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Un des symboles suivants apparahra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole — ► signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbols y signifie "FIN". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre filmte d des taux de reduction diffirents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul ciichi, 11 est fiimi A partir de I'angle sup6rieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n^cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. 1 2 3 I I I 1 2 3 4 5 6 'Wi' ■sL-^v. ~ r. HasssU \n.k. THE LIFE OF aEORaE PEABODY; CONTAINING A BECORD OP THOSE PRmCELY ACTS OF BENEVOLENCE • . VHICH ENTITLE IIIH TO THE ESTEEM AND GaATITUDB OF ALL FRIENDS OP EDUCATION AND THE DESTITUTE, BOTH IN AMERICA, THE LAND OF HIS BIRTH, AND IN ENGLAND, THE PLACE OF HIS DEATH. By PHEBE a. HANAFORD, MEMBER OF THE ESSEX INSTITUTE, AND AUTHOR OF " THE LIFE OF LINCOLN," ETC. WITH AN INTRODUCTION By dr. JOSEPH H. HANAFORD. ■ (ffiroU labetfy a cljtttCul jtber.** BOSTON: PUBLISHED BY B. B. RUSSELL, 65 COENHILL. CINCINNATI : WHITE, CORBIN, BOUVii!, & CO. ' PHILADELPHIA : JOHN DAINTY. ' SAN FRANCISCO : H. H. BANCROFT Sc CO. ST. LOUIS : KEITH 86 WOODS. TORONTO, ONT. : A. H. HOVEY. 1870. 5345 "■ Entered, according to Act 6i Congress, in the year 1S70, bjr PHEBE A. HANAFORD, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. ^OSTOM : STBRBOTVPBD AND PRINTED BY RAND, AVERY, & FRYB. To AIL TRUE FRIENDS OF HUMANITY, IN ENQLAND AND ^VMERICA, Tmia BSG9M9 er a €mesbw&a &irMM» WHOSE BENEVOLENCE IS WORTHY OF WORLD-WIDE IMITATION, IS KOW INSCRIBED. lami ' / PREFACE. AMERICA has been rich in great men whose intellectual superiority or moral ey:cellence bade them tower above the masses, or whose vast I possessions, wisely used, as in the case of the sub- ject of this Memoir, entitled them to high place in the regard of a grateful and appreciative people. [And it is now conceded, that *( Among the few, the immortal names That were not bora to die," fs to be read in glowing characters the name of rEORGE Peabody. A widc interest attaches to the ivents of his life and the record of his noble deeds, )ecause he showed so truly that he valued wealth m account of the power it gave him to do good, md benefit others than himself and his immediate lamily or nearest relatives. His life is an example, 6 PBEFAOE. in some grand respects; and is therefore worth reporting to future generations. We do not present him as a perfect man, nor yet as one who professed to be perfect. He was remarkably unassuming ; and by his deeds, more than by his words, must he be judged. If we had a larger store of materials, in the shape of. letters and private memoranda, the volume might be larger; but the gist of the whole matter — the points of his character most desirable to be known in order to awaken the emulation of others — can be presented in the compass of this smaller vol- ume. Besides, a large volume would probably be commensurate with the artistic skill of those em- ployed to prepare it, and therefore be too expen- sive for the million. To obviate this difficulty, this book is prepared, and also because we hope to do good by helping to spread abroad the record of a life that was in some respects unique, but noble, and a benevolence worthy of world-wide imitation. As a member of the Essex Institute (whose ^^ headquarters are in Salem, Mass., near the birth- place of Mr. Peabody), the writer takes the pen with an emotion of gratitude to one who mani- fested so great an interest in the objects of our PREFACE. T association, and whose munificence, as will be shown ill the following pages, so enhanced our means of prosecuting historical and scientific re- search, as to make his name illustrious, and his memory fragrant, among us forever. Reading, Mass. • F. A. II. ;s^t tho] OOKTENTS. ffTRODUCnON '•••IS OH APT BR I. SARLT DATS. be Boy fbroshadowJnR the Man. — Ancestry. — Birthplace. — Childhood. — The Young Storo-Keupor.—Newburyport i .•«•,. 81 CHAPTER n. OUT IN TIIB ▼OBLD. I Commercial AasUtant. — Buslnesa-Hablta. — Love-Uiury. — Oolng South . 4& OHAPTBR ra. PATaionsM. lie Citizen Soldier.— The First Partnership. — The TraTcUlng Member of thoFirm. — LlfeinBalUmore M CHAPTER IV. LONDON Ura. |l«moval to London.— Dlslnteroatedncss. — Kindness to Americans. — Saving the Credit of his Country at the Crystal Palace 68 CHAPTER V. QBEAT AND GOOD QIITS. ' » ^elp to find Sir John Franklin.— Donation to Danvera.— The Pcabody Insti- tute In Peabody. — The Public Reception of the Benefactor .... 80 10 CONTENTS. CnAPTEll VI. t> . ■ -- \ GOOD QIFTS CONTINUED. The Donation to Thotford, Vt. — Grandfather Dodge. — The Wood-sawing Story 102 CHAPTER VII. \ 8TIU. CIVIMO. i Peabody IiistitHte at Baltimore. — Letter of Mr. Peabody. — Proceedinga iu Regard to the Donation. — Mr. Peabody'a Uvmarlca • . . . . 115 CHAPTER Vin. GREATER BENEFACTIONS. Amelioration of the Condition of the Poor in London. — Magnificent Bequest of Mr. Peabody. — Description of the Buildings 124 '* CHAPTER IX. APPRECIATION. BecoBd Visit to his Native Land.— The Freedom of the City of London. —The Queen'sLetter. — The Queen's Portrait. — The Peabody Statue . . , 142 CHAPTER X. aCR. FEABODT IN AMERICA. The Flood of Letters.- The Gift for Education in the South.— Mr. Pcubody's Letter. — What the Money is doing 154 CHAPTER XI. MORE GirrS FOR SCIENCE. Money for Mnaenms at Yale and Harvard. — Correspondence in Reference to theaeDonations.- The Value of the Gift 186 CHAPTER XII. STILL HELPING EDUCATORS. * Peabody Academy of Science in Salem. — Essex Institute. — Mr. Peabody's Letter. — His Love for his native County of Essex • • . . . 183 CONTENTS. 11 CHAPTER Xin. '^ TET aiVIMO cheerfcllt. MaaBacbasetts Historical Society. — Kenyon Collego, and Mr. Pcabody's Dons' tion toil. — Documento in Regard to the Acceptable Gifta .... 901 CHAPTER XIV. FILIAL DEVOTION. Memorial Church at Qeprgetown. — Mr. Pcabody's Love for bis Mother. — Hymn for the Dedication, by John O. Wbittier. — Qifts to his Family and Friends 208 CHAPTER XV. RETOBN TO ENGLAND. Mr. Peabody'a Speech at the National Peace Jubilee. — Illness of Mr. Pea- body.— Return to England.— Sir Curtis Lampson 217 CHAPTER XVI. DEATH OF HR. PEABODT. The Lightning News. — The Comments of the Press. — Respect shown to Mr. Pcabody's Memory. — Portraits of Mr. Peabody 223 CHAPTER XVn. FUNERAL IN ENGLAND. * Westmir ster Abbey. — Transportation of the Remains to America. — Descrip- tion of the Ship "Monarch." — Poem suggested by the Funeral Procession on the Ocean 233 \' CHAPTER XVHI. FUNERAL IN AMERICA. Reception of the Remains in America. —Prince Arthur of England. — Mr. Winthrop'sEulogy.— The Funeral in Harmony Grove 24ft 12,^ ^ CONTENTS. ^ ■ ■' CHAPTER Xi;X. ' DESERVED TRIBUTES. Newman Hall on George Peabody . — Tributes from Various Sources. — Poetic Tribute from "The London Evening Standard." — The Pulpit's Voice In Fiaise of his Beneficence. — List of his Donations •••... 260 i ' ' CHAPTER XX. ^ THOUGHTS SUGGESTED. t • The Lessons of George Pcabody's Life. — Money is Power. — A Consecrated Purse is that of Fortunatus 2S0 ILLLUSTRATIONS. -I Portrait of Mr. I'unbody Frontispiece. Birthplace of George Pcubody •....35 Peabody and Danvers Institutes 85 Peabody Square, Islington, London . . V^ Peabody Statue, London; and Peabody Institute, Baltimore ... .146 1 1 1 INTRODUCTION. Frontispiece. OF the myriads of human beings who flit across the stage of life, but few, comparatively, ever become I really eminent ; but few ever thrust themselves, so to speak, unwittingly, it may be, upon the popular observation, or [organize and achieve a marked success; But few are will- ling to burst the shackles of sensuous thraldom, and gird on the whole panoply of a true and elevated manhood, and inter the arena of life's conflict, yielding to the nobler im- )ulses of the higher nature, the intellectual and moral, lecessitating the complete subserviency of the lower and jnere animal nature. But few raise high the standard of ittainment, basing the purposes of life upon clear and vivid leas and potent aspirations, and then concentrate the leveloped and expanding energies of the soul with perti- nacious and indomitable courage. These few stand out in kold relief, like the majestic oak on the hill-top, or like 18 14 INTRODUCTION. some ** bright, particular star," suddenly emerging from the horizon, moving upward in majesty, full-orbed and radiant, increasing in size and brilliancy, and sending its beams of light to the remotest regions. Some of these remind us of the meteor as it dashes across the heavens, blazing with its own native fires; sometimes seemingly erratic in its course, yet true to its nature, and controlled by fixed and immutable laws, startling and awing the ob- server, or challenging respect and admiration. Such organize and decree success and distinction in obedience to the laws of mind, not only by unremitting effort and toil even, but by a wise adjustment of means to ends, having regard to principles as definite and undeviating in their applications as those which guide the chemist in the labora- tory, the physician at the bedside, and the surgeon in the operating-hall. Their success is not the result of accident, ** luck,'' unusual mental endowments, aid of friends, but rather the legitimate and necessary sequence of industry, perseverance, energy, clearness of perception, oneness of purpose, fixedness of effort, and strength of will. If the circumstances and surroundings are not favorabte, no ener- gies are squandered in useless hesitancy or unmanly mur- murings, but are modified, and, if possible, made subservient to the great purposes of life, or may be utterly ignored ; ) INTRODUCTION. 15 j while the aspiring candidate for distinction and an enviable j pre-eminence determines- never for a moment to entertain the idea of a "cessation of hostilities," — never admits [into his vocabulary the word faih ** Mr. Peabody was a marked man, a representative man, [towering in giant proportions among the prominent and successful business-men of the age, — a model financier. |He courted no special favors, no exclusive privileges, but iras ready to enter business - life ** single-handed," and )ecome the architect of his own fortune, or personally share the fate due to those who ignobly fail. His success as a financier is attributable rather to his inherent qualities of mind, and, to a certain extent, of )ody, — personal appearance, — than to any specially favoring circumstances. If there were any apparently Favoring circumstances, we may claim that he either pro- duced these, or adroitly availed himself of them ; appropri- Lting whatever might be conducive to his advantage. ?hough not in abject poverty, as often stated, it is certain lat he rose from the humbler walks of life, and, of course, estimated more fairly by the progress made than by the Imple fact that he rose to a high position in society, )cially and financially, winning unequalled laurels on both jmispheres. No wealthy friend or relative ever furnished IC INTRODUCTION. t funds to aid him in commencing a business-life, or exerted in his behalf any specially favorable influence as a means of giving him advantages at the commencement of his busi- ness career, when counsel and material aid are ordinarily of great service. Commencing active business-life while still in his minority, his education was necessarily limited, — far more so than that of most young men of the same age at the present time, with the educational advantages now pos- sessed. His was only a " common-school " training, that afforded, about a half-century since, only a partial course, — but a fraction of the meagre facilities for a preparation for a commercial life presented to the youth of an age. far less auspicious than the present. Yet, like all other obsta- cles, this was fairly and fearlessly met ; self-culture compen- sating, at least measurably, for these manifest disadvantages : affording a fine illustration of the fact, that native good sense, industry, and will are isufficient to insure victory under almost any circumstances. Those who were, famil- iar with him, who understood his conversational powers, his general intelligence, would ordinarily have accorded to him the advantages of a good, if not of a liberal education. Indeed, his correspondence was remarkable for its compre- hensiveness, its terseness of style, elegance of diction, and chasteness of expression. INTRODUCTION. 17 These most assuredly indicated culture and refinement, }y no means usual in business-circles, in those more famil- ir with bonds, coupons, notes of hand, &c., than with sci- ence and literature. It is, indeed, a matter of surprise that ^ne so devoted to his business-pursuits ; one who personally Attended to even the details of his financial transactions, such duties oflen demanding nearly twice the number ^f hours of toil now required of the mechanic and artisan this country ; so methodically exacting in every thing elating to these duties ; so remarkably devoted to his busi- ness, — it is surprising that such a man should have availed iimself of the fragments of leisure moments, devoting them self-culture, or that he should have had any taste for lental pursuits and literary recreations. This anomaly is ily explained by the fact, that Mr. Peabody was emphati- lUy a man of energy, decision of character, remarkably [dustrious, intellectually inclined ; a man of method and ^stem, scrupulously dividing his time as existing circum- mces might demand. Gentlemanly in his bearing, honorable in his transac- ts, genial in his intercourse with men, — with honorable jn, — though his frown was sufficiently scathing toward |e mean, fraudulent, conniving, and false, his indigna- )n sufficiently marked, and his words of denunciation 18 INTRODUCTION. sufficiently pointed and personal, towards those unworthy of confidence, — scrupulously honest as a business-man, he could not but command the respect of those engaged in similar pursuits, and enjoy the confidence of those familiar with him in the ordinary walks of social life. Prompt and methodical, he avoided many of the vexations and disas- ters experienced by men of the opposite business-habits. With him the appointments of business were sacred, the day and the hour to be observed with the most undeviating certainty on his part ; while those who failed in these re- spects, if unable to offer a satisfactory excuse for such delin- quency, would not ordinarily escape a decided reprimand, or more frequently forfeit confidence and business-relations. | Financial obligations w^ere promptly met at the appointed time, in strict accordance with the literal structure of the ; contract, when he was the obligor ; while it was at least injudicious for others to be less scrupulous towards him. If there was sometimes seeming severity, such must be attrib-,^ uted to his marked methodical habits, and to an idea of ^ commercial obligation and justice. Mr. Peabody was a man of good natural abilities ; had a , large volume of brain, as the most casual observer may no-i tice ; his noble bearing well calculated to command respect,, not less than confidence. His were clear perceptions, — INTRODUCTION. 19 ■those of a careful and discriminating observer of men and [tilings. His brain was neitlier beclouded by the narcotic [influences of the " vile weed," as he was not accustomed to the use of tobacco in any of its forms; nor inflamed, set m fire, by the use of alcoholic stimulants. Such indul- ;ences, indeed, would have been inconsistent with his large success, and incompatible with the performance of his mani- fold duties, his almost crushing labors, which would have jxhausted the energies of almost any man less scrupulous md less consistent in his personal habits. Nor did he stul- tify himself with the indulgences of the gourmand, — a slave of appetite: far from it. He gave and attended janquets; yet, of all present, he was the most simple in his [uibits, the most abstemious, often partaking of but a single lish, and that of the simplest quality, though the table light groan under the weight of the luxuries of all climes, 'liere was neither wasting of his energies in sensual indul- gences, the gratification of the lower nature, nor a dissi- bation, a scattering, a frittering-away of his powers in inmanly anmsements and senseless frivolity. He was no liere pleasure-seeker; though it is reasonable to suppose lat he was not averse to a consistent " unbending," after :hausting and overburdejiing the mind by excessive effort. It is certain that he was conscientious in regard to the 20 IKTRODtJOTION. more usual amusements; not partial to theatricals, since, in the finish of the ** Memorial Church," he gave special directions to avoid certain decorations calculated to *' re- mind one of the theatre ; " though that church was finished in elegance, taste, and beauty, without regard to expense, to ^* last one hundred years without a stroke of ^repairs," in the language of the donor. The key to his marked success is seen in these promi- nent characteristics. Inheriting a firm physical constitu- tion, a vigorous and discriminating mind, the energies of the one were husbanded by a remarkable abstemiousness and temperance, the normal vital forces not only retained, but increased in their powers of endurance by correct hab- its ; while the other was called into harmonious activity, developed by effort, expanded by observation, and refined by self-culture, his personal habits being favorable to such physical and mental development. As a business-man, Mr. Peabody had a single idea, a oneness of purpose, — success in financial pursuits. He was not only industrious, almost without a parallel in busi- ness-circles, but his energies were centred, concentrated with a marked persistency and vitalizing energy, upon this one object, this one life-pursuit. JFinance was his study, — if the expression is allowable, — and success, eminence in INTRODUCTION. 