george west, lieutenant-colonel; james mcllaney, major. "february, . simon triplett, colonel; john alexander, lieutenant-colonel; jacob reed, major; john linton, captain; william debell and joel white, lieutenants; thomas minor, ensign; thomas shores, captain; john tayler and thomas beatty, lieutenants; john mcclain, ensign. "march . john mcgeath, captain; ignatius burns, captain; hugh douglass, first lieutenant; john cornelison, second lieutenant; joseph butler and conn oneale, lieutenants; john jones, jr., ensign; william tayler, major first battalion; james coleman, colonel; george west, lieutenant-colonel; josiah maffett, captain; john binns, first lieutenant; charles binns, jr., second lieutenant and joseph hough, ensign. "april . samson trammell, captain; spence wigginton and smith king, lieutenants. "may . thomas respass, esq., major; hugh douglass, gent. captain; thomas king, lieutenant; william t. mason, ensign; samuel noland, captain; abraham dehaven and enock thomas, lieutenants; isaac dehaven and thomas vince, ensigns; james mcllaney, captain; thomas kennan, captain; john bagley, first lieutenant. "june . enoch furr and george rust, lieutenants; withers berry and william hutchison (son of benjamin), ensign. "september . gustavus elgin, captain; john littleton, ensign. "january . william mcclellan, captain. "february . william george, timothy hixon and joseph butler, captains. "march . james mcllaney, captain; george west, colonel, thomas respass, lieutenant-colonel. "july . samuel noland, major; james lewin gibbs, second lieutenant and giles turley, ensign. "august . enoch thomas, captain; samuel smith, lieutenant; matthias smitley, first lieutenant; charles tyler and david beaty, ensigns. "december . thomas king, captain; william mason, first lieutenant and silas gilbert, ensign." by a stroke of good fortune, there has been brought to light and published in recent years a journal kept by one nicholas cresswell, a young englishman of gentle birth who, in , at the age of years obeyed a keen impulse to emigrate to virginia with the expectation of buying a plantation and becoming a virginia farmer.[ ] his home in england was the estate of his father, known as crowden-le-booth, in the parish of edale in the peak of derbyshire. the father seems to have been a somewhat stern disciplinarian, against the rigidity of whose rule and unhappy home conditions young cresswell fretted; and that and an ambition to make his own way in the world, coupled with an appetite for adventure common to his age and race, induced nicholas to his course. after many difficulties, he sailed from england in the ship _molly_ on the th of april, , and thus began a series of adventures, his excellent record of which has been characterized as "a valuable addition to revolutionary americana" and, it may be added, is nothing less than treasure trove to the student of loudoun's past. in the course of his ensuing experiences he met, among a multitude of others, jefferson, lord howe, patrick henry, francis lightfoot lee; was upon occasion washington's guest at mount vernon and paints and proves thomson mason to have been one of the kindliest and most hospitable of men. his wanderings took him through many parts of virginia and particularly leesburg and its neighborhood, maryland, pennsylvania, new york; on a voyage to barbados to recoup his health and on an expedition as a viewer and surveyor of new lands, down the ohio river into indiana country, in an unsuccessful effort to recoup his fortune. an educated young englishman, loyal to his king and country, arriving in the colonies as the storm of the revolution was about to break, he soon was suspected of being an english spy, was bullied and persecuted by some, befriended by others and, withal, records his experiences in a narrative of such fascination that one reads it from end to end with unabated interest. of the leesburg and loudoun of the period he gives the best contemporary, if not always complimentary, account known to the present writer. through the courtesy of the dial press, the publishers of his journal in the united states, the following abstract of loudoun material is permitted: [illustration: nicholas cresswell, the journalist. (from a portrait now owned by samuel thorneley, esquire.)] cresswell first passed through loudoun in november, , in the course of a journey to the valley. he arrived in leesburg on sunday the th and records: "the land begins to grow better. a gravelly soil and produces good wheat, but the roads are very bad, cut to pieces with the wagons, number of them we met today. their method of mending the roads is with poles about foot long laid across the road close together; they stick fast in the mud and make an excellent causeway. very thinly peopled along the road, almost all woods. only one public house between this place and alexandria." [ ] _the journal of nicholas cresswell_, the dial press, new york. on the next day he inspected leesburg. "viewing the town. it is regularly laid off in squares, but very indifferently built and few inhabitants and little trade, tho' very advantageously situated, for it is at the conjunction of the great roads from the north part of the continent to the south and the east and the west. lodged at mr. moffit's, mr. kirk's partner in a store which he has here." on the following sunday, "went to a methodist meeting. this sect is scattered in every place and have got considerable footing here, owing to the great negligence of the church parsons." the next day he continued his journey to the west, returning to leesburg on the th december, . on the following day, being sunday, he simply notes "but no prayers." on monday, "court day. a great number of litigious suits. the people seem to be fond of law. nothing uncommon for them to bring suit against a person for a book debt and trade with him on an open account at the same time. to be arrested for debt is no scandal here." and on the next day he "saw the independence company exercise. a ragged crew." in january he amuses himself "with shooting wild geese and ducks. here is incredible numbers in the river likewise swans. it is said they come from the lakes." again on his way to the west, this time to the indian country, he arrived in leesburg on sunday the th march, . on the following wednesday he "went to look at a silver mine. saw some appearance of metal but don't know what it is." on the st: "at leesburg waiting for my gun and goods coming from alexandria. the peach orchards are in full blossom and make a beautiful appearance." on the following sunday, the nd april, he notes "but no parson. it is a shame to suffer these people to neglect their duty in the manner they do." after his journey in the "illinois country" we find him again in leesburg in the employment of one kirk, a merchant of alexandria who, son of a blacksmith in cresswell's home parish, had gone to virginia and prospered there. on sunday, the th november, , nicholas records that he "went to church or courthouse which you please in the forenoon" thus further confirming that the established church services were, at that time, held in the courthouse at leesburg. cresswell meets and is much in the company of george johnston, captain mccabe, george ancram, and captain douglas. as a sidelight on leesburg's evening diversions of the period, he writes under date of the th november that he "dined at captn. mccabe's in company with captn. douglas and cavan. spent the evening at the store in company with captn. mccabe and captn. speake and all of us got drunk." on the th december he made a short visit to "frederick town in maryland," and, both going and some days later on his return, dined at noland's ferry, suggesting some accommodation for travellers there. on sunday the th december, he "went to church, spent the evening at mr. johnson's with the rev. mr. david griffiths and several gentlemen." he was a guest at "garalland, seat of captn. william douglas. a great deal of agreeable company and very merry." on the next day there was "dancing and playing at cards. in the evening several of the company went in quest of a poor englishman, who they supposed had made songs on the committee, but did not find him." this week was one of celebration; on the following friday, ( th january, ) "this being my birthday, invited captn. mccabe, h. neilson, w. johnston, matthews, booker and my particular friend p. cavan to spend the evening with me. we have kept it up all night and i am at this time very merry." on saturday: "spent the evening at mr. johnston's with our last night's company. he is going to camp. all of us got most feloniously drunk. captn. mccabe, hugh neilson and i kept it up all night." on sunday: "went to bed about two o'clock in the afternoon, stupidly drunk. not been in bed or asleep for two nights." a party was a party in the leesburg of . virginia was heading toward independence, with war if need be. popular sentiment is shown by such entries as "nothing but independence will go down. the devil is in the people." "all in confusion. the committee met to choose officers for the new company that are to be raised. they are in number, the first men in the county and had two bowls of toddy," (he carefully explains elsewhere that "toddy" means punch) "but could not find cash to pay for it." on the th february, "court day. great confusion, no business done. the populace deters the magistrates and they in turn are courting the rebels' favour. enlisting men for the rebel army upon credit. their paper money is not yet arrived from the mine." on the nd march he "went to see the general musters of the militia in town, about men but few arms." on sunday the th may he says: "this day is appointed by the great sanhedrim to be kept an holy fast throughout the continent, but we have no prayers in leesburg. the parson (rev. david griffiths) is gone into the army." he has this to say about a quaker meeting in february, probably at waterford, to which he went with his friends cavan and thomas matthews. "this is one of the most comfortable places of worship i was ever in, they had two large fires and a dutch stove. after a long silence and many groans a man got up and gave us a short lecture with great deliberation. dined at mr. jos. janney's one of the friends." it was not until the th april, , that thomson mason, who was to prove so consistently a friend to him, is introduced, when cresswell notes that he was a dinner guest at his home--presumably raspberry plain. by that time cresswell had made a host of acquaintances and friends. he enjoyed popularity with his new companions, frequently was entertained or was a host himself. to add to his scanty resources, he made lye, nitre and saltpetre on shares and his process and progress he records in detail. his work was interrupted by frequent illness, due doubtless to the heavy drinking indulged in by him and his associates. on the th july, , he learns, to his dismay, of the _declaration of independence_. from time to time he dined with thomson mason who on the th july "proffers to give me a letter of recommendation to the governor henry for liberty to go on board the fleet in the bay. i have no other choice to go home but this;" and on the next day, "a general muster of the militia. great confusion among them. recruiting parties offer dollars advance and s per month." but cresswell realized the increasing danger to him, loyal briton that he was, of a continued stay in america. in august he determined to go to new york for he was convinced that he "must either escape that way or go to jail for toryism." he did not tell mr. mason of his design to leave the county, but only that he contemplated a northern journey; and from him obtained a "letter to messrs. francis lightfoot lee, thos. stone, thos. jefferson and john rogers esq., all members of the congress." on the rd august "in company with mr. alexander cooper, a storekeeper in town" he left leesburg for the north. he duly arrived in philadelphia which greatly pleased him in its size and cleanliness. he calls on lee and jefferson, presents his letters, is kindly received and through the latter obtains "a pass written by mr. john hancock, pres. of the congress." thence to new york, where he sees the british army and ships in the distance but cannot reach them and begins to feel that to do so would be a dishonourable return for thomson mason's kindness. so back again to leesburg he journeys, bewailing his situation but to his credit determining "to rot in a jail rather than take up arms against my native country." on the th october, , the th regiment of virginians, encamped at leesburg on their way to the north, are described as "a set of dirty, ragged people, badly clothed, badly disciplined and badly armed." salt was selling there at "forty shillings, currency, per bushel. this article usually sold for four shillings. if no salt comes in there will be an insurrection in the colony." in alexandria a few days later, he learns that the committee "will not permit me to depart this colony as they look upon me to be a spy and that i must be obliged to give security or go to jail." then to leesburg again, which he seems to regard as his american home and on the th october sees a "general muster of the county militia in town, about men appeared under-armed, with tobacco sticks in general much rioting and confusion. recruiting officers for the _sleber_ army offer twelve pounds bounty and acres of land when the war is over, but get very few men." in spite of repeatedly admonishing himself in his journal to avoid political arguments he was unable to do so, particularly when in his cups, and so on the th november his criticism of the revolution and its adherents caused him to be waited upon by three members of the committee of safety who obliged him to pledge himself not to leave the colony for three months. at this time there was an ordinary at leesburg known as the crooked billet.[ ] it was a favourite place for the heavy drinking parties in which cresswell and his friends indulged. he records, after a night of debauchery, he had sent all his companions "to bed drunk and i am now going to bed myself at in the morning as drunk as an honest man could wish." the next day the carouse continued. the leesburg of the eighteenth century was as little noted for sobriety as were other parts of the english-speaking world. [ ] the name persists in england. in july, , on leaving the tower of london, i found myself facing another "crooked billet," a public house at minories. after spending much of the winter of -' in and around leesburg and recording the great encouragement the americans obtained from washington's successes at princeton and elsewhere, he, on the st march, , "went with captn. douglas and mr. flemming patterson to see mr. josiah clapham. he is an assembly man, colonel of the county and justice of the peace on the present establishment. he is an englishman from wakefield in yorkshire, much in debt at home, and in course a violent sleber here. has made himself very popular by erecting a manufactory of guns, but it is poorly carried on. his wife is the most notable woman in the county for housew'fery, but i should like her much better if she would keep a cleaner house. he has got a very good plantation, takes every mean art to render himself popular amongst a set of ignorant dutchmen that are settled in his neighbourhood. dirty in person and principle." though much embarrassed by his poverty cresswell refuses a commission as a captain of engineers at $ per day offered to him by colonel green and colonel grayson. he told them he "could not bear the thoughts of taking up arms against my native country" and they "were pleased to make me some genteel compliment about my steadiness and resolution." his despondency returns and mason invites him to dinner and offers him "a letter of introduction and recommendations to the governor of virginia by his permission to go on board the man of war in the bay." he resolves to accept the letter and make an attempt to return to england in april. the rev. david griffith returns to leesburg and preaches "a political discourse." he speaks of meeting mr. griffith and his wife at mr. neilson's. griffith, writes cresswell "is a most violent sleber. he is doctor and chaplain to one of their regmt." on the nd march, , he records "great tumults and murmurings among the people caused by them pressing the young men into the army. the people now begin to feel the effects of an independent government and groan under it, but cannot help themselves, as they are almost in general disarmed." on the th april, , he left leesburg and eventually succeeded in getting to the british man-of-war _phoenix_ off the mouth of the chesapeake. after another visit to new york he finally reached england in safety. in spite of all his tribulations and the very real dangers he incurred in his american sojourn, he records that "virginia is the very finest country i ever was in"--no small concession.[ ] [ ] the book itself should be read. the above abstractions necessarily omit much of fascinating interest. the people of loudoun's german settlement may have been "a set of ignorant dutchmen" to the irritated cresswell but they proved loyal and effective fighters in the american cause. they seem to have been whole-heartedly with their tidewater and scotch-irish neighbors in the controversy and are reputed to have largely joined armand's legion under charles trefin armand, marquis de la rouaire ( - ) who, after service in the garde de corps in paris, had volunteered in the american army on the th may, , under the name of charles armand, had been commissioned a colonel by the congress, saw much service and was greatly beloved by his men, few of whom were able to speak english. cresswell is confirmed in his statement regarding clapham's gun factory by the record of a session of the committee of safety of virginia, held on the th march, , at williamsburg: "ordered that a letter be written to colonel clapham in answer to his of feby rd and march th informing him that we have sent him £ to pay for the rifles mentioned by chro. perfect, that the comm'ee agree to take all the good musquets that shall be made by the or hands he mentions by the st december next, and desire him to contract for the large rifles also mentioned."[ ] [ ] calendar of virginia state papers, . two other men in loudoun must again be cited for their activities in the cause of independence--one as a statesman, the other as a soldier. thomson mason, from his ownership of raspberry plain, was identified closely with the county although not a continuous resident there. we find him constantly devoting his time and abilities to the american cause. even as early as he wrote "you must draw your swords in a just cause, and rely upon that god, who assists the righteous, to support your endeavours to preserve the liberty he gave, and the love of which he hath implanted in your hearts as essential to your nature." less eloquent but more active was leven powell. he with mason, in that same year of , was urging his neighbors to resistance. in he received a commission as major in a battalion of minute men from loudoun, in was made by general washington a lieutenant colonel of the th regiment of virginia continentals, spent the greater part of that year in raising and equipping his command and saw much active service until invalided home from the vigours of the following terrible winter at valley forge. his impaired health forced him to resign his commission in the autumn of . by way of sharp contrast to the other people of loudoun, the quakers refused to aid or abet the revolution in any way. through their industry and frugality they had, by that time, acquired some influence in the county but when they refused to aid their fellow-virginians in the great struggle, all that was changed. non-resistance was a cardinal principle of their faith and come weal or woe they stuck to it. they refused to serve in the army. they refused to pay muster-fines. "not even the scourge" writes kercheval of the quakers of the valley, "would compel them to submit to discipline. the practice of coercion was therefore abandoned and the legislature enacted a law to levy a tax upon their property to hire substitutes to perform militia duty in their stead."[ ] refusing to pay these taxes their property was sold and many were reduced to great distress. others, taking advantage of these tax sales, bought up their properties and profited largely by their shrewdness. [ ] _history of shenandoah valley of virginia_, by samuel kercheval, . as the war continued, virginia faced difficulties in raising her quota of continental troops. we have read cresswell's record of these troubles in loudoun as early as october, . in the assembly passed an act recognizing as inadequate prior laws on the subject, calling for , men, rank and file, and offering for eighteen months enlistment $ ; while to those who enlisted for three years, or the duration of the war, $ was to be given "together with the continental bounty of land and shall be entitled to receive the pay and rations which are allowed to soldiers in the continental army from the day of their enlistment and shall be furnished annually, at the public expense with the following articles, a coat, waistcoat and breeches, two shirts, one hat, two pairs of stockings, one pair of shoes and a blanket...."[ ] in the same year the legislature was obliged to pass an act against "forestallers and engrossers"--in other words what we today call war profiteers, authorizing the governor to seize grain and flour for the army in the hands of those gentry.[ ] [ ] hening, . [ ] hening, . the objection to enlistment seems to have been directed against the longer term rather than to military service itself. also there was confusion and lack of that complete authority necessary in such a crisis. we find colonel josias clapham writing to the council of virginia on the th september, , asking to be permitted to send a company of volunteers, which had been raised in loudoun, to the assistance of general mcintosh's brigade, but his request was declined on the ground that the "executive power" had no right to send volunteers to join any corps whatsoever.[ ] [ ] virginia magazine history and biography, . the lot of the loyalist or "tories" as they were popularly termed, was not a happy one. there was one james white who indiscreetly "spoke many disrespectful words of his excellency g. washington and that he was not fit to be the son of a stewart dog." white appears to have been indicted in loudoun as a tory and thereupon to have fled the county. there is the suggestion that he was a man of some property and that to avoid its confiscation he later saw the error of his ways, returned to loudoun, apologized to the court for his behavior, took the oath of allegiance to the new state of virginia and so succeeded in having his indictment dismissed.[ ] [ ] balch library clippings, . at the other end of the social scale were the white convicts of which, as we have seen, loudoun had long had her share or more. there has been preserved an advertisement of by sam love, a justice of the peace: "ran away from the subscriber, in loudoun county, two convict servants, david hinds, an irishman, about years of age, feet, or inches high, pitted with small pox, hath a wart or pear on his chin, hath short, black, curled hair, had on when he went away a country cloth jacket and breeches, yarn stockings, country linen shirt, old shoes and felt hat almost new,--george dorman, born in england, about years of age, feet, or inches hight, had on when he went away nearly the same clothing as hinds, they both had iron collars on when they went away, its expected they will change their clothing and have forged passes. whoever brings the said servants home shall have two dollars reward for each if taken ten miles from home, and in proportion for a greater or less distance, as far as miles, including what the law allows. "paid by gm. sam love." [illustration: from the loudoun-fauquier magazine noland mansion. built about .] but negroes and convicts were not the only class in loudoun deprived of liberty. early in the unfortunate prisoners of war began to arrive. of a number of "highland prisoners taken by captain james and richard barren in the ship oxford," the following were sent to loudoun by the committee of safety at its session on the th june : donald mcleod john gunn donald keith murdock morison john mcleod hugh mckay william kelly john forbas alexander mcintosh william robinson john mcleod, jr. john mckay[ ] peter robinson [ ] see tyler's quarterly v- . the next year a much larger contingent made its appearance. the hessian prisoners taken at the battle of saratoga were divided into parties which were sent to different parts of the colonies. a numerous band was sent to noland's ferry where a camp for them was established and, it is said, some of their number were employed in building the noland mansion there, thus fixing the long disputed date of its construction. briscoe goodhart says that few of these prisoners were returned to europe after the war but that, for the most part, they settled in loudoun and in frederick and montgomery counties, maryland, in all of which were many of german descent and that the former hessian prisoners became useful and industrious citizens in their new homes.[ ] [ ] balch library clippings ii, and iv, . as the war drew to its close in , there appears to have been a large accumulation of war supplies in loudoun. lafayette wrote to washington on the st july of that year: "there must be a great quantity of accoutrements in the country. by a letter from the board of war, i find that saddles, swords, pairs of pistols may be soon expected at leesburg, supposing that the same number be got in the country...."[ ] [ ] virginia magazine history and biography, . on the th of the same month colonel william davis, in covering the situation in the northern neck, wrote "at noland's there are muskets and bayonets. those added to the at fredericksburg are too many by ...."[ ] [ ] virginia colonial state papers, . and on the th august in the same year, captain a. bohannan wrote from fauquier court house to colonel wm. davis: "i have this moment returned from leesburg--the stores that were there & at noland's ferry are now on their way to this place; it was with the greatest difficulty that i could procure waggons in the neighbourhood of leesburg for the transportation of them; in short i cou'd not have done it had i not promised to pay them when they arrived at this place & discharge them. it is useless to pretend to impress waggons in this part of the country, as you will seldom see a waggon on any plantation but what wants either a wheel or geer. the inhabitants say they are willing to work for the public, provided that they cou'd get paid for their services. they are willing to take what the q. m. genl: allows, tho' it shu'd be less than they could get from private persons." it was estimated that it would cost "fifteen or twenty thousand pounds" (presumably tobacco) to move the stores, and the writer "desires some pay for himself, being without a shilling and not having received any money for eighteen months."[ ] [ ] virginia colonial state papers, . and now, a final glimpse of loudoun and leesburg in the revolution, afforded in the diary of captain john davis of the pennsylvania line who passed through the county with general anthony wayne's brigade on its way to yorktown and victory; the entries to be quoted begin on the st day of may, , when the command was on its way from "york town" in pennsylvania: "took up the line of march at sunrise, passed through frederick town, maryland and reached powtomack, which, in crossing in squows, one unfortunately sunk, loaded with artillery & q. m. stores and men in which our sergeant & three men were drowned; encamped on the s. w. side of the river. night being very wet, our baggage not crossed, officers of the reg. took quarters in col. clapham's negro quarter, where we agreeably passed the night. "june st. continued on our ground till four o'clock in the afternoon, when we mov'd five miles on the way to leesburg. "june d. very wet day ... & continued till evening. " rd (loudoun co.) took up the line of march at o'clock, passed through leesburg--the appearance of which i was much disappointed in; encamped at goose creek, miles. " th. (prince wm. co.) marched from goose creek at six o'clock at which place left our baggage & sick, and proceeded through the low country. roads bad in consequence of the rains; encamped at red house miles." all writers of the period who describe the town agree that leesburg, after twenty years or more of existence, was still a shabby little place, "of few and insignificant wooden houses" as one traveller records his impressions. the day of permanent buildings in the town had not yet arrived. hardly an edifice standing in leesburg today was then in existence. chapter xii the story of john champe while the powells and the masons, the lees, the claphams, the nolands and the rusts, the chinns, the peytons, the mercers, the ellzeys and others of her natural leaders and large landowning families of the time, had abetted and supported, in one capacity or another, the revolutionary cause, it was, in the end, the simple, homespun, backwoodsman class that bred loudoun's most romantic figure in the revolution. sergeant major john champe of lee's partisan legion, mighty of bone and sinew, stout-hearted, resourceful and of such boundless devotion and loyalty to his country and his commander-in-chief in its hour of travail that he consented to incur the scorn and hatred of his fellow-soldiers when along that hard path lay his duty, deserves to have his fidelity, his courage and his exploits commemorated at length in every story of his native county. john champe was born in what was soon to become loudoun in the year . little or nothing is known of his boyhood. his family was too humble and his early life too obscure to have challenged the pen of his scattered neighbors. when the american colonies revolted against the mother country, he at once enlisted in virginia's forces and in was serving as a dragoon in light horse harry lee's cavalry legion in which he had by sheer merit attained the rank of sergeant major and, through the esteem he had earned, was in line for promotion to a commission. the morale of the american army had been profoundly shaken by arnold's recent treason and escape; the courageous but unfortunate young british officer andrè was a prisoner in washington's hands as a result of his part in the affair and washington was deeply troubled lest the treason which had corrupted arnold had spread its vicious poison elsewhere among his soldiers. henry lee of virginia, famous enough in his own right but also destined to be known as the father of general robert e. lee as well, was afterward, in the war of , commissioned a major general; but then, as a cavalry major of twenty-three in command of an independent partisan corps of dragoons, had already achieved his magnificent capture of the british-held fort at paulus hook and for that and many another daring exploit enjoyed no small military distinction. at the time our story opens, lee and his corps were with washington along the hudson river. many years later he was to write his famous _memoirs of the war in the southern department of the united states_,[ ] an important source-book of american history. it is to this work that we are principally indebted for our knowledge of champe's exploit and from it i shall quote largely the story, condensing but the less essential parts. only thus can be taken the true measure of champe's heroism, now too generally forgotten in loudoun. [ ] quotations are from the nd edition published in in washington by peter force. there had fallen into washington's hands certain anonymous papers which appeared to involve other of his soldiers in treason, and particularly one of his generals.