21 his avocation, his great object ; though an avaricious spirit, a mere love of money as such, were not fairly attributed to him. He was neither diverted from his chosen pursuits by the enticements of pleasure-seeking, nor by the allure- ments of fashion, nor yet by the blandishments of the i court and the applause and attentions of the sovereign of his adopted land. It is a remarkable fact, that the kind regards of the Queen, the honors bestowed upon him, the many, many temptations to accept, not court, the favors and distinctions almost thrust upon him by those occupying the highest position in the realm, were not sufficient to capti- vate him. It was not until afler he retired from business that he could be induced to specially notice these proffered distinctions and regards ; never having been presented to the royal family until after his retirement from the harass- ing cares and labors of business-life. Nor is it to be supposed that he never encountered diffi- culties or experienced disasters in his financial pursuits, since these are the necessary concomitants of a life of business. He is a wise man, worthy of success, who encounters diffi- culties without misgivings, irresoluteness, or murmurings, and boldly and resolutely attempts the removal of all obsta- cles ; throwing himself into the van, in the conflicts of life, expecting to become the victor. After Mr. Peabody had 22 INTRODUCTION. pussed tlio meridian of a buslnoss-carcor, misfortunes came, for a time jeopardising liiii financial prospects. After the age of fifty years, — at wliich time his woaitii was compar- atively small, far less than that of many of our successful business-men of perhaps half that age, — most of his vast accumulations were acquired ; the last few years of busi- ness being, probably, by far the most remunerative. His earlier lifo seemed to have been preparatory, prefatory ; a time for the deposit of the seed aflerwards to germinate, and yield its fruits ; a time in which to lay the foundation on which prosperity was to be reared near the close of life, and the creation and adjustment of plans and instrumen- talities by which success was afterwards made almost or quite certain. But the "crowning glory," the brightest halo that encircles the brow of Mr. Peabody, is that connected with his munificent donations ; those of a general character, but especially those intended for the lowly, — the poor of Eng- land and of this country. This benevolence was but the outgrowth of his compassionate nature, and was early developed ; though but little was known of hira, in this respect, beyond a certain circle, publicity not being sought. He was commendably devoted to his mother and many oth»r relatives and personal friends j and on these he early INTUODFCTION. jstowoil favors, though, of course, not as lavishly as in ^ftor-life, wlion his means would justify generous bequests, '^ith a son's devotion, an affectionate brother's solicitudo Ind tenderness, he cared for those more nearly connected by family ties ; while others were educated, that in busi- less relations, professional duties, &c., they might encoun- .>r less of the disadvantages than himself in the avocations ^f active life. While cherishing these kindly impulses in early man- hood, nurturing them by judicious bcstowments, we may [easonably infer that the idea of these larger and royal de- lations, royal in magnitude ttfxd design, were contem- |)lated long before their public recognition ; reposing in his Capacious and far-seeing mind, — an embryotic existence, — be developed and assume vast proportions in due time. Jherishing a tender regard, an affectionate solicitude, for le lowly of both hemispheres, — the unfortunate from the )rce of circumstances, the peculiarities of government, [ic, in the one, and the terrible degradation of slavery in lie other, — may we not infer that this was the cherished inevolent impulse of his life ; and that, with his far-seeing itellect, as he foresaw the magnitude of the results of such gift in the elevation and the humanizing of the down- rodden, this was the one great aspiration of his life, 24 INTRODUCTION. long reposing in the bosom of the future, as the helpless infant calmly sleeps on its mother's breast, and nourished there for future activities ? This was indeed a munificent gift, worthy of the man who bestowed it. Yet its mere financial proportions do not constitute its most important significance. The design of reaching the lower stratum of society, educating those who must have remained in relative ignorance and degradation, aside from such gifts giving life, energy, and courage to the despairing, furnish- ing the means of self-elevation, self-improvement, these features overshadow all others ; these aspects determine the magnitude and the true benevolence of these vast chari- ties. Having no children of his own, he conceived the grand idea of adopting the unfortunate of his native and his adopted countries ; wisely bequeathing to them, with an affectiona'va regard, the means more wisely granted than by personal bestowments, squandered or exhausted in a brief period as it might have been under some circumstances, by which future generations would be blessed, remember- ing the name of the donor as a lather indeed, who had more regard for future benefits, real prosperity, and con- tinuous fruitage, than for brief and temporary gratifications. Such a monument will outlive marble and granite ; such a record is indeed indelible. INTRODUCTION. 25 To the young men of this country, the noble example Mr. Peabody as a business-man, a man achieving and ^serving success ; his remarkable prosperity ; his brilliant Ireer ; his large-heartedness, as seen in the outcropping his vast charities, almost prodigally scattered, all sug- psting the idea of magnitude, vastness, — to such his lole life has a peculiar significance. In a country like ivs and a government like ours, based on morality and jiversal intelligence, with the schoolhouse and the furch-edifice as the " front-guard and the rearward," the mdations cemented with as pure blood as ever flowed patriot veins, " large expectations " are peculiarly ap- [opriate. While the invitation, " Go up and possess the id," seems imprinted in bold relief on our public institu- bs, or is rung out in the pealing notes of the bells that 11 the young to the halls of learning, — the humbler les, the " people's colleges," not less than the higher in- tutions, — the youth of our favored country may well be mlous, raise high the standard of attainments, and asjiire enviable positions. Still in its infancy, by no means ring reached the vigor, strength, and self-sustaining l^ce of maturity, but even now joyous, exuberant, viva- ^us, and active, as if in the springtime of life, with a vast lain unexplored, and still more but partially developed, 26 INTRODUCTION. with mineral resources unfathomed, natural advantages un- paralleled and unappropriated, our country Is peculiarly the nursery of enterprise and industry, and the foster- motlier of generous and noble aspirations. Here the ave- nues to wealth, social eminence, enviable distinction in science, literature, oratory, the professions, to a widp field of research, — all are thrown wide open to the lowly as well as to those occupying higher social positions, as our records in the past amply demonstrate; the meed of praise and the badge of honor having been bestowed upon the off- spring of some of the most lowly of our citizens. A good education, one far superior to that acquired by the young Peabody, is attainable by every young man in New Eng- land, at least, if blessed with even medium capabilities and a will; attainable, indeed, with but a slight expenditure of funds, since the State has adopted the fundamental and ennobling idea, that it costs less to educate the masses than to punish crime. With such an education, not only wisely and mercifully proffered, but almost thrust upon the recij)i- ent, success is attainable if merited. It is important for the young men of this country to remember that Mr. Peabody was not merely a man of finances, not merely a business-man, and that wealth was not obtained simply for its possession. As soon as relief INTRODUCTION. 27 from his crushing cares and labors would admit, and proba- bly far sooner, in some degree, at leastj he cast about him- self to decide what judicious disposition should be made of such vast accumulations ; in what manner he might bless society, that the far-reaching results might more than com- pensate for the toils, anxieties, and unceasing efforts de- manded for its accumulation. The mere accumulation, the mere possession, with no high and noble impulses, no characteristic philanthropic emotions, would dwarf the in- tellect, congeal the generous outgushings, make man a miser, the despised among men, instead of the philan- thropist, the friend of the lowly, held in grateful remem- brance in at least two of the most powerful nations of the globe. Again : the avenues to distinction are open to the young, aside from those leading simply to wealth. There are higher honors than those usually merited by the financier (Mr. Peabody modified and added to his by his judiciously- bestowed charities), — those sought in paths of learning, in the labors of the philanthropist, &c. ; though financial suc- cess seems the basis of other enterprises, furnishing the means of producing great results. An age may produce but one identical philanthropist- financier like Mr. Peabody ; yet the major part of the ! ) R 28 INTRODUCTION. young of this age, if ready to throw themselves into the arena of life's struggles and labors, if willing to make a sacrifice of personal ease, if they will study tlie principles of success, concentrate effort, taking Mr. Peabody as a model, may make their mark, be remembered in succeed- ing ages for their noble deeds and their meritorious attain- ments. To succeed as he succeeded demands the same instrumentalities, the same temperance, the same favorable personal habits, the same industry, and the same business capacity. i I cannot better close this chapter than by transcribing the beautiful poem of Longfellow, so full of inspiration and encouragement to the young : — *' " Tell me not, in mournful numbers, Life is but an empty dream ; For the soul is dead that slumbers. And things are not what they seem. Life is real, life is earnest, ' And the grave is not its goal : Dust thou art, to dust returnest, Was not spoken of the souL In the world's broad field of battle, In the bivouac of life, Be not like dumb, driven cattle ; Be a hero in the strife. INTRODUCTION. 29 Trast no future, howe'er pleasant ; Let the dead Fast bury its dead : Act, act in the living Present, Heart within, and God o'erhcad. Lives of great men all remind us We can make our lives sublime, And, departing, leave behind us Footprints on the sands of time, -— Footprints that perhaps another, Sailing o'er Life's solemn main, -— . A forlorn and shipwrecked brother, — Seeing, shall take heart again. Let us, then, be up and doing, With a heart frr any fate ; Still achieving, still pursuing. Learn to labor and to wait." J. H. H. \ I THE LIFE OE GEOEGE PEABODY. CHAPTER I. EARLY DAYS. Anccstrj. — Birthplace. — Childhood. — The Young Store-Keeper. .. Ncwburyport. " A flower, though offered in the bud, Is no vain sacrifice." — Watts. *' They that seels me early shall find me.**— Fbov. vlii. 17. !T is often said that "the child is father of tho man ; " and in no small degree this can be af- firmed of every prominent statesman or phi- lanthropist. The traits evident in childhood are ojften prophecies of distinction in certain paths then indicated, when the years shall have given gray hairs to tlie brow, and ma'turity to all the mental powers. This was eminently true of George Peabody, the finan- cier and the benevolent giver of great gifts. His child- hood foreshadowed the glory of his later years. And yet Lis childhood was not marked by incident, or memorable 32 THE LIFE OP GEORGE PEABODY. for peculiarities. Whatever the little eccentricities of after- years, his childhood was not in any sense that of an odd- ity. Men and women thouglit of him as the good boy, the faithful son, the dutiful child, the industrious student, the honest youth ; and, if they sometimes called him a " mother-boy," it was not because he was shy and eftemi- nate, and wanting in boyish energy and daring, but be- cause he loved his mother ; and it was the joy of his young life to add any thing to her happiness. That he was bravo and honest, upright and conscien- tious, is not at all strange when we consider his ancestry. However any may sneer at heraldic emblems, it is yet true, that, as the Scriptures declare, " the glory of children are their fathers ; " and none may therefore rightfully de- spise a pure and noble ancestry. The genealogy of the Peabody family has been compiled by the late C. M. En- dicott of Salem, and revised by William S. Peabody of Boston, with a partial record of the Rhode-Island branch by B. Frank Pabodie, in the spirit of those who adopted the language of Job : " For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself to the search of their fathers." In the same spirit, Nehemiah Cleveland, Esq., in his address at the Topsfield Bi-Centennial Celebration, thus spoke of the origin of the Peabody family in America : — " From a very early period in the histoiy of this town, the Peabody name has been identified with it. Thanks to the spirit of family pride or of antiquarian curiosity, great EARLY DAYS. 38 pains have been recently taken to dig out the roots and I'ollow out the branches of the old Peabody tree. Old it may well bo called, since it has already attained to a growth of nearly two thousand years. Boadie, it seems, was the primeval name. He was a gallant British chief- tain, who, in the year A.D. 61, came to the rescue of his noble and chivalrous Queen Boadicea, when * bleeding from the Roman rods.' From the disastrous battle in which she lost her crown and life, he fled to the Cambrian mountains. There his posterity lived, and became the terror of the Lowlands. Thus it was that the name * Pea,' which means ' mountain,' was prefixed to * Boadie,' which means ' man.' There was a Peabody, it seems, among the knights of the Round Table ; for the name was first regis- tered with due heraldic honors by command of King Arthur himself. At the period when the business transactions of this town begin to appear on record, Lieut. Francis Pa- body (this was the orthography of the name at that period) was evidently the first man in the place for capacity and influence. He had emigrated from St. Alban's, in Hert- fordshire, England, about seventeen miles from London, in 1635, and settled at Topsfield in 1667, where he remained until his death in 1698. His wife was a daughter of Re- 1 ginald Foster, honorably mentioned by Sir Walter Scott in ' Marmion ' and ' The Lay.' Of this large family, three sons settled in Boxford, and two remained in Tops- ifield. From these five patriarchs have come, it is said, all Ithe Peabodys in this country. Among those of this name 34 THE LIFE OP GEORGE PEABODT. wlio nave devoted themselves to the sacred office, the Rev. Oliver Pcabody, who died in Natick almost a hundred years ago, is honorably distinguished. Those twin Pea- bodys (now, alas I no more), William Bourne Oliver and Oliver William Bourne, twins not in age only, but in genius and virtue, learning and piety, will long be remem- bered with admiration and respect. The Rev. David Pea- body of this town, who died while a professor in Dart- mouth College, deserves honorable mention. A kmsman of his, also of Topsfield, is at this moment laboring, a de- voted missionary, in the ancient land of Cyrus. The Rev. Andrew P. Peabody of Portsmouth, and the Rev. Ephraim Peabody of Boston, are too well and favorably known to require that I should more than allucle to them. Prof. Silliman of Yale College is descended from a Peabody. " The Peabody name has abounded in brave and patriotic spirits. Many of them served in the French and the Rev- olutionary Wars. One of them fell with Wolfe and Mont- calm on*the Plains of Abraham. Another assisted at the capture of Ticonderoga and of Louisburg, and in the siege of Boston. Another was among the most gallant combatants on Bunker Hill. Another commanded a company in tlie Continental army, and sent his sons to the army as fast as they became able. One more, Nathaniel Peabody of At- kinson, N.H., commanded a regiment in the Revolutionary War, and subsequently represented his State in the Conti- nental Congress. In medicine and law, the reputation of the name rests more, perhaps, on the quality than the 5, the Rev. I hundred twin Pea- DUver and dy, but in be remem- David Pea- ►r in Dart- A kinsman oring, a de- The Rev. ;v. Ephraim ly known to hem. Prof. eabody. and patriotic ,nd the Rev- and Mont- isisted at the in the siege It combatants ipany in the V as fast as Lbody of At- levohitionary the Conti- leputation of |ty than the EARLY DAYS. 86 miinber of practitioners. In coinmprce, too, tins family may boast at least )no eminent example, — an architect of a princely foi'tune. I need not name him." With such an ancestry, how couUl any thing but honor and honesty bo expected from George Peabody? A " mountain man " was he, indeed, from his very boyhood : brave and noble in thought and action, lofty in purpose, and prompt whenever the call of duty cime. Well said tlie editor of the published account of the " Danvers Cen- teiuiial Celebration," " Might wo invade the sanctuary of his early home,^nd the circle of his innnediate connec- tions, we could light around the youthful jjossessor of a few hundred dollars — the avails of the most severe and untir- ing efforts — a brighter halo than his elegant hospitalities, his munificent donations, or his liberal public acts, now shed over the rich London banker." That rich banker Avas uorn a poor boy, in tlie town of Danvers, Mass., on the eighteenth day of February, 1705; not at all in ahjoct poverty, but in circumstances wliich afforded him out little opportunity for education, save for the first d ' ado of his life in the common schools. Hon. Alfred / is. ott, at the laying of the corner-stone of tlip Peabody astituto in Danvers, remarked concerning this Danvers boy, " The character and history of Mr. Pea- body have, by the natural course of things, become so familiar to us witliin the last year, that, like his name, they have almost come to be household property. How, nearly threescore years ago, in a very humble house in this then 86 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. P quiet village, he was born, the son of respectable parents, but in humble circumstances ; how from the common schools of the parish, such as they were from 1803 to 1807, to use his own simple words, he obtained the limited edu- cation his parents' means could afford, but, to the principles then inculcated, owing much of the foundation for such success as Heaven has been pleased to grant him during a long business-life," — all this Mr. Abbott thought familiar to the Danvers people ; and so it was and is. In his native place, as much as anywhere, George Peabody's memory is precious ; and, however it may be with p^phets, with this successful and beneficent merchant it is not true that he is " not without honor save in his own country and among his own people." In fact, the town where he was born is now called by his name. First it was a part of Salem ; then, for a century, it was known as Danvers ; for a season it was called South Danvers ; and it is now known as Pea- body, in honor of him whose brief and necessarily imperfect memoir is here presented. On the occasion of his visit to Danvers in 1856, Hon. A. A. Abbott said to his fellow-citizens, *' Here was Mr. Pea- body's home ; here slumbered the honored dust of his fathers ; here, ' native and to the nianor bom,' he passed his youth and the pleasant days of his early life ; here were many of those who had been his schoolfellows and play- mates : and when young ambition, and devotion to those - wliom misfortune had made his dependants, and the first stirrings of that great energy already indicating the future EARLY DAYS. 87 triumph, led him forth to other and broader fields of labor, the eyes of his townsmen, like their prayers and best wishes, followed him ; and, from that day to this, the events of his life and his whole career have been a part of the public and most treasured property of the town. And, all along, what returns have there been I and how warmly has this regard been reciprocated ! There has been no time when we have not been in George Peabody's debt. Sepa- rated from us by the wide ocean, living amid the whirl and roar of the world's metropolis, engrossed with the weightiest concerns, flattered and caressed by the titled and the great, that ' heart untravelled ' has yet clung stead- fast to its early love. While, wherever his lot has been cast, every worthy object of charity and every beneficent enterprise has received his ready aid, in an especial man- ner has he remembered and endowed us. When fire desolated our village, and swept away the sacred house where in childhood he listened to those truths which have been the guide and solace of maturer years, he helped to rebuild the rafters and point again the spire to heaven. When a pious local pride would rear an enduring monu- ment to the memory of our fathers who fell in the first fight of the Revolution, it was his bounty, although he lived beneath the very shadow of the crown from which that Revolution snatched its brightest jewel, that assisted in rearing the granite pile, and transmitting to future ages the names and heroic deeds of our venerated martyrs. So, wh n, advancing a new step in the cause of public educa^ \ 38 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. I tion, this town established two high schools for the better culture of its youth, it was his untiring generosity that awoke new life, and kindled fresh desire for knowledge, by ordaining a system of prize-medals, carefully discriminating and judicious, and which will embalm his name in the affections of unborn generations of youthful scholars. And, lastly, when, four years ago, the town of Danvers celebrated the centenary of its municipal life, it was the same constant, faithful friend that sent to our festival that noble sentiment, 'Education, — a debt due from present to future generations ; ' and, in payment of his share of that debt, gave to the inhabitants of the town a munificent sum for the promotion of knowledge and morality among them. Since that day, his bounty has not spared, but has flowed forth unceasingly, until the original endowment has been more than doubled, and until h'ere, upon this spot, is founded an institution of vast immediate good, and whose benefits and blessings for future years, and upon the gen- erations yet to come, no man can measure. Such are some of the reasons why the news of Mr. Peabody's contem- plated visit to this country was received with peculiar emotions here ; why every heart was warmed ; why all the people, with one accord, desired to see his face and liear his voice ; and why the towns of Danvers and South Dan- vers, in their corporate capacities, and in obedience to the popular will, extended to him, on his arrival upon our shores, an invitation to visit their borders." Hon. Robert S. Daniels also spoke of the early homo of EARLY DAYS. 89 the subject of this record,' and of him, in fitting words, as follows: — "It is now more than forty years «ince Mr. Peabody was a resident of this town ; and many and great arc the changes which have taken place during that period. Majiy of them are of a pleasing character : some of them, liow- ever, which are the result of the universal law of Nature, will be remembered with sorrow. And I would ask with reference to these changes, in the language of Scripture, ' The fathers — where are they ? ' They are all gone. Their seats in our halls and in our churches are all vacant. The* active business-men of that day have all passed from time to eternity. " The population of Danvers, at that period, was about three thousand : now more than ten thousand. We then had but two churches : we now have nine. The salaries paid the ministers Were about a thousand dollars, and now estimated at ten thousand dollars. We then had but two or three public schoolhouses : now some fifteen, and a num- ber of them large and costly buildings, and thronged with hundreds of happy children. We then appropriated about two thousand dollars for their support : now about ten thou- sand dollars ; and are trying to pay the debt due from pres- ent to future generations. Our old public avenues are filled with dwellings and stores. Many new streets have been located, and built upon. The power of steam was then almost unknown. Railroads are now laid in all di- rections through our town, and almost thirty trains per \ 40 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. day pass through this village. "We then had no banks, and no post-offices : we now have three banks and four post- offices. And I feel warranted in stating that the business of the town would show a greater increase than any thing else. , " Mr. Peabody left this place with no capital but a good character and his inherent energy and firm resolve. He now returns to us under circumstances known to you all : his unparalleled success has not blotted from his memory liis old home and his old friends." It was Mr. Peabody's privilege, and he always felt it to be such, to minister to the comfort of his widowed mother j and the minds of his surviving relatives, who knew him in childhood and youth, are stored with precious memo- lies of his noble deeds. It has been said that " Mr. Peabody did not bestow many gifts to relieve individual poverty or distress : he thought that much of the money thus conti-duted only tended to increase the evil it sought to alleviate." But it is certain that his immediate friends and relatives were never at a loss to know the character of his feelings toward them. He manifested his good will by word and deed, as freely, in proportion to his means, when he had but a few hundred dollars, as when he pos- sessed millions. From a child, George Peabody had to rely on his own exertions. At the early age of eleven, he was apprenticed to a Mr. Sylvester Proctor, who kept a " country store " of groceries, drugs, &c., in Danvers. Here, for four years, EARLY DAYS. 41 he was a faithful laborer, giving great satisfaction by his honesty, promptness, and fidelity. But, at the age of fifteen, he began to bo discontented. He longed for a change, and for a larger field of action. He wanted to engage in business on a larger scale.* Accordingly, after ho had spent a year with his maternal grandfather in Vermont (of -which year mention will be made in another chapter), he joined his elder brother, David Peabody, in a dry-goods or " draper's " shop, in Newburyport. This was in 1811. Here he was the same faithful. young man, exact and prompt in business, and winning the respect of all who knew him. It is said that " the first money Mr. Peabody earned outside of the small pittance he received as a clerk was for writing ballots for the Federal party in Newburyport. This was before the day of printed votes." His penmanship was superior in beauty. His letters were usually brief, and very much to the, point; but they were easily read, and specially enjoyable, because of his clear and nice chirography. , Among the incidents concerning Mr. Peabody*s early life, " The Boston Transcript " is responsible for the fol- lowing: — " Two gentlemen are living, who were friends of Mr. Peabody in boyhood, and who willingly paid his share of the cost of sailing and fishing parties, tenpins, &c., during the war of 1812-14 ; his excellent company being con- sidered more than an offset to his lack of funds. " The late Rev. Daniel Dana, D.D., of Newburyport, \ 42 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. was the clergyman whose preaching first attracted Mr. Peabodj's attention when a lad. Dr. Dana was uncle to Mr. Samuel T. Dana of this city, who has been Mr. Poabody's agent of late years." During young Peabody's stay in Newburyport occurred a great fire, which destroyed a large amount of property, and, by the burning of his brother's store, was the means of causing him to leave that town. Mr. Peabody, in after-life, claimed to be the first to give the alarm. He was putting up the shutters at his brother's store, when he discovered the enemy. Shortly after, he went away. The years of his boyhood were fully past. He was a young man, and a promising merchant. He departed to new scenes and to new triumphs. But he never forgot that town ; and afterwards showed, by a munificent gift, his interest in it. " The Herald " of that place says, — " The cause of Mr, George Peabodv's interest in New- buryport was not alone that he had lived here for a brief period, or that his relatives had lived here ; but rather it was the warm friendship that had been shown him, which was, in fact, the basis of his subsequent prosperity. He left here in 1811, and returned here in 1857. The forty- six intervening years had borne to the grave most of the persons with whom he had formed acquaintance. Among those he recognized were several who were in business, or clerks, on State Street in 1811, — Messrs. John Porter, Moses Kimball, Prescott Spaulding, and a few others, Mr. Spaulding was fourteen years older than Mr. Pea- EARLY DAYS. 43 bodv, and in business when the latter was a clerk with his uncle, Col. John Peabody. Mr. Peabody was here in 1857, on the day of tlie Agricultural Fair, and was walk- in or in the procession with the late Mayor Davenport, when he saw Mr. Spaulding on the sidewalk, and at once left the procession to greet him. " Mr. Spaulding had rendered him the greatest of ser- vices. When Mr. Peabody left Newburyport, he was under age, and not worth a dollar. Mr. Spaulding gave him letters of credit in Boston, through which he obtained two thousand dollars' worth of merchandise of Mr. James Reed ; and Mr. Reed was so favorably impressed with his appearance, that he subsequently gave him credit for a larger amount. This was his start in life, as he afterwards acknowledged ; for at a public entertainment in Boston, when his credit was good for any amount, and in any part of the world, Mr. Peabody laid his hand on Mr. Reed's shoulder, and said to those present, * My friends, here is my first patron ; and he is the man who sold me my first bill of goods.' After he was established in Georgetown, D.C., the first consignment made to him was by the late Francis Todd of Newburyport. It was from these facts tliat Newburyport was always pleasant in his memoiy ; and the donation he made to the Public Library was on his own suggestion, that he desired to do something of a public nature for our town." The fact was, George Peabody loved to give, and was ' a grateful, appreciative man ; and this chapter concerning 44 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. his early days cannot be better closed than by quoting one of the best things said by him, — spoken at the late re- union in his native town :' — "It is sometimes hard for one, who has devoted the best 'lart of his life to the accumulation of money, to spend it for others; but practise it, and keep on practising it, and I assure you it comes to be a pleasure." « I > } CHAPTER 11. OUT IN THE WORLD. The Commercial Assistant. — Going South. — Business-Habits. — Love Stories. .1 " A wit's a feather, and a chief a rod : An honest man's the noblest work of God." — PoPE. " Provide things honest In the sight of all men."— Rom. xii. 17. I HE burning of his brother's store in Newbmy- port left George Peabody without employment. But he was not one to eat the bread of idleness. He sought for employment ; and his uncle, John Peabody, who had settled in Georgetown, adjoining the Federal capital, invited young George to become his com- mercial assistant. To the South, for the first time, he went ; and there he tarried two years, managing with pe- culiar ability a large part of the business, though still in his teens. His honesty was unquestionable, his tact un- usual. Of course, he succeeded in winning friends and securing trade. No wonder that he always felt an interest in the South. Thither he had gone when the avjnue to business-success 45 4G THE LIFE OF GEOUOE TEADODY. sccmod cIosimI to lilni at tlio Nortli hy tlio inlsfoi'tniio of tliat great NfNvburyport lire ; uiul, with lils woll-kiiown gratitudo, it is not struiigi', that, in iiftor-ycars, to him tlio South was romonibc'ivd nioro as tho refu^^o of tlio young soc'kor after profitable eniploymont than as tho antipodes of tho North. In those days, there was no North or South mentioned in contrast : but to him tho vicinity of the Fed- eral capital was as much a part of his native land as any other portion ; and he Icjved it all. So the South became as a home to him ; and ho always looked back to Georgetown and its vicinity as a child looks back to tho skelter and comfort of a father's roof. Here tho young merchant made many friends by his af- fability and consistent politeness. According to testimony gathered from those who knew him personally, Dr. Ilana- ford states, that, — ' " Unlike most persons in similar circumstances, — and, indeed, those possessing far less wealth and enjoying far less reputation, — ho never seemed to assume unusual im- portance, or doiiianded special favors. Ho was bland, so- cial, and genial ; indicating by his general manner a willing- ness to converse with those with whom he accidentally came in contact, yet never arrogating to himself the right to monopolize conversation. It seemed to be his wish to travel like other men, mingle with his fellows as an equal ; manifesting a commendable retiring and modest spirit. At the station, if he wished attention, his baggage disposed of, ho was willing to await his turn ; manifesting no impatience, OUT IN THK WORLD. 47 nnd tlicMi snyin^ that lu^ liad ' bjigj]jnfjo to put in tlio room, when you ar«i at liberty,' &(•. ; ucvcr nianifcstin*; by his mainuM' that he chiiincd any special atteutiou or fiivors : while he never failed to express his n;ratitude and acknowl- ediiments for favor.s and atten Lions extended to him. Politeness seemed a special and remarkably ])rominent characteristic, manifested on what would bo ordinarily re- <»nrded as unimportant occasions ; yet bo seemed to rcrrard all occasions, while mingling with his fellows, as of suffi- cient importance to justify respectful consideration, and tho manifestation of a refined i)oliteness commanding the re- R})ect of all who knew him. It is probable tliat his success in business wi. > attributable, in part at least, to his respect- ful bearing, his affability, and his general correctness of deportment. " In this connection, it is pro[)er to say that Mr. Peabody was a remarkable man in his intercourse with his fellows. It was tho remark of a stati(m-agent, — one intimately ac- (piainted with him, — that he was a 'comfortable man to have around ; ' that he would be a ' popular man if he was pot worth a dollar.' Though a man of large wealth, — one who was the object of general admiration, not for his money only, but for his own sake, on whom many and (lis:'.i;niished honors were bestowed with a lavish hand, — he was api)arently unconscious of remarkable merit. " Mr. Peabody was scrupulously exact and punctual in the discharge of his obligations ; not only those relating to his financial transactions, but personal obligations, — those con- 48 THE LTPE OF OEOHOE PEA BODY. Tipotod vvitli liis intcrponrso witli liis follows in the onllnarv walks of life. Tho following' incidents will well illustrate liis cluimctL'ristios in these relations. While spcnilmjr a short time with his sister, Mrs. Daniels, at GeorjL^etown, in 1857, ho said to Mr. P., tho conductor, ' Mr. P., I am considerably isolated, and do not sec the pajjcrs as I would wish. Please brint; mo some of tho Boston dailies.' « When asked what ones lio would prefer, ho decided to see * Tho Advertiser ' as a commercial paper, and ' Tho Post,' that ho might read both sides in politics. These were promptly delivered by the gentlemanly and accommo- dating conductor, who was very willing to indicate his re- 8j)ect for such a man by an act of kindness ; never think- ing that ho should merit or receive any special notice from tho financier. " Some weeks after, while riding in the cars, as he fre- quently did, between Georgetown, Boston, Salem, &c., jNIr. Peabody asked his indebtedness to \he conductor for the papers, &c. He was assured that he was very wel- come, and that he esteemed it a privilege to confer such favors upon one who was doing so much for humanity ; and that it was a very trifling affair on his part. But little was said on the subject, and they parted at the station. " Some months afterward, tho conductor received by ex- press a beautiful morocco case, which, when opened, was found to contain several photographs of Mr. Peabody, taken in different postures, &c., executed in different parts of Europe ; an embossed silver vase, about eight niches in OUT IN THE WORLD. 