[ ] he had sent for lee and handed him the papers. lee studied them carefully and when asked his counsel, said he thought they represented a contrivance of sir henry clinton, the british commander-in-chief, to destroy confidence between washington and his men and purposely had been permitted by the british to fall into washington's hands. washington rejoined that the idea was plausible and had already occurred to him; but the danger involved in the possible defection of one of his highest officers was so great that the truth must be ascertained at once. [ ] supposed to have been general gates. "'i have sent for you'" lee quotes washington as saying, "'in the expectation that you have in your corps individuals capable and willing to undertake an indispensable, delicate and hazardous project. whoever comes forward upon this occasion, will lay me under great obligations personally, and in behalf of the united states i will reward him amply. no time is to be lost: he must proceed if possible this night. my object is to probe to the bottom the afflicting intelligence contained in the papers you have just read; to seize arnold, and by getting him, to save andrè. they are all connected. while my emissary is engaged in preparing means for the seizure of arnold, the guilt of others can be traced; and the timely delivery of arnold to me, will possibly put it into my power to restore the amiable and unfortunate andrè to his friends. my instructions are ready, in which you will find my express orders that arnold is not to be hurt; but that he be permitted to escape if to be prevented only by killing him, as his public punishment is the sole object in view. that you cannot too forcibly press upon whomsoever may engage in the enterprise; and this fail not to do. with my instructions are two letters to be delivered as ordered and here are some guineas for expenses.' "major lee, replying, said that he had little or no doubt but that his legion contained many individuals daring enough for any operation, however perilous; but that the one in view required a combination of qualities not easily to be found, unless in a commissioned officer to whom he could not venture to propose an enterprise the first step in which was desertion. that though the sergeant-major of the cavalry was in all respects qualified for the delicate and adventurous project, and to him it might be proposed without indelicacy, as his station did not interpose an obstacle before stated; yet it was very probable that the same difficulty would occur in his breast, to remove which would not be easy, if practicable." washington became at once interested in this hitherto unknown sergeant major and asked his name, his country, his age, size, length of service and character. "being told his name," continues lee "that he was a native of loudoun county in virginia; about twenty-three or twenty-four years of age--that he had enlisted in --rather above the medium size--full of bone and muscle; with a saturnine countenance, grave, thoughtful and taciturn--of tried courage and inflexible perseverance, and as likely to regret an adventure coupled with ignominy as any officer in the corps; a commission being the goal of his long and anxious exertions, and certain on the first vacancy--the general exclaimed that he was the very man for the business; and that going to the enemy by the instigation and at the request of his officer, was not desertion though it appeared to be so. and he enjoined that this explanation, as coming from him, should be pressed on champe." leaving washington, lee hastened to the camp of his cavalry corps where, arriving about : o'clock at night, he sent for champe and placed the matter before him, stressing "the very great obligation he would confer on the commander-in-chief" and all else lee could think of to insure his acceptance of the assignment; concluding with an explanation of the details of the plan, so far as they had been developed, and an expression of his personal wish that he would enter upon its execution instantly. "champe listened with deep attention, and with a highly excited countenance; the perturbations of his breast not being hid even by his dark visage. he briefly and modestly replied, that no soldier exceeded him in respect and affection for the commander-in-chief, to serve whom he would willingly lay down his life; and that he was sensible of the honour conferred by the choice of him for the execution of a project all over arduous; nor could he be at a loss to know to whom was to be ascribed the preference bestowed, which he took pleasure in acknowledging, although increasing obligations, before great and many." as for the plan itself, champe thought it excellent and understood at once how great might be the benefits resulting from its success. "he was not deterred by the danger and difficulty which was evidently to be encountered but he was deterred by the ignominy of desertion, to be followed by the hypocrisy of enlisting with the enemy; neither of which comported with his feelings, and either placed an insuperable bar in his way to promotion. he concluded by observing, that if any mode could be contrived free from disgrace, he would cordially embark in the enterprise. as it was he prayed to be excused." thus champe's reaction to the project justified lee's prior opinion expressed to his general and shewed his knowledge and understanding of the man. but the plan, with the tremendous results involved, pressed for immediate action and lee exerted his utmost power of persuasion. he pointed out that washington himself had declared that, in this case, the desertion was not a crime; adding that if champe accepted, lee would consider the whole corps highly honored by the general's call but that if it failed, at such a critical moment, to furnish a competent man it would reduce lee to "a mortifying condition." it was a long and arduous task to overcome champe's repugnance to become involved, even seemingly, in a situation repellant to his every standard of honor to which his soldier's life had been trained; but slowly lee overcame his scruples and obtained his consent. then the detailed instructions, already prepared, were read to him, covering not only his behaviour and procedure when once safely away but also the very difficult matter of the desertion itself which must be so managed as to leave no doubt in his companions' minds as to his treachery but also to insure, so far as possible, his safety from their inevitable wrath. obviously very little help could be given by major lee at this point "lest it might induce a belief that he was privy to the desertion, which opinion getting to the enemy would involve the life of champe." so that part of the matter was left to the young sergeant, lee promising, however, that if his escape were discovered before morning, he would seek to delay the pursuit "as long as practical." giving champe three guineas as initial expense money, lee urged him to start without delay and to let him hear from him, as promptly as possible, after he had arrived in new york. champe, again urging lee to delay pursuit, returned to his camp "and taking his cloak, valise and orderly book, he drew his horse from the picket and mounting him, put himself upon fortune." his anticipation of rapid discovery and pursuit proved only too well founded. none knew better than he the alertness and efficiency of his fellow-dragoons and the effective discipline maintained in lee's command. less than half an hour had passed since he escaped the camp, before his absence, under what appeared highly suspicious circumstances, was discovered and promptly reported. "captain carnes, officer of the day, waited upon the major[ ] and with considerable emotion told him that one of the patrol had fallen in with a dragoon, who being challenged, put spur to his horse and escaped, though instantly pursued." [ ] lee, the narrator. lee, mindful of the value to champe of every minute of delay which his ingenuity could devise, simulated a lack of understanding of his report, and when that had been repeated and clarified, appeared to doubt carnes' deduction and sought to persuade him that he was mistaken. the latter, however, was a competent officer and moreover his suspicions had been thoroughly aroused. arnold's treason had raised mistrust of loyalty which, perhaps, normally would not have been entertained. therefore on leaving lee, carnes at once returned to his men and ordered them to assemble, thus quickly learning that champe, "his horse, baggage, arms and orderly book" were missing. his worst fears thus confirmed and, greatly affected by the supposed desertion in his own command, he hurriedly arranged a party for pursuit and returned to lee for written orders. again lee played for delay. while appearing to approve of carnes' zeal, he told him that he had already planned certain other and particular service for him that night and that another officer would have to lead the pursuit. for that purpose, after apparent deep and protracted consideration, he chose a younger officer, cornet middleton, being moved to do so, writes lee by "his knowledge of the tenderness of middleton's disposition, which he hoped would lead to the protection of champe, should he be taken;" but he was, at the end, obliged to issue orders in the customary form upon such occasions and those delivered to middleton, duly signed by lee, read ominously enough: "pursue as far as you can with safety sergeant champe, who is suspected of deserting to the enemy, and has taken the road leading to paulus hook. bring him alive that he may suffer in the presence of the army; but kill him if he resists or escapes after being taken." and still lee procrastinated. with one device or another he contrived to hold middleton, giving him instructions in such detail that they bordered on the trivial. yet rake his imagination as he would, he at length was obliged to dismiss the youthful cornet, with an expressed wish, however insincere, for his success. in the meanwhile, and soon after champe's departure, rain had begun to fall, almost wrecking the carefully contrived plan; for champe's horse was shod in a manner peculiar to the legion and middleton's party was thus better able to follow champe's course than otherwise would have been possible on a dark night through the deserted country. middleton and his men had finally succeeded in leaving the american camp soon after midnight, something over an hour after champe had made his escape; but to examine the ground for shoeprints and the prints themselves, on a rainy night, meant the frequent dismounting of troopers, the striking of a light and thus an ever-growing delay. with the break of day, however, the shoeprints were clear enough and better time could be made--and then on a rise before reaching three pigeons, some miles north of the village of bergen, middleton's men caught sight of the fugitive, not more than half a mile ahead, champe seeing his pursuers at the same time. the pursuit was now so grimly close that champe knew a mistake by him or taking any but the most essential risks meant quick capture and no gentle treatment, if, indeed, he should survive that unpleasant event. therefore he quickly abandoned his first plan to reach paulus hook (now part of jersey city) and instead, with all possible speed and by changing his course, sought immediate refuge in the british galleys which he knew lay a few miles to the west of bergen "in accordance with british custom." again, on the new course, he was sighted, his determined pursuers coming within two or three hundred yards of their quarry; but champe, coming abreast of the galleys "dismounted and running through the marsh to the river, plunged into it, calling upon the galleys for help." this was readily given; "they fired upon our horse" writes lee "and sent a boat to meet champe, who was taken in and carried on board, and conveyed to new york with a letter from the captain of the galley, stating the circumstances he had seen." escape had been achieved by the narrowest of margins and in the gravest danger; but it had created a realistic background for champe's introduction to the british, difficult indeed to have bettered. not the slightest doubt was entertained by either group that it had witnessed a daring desertion most narrowly achieved. greatly chagrined as were the americans, they were not obliged to return entirely empty-handed. the fleeing sergeant's horse with its equipment, his cloak and scabbard fell into their hands and were carried back by them; but champe held onto his sword until he plunged into the river and the british made it too hot at that point for prolonged search. dejectedly the dragoons returned to their camp to report their failure; giving lee, quite unknowingly, a very bad moment when he saw champe's riderless horse being led back, until he was apprised of what had really happened; thereupon he lost no time in presenting himself to general washington and reporting the complete success of the first part of the hazardous adventure. four days slowly passed, and then an unsigned letter, in a disguised hand, was received by lee from his sergeant, telling of his further adventures. he had, it seems, been kindly received on the galley and taken at once to the british commandant in new york who was deeply interested in his story of his escape. the keen-witted champe did not fail to take full advantage of his sympathetic audience and the good impression he was making. he assured the british officers "that such was the spirit of defection which prevailed among the american troops in consequence of arnold's example, that he had no doubt, if the temper was properly cherished, washington's ranks would not only be greatly thinned, but that some of his best corps would leave him." this did not seem, to a reflective mind, wholly consistent with the fire and spirit of the pursuit which the sergeant had so narrowly eluded, but his circumstantial narrative gave such welcome news to the british that they appear happily to have succumbed to the very human inclination to believe what they most wished were true. their enthusiasm, however, did not cause them to forego recording a very careful description of their new ally: "his size, place of birth, form, countenance, hair, the corps in which he had served, with other remarks in conformity with the british usage." delighted as were his new friends with the sergeant and his story and inclined to accept both as offered, they apparently had not wholly failed to profit from their long contact at home with their canny northern neighbors. and now champe was taken before his majesty's commander-in-chief, sir henry clinton himself. nothing was wanting to shew the importance attached by the british to this latest deserter and the causes believed by them to have impelled him to his course. clinton closely cross-examined the fugitive as to the possibility of the encouragement of further desertions from the american forces, the effect of arnold's treason on washington and the treatment being given andrè. although there were moments when champe's ingenuity and presence of mind appear to have been sadly taxed, yet on the whole he succeeded in so well and convincingly deporting himself that sir henry, at the close of his examination, gave him a couple of guineas and assigned him to the service of general arnold, with a letter telling the latter who and what he was. arnold also received champe cordially, expressed much satisfaction on hearing from him the manner of his escape and the fabulous effect of arnold's example; and concluded his numerous enquiries by assigning to him similar quarters to those occupied by his own recruiting sergeants. nothing could have developed more favorably to the american's plot. of a surety, fickle fortune appeared at last to be broadly smiling on him. arnold's next move was to seek to persuade champe to join his legion; but that was a step so repugnant to the sergeant's spirit that even devotion to washington failed, in his mind, to justify it; so he told arnold, with some surliness, that for his part, he had had enough of war and knew that if he ever were captured by the rebels he would be hung out-of-hand which for him made further military service doubly hazardous.[ ] arnold had reason to appreciate the sergeant's point and permitted him to retire to his quarters where at once he devoted himself to the consideration of how and when he could make contact with the american friends within the british lines who were to get for him the information sought by washington as to the loyalty of certain of his officers. this contact, with fortune's aid, he was able to establish the next night and his new friend not only pledged himself to procure the information he sought but engaged to send out champe's reports to major lee as well. [ ] thus lee's account, but champe apparently afterwards found it expedient to enlist with the british, as will appear later. thus was communication established between champe and lee and promptly word came from the latter urging expedition; for andrè's situation had become desperate and further delay by washington increasingly difficult. and then andrè himself destroyed his own last chance and ruined the hopes and efforts of his well-wishers. disdaining pretense or defense, he freely acknowledged the truth of the charges against him and sealed his own doom. by his acknowledgment washington's hands were tied and andrè was promptly condemned as a spy and duly executed. andrè's tragic fate did not diminish washington's desire to lay his hands on arnold. champe was duly informed by lee of the fatal event and again urged to bring the plot in which he was engaged to a successful outcome. but champe needed no urging. with such alacrity had he and his confederates been working, that soon he was able to send a report to lee completely vindicating the american general officer toward whom washington's doubts had been directed, which report lee duly transmitted to his chief; with the result that "the distrust heretofore entertained of the accused was forever dismissed." and now champe had but to secure the person of arnold to crown his task with success and to wholly justify the confidence reposed in him by lee and washington. on the th october, , major lee received from him a full report of his progress toward that end and the plan he had made. again lee laid his communication before his general, from whom he received the following letter in washington's own handwriting, shewing how carefully the latter sought to guard the secret and protect his emissary: "headquarters october , "dear sir: the plan proposed for taking a----d (the outlines of which are communicated in your letter, which was this moment put into my hands without date) has every mark of a good one. i therefore agree to the promised rewards; and have such entire confidence in your management of the business, as to give it my fullest approbation; and leave the whole to the guidance of your judgment, with this express stipulation and pointed injunction, that he (a----d) is to be brought to me alive. "no circumstance whatever shall obtain my consent to his being put to death. the idea which would accompany such an event, would be that ruffians had been hired to assassinate him. my aim is to make a public example of him; and this should be strongly impressed upon those who are employed to bring him off. the sergeant must be very circumspect--too much zeal may create suspicion, and too much precipitency may defeat the project. the most inviolable secrecy must be observed on all hands. i send you five guineas; but i am not satisfied of the propriety of the sergeant's appearing with much specie. this circumstance may also lead to suspicion, as it is but too well known to the enemy that we do not abound in this article. "the interviews between the party in and out of the city, should be managed with much caution and seeming indifference; or else the frequency of their meetings, etc., may betray the design, and involve bad consequences; but i am persuaded that you will place every matter in a proper point of view to the conductors of this interesting business, and therefore i shall only add that "i am, dear sir, etc., etc. "g. washington." written communications between champe and lee continued. in ten days champe had added the final touches to his plan for the abduction and so informed lee, asking that on the third subsequent night a party of dragoons meet him at hoboken to whom he hoped to deliver arnold. our sergeant was by this time familiar with arnold's habits and movements. he knew that it was arnold's custom to return to his home about midnight and to visit the garden before retiring. it was at that time that champe and the allies he, through lee's letters, had obtained, planned to seize and gag the renegade and remove him by way of an adjoining alley to a boat, manned by other trusted conspirators, at one of the wharves on the nearby hudson. when the appointed day arrived, washington directed lee to himself take command of the small detachment of dragoons who were to meet champe and his prisoner. "the day arrived," quoting lee again "and lee with a party of dragoons left camp late in the evening, with three led horses; one for arnold, one for the sergeant and the third for his associate; never doubting the success of the enterprise from the tenor of the last received communication. the party reached hoboken about midnight, where they were concealed in the adjoining wood--lee with three dragoons stationing himself near the river shore. hour after hour passed--no boat approached. at length the day broke and the major retired to his party and with his led horses returned to camp, where he proceeded to headquarters to inform the general of the disappointment as mortifying as inexplicable." deeply concerned as were both washington and lee over the failure of the plan, they were also very apprehensive as to champe's fate, but in a few days one of the sergeant's associates succeeded in getting through to them an anonymous letter explaining the failure of their plans. on the day preceding that fixed for the abduction, arnold most unexpectedly removed his quarters to another part of the town to facilitate the supervision by him of the embarkation of troops on a special mission to be commanded by him and wholly unforeseen by the conspirators--an expeditionary force made up largely of american deserters. "thus it happened" lee explains "that john champe, instead of crossing the hudson that night, was safely deposited on board one of the fleet of transports, from whence he never departed until arnold landed in virginia! nor was he able to escape from the british army until after the junction of lord cornwallis at petersburg, when he deserted; and proceeding high up into virginia, he passed into north carolina near the saura towns, and keeping in the friendly districts of that state, safely joined the army soon after it had passed the congaree in pursuit of lord rawdon. "his appearance excited extreme surprise among his former comrades, which was not a little increased when they saw the cordial reception he met with from lieutenant colonel lee. his whole story soon became known to the corps, which reproduced the love and respect of officer and soldier, heightened by universal admiration of his daring and arduous attempt. "champe was introduced to general green, who cheerfully complied with the promises made by the commander-in-chief, so far as in his power; and having provided the sergeant with a good horse and money for his journey, sent him to general washington, who munificently anticipated every desire of the sergeant, and presented him with a discharge from further service lest he might in the vicissitudes of war, fall into the enemy's hands, when if recognized, he was sure to die on a gibbet." here ends lee's account, apparently as first written; but subsequently he seems to have acquired some further information of his sergeant's later life which he appends in a note, as will appear later. when champe was with the british in new york, he, according to lee and as appears above, refused to enlist in the enemy's forces; but there is another account which says that when he arrived in new york "he was placed in the company of captain cameron." in the champe family is the tradition that he wrote to lee of this: "i was yesterday compelled to a most affecting step, but one indispensable the success of my plan. it was necessary for me to accept a commission in the traitor's legion that i might have uninterrupted access to his house." this captain cameron, after the termination of the war, married in virginia and fortunately kept a diary, a part of which was published in _the british united service journal_. from it we learn, through howe,[ ] that cameron had occasion to traverse the forests of loudoun with a single servant and--familiar touch--was caught in one of those violent thunderstorms so characteristic of upper piedmont. night came on, no habitation or shelter of any kind was discernible to our travellers in that wilderness and, believing themselves in grave peril, they were becoming really alarmed when they saw through the woods a faint light. riding toward it, they discovered it came from one of the typical log-houses of a frontier clearing and they lost no time in seeking shelter. the owner of the little home received them with true backwoods hospitality. and now quoting from captain cameron's journal: [ ] _historic collections of virginia_, by henry howe, . "he would not permit either master or man to think of their horses, but insisted that we should enter the house, where fire and changes of apparel awaited us, he himself led the jaded animals to a shed, rubbed them down and provided them with forage. it would have been affectation of the worst kind to dispute his pleasure in this instance, so i readily sought the shelter of his roof, to which a comely dame bade me welcome, and busied herself in preventing my wishes. my drenched uniform was exchanged for a suit of my host's apparel; my servant was accomodated in the same manner, and we soon afterwards found ourselves seated before a blazing fire of wood, by the light of which our hostess assiduously laid out a well-stocked supper table. i need not say that all this was in the highest degree comfortable. yet i was not destined to sit down to supper without discovering still greater cause for wonder. in due time our host returned and the first glance which i cast towards him satisfied me that he was no stranger. the second set everything like doubt at rest. sergeant champe stood before me; the same in complexion, in feature, though somewhat less thoughtful in the expression of his eye, as when he first joined my company in new york. "i cannot say my sensations on recognizing my ci-devant sergeant were altogether agreeable. the mysterious manner in which he both came and went, the success with which he had thrown a veil over his own movements, and the recollection that i was the guest of a man who probably entertained no sense of honour, either public or private, excited in me a vague and indefinite alarm, which i found it impossible on the instant to conceal. i started, and the movement was not lost upon champe. he examined my face closely; and a light appearing to burst all at once upon his memory, he ran forward toward the spot where i sat. "'welcome, welcome, captain cameron' said he 'a thousand times welcome to my roof; you behaved well to me when i was under your command, and deserve more of hospitality than i possess the power to offer; but what i do possess is very much at your service, and heartily glad am i that accident should have thus brought us together again. you have doubtless looked upon me as a twofold traitor, and i cannot blame you if you have. yet i should wish to stand well in your estimation too; and therefore i will, if you please, give a faithful narrative of the causes which led both to my arrival in new york, and to my abandonment of the british army on the shores of the chesapeake. you are tired with your day's travel; you stand in need of food and rest. eat and drink, i pray you, and sleep soundly; and tomorrow, if you are so disposed, i will try to put my character straight in the estimation of the only british officer of whose good opinion i am covetous.' "there was so much frankness and apparent sincerity in this, that i could not resist it, so i sat down to supper with a mind perfectly at ease and having eaten heartily i soon afterwards retired to rest, on a clean pallet which was spread for me on the floor. sleep was not slow in visiting my eyelids; nor did i awake until long after the sun had risen on the morrow, and the hardy and active settlers, to whose kindness i was indebted, had gone through a considerable portion of their day's labour. "i found my host next morning the same open, candid and hospitable man that he had shewn himself on first recognizing me. he made no allusion, indeed, during breakfast, to what had fallen from him over night; but when he heard me talk of getting my horses ready, he begged to have a few minutes' conversation with me. his wife, for such my hostess was, immediately withdrew, under the pretext of attending to her household affairs, upon which he took a seat beside me and began his story." after the war and, it is said, on the personal recommendation of general washington, sergeant champe was appointed to the position of doorkeeper or sergeant-at-arms of the continental congress, then meeting at philadelphia, but obliged, on account of rioting, to remove to trenton. his name appears on a roll of the th august, , as holding that position. soon afterwards he returned to loudoun, married and acquired a small holding near what is now dover, between the later towns of aldie and middleburg, close by the present little river turnpike. the state of virginia has erected one of its excellent road markers adjacent to the spot, bearing the following words: "a revolutionary hero "here stood the home of john champ, continental soldier. champ deserted and enlisted in benedict arnold's british command for the purpose of capturing the traitor, . failing in this attempt champ rejoined the american army." nearby there is a pool of water still known locally as "champe's spring." according to local tradition, he later lived in a log cabin on the old military road near the old ketoctin baptist church and on lands afterward owned by robert braden. thence he in turn moved to kentucky where, it is believed he died in or about the year . and now we may return to general lee's narrative for the note he appended thereto: "when general washington was called by president adams to the command of the army prepared to defend the country from french hostility, he sent to lieutenant-colonel lee to inquire for champe, being determined to bring him into the field at the head of a company of infantry. lee sent to loudoun county, where champe settled after his discharge from the army, and learned that the gallant soldier had removed to kentucky, and had soon after died." of the sergeant's children, one son, nathaniel, was born in virginia on the nd december, , and in enlisted in colonel duncan mcarthur's regiment at dayton, ohio, that command comprising a part of hull's army sent for the relief of detroit. he was in the battle of monguagon, was among those captured at detroit and subsequently, in the regular army, saw further fighting and was with general arthur's advance-guard when detroit was reoccupied. after the war he engaged in business in detroit, was a buyer and seller of real estate and built detroit's first "temperance hotel" of which he acted as landlord and in which he was succeeded by his son william. later he moved to onondago, ohio, where he died on the th february, .[ ] [ ] vol. , balch library clippings, p. . chapter xiii early federal period from the close of the revolution to the war of , there were at least four outstanding movements in loudoun: the restoration of the fertility of her soil, the disestablishment of the church, the loss of a substantial part of her area which returned to fairfax and the erection of large country mansions. the great project of washington's potomac company, involving the extensive improvement of that river for navigation, was not, of course a loudoun enterprise, although the welfare of her people was greatly affected and such loudoun men as joseph janney, benjamin shreve, john hough, benjamin dulaney, william brown, john harper, william ellzey, and leven powell were at one time or another, as directors or stockholders, interested in the undertaking. in the settlement of county, the virginians from tidewater had brought with them their improvident methods of farming. from the earliest days, when land was more available than labor, scant attention had been given by the virginia planter or farmer to the conservation or restoration of the fertility of his soil. a field was planted and replanted to heavy-feeding crops, with perhaps an occasional fallow year intervening; and when the inevitable result registered itself in the falling off of production to a point where the planting of that field became unprofitable, it was abandoned and new ground broken up to be put through the same disastrous course. rotation of crops and the manuring of the land were seldom, if ever, practiced outside perhaps the quaker and german settlements. toward the end of the eighteenth century, so far had this reckless agriculture gone, that even the fertile lands of the piedmont were recording the result in no uncertain manner. the yield of corn and wheat to the acre had been steadily declining, followed by an emigration of many of the loudoun people to kentucky and elsewhere. it was then that there arose in the county a farmer and leader who, measured by the results of his work, may be considered as the most valuable man to her own interests that loudoun has thus far produced. john alexander binns was the son of charles binns, the first clerk of loudoun and of his wife, ann alexander, a daughter of "john alexander the eldest of stafford county. gent." as he is described in a deed to his daughter in . the son was born probably about , although the exact date seems uncertain. in march, , he was, as we have seen, recommended by the county court of loudoun to the governor for appointment as a first lieutenant in the virginia forces and at the same time his brother, charles binns, jr., later to succeed his father as county clerk, was recommended for a commission as second lieutenant. after the war, john binns turned his attention to farming and grappled with the problem of restoring the fertility of the soil. he had learned of the use of land plaster (gypsum) and clover for that purpose in the philadelphia neighborhood, whence it is said the system had been brought from leipsic in saxony. as early as he began his experiments, using not only the land plaster and clover but practicing deeper ploughing and rotating crops. at first he was, of course, ridiculed by his farmer neighbors, for the reluctance of the husbandman to change his methods is an old, old story. but binns persisted. as he improved one farm and his profits rose, he purchased other worn-out lands from their discouraged owners and in time was profiting handsomely from his intelligence and industry. at length, in , his labors crowned with success and the agricultural wealth of his home county rapidly rising as a result of his long and patient work, he sat himself down to write the story of what he had accomplished. his little book was printed in a very small edition, due probably to the high price and scarcity of paper, and was offered for sale at fifty cents, under the comprehensive title "_a treatise on practical farming, embracing particularly the following subjects, viz. the use of plaster of paris, with directions for using it; and general observations on the use of other manures. on deep ploughing; thick sowing of grain; method of preventing fruit trees from decaying and farming in general._ by john a. binns of loudoun county, virginia, farmer." it was published at "frederick-town, maryland," and "printed by john b. colvin, editor of the _republican advocate_, ." "the little book" writes rodney h. true "is now hard to find and the first edition, but for the copy preserved by jefferson and now treasured among the great man's books in the library of congress, would well-nigh be lost." thomas jefferson, with his restless intelligence, was one of the first to acquire the book. having studied it and being impressed with binns' success, he wrote to sir john sinclair, the head of the english board of agriculture, a letter dated the th june, , sending with it "the enclosed pamphlet on the use of gypsum by a mr. binns, a plain farmer, who understands handling his plough better than his pen. he is certainly something of an enthusiast in the use of this manure; but he has a right to be so. the result of his husbandry prooves his confidence in it well found for from being poor, it has made him rich. the county of loudoun in which he live(s) exhausted & wasted by bad husbandry, has, from his example, become the most productive one in virginia: and its lands, from being the lowest, sell at the highest prices. these facts speak more strongly for his pamphlet than a better arrangement & more polished phrases would have done. were i now a farmer i should surely adopt the gypsum...." on the same day, in a letter to mr. william strictland, another member of the english board of agriculture, jefferson wrote "you will discover that mr. binns is an enthusiast for the use of gypsum, but there are two facts which prove that he has a right to be so . he began poor and has made himself tollerably rich by his farming alone. . the county of loudoun, in which he lives, had been so exhausted & wasted by bad husbandry, that it began to depopulate, the inhabitants going southwardly in quest of better lands. binns' success has stopped that immigration. it is now becoming on(e) of the most productive counties of the state of virginia, and the price given for the lands is multiplied manifold." sir john sinclair in his reply to mr. jefferson, whom he addresses as "his highness, thomas jefferson" wrote from edinburgh under date of the st january : "on various accounts i received with much pleasure, your obliging letter of the th june last, which only reached me, at the place, on the th november. i certainly feel highly indebted to mr. binns, both for the information contained in the pamphlet he has drawn up; and also, for his having been the means of inducing you to recommence our correspondence together, for the purpose of transmitting a paper which does credit to the practical farmers of america. "as to the plaster of paris, which mr. binns so strongly recommends, it is singularly, that whilst it proves such a source of fertility to you, it is of little avail in any part of the british islands, kent alone excepted. i am thence inclined to conjecture, that its great advantage must arise from its attracting moisture from the atmosphere, of which we have in great abundance in these kingdoms...." but it is time to turn to binns' own record of his work. how desperately poor the yield of grain had become in loudoun is shown by his statement that some of his unplastered land yielded but five bushels of wheat to the acre and not more than three bushels of corn on a place so worn out, when he took it over in , that his friends thought he "must starve on it." by he was getting from that farm - / bushels of corn to the acre and the next year, on that corn land, had bushels of heavy wheat per acre. in another place he notes: "i put a parcel of it" (plaster) "on some corn in the hill which produced about bushels, the other part of the field yielding about bushels to the acre." as an interesting sidelight he indicates that tobacco was being grown around leesburg at that time. in , as he wrote his book, he expected a crop of bushels of wheat per acre on his farms. and by way of summarizing his work "there are several places on the catocton mountain, that some few years past the corn stalks, when the tops were taken off, were not above three feet high, and which would not produce more than two or three barrels of corn to the acre, and from to bushels of wheat; and perhaps not yield grass enough to the acre to feed a horse for two weeks after the harvest was taken off; but from the use of plaster will now produce from six to eight barrels of corn, and from twenty to twenty-five bushels of wheat per acre; the luxuriant growth of the white and red clover after harvest gives the fields which once looked like a barren waste of country, the appearance of a beautiful meadow." and upon sanitation he has this to say: "... these circumstances made me anxious to cleanse my stables, stockyards, cow-pens, hog-pens, wood-yards and ash-heaps by the first june. this rule i have always followed ever since i began to farm for myself, and can say that my family have never experienced an intermittent or remittent" (fever) "unless attacked with them from home first, and upon their return they have immediately left them. in my travels where ever i have discovered those kind of fevers, i have always observed either dirty, filthy stables, hog-pens or water standing in their cellars or ponds of water not far off; i have also observed those places most liable to dysentaries...." in contrast to present-day views, he was wholly opposed to growing rye on loudoun lands, believing that it impoverished the soil and that wheat yielded more in bushels; that rye destroyed grass and clover and injured orchards. he approved the growing of wheat and oats in orchards to maturity and strongly recommended the use of plaster in them. the result of binns' work was acclaimed throughout virginia. his methods became known as the "loudoun system" and the term became as significant and popularly familiar as the "norfolk system" of farming in england. of his work and his book true says: "in spite of the fact that 'it is not written in a scholastic style,' few books have been written in which more sound practical agriculture is crowded into so small a space. binns' chapter on the life history of the hessian fly stands as a piece of careful observation that might have done credit to dr. thomas say himself. the three fundamental supports on which agriculture prosperity in loudoun county rests were never more clearly or soundly appreciated: gypsum, clover and deep plowing. this was the background of the famous 'loudoun system' which came to be recognized as the progressive practice for that part of the country a hundred years ago."[ ] [ ] see article on binns by rodney h. true in william and mary quarterly ( ) . binns died in . his will, dated the th january in that year, was offered for probate on the st november following. in it he makes provision for freeing his slaves after a certain period. as he left his estate to his wife and nieces, it is surmised that no children survived him. the family, however, is still represented in loudoun. captain john a. tebbs, u.s.m.c., is a descendant of charles binns, jr., the younger brother of our agronomist. it is difficult to escape the conclusion that religious thought and observance were at a low ebb in virginia in the latter part of the eighteenth century. it was an age of transition, in some respects not unlike that of today. old ties were being broken, tradition and old-time loyalties no longer received their former adherence. no small responsibility attaches to that negligent and selfish minority of the clergy of the colonial church and to an equally reprehensible element in the early federal days for remissness in their duties; and their culpable behavior tends to attract more attention than the loyal devotion of the majority of their brethren. it was inevitable that the established church should be regarded as a part of the repudiated british government and when its civil powers and ecclesiastical predominance were taken from it and much of its property ruthlessly confiscated, there ensued a period of confusion in religious matters, with an unfortunate colouring of vindictive animosity on the part of other communions. concurrently the spread of methodism took from the older church many of its erstwhile adherents. indeed, for a disconcertingly long period after its "erection" in , leesburg appears to have had no building devoted to religious purposes, services, when held, having been at the courthouse. cresswell, in his journal, confirms this as does the first shelburne vestry book and also an advertisement in leesburg's '_true american_' of the th december, : "the reverend mr. allen" it reads "intends to perform divine service in the court house, on the th january, at half past eleven o'clock; he also proposes preaching every fortnight from that date." this situation was repaired between and , when the methodists, organized as a separate denomination in , erected their stone church on cornwall street with galleries around three of its sides and with its interesting old-fashioned sounding board, which church came to be endowed with many associations until its needless destruction about . then, in , the "presbyterian society of leesburg," which had probably existed since , was more formally organized as a church by the rev. james hall, d.d., of concord, north carolina, at that time the moderator of the presbyterian general assembly. the erection of the present quaint old brick church on market street, the oldest church building now standing in leesburg, had already been begun in and was completed in . it was dedicated in may, , by dr. hall. its first pastor was the rev. john mines, who served until and the first elders were peter carr, obadiah clifford, and john maccormack. through the courtesy of the presbyterians, their neighbors of the episcopal faith held their services from time to time in this old church until the erection of the first saint james church on church street in , long delayed because of conflicting views as to whether the new building should be in town or country. this first saint james church "was built of brick and quite small, the windows not arched and there was a yard in front. this church was torn down in and a new one, much wider and larger built, the foundation brought more to the front. it was enlarged in , the vestibule built over the remainder of the yard, bringing the front of the church even with the street."[ ] this building continued to be used until the present saint james church of gray stone on the corner of cornwall and wirt streets was completed in . [ ] _old saint james episcopal church_, by miss lizzie worsley. to the diversity in origin of the county's population frequent reference has been made. the inhabitants of the southern part were far more in sympathy in political philosophy, in manner of living, in agricultural practices and in traditional background with the people of fairfax than were they with, perhaps, the majority of the heterogeneous population of upper loudoun. also their leaders belonged to the class which has ruled in tidewater virginia since its english beginnings and they none too willingly faced the prospect, after the revolution, of dividing their authority with and perhaps losing their dominance to the upper-country people. in they sought to create a new county coextensive with cameron parish; failing in that, a compromise was reached in by which the erstwhile area of loudoun, south of sugar land run, was returned to fairfax--"all that part of the county of loudoun" reads the act of division "lying between the lower boundary thereof and a line to be drawn from the mouth of sugar land run, to carter's mill on bull run, shall be and is hereby added to and made a part of the county of fairfax."[ ] this action had the immediate result of greatly strengthening the political power of the quakers, germans and scotch-irish in the remaining part of the county and correspondingly diminishing the influence of the descendants of the old tidewater aristocracy there. [ ] shepherd, . in the year colonel leven powell laid out the town of middleburg on the road running to ashley's gap, for his purpose devoting fifty acres on the southerly edge of the acre tract of land he had purchased from joseph chinn in ;[ ] the town, of course, obtaining its name from the position it occupied approximately halfway between the major towns of alexandria and winchester as well as halfway between the courthouses of loudoun and fauquier. the first trustees were francis peyton, william bronaugh, william heale, john peyton harrison, burr powell, josias clapham, and richard bland lee.[ ] [ ] see chapter vii ante. [ ] hening, . the much older town of waterford did not receive formal legislative sanction until . then by the fifth section of an act of the legislature, the place is recognized as already in existence: "the lots and streets as the same are already laid off at the place known by the name of waterford." the first trustees were james moore, james griffith, john williams, and abner williams. section of the act further provided "that as soon as mahlon janey and william hough, shall lay off into lots with convenient streets, so much of their lands not exceeding ten acres adjoining the said town of waterford, the same shall thence-forth constitute and be deemed and taken as a part of the said town."[ ] [ ] shepherd, . the next year another old settlement was, in its turn, given legislative acknowledgment. hillsborough, somewhat belatedly, was "established" on twenty-five acres already divided between a score or more of owners: mahlon hough, thomas purcell, the representatives of john jenny (sic), deceased, thomas leslie, thomas hepburn, joseph tribby, josiah white, john foundling, edward conrod, mahlon roach, thomas stevens, thomas hough, samuel purcell, john wolfcaile, richard matthews, james prior, john stevens, richard copeland, and mahlon morris. the first trustees were mahlon hough, thomas purcell, thomas leslie, josiah white, edward conrod, mahlon roach, and thomas stevens.[ ] [ ] shepherd, . in aldie makes its appearance. it was laid out by charles fenton mercer, a great loudoun figure in his day,[ ] on a part of his plantation to which he had given the name of aldie in tribute to aldie castle in scotland, the seat of that mercer family from which he believed himself descended. the act of establishment describes the town's location as "thirty acres of land lying on the westerly extremity of the little river turnpike road, in the county of loudoun, the property of charles f. mercer, as soon as the same shall be laid off into lots with convenient streets." the little river turnpike road had been extended to that point but a few years before. the town's first trustees were named as israel lacey, william cook, matthew adams, john sinclair, james hexon, david gibson, charles f. mercer, and william noland.[ ] [ ] see chapter xiv post. [ ] acts , p. . bluemont, under its earlier name of snickersville which it bore until the year , was established in . as early as edward snickers had obtained a grant from john augustine washington of acres at this point and before and after that time had acquired other lands in the neighbourhood. he it was who, according to our local tradition, conveyed the first bushel of wheat easterly across the blue ridge and gave his name not only to the village but to the gap through the blue ridge and, on the other side, to the historic ferry across the shenandoah which he owned for many years. he was born about , married elizabeth toliaferro about and died in . in a postoffice had been established at the little village with lewis stevens acting as postmaster. when the town came to be formally "established" in , its location was described as being upon "ten acres at the entrance of snickers gap, of the blue ridge mountains in the county of loudoun, property of amos clayton, martha clayton, william woodford and others, as soon as the same shall be laid off into lots with convenient streets and alleys." the first trustees were james cochran senior, craven osburn, mordecai throckmorton, stephen janney, doctor e. b. brady, amos clayton, and timothy carrington.[ ] [ ] acts - , p. . for historical sketch of village see balch library clippings, . for snickers also see landmarks, . the above list, with leesburg, is the roll of earlier incorporated towns of the county. hamilton ( ), lovettsville ( ), purcellville ( ), and round hill ( ), as the dates indicate, were not formally organized until much later. the pleasant little village of lincoln remains unincorporated. as the eighteenth century neared its end, an increasing number of representatives of the tidewater gentry came to loudoun and with their neighbours already living there, built far more pretentious homes than the county had theretofore known. as has been stated in the preface, to tell something of the stories of these old estates was the original incentive to the writing of this book; but those stories, involving as they do their share of romance, tragedy and drama, must in their more extensive narration, be left for a later volume. it is appropriate however, in this place, to very briefly comment on a few of these old plantations. springwood among the newcomers, in this post-revolution period, was colonel burgess ball, a great-grandson of that dignified old aristocrat colonel william ball of millenbeck on the rappahannock, in lancaster county, who had come to virginia in . during the revolution burgess ball had served on the staff of general washington, his first cousin, then as a captain in the continental line and later had raised and equipped a virginia regiment at his own expense and served with it as lieutenant colonel. after the war, his health broken and his generous fortune seriously impaired by his expenditures for military purposes and by his extravagant hospitality at his home, travellers rest in spotsylvania county, he in , was obliged to seek refuge in what was still known in tidewater as the loudoun wilderness. on the th november, , he purchased for £ (the proceeds of his back pay for military services it is said) from abraham barnes thomson mason, only acting executor and trustee under the will of thomson mason, a tract of acres including the great spring and running to the potomac. here colonel ball either built a rustic lodge for his home or, as has been surmised, occupied and improved the old home of francis aubrey, calling his estate springwood. on that same th november, , there was purchased in trust for colonel ball from stevens thomson mason by william fitzhugh, mann page, and alexander spotswood "three of the trustees appointed by an act of general assembly to sell certain lands devised by james ball deceased to his grandson burgess ball for his life," another tract of acres about two miles north of the great spring for £ , current money of virginia. other adjacent tracts were purchased by colonel ball or by his trustees until he controlled a very large estate from the great spring to the limestone run of the most fertile land in the county.[ ] far from his old military companions, he kept up a correspondence with them in his distant abode and many of them visited him there from time to time; for whether surrounded by the refinements of travellers rest or the wilderness of springwood, colonel ball's lavish hospitality was a part of the very man himself. he died on the th march, , and was buried just outside the graveyard surrounding the old chapel above goose creek on the hill above the great spring. this first springwood dwelling was not on the site of the present mansion but is believed to have been on the south side of the present road on what is now a part of the big spring estate, in recent years known as mayfield. the existing springwood residence was built by george washington ball, later captain c.s.a., grandson of colonel burgess ball, between and . louis philippe is said to have been an overnight guest there and, during the civil war, general lee, a cousin of captain ball who had served on his staff, held a military conference in the present dining room. the estate was acquired in by the late francis asbury lutz of washington who substantially remodelled the mansion very soon thereafter. since then it has been in the possession of the lutz family, its present occupants being mrs. samuel s. lutz, her son-in-law and daughter, judge and mrs. j. r. h. alexander and the latter's two sons. [ ] see loudoun deeds w , w , y , etc. raspberry plain the genesis of raspberry plain, just north of springwood, has already been given. as shewn in chapter vii, the property had been originally acquired from lord fairfax by joseph dixon in and he had sold the farm which he had improved with a dwelling, orchard, etc., to aeneas campbell in . campbell, as we have seen, was loudoun's first sheriff. he maintained the county jail and the ducking-stool at his home while he held that office. he sold the place in to thomson mason. so far the residence, long since vanished, was near the large spring, now a part of selma. mason is said by t. a. lancaster, jr., to have built a new house about (on the site of the present beautiful home). he then conveyed it to his son stevens thomson mason, subsequently confirming his action in his will. later, according to local tradition, another mason descendant, colonel john mason mccarty was living there when he killed his cousin, general a. t. mason in the famous duel in , perhaps as a tenant, for the county records show that in the estate, then of about acres, was conveyed by the executors of general mason's will to george, john, peter and samuel hoffman of baltimore for $ , . it remained in the hoffman family for over eighty-five years and until sold by the hoffman heirs on the th april, , to mr. john g. hopkins who built the present imposing brick edifice of colonial architecture. the estate was purchased by mr. and mrs. william h. lipscomb of washington in and, until mrs. lipscomb's death, was the scene of many a gay and picturesque hunt breakfast given in honour of the loudoun hunt of which mr. lipscomb was master. [illustration: oatlands. built by george carter from to . now the home of mrs. w. c. eustis.] belmont ludwell lee, a son of richard henry lee, built belmont in and lived there until his death in . he rests in its garden. soon after he died the estate was acquired by miss margaret mercer who, born in , was the daughter of governor john francis mercer of cedar park, maryland. miss mercer conducted a school for young ladies at belmont until her death in . she was a woman of broad education with pronounced views on the abolition of negro slavery and she it was who built the nearby belmont chapel on a part of her estate. after passing through the hands of many owners the property was purchased in by colonel patrick j. hurley, secretary of war under president hoover, and since then he and mrs. hurley have made it their country home. for several years he has invited the loudoun hunt to hold its annual horse show there. coton across the highway thomas ludwell lee, cousin to ludwell lee, about the same time built his home coton, naming it after an english home of the earlier lees. on lafayette's visit to america in , he was a guest of ludwell lee and a great festival, in honor of his visit, was staged at both belmont and coton. it is said that after nightfall a double line of slaves, each holding aloft a flaming torch, was stationed between the two mansions to light the way of the celebrants as they passed from one house to the other. the original mansion has long since disappeared save for parts of its foundations. a second mansion was later erected on another part of the estate and in turn was destroyed by fire. the present stone dwelling, the third to bear the name, was erected by mr. and mrs. warner snider, the present owners of the estate, in . oatlands george carter, great-grandson of robert carter, the "king carter" of early colonial days, received in from his father, councillor robert carter of naomi hall, a tract of , acres south of leesburg, a small part of the vast carter holdings. upon this land during the ensuing two years he built oatlands, the most pretentious and elaborate of the loudoun homes of that day. george carter did not marry until attaining the discreet age of sixty years when he took as his bride mrs. betty lewis, a widow, who had been a miss grayson. both george carter and his wife are buried in the gardens of oatlands. the estate was acquired in by the late william corcoran eustis of washington and is now the country home of his widow under whose care both residence and extensive gardens retain their justly celebrated charm and beauty. mrs. eustis, a daughter of the late levi p. morton, at one time governor of new york and later vice-president of the united states, has long been the lady bountiful of loudoun. none of the county's residents has ever equalled her benefactions to its poor and to its public institutions of every kind. rokeby rokeby, on the old carolina road south of leesburg, so long the home of the bentley family, also belongs to this period. it acquired its claim to fame during the war of when, in , president madison, in expectation of the capture of washington, sent many of the more valuable federal archives, including the _declaration of independence_ and, it is said, the constitution of the united states, to leesburg for safekeeping whence they were removed to rokeby and stored for two weeks in its vaults. it is now the home of mr. and mrs. b. f. nalle who, upon its purchase by them many years ago, made great changes in the old building. foxcroft when, in the year , miss charlotte noland purchased the lovely old estate of foxcroft, four miles north of middleburg, there began a new era both in its interesting story and in the educational standards of loudoun. no modern institution of the county has spread more generally knowledge of its charms than the famous school which miss noland then founded; and it is particularly appropriate that the institution should owe its inception and development to one who in singular degree is a representative of loudoun's founders. those loudoun citizens of today who trace their descent to one of the earlier nabobs of the county feel a complacent satisfaction therein; but miss noland unites lineal descent not only from francis aubrey and philip noland but from colonel leven powell and burr harrison, the earliest explorer, as well, thus inheriting an early loudoun background believed to be unique. [illustration: photograph by miss frances b. johnston foxcroft, garden front.] as is the case with so many of the older houses of the county, the age of foxcroft and the identity of its builder are uncertain; but the local tradition is that it is one of the earliest of the many old brick houses to be found in that part of the county and that its builder was one kyle who had married a daughter of the balls. the story goes on that mrs. kyle lost her mind after the birth of one of her children and that for a long time thereafter she was enchained in the garret of the old house until, during the absence of her husband on a journey, she freed herself and fell to her death down the stairs. another local story is that the building of the house was under the supervision of william benton, the land-steward and friend of president monroe who, it is said learned brick-making in his native england, discovered good brick-clay in the middleburg neighborhood and made the brick for most of the early brick houses in that part of the county. with these local stories as a guide, an examination of the county records show a john kile to have been a purchaser of land as early as and also a deed to john kile from william shrieves, then of kentucky, on the th february, , of acres "on the waters of goose creek" for £ . the description, running as it does from one marked tree in the forest to another, requires a long search and careful plotting to definitely place the property, but it suggests the foxcroft estate. that these kiles or kyles were quite certainly people of standing is indicated by their marriages. john kile, jr., presumably the son of the first john kile, married winney powell, a daughter of elisha powell and her sister mary became the wife of pierce noland.