49 lioifflit, of exquisite workmansliip, witli tlie conductor's name e)i(ri'uve(l on it, aiul tlie name of the (listiUiiuished donor. It also contained an autograph-letter, in ^/hicli ho was re- quested to ' transmit these articles to his children as a memorial-gift,' indicating the esteem of the donor for the recipient. It is probable that the conductor"- gentlemanly bearing toward the distinguished traveller, his politeness, and general accommodating spirit, may have suggested the honor conferred, since he had been heard to say that he always felt at homo in his train; as other travellers will . also testify." " The Boston Post," shortly after the departure of Mr. Peabody, contained an article concerning his personal and business habits, from which the following* extracts are taken : — " Mr. Peabody, say his old friends and neighbors at Sa- lem, was eminently a peculiar man. Possessing a strong will and firm determination in the carrying-out of his pur- poses, he obtained at once the respect and admiration of those with whom he came in contact. Although, like a genuine Yankee, Mr. Peabody was fond of a good bar- gain, his every action was beyond the breath of a suspi- cion of meanness. His desire was only to be treated as other men were. Several years ago, there lived in Salem a hctckman named Davis, who was more remarkable for his independence and plain-speaking than for the quality of his accommodations. His prices, also, were below those of his competitors. Mr. Peabody rode with this hackman 50 \ THE LIFE OP GEORGE PEABODY. one day, and, on arriving at his destination, tendered the usual fee of fifty cents. " ' Here's your change, sir,' said Davis, returning at the same time fifteen cents. , . ' . " ' Change I ' exclaimed Mr. Peabody : * why, I'm not entitled to anv.' • " * Yes, you are : I don't tax but thirty-five cents for a ride in my hack.' " * How do you live, then ? ' " * By fair-dealing, sir. I don't believe in making a man pay more than a thing is worth just because I've got an opportunity.' * - . . ' " Mr. Peabody was so pleased with this reply, that he ever after sought Davis out, and gave him. the bulk of his patronage. This, however, was not very remunerative. Mi*. Peabody cherished an inveterate dislike to parade, and carried this feeling sometimes to a ridiculous length. When at the zenith of his fortune, he has beefi known to stand out-doors for some minutes in a drenchins storm because " he preferred a horse-car to a hackney-coach. This feeling extended even to his dress. His plain and substantial garb exhibited no token of the wealth of its wearer, and was shaped in the plainest and most substantial manner. lie very seldom wore an article of jewelry. His watch was attached to a plain, black-silk guard ; and pearl buttons only were visible in his shirt-bosom. Until his last visit to this country, Mr. Peabody refused, notwithstanding the repeat- ed solicitations of his friends, to employ a valet ; preferring When stand icause * feeling [l garb Id was He 111 was |s only this ipeat- jrring OUT IN THE WORLD. 51 to discharge the duties of his own toilet. These duties, however, became irksome with declining years: and he finally consented to lay them off his shoulders. He there- fore took with him to England a favorite and tru ;y ser- vai^t who had been in the family of a relative for many years, and whose position was rather that of a confidential friend than a menial. This man was with Mr. Peabody from the time of his departure, last August, up to the hour of his death, and will accompany the remains to this coun- tiy." Newspaper reports are often unreliable, but yet fiill of interest ; and when, among the questions asked concerning IMr. Peabody, came this, " Why was he never married ? " " Th^ Boston Transcript " made a partial attempt to solve it in these words : — " About a quarter of a century ago, Mr. Peabody was so much pleased with an American lady visiting London, that he offered her his hand aiid fortune, which were ac- cepted. Learning, a short time afterwards, that she was already engaged, — a fact of which she had kept him in ignorance, — he rebuked her lack of sincerity, and broke off the engagement." Another newspaper created a sensation with an article headed, " A Romantic Episode in the Life of George Pea- body," and went on to state as follows : — " The reason why George Peabody, the great philan- thropist, remained a bachelor all his life, may be explained, perhaps, by the following chapter in his history : — * 52 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODr. ** When Mr. Peabody was just entering upon his career of success as a business-man, in Baltimore, he met by chance a poor girl, who was but a child, but whose face and gentle manner attracted his notice. Questioning her in regard to parentage and surroundings, he found her in every way worthy his regard, arid a fit subject for his bene- faction. He at once adopted her as his ward, and gave her an education. As she advanced in age, her charms of person, as well as brightness of intellect, won the affections of her benefactor. Througli this relationship, he had an ample opportunity of watching her progress ; and day by day her hold upon his affections grew stronger. " At length, as the ward bloomed into womanhood, though much her senior in years, Mr. Peabody offered her his hand and fortune. Greatly appreciating his generosity, and acknowledging her attachment for him as a father, she, with great feeling, confessed that honor compelled her to decline the acceptance of this his greatest act of generos- ity ; informing her suitor that her affections had been given to another, a clerk in the employ of her benefactor. " Though disappointed and grievously shocked, the phi- lanthropist sent for his clerk ; and, learning from him that the engagement had been of long duration, Mr. Peabody at once established his successful rival in business, and soon after gave his benediction upon the marriage of his ward. This, it is said, was the first blow his heart received ; and it is possible that from this ejiisode came the inspiration that made the future of Mv. Peabody so universally distin- OUT IN THE WORLD. 63 given plii- that )(ly at soon Iward. land it that Ustin- guished, and has rendered his name famous as a remark- able pubhc benefactor." But " The Providence Journal " claims to be best in- formed of any, and publishes from an anonymous corre- spondent the following : — " A story has been going the rounds of the newspapers, giving as a reason why Mr. Peabody was never married, that he adopted a young girl, whom, after she grew up, he wished to make his wife ; but, finding that she preferred a clerk in his establishment to the chief of the house, he ' never told his love,' but calmly gave her up, and saw her married : • a younger rival. Of the truth of that story I know noth* ., ; but I can vouch for this that I am now gom g to relate : — " More than thirty years ago, in the far-famed school of that prince of teachers, John Kingsbury, was one of the fairest of all the fair daughters of Providence, celebrated far and near though that city has ever been for its lovely girls. Her school-education finished, she went with friends to Europe ; not, however, before having given her youth- * ful affections to a young man whom she had met in a sister- city. But, before marriage had consummated their happi- ness, adversity came upon him, and he found himself in no situation to marry. He was not willing she should waste her youth and glorious beauty in waiting through long yccii's for the day to come when he could call her his own : so he released her from her vows, and they parted ; she going, as I said before, to Europe. ,, 54 THE LIFE OP GEOEGE PEABODY. '* There she met George, Peabody, then, comparatively speaking, a young, man, but one wlio was already making his mark, and whose wealth was beginning to pour in on every side. " He saw her, and was struck (as who that ever saw her was not struck?) with her grace, her winning ways, her exceeding loveliness ; and, after a while, he * proposed.' Her heart still clung to her loved one across the wide At- lantic ; but, after some time, she yielded perhaps to the wishes of her friends, perhaps to the promptings of worldly ambition : who can t-^U ? Who can fathom the heart of a young and beautiful maiden ? She became the affianced wife of Mr. Peabody. After a little interval, she came back to this country, and, soon after her arrival, met her first love, and, after-events justify me in saying, her *only love.' At sight of him, all her former affection came back, — if, indeed, it had ever left her, — and Mr. Peabody, with his wealth and brilliant prospects, faded away ; and she clung with fond affection to her American lover, and was willing to share a moderate income with the chosen of her heart. All was told to Mr. Peabody ; and he, with that manliness that characterized his every action, gave her up, and in due time she was married, and settled- in a city not more than three hundred miles from Provi- dence. What she suffered in coming to a final conclusion was known to but few. Her fair cheeks lost their round* ness, and grew wan and pale ; her lovely eyes had a mournful wistfulness that touched every heart. Some OUT IN THE WORLD. 55 Pection id Mr. faded srican Ith the ; and iction, lettled- *rovi- lusiori )und-' lad a iSome blamed her: others praised her. Those who were am- bitious of worldly honors pronounced her * mad,' * foohsh,* to throw over a man Hke George Peabody, whose ever-in- creasing wealth would bestow every luxury upon her, and place her in a position in London that would make her lot an envied one, to marry a man who might never have more than a limited income to live upon. Others — and shall I say the nobler part ? — justified her in thinking that love, true love, was more to be desired than wealth or earthly fame. : • ** The painful conflict was at length ended. Her true womanhood vindicated itself, and she wavered no more. *' I well remember, when in London, twenty-eight years ago, hearing all this talked over in a chosen circle of Ameri- can friends ; and also, at a brilliant dinner-party given by Gen. Cass in Versailles, it was thoroughly discussed in all its length and breadth. Whether, in his visit to this coun- try, Mr. Peabody ever met his once-affianced bride, I can- not say ; neither do I know whether, when she heard of his more than princely wealth, her heart ever gave a sigh at the thought, * All this might have been mine.* " After several years of wedded bliss, death took her husband from her side, when the glorious loveliness of her youth had ripened into the full luxuriance of perfect matronhood." r I Ill CHAPTER III. PATRIOTISM. The Citizen-Soldier. — The First Partnership. — The Travelling Member of the Firm. — Life in Baltimore. " Breathes there the man with soul so dead Who never to himself hath said, ' This is my own, my native land ' ? " — ScoTT. , " Every man to his own country." — 1 Kings xxli. 36. [MONG the peculiar characteristics which Amer- icans have exliibited, or at least among the virtues they have made prominent in their national career, is love of country. Patriot- ism, from the hour when this land was declared free from all other jurisdiction, has always been found in the Ameri- can heart ; and the dear old flag has ever had its faithful followers. Some of George Peabody's ancestors were among the Revolutionary heroes ; and so it was not strange, that in the war of 1812, which occurred when he was a young man, and during the early part of the Georgetown period of his life, he exhibited qualities which proved that he was not unworthy of them. The war with the mother- 58 PATRIOTISM. 67 country, long threatened, appeared inevitable ; for the British fleet had ascended the Potomac, and were menacing the capital. This roused the patriotism of the young mer- chant ; and, though he had not yet reached the age when military service could be required of him, he joined a vol- unteer company of artillery, and soon found himoplf on duty at Fort Warburton, which commanded the river- approach to Washington. " Appletons' Journal " states, that " for this service, together with a previous short ser- vice at Newburyport, Mr. Peabody lately received one of the grants of one hundred acres of land, bestowed under certain conditions, by act of Congress, upon the defenders of the Republic at this perilous time ; " and, to use the words of an American writer, *' if he gained here no mili- tary honors, at least he showed that he had within him the soul of a patriot and the nerve of a soldier." After spending two years in the employment of his uncle, he entered into partnership in a wholesale drapery business with Mr. Elisha Riggs ; Mr. Riggs furnishing the capital for the concern, and young Peabody agreeing to transact the business. It is said, that, " when Mr. Riggs invited Mr. Peabody to be a partner, the latter said there was one insuperable objection, as he was only nineteen years of age. This was no objection in the mind of the shrewd merchant, who wanted a young and active assist- ant." His unfaltering perseverance and indomitable energy had full scope ; and they who may be supposed to know of the matter, say, that, to all concerned, the part- 58 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. ]■• nersliip of Riggs & Peabody proved a most successful and satisfactory arrangement. In 1815, the house was re- moved to Baltimore ; and, seven years later, its extended oj)eration3 were such as to justify the establishing and opening of branches at Philadelphia and New York : and about the year 1830, by the retirement of Mr. Riggs, George Peabody found himself the senior partner and the virtual director of one of the largest of mercantile firms. In one of the large, illustrated English papers, — ** The London News," — a fair portrait of Mr. Peabody is given, and a brief sketch of his career, in which the writer, from his stand-point, thus describes the Baltimore partnership of which mention has been already made : " The short war being over, his proved skill and diligence in trade brought him the offer of a partnership in a new concern. It was that of Mr. EHsha Riggs, who was about to commence the sale of * dry goods ' — all sorts of clothing -stuffs, as distinguished from * groceries ' — throughout the Middle States of the Union. . . . Peabody acted as bagman, and often travelled alone on horseback through the western wilds of New York and Pennsylva- nia, or the plantations of Maryland and Virginia, if not farther ; lodging with farmers or gentlemen slave-owners, and so becoming acquainted with every class of people and every way of living. . . . Mr. Peabody's character as a man of superior integrity, discretion, and public spirit, already distinguished him from others. He coveted no political office ; he courted the votes of no party ; he PATRIOTIS^t. 69 waited upon no * caucus ; ' put his foot down upon no * platform ; ' w;cnt for no ' ticket ; ' but held aloof from the hateful strife of rival American factions. He chose rather to bestow on his native Commonwealth the most perfect example of justice, honor, and liberality in social life, with the quiet self-culture of individual manhood. A republic composed of such persons would have small need of political cunning. The honest man was so much greater than the state or nation, that, while he sat at home, they came to him for aid and counsel. His private morality and prudence were invoked to redeem the disas- ters of public finance. So it has often happened in the history of such affairs : the worth of one good citizen, as it saved Maryland from bankruptcyj would save a whole empire in many a similar case." . The allusions of the English writer will be more easily comprehended by reading the subjoined extract from the address of Gov. Swann pf Maryland, when, on the 1st of November, 18G6, Mr. Peabody was welcomed to the State by the Trustees of the Peabody Institute, which his liberality had established, and of which further men- tion will be made. The governor said, **In the financial crisis of 1837, which spread over this whole Union, affecting more or less almost every State within our limits, when we re- quired countenance and support abroad, you, sir, stood the fast friend of the State of Maryland [applause] ; and by your efforts, by the weight of your great name, pointed 60 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODT. iUiI US to tliat career of prosperity and success in the manage- ment of our financial affairs wliicli lias' placed us to-d^y, I will not say in advance, but by the side, of the most prosperous of our sister States. For this, Mr. Peabody, the State of Maryland owes you a debt of gratitude. [Applansc.] And I consider myself fortunate that this opportunity is afforded me, in the presence of this vast audience here assembled, to make this acknowledgment, due to the important services rendered to our State. . . . Your career has been one of uninterrupted prosperity. In all the business of life, you have adorned by your honesty and straight-forwardness every position in which you have been placed. And no man, Mr. .Peabody, whether living or dead, in this country or any country, has attracted a larger share of the public attention by works of disinter- ested charity and benevolence. [Applause.] You have not lived for yourself alone. Two hemispheres attest your princely liberality. Returning to your native country after so many years' absence, crowned with all the honors that human applause can bestow upon a private citizen, not excepting the applause of royalty itself, I feel proud, standing within the walls of this noble institution, the work of your own hands, for which we are indebted to your unaided liberality, to say, sir, that I speak here to-day, not only the sentiments of the vast crowd before me, but of the whole State of Maryland, when I assure you, that, in honoring George Peabody, we honor ourselves." [Ap- plause.] \- PATRIOTISM. 