[ ] it all goes to suggest that the old foxcroft mansion was built by john kile from brick made under the supervision of william benton sometime during the 's. [ ] loudoun deeds y , r and w . foxcroft school has become so much a part of loudoun that it is as difficult to picture the middleburg neighbourhood without it as it would be to think of middleburg without its famous fox-hunting. the school has eighty-five students, representative of the most prominent families in the united states from coast to coast, with students from abroad as well and there is always a long waiting list of applicants for admission. a healthy outdoor life is combined with carefully planned study. the young ladies are all expert riders, follow the middleburg hunt at its numerous meets and every year, since , have their own horse show in may at foxcroft which is always a brilliant affair. llangollan llangollan was built about by cuthbert powell, ( - ) a son of colonel leven powell from whom he had inherited the land upon the latter's death at fort bedford, pennsylvania, on the th august, . few families in virginia are more deeply rooted in her history than the powells. captain william powell, who, as a gentleman adventurer, accompanied captain john smith to virginia in is claimed in the family chronicles to be one of the clan. whether he was kinsman to that nathaniel powell who was with smith in his brush with the manahoacs on the rappahannock in the summer of does not appear. after spending some years in business pursuits in alexandria, cuthbert powell returned to loudoun where he served as a justice, represented the county in the virginia legislature as a whig and was a member of congress from to . chief justice marshall once described him as "the most talented man of that talented family." in llangollan was acquired by mr. and mrs. john hay whitney of new york who have greatly enlarged the old stone mansion and made the estate the home of one of the most famous racing establishments in america. they organized in and hold there each year the llangollan gold cup races. [illustration: the front porch at rockland, home of the rusts. built in by general george rust and still owned by his family.] morrisworth the acres which originally composed morrisworth were given by william ellzey to his daughter catherine who married mathew harrison of dumfries. after his death his widow, with her children, took possession of her patrimony and in built thereon the main part of the stone mansion. there she resided for the remainder of her life and reared her large family. her children continued to own the estate until they sold it about to their kinsman dr. thomas miller of washington who, dying about two years later, never resided there. he left the property to his daughters, the mansion and about acres going to miss virginia miller and mrs. arthur fendall. in turn these ladies deeded the estate in to mrs. fendall's son thomas m. fendall, the present owner, who, in , added the south wing to the house. mr. and mrs. fendall have greatly enlarged and developed the gardens, specializing in iris to such an extent that morrisworth has become widely known not only for the beautiful scene when the five thousand plants are in bloom but for the many new varieties of iris originated there. chestnut hill chestnut hill near the point of rocks, so long identified with the mason family, is another of the mansions built about . samuel clapham, the son of the second josias clapham, was the builder on land he had acquired in from his father. it came to thomas f. mason through his marriage to betsey price, a granddaughter of the second josias as related in chapter vii. it is now owned and occupied by mr. and mrs. coleman gore. rockland rockland, four miles north of leesburg, was built by general george rust in on land acquired by him in from the heirs of colonel burgess ball and is unique among the county's old estates in that today it still is owned by a descendant of its builder, mrs. stanley m. brown, who before her marriage was miss elizabeth fitzhugh rust, the only child of the late owner, mr. henry b. rust. mr. and mrs. brown, with their children, spend each summer at rockland. the acres of the present estate border for a long distance on the potomac and are regarded as equalling in fertility any land in the county. during the war between the states the old house witnessed the alternate passing and repassing of the armies of the north and south in front of it along the old carolina road. hospitality and gracious living have long been synonymous in loudoun with the very name of rockland. [illustration: general george rust ( - ). the builder of rockland.] exeter the plantation that became exeter was inherited by mary mason seldon; a sister of thomson mason, from their mother ann thompson mason. this mary mason seldon married, first, mann page and upon his death took as her second husband her first cousin dr. wilson cary seldon who, born in , had served as surgeon in a virginia artillery regiment during the revolution. though she had children by page and none by seldon, the latter secured this land and between and built the main frame dwelling with its pleasing design and interesting detail. the large brick extension in the rear was added by general george rust about during his ownership of the estate. by his second wife, dr. seldon had a daughter, eleanor, and it was at exeter on the th february , that she married john augustine washington, the last of his family to own and occupy mount vernon. when the war between the states broke out, he at once volunteered for service, became an aide on the staff of general lee with the rank of lieutenant colonel and was killed in a small engagement, which otherwise would have been unimportant, at cheat mountain, now west virginia, on the th september, . in exeter was purchased by the late horatio trundle. it was inherited by his son mr. hartley h. trundle who with his family resides there. selma selma, another part of mrs. ann thomson mason's great purchase of "wild lands," saw its first mansion built between and by general armistead thomson mason, united states senator from virginia (affectionately known as "the chief of selma") when he was killed by his cousin, john mason mccarty, in the famous duel at bladensburg on the th february, . he had inherited the land from his father stevens thomson mason of raspberry plain. the property was purchased in by the late colonel elijah b. white, who afterward represented the loudoun district in the virginia senate and was for many years a prominent leesburg banker. he was a son of the much-loved leader of white's battalion in the war of . upon his purchase of the estate, colonel white built the present stately mansion, so famed for its hospitality, in which he incorporated parts of the older house, burned some years before. selma is now owned by colonel white's widow (who before her marriage was miss lalla harrison) and his daughter, miss elizabeth white. it long has had the reputation of being one of the most fertile and successfully managed farming estates in the east. aldie manor aldie manor, in the present town of aldie, was built by charles fenton mercer and named for aldie castle in scotland, the home of the mercer family. the town in turn was named for the estate and the magisterial district in which both lie is named for mercer. the mansion has long been owned and occupied by the dizerega family. morven park morven park was acquired by governor thomas swann of maryland who, about , built the imposing mansion there. it was inherited by his daughter who became the wife of dr. shirley carter and for many years much of the neighbourhood's social life centered about it. in this estate of over , acres was purchased by mr. westmoreland davis, later governor of virginia, who now resides there and carefully supervises the many and varied agricultural activities of his domain. [illustration: oak hill, north front. built by president james monroe in . now the home of messrs. littleton.] oak hill but to the nation the best known of all the old homes of loudoun has always been oak hill. when james monroe, after long years of service to his country, came to look forward to his retirement, he owned a large tract of land on the carolina road nine miles south of leesburg, long in the possession of his family, which had occupied a dormer-windowed cottage there. on a gentle elevation on the plantation, president monroe, in the year , erected the great brick house, three stories in height with its porticos and doric columns which he named oak hill. it was designed by monroe's friend thomas jefferson and the plans were completed by james hoban the designer and builder of the white house and the supervising architect of the capitol. president monroe employed william benton, an englishman (who is said to have "served him in the triple capacity of steward, counsellor and friend") to superintend the construction of the mansion under hoban's supervision and to manage the extensive farming operations of the estate which he did most successfully. it was here that president monroe wrote his famous message to congress, delivered in december , embodying what since has been known throughout the world as the "monroe doctrine" and it was here also that he entertained lafayette in . mrs. monroe died at oak hill in . on mr. monroe's death in , the property went to his daughter mrs. gouveneur of new york by whom it was sold in to colonel john m. fairfax, who set out the large orchard of albemarle pippins some of the fruit from which, sent to queen victoria gave her such pleasure that thereafter it enjoyed her preference over all other apples. later when his son, the much-loved state senator henry fairfax, owned the estate he became known throughout the nation for the hackney horses he raised there. in the property was acquired by mr. and mrs. frank c. littleton who greatly enlarged the old building by the extension of both wings. when mr. littleton was quarrying sandstone on the place in there were found numerous imprints of prehistoric dinosaurs--the first known evidence that these monsters had inhabited this portion of the eastern part of the present united states. the estate took its name from a group of oaks planted on the lawn by president monroe, one from each of the then existing states, each tree presented to him for that purpose by a congressman from the state represented. mrs. littleton died in . mr. littleton and his son frank c. littleton, jr., continue to make the historic old place their home, carrying on extensive farming operations on its broad acres. on the th march, , the first postoffice was established in leesburg. the first postmaster was thomas lewis, who was succeeded on the st april, , by john schooley, who in turn gave way to john shaw on the st april, . then came thomas wilkinson on the st april, ; william woody on the st january, , and presley saunders on the th february, . at the end of the eighteenth century loudoun was, in politics, a federal stronghold. colonel leven powell has long been credited with being the founder of that party in the county. the momentous election for members of the convention of was bitterly fought. stevens thomson mason and william ellzey, both lawyers, were opposed to the adoption of the federal constitution. for its adoption stood colonel powell and colonel josias clapham. both of the latter, as we have seen, were old soldiers but no match as orators to their opponents and thus were at a great disadvantage in the contest. powell's great personal popularity alone is said to have secured his election. mason also won but the county remained so strongly federal that its vote dominated its congressional district. when war with great britain was forced upon us in , a cavalry regiment was raised in loudoun of which armistead thomson mason of selma became colonel. but the incident in that war which most prominently stands out in loudoun's memory came in . [illustration: oak hill. east drawing room, showing mantel presented to monroe by lafayette, and other historical furniture.] after the american forces under general william h. winder had been defeated by the british at bladensburg in august of that year, it was apparent that the capture of washington was highly probable. madison's secretary of state, james monroe, had been in the camp of general winder, closely studying with him the enemy's movements and seeking to appraise the ability of the americans to successfully defend the capital. that he was not reassured by what he thus learned is shewn by the letter he sent to president madison wherein he advised him to remove from washington the government's more important records. the president recognized, none too soon, the imminence of the danger. the more valuable of the government archives were ordered to be taken from washington and stephen pleasanton, then a clerk in the state department, was placed in charge of their removal. he caused to be made a large number of linen bags in which were placed the government's books and documents, including the _declaration of independence_ and the constitution. it is said that the painting of mrs. dolly madison, hanging in the white house, was cut from its frame and accompanied the government's records. some accounts aver that, so numerous were the archives, twenty-two two-horse wagons were used in their transportation from washington; others who have written of the incident say that four four-horse wagons only were used, while still others claim the method of transportation to have been by ox-teams. however they were carried, they left washington across the old chain bridge and sought their first safety in the grist mill of edward patterson on the virginia side of the potomac two miles above georgetown. so threatening was the british advance, however, that it was deemed prudent to carry the precious cargo further up-country; the wagons were duly reloaded and the caravan continued to leesburg, where the sacks were placed for one night in the courthouse according to some writers or, on the authority of others, in a vacant building in the town, the key of which was given to a certain rev. mr. littlejohn, a young clergyman then recently ordained. the next day the sacks were again placed in the wagons and driven to the nearby plantation of rokeby where in its vaults they were stored for two weeks until it was safe to return them to washington. during those two weeks president madison was a guest of ludwell lee at belmont, whence he directed national affairs; and ever since that time it has been a primary and essential asseveration in the credo of every true leesburger that the town was, during that stirring fortnight, the de facto capital of the united states. proud as that memory may be today, the event itself is said to have caused great anxiety to the more substantial citizens of the town and nearby country for fear lest their sudden prominence in the affairs of the nation would invite a swift and disastrous foray upon them by the temporarily triumphant britons; a denouement which, happily, did not ensue. chapter xiv maturity when patrick mcintyre published the one hundred and tenth number of _the true american_ in leesburg on tuesday the th december, , he, following the tradition of his craft, probably left his office with a lively sense of anticipation of the town's forthcoming celebration of the advent of a new century; that he could have foreseen that a single copy of that issue would be the sole available survivor of his journal in is not to be presumed. yet in the library of congress that single copy begins its collection of leesburg's newspapers and no copy of the paper is known to survive today in loudoun. its four pages devote themselves to the proceedings of congress, to european affairs, to the activities of the virginia house of delegates and to the new treaty with france. the local news must be gleaned from the advertisements. the rev. mr. allen advertises religious services to be held in the courthouse;[ ] one w. c. celden, a slavedealer, informs the public that he "has some likely young negroes which he will dispose of reasonably for cash;" and on the th page is found an item, obviously inserted by a private individual protecting himself with a cloak of anonymity, "for sale. a likely negro girl who has to serve for the term of nineteen or twenty years. she is now about twelve years of age, and very well grown, and will have to serve one year for every child which she may have during the term of her servitude. the terms of sale may be known by application to the printer." the widow of colonel burgess ball asks that those having claims against his estate will send them to her as the administrators were anxious to make provision for their immediate payment. [ ] see chapter xiii ante. the ultimate fate of _the true american_ is unknown. in there was established in the town the _washingtonian_ which became the recognized organ of the democratic party in northern virginia for many years. no surviving copy of any issue of the first year of this paper has been found by the present writer. until it divided the loudoun field with whig competitors; after that date its journalistic rivals appear to have been of its own political faith, notably the _loudoun mirror_, established in . in its early years the _washingtonian_ had a sturdy competitor in the whig _genius of liberty_, copies of which are now rarely to be found. the most numerous available are in a broken file in the library of congress, beginning with numbers issued in and owing their conservation to the fact that they had been sent by the editor to the secretary of state. as with the earlier _true american_ these newspapers contain much foreign news and correspondence with lengthy reports of legislative activities in richmond and washington; and, in addition, an acrimonious and undignified exchange of long-winded and abusive letters in the mason-mccarty-mercer controversies. but that a county paper should find its first duty in presenting local news was not within the philosophy of the editor. only here and there may one find a paragraph recording some local incident--but patient search is occasionally rewarded. a branch of the bank of the valley had been opened in leesburg in with local subscribers to its stock and t. r. mott acting as cashier. then in the issue of the st march, , we read: "specie. arrived on wednesday last at this port after a pleasant passage of two days from alexandria, the waggon perseverance--grub, master, laden with sixty five thousand dollars in specie for the branch bank of the valley in this place. the specie is deposited in the 'strong box' thus laying a foundation for the emission of a paper currency predicated upon specie capital, which is the chief corner stone in all monied institutions; without it they must eventually fail." that leesburg was provided with its first street pavements through the proceeds of a public lottery has long been town gossip. by way of confirmation, there is an advertisement in the th may, , issue of the _genius of liberty_: "by authority. scheme of lottery to raise $ for the purpose of paving the streets of the town of leesburg, va." providing a first prize of $ and other prizes running from $ down to $ each, totalling $ , . against these prizes were to be blanks, to be represented by tickets to be offered at $ each; but the astute managers stipulated that many of the larger prizes were to be paid in part by other tickets and that each of the prizes were to be "subject to a deduction of $ to $ ." to inspire the confidence of the public, the notice was signed by the following representative citizens as commissioners: prestley cardell, c. f. mercer, george rust, joseph beard, richd h. henderson, samuel clapham, john humphreys, john i. harding, sampson blincoe, fleet smith, samuel carr, and john gray. so successful was the lottery, avers tradition, that with its profits not only was the town able to pave its principal streets but also brought in, through wooden pipes, a much needed supply of water from rock spring, the present home of mrs. h. t. harrison. to the community that system of finance exerted an appeal so strong that once again it was used in , to raise the necessary money to build an office for the county clerk. the present county office building was purchased from the trustees of the leesburg academy in .[ ] [ ] ns deeds , loudoun county records. always has loudoun been a horse-loving country; but it may surprise some of her people of today to know that in the county seat possessed a "jockey club" which was sufficiently strong and well supported to conduct a four day racing meet with more generous prizes than are now offered. in the _genius of liberty_ of the th october there is this advertisement: "leesburg jockey club. races will be run for on wednesday the th october, over a handsome course near the town. a purse of dollars three miles and repeat, and on thursday the th day, two miles and repeat a purse of $ dollars, and on friday the th and repeat, a towne's purse of at least $ and on saturday the th an elegant saddle, briddle and martingale, worth at least fifty dollars. p. saunders, sec'y & treas'r." thus, although the local reporting was definitely remiss in those days, the advertising columns yield much treasure. the times were hard, land sales forced by worried creditors were frequent and often in the sales advertisements a note is made of log-houses on the land, shewing how numerous that form of habitation still must have been in the loudoun of that time. with the land sales are many offerings of negroes, not infrequently with a humanitarian undertone pleasant to read, for in loudoun then there was much anti-slavery sentiment not only among quakers and germans but, more significantly, among the wealthy planters and educated town folk. thus in the issue of the th october : "negroes for sale. for sale, a family of negroes, consisting of a woman and children. to a good master they will be sold a great bargain. they will not be sold to a southern trader." the financial stress of the day then, as later, bred much discontent if we may judge from the frequent notices of runaway white apprentices and negro slaves, the latter of both sexes; but while in the case of the slaves rewards are offered for their return of varying amounts from $ to $ , the masters of the white apprentices, apparently appraising their services somewhat dubiously, offered but from one to six cents for their apprehension and return! though times were hard and money scarce there was, in the community, a healthy appreciation of the cultural side of life. george carter of oatlands advertises the services of a professor of music, seemingly brought into the county by him, who "now offers to teach the fundamental rules of this science in lessons so as to enable those who are taught by him, to pursue their studies by themselves until they may obtain a perfect practical knowledge of musick."[ ] music seemed to have been in the air. eighteen months later, there is notice given by henry krebs that he has commenced teaching the piano and german flute and the french language. he could be found at mrs. peers' boarding house.[ ] lectures on english grammar are announced by e. hazen at the house of mrs. mccabe[ ] and charles weineder, a miniature painter, came to leesburg for two weeks to take orders in his art.[ ] [ ] issue of th october, . [ ] nd nov., . [ ] th nov., . [ ] th oct., . the profession of the law was followed in leesburg by richard henderson, burr william harrison, l. p. w. balch (who was also secretary of the school board) and john k. mines. dr. j. clapper practiced medicine at hillsboro "where he may be found at mr. hough's tavern," we trust not indicating undue conviviality of the gentleman's disposition. there was ample accomodation for travellers, their servants and horses. enos wildman announced that he had lately acquired the eagle tavern, formerly run by w. austen;[ ] while samuel m. edwards presided at the "leesburg hotel & coffee house" which he had recently purchased from mr. h. peers and which was "situated on the main street leading from winchester to alexandria, george town and the city of washington." yet another tavern was operated by one "mr. foley" and, as we have seen, there were boarding-houses as well. their bars were stocked without difficulty, for lewis mix & co. had a distillery near the mouth of sugar land run and called for rye, corn and oats. [ ] th jan., . but perhaps the most impressive picture painted by these old advertisements is that of the teeming industrial and commercial life of the town. it was still, happily, the age of the handicraftsman; the machinery age was yet to come. transportation was uncertain and slow, and country towns largely produced the furniture, tools, clothing and other needed articles for their own inhabitants and those of their surrounding communities. the variety of the activities of the artisans and merchants of the leesburg of that day paralleled those of other similar towns throughout the nation. john carney had a "boot & shoe manufactory" which was conveniently located "on king street, next door to messrs. humphreys and conrad and immediately opposite the court house." in advertising his wares, he added that he wished to take on two or three apprentices of from thirteen to fifteen years of age. he had a business rival in william king, who conducted a similar activity and confidently announced that he had "some of the first rate workmen in the state." hats were made and sold by jacob martin "at his shop opposite the market house" who duly proclaimed "a very large assortment of hats on hand from the first quality to those of lowest prices; including a large assortment of good wool hats, likewise some morocco caps." if the loudoun citizen of president monroe's day needed the services of a tailor, they were made available by thomas russel whose business apparently flourished; for he advertised for "one or two journeymen taylors to whom constant employ and the best wages will be given." he also sought one or two apprentices to learn his craft. jonathan c. may was opening a dry goods and clothing shop under charge of d. carter, next to the drug store of robert r. hough. as a competitor he had joseph beard with his "general and seasonable assortment of dry goods" and daniel p. conrad who, "at the stone house opposite the court house" offered "a seasonable supply of fall goods"; he and george richards meanwhile publishing notice of the dissolution of their former partnership. in nearby waterford, b. williamson and c. shawen also dissolve their partnership in a general store, on account of williamson moving to baltimore and shawen carries on under the name of c. shawen & co. samuel tustin was engaged in a coachmaking business in leesburg and sought "good tough white ash plant and timber--also a quantity of poplar half inch plank." he, too, wanted an apprentice, seeking one who was fifteen to seventeen years old. there was no lack of opportunity to earn a living offered to a steady lad with an inclination to work and a taste for trade. to the more mature, aaron burson offered to rent his fulling mill and dwelling house near union, describing them as being in "an elegant neighbourhood for the fulling business."