61 Mr. Ptabody's response to these words of Gov. Swann have such reference to liis life in Baltimore, that it is here inserted : — not of h in *« YoTTR Excellency, Ladies and Gentlemen, — I thank you most kindly for the honor which the Governor of Maryland has done me in the sentiment which he has expressed ; and I thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for the enthusiasm which you have been so kind as to mani- fest at the mention of my name. [Enthusiastic applause.] , The Governor of Maryland has referred to the assistance which he gives me the credit of performing thirty years ago, or more, fbr the resuscitation, in some measure, of the credit of the State of Maryland. The same compliment was yesterday paid -me by the Mayor and Council in ref- erence to the same subject. I will, therefore, only say to you, that what I did at that time, any pledge that I ever made at that time, has been fully sustained by the State of Maryland throughout the duration of that time. " It is upward of half a century since I came from Georgetown, in the District of Columbia, where I had for some time been in business, to reside in this city. I was then ])ut twenty years of age, and commenced business in company with Mr. Elisha Riggs of Georgetown, at 215|- Market Street, then called ' Old Congress Hall ; ' and there it was that I gained the first five thousand dollars of the fortune with which Providence has crowned my exertions. From that period, for twenty years of my life, 62 THE LIFE OP GEORGE TEADODY. tliougli a New-England man, and though strong prejudices existed, even at that time, between the Northern and Soutliern States, I never experienced from the citizens of Baltimoro any thing but kindness, hospitality, and confi- dence. ' " It would, then, be strange indeed if I were not deeply attached to Baltimore; and from the time of which I have spoken, to the present moment, I have ever cherished the warmest and most grateful feelings towards the inhabitants of this beautiful city, where I entered upon a business- career which has been so prosperous. ' * " And although I have lived abroad for more than thirty years, under the government of a queen who is beloved not only in her own realm, but throughout all civilized countries, and who has bestowed upon mo very high honor, yet my appreciation (warm though it is) of kind- ness and honor bestowed upon me in England has never effaced the grateful remembrance and warm interest which I must ever connect with the home of my early business and the scene of my youthful exertions. " I am, therefore, glad to meet you here ; to stand again where I can look upon the scenes which recall so many memories of my younger days ; and still more glad to receive from you this warm greeting, the token that my course of life has met with your approbation. " But yet I come to you now, in some degree, with a saddened heart, at finding that nearly all my early ac- quaintances in Baltimore have left the stage of life, and / PATRIOTISM. 03 > am left so nearly alono among tlicm all ; and, in lately looking over a list of the principal importing merchants of Baltimore (headed by Alexander Brown & Son, and Georgo & John Hoffman), attached to a circular ad- dressed to our shipping-merchants in Europe, dated fifty- one years ago, and containing ninety-three firms, composed of one hundred and forty-fivo names, I can no'* trace out, as living, but seven persons, of whom I am one. And, having but once before visited my native land in thirty years, I feel now as if addressing a community to whom I am personally almost wholly unknown ; and as if I were standing hero a relic of past years, and addressing a ^ci- oration to which I do not myself belong. " But my interest both in the present and in future generations is, I trust, not less than in that which has passed or is passing away. ' The fathers of many of you who hear my voice were among my intimate friends ; and, thus situated, I hope I may not be presuming in wliat I shall have to say. " Since my last visit, nearly ten years iij..^^ many and great changes have taken place. I then had the pleasure of expressing my regard for this city, and my desire for the good of its future citizens, by the establishment of the institution in which I am now addressing you. I could then hardly expect to address you here at this time ; but God has been pleased to prolong my years beyond the threescore years and ten allotted to man, and to enable me to carry out at this time the views I then entertained 64 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. with regard to the operations and benefits of this institii tion. " With the details of the scheme and organization of the Institute I do not propose to interfere. I am fully confident that I leave them in the hands of those who are devoted earnestly, and even enthusiastically, to devising and carrying out such plans as will, for all coming time, work for llie highest good and culture of those for whom its benefits were intended. But I am sure you will par- don me, my fellow-citizens, if, on one point to which Gov. Swann has eloquently alluded, — the spirit of harmony in which all should be cai'ried out, — I speak a few words, coming as they do from the very depths of my heart, and ap- pealing to you, — you^ the people of Baltimore, with whom rests the success or failure of this Institute. For as years advance, and what were forebodings for the future have become merged in the past, the earnest desire for unity and brotherly feelings which I cherished and expressed ten years ago, in the terms referred to by the Governor of Maryland, has become deeper and more intense. It is my hope and prayer that this Institute may not only have and fulfil a mission in the fields of science, of art, and of knowledge, but also one to the hearts of men, teaching always lessons of peace and good-will ; and, especially, that now it may, in some humble degree, be instrumental in healing the wounds of our beloved and common country, and establishing again a happy rnd harmonious Union, — the oply Union that can be preserved for coming ages, and PATRIOTISM. 65 the only one that is worth preserving. And here I may well refer to a subject, which, though of a personal nature, has its bearings on what I have said. I have been told several times that I have been accused of want of devo- tion to the Union : and I take this occasion to place my- self right ; for I have not a word of apology, not a word of retraction, to utter. " Fellow-citizens, the Union of the States of America was one of the earliest objects of my childhood's rever- ence. For the independence of our country, my father bore arms in some of the darkest days of the Revolution ; and from him, and from his example, I learned to love and honor that Union. Later in life, I learned more fully its inestimable worth ; perhaps more fully than most have done : for, born and educated at the North, then living nearly twenty years at the South, and thus learning, in the best school, the character and life of her people ; finally, in the course of a long residence abroad, being thrown in intimate contact with individuals of every sec- tion of our glorious land, — I came, as do most Americans who live long in foreign lands, to love our country as a whole ; to know and take pride in all her sons, as equally countrymen ; to know no North, no South,, no East, no West. And so I wish publicly to avow, that, during the terrible contest through which the imiion has passed, my sympathies were still and always Will be with the Union ; that my uniform course tended to assist, but never to in- jure, the credit of the government of the Union ; and, at 66 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. the close of the war, three-fourths of all the property I possessed had been invested in United-States Government and State securities, and remain so at this time. " But none the less could I fail to feel charity for the South ; to remember that political opinion is far more a matter of birth and education than of calm and unbiassed reason and sober thought. Even you and I, my friends, had we been bom in the South, — born to the feelings, beliefs, and perhaps, prejudices of Southern men, — might have taken the same course , which was adopted by tlte South, and have cast in our lot with those who fought, as all must admit, so bravely for what they believed to be their rights. Never, therefore, during the war or since, have I permitted the contest, or any passions engendered by it, to interfere with the social relations and wann friendships which I had formed for a very large number of the people of the South. I blamed, and shall always blan^e, the instigators of the strife, and sowers of dissen- sion, both at the North and at the South. I believed, and do still believe, that bloodshed might have been avoided by mutual conciliation. But, after tl^e great struggle had actually commenced, I could see no hope for the glorious future of America, save in the success of the armies of the Union ; and, in reviewing my whole course, there is nothing which I could change if I would, nor which I would change if I could. And now, after the lapse of these eventful years, I am more deeply, more earnestly, more painfully convinced than ever of our need of mutual PATRIOTISM. 67 forbearance and conciliation, of Christian charity and for- giveness, of united effort to bind up the fresh and broken wounds of the nation. " To you, therefore, citizens of Baltimore and of Mary- land, I make my appeal ; probably the last I shall ever make to you. May not this Institute be a common ground where all may meet, burying former differences and animosities, forgetting past separations and estrange- ments, weaving the bands of new attachments to the city, to the state, and to the nation ? May not Baltimore, her name already honored in history as the birthplace of religious toleration in America, now crown her past fame by becoming the daystar of political tolerance and charity ? And will not Maryland, in place of a battle-ground for opposing parties, become the field where milder counsels and calm deliberations may prevail ; where good men of all sections may meet to devise and execute the wisest plans for repairing the ravages of war, and for making the future of our country alike common, prosperous, and glo- rious, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from our north- em to our southern boundary ? " CHAPTER IV. LONDON LIFE. Removal to London. — Disinterestedness. — Kindness to Americans.— Saving the Credit of his Country at the Crystal Palace. " A smile for one of mean degree, > A courteous bow for one of high ; ' ^ 80 modulated both, that each Saw friendship in his eye." — IIinsT. r " Be ye kind one to another." — Rom. xil. 10. [ITH characteristic manner, " The London News " adds to the statement before given, " But the time arrived, happily for this coun- try, and well, perhaps, for the English race on both sides of the Atlantic, when Mr. Peabody came to London. His first visit to us was in 1827, while he was still chief partijer of the Baltimore firm. From this he at length withdrew, and fixed himself here as merchant and money-broker, w^ith others, by the style of ' George Peabody & Co. of Warnford Court, City.' He held depos- its for customers, discounted bills, negotiated loans, and bought or sold stocks. As one of three commissioners «8 LONDON LIFE. 69 idon ven, loun- race te to was le at and )rge |pos- land lers appointed by the State of Maryland to obtain means for restoring its credit, he refused to be paid for his services. He received a special vote of thanks from the Legislatui e of that State. Americans in Europe were always glad to know Mr. Peabody, from whom they gained, if they deserved it, the most useful assistance, as well as the kindest welcome. His private hospitality — not less deli- cately than freely offered, though he was a bachelor, simply and cheaply living in chambers— ^ was exerted without stint of cost for the pleasure of those who called on him with a letter of personal introduction. He used to give them pleasant little dinners at his club, or at Richmond, or Hampton Court, — places dear to the American visitor. The anniversary of American Independence — the 4th of July — he used to celebrate with a semi-public dinner at the Crystal Palace. Mr. !^eabody, indeed, was, of all men, least like a hermit or ascetic ; but his taste was, to be social in the enjoyment of all good things. He would spend little for himself: his only solitary gratification, we believe, was the peaceful sport of the angler, in which, like Mr. Bright, he was quite an adept. These little per- sonal habits of a man so much beloved are not unworthy of recollection." ^ A writer on this side the water says of Mr. Peabody, that, " without being in the slightest degree a gourmand, he prided himself very highly upon his table, and took especial pleasure in the selection of the viands. Mr, Peabody generally possessed a hearty appetite. His taste, 70 THE LIFE OP GEORGE PEABODY. however, was more for wholesome, well-cooked food than for luxuries. He seldom indulged in pastry or cak*;, but was passionately fond of iruit, which he kept upon Ins table at all seasons of the year." And yet it is d fv o^ 88 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY, the gratitude and received the thanks of sovereign States." - ■ ; « ' * The Hon. Abbott Lawrence laid the corner-stone, pre- viously saying, " I came here as the representative of Mr. George Peabody ; and upon that it may generally be asked how Mr. Peabody achieved so much good for his country. I know him well. I have known him for many years. I have seen him day by day, month after month, and year after year ; and, for the benefit of the younger portions of this audience, I will tell you how he has achieved all that' has been so eloquently portrayed by the honorable gentle- man who preceded me. In the first place, Nature gave . him a good constitution and a sound mind ; secondly, he is a man of indomitable moral courage ; thirdly, he has patience, perseverance, industry, and, above all, the strict- est integrity. ' " Ladies and gentlemen, I know him well : and I can say here, in the face of this summer's sun and this audi- ence, that I deem Mr. George Peabody the very soul of honor ; and that is the foundation of his success. Those traits of diaracter I have mentioned — this integrity of purpose and determination — have given him all the suc- cess he has achieved." ^ When tlie beautiful edifice was dedicated, the eloquent Rufus Choate, himself an Essex-County boy, delivered the address. After saying that the community was happy in such educational provisions, he went on to say, — " Happy, almost above all, the noble giver whose heart GREAT AND GOOD GIFTS. 89 is large enough to pay of the abundance which crowns his life — to pay out of his single means — the whole debt this generation owes the future. I honor and love him : not merely that his energy, sense, and integrity have raised him from a poor boy, waiting in that shop yonder, to be a guest, as Curran gracefully expressed it, at the table of princes, ,to spread a table for the entertainment of princes ; not merely because the brilliant professional career which has given him a position so commanding in the mer- cantile and social circles of the commercial capital of the world has left him as completely American, the heart as wholly untravelled, as when ho first stepped on the shore of England to seek his fortune, sighing to think that the ocean rolled between him and home ; jealous of our honor ; wakeftil to our interests ; helping his country, not by swagger and vulgarity, but by recommending her credit ; vindicating her title to be trusted on the exchange of nations ; squandering himself in hospitalities to her citi- zens ; a man of deeds, not of words, — not for these merely I love and honor him ; but because his nature is a:fl[ection- ate and unsophisticated still ; because his memory comes over so lovingly to this sweet Argos ; to the schoolroom of his childhood ; to the old shop and kind master, and the graves of his father and mother ; and because lie has had the sagacity and the character to i-ndulge these unextin- guished affections in a gift, not of vanity and ostentation, but of supreme and durable utility. * With how true and rational a satisfaction might he permit one part of the 90 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. charitable rich man's epitaph to be written on his grave- stone : * What I spent, I had ; what I kept, I lost ; what I gave away remains wich me ' I " On the ninth day of October, 1856, Mr. Peabody was publicly received in his native town. It was a grand ova- tion. Willing hearts, heads, and hands planned and exe- cuted the various details. It was no forced, greeting in solemn mockery of the renl public sentiment, but a genu- ine expression of gratitude and respect. There was a grand procession, in which the schools formed a prominent part ; an address of welcome in behalf of the citizens, by Hon. Alfred A. Abbott; a public dinner and an evening levee, for the purpose of affording opportunity to many of a personal introduction to the man whom Danvers de- lighted to honor. The day was lovely, the route filled with interested spectators, the houses and streets finely decorated, and the welcome entire. Mr. Peabody had been offered public honors by the citi- zens of other places, but would accept none save that invi- tation which came from his native town. His admirable reply to the New- York deputation is h*^ inserted, that his own pen may tell with what spirit he t-^.