[ ] john b. bell, occupying a part of william drish's house on king street, was a bookbinder. not daunted by the slump in business, james g. jones and company notify the loudoun public that they have commenced the brush making business "at mr. wetherby's stone house, king street, nearly opposite mr. murrays and that they want a large quantity of hog's bristles" for which a liberal price will be given "in cash." [ ] i.e. the thickening and cleansing of woollen cloth. s. b. t. caldwell advertised for sale writing paper, wrapping paper and medium printing paper. the present day collectors of old furniture will note that david ogden had removed his business to the southeast corner of king and cornwall streets where he had on hand and offered "some fashionable sideboards, eliptic dining tables, secretary, bureaus etc., etc., which i will dispose of on moderate terms. orders from the adjacent country will be thankfully received." in the same year of , jacob and isaac thomas of waterford announced that they had on hand a general assortment of windsor and fancy chairs and were also prepared to do "house, sign and fancy painting with neatness and dispatch." the political dispute between mason and mccarthy, mirrored in the pages of _the genius of liberty_, was fated to resolve itself into a tragedy that shook county and commonwealth to their roots and caused no small sensation throughout the youthful republic. general armistead thomson mason of selma,[ ] a grandson of thomson mason, was a graduate of william and mary college, a veteran of the war of and a senator of the united states from virginia as well as the leader of the democratic party in loudoun. opposed to him as a federalist was his cousin, colonel john mason mccarty, a grandson of george mason of gunston hall, a descendant of old daniel mccarthy of westmoreland[ ] and who then occupied raspberry plain. for a long time there had been political rivalry and bickering between the two men and when mason introduced a bill in the senate to permit loudoun quakers, when drafted for military services in war-time, to furnish substitutes by the payment of $ apiece, mccarthy seized upon its political possibilities and promptly accused him of cowardice. the issue flared in the political campaign then on and, to add to the fire, mason challenged mccarty's vote at the polls. some accounts say that this so incensed mccarthy, described as being generally a good-natured individual with a strong sense of humour but also with a temper that upon occasion would break out beyond bounds, that he thereupon, at the polling place, defied mason to personal combat, in his anger naming the weapons, contrary to a universally recognized rule of the code. mason decided to ignore the matter, mccarthy taunted him in the public prints and although mason's side had been defeated at the election, the affair gradually might have blown over and been forgotten had not mason, returning from a journey to richmond, by evil chance found himself a fellow stagecoach passenger with his old friend and superior officer, general andrew jackson. the matter of the quarrel with mccarthy, in due course, came up for discussion and jackson, ever a fire-eater himself, is said to have told mason with some brusqueness that he should not let the matter drop. on his return, therefore, mason sent his cousin a letter in which he said he has resigned his commission for the sole purpose of fighting mccarthy and "i am now free to accept or send a challenge or to fight a duel. the public mind has become tranquil, and all suspicion of the further prosecution of our quarrel having subsided, we can now terminate it without being arrested by the civil authority and without exciting alarm among our friends." he informed his opponent that he had arranged his family affairs and was "extreemly anxious to terminate once and forever this quarrel." how recklessly eager was his wish was shewn by his instructions to his seconds to agree to any terms at any distance--to pistols, muskets or rifles "to three feet--his pretended favourite distance, or to three inches, should his impetuous courage prefer it." [ ] see chapter xiii ante. [ ] chapter iv ante. mccarthy, in the meanwhile, had cooled down and was inclined to turn aside this new challenge in a humorous vein. he suggested to mason's seconds that the antagonists jump from the dome of the capitol; but the matter had gone too far for joking and he was told his suggestion did not comply with the code. again and yet again he offered similar absurd solutions and being rebuffed and in an effort to frighten mason, suggested shotguns loaded with buckshot at ten paces, suicidal terms which were modified by the seconds to charging the weapons with a single ball and the distance to twelve feet. after the fatal outcome of the hamilton-burr duel in , a wave of hostility to the whole institution of duelling had swept the country. in january, , virginia had passed an act making the death of a duellist within three months of the encounter, murder, and providing that the survivor should be hung. moreover, it was provided that the mere act of sending or accepting a challenge should make the offender incapable of holding public office. therefore it was expedient that the meeting should not be held in virginia and a field, along the side of which ran a little brook, near bladensburg in maryland, was selected for the affair. principals, seconds and referee arrived at a nearby inn on the night of the th february, , and at : o'clock the next morning, in the bitter cold and snow, the cousins confronted each other on the field, standing so close to one another that their "barrels almost touched." as the signal was given both fired and then fell to the ground--mason dying and mccarthy dangerously wounded. mason's body was brought back to leesburg where it rested for a while in the old stone house on loudoun street now owned by mr. t. m. fendall, before burial in the st. james graveyard in church street with religious and masonic rites. there the grave is still to be seen. it is said that mrs. mason locked the main entrance of selma after the funeral and that no one again used it until her only son came of age--a son destined to meet his death, many years later, as an american officer, in the battle of cerro gordo in our war with mexico. tradition has it that ever after the duel, mccarthy was a morose and haunted man. a gruesome detail is added that long after his death his marble gravestone was removed to the purcell drug store in leesburg and there used for many years as a slab on which prescriptions were compounded. from such a sombre picture we may turn with relief to the spectacle of loudoun in gala attire indulging in the greatest and gayest county-wide celebration her history affords. of all those who, from abroad, came to help the american colonies in their revolt, none so wholly captured the affections of her people as the french marquis de lafayette and as the years after the war passed by, that affection remained steadfast. in january, , the american congress entertained the happy idea of authorizing the president to officially invite the old general again to visit our shores, this time as the guest of the whole nation. lafayette sailed from france on an american war ship in july, , arriving in new york on the th august. then began the national welcome which, continuing for over a year, stands by itself in our history. in august, , lafayette, being in washington, informed his hosts that he wished, once again, to see his old friend james monroe, then living in retirement on his estate, oak hill. arrangements were made accordingly and on the th august the marquis, accompanied by president john quincy adams, left washington in the latter's carriage for the long drive to oak hill. on their arrival they were greeted by monroe and a number of his friends who had gathered to pay honour to the nation's guest. for three days lafayette tarried at oak hill, walking over the farm with his host and reminiscing over the heroic days of nearly fifty years before. leesburg, determining to show its love and respect for the general, sent a delegation to invite him to a celebration in his honour in that town, to which lafayette readily assented. on the morning of the th august, , "mr. ball a member of the committee of arrangements and mr. henderson of the town council"[ ] went to oak hill to escort their guest to leesburg. with them were two troops of cavalry commanded by captains chichester and bradfield. general lafayette, president adams, former president monroe and mr. henderson took their seats in the carriage drawn by splendid bay horses which had been provided for the occasion and the procession set out for the county seat. as it neared the town, salvos of artillery greeted it and the roads and town itself were so lined and filled with people that it was estimated that at least , (almost half of the county's population) were present. and now, to quote the historian of the occasion: "the guest of the nation, with his honoured friends, alighted in the field of william m. mccarty, where in the shade of an oak, he was introduced to cuthbert powell, esq., chairman of the committee of arrangements; who welcomed him in terms of respect and affection apt to the occasion, and in a manner at once feeling and grateful; to which general lafayette replied, with the felicity which seems never to forsake him. he was then introduced to the committee of arrangements and to general rust, the marshall of the day, and his aids. the general then received the military, assembled to honour him, consisting of the volunteer troops of cavalry, commanded by captains chichester and bradfield; the two rifle companies, commanded by captains henry and humphries; and the companies of light infantry, commanded by captains moore and cockerill, who, by their equipments and discipline did credit to themselves and the county."[ ] [ ] presumably fayette ball of springwood and richard henderson, a prominent lawyer of leesburg. [ ] _general lafayette's visit to virginia_, by robert d. ward. after being introduced to a few surviving soldiers of the revolution, the distinguished party was driven to colonel osburn's hotel (the present home of mr. t. m. fendall on loudoun street) the street in front of which was filled with a great crowd of orderly and well-behaved citizens. here lafayette was received by the mayor of leesburg, dr. john h. mccabe and the common council. the mayor made an address of welcome and again lafayette spoke in reply. after a few minutes for rest and refreshment in the hotel, the carriages were resumed and "the procession moved through loudoun, market, back, cornwall and king street. between the gate of the court house square and the portico of the court-house an avenue had formed, by a line on the right, of the young ladies of the leesburg female academy under the care of miss helen mccormick and mrs. lawrence ... dressed in white, with blue sashes, and their heads were tastefully adorned with evergreens. they held sprigs of laurel in their hands, which they strewed in the way as the general passed them." another account discloses that the other side of the "avenue," facing the evergreen-crowned girls, was formed by a line of boys from the leesburg institute, whose costumes were embellished with red sashes and white and black cockades. as lafayette, smiling and bowing, mounted the portico steps, he was greeted by ludwell lee on behalf of the people of loudoun with a patriotic speech and once again the cheerful marquis managed to make yet another appropriate response. after a full year of the young republic's exuberant enthusiasm, the delivery of a mere half-dozen or so of speeches of grateful acknowledgment in a single day has lost its earlier terrors. at : o'clock a great banquet was spread on the tables set up in the courthouse square, the guests' table being protected by an awning. toasts were enthusiastically given and drunk to adams, lafayette and monroe, each in turn replying. with that auspicious start and the stimulus of the potent beverages, it is recorded that as the time passed, the "volunteer toasts" waxed in number and ecstacy. afterward, the distinguished guests visited the home of mr. w. t. t. mason for the baptism of his two infant daughters, lafayette acting as godfather for one and adams and monroe in similar capacity for the other. more gayety in leesburg, then a drive through the summer night to belmont and participation in the merry-making there, before the illustrious visitors sought their rooms for the night in that gracious mansion.[ ] as they returned to washington the next day, it must have been with a profound, if weary, appreciation of the county's enthusiasm, affection and hospitality. [ ] see chapter xiii. in this second quarter of the nineteenth century, to which we have now come, the name of charles fenton mercer, soldier, statesman and philanthropist, is writ large in loudoun's records. already we have read of him in his country home and of his founding the town of aldie in ;[ ] but the brief reference there made is wholly inadequate to the man and his accomplishments. born in fredericksburg on the th june, , he was the son of james mercer and grandson of that john mercer of marlboro whom we have already met.[ ] his father, after a distinguished career, left at his death an estate so much involved that the son had some difficulty in securing his education. he, however, was able to graduate at princeton in and the next year, at the time of friction with france, was given a commission by washington as a captain of cavalry. when the danger of war passed, he studied law and, admitted to the bar, practiced his profession with great success. he served as brigadier general in command of the defense of norfolk in the war of , removed to loudoun, was a member of the virginia legislature from to and, as a federalist, was elected a member of congress, in , over general a. t. mason, the election being so close, however, that it had to be decided by the house of representatives. in congress he served until , a longer continuous service "than that of any of his contemporaries." always deeply interested in the project of the chesapeake and potomac canal, he introduced the first successful bill for its construction and it was in tribute to him that those interested in the plan met in leesburg on the th august, . when the canal company was organized taking over, in effect, much of the plant of general washington's cherished project the potomac company, mercer became its first president and continued in that position during the period of federal encouragement. then came the jackson administration and its opposition and, as a final blow, the organization of the baltimore and ohio railroad company. the day of the canals gave place to that of the railroads; but that section of the canal in maryland, across the river from loudoun, was completed and placed in successful operation, affording to her people better and cheaper transportation to washington and alexandria for their products than they before had known. [ ] see chapter xiii. [ ] see chapter vii. mercer was an ardent protectionist, intensely opposed to slavery and an advocate of the settlement of freed slaves in liberia. he died near alexandria on the th may, , and was buried in the leesburg cemetery. on his headstone it is justly reaffirmed that he was "a patriot, statesman, philanthropist and christian."[ ] [ ] _charles fenton mercer_, by james m. garnett. mercer's day well may be cited as the most active and, perhaps, the most ambitiously progressive in business affairs in the county's history. space precludes enumeration and extensive description of all the enterprises then undertaken but passing mention may be made of a few. the improvement of transportation was a dominant motive. canals, railroads, turnpikes all were instruments to that end. an early railroad was projected by the men of waterford and incorporated in as the loudoun railroad company to run from the mouth of ketoctin creek on the potomac "passing ketoctin mountain to the waters of goose creek so as to intercept the ashby's gap turnpike road"; a curious and impractical route it may seem to us in the light of present conditions and that it was just as well that the project died in birth. in another railroad but sponsored in leesburg, to be known as the leesburg railroad and to run from that town to the potomac, also came to naught. at length in the alexandria, loudoun and hampshire railroad was incorporated and built, and under various names has been since continuously operated, thus giving the county its only railroad communication within its boundaries. in there was incorporated the goose creek and little river navigation company to make those streams available as highways of traffic. locks, dams, ponds, feeders, and other appurtenant works were ambitiously undertaken. with assistance from the state and the proceeds of the company's sales of stock much construction was accomplished; but during the civil war the works were destroyed by the federal armies and they never have been restored. the catoctin furnace company was another ambitious project. iron ore was mined in furnace mountain, opposite the point of rocks, and for a time shipped away for smelting. in a furnace for treatment of the ore was completed on the property and the ore smelted at first with charcoal made at the plant and later, as operations increased, with coke brought from a distance. the business was highly successful and profitable until ruined by the civil war. it was this activity that caused the construction, in , of the original point of rocks bridge across the potomac.[ ] [ ] see briscoe goodheart in balch clippings . reference to some of the many turnpike companies of the period already has been made. undertaken for the profit of the shareholders as well as the convenience of the people they, for the first time in her history, gave the county roads fit to bear heavy traffic and were another exemplification of the energy of the time. when the church was disestablished after the revolution it was agreed that it would be left in possession of her property. as time went on there arose a clamour among those of other beliefs that her property and particularly her glebe lands should be sold by the overseers of the poor, to whom the proceeds should go, their argument being that having been acquired by taxes laid on the whole community, the taxpayers as a body should benefit therefrom. bishop mead describes what took place in loudoun concerning shelburne's glebe: "about the year , a tract of land containing acres, on the north fork of goose creek was purchased and soon after, a house put upon it. when mr. dunn became minister in an effort was made by the overseers of the poor to sell it, but it was effectually resisted at law. at the death of mr. dunn, in , the overseers of the poor again proceeded to sell it. the vestry was divided in opinion as to the course to be pursued. four of them--dr. w. c. selden, dr. henry claggett, mr. fayette ball and george m. chichester--were in favour of resisting it; the other eight thought it best to let it share the fate of all the others. it was accordingly sold. the purchaser lived in maryland; and, of course the matter might be brought before the supreme court as a last resort, should the courts of virginia decide against the church's claim. the minority of four, encouraged by the decision in the case of the fairfax glebe, determined to engage in a lawsuit for it. it was first brought in winchester and decided against the church. it was then carried to the court of appeals in richmond, and during its lingering progress there, three of four of the vestrymen who engaged in it died, and the fourth was persuaded to withdraw it."[ ] [ ] bishop mead's _old churches of virginia_, ii, . also see _landmarks_ and selden vs. overseers, xi leigh . chapter xv civil war it was a happy, prosperous, and contented loudoun that the sun shone down upon in . in politics the county was predominantly whig and in the growing national issues of states' rights, slavery and secession, her sentiment clung to the preservation of the union; but the seeds of dissension had been sown. the repercussions of john brown's insane raid on the nearby harper's ferry arsenal on the th october, , were particularly severe in loudoun. the madness of it all profoundly shocked the community and seemed to strike at the foundations of existing society, law, and order. yet a dogged adherence to that union, which virginia had been so instrumental in building, persisted. little doubt was felt concerning the _right_ of a sovereign state to withdraw from what had been a wholly voluntary confederation, but sentiment and a deep feeling of expediency strongly opposed such action. elsewhere in the state the tendency toward secession was stronger. as the fateful days passed, virginia was torn between conflicting views. it is probable that the ranting of the extreme abolitionists in the north drove more virginians toward secession, and that against their will, than the most persuasive arguments of its fieriest advocates. the legislature of recognized the peril of decision in favor of either side, and the gravity of attendant consequences to be so great, that it wisely decided to refer the issue to the people themselves. on the th january of that year it therefore authorized that a convention be called, to be made up of delegates elected from every county, for the express purpose of deciding upon virginia's course. thereupon such delegates, having been duly elected, the convention met in richmond on the th february, , loudoun being represented by john janney, at that time and until his death in , a leader of her bar, and john a. carter. both opposed secession and voted against it in a convention in which it was apparent that its proponents held a majority. nevertheless, mr. janney was elected permanent chairman by a majority of the delegates--a great personal tribute to the man and evidence of the respect in which he was held. both those who favoured and those who condemned withdrawal from the union were given ample opportunity to expound and urge their views. when the ominous vote was cast in secret session on the th april, , eighty-five of the delegates favoured and fifty-five opposed an ordinance of secession; but their action was conditioned upon the majority decision being referred back to the people of virginia for approval or rejection. both janney and carter voted against the measure but even while the convention was in session a mass meeting, convened in leesburg, passed resolutions advocating the proposed ordinance. how great a change had taken place in the sentiment of the county, during those early and fateful months of , is shone in the following table of the results in loudoun of the election of the rd may in which the ordinance of secession was overwhelmingly ratified there: precincts for secession against aldie goresville gum spring hillsboro leesburg lovettsville middleburg mt. gilead powells shop purcellville snickersville union waterford waters whaleys --- --- total the great mass of the american people, north and south, neither expected nor wanted war. the overwhelming tragedy of it all lay in the nation being caught and carried on in a flood of events beyond its imagination or control and these, with sinister assistance from fanatics and trouble-makers on both sides, brought on the devastating deluge. with lincoln's call for volunteers, virginia rallied to resist what she believed to be a threat of hostile armed invasion. the die was cast. it is not the purpose of this book to attempt a detailed account of the war-epoch in loudoun. much of her story during those dreary years already has been recorded by other writers. the full narrative deserves, and sometime undoubtedly will have, a volume to itself. inasmuch as fate had made it a border county, it was inevitable that intense factional bitterness should exist and that much fighting should take place within its boundaries; but no major engagements occurred there. loudoun at least was spared the terrible slaughter that destiny staged in tidewater, the valley and north of the potomac. it required but little imagination on the part of the county government to foresee the probability of fighting in the county and the subversion of the civil authority, with the confusion and lawlessness that would consequently ensue. therefore the loudoun court, headed by its then presiding justice asa rogers, ordered the county clerk, george k. fox, jr., to remove the county records to a place of safety and to use his discretion for their preservation. pursuant to these instructions, mr. fox loaded the records into a large wagon and with them drove south to campbell county. for the next four years he moved his precious charge about from place to place, as danger threatened each refuge in turn, and in was able to bring back to leesburg every record intact as will appear in the following chapter. thus to mr. fox's faithful performance of his duty, loudoun owes the preservation of her records in happy contrast to the loss, damage and destruction which came upon the archives of her sister counties during the ensuing conflict. from a subsequent entry in the court's records, we also learn that no court was held in the county from february, , until july, .[ ] [ ] loudoun minute book - , p. . also statements to author by mr. fox's daughter, mrs. john mason of leesburg. with the inception of actual warfare the county divided along the lines forecast by the election in may, . those sections in which the quakers and germans predominated, continued strong in their adherence to the union; the remaining people of the county, with comparatively few exceptions, were so deeply and unswervingly attached to the southern cause as to suggest the burning conviction of religious zeal. to add to the intensity of hostile feeling, there were, nevertheless, in all parts of the county, as was inevitable in a border community, individuals who passionately disagreed with the convictions of their neighbors and these as occasion offered and to the detriment of their former friends, reported surreptitiously upon local matters to the side with which their sympathies lay. the recruiting of soldiers began among the confederates, to be followed in due course by the union men. "the th virginia militia" writes goodhart "commanded by col. william giddings, was called out and about percent of the regiment that lived east of the catoctin mountain responded."[ ] many of those who thus reported for duty were put to work, it is said, building the fortifications around leesburg, while a number of their former comrades abruptly left loudoun for the quieter atmosphere of maryland.[ ] but the demand for men far surpassed the resources of the organized militia. for the confederates, new commands sprang into being throughout virginia. the th virginia regiment, company c (loudoun guard) of the th virginia regiment and white's ( th virginia) battalion, known as the "comanches," were largely made up of loudoun men and many of the county's sons also were to be later in mosby's famous partisan rangers as well as in many other commands. how far flung in the forces of the confederacy were loudoun's soldiers is suggested by a copy of the "roster of clinton hatcher camp, confederate veterans," (organized in loudoun county on the th february, ) which, framed for preservation, hangs on the wall in the county clerk's office. it gives the names and pictures of the original members and the military organization in which each man served. each of the following commands are there represented by one or more former members: st virginia cavalry stribbling's artillery nd virginia cavalry letcher's artillery th virginia cavalry gillmore's battalion th virginia cavalry th va. artillery th virginia cavalry loudoun artillery th va. (white's) battalion th virginia infantry rd va. battalion (mosby's rangers) st maryland cavalry th virginia infantry st richmond howitzers th virginia infantry stuart's horse artillery st georgia infantry chew's battery th georgia infantry while, in addition, were many who served with staff rank or otherwise, such as dr. c. shirley carter, surgeon on general staff; john w. fairfax, colonel, adjutant and inspector general's department; j. r. huchison, captain on staffs of generals hunton and b. johnson; a. h. rogers, first lieutenant and aide-de-campe; william h. rogers, lieutenant on staff; colonel charles m. fauntleroy, inspector general on staff of general joseph c. johnston; h. o. claggett, captain and assistant quartermaster; arthur m. chichester, captain and assistant military engineer; l. c. helm, scout for generals beauregard and lee; b. w. lynn, first lieutenant ordnance department; william h. payne, brigadier general of cavalry, a. n. v.; john y. bassell, staff of general w. l. jackson and midshipman c. s. navy. [ ] _loudoun rangers_, by briscoe goodhart, p. . [ ] _the comanches_, by f. m. myers, p. . in the northern part of the county, union men joined two companies of cavalry which were known as the loudoun rangers, an independent command raised by captain samuel c. means of waterford, under a special order of e. m. stanton, the secretary of war and later merged in the th u. s. corps. between the troopers of this organization on the one side and those of white and mosby on the other, some of them former friends and schoolmates, even brothers, there were frequent and vicious engagements and mutual animosity ran high, as presently we shall see.[ ] [ ] to get the full flavor of the bitterness engendered, read f. m. myers' _comanches_, and goodhart's _loudoun rangers_. [illustration: the old valley bank, leesburg.] with the intensity of recruiting, the county was soon drained of many of its most vigorous and ablebodied men. at that time there was but one bank in leesburg--the old valley bank, concerning the founding of which in we have read in the last chapter. one day, so runs the story, there suddenly appeared in the town three bandits who, making their way to the bank, then located in what has since been known as the "club house" on the northwest corner of market and church streets, proceeded to loot it. tradition says that they found and seized over $ , in gold and, placing it in sacks they had provided, fled with it south along the carolina road. the greatly excited citizens hurriedly formed a posse, made up largely of men who were too old for military service together with a number of boys, which pursued the robbers so hotly that the latter left the highway where it passes the woods on greenway, south of the mansion, and sought to hide themselves there. here they were surrounded in the woods and either made their escape or were killed, the narrative at this point becoming somewhat vague. be that as it may, they disappear from the story and the pursuers turned to recovering their booty. a diligent search, continued long after nightfall, failed to reveal the hiding-place of the plunder. with daylight the search was renewed and, although carried on for many days, during which much ground was dug over, not a dollar ever was recovered; but for years the story of the hidden treasure was repeated and even after the late john h. alexander purchased greenway, long after the war, his children were regaled by the negro servants with the story of the believed-to-be buried gold. meanwhile the work of building fortifications of earthworks, begun by colonel giddings' th regiment of militia, had so far progressed that there were three forts on elevated ground on different sides of leesburg. one, known as fort evans, named in honour of brigadier general nathan g. evans, in command of the leesburg neighborhood, was on the heights on the part of the original exeter between the alexandria pike and the edwards' ferry roads, recently purchased by mr. h. b. harris of chicago from mrs. william rogers and mr. wallace george; another, known as fort johnston, in honour of general joseph e. johnston, commander of a portion of the confederate troops at the first battle of manassas, (bull run), crowned the hill now covered by the extensive orchards of mr. lawrence r. lee, about one and one-half miles west of leesburg on the alexandria road; and the third, known as fort beauregard, was constructed south of tuscarora in the triangle formed by the old road leading to morrisworth, the road to lawson's old mill and tuscarora. the property is now owned by the heirs of the late mahlon myers. all of these fortifications were, at the time, considered of great potential importance but in the course of events none, save for a long-distance bombardment of fort evans on the th october, , were destined ever to be attacked nor, therefore, defended. the remains of all remain largely in place, useful only as local monuments to loudoun's most tragic era. the principal engagement in the county between the hostile armies took place in the first year of the war. soon after the first battle of manassas (bull run) the leesburg neighborhood was held for the confederates by brigadier general nathan g. evans and his th brigade made up of the th virginia infantry under colonel eppa hunton; the th mississippi, under colonel william barksdale; the th mississippi, under colonel w. s. featherstone, together with a battery and four companies of cavalry under colonel w. h. jenifer, all sent there by general beauregard to protect his left flank from attacks by general mcclellan, whose forces lay across the potomac, and to keep open communications with the confederate troops in the valley. on the th october, dranesville, a hamlet on the alexandria road, fifteen miles southeast of leesburg, was occupied by federal troops under general mccall. that evening his advance guard opened artillery fire on fort evans, just east of leesburg, and another bombardment began at nearby edwards' ferry. evans thereupon ordered certain of his troops to leave the town and occupy trenches he had dug along the line of goose creek, to meet the expected general attack. on the following day, a sunday, word came to mcclellan that the confederates were evacuating leesburg, whereupon that general sought to make a "slight demonstration," as he termed it, that is an increased firing by the pickets on the north side of the potomac, with, perhaps, a small force of skirmishers thrown across, to confirm the confederates in their belief that a general attack was impending and thus to hasten their complete evacuation of the town. it was no part of mcclellan's plan, apparently, that troops should cross in force from the maryland side or that a major engagement should be precipitated. brigadier general c. p. stone, in immediate command of the federal forces along the river, nevertheless ordered a considerable force to cross to the virginia side, both at edwards' ferry and also at ball's bluff, some four miles up the potomac. apparently in ignorance of stone's actions, mccall, at about the same time, was retiring his men to their camp at prospect hill, four miles west of the old chain bridge. evans was in the fort bearing his name. early in the morning of the st, he learned that the federals had crossed the river at ball's bluff, driving back captain duffy and a small force of confederates. thereupon evans sent colonel jenifer with four companies of mississippi infantry and two of cavalry to engage stone. as a result, stone's men were pressed back to the river around ball's bluff. [illustration: battle of ball's bluff. (from an engraving published in by virtus and company. new york.)] in his official report gen. evans wrote: "at about o'clock p.m. on the st a message was sent to brigadier general r. l. white to bring his militia force to my assistance at fort evans. he reported to me, in person, that he was unable to get his men to turn out, though there were a great number in town, and arms and ammunition were offered them." the federal force which first had crossed to ball's bluff, was composed of men of the th massachusetts under colonel devens. later it was augmented by a company from the th massachusetts. no adequate transportation across the river for a large force had been provided, so that later it was difficult to send over needed federal support. when evans became convinced that the main fight would be at ball's bluff, he sent forward colonel hunton and his th virginia regiment of which several of the companies had been recruited in loudoun. to these forces there were added, later in the day, the th and th mississippi. sharp fighting, with advantage first to one side and then to the other, culminated in a confederate bayonet charge and the resulting route of the federals, many of whom were killed and wounded, others driven into the river and drowned and by : o'clock the survivors surrendered and were marched as prisoners to leesburg. it is estimated that about , men were engaged on each side. the confederate loss was reported as killed, wounded and missing. the federals reported losses of killed, wounded and missing. the confederate dead were interred in the union cemetery at leesburg; the federal slain are buried at ball's bluff where their lonely resting place long has been cared for by the federal government.