-ie back to the land of his birth : — - , "Newpokt, Monday, Sept. 22, 1856. " Gentlemen, — Your letter of the 16th inst. is before me. Allow me to say, without affectation, that no one can be more surprised than myself at the cordial welcome which you extend to me. Had my commercial and social citi- invi- [rable that GREAT AND GOOD GIFTS. 91 ) the , t 6. jfore • : one ome >cial *• ]ife in London produced even half the results with which your kindness endows it, I should esteem myself more than repaid for all labors there by such a letter, subscribed as it is by many old and dear friends, by gentlemen whose names in I iters are co-extensive with the knowledge of our own language, and by merchants whose enterprise has carried the flag of our country into every sea that commerce penetrates. ' " If, during my long residence in London, the commer- cial character and honor of our countrvmen have stood upon an elevated position, it has not been th6 result of my humble efforts. In common with many of you, I have tried to do my part in accomplishing tl\ese ends. That the American name now stands where it does in the com- mercial world, is mainly owing to her merchants at home, who have extended her commerce till its tonnage equals that of any other nation ; who have drawn to her shores the wealth of other lands ; under whose directions the fer- tile fields of the interior have been made accessible and peopled ; and whose fidelity to their engagements has be- come proverbial throughout the world. " It has been my pleasure, during a long residence in London, to renew many old friendships, and to form many new acquaintances, among my countrymen and country- women ; and it has been my good fortune to be permitted to cultivate these in social life, where I have endeavored as much as possible to bring my British and American friends together. I believed, that, by so doing, I should, in 92 THE LIFE OP GEORGE PEABODY. my humble way, assist to remove any prejudices, to softer, political asperities, and to promote feelings of gooc' will and fraternity between the two countries. It gives me great pleasure to be assured that my countrymen at home have sympathized in these objects, and have believed that they are partially accomplished. The recent temporary estrange ment between the two governments served to demonstrate how deep and cordial is the alliance between the hiterests and the sympathies of the two peoples. By aiding to make individuals of the two nations known to each other, I supposed th!it I was contributing my mite towards the most solid and sure foundation of peace and good will between them ; and, while the power remains to me, I shall continue in a course which you approve. *' In returning to my native land, after an absence of twenty years, I had several objects in view. I w^ished once more to see the land of my birth and early youth, and the surviving members of my family ; once more to greet my friends in every part of the country ; and to see and know the new generations that have come up since I left, and who are to be their successors. I also desired to visit every section of tlie Union, and to witness with my own eyes the evidences at home of the prosperity of which I have seen abundant proofs abroad. The twenty years that have elapsed since my last visit are the most impor- tant twenty years in the commercial history of America. Like Rip Van Winkle, I am almost appalled at the won- derful changes that already meet my eyes. Although, a.s GREAT AND GOOD GIFTS. 93 you well know, I have not slumbered meanwhile in a Sleepy Hollow, I stand amazed at the energy and activity which characterize your city. It is my wish and purpose to re- main in the country long enough to understand these changes and their causes. " On mature reflection, gentlemen, I think, that, if I accept the hospitalities which have been tendered to me by youi^elves and by friends in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Boston, and other cities, I shall very seriously interfere with the objects of my visit.. I have, therefore, been oblifjed to come to the conclusion to refuse all invitations to dinner, with the single exception of my native town of Danvers In Massachusetts. I assure you most sincerely that I regret very much that my plans thus compel me to decline the high honor which you propose to confei*upon me, and to deny myself the pleasure of meeting so many personal friends. " With great esteem and respect, " I am, gentlemen, your faithful servant, " George Peabody. " Messrs. Nathaniel L. & George Griswold ; Brown Brothers & Co ; Duncan, Sherman, & Co. ; Grinnell, Minturn, & Co. ; Goodhue & Co. ; Wetmore, Cryder, & Co. ; Spofford, Tileston, & Co. ; A. & A. Lawrence & Co. ; Washington Irving ; William B. Aster ; Daniel Lord ; George Newbold ; John J. Palmer ; William J. Wetmore ; Charles Augustus Davis ; E. Cunard ; and others. To the eloquent address of welcome Mr. Peabody made the following response : — \ 94 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. " Mr. Abbott and Fellow-Townsmen, — I have lis- tened to your eloquent words of welcome with the most intense emotions, and return you for them my warmest acknowledgments. My heart tells me that this is no common occasion. This vast gathering, comprising many old associates, their children and their grandchildren, to welcome me to the home of my childhood, almost unmans me. Though Providence has granted me an pnvaried and unusual success in the pursuit of fortune in other lands, I am still in heart the humble boy who left yonder unpretending dwelling many, very many years ai:,o. *'I have felt it necessary to decline many proffered hospi- talities : but I could not resist the impulse which prompted me to accept yours, and to revisit the scenes once so famil- iar ; to take yoa again by the hand, and to tell you how it rejoices my heart to see you. *' You can scarcely imagine how the changes to which you have referred impress me. You have yourselves grown up with them, and have gradually become familiar- ized with all ; but to me, who have been so long away, the effect is almost astounding. It is gratifying to find, however, that these transformations have gone hand in hand with your prosperity and improvement. .. -^ " The solitary fields which were the scenes of my boyish sports now resound with the hum of busy labor ; and the spirit of improvement, not content with triumph on land, has even converted Foster's mill-pond into solid ground, and made it the scene of active enterprise. GREAT AND GOOD GIFTS. 98 jaway, find, Ind in ttoyish the |land, >und, "But time has also wrought changes of a painful nature. Of those I left, the old are all gone. A few of the middle-aged remain, but old and infirm ; while the active population consists almost entirely of a new generation. " I now revert to a more pleasing theme, and call your attention to the brightest portion of the picture of the day. " One of the most pleasing and touching incidents of this morning is the large number of scholars who have come forth to bid me welcome, and who now surround me. In addressing a few words to you, my dear young friends, I would bid you remember that but a few years .will elapse before you will occupy the same position towards your own children which your parents now hold towards your- selves. The training you are now receiving is a precious talent, for the use or abuse of which each will, on a future day, be called upon to give a severe account. May you then be ready to render up that talent with * usuij ' I There is not a youth within the sound of my voice Viht-se early opportunities and advantages are not very much greater than were my own ; and I have since achieved, nothing that is impossible to the most humble boy among you. I hope many a great and good man may arise from among the ranks of Dan vers boys assembled here to-day. Bear in mind, however, that, to be truly great, it is not necessary that you should gain wealth and importance. Every boy may become a great man in whatever sphere Providence may call him to move. 96 THE LIFE OP GEORGE PEABODY. *^ Steadfast and undevlating truth, fearless and straight- forward integrity, and an honor ever unsullied by an unworthy word or action, make tlicir possessor greater than worldly success or prosperity. These qualities con- stitute greatness : without them you will never enjoy the good opinion of others, or the approbation of a good conscience. t ) ^^ ^r . • ::i ** To my young female friends I would say. Remember that there have been and are great women as well as great men, — great in their domestic graces, as daugh- ters, as wives, and as mothers ; and I trust that future times majt record many a name so distinguished, whose seeds of good were sown within this town. And al- low me to hope that my eye now rests upon some of them. ^. . *.^-rtt- ^*-.j/!M ■ ^^.l ■ .'.N'.. r.^A-iu ■' -': ' ■'"■ ,■ " May the advice I have given you be impressed upon your young hearts I It is given with great sincerity by one who has had much experience in the world; and, although Providence has smiled upon all his labors, he has never ceased to feel and lament the want of that earlj education which is now so freely offered to each one of you. This is the first time we have met ; it may prove the last : but, while I live, I shall ever feel a warm interest in your welfare. God bless you all 1 " s- ; t Jnjj/rf At the dinner, there were also addresses ; among them, one by Henry J. Gardner, then Governor of Massachusetts, He said, — .- - . ;-. -v ■-., ,.■■■ ... ..,.„_ /.. . .-*.,...... .^.-™iA^a *1 chul resn GREAT AND GOOD GIFTS. 07 ** In response to a sentiment complimentary to Massa- chusetts, I am always proud to raise my voice ; and, responsive to this allusion in honor of her institutions, I think to-day, in this presence, an answer may bo pecu- liarly fitting. I have never before participated in an occasion of this kind. Where was there one ? A young man, with no other capital, as you well said, but his hands and his integrity, going abroad across the waters unher- alded and unknown ; by his own industry and integrity distinguishing himself among his fellows, and, in Hie good gifts of Providence showered upon him every hour of every year, seeking how he might benefit his couj;itrymen at home [cheers] ; rendering his name illustrious, also, for his princely hospitality, and his commercial house, to which you refer, a proverb upon the marts and commer- cial highways of nations, — to see such a one return, so honored and so beloved, to the scene of his birth, is indeed a new and interesting event. " But I cannot, I will not, detain you. I cannot, how- ever, but refer to one circumstance iu the career of your distinguished guest, which makes me peculiarly proud, and feel deeply honored now to address him. He is a merchant : he belongs to that fraternity to which my own humble life and services have been devoted. It has not the glittering attraction of the warrior, whose fame can be carved oUt by his sword upon the battle-field ; it has not, ladies and gentlemen, that attraction which he who spreads abroad the glad tidings to all nations finds in his T 98 TUB LIFE OF GKORQE PEABODY. profossion ; it has not the attraction of legal or of politi- cal excitement; it lias not, necessarily, — though there are many exceptions, — it has not, I say, nccessai'ily, that connection with the cultivation of the intellect, the improvement of the mind, which the learned professions, so called, always require : but, sir, you and I know it has its pride and its value. There must be patient atten- tion to petty details, to exacting, minute transactions ; there must be great and careful and prudent attention paid to them all, hour after hour, and day after day : but, when the successful result is reached, there is a compen- sation in that very success itself, and high honor in the means by which it has been attained. 'i..t*> " And, sir, in your career there is much that the young merchants of Massachusetts can profit by. In the first place, they can take a lesson from that integrity of pur- pose of which we all to-day have read upon banner, upon house, upon staff, and upon the faces and in the words of our citizens. We can see, too, in your career, — where the siren Hope in early days beckoned you where deeper waters ran, and pointed to the furled sail at the mast- head, — how you stood resolutely on in your own path of tluty, and defied the siren-song. There is in that a lesson for the young merchants of Massachusetts to remember. [Cheers.] " But further, beyond and above all this, when Provi- dence in his mercy has filled your treasury to overflowing, when you have reached the goal of all your anticipations. GREAT AND GOOD GIFTS. 99 rovi- Lons, —all you ever could have hoped or desired, — ay, there Is R lesson, my friends, for the young and the old merchants . all to bear in mind as to the manner in which those ^ rich rewards iiavo been distributed," [Loud cheers.] The Hon. Edward Everett also spoke eloquently, and, among other true words, said, — O » » •':.■'. I I ' .1-:'' ♦*Mr. President, — I suppose you have called upon . me to respond to this interesting toast chiefly because I , filled, a few years ago, a place abroad which made me in some degree the associate of your distinguished guest in the kindly office of promoting good will between the two great branches of the Anglo-Saxon or Anglo-Norman race (for I do not think it matters much by which name you call it) — * the fair mother and the fairer daughter ' — to which the toast alludes. At all events, I had much opportunity, during my residence in England, to witness the honorable position of Mr. Peabody in the commercial and social circles of London; his efforts to make the citizens of the two countries favorably known tc each other; and, generally, that course of life and conduct • which has contributed to procure him the well-deserved honors of this day, and which shows that he fully enters into the spirit of the sentiment just propounded from the chair. . ** Your quiet village, my friends, has not gone forth in eager throngs to meet the successful financier ; the youth- \ lao THE LIFE OP GEORGE PEABODY. fill voices to which we listened with such pleasure in the morning have not been attuned to sing the praises of the prosperous banker. No : it is the fellow-citizen, who, from the arcades of the London exchange, laid up treasure in the hearts of his countrymen; the true patriot, who, amidst the splendors of the Old World's capital, said in his heart, * If I forget thee, O Jerusalem I let my right hand forget her cunning : if I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth.' It is the dutiful and grateful child and benefactor of old Danvers whom you welcome back to his home. ' . . " Yes, sir ; and the property you have invested in yon- der simple edifice, and in providing the means of innocent occupation for hours of leisure, — of instructing the minds and forming the intellectual character, not merely of the generation now rising, but of that which sliall take their places when the heads of those dear children who so lately passed in happy review before you shall be as gray as mine, and of others, still more distant, who shall plant kind flowers on our graves, — it is the property you have laid up in this investment which will embalm your name in the blessings of posterity, when granite and marble shall crumble to dust. Moth and rust shall not corrupt it : they might as easily corrupt the pure white portals of the heavenly city, where * every several gate is of one pearl.' Thieves shall not break through and steal it : they might as easily break tlirough the vaulted sky, and steal the brightest star in the firmament." S GREAT AND GOOD GIFTS. 101 as Mr. Everett concluded by playfully referring to the sen- timent sent by Mr. Peabody to the centennial assembly, in these words : " Now, we all know, that, on an occasion of this kind, a loose slip of paper, such as a sentiment is apt to be written on, is in danger of being lost : a puff of air is enough to blow it away. Accordingly, just by way of paper-weight, — just to keep the toast safe on the table, and also to illustrate his view of this new way of paying old debts^ — Mr. Peabody laid down twenty thousand dol- lars on the top of his sentiment ; and, for the sake of still greater secm'ity, has since added about as much more. Hence it has come to pass that this excellent sentiment has sunk deep into the miiids of our Danvers friends, and has, I suspect, mainly contributed to the honors and pleas- ures of this day. " But I have occupied, Mr. President, much more than my share of your time ; and, on taking my seat, I will only congratulate you on this joyful occasion, as I con- gratulate our friend and guest at having had it in his power to surround himself with so many smiling faces and warm hearts.*' Other excellent speeches and many good letters also marked this pleasant occasion ; but space forbids further reference to them. Are they not all chronicled finely in the memorial volume published by order of the committee of arrangements ? :f '■( *. ,.;v /^.:, \ , ,,^i . f ^., .1 ,, ^ J, J )_ ' '"' ' ;! P.^ Ja^a •l| CHAPTER VI. GOOD GIFTS CONTINUED. The Donation to Thetford, Vt. — Grandfather Dodge. — The Wood- j Sawing Storjr. *' What yoa desire of him, he partly hegs To be desired to give. It much would pleaae him, That of his fortunes you would make a staff To lean upon." — Shakspeare: Antony and, Cleopatra. - " Give, and it shall be given." —Luke vl. 88. hiiB I O a communication addressed to the trustees of the Peabody Library at Thetford, Vt., the Rev. A. T. Doming, Chairman of the Board, very kindly responded as follows : — " We have, as yet, no printed account of Mr. Peabody's gift ; though we hope to have one soon in connection with the printed catalogue. " ■ • '^" " The following embraces, I think, the material facts which you desire. " During the fall of 1866, Mr, Peabody, while visiting friends here, expressed his desire to do something in be- 102 GO^') GIFTS CONTINUED. 