[ ] [ ] condensed from hotchkiss' _virginia military history_ as quoted by head, p. . also white's _battle of ball's bluff_. for gen. evans' report see "official reports, sept. to dec. ," published in richmond in . among the killed were colonel baker of the massachusetts troops and colonel burt of the th mississippi. among the very dangerously wounded was a young massachusetts first lieutenant who, miraculously recovering, later crowned a long judicial career as a venerated member of the supreme court of the united states and conferred additional lustre upon the name of oliver wendell holmes. the confederates were led in the fighting by colonel eppa hunton of the th virginia. it was he who rallied that regiment when a part of it was in retreat and turned threatened disaster into victory. colonel hunton had been born in fauquier on the nd september, , of a family long settled in that county. at the outbreak of the war he was practicing law in prince william and held a commission as brigadier general in the militia. after the ordinance of secession was adopted, he was commissioned a colonel by governor letcher and ordered to raise the th virginia infantry. for that purpose he proceeded to leesburg and recruited his command. chas. b. tebbs became lieut. colonel and norborne berkeley, major. both were of loudoun and berkeley eventually succeeded hunton in command of the regiment. of the ten companies in the regiment, six originally were made up of loudoun men under captains william n. berkeley, nathaniel heaton, alexander grayson, william simpson, wampter, and john r. carter. of the remaining four companies, one was from prince william, one from fairfax and two from fauquier. during the war the regiment covered itself with glory by its splendid fighting qualities from the first manassas to pickett's charge at gettysburg and suffered frightful losses. it became known from these losses, as the "bloody eighth." hunton, shot through the leg at gettysburg, was promoted for his valour there to brigadier general. after the war he lived in warrenton, practicing his profession with marked ability in fauquier, loudoun, and prince william where juries, frequently including members of his former regiment, seldom failed to give him their verdict. he served as a member of the house of representatives and later as united states senator from virginia, holding in his professional and political life the esteem and affection he had won on many a field of battle. acting as a volunteer scout for colonel hunton, that day of the ball's bluff battle was a young trooper of ashby's cavalry who, migrating from maryland to loudoun in , purchased a farm on the shore of the potomac and became very much of a virginian. elijah viers white was born in poolesville, maryland, in , attended lima seminary in livingston county, new york, and later spent two years at granville college in licking county, ohio. with the restlessness of his age he went to kansas in and, as a member of a missouri company, had some part in the factional fighting then distracting that territory. at the time of john brown's raid on harper's ferry he served as a corporal in the loudoun cavalry and soon after the outbreak of the war was transferred to ashby's legion. by december, , he was a captain, reporting to general hill, and in charge of a line of couriers between leesburg and winchester. during the winter of -' this force was quartered in waterford and, somewhat augmented in numbers, was assigned to scouting and guarding the potomac shore. thus originated the unit which became so famous in loudoun's history--the th virginia cavalry[ ] or, as it was more generally known, "white's battalion"--the "comanches" affectionately held in local memory. although having but about twenty-five men when wintering in waterford, the organization increased with such rapidity that before the war's end its rolls, according to captain frank m. myers, its historian, bore nearly names. on the th october, , it was formally mustered into the confederate service by colonel bradley t. johnson of general j. e. b. stuart's staff. in its inception formed for scouting, raiding and other local duty, and regarded as an independent organization, it was fated in january, , to become a part of brigadier general william e. jones' brigade and thenceforward continued a part of the regular military establishment of the confederacy. [ ] myers' _comanches_, p. . as the fame and exploits of the command and its leader grew, the latter was promoted major in october, , and lieutenant colonel in february, . that he was not made a brigadier-general in accordance with the recommendation of the military committee of the confederate congress was due chiefly to general lee's personal disapproval of colonel white's lack of severity as a disciplinarian. undoubtedly his men took advantage of his protective attitude toward them and incidents of insubordination, desertion, and even mutiny were not infrequent;[ ] but as enthusiastic and fearless fighters they won and held the respect of both sides alike. how well and dearly this reputation as warriors was earned is shown by their participation in no less than thirty-one battles, including cold harbor, sharpsburg (antietam), gettysburg, the wilderness, spotsylvania and appomattox and in fifty-nine recorded minor engagements as well.[ ] colonel white himself was severely wounded on no less than seven occasions. such was the esteem in which he continued to be held in loudoun after the war, that he was elected sheriff of the county and also its treasurer. he was a principal founder and the first president of the peoples national bank of leesburg which position he continued to occupy until his death in . general eppa hunton in his autobiography has this to say of him: "no man in the confederate army stood higher for bravery, dash and patriotic devotion than colonel 'lige' white." [ ] same, pp. , , , , , , etc. [ ] see manuscript memorandum prepared by mrs. magnus thompson and now in possession of colonel white's granddaughter, miss elizabeth white, of selma. in the meanwhile, as we have seen, the loudoun rangers had been organized on the territory west and north of the catoctin mountain by union men and had been taken into the federal service. in august, , this command, then numbering about fifty, was making its headquarters in the small brick baptist meeting house which still stands in waterford, whence it had been participating in raids on the confederate portion of the county. about : o'clock in the morning of the th of august, while a certain number of the rangers were away from the church on raids or picket duty, captain e. v. white, with forty or fifty men, made a carefully planned attack on the building and after some sharp fighting, in which one of the rangers was killed and ten wounded, the men in the church surrendered and were taken prisoners and paroled. on the st september the rangers were involved in another fight, this time with colonel munford's nd virginia cavalry sent forward by general stuart for that purpose, the encounter taking place between the top of mile hill and the big spring on the carolina road. the rangers were at the time reinforced by about men of cole's maryland cavalry but the confederates, by getting in their rear and completely surrounding them, put them to route in a hot sabre fight. goodhart, the rangers' historian, comments that these two defeats, coming so closely together, almost broke up that organization and "did to a very large extent interfere with the future usefulness of the command."[ ] it continued in service, however, until the end of the war, participating in the battle of antietam, in the gettysburg campaign, and in the shenandoah valley campaign in september, . [ ] _the loudoun rangers_, by briscoe goodhart, . it was in the same september of , it will be remembered, that lee undertook his first invasion of maryland. he and general stonewall jackson spent the night at the residence of the late henry t. harrison on the west side of king street, now occupied by mr. harrison's grandchildren, mr. cuthbert conrad and his two sisters. "the triumphant army of lee," writes head "on the eve of the first maryland campaign, was halted at leesburg and stripped of all superfluous transportation, broken-down horses and wagons and batteries not supplied with good horses being left behind."[ ] it is said that jackson rose early in the morning from his bed in the harrison house to examine the several suggested points for the southern army to cross the potomac. he is locally credited with the decision that the place known as white's ford was best for the purpose and it was there, on the th september, that much of the army crossed. with such a vast number to put across the river, it is probable that all the ferries and fords in the leesburg neighborhood were used. it is well to note that white's ford and the present white's ferry (then known as conrad's ferry) are two very different places. the ferry is at the end of the road now marked by the state, running along the south side of rockland; the ford is to the north thereof at the head of mason's island. obviously the depth of the water at white's ferry would preclude its use as a ford. goodhart says edwards' and noland's ferries were used,[ ] while the report of the federal signal officer (major a. j. myers) made to brigadier general s. williams, dated the th october, , records the confederates "crossing the potomac near the monocacy, and the commencement of their movement into maryland."[ ] nevertheless the confederate official reports definitely shew that a great number, probably the major part of the vast host, crossed at white's ford, including stonewall jackson's own men, general early's division (which had passed through leesburg the day before and camped that night "near a large spring"--whether big spring or the old ducking pond of raspberry plain does not definitely appear); general hood's division, colonel b. t. johnson's nd virginia brigade, mcgowan's brigade, etc.[ ] never were the hopes of the confederates more rosy; it is recorded that, as the army crossed the river, the men sang and cheered with joy and that every band played "maryland, my maryland." twelve days later there was fought the battle of antietam, the bloodiest day's conflict of the whole war, and on the night of the th september the confederates, in retreat but in good order, recrossed the potomac. [ ] head, . [ ] _loudoun rangers_, . [ ] _war of the rebellion; official records_, vol. , p. . [ ] "reports army of northern virginia," from june to dec. . vol. ii, pp. , , , , , etc. while the battle of antietam was being so hotly fought in nearby maryland, lieutenant colonel (later major general) hugh judson kilpatrick, advancing from washington with ten companies of federal cavalry, reached leesburg where there still remained a small confederate force made up of company a of the th virginia cavalry and about forty mississippi infantrymen under captain gibson, then acting as provost marshal of the town. being largely outnumbered, the confederates were about to retire when they were joined by captain e. v. white and thirty of his men. persuading the soldiers already there to make an effort to hold the town, white and his men exchanged shots with the federal advance guard; but finding that kilpatrick was bringing a battery forward, the confederates retreated through the town's streets. kilpatrick, however, had already trained his cannon upon leesburg, thereby subjecting it to its first and only artillery bombardment and greatly terrifying the civilian population. myers records that "shrieking shells came crashing through walls and roofs" of leesburg's buildings. the federal report avers that but a few shells were fired "over the town."[ ] after this brief artillery fire, kilpatrick sent a detachment of his th new york cavalry through leesburg's streets who came in touch with the confederates on the town's outskirts. here captain white, about to lead his cavalry in a charge, was severely wounded by the fire of the confederate infantry and as his men, in retreat, carried him to hamilton, the confederate infantry also fell back, leaving the town to kilpatrick. by way of souvenir of this little engagement, there still remains a bullet-hole in the front door of the house on the south side of east market street then occupied by the late burr w. harrison but now the residence of his grandson, the hon. charles f. harrison, commonwealth's attorney of loudoun. according to the official federal report, already quoted, the confederate "force at leesburg was principally comprised of convalescents and cavalry sent to escort them. the whole country from warrenton to leesburg is filled with sick soldiers abandoned on the wayside by the enemy." [ ] myers' _comanches_, ; also report of colonel j. m. davis, _war of the rebellion: official records_, vol. , p. . at the outbreak of the war loudoun was, as it now again has come to be, one of the most fertile, prosperous and best farmed counties in all virginia. when the fighting was fairly under way, it, from its position as border territory, was dominated by one side after the other but at almost all times was overrun by scouts and raiding parties from both armies. her farms and their abundant livestock and produce offered constant, if unwilling, invitation to these soldiers to replenish their need of horses, cattle, hogs, grain and forage; and every account of the period refers again and again to instances of seizure of these supplies, involving the greatest hardships, as they came to do, to the rightful owners. it seems to have made little difference as to which side was temporarily in control, so far as these levies were concerned, for both federals and confederates appropriated supplies from the farms of foes and friends alike, sometimes, it is true, giving receipts or certificates covering what they had taken, with a cheerful promise of ultimate compensation, and sometimes wholly waiving that formality. also, as the armies passed and repassed, there were roving deserters from both sides and "the mountains were infested with horse-thieves and desperadoes who were ready to prey upon the inhabitants, regardless as to whether their sympathies were with the north or south."[ ] "numerous raids" quoting deck and heaton, "made by both armies drained the abundant food resources of the county. the women and the children were hard pressed for food, but they met the privations of war bravely and loyally."[ ] head, writing prior to , when there still lived many whose knowledge of war conditions in loudoun was based on personal experience and observation and who, on every hand, were available for consultation, says that the people of the county [ ] williamson, . [ ] _economic and social survey of loudoun county_, . "probably suffered more real hardships and deprivations than any other community of like size in the southland.... both armies, prompted either by fancied military necessity or malice, burned or confiscated valuable forage crops and other stores, and nearly every locality, at one time or another, witnessed depredation, robbery, murder, arson and rapine. several towns were shelled, sacked and burned but the worse damage was done the country districts by raiding parties of federals."[ ] col. mosby, of the famous partisan rangers, adds his testimony, writing particularly of the upper part of fauquier and loudoun: "although that region was the flanders of the war, and harried worse than any of which history furnishes an example since the desolation of the palatinates by louis xiv, yet the stubborn faith of the people never wavered. amid fire and sword they remained true to the last, and supported me through all the trials of the war."[ ] [ ] _history of loudoun county_, . [ ] mosby's _war reminiscences_, . this last quotation brings to our story one of the most picturesque figures in either army and one whose numerous exploits in loudoun and her adjoining counties were truly of that inherent nature from which popular legend and folklore evolve. john singleton mosby was born at edgemont in powhattan county, virginia, on the th december, . he was educated at the university of virginia, was admitted to the bar and when the war broke out was practicing his profession in bristol. promptly volunteering for service, he became a cavalry private in the washington mounted rifles and when that became a part of the st virginia cavalry, mosby was promoted to be its adjutant. subsequently he served as an independent scout for general j. e. b. stuart until captured by the federals and imprisoned in washington. after his exchange he was made a captain in the provisional army of the confederate states by general lee,[ ] later a major and then colonel, serving on detached service under general lee's orders. during the winter of -' he built up his command known as mosby's partisan rangers (which had more formal status as the rd battalion, virginia cavalry) in the territory between the rappahannock and the potomac, where, for the remainder of the war, he continued to operate; but the heart of his domain was thus described "from snickersville along the blue ridge mountains to linden; thence to salem (now called marshall); to the plains; thence along the bull run mountains to aldie and from thence along the turnpike to the place of beginning, snickersville."[ ] [ ] _mosby's rangers_, by j. j. williamson, . [ ] same, . this was the true "mosby's confederacy," as it became known, and mosby's confederacy in very fact it was, albeit a precarious and but loosely held realm. by mosby's orders, no member of his command was to leave these bounds without permission. mosby's purpose, always governing his operations, is thus described by him: "to weaken the armies invading virginia by harassing their rear--to destroy supply trains, to break up the means of conveying intelligence, and thus isolating an army from its base, as well as its different corps from each other, to confuse their plans by capturing despatches, are the objects of partisan war. i endeavoured, so far as i was able, to diminish this aggressive power of the army of the potomac, by compelling it to keep a large force on the defensive."[ ] [ ] mosby's _war reminiscences_, . he was amazingly successful. his men had no camps. to have had definite headquarters would have been to invite certain destruction or capture. when too hotly pursued, they scattered over the friendly countryside, hiding in the hills, the woods, farmhouses or barns and often, if discovered, appearing as working farmers. "they would scatter for safety" says mosby, "and gather at my call, like the children of the mist." their attacks frequently were made at night; but whether by day or night so unexpectedly as always to utterly confuse their foes and keep them in such nervous anticipation of attack at unknown and unpredictable points that mosby became to them a major scourge. branded as "guerilla," "bushwhacker," and "freebooter," mosby stoutly and logically maintained that his method of fighting was wholly within the rules of war and when general custer took some of his men prisoners and hanged them as thieves and murderers, mosby, acting on lee's instructions, promptly retaliated by hanging an equal number of custer's men as soon as he was able to capture them. that appears to have ended the execution of captured mosby men, save for rare individual and heinous offences. one of the most spectacular and, upon the local imagination, lastingly impressive forays made by him was the so-called "greenback raid" in which, on the th october, , his men wrecked a baltimore and ohio train near brown's crossing. among the passengers were two federal paymasters, carrying $ , in united states currency. this was seized by mosby's men, carried to bloomfield in loudoun, and divided among the raiders, each receiving about $ , . it is related that thenceforth, until the end of the war, there was ample federal currency circulating in loudoun. his men were volunteers, many having served in other confederate commands and thence attracted to mosby by his romantic reputation and his greater freedom of operation. numerous loudoun men were in the organization[ ] but they made up a much smaller proportion than in white's battalion or in the th virginia regiment. many of his men were very young. one of these youths who survived the constant perils which surrounded the band was john h. alexander, born in clarke county. after peace was declared, he completed his interrupted education, was admitted to the bar and, eventually taking up his permanent residence in loudoun, very successfully practiced his profession there until his death in february, . he wrote an interesting book, _mosby's men_, covering his experience with that leader, which was published in . his only son, the hon. john h. r. alexander, one of the most esteemed and efficient judges loudoun has contributed to the virginia bench, now presides over the circuit court for loudoun and adjacent counties. two more of mosby's youths, these both of loudoun, were henry c. gibson and j. west aldridge. after the war mr. gibson married mr. aldridge's sister. dr. john aldridge gibson and dr. harry p. gibson, prominent leesburg physicians, are the sons of this marriage. did space permit many others loudoun members of the command could be mentioned. the instances given go to show how the sons of mosby's rangers still carry on in loudoun. [ ] see rosters in williamson, pp. and . on the th june, , lee's army was on its way north for its second invasion of maryland and toward the fateful field of gettysburg. general j. e. b. stuart, in command of the confederate cavalry, had established his temporary headquarters at middleburg. early that morning colonel munford, with the nd and rd virginia cavalry, acting as advance guard of general fitzhugh lee, was foraging in the neighborhood of aldie with colonel williams c. wickham, who had with him the st, th, and th virginia cavalry. while colonel thomas l. rosser was carrying out colonel wickham's orders to select a camp near aldie, he came in contact with general g. m. griggs' nd cavalry division of federals made up of general kilpatrick's brigade ( nd and th new york, st massachusetts and th ohio regiments) the st maine cavalry and randol's battery. these forces attacked each other with the greatest determination and courage. charges were followed by counter-charges and desperately contending every foot of ground the adversaries surged up and down the little river turnpike and the snickerville road, where two squadrons of sharpshooters from the nd and rd virginia cavalry were holding back kilpatrick's men. says colonel munford in his report of the fight: "as the enemy came up again the sharpshooters opened upon him with terrible effect from the stone wall, which they had regained, and checked him completely. i do not hesitate to say that i have never seen so many yankees killed in the same space of ground in any fight i have seen on any battle field in virginia that i have been over. we held our ground until ordered by the major-general commanding to retire, and the yankees had been so severely punished that they did not follow. the sharpshooters of the th were mostly captured, this regiment suffering more than any other."[ ] [ ] _life and campaigns of general j. e. b. stuart_, by h. b. mcclellan, . in truth the federal soldiers had paid dearly for their victory. dr. james moore, who was acting as surgeon with kilpatrick and afterward wrote a life of that general, calls this engagement "by far the most bloody cavalry battle of the war."[ ] [ ] moore's _kilpatrick and our cavalry_, . while all this desperate fighting was going on around aldie, colonel a. n. duffie, with the st rhode island cavalry, was on a scouting expedition, having crossed the bull run mountain at thoroughfare gap and being headed for noland's ferry. his orders were to camp on the night of the th at middleburg. approaching that town about : o'clock in the afternoon, he drove in stuart's pickets "so quickly that stuart and his staff were compelled to make a retreat more rapid than was consistent with dignity and comfort."[ ] the confederate forces at aldie were notified of the situation and ordered to middleburg but duffie apparently was not aware of the heavy fighting that had taken place at aldie. when he at length succeeded in getting a message through to aldie, asking reinforcements, kilpatrick replied that his brigade was too exhausted to respond, though he would report the situation at once to general pleasanton, in command of the federals. "thus" writes h. b. mcclellan, "col. duffie was left to meet his fate.... his men fought bravely and repelled more than one charge before they were driven from the town, retiring by the same road upon which they had advanced." but during the night duffie was surrounded by chambliss's brigade and although duffie himself, with four of his officers and twenty-seven men, eluded their foes and reached centreville the next afternoon, he was obliged to report a loss of twenty officers and men. some of these, at first thought killed or captured, also succeeded in getting back to the federal lines but the defeat had been crushing. [ ] _life and campaigns of maj.-gen. j. e. b. stuart_, . after gettysburg, general lee's army passed through loudoun, followed by general meade. again, on the th july, , general early, after the battle of monocacy, crossed with his army from maryland to virginia at white's ford. after resting his men in and around leesburg he proceeded by way of purcellville and snickers gap to the valley. all this time mosby had been active in his "confederacy" and attacks on the federal communications also had been made by white's battalion when in and around loudoun. these attacks, frequently successful and always without warning, had caused great losses to the federals and forced them to keep a large number of men engaged in their rear who badly were needed elsewhere. on the th august, , general grant, determining to end the menace, sent the following order to major general sheridan: "if you can possibly spare a division of cavalry, send them through loudoun county to destroy and carry off the crops, animals, negroes and all men under fifty years of age capable of bearing arms. in this way you will get many of mosby's men. all male citizens under fifty can fairly be held as prisoners of war, and not as citizen prisoners. if not already soldiers, they will be made so the moment the rebel army gets hold of them." but sheridan at that time was far too busy with his campaign in the valley immediately to comply. it was not until after his decisive victory over early at cedar creek on the th october, that he felt he could act. on the th november he issued the following orders to major general merritt in command of the st cavalry division: "you are hereby directed to proceed, tomorrow morning at o'clock, with two brigades of your division now in camp, to the east side of the blue ridge, via ashby's gap, and operate against the guerillas in the district of country bounded on the south by the line of the manassas gap railroad, as far east as white plains; on the east by the bull run range; on the west by the shenandoah river; and on the north by the potomac. "this section has been the hot-bed of lawless bands who have from time to time depredated upon small parties on the line of the army communications, on safeguards left at houses, and on small parties of our troops. their real object is plunder and highway robbery. "to clear the country of these parties that are bringing destruction upon the innocent as well as their guilty supporters by their cowardly acts, you will consume and destroy all forage and subsistence, burn all barns and mills and their contents and drive off all stock in the region, the boundaries of which are above described. this order must be literally executed, bearing in mind, however that no dwellings are to be burned and that no personal violence be offered the citizens. "the ultimate results of the guerilla system of warfare is the total destruction of all private rights in the country occupied by such parties. the destruction may as well commence at once and the responsibility of it must rest upon the authorities at richmond, who have acknowledged the legitimacy of guerilla bands. "the injury done to them by this army is very slight, the injury they have indirectly inflicted upon the people and upon the rebel army may be counted by millions. "the reserve brigade of your division will move to snickersville on the th. snickersville should be your point of concentration, and the point from which you should operate in destroying toward the potomac. "four days' subsistence will be taken by your command. forage can be gathered from the country through which you pass. "you will return to your present camp, via snickersville, on the fifth day. "by command of major-general sheridan. james w. forsyth, lieutenant-colonel and chief of staff. "brevet major-general merritt commanding first cavalry division." in pursuance of these orders federal soldiers in three bodies entered the county on their devastating work. williamson, himself a member of mosby's band and an eyewitness of what followed, writes: "the federals separated into three parties, one of which went along the bloomfield road and down loudoun, in the direction of the potomac; another passed along the piedmont pike to rectortown, salem and around to middleburg; while the main body kept along the turnpike to aldie, where they struck the snickersville pike. thus they scoured the country completely from the blue ridge to the bull run mountains. from monday afternoon, november th, until friday morning december nd, they ranged through the beautiful valley of loudoun and a portion of fauquier county, burning and laying waste. they robbed the people of everything they could destroy or carry off--horses, cows, cattle, sheep, hogs etc; killing poultry, insulting women, pillaging houses and in many cases robbing even the poor negroes. they burned all the mills and factories as well as hay, wheat, corn, straw and every description of forage. barns and stables, whether full or empty, were burned--colonel mosby did not call the command together, therefore there was no organized resistance, but rangers managed to save a great deal of livestock for the farmers by driving it off to places of safety. in many instances, after the first day of burning, we would run off stock from the path of the raiders into the limits of the district already burned over, and there it was kept undisturbed or in a situation where it could be more easily driven off and concealed...."[ ] [ ] williamson, . the loss to the county was enormous. although many old and well-built mills, and barns of brick or stone were not destroyed, as is conclusively proven by their survival to this day, and the devastation did not equal that in the valley,[ ] yet how great was the aggregate damage is suggested by a report submitted to the second session of the fifty-first congress ( - ) in which sworn claims of adherents to the union alone amounted to $ , . for property burned and to an additional $ , . for live stock taken; the report adding that there had been no estimate of the losses sustained by those whose sympathies were with the confederates.[ ] that the total loss to the people of the county, as a result of sheridan's order, was over a million dollars well may be believed--and this in a community which had been raided and robbed and levied upon by both armies, as well as many outlaw bands for over three years of warfare! the privations and suffering of the following winter and spring can but be imagined. it may be noted that a federal brigade, under general deven, established its headquarters at lovettsville about christmas time and that, although his soldiers patrolled all parts of loudoun during that winter, yet in spite of all the war-time strain and hatreds, their relations with the people of the county were far better than usually prevailed. [ ] _comanches_, . [ ] house report no. . "the year closed with a gloomy outlook for the confederacy" writes williamson and adds that "the winter in virginia was very severe and the ground was covered with snow and sleet for the better part of the season." about all the comfort loudoun had was in the repeated rumours of peace to which the people eagerly listened and repeated one to another. and so the bitter winter passed and in the spring came appomattox. chapter xvi recovery from east to west, from north to south, her farm lands ravaged, plundered and made desolate, many of her sons dead or incapacitated by wounds or sickness, her barns, outbuildings and fences burned, her horses, cattle and other livestock stolen, confiscated or wantonly driven away, loudoun presented, in that summer of , a sad and dispiriting contrast to the fruitful abundance of five years before. by the terms of the surrender at appomattox the southern cavalryman had been allowed to retain the horse or horses owned by him; but as the infantry started on their long trudge homeward, they carried with them little beyond the ragged clothes they wore and their determination to begin life anew. how slowly and with what unremitting toil and self-denial the ruined farms were restored, the fields again made to yield their corn and wheat and clover, rails split to rebuild the vanished fences, makeshifts at first and then better structures erected to replace those burned, only the people who lived through those years of poverty could tell; and on that slow path upward from ruin and desolation the part borne by the women equalled, perhaps surpassed, that enacted by the men. the county still reverently relates the uncomplaining toil and sacrifices of mothers, wives and daughters during that grievous time. bad as conditions were for the majority, they were even worse for the large landowners, the former wealthier class. gentlefolk, wholly unused to manual labor, perforce turned to tasks theretofore the work of their slaves. the men ploughed and hoed, their women cooked, performed every household task and somehow kept up their homes. one of the few bright spots in the drab picture was that dwelling-houses seldom had been destroyed; thus at least there was human shelter. also the small towns and hamlets, having escaped the devastation of the farm lands, were to a certain extent nuclei from which the new life could be built. county government had well-nigh ceased to function during the war. all those who had borne arms against the united states or otherwise aided and abetted the confederacy--that is, a very definite majority of the men of the county--now found themselves disfranchised; the minority of union men, quakers, germans or others who had discreetly avoided acting with one side or the other, controlled the first local election after the peace. it was held on the st day of june, . the court record, after a long silence and copied into its books later, begins again on the th of the following month: "at a county court held for loudoun county on monday the th day of july, , present: george abel, r. m. bentley, francis m. carter, john compher, thomas j. cost, john p. derry, enoch fenton, herod frasier, fenton furr, henry gaver, john grubb, william h. gray, eli j. hoge, joseph janney, alexander l. lee, charles l. mankin, asbury m. nixon, rufus smith, basil w. shoemaker, jno. l. stout, mahlon thomas, lott tavenner, henry s. taylor, michael wiard, jno. wolford, thomas burr williams and james m. wallace. gentlemen justices elected who were on the st day of june duly elected justices of the peace for the county of loudoun, and who have been commissioned by the governor, were duly qualified as such justices by william f. mercer, one of the commissioners of election for said county, appointed by the governor by taking the several oaths prescribed by law."[ ] [ ] loudoun minute books, . the new county officers were william h. gray, presiding justice of the court; charles p. janney, clerk of the county; samuel c. luckett, sheriff; william b. downey, commonwealth's attorney; samuel ball, commissioner of revenue. on the th july, , there appears the following: "george k. fox jr., as clerk of this court having removed from the county the records of this court, under an order of court heretofore made, he is now ordered to return the said records to the clerks office as soon as possible."[ ] [ ] idem, . these instructions were carried out by mr. fox. for over three years he had guarded his trust, without opportunity to return to leesburg or see a member of his family during that time. he now found himself disfranchised; but between him and charles p. janney the new county clerk, who before the war had worked in his office, there was a strong friendship so that mr. janney appointed mr. fox his assistant, in which position he served until his reëlection as county clerk, which occurred as soon as the civil disabilities of the former confederates were removed. he continued as county clerk until his death on the th of december, , at the early age of forty years. how truly valued was he in loudoun was shown at his funeral which is said to have been the largest the county had known to that time. on the nd march, , the congress passed that indefensible reconstruction act which was to leave more bitterness in the south than the war itself, but, in all that followed, virginia suffered less than other states of the old confederacy. under that act virginia became military district number one and general john m. schofield, formerly the head of the potomac division of the federal army, was given command. his choice was a most fortunate one for virginia. of him richard l. morton writes: "he was conservative, just and wise; and it was due to his moral courage that virginia was spared the reign of terror that existed in most of the southern states during the reconstruction period. his policy was to gain the confidence and support of the people of the state and to interfere as little as possible with civil authorities."[ ] [ ] _the negro in virginia politics_, . general eppa hunton came to know him well and between the two men there developed mutual respect and friendship. hunton, in his biography, has this to say of conditions under schofield's rule: "fortunately for us the commanders in this district were good men--not disposed to oppress us--and we had for several years a fairly good military government in virginia--our judges were military appointees; our sheriff and all the officers in this state owed their appointment to the military governor of virginia. our military judge was lysander hill. we had great apprehensions of him as our circuit judge when he took the place of judge henry w. thomas, of fairfax, but hill turned out to be a first rate man and a fine judge. he was the best listener i ever addressed on the bench. his decisions were able and generally satisfactory. he certainly was not influenced in the slightest degree by politics on the bench--(schofield) tried in every way to mitigate the hardships of our situation and gave us the best government that was possible under the circumstances."[ ] [ ] _autobiography of eppa hunton_, pp. , . but even schofield could not protect virginia from the more vicious legislation of the unscrupulous radicals then in control in washington. at the close of the war the necessities of the situation were working out, in virginia at least, a reasonable and moderate readjustment of relations between the white people and the former slaves. the negroes looked to their old masters for employment and the whites, in their own great poverty, gave to them what they could; and while wages were very low, the negro was assured of shelter and food. the enfranchisement of the negroes in march, , the establishment of the freedman's bureau in the following june but more particularly the organization of the union league late in broke down the friendly relations between the races. the representatives of those politically begotten organizations taught the ignorant and always credulous negroes that the whites were their enemies and oppressors, discouraged them from working and persuaded them to ally themselves with the disreputable "carpetbaggers" and "scalawags" who were perniciously active in their efforts to foment trouble, for their own profit, between white and black. the worst results were registered in the eastern and southern parts of the state where the more extensive of the old plantations and consequently the densest negro population existed; in loudoun, most fortunately, there was little or no racial animosity and the negroes appear to have been more content and appreciative, as well as dependable in their work, than in many of the other counties. to meet the confusion and turmoil in the state and the threatened complete overthrow of white supremacy, the best and most representative men in virginia formed, in december, , the conservative party, drawing its membership from former whigs and democrats alike. in the election of , to accept or reject a new constitution, the conservatives were successful, the proposed constitution adopted and the state rescued from fast developing chaos. it is remembered that in this election john janney made what was practically his last public appearance. he had been an outstanding leader of the whigs in virginia, had opposed secession but, at the end, stood with lee and many other virginians in the belief that coercion of the states by the federal government was the worse evil of the two. before this decisive election of , he had suffered a stroke of paralysis; but to set an example to his former whig associates, he had himself driven in his carriage to the polls to vote the conservative ticket. it was a last and effective act of patriotism. he died in january, .[ ] [ ] _loudoun mirror_ of the th january, . by the act of congress of the th january, , the civil disabilities of the former confederates were removed, virginia was enabled to take her rightful place again as a sovereign state in the union and a cleaning up of the carpetbaggers and scalawags was begun; but it is said to have taken nearly another ten years to rid the people of the last of them in those counties with the greater negro population.[ ] [ ] r. l. morton's _the negro in virginia politics_ and h. j. eckenrode's _political reconstruction in virginia_. [illustration: the old john janney house, east cornwall street, leesburg.] in this period of confusion there came to shelburne parish in , as its rector, the rev. richard terrell davis of albemarle who had served as a chaplain in the confederate army and whose sympathetic ministrations to his new neighbours were of county-wide solace. about that time the late charles paxton of pennsylvania came to loudoun, purchased that part of exeter which lies near the northerly boundary of leesburg and began the building of the great house which he named carlheim and which many years later was to become the paxton memorial home for ailing children, established and endowed by his widow in her will in memory of their daughter. dr. davis and mr. paxton became firm friends and through that friendship and dr. davis' knowledge of those most needing help, many a poor man in loudoun was able to earn a sadly needed living wage during the long construction of carlheim. it is remembered that on dr. davis' greatly lamented death in , so deeply had he engaged the affections of his adopted county, the negroes, upon learning of a project of his white friends to erect in his memory a suitable tombstone, begged that they too might contribute to its cost. it was during the rectorship of dr. davis, and largely through his influence, that the building of the present large gray stone church edifice of saint james in leesburg was undertaken. slowly, very slowly, the people doggedly fought their way up the long and often discouraging hill of recovery. the spanish-american war, petty in itself, was in its foreign and, particularly, in its domestic implications, of major importance; for it showed that, with a new generation of americans taking its place, the old sectional tears and rents were growing together and that the national fabric once again was becoming truly restored. in the last decade of the nineteenth century there was a notable inflow of new residents, new money, new determination, which continued with the succeeding years and of which the most significant result was the vigorous growth of the horse and sport-loving community in and around middleburg, resulting in the development of one of the great, perhaps the greatest, centers of fox-hunting and horse-showing in america. it should be here recorded that to the purchase by mr. daniel c. sands of an estate near middleburg in and to his love of horses and country life, as well as his tireless energy in spreading among his many northern friends knowledge of the charm of his new neighbourhood and building on the loudoun horse-loving traditions, existing since early settlement, may be ascribed the great prosperity and international repute of the middleburg environment of today. but the county at large, as well as middleburg, has reason to be grateful to mr. sands. during his more than thirty years of residence here he, consistently and continuously, has been not only one of the county's most constructive citizens but one of the most generous and public-spirited as well. again we are reminded of the extraordinary part horses and the various sports connected with them play in loudoun's life. and all that is no matter of present day chance but the legitimate flowering of very old and greatly cherished traditions. archdeacon burnaby, in writing of his travels in virginia in - , was moved to remark that lord fairfax's "chief if not sole amusement was hunting; and in pursuit of this exercise he frequently carried his hounds to distant parts of the country; and entertained any gentleman of good character and decent appearance, who attended him in the field, at the inn or ordinary, where he took up his residence for the hunting season."[ ] one of the ordinaries thus frequented by lord fairfax was west's on the old carolina road, just south of the present lee-jackson highway, and in the territory now hunted by the middleburg pack. [ ] _travels through the middle settlements in north america_ by rev. (afterward archdeacon) andrew burnaby, dd. rd edition. . appendix p. . the first and second editions do not include the interesting little biography of lord fairfax. the county supports two hunts--the great middleburg hunt, turning out upon occasion a field of over three hundred riders, under the joint mastership of miss charlotte noland and mr. sands and hunting the territory around that town; and the smaller but hard-riding loudoun hunt, covering the leesburg neighborhood and of which judge j. r. h. alexander is master. in legitimate succession to those of long ago, annual horse shows are held at middleburg, foxcroft, leesburg, and unison-bloomfield, the great llangollan races are run annually on that beautiful and historic estate, while just over the fauquier boundary is upperville with its annual horse show, the oldest in america. in short loudoun is and always has been a horse-loving county and thus very naturally it is widely known as the leicestershire of america. today the raising and training of fine horses, together with the maintenance of numerous herds of dairy cattle (especially of the guernsey breed) the fattening of great numbers of beef cattle, the raising of hogs, sheep and poultry, the growth and development on her many hillsides of extensive and well cared-for apple orchards, all augment the agricultural revenue loudoun derives from her ever smiling fields of corn and wheat, grass and clover. in the year the southern railway company, then in control of the old alexandria, loudoun and hampshire railroad, extended it to snickersville, encouraged by many people from washington and elsewhere who had built summer homes at and around snickers' gap. the railroad company named its new station near the village bluemont and the postoffice authorities were persuaded also to adopt the new name. thereafter the old but not very euphonic appellation disappears, save in history and memory of the inhabitants, and the village became known by its new and present designation. in the world war the county played its part in a manner worthy of its heritage. her sons to the number of nearly six hundred joined the military and naval forces and during that period the local red cross chapters and other civilian organizations were active and efficient. the list of those loudoun patriots who responded to their country's call at that time is too long and their services too varied to be fully recounted here; but no narrative, however greatly curtailed, should fail to name those who then laid down their lives for their country. a dignified monument, now standing in the grounds surrounding loudoun's courthouse in leesburg, bears these words in letters of bronze: "our glorious dead 'their bodies are buried in peace but their names liveth for evermore.' - . russell t. beatty, corp. frank hough, lt. charles a. ball, pvt. alexander pope humphrey, pvt. charles e. clyburn, pvt. robert martz, pvt. thubert h. conklin, sgt. harry milstead, pvt. nealy m. cooper, pvt. judge mcgolerick, pvt. mathew curtin, pvt. john o. mcguinn, pvt. leonard darnes, wag. edward lester nalle, pvt. franklin l. dawson, pvt. ernest h. nichols, pvt. john flemming, pvt. linwood payne, pvt. edward c. fuller, captain charles carter riticor, capt. gilbert h. gough, pvt. ashton h. shumaker, pvt. grover cleveland gray, corp. henry grafton smallwood, pvt. leonard h. hardy, sgt. john edward smith, corp. bolling walker haxall jr., maj. valentine b. johnson, pvt. ernest gilbert, pvt. samuel c. thornton, pvt. erected by the people of loudoun county in memory of her sons who made the supreme sacrifice in the great war."[ ] [ ] on every anniversary of the armistice commemorative services are held before it. memory also should be kept afresh of the names of eleven loudoun men who between them, for their services in the war, received no less than nineteen american and foreign decorations: colonel arthur h. carter, captain edward c. fuller, major william hanson gill, william r. grimes, samuel c. hirst, first lieutenant william p. hulbert, first lieutenant james f. manning, jr., colonel thomas bentley mott, bryant rust, captain edward h. tebbs, jr., and lieutenant colonel harry aubrey toulmin. this list is incomplete; as given it is copied from the publications of the virginia war history commission, source volume i, . during the war, as federal food administrator of virginia, there also served colonel elijah b. white of selma so effectively that among the recognitions of his work that he received was the agricultural order of merit bestowed by the republic of france. in , in the midst of the war, a new state administration assumed the reins of government under the leadership of westmoreland davis of loudoun who became governor of virginia in that year and whose administration was accepted by the people as efficient, sound and well balanced. in culture the county is recovering the position it proudly held one hundred years ago before ground down by war and poverty. its public schools, then nonexistent, now under the supervision of superintendent o. l. emerick, grow and improve and are supplemented by several excellent private institutions of which foxcroft, near middleburg, has been described and the very successful llangollan school for younger children, opened in near leesburg by mrs. frances l. patton (miss louise d. harrison) also may be mentioned. loudoun has produced a naval architect of international reputation in lewis nixon ( - ), two well known artists in hugh a. breckenridge ( - ) and the late lucian powell and a number of writers upon her history whose works have been referred to frequently in the foregoing pages. supplementing her schools and extending their educational work the county has two large libraries, the older founded in leesburg in as the leesburg library largely through the efforts of the late mrs. levi p. morton and her daughter, loudoun's benefactress, mrs. william c. eustis of oatlands. in the year the thomas balch library was incorporated and at once, on land bought for that purpose through public subscription, the late edwin swift balch and thomas willing balch of philadelphia, sons of thomas balch of international arbitration fame (who was born in leesburg in ) began the construction for it of the beautiful library building on west market street, leesburg, which so enhances the charm of the town. mr. waddy b. wood, a washington architect of recognized authority on the early federal period of american architecture, drew the plans and in the building was completed and dedicated and the collection of books of the old leesburg library was presented and moved to the new institution. that collection, since then much enlarged, now numbers well over , volumes and is of a very definite value to town and county.[ ] [ ] for a history of the library see article in _the northern virginian_, vol. , no. , p. , by the present author who is deeply interested in the institution of which he has been president and a director since . of its fine collection of historical material on loudoun free use has been made in the present work. there had been a small library at purcellville for a number of years when in it was reorganized as the blue ridge library and continued its activities until about . there followed a period in which the library was closed. then in , largely through the leadership of mrs. clarence robey, a federal grant was obtained which, with about twice its amount in many smaller private subscriptions, made possible the completion in of the present imposing purcellville library building at a cost of nearly $ , . it is rapidly augmenting its collection of books and to its primary function of library is adding that of civic centre, where lectures, concerts and other entertainments are frequently given and enthusiastically attended by the people of the neighbourhood. the new building is expected to be dedicated during the summer of . st. john's roman catholic church, the first of its faith in loudoun, was erected in leesburg in and was dedicated on the th october of that year by the right rev. john j. keane who was an orator of wide reputation and who later became the archbishop of dubuque. among those most active in raising the necessary funds for its construction was miss lizzie c. lee of leesburg. until mass was said but once a month by priests who came from harper's ferry, west virginia. in the latter year it became a mission of st. james' catholic church at west falls. later, through the untiring efforts of father a. j. van ingelgem, masses were said each sunday. father van ingelgem continued to guide the congregation and church until father govaert was appointed the first regular pastor in july, . soon thereafter the frame church was greatly enlarged and beautified, largely through the generosity of the late mrs. henry harrison (miss anne lee) of leesburg, and was opened with services conducted by the right rev. andrew j. brennan of richmond. at that same time the attractive rectory, adjoining the church, was also opened. the leesburg parish of this church covers a territory of , square miles, extends from the west virginia line to that of maryland and operates two missions, one of which is at herndon and the other at purcellville. the rev. father john s. igoe, a native virginian who enjoys the affectionate esteem of the whole community, is the present pastor.[ ] [ ] i am indebted to father igoe and to mr. john t. hourihane of leesburg for the facts concerning st. john's. as throughout virginia, hospitality is inherent in the people of loudoun. especially is this so at christmas time when, from early days, the old english custom of stopping all farm work (save only necessitous care of the live stock) from christmas eve to the second day of january still obtains. then scattered loudoun folk seek to return, if but for a day, to their native soil bringing back with them friends and acquaintances that they may show their birthright; then open house prevails, time-honoured eggnogg and appletoddy greet all guests and the leesburg assembly, following its custom handed down through the generations, holds its eagerly awaited christmas ball. with an unusually healthy climate the county is fortunate in the rarely efficient and devoted corps of physicians, both general practitioners and specialists, who faithfully guard the physical condition of its people. of their number the virginia state medical society has honored itself and loudoun by electing as its president dr. g. f. simpson of purcellville. and to the marked ability of her physicians is added the loudoun hospital, founded in , first occupying a building on market street, leesburg, and later erecting and in moving into the fine modern hospital building it now occupies. "to mr. p. howard lightfoot's interest and untiring efforts" wrote the hospital's historian "is due the actual bringing together of those factors and conditions which developed into the leesburg hospital." now called the loudoun county hospital, it has a large nurses' home, beautiful grounds, fruitful gardens and withal has so splendidly grasped its opportunities for service that it has become essential to the county's welfare. to the physicians of the county, many very generous contributors and to the selfless and untiring work of loudoun's women may all this great success be ascribed. to add to this full measure, mrs. eustis supports in memory of her mother mrs. morton, a visiting nursing service in and around leesburg through which the kindly professional care of a registered nurse (now mrs. louise king) is at all times at the disposal of the people for cases of an emergency nature or those not needing continuous attention, entirely without cost to the patient, irrespective of the desire and ability of its beneficiaries to pay therefor.