103 half of tlie place. The citizens assembled Au^. 6, 1866, and passed the following resolutions : — / " ^Hesolvedf That we most gratefully appreciate the benevolence of Mr. George Peabody, and do extend to him our hearty thanks for the very generous and munifi- cent gift which he proposes to make us for the purpose of a village library ; and will most cheerfully carry out the plan he presents in establishing it ; and, in accordance therewith, have elected Dr. H. H. Niles and Isaiah Co- bum as trustees, to act with those already chosen by him. " '■Resolvedy That the library shall take the name of its munificent founder, and be called " The Peabody Library.'* " ^Mesolved, That Rev. Charles Scott be appointed a committee to present the above' resolutions to the donor, and request him to make such conditions and regulations respecting said fund as he may deem proper.' ** The resolutions were accordingly forwarded, and the following response from Mr. Peabody received : — " * Georgetown, September, 1866. "'To Rev. C. Scott, Chairman of Peabody-Library Committee, Post Mills, Vt. " '^JDear Sir^ — I have to acknowledge the receipt from you of the resolutions of the citizens of Post Mills in regard to my proposed gift of a library to that village ; and, in accordance with the desire therein expressed, I beg to state my wishes in regard to the management of the library. , _. .., . - . - \ 104 TUB LIFE OP GEORGE PEABODY. ** * Of the $5,000 whicli I proposed giving for the pur- pose mentioned, I have placed $1,500 in the hands of Samuel T. Dana, Esq., of the firm of Dana & Co., South Market Street, Boston, subject to your order "when money shall from time to time be required for building-purposes or for the purchase of books ; he allowing you interest at the rate of five per cent per annum in account. *' * For $1,500 of the remainder, I have employed Mr. H. G. Somerby of London (a friend who has bought largely for me for other libraries) to purchase standard and useful books as the foundation of your library ; and I am sure they will prove cheaper and better than we could get them in this country. I think they will be here by the first of January next. ' You can, therefore, go on with your building accordingly, " ' With the remaining $2,000 I have purchased two gold-bearing coupon-bonds of the United Statesj of the denomination of $1,000, numbers 33,194 and 60,182, — popularly called five-forties. These I bought for you on my return, and they are now worth nearly seventy dollars over cost ; the two bonds being in the hands of S. T. Dana, who holds them for your account, " -* It is my wish, and a condition of my gifV, that this sum of $2,000 shall always remain and be kept perma- nently invested by the trustees or library committee in United-States bonds or other safe securities as a library- fund, the income of which shall be applied to the purchase of books or other wants of the library, as their discretion mav determine. r GOOD GIPTS CONTINUED. 105 IIS n V " ' It 1*8 my wish that tlie privileges of the library shall be enjoyed (under such restrictions, as to suitable ago or character, as may from time to time be made by the trus- tees, or committee having it in charge) by the inhabitants of the two school-districts in the town of Tlietford, which are comprised in the village of Post Mills ; and I would suggest that these privileges may be extended in particular cases, at the discretion of the library-officers, to others, who, though not within the above limits, may reside near them, and may be in the habit of doing business at the village of Post Mills. _ ..• ::..\-K:;'. 1 -'^r t- ^- ^ ^^^'^'v ' : w'? " " ' And wishing, as I have ever done, to encourage and cherish a spirit of harmony and good will among all, it is my desire that at no time shall any preference or distinc- tion be made in the selection of books, or in any matter connected with the library, on account of any political party or religious sect ; and it is my wish, that, whenever a minister or ministers of the gospel are or may be settled in Post Mills Village, he or they may be upon the library committee. ' " ' . ** * The motive which has most strongly impelled me to * make this gift is my sense of gratitude for kindness shown ine in my early life by my late revered uncle, Eliphalet Dodge, and his excellent wife, who still lives in your vil- lage. It is therefore my desire that there shall always be tliree of their descendants, and bearing their name (so long as there shall "remain so many of them inhabitants of Post Mills Village), among the trustees of the library, sanc- tioned by yourself and others. 106 TIIK LIFE OF GEORGE PEAfeODY. r .^- " * I have selected as a site for tlio library-building a lot of land which has been given for the purpose by Harvey Dodge, Esq., and which appears to me to be central, and eminently suitable for the location. " * I will send you Mr. Dana's letter of acknowledgment for the two bonds, and the money, in a few days. " * I am, with great respect, ,-,! i' v.Nv " * Your obedient servant. V •--• ** * George Peabodt. ^ im,-:p ,•■< ** Sept. 15, a meeting of the inhabitants of the village was held, the above letter of Mr. Peabody read, and a series of resolutions passed unanimously. " The resolutions provided for the appointment of offi- cers, and otherwise carrying out the wishes expressed in the preceding letter. ** March 1, 18G7, Mr. Peabody penned the following : — ^ • ' «« '91 Lafayette Streft, Salem, Mass., Morch 1, 18G7. " * Dear Sir^ — Understanding from your letter to me, received to-day, that your library-building will require, to complete it, $500 in addition to the sum allowed for that purpose from the $5,000 already given, I enclose a check on New York for the same, payable to your order. " ' Very respectfully yours, "'George Peabody. !'-''rr>tji «*Mr.WM. Dodge.' , ., I ' ■♦.■ ■ *' Aug. 17, 1869, a full-sized portrait of Mr. Pea- GOOD GIFTS CONTINUED. 107 body was roccived at tlio library. A serios of resolutions passed by the trustees upon its reception was published in *The Vermont Chronicle.' Possibly you have seen them. "On receiving intelligence of Mr. Peabody's death, the trustees and friends of the library passed the following tes- timonial of respect to his memory: — " * God, in his providence, having removed by death Mr. George Peabody, the founder of this library ; and it beirg eminently fitting that some record should bo made of our appreciation of his excellences, and our grateful sense of .his benefactions : therefore *' ^Ilesolved, That wo bow in humble submission to the all-wise providence of God in the removal of this our friend and benefactor ; remembering that to this same all- wise and gracious providence Mr. Peabody was accus- tomed to attribute all the honor of what he was enabled to become and to accomplish. " '■Hesolvedy That we record, with thankfulness to the Father of all mercies, our high appreciation of the charac- ter and life of Mr. Peabody, our high estimate of his pre- eminent financial abilities, of his sterling integrity, and of his republican simplicity, unshaken by the applause of the multitude or the attentions of the great. *' '■Ilesolvedj That, with a still deeper gratitude, we re- cord our high sense of the value of his work as a philan- thropist, in ministering with princely munificence to the education of the ignorant, and to the comfort and eleva- 108 THE LIFJS OF GEOBGE PEABODY. tlon of the poor ; and this both in the land of his adoption and in his native land, elsewhere and in this community. " ^liesolvedi That, with equal gratitude, we record his earnest efforts to heal the wounds of war and spread the arts of peace in the two leading nations of the earth ; and express the hope that his name, now received as a heritage by England and America, may form another strand in the cord binding these great powers together in amity. — -*> " ^Resolvedf Tliat, as trustees and friends of this library, we pledge ourselves anew to carry out the wishes of the benevolent donor, and to hold up for imitation before us, and before the minds of the people of this community, his commendable traits of character and of life.' " ,-■ j> jlrjori A writer in *' The Boston Traveller " says, concerning • the donation to Thetford, " All the newspaper biogra- phies of the great philanthropist state, that, at the age .of fifteen, he spent a year with his grandfather at Post Mills Village, Thetford, Vt. ; and all lists of his benefactions mention his gift of some thousands of dollars for a library in that village. This gift was made while on a visit to his relatives there, during his last visit but one to his native country. Perhaps some things which I happen to know about the grandfather and family and residence may in- terest some of your readers. " Post Mills is a little village in the north-west corner of Thetford, containing, at the time of George's visit, a grist- mill and saw-mill, a schoolhouse, one or two variety-stores, GOOD GIFTS CONTINUED. 109 a blacksmith's shop, a tavern, and probably a young phy- sician ; though Dr. Niles may have settled there a year or two later. The rest of the people were farmers of mod- erate means : some of whom, however, occasionally made shoes or put up barns for their neighbors. The nearest house of worship was five miles south, on Thetford Hill, where lived the Rev. Asa Burton, D.D., well known throughout New England as a teacher in theology, and as the great promulgator and defender of the * Taste Scheme.' Jeremiah Dodge, George's grandfather, lived in a small,' neat, white, two-story house, a little out of the village, on the north side of the road leading east to the Connec- ticut River, and Oxford, N.H. His son Eliphalet lived a few rods farther east, on the south side of the road, in a one-story farmhouse, unpainted, unless it had once been * slightly tinged with Spanish brown. Their farm was almost wholly on the south side of the road. I do not know its exact size ; probably one hundred acres or more : much of it, around the houses, beautifully level, and rea- sonably fertile. He had a large family of boys .and girk', by whose help the labor of the farm was done. " Another son, Daniel, was a ' master mariner,' and lived with his father when at home. He commanded a ship which sailed from New York for Canton, with orders to trade between Canton and Acheen in Sumatra three years, and then load at Canton and return. Before the tlu'ee years had quite expired, he inferred from the news- papers that war was imminent between the United States \ 110 THE LIFE OF GKOUQE rKABODY. and England, — tlio war of 1812. Ho tliereibro loaded and returned to Now York as quickly as possible ; arriving just in season to escape capture by the first British squad- ron sent to blockade the coast. As his trips to Acheen }iad been successful, and as the price of China goods had risen, and continued to rise, on account of the war, the voyage proved veiy profitable to the owners. ' "Jeremiah Dodge, when I first knew him, some ten years afterwards, was a white-headed old man, too feeble^ from age, for the severe labor of the farm, but still erect in his posture, and commonly busy about such light work as he needed to keep him from the tedium of idleness. He was a very quiet man ; never obtrusive, but always affable ; never excited, never talkative ; but showing, when occasion called for it, — which was not often, — a keen, quiet wit, which raised a smile among the hearers, and commonly closed an argument to which ho had been listening. His wife was several years younger, more ac- tive, and, though not a talkative woman, was more ready to engage in conversation than her husband. They were both members of the church in Thetford : but, about the time last mentioned, a house of worship was erected at Post Mills ; and they, with the other Congrogationalists at that place, transferred their membership to the cliurcli in West Fairlee, worshipping there and at Post Mills on alternate sabbaths. As church-members, they were too old to be very active ; but nobody ever accused .them of any thing, either in the way of omission or commission, inconsistent with their profession. 000 ) GIFTS CONTINUED. Ill ** Witli such grandparents and such surroundings, George Poabody's year at Post Mills must have been a year of intense quiet, with good examples always before him, and good advice whenever occasion called for it ; for Mr. Dodge and his wife were both too shrewd to bore him with it needlessly. It was on his return from this visit that he spent a night at a tavern in Concord, N.H., and paid for his onterta-inmcnt by sawing wood the next morn- ing. That, however, must have been a piece of George's own voluntary economy: for Jeremiali Dodge would never have sent his grandson home to Danvers without the means of procuring the necessaries of life on the way ; and still less, if possible, would Mrs. Dodge. Perhaps he told them that he did not need any help, relying on his own ability to make his way home, without burdening them with the expense ; but, more probably, he just saw a chance for an hour or two of profitable labor, and took advantage of it to save money for other uses. " The interest with which Mr. Peabody remembered this visit to Post Mills is shown by his second visit so late in life, and his gift of a library, — as largo a library as that place needs. Of its influence on his character and subsequent career, of course, there is no record. Perhaps it was not much. But, at least, it gave him a good chance for quiet thinking," at an age when he needed it ; and the labors of the farm may have been useful both to mind and body. It has been reported that he wished his relatives at (( 112 TIIK LIFE OP OEORGB PEABODY. Post Mills to give a lot for tlio library-building; but tliey declined. It may bo that lie mentioned such a thing ; but I cannot believe that ho urged it. Tiio people of that vil- lage are better able to buy a suitable building-lot tluin they are to give it ; and tiio building is placed in a bettor loca- tion than could bo found for it anywhere on their farm. From the well-known character of the family, it may bo fairly presumed that they contributed their just proportion for the purchase of the lot." • • .•• i *^jiirj Dr. Ilanaford fuiTiishes the following explanation for this chapter: — ., . ., j ;[ " In this connection," ho says, " it is proper to refer to at least one of the many erroneous statements that have appeared in the public prints, and, of. course, gained somo credence, in reference to the early history of Mr. Peabody. I refer to the statement, that, in his poverty, he was obliged to walk from Georgetown to Thctford, and that he sawed wood for his lodging while spending the night at Concord, N.H. Perhaps there was more foundation for this report than for somo others ; though his father was in humble cir- cumstances, yet not so much so as to demand such fatigues and privations of the lad. The foundation for some of the items of the report were the following : While Mr. Pea- body, in the latter part of his life, was spending a short time in that place, on one occasion, while in the company of Judge Upham and others, one of the company asked him if he had ever visited Concord before. He replied that he had in his early life, and that he sawed wood for GOOD GIFTS CONTINUBD. 113 his lodging at the hotd. At tliat moment something occurred to divert his attention, and ho fulled to explain the circumstances. In his boyhood, when about to visit friends at Tiietford, a marketman wlio had been to the city, and was on his return, stopped at liis fatlier's house, and a passage for tiie lad was engaged. In accordance with the custom of the times, tlio food was probably taken (sometimes, in winter, 'bean-porridge,' frozen, with a cord in it, and hung upon tlio load), demanding only lodg- ing for the driver, &c. Tiie night was spent at Concord. The marketman arrived before night : but, as there was no convenient place to stop north of Concord, where the night would overtake him if he drove on, he decided to spend the night there ; which gave the young Peabody some little time to look about. He soon made the ac- quaintance of a boy of about his own age ; and, being pas- sionately fond of fishing, ho asked his new friend to go with him. ' But the boy, who was connected with the hotel, informed him that he had a stint, or * stent ' as it was generally pronounced, and that ho could not go until his task was performed. Accordingly, the two finished the labor, and then enjoyed their recreation. " When the man called for his bill the next morning, he declined to * take any thing for that boy, as he helped my boy saw wood.' These circumstances, probably, gave rise to the whole statement ; the principal foundation being that he did pay for his lodging in that manner, though the sawing of the wood was not intended for that purpose. \ 114 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PBABODT. It is highly probable, however, that he would not have declined any honest employment if necessary, even in after-life, if the circumstances had demanded such service ; since he was a man who would prefer menial service to a dislionorable act, while ho was remarkable for his industry, and strict and methodical attention to business." -■>V-r,-i,' .