[ ] [ ] for a history of the hospital see article by mrs. arthur m. chichester in _the northern virginian_, vol. , no. , p. . in this all too brief summary of her present day institutions at least a word should be said of the county's banks. the peoples national bank, the loudoun national bank, both in leesburg; the middleburg national bank, the purcellville national bank, the hamilton national bank and the round hill national bank, each in its community, serves the local interest and all unite in this enviable record: that not one bank in the county failed during the great financial depression of recent and unhappy memory. the exceptionally healthy climate, the rich and well watered lands of loudoun, together with the fine sport for horse lovers carried on through its long hunting season, have proved a potent magnet to draw new residents to the county. country homes are constantly being created or restored and surrounding farms are, for the most part, self-sustaining and well handled. with virginia's assumption of the rôle of a leader in good roads, the old reproach of impassable highways has vanished. and loudoun is proud of her people. it is an american community, its roots very deep in soil and tradition. it believes that it occupies that part of the commonwealth and nation most conducive to a sane and healthy life. its sons and daughters sometimes, in following the beckoning finger of fortune, wander far afield; but are prone to return equally convinced with those who seldom leave the county that all in all no better homeland anywhere can be found--devoutly believing that though god might have made a fairer land, yet remaining strong in their reasonable conviction that god never did. index abel, george, acquia creek, adams, francis, adams, george, adams, john, pres't, adams, john q., pres't, , adams, matthew, adams, nathaniel, akernatatzy, alden, john, anderson, john, aldie, battle of, aldie castle, , aldie manor, aldie town, , , , , , , , aldridge, j. west, alexander, ann, alexander, john, , alexander, john h., , alexander, john r. h., judge and mrs., x, , , alexandria, christ church, alexandria city, , , , , , alexandria, loudoun and hamp. r. r., , alexandria pike, , , , , , , , alleghany river, algonquins, , , , , allen, rev., alsop (quoted), amidas, philip, ameroleck, , anacostans, ancram, george, andrè, major, et seq. andrews, john, rev., , anne, queen, antietam battle, appomattox, apprentices, , , arlington, earl of, armand, charles, armand's legion, arnold, benedict, et seq. asbury, george, ashby's gap, , , , , aubrey, elizabeth, aubrey, francis, , , , , , , , , , aubrey, thomas, aubrey's ferry, , austen, w., awsley, henry, awsley, poins, awsley, thomas, bacon, nathaniel, , bacon's rebellion, , , bagley, john, bagnall, anthony, baker, col., balch, edwin s., balch, l. p. w., balch, thomas, balch, thomas, library, vii, ix, balch, thomas w., ball, burgess, col., , , ball, charles a., ball, esther, ball, fayette, , ball, george w., capt., ball, james, ball, mary, , ball, samuel, ball, sarah, ball, william, col., , ball's bluff, battle of, baltimore, lord, baltimore and ohio r. r. co., , bank of county, xii, , , baptists, etc., barber, john, barksdale, wm., col., barlow, arthur, bassell, john y., bayley, joseph, beard, joseph, , beatty, russell t., beatty, thos., beaty, david, beaver, , beaver dam, beavers, james, bell, john b., belle air, belmont, , , , belmont chapel, belvoir, viii, benham, samuel, benham, peter, bennett, chas., bentley family, bentley, r. m., benton, wm., , , berkeley, john, sir, , berkeley, william, sir, , , , , , , berkeley, william n., berry, withers, beauregard, gen'l, beverley, robert, , , big spring, , , , , binns, charles , , binns, charles, jr., , , , binns, john a., ix, , , et seq. bishop family, bladensburg, , blincoe, sampson, bloomfield, , bloomfield road, bluemont (see snickersville), , , blue ridge, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , blue ridge library, bohannan, a., capt., booker, booram, wm., boston, botts, joshua, boundaries, , , , , , , boyne, battle of, , braddock, edward, gen'l, braddock's army, xi, , , braden, robert, bradfield, capt., brair, james, brady, e. b., dr., breckenridge, hugh a., brennan, andrew j., bishop, brent, giles, brent town, , bridges, broad run, , , , broad run bridge, , broad run church (baptist), bronaugh, william, brown, mrs. (journalist), brown, john's raid, brown, stanley m., mr. and mrs., brown, william, brown's crossing, buffalo, , bull run, , , , , bull run battle (see manassas), bull run mountains, , , , burgess, chas., col., , burkley, scarlet, burnaby, archdeacon, burns, ignatius, burson, aaron, butcher, sam'l, butler, joseph, , butler, sam'l, caldwell, s. b. t., cameron, barony, , cameron, captain, cameron, glebe, cameron parish, , , , , campbell, aeneas, , , , , , campbell county, campbell, john, earl of loudoun, x. (see loudoun.) canals, , canavest. (see conoy.) cardell, presley, carlheim, , carnan, wm., carnes, capt., carney, john, carolina road, , , , , , , , , , , , , carpetbaggers, , carr, peter, carr, sam'l, carrington, timothy, carroll, charles, carroll, charles, of carrollton, carter, arthur h., col., carter, charles, carter, d., carter family, , carter, francis m., carter, george of eglesfeld, x carter, george of oatlands, , , carter, john a., , carter, john r., capt., carter, robert, councillor, carter, robert, "king," , , , , carter, robin, carter, shirley, dr. and mrs., , carter's mill, carthagena, , catawbas, , catoctin church, catoctin furnace co., catoctin hills, , , , , , , , , catoctin run, , , , , caton, jacob, cattle, cattle thieves, cavaliers, , , cavan, p., , cavan vs. murray, cedar creek, celden, w. c., centreville, champ, john, sgt. major, , et seq. champ, john, mrs., , champ, nathaniel, champ, william, champ's spring, chancellor, ashby, mrs., x chapawamsic, baptists, chapel above goose creek, , , charles i, , charles ii, , , , cherokees, chesapeake and ohio canal, chesapeake bay, cheat mountain, chestnut hill, , chicheley, henry, sir, chichester, arthur m., sr., capt., chichester, arthur m., jr., mrs., chichester, george m., capt., , chinn family, chinn, joseph, , chinn, raleigh, i, , chinn, raleigh, ii, chinn, thomas, , christmas, churches, christ at lucketts, , churches, (see separate names or locations.) church disestablishment, , civil war, viii, , , , , , etc. claggett, henry, dr., claggett, h. o., capt., clapham family, , clapham, josias, sr., clapham, josias, jr., col., , , , , , , , , , , , , , clapham, josias, jr., mrs., clapham, samuel, , , clapham's ferry, clapper, j., dr., clark's gap, clayton, amos, clergy, established church, cleveland, james, clifford, obadiah, climate, clinton, henry, sir., , et seq. clyburn, charles e., clover, , , cochran, chas f., cochran, james, cocke, catesby, , , cocke, william, dr., cockerell, capt., cole, josiah, colechester road, , coleman, james, , coleman, richard, , , colepeper, st lord, colepeper, nd lord, , , colepeper, alexander, , colepeper, catharine, lady fairfax, , colepeper, margaret, lady, , colepeper, thomas, colvil, thomas, , colvin, john, , , colvin, john b., combs, joseph, combs, robert, combs, stephen, committee of correspondence, committee of safety, , , , , , compher, john, confederate sentiment, conklin, thubert h., conoy island, , et seq., , , , conrad, conrad, daniel p., conrad family, conrad's ferry, conrod, edward, conscription, conservation commission, vii conservative party, convicts, , , , cook, william, cooper, alexander, cooper, appollos, cooper, neally m., copeland, richard, copper, , corn, , , , cornelison, john, cornwallis, lord, , cost, thos. j., coton, , , country homes, vii, , county clerk's office, county officers, first, , etc. county records, , courthouse, first, courthouse church services, courtald, s. a., covenanters, cox, samuel, craighill, g. p., rev., x cresswell, joseph, x cresswell, nicholas, xii, , , , et seq., , cromwell, oliver, , , cromwell, richard, crooked billet, crown point, cub run, culpeper. (see colepeper.) culture, cumberland, duke of, cumberland, maryland, curtin, mathew, custer, gen'l, dairy cattle, darnes, leonard, davis, james, davis, john, capt., davis, richard t., rev. dr., , davis, westmoreland, governor, , davis, william, col., dawson, franklin l., debell, john, debell, william, debutts, lawrence, rev., deck, patrick a., iii, declaration of independence, , , , deer, dehaven, abraham, dehaven, isaac, delancey, governor of new york, delawares, democrats, , , derry, john p., deserters, detroit, , deven, gen'l, devens, col., difficult run, , , , , , , , , dinker, john, dinosaurs, dinwiddie, governor, , , disfranchisement, diskin, daniel, distilleries, , dixon, joseph, , dizerega family, doctors, dodd, john, doeg, , dogi, dongan, governor, dorman, george, douglas, earl of, douglas, george h., douglass, hugh, , , , douglass, william, , , downey, wm. b., drake, jonathan, drake, thomas, dranesville, drish, w., drunkenness, dry mill road, ducking-spring, , ducks, wild, , dudley, thos., duelling, duffy, a. n., col., duffy, capt., dulaney, benj., dunbar, col., dunn, rev., dutch, , eagle tavern, early, gen'l, east india co., edwards, samuel w., edwards, thomas w., mr. and mrs., vi edwards ferry, elgin, francis, jr., elgin, gustavus, , elizabeth, queen, , , elk lick, elk marsh, elliott, william, ellzey, catharine, ellzey family, , , ellzey, william, , , , , ely's corner, emerick, oscar l., x, xii, enfranchisement of confederates, english board of agriculture, episcopal theological seminary library, eskridge, chas. g., eskridge, george, eustis, william c., mr. and mrs., , , evans, nathaniel g., gen'l, , et seq. evans, thomas, exeter, , fairfax, calharme, lady, , fairfax family, sketch, fairfax, ferdinando, nd lord, fairfax, th lord, , fairfax, george w., , fairfax, henry, col., fairfax, john m., col., , fairfax, richard, fairfax, thomas, st lord, fairfax, thomas, rd lord, fairfax, thomas, th lord, , , , , , fairfax, william, , , fairfax county, , , , , , , , , , , , fairfax county court, , fairfax courthouse, , fairfax, glebe, fairfax meeting, falkner, farnesworth, henry, fauna, , fauntleroy, chas. m., col., fauquier county, , , featherstone, w. s., col., federalists, , fendall, arthur, mrs., fendall, thomas m., x, , fendall, thomas m., mrs., fenton, enoch, ferries, , , et seq., ferries, clapham's, ferries, edwards, ferries, noland's, , , et seq., , , , ferries, point of rocks, ferries, snickers, ferries, vestal's, fevers, finnekin, william, first colony, fitzhugh, william, flat spring, flemming, john, foley, mr., forbas, john, forbes, gen'l, fords, , forests, , forests burned, , , forsyth, jas. w., lieut. col., fort beauregard, fort cumberland, fort du quesne, xi, , , , fort evans, , fort johnston, fort necessity, , , fort niagara, fort ontario, fort oswego, foundling, john, fox, george, fox, george k., jr., , et seq. foxcroft, xii, , , foxes, fox-hunting, , , franklin, b. w., frasier, herod, frederick, freedman's bureau, french, mr., french and indian war, , french and indians, fruitland, , , , fulford, john, major, fuller, edward c., capt., furr, enoch, furr, fenton, fry, joshua, col., , fry, major, fry-jefferson map, frying pan run, gage, lieut. col., garalland, , garden club of virginia, vii garver, henry, gates, general, geese, wild, , "genius of liberty," , george ii, king, george iii, king, xi george, wallace, george, william, georgetown, d. c., , georgetown, virginia, , german reformed church, german settlement, , germans, , , , , , , , , , gerrard, john, rev., gettysburg, battle of, , , gibbs, james l., gibson, capt., gibson, david, gibson, harry p., dr., gibson, henry c., gibson, john a., dr., giddings family, giddings, william, col., gilbert, ernest, gilbert, humphrey, sir, gilbert, silas, gill, wm. h., major, gold, goodhart, briscoe, ix, , , gore (coachman), gore, coleman, mr. and mrs., goose creek, , , , , , , , , , goose creek and little river navigation company, goose creek meeting, gough, gilbert h., gouveneur, mrs., govaert, rev. fr., graffenreid, christopher, baron de, graham, margaret, grant of , grant of , , grant of , , grant, isaac, grant, jasper, grant, u. s., gen'l, grass, , gray, grover c., gray, john, gray, william h., graydey, james, grayson, alex., capt., grayson, benjamin, , , grayson, spence, rev., grayson, william, col., , , great hunting creek, great meadows, great spring. (see big spring.) green, charles, rev. dr., , green, colonel, green, nathaniel, gen'l, greenback raid, greenway, , gregory's gap, griffin, walter's rolling road, griffith, david, rev. dr., , griggs, g. m., gen'l, grimes, william r., grubb, john, guerillas, gun factory, gunn, john, gypsum. see plaster(land) habeas corpus in virginia, hague, francis, hale, horatio, x halkett, james, halkett, peter, sir., xi, , , , , etc. halkett, peter, sir, (jr.), halifax, hall, james, rev. dr., hall, wilbur c., vii, x hall, william, jr., hamilton, james, , , , , , hamilton parish, hamilton town, , hammerley, nellie, miss, x hampton, anthony, hancock, john, hancock, lina, hanson, richard, harding, john i., hardy, leonard h., harper, capt., harper, john, harper's ferry, xi, , , , harris, h. b., harrison, burr, , , harrison, burr ( nd), harrison, burr w., , harrison, catharine, mrs., harrison, charles f., x, harrison, cuthbert, harrison, fairfax, viii, ix, , , harrison, harry t., harrison, henry, mrs., harrison, henry t., harrison, john peyton, , harrison, lalla, miss (mrs. white), harrison, louise d., miss (patton), harrison, mathew, , harrison, rebecca, miss, vii harte, john, hassininga, hawling, william, haxall, bolling w., major, hazen, e., head, james w., viii, , , , , heale, william, helm, l. c., heaton, henry, ix, heaton, nathaniel, capt., henderson, richard h., , , henderson, samuel, henry, capt., henry, john, henry, patrick, hepburn, thos., hessian fly, hessian prisoners, hews, edward, hexon, james, highwaymen, highways, vii, , et seq. hill, lysander, judge, hillsborough, , , hinds, david, hirst, richard, hirst, samuel c., hixon, timothy, hoban, james, hoboken, hoffman family, hoge, ei j., hogs, , holmes, john, rev., holmes, oliver w., justice, hopkins, david, hopkins, john g., hopton, ralph, lord, horses, , , , horse racing, horse shows, , horse thieves, , hough, emerson, hough, frank, lieut., hough, john, , , , , hough, joseph, hough, mahlon, hough, robert h., hough, thomas, hough, william, hough's tavern, hourihane, john t., howard of effingham, lord, , howe, lord, , huchison, andrew, huchison, daniel, huchison family, huchison, j. r., capt., huchison, john, huchison, william, , hugh, john, hull, samuel, , hull's army, humphrey, humphrey, alexander p., humphrey, benj. i., humphreys, john, humphries, capt., hulbert, wm. p., lieut., hunting creek, hunton, eppa, gen'l, , , , , hurley, patrick j., col. and mrs., igoe, john s., rev., indentured servants, , indians, , , , , , , , indian mounds, indian tribes, akernatatzy, indian tribes, algonquins, , , , , , indian tribes, anacostans, indian tribes, catawbas, indian tribes, cherokees, indian tribes, delawares, indian tribes, doegs, , indian tribes, dogi, indian tribes, hassininga, , indian tribes, iroquois, , , , , , , , , , , indian tribes, mahocs, indian tribes, managogs, indian tribes, manahoacks, , , , , , , , , indian tribes, mangoacks, indian tribes, massawomecks (see iroquois) indian tribes, monacans, , , indian tribes, nacothtanks, indian tribes, nahyssans, indian tribes, nantaughtacunds, indian tribes, nanticokes, indian tribes, nottoways, indian tribes, nuntaneuck, indian tribes, nuntally, indian tribes, piscataways, , indian tribes, potomacs, indian tribes, powhatans, , indian tribes, sapon, indian tribes, senecas, , , indian tribes, shakahonea, indian tribes, sioux, indian tribes, stegarake, indian tribes, stegora, indian tribes, susquehannocks, , , , , , , , , indian tribes, tacci, indian tribes, tauxuntania, indian tribes, tuskaroras, innes, james, col., intermarriage, irish, , , iroquois, , , , , , , , , , , iselin, oliver, jackson, andrew, gen'l, xi, jackson, level, jackson, stonewall, gen'l, jail, county, , james i, , james ii, , james river, janney, amos, , janney, charles p., , janney, hannah, mrs., janney, jacob, janney, john, xii, , , , janney, joseph, , , janney, lilias, miss, x janney, mahlon, janney, samuel, janney, stephen, jefferson, thomas, president, , , , et seq., jeffries, herbert, sir, jenifer, w. h., col., , jenings, edmund, jermyn, lord, , johnson, bradley t., col., johnson, george, , johnson, joseph, , johnson, rebecca, johnson, robert, johnson, w., johnson, william, col., johnson, valentine b., johnston, frances b., miss, xii johnston, joseph e., gen'l, jones, rev., jones, james g., jones, john, jr., jones, william e., gen'l, jumonville, keane, john j., bishop, keith, donald, keith, james, kelly, william, kendrick, john, kennan, thos., kentucky, , , kercheval, sam'l, ketocton. (see catoctin.) key's, gap, key's gap ferry, , keys, gersham, key's plantation, kile (see kyle), john, , kile, john, jr., , kilgour, george, kilpatrick, hugh j., gen'l, , , king george county, king, louise, mrs., king, smith, king, thomas, , king, william, kirk, mr., , krebs, henry, kyle family, . (see kile) labour supplies, lacey, israel, lacey's ordinary, (see west's) lafayette, de marquis, , , , , et seq. lancaster county, lancaster, t. a., jr., lane, hardage, lane, james, lasswell, jacob, lasswell, john, lawrence, mrs., lawyers, lederer, john, lee, alexander l., lee, anne, miss, lee family, , , lee, fitzhugh, gen'l, lee, francis lightfoot, , , , , lee, henry, gen'l, ix, lee, lawrence r., lee, lizzie a., miss, lee, ludwell, , , , lee, philip ludwell, lee, richard bland, lee, richard henry, , lee, robert e., gen'l, , , , , , , , lee, thomas, , , , lee, thomas ludwell, , lee-jackson highway, , leesburg, vii, , , , , , , et seq., , , , , , , , , , , , et seq., , , , , , , , leesburg academy, , leesburg assembly, leesburg, battle of, leesburg industries, leesburg institute, leesburg, king street, , leesburg library, leesburg, loudoun street, , leesburg, nursing service, leesburg, pavements, leesburg, postmasters, leesburg railroad company, leesburg, stockade, leesburg, taverns, leesburg, and snickers gap turnpike co., leslie, thomas, letcher, governor, lewis, betty, mrs., lewis, daniel, lewis, thomas, , liberia, library of congress, ix, x, xii, , , , , , lightfoot, p. howard, little river, , , little river turnpike, , , , little rocky run, littlejohn, rev., littleton, frank c., mr. and mrs., x, xi, , littleton, frank c., jr., littleton, john, limestone run, , , , lincoln, town of, linden, lintner, j. ross, x linton, john, lipscomb, wm. h., mr. and mrs., llangollan, llangollan races, , llangollan school, log houses, , london company, london magazine, v loomis, john t., iv lotteries, loudermilk & company, iv loudoun county hospital, loudoun, earl of, x, , loudoun hunt, , loudoun, mirror, loudoun, railroad company, loudoun, rangers, , loudoun, system, loudoun, valley, louis philippe, louisburg, love, sam, lovettsville, town, , loyalists, loyd, john, luckett, sam'l c., lucketts, luttrell, thos., lutz, francis a., lutz, samuel s., mrs., lynn, b. w., lieut., lynsville creek, maccormack, john, madison, dolly, mrs., madison, james, president, , maffet, josias, magisterial districts, mahoc, managog, manahoacks, , , , , , , , , , manassas, battle, manassas gap r. r. co., mangoack, mankin, chas. l., manning, james f., jr., manors, mansions, county, erection of, et seq. maps, emerick, x maps, fry and jefferson, maps, graffenreid, maps, leesburg, first, maps, taylor, viii marks, john, marks, thomas, marshall, john, ch. j., , marshall, thomas, col., marshall, town of, martin, jacob, martin, lawrence, col., martin, w. h., mr. and mrs., martz, robert, maryland boundary, maryland, invasion of, , mason, abraham b. t., mason, ann thomson, mrs., , , , , mason, armistead t., gen'l, , , , et seq. mason, armistead t., mrs., mason family, , , mason, george, , mason, george iii, mason, george iv, of gunston, , mason, john, mrs., x mason, mary, mason, stevens t., , , , mason, thomas f., , mason, thomson, , , , , , , , , , , , mason, thomson s., , , , mason, william t., mason, w. t. t., mason-mccarty duel, , , , et seq. massawomecks. (see iroquois) massey, lee, mathews, governor, mathews, thos., , matthews, richard, may, jonathan c., mayfield, mcardell, p., xi mccabe, capt., mccabe, mrs., mccall, gen'l, mccarty, daniel, , , mccarty, dennis, col., mccarty family, mccarty, john m., col., , , et seq. mccarty, william m., mccarty-mason duel, , , et seq. mcclain, robt., mcclellan, geo. b., gen'l, mcclellan, h. b., mcclellan, william, , mccormick, helen, miss, mcgeath, john, mcgeath, william, mcgolerick, judge, mcguinn, john o., mcintosh, alex., mcintyre, patrick, mckay, hugh, mcleod, dan'l, mcleod, john, mcleod, john, jr., mcllaney, james, , mcvicker, john, mead family, mead, bishop, meade, gen'l, means, sam'l c., capt., mercer, chas. f., , , , mercer family, , mercer, james, mercer, john, , mercer, john f., gov'r, mercer, margaret, miss, mercer, william f., merritt, gen'l, , metcalf, joseph, methodists, , , methuen, paul, metzger, w. a., justice, iv middleburg, , , , , , , , middleburg, battle of, , middleburg hunt, xi, , , middleton, cornet, middleton, john, miles, josiah, milhollen, hirst, x military organizations, civil war, et seq. military organizations, colonial rangers, military organizations, french and indian war, , military organizations, revolution, , , , , , , , , etc., military organizations, war of , , , military organizations, world war, militia, , etc., et seq. mill creek, millan, thos., miller, edward, miller, john, miller, thomas, dr., miller, virginia, miss, mills, samuel, milstead, harry, mines, john, rev., mines, john k., minor, nicholas, , , , , , , , , minor, thomas, mix, lewis & co., moffet, mr., mohascahod, monacans, , , monakin, moncure, john, rev., monguagon, battle of, monocacy, , , , monongahela river, monroe, james, pres't, x, , et seq., monroe, susan, monroe doctrine, monroe highway, morton, john, morton, levi p., mrs., , morton, richard l., morton, william, sir, montgomery, j. s., rev., montressor, mooney, jas., , , moore, asa, moore, captain, moore, james, dr., moore, john d., mrs., x moore, m. bernhard, moore, william, moraughtacund, morison, murdock, morris, governor, pa., morris, mahlon, morrisonville, morrisworth, , morven park, , moryson, francis, mosby, john s., col., ix, , et seq. mosby's confederacy, , mosby's rangers, , et seq., mosco, , moss, john, , , , moss, john, jr., , moss, william, mott, t. r., mott, thos. b., col., mount defiance, mount pleasant, mount recovery, mount vernon, moxley, john, mucklehany, john, munford, col., murray, mr., myers, albert j., major, myers, f. m., capt., ix, myers, mahlon, nahyssan, nalle, b. f., mr. and mrs., , nalle, edward n., nantaughtacund, nanticoke, national portrait gallery, xi necessary house, negroes, , , , , , , , , , neilson, hugh, , nelson, arthur, newport, christopher, sir, newspapers, nichols, edw. h., nicholson, governor, nixon, asbury m., nixon, lewis, noland, charlotte h., miss, , , noland family, noland house, , , noland, james, noland, phillip, , , , , noland, pierce, noland, samuel, noland, thomas, noland, william, noland's ferry, , et seq., , , , norbeck, wm. f., norfolk system, nornail, wm., norris, samuel, northern neck, (see also proprietary), , , , , , , , , , , , northumberland county, , nottoways, numtaneuck, nuntally, oak hill, x, xi, xii, , , etc., oatlands, , , , ockoquan river, , , ogden, david, ohio company, oliphant, sam'l, o'neal, edward, oneale, conn., opossum, orchards, apple, , orchards, peach, ordinaries, , , et seq., , organization of county, orkney, earl of, osburn, craven, osburn family, osburn, richard, otter, , overfield, benj., owsley, john, ox road, paeonian springs, page, frederick, mrs., x page, mann, , palatinate, palma, valta, x parishes, parliament, (see puritans), , , patterson, flemming, patton, francis, mrs., paulus hook, , , paxton, chas., mr. and mrs., , paxton memorial home, , payne, linwood, payne, wm. h., gen'l, payne's church, peach orchards, peers, h., peers, mrs., penn, william, pepperell, wm., sir, perfect, chro., perry, micajah, petersburg, peugh, sam'l, peyton, francis, , , , , peyton family, pickett's charge, piedmont manor, pioneers, , piscataway creek, piscataways, , , pittsburg, plantations, , plains, the, , plaster, (land), et seq. pleasanton, gen'l, pleasanton, stephen, plymouth company, point of rocks, , , , , , , point of rocks bridge, , , pope's head, population, , postmasters, potomac company, , potomac islands, potomac river, , etc., , , , , , , , , , , , , , , potomacs, potts, david, poultry, powell, burr, , powell, cuthbert, , powell, elisha, powell family, , powell, leven, col., , , , , , , , powell, lucian, powell, mary, powell, nathaniel, , powell, william, , powell, winney, miss, powell vs. chinn, powhatans, , presbyterians, , , , price, betsy, , prince william county, ix, , , , , , , primogeniture, prior, james, profiteers, war, proprietary, (also see northern neck), ix, , , , , , , , , purcell, thos., purcell, samuel, purcellville, , purcellville library, puritans, , , putman, herbert, dr. quakers, ii, , , , , , , , , , , , , , quaker settlement, , , , , , quantico, racoons, raiding parties, railroads, raleigh, walter, sir, , ramsay, allan, xi rappahannock, , , , , , , raspberry plain, , , , , , , , , , , ray, thomas, reardon, john, reconstruction, et seq. records, colonial, ix records, county, ix, , , , records, u. s. to leesburg, rectortown, red cross, reed, jacob, , reichel, john f., bishop, religion, , respas, thos., revolution, , , , , , , , , , etc., reynolds, joshua, sir, xi richards, george, richardson, john, ridge road, (see alexandria pike). riticor, chas. c., capt. roach, mahlon, roads, early condition of, roads, bazzell, robey, clarence, mrs., robinson, peter, robinson, william, , rock spring, rockefeller, john d., jr., i rockland, xi, , , rogers, a. h., lieut., rogers, asa, justice, rogers, john, rogers, william, mrs., rogers, william h., lieut., rogues road, rokeby, , , rolling roads, roman catholics, , , rosser, thos. l., col., round hill, roundheads, see puritans. roxbury hall, rozell, stephen, ruin of loudoun, , russell, anthony, , russell, edward o., xii russell, francis, , russell, john, russell, robert, russell, thomas, rust, bryan, rust, e. marshall, x, xii, rust, elizabeth f., miss, rust family, rust, george, rust, george, gen'l, xi, , , , rust, henry b., , rust, john y., xi rust, matthew, , rye, ryswick, treaty of, saint james' church, leesburg, , , saint john's church, leesburg, salem, , salt, sanders, isaac, sands, daniel c., , sanitation, sangster, adam, sapon, saratoga, battle of, saunders, presley, scalawags, , schlatter, michael, rev., schofield, john m., gen'l, , schools, , , , , , , schooley, john, scotch, scotch, irish, , , , , scotch prisoners, sebastian, benj., secession, secession convention, secession ordinance, second colony, selden, ann t., selden, eleanor, selden, mary m., selden, mary t., selden, samuel, selden, wilson c., dr., , selma, x, , , , , , , senecas, , , settlement, settlers, shakahonea, shannondale, sharp, governor, maryland, shaw, john, shawen, sheep, shelburne, earl of, xi, shelburne, glebe, , shelburne, parish, x, xi, , , , shelburne vestry, shelburne vestry books, shenandoah hunting path, shenandoah river, , , , shenandoah valley, , , , , sheridan, philip, gen'l, shimmer, christian, shirley, governor, massachusetts, shoemaker, basil w., shore, richard, shore, thos., short hills, , , , shreve, benj., shrieve, george, shrieves, william, shumaker, ashton h., silver, , simpson, geo. f., dr., simpson, william, capt., sims, barney, sinclair, john, sir, , , singleton, joshua, sioux, slaves, , , , , smallwood, henry g., smith, fleet, smith, john, capt., , , , , , , smith, john e., smith, rufus, smith, samuel, smith, wethers, smith, william, smithsonian institution, ix smitley, matthias, snickers, edward, snickers ferry, snickers gap, , , snickersville, , , , snickersville road, , snider, warner, mr. and mrs., soil improvement, et seq. sorrell, thos., southern railway company, spain, , spanish-american war, spanish succession, war of, speake, capt., spitzfathen, john, spooner, chas., xi spotswood, alex., sir, et seq. spotswood, alex., jr., spotswood, catharine, spotswood treaty, , , springwood, , stafford county, , , , stamp, william, stanton, e. m., stegarake, stegora, stephens, wm., stephensburg, stevens, lewis, stevens, thos., stocks, stone, c. p., gen'l, stone, thos, stout, john l., stover, strahane, david, straughan, david, strictland, william, stuart, j. e. b., gen'l, , , , , sugarland run, , , sugarlands, , , summers, george, susquehannocks, , , , , , , sutton, isaac, swann, thos., governor, swans, wild, , swem, e. g., dr., ix tacci, talbot, william, sir, taliaferro, elizabeth, tankerville, earl of, , tavenner, lott, taxuntania, tayler, john, tayloe, rebecca, miss, taylor, henry s., taylor, lawrence, taylor, william, taylor, yardley, viii, , tebbs, charles b., col., tebbs, edward h., jr., capt., tebbs, john a., capt., temple farm, terrick, bishop, thatcher family, thatcher, john, thomas, david, thomas, enoch, thomas, evan, thomas, henry w., judge, thomas, isaac, thomas, jacob, thomas, john, thomas, mahlon, thomas, moses, thomas, robert, thomas, thomas, thompson, edward, , , , thomson, stevens, thomson, william, sir, thorneley, sam'l, xii thornton, john, thornton, samuel c., thornton, thomas, thoroughfare gap, throckmorton, mordecai, thurston, thos., ticks, tidewater virginians, , , , , , , , , , , tillett, giles, tobacco as money, , , , , tobacco planting, , , todhill, anas, toleration acts, , toulmin, harry a., lt. col., towns, trammell, john, trammell, samson, trammell, william, tribley, joseph, triplett, francil, triplett, simon, , true, rodney h., "true american," (newspaper), , trundle, hartley h., trundle, horatio, truro glebe, truro parish, , etc., , , tuckahoes, (see tidewater virginians). turley, giles, turner, fielding, tuscaroras, tuscarora creek, , tustin, samuel, tyler, charles, , tyler, george, tyson's corner, ulster, province of, union league, union men, union sentiment, union, town of, unison, upperville horse show, valley bank, xii, , valley forge, vandercastel, giles, , , vandevanter, chas. o., vandevanter, isaac, van ingelgen, a. j., rev., vernon, admiral, vert's corner, vestal family, vestal, g., vestal, john, vestal's ferry, vestal's gap, , , vestries, , vestry books, , et seq., victoria, queen, vince, thomas, virginia historical index, ix virginia historical society, ix virginia state library, virginia, troops in french and indian war, etc., wagener, mary e., wagener, peter, col., waggoner, capt., , wallace, james m., walnut cabin branch, wampter, capt., war of , , et seq. warner's crossroads, warrenton, washington, augustine, , washington, city of, , , , , , washington, george, gen'l, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , etc., , washington, john a., , washington's journal, washingtonian (newspaper), waterford , , , , , , et seq., , , , wayne, anthony, gen'l, weidener, chas., wenner, william, west, george, , , , west, hugh, west, john, west, william, , , , , west's ordinary, , , westmoreland county, wetherby, whaley, james, jr., wheat, , , wheatland, whig party, , , white, bishop, white, elijah b., col., , white, elijah b., mrs., x, white, elijah v., col., ix, , , et seq., , white, elizabeth, miss, x, white, james, white, joel, white, josiah, white, r. l., gen'l, white plains, white's battalion, etc., , white's ferry, white's ford, , whitney, john h., mr. and mrs., wiard, michael, wickham, williams c., col., wigginton, spence, wildey, john, wildman, enos, wildman, joseph, wilkinson, thos., wilks, francis, william, iii, , william and mary college, william and mary college quarterly, ix williams, abner, williams, john, , williams, thomas, , williams, thomas burr, williamsburg, vii, , , , williams' gap, , williamson, b., williamson, j. j., rev., ix, , willock, james, wills creek, , , winchester, , , , winder, wm. h., gen'l, wolfcaile, john, wolford, john, wolves, , wood, waddy b., woody, william, world war, world war monument, worsley, lizzie, miss, wyatt, dudley, sir, york river, , * * * * * transcriber's note: research indicates the copyright on this book was not renewed. there are many inconsistencies in the spelling of names, such as mccarty and mccarthy. obvious printer errors have been silently normalised, except for the following: on page : "in the another courageous adventurer" ... a missing word was added: "in the 'year' " ... regarding the ad on page : the original ad in the _genius of liberty_ of the th october reads as follows: "leesburg jockey club. races will be run for on wednesday the th october, over a handsome course near the town, a purse of dollars, three miles and repeat, and on thursday the th day, two miles and repeat a purse of dollars, and on friday the th one mile and repeat, a town's purse of at least $ , and on saturday the th an elegant saddle, bridle and martingale, worth at least fifty dollars, p. saunders, sec'y & treas'r."