• * ? ft : I t; • CHAPTER VII. STILL GIVING. Peabody Institute at Baltimore. — Letter of Mr. Peabody. — Proceedingi in Regard to the Donation. — Mr. Peabody's Remarks. " The claBsic ^ays, those mothers of romance, That roused a nation for a woman's glance; The age of mystery, with its hoarded power, That girt the tyrant in his storied tower, — Have passed and faded like a dream of youth ; And riper eras ask for history's truth." — Bryant : The Ages. •' Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to lake his portion, and to rejoice in bis labor, — this is the gift of God." — EccLEs. V. 19. IMONG the gifts of the man whom God greatly- prospered after he removed to England was one of great value to tlie city of his early busi- ness success. After an absence of twenty years from his native land, Mr. Peabody fulfilled his inten- tion, long before formed, of founding in the city of Balti- more an Institute comprising a large free library, the periodical delivery of lectures by eminent literary and sci- entific men, an academy of music, a gallery of art, and kindred purposes. 116 116 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. A trustee of that Institute savs, "The annals of Bal- timore, ever since Baltimore could boast the honors of a city, exhibit no act of private munificence, no act of asso- ciated philanthropy, nor, perhaps, even of public official benefaction, which, in the scope of its design of usefulness to the community, or in the prodigal generosity of the means contributed to its accomplishment, may claim the admiration and gratitude of our citizens by a merit so clear and unquestionable as the Institute which George Peabody this day offers to the city. An endowment amounting to a million of dollars has been appropriated to the establish- ment and completion of a broad and permanent structure of public education, which, wlien brought to its full devel- opment, is destined to become the well-spring of perennial and profuse bounty to many generations of the people of Baltimore and Maryland." These words of the trustee were spoken on. the day when the Institute was inaugurated in 18G6 ; and he fur- ther said, — " The stately edifice in which we are now assembled is but the first flower of this noble design. A great part of the work is not yet even begun. When the whole is fin- ished, the Institute will stand in this apex of the city, the fairest of the buildings that adorn its triple hills. Here, in the centre of the most beautiful city-landscapes, its ma- jestic figure reposing at the foot of the, matchless column which symbolizes the immortality of the Father of our Union, it will be the second object to challenge the admi- n '1 STILL GIVING. 117 ration of the passing stranger ; whilst it will ever attract the veneration and gratitude of our own people, and the thousands of their descendants, who, through the lapse of years, shall be privileged to frequent its halls, and draw from its wells of living water exhaustless draughts of wis- dom and virtue. Still more distinctly will it stand a cher- ished monument to perpetuate in the affection of our posterity the enviable memory of a patriot who served his country with imperial munificence. Let us add, it will stand for ages as the memorial of a good man whom Prov- idence had blessed with a prosperity almost as lavish as his virtue, with a renown almost as rare as his wise appre- ciation of the true use of riches." t In his first letter, referring to his benefaction, dated Feb. 12, 1857, Mr. Peabody, after expressing his wishes in reference to the scope and character of the Institute, closed with the following excellent sugorestions : — " I must not omit to impress upon you a suggestion for the government of the Institute, which I deem to be of the highest moment, and which I desire shall be ever present to the view of the board of trustees. My earnest wish to promote at all times a spirit of harmony and good will in society, my aversion to intolerance, bigotry,* and party rancor, and my enduring respect and love for the happy institutions of our prosperous republic, impel me to express the wish that the Institute I have proposed to you sliall always be strictly guarded against the possibiHty of being made a theatre for the dissemination or discussion of secta- 118 \ THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. rian theology or party politics ; that it shall never minister, in any manner whatever, to political dissension, to infidel- ity, to visionary theories of a pretended philosophy, which may be aimed at the subversion of the approved morals of society ; that it shall never lend its aid or influence to the propagation of opinions tending to create or encourage sectional jealousies in our happy country, or which may lead to the alienation of the people of one State or section of the Union from those of another : but that it shall be so conducted, throughout its whole career, as to teach political and religious charity, toleration, and beneficence, and prove itself to be, in all contingencies and conditions, the true friend of our inestimable Union, of the salutary institutions of free government, and of liberty regulated by law. I enjoin these precepts upon the board of trus- tees, and their successors forever, for their invariable observance and enforcement in the administration of the duties I have confided to them. " And now, in conclusion, I have only to express my wish, that, in providing for the building you are to erect, you will allow space for future additions, in case they may be found necessary ; ard that, in its plan, style of architec- ture, and adaptation to its various uses, it may be worthy of the purpose to which it is dedicated, and may serve to embellish a city whose prosperity, I trust, will ever be dis- tinguished by an equal growth in knowledge and virtue. I am, with great respect, " Your friend, "GfioRGE Peabody." (( STILL GIVING. 119 • * The munificent donation of Mr. Peabody was partially expended in the erection of a white-marble edifice, wliich was completed in 1861. The sad years of civil war for- bade its formal dedication till Oct. 25, 1866, when Mr. Peabody was able to be present. Rev. Dr. Backus, pas- tor of the First Presbyterian Church, offered prayer, in which he said, "We thank Thee that Thou hast put it into the mind and heart of Thy servant, whom Thou hast so highly blessed and prospered, to employ so large a portion of the talents intrusted to him in securing the well-being and happiness of this community ; that, allured from grosser pleasures and inferior pursuits, they may seek that intellectual and moral improvement which may tend to their true elevation, refinement, usefulness, and pleas- ure, — binding them together in social harmony and unity; making tliis city a centre of increasing light and purity, and exerting a happy influence throughout the land. " May he be spared to see the ripe fruits of his noblo and generous benefactions, experience the satisfaction of having been in Thy hands the instrument of lasting good to his race, and receive not only the gratitude of those who shall enjoy the benefits of this Institute through com- ing ages, but also be replenished with the richest blessings of Thy providence and grace, so that his declining years may be full of peace and hope and joy I and, when Ikj has accomplished his work on earth, may he be gathered to his fathers, full of honors, enjoying the respect of man- kind, peace of conscience, and an abundant entrance into »» 120 \ THE LIFE OP GEORGE PEABODY. the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ I and may nuntbers rise up, not only to call him blessed, but also to imitate his example ! " After this, the Governor of Maryland addressed Mr. Peabody in language appropriate to the occasion ; and Mr. Peabody responded. A portion of the governor's speech, and the whole of Mr. Peabody's reply, are already given in a previous chapter. On the Friday after the dedication of the Institute, the school-children, some twenty thousand in number, greeted . Mr. Peabody ; and from the steps of the Institute he ad- dressed them in the following excellent words : — •? " When I arrived in Baltimore on Wednesday, my dear young friends, I did not expect to meet you thus ; but finding, by a visit from your School-Commissioners' Board, that such was your desire, I concluded to meet you, even should it be necessary to postpone my departure from Bal- timore beyond the time originally fixed. And I take to myself no credit for doing so : for I assure you that my desire to see you is as strong as yours can possibly be to see me ; and never have I seen a more beautiful sight than this vast collection of interesting children. The review of the finest army, with soldiers clothed in brilliant uni- forms, and attended by the most delightful strains of mar- tial music, could never give me half the pleasure that it does to look upon you here with your bright and happy faces. For the sight of such an army as I have spoken of STILL GIVING. 121 would be associated with thoughts of bloodshed and human suffering, of strife and violence : but I may well compare you, on the other hand, to an army of peace ; and your mission on earth is not to destroy your fellow-creatures, but to be a blessing to them ; and your path, when you ^o out from these public schools, is to be marked, not by rav- ages and desolation, but, I trust, by kindly words and actions, and by good will to all you meet. " With such an assemblage as this, therefore, I am glad to have my name associated, as I see that it is by the badges worn by many of you ; and I shall feel it to" be a very great honor if the medals thus bearing my name shall continue, as I am informed they have heretofore done, to prove incentives to application, diligence, and good con- duct; and I shall ever take a sincere interest in those to whom they are awarded. " There is another relation in which I look upon you ; and that is, the future guardians of the Institute from which I speak to you. For, in a few short years, you will have left the places you now occupy, and, taking the positions of those now in active life, will have the care and enjoy the privileges of this institution. And I hope most earnestly that it may be the means of all the good to you that was contemplated in its foundation ; and that you, on your part, may see that it is carried on always with kind feeling and harmony. And so I trust, my dear young friends, that in passing by tliis edifice, young though you are now, you will feel,- in looking upon it, not that it is one for grown-up \ 100 TIIK LIFE OF GEOIIGE PEABODY. men and women, and with which you havo 'no concern, but tliat it is yours also ; that you will at no distant day havo a right in it as your heritage ; and so will even now, in your tender years, take an interest in it and all things con- nected with it. * " 1 havo now but little advice to give you; fori am sure that your parents and teachers have bestowed, and always will bestow, upon you the kindest and most earnest coun- sel : but I would say, Attend closely to your studies, and remember that your close attention to them is a thousand times more important to you than to your teachers. Bear in mind, that the time of your studies, though it may now appear long to you, is, in reality, very brief; and at a future day, when it is, perhaps, too late, you yourselves will feel that it is so. Do not be ashamed to ask advice and take counsel from those older than yourselves : the time will come when you, in your turn, may advise those younger than you, and who will follow in your footsteps. Strive alw.iys to imitate the good example of others. I am glad that your assemblage is in this most interesting place : for I hope that your future recollections of this occasion may be connected with the thouiiht of him whose statue crowns yonder beautiful monument, — the illustrious father of his country, — and that you may be induced to take him more and more for your model ; for he, pre-eminently great among men, was also great and good in his boyhood and youth. As time has passed, it has rendered eulogy of him as superfluous as if it were to praise the sun for its »• I f STILL GIVING. 1g brightness ; and it is as the most perfect example for imita- tion the world has ever seen tliat wo must look upon the character of Washington. Remember, then, his youthful life ; the instances, too familiar to need repeating by me, of his truthfulness, his self-denial, his integrity, his perse- verance, his reverence for age, his affection for his parents, and his fear of God. Finally, strive always to act as if the eye of your heavenly Father were upon you ; and, if you do this, his countenance will always smile upon you. " I fear, my young friends, this is the last time I shall ever speak to you. I therefore bid you farewell. God bless you all I " i> From the report of the treasurer, it may be seen, that, in all, George Peabody gave to the Peabody Institute in Bal- timore the sum of one million dollars. A princely benefac- tion for a desirable end I CHAPTER VIII. GREATER BENEFACTIONS. Amelioration of the Condition of tlie Poor in London. — Magnificent B»> quest of Mr, Feabody, — Description of the Buildings. " O ye who bask in Fortune's son, And Hope's bright garlands wear I Tour blessings from the Qod of love Let his poor children share."— MRS. Haus. " He that hath pity upon the poor, londcth to the Lord ; and that which he hath given will he pay him again." — Pbov. xix. \7 JHEN, in 1859, Mr. Peabody returned to Eng- land from a visit to his native land, he set about giving effect to his long-cherished inten- tions of doing something for the laboring poor of London. For this purpose, he donated $1,750,000 be- tween March 1, 1862, and Dec. 5, 1868. It is said that Mr. Peabody did not bestow many gifts to relieve individ- ual poverty or distress. He thought that much of the money thus contributed only tended to increase tlie evil it sought to alleviate. "The Philadelphia Press" con- trasts the wisdom of George Peabody, who was the execu- tor of his own liberal schemes, with the folly of Dr. Rush 124 GREATER BBNKPACTI0N8. 125 of that city, who left a milUon-dollara' bequest in such a shape that no one is satisfied. Col. J. W. Forney, in his interejsting "Letters from Europe," speaks of the magnificent bequest of Mr. Pea- body, and describes his visit to Peabody Square ; previ- ously mentioning Mr. Peabody as ho saw him on board " The Scotia " when he was returning to England. His glowing sentences are cheerfully inserted here. Says the colonel, *' A more congenial company never sailed from the New World to the Old ; and, when we separate, the regret at parting will be increased by the recollection that our intercourse might have been profitably prolonged. Of course, George Peabody is the central figure of our circle. As I studied the venerable philanthropist, yester- day, as he lay dozing on one of the sofas in the forward saloon, I confessed I had never seen a nobler or more imposing figure. Never has human face spoken more humane emotions. The good man's soul seems to shine out of every feature and lineament. His fine head, rival- ling the best of the old aristocracy, and blending the ideals of benevolence and integrity, his tranquil and pleasing countenance, and his silver hair, crown a lofty form of un- usual dignity and grace. The work of this one plain American citizen silences hypercriticism, and challenges gratitude. He has completed it without leaving an excuse for ridicule or censure. He has given millions to deserv- ing charity, without pretence or partiality. The wealth gathered by more than a generation of honest enterprise 120 THE LIFE OF GEORQE PEABODY. and business sagacity lio distributes amon^r the poor of tlie two nations in wliich ho accuniulatt'd it, first liberally jiro- viding for liis own blood and kindred. If this is not an honorable close of a well-spent life, what is? That the example of George Peabody will awaken imitation in England, I do not know. Unhappily for the British aristocracy, they do not respond to the call of a genial philanthropy ; and it may be claimed tliat none but an American can truly feel for the sufferings of the im- friended poor. Therefore I am not surprised, that, before Mr. Peabody left the United States, he was satisfied that what he has done for London will be surpassed by two of his opulent friends for the city of New York. . . . Mr. Peabody leaves * The Scotia ' at Queenstown, Ireland, where he will stay for some time to enjoy the salmon-fishing, in company with his old friend. Sir Curtis Lampson, an American, recently made a baronet for his services in con- nection with the Atlantic Telegraph. As showing the difference between the great landholdei's of Great Britain and the sturdy farmers of the United States, it deserves to be recorded, that, for the privilege of catching trout and salmon for six months, Mr. Peabody pays the neat sum of $2,500 in gold to the nobleman who owns the stream in wliich he intends to angle. These preserves of game and fish are, therefore, not only a source of pleasure, but of large profit, to their titled proprietors. Mr. Peabody has offered me letters to his agents in London, which I will not fail to use, for the purpose of personally inspecting the GRKATEIl BENEFACTIONS. 127 commoncemont of tlio parent work in that city, which will associuto his niimo with all tiiat is nohlo and generous, as Idiii; as the »j,enius of Shakspearo and MiU.on is remem- h(.'red and cherished among the sons of men." A few days hiter, Col. Forney wrote, — " Liverpool, England, May 13, 1867. " Mr. Peahody and over sixty of tho passengers of * The Scotia ' took leave of us about midnight of Friday in an open tug and in the midst of a smart shower, which, be- fore they reached the shore, increased to a heavy storm of rain. . . . On the day he bade us farewell, a character- istic incident took place between Mr. Peabody and the committee appointed by the Americans on board, when they tendered him their resolutions of grateful respect for his many friendly acts of benevolence. One of tho reso- lutions referred to le fact, that, whereas Smithson and Girard had bo(pioatlied their benefactions to the care of posterity, Mr. Peabody had enhanced the value of his ex- ample by coura 2;eously becoming his own executor, and by giving his personal care to the execution of his splendid trust. W^ 1 this resolution was read to him, he asked that it • bo read a second time ; after which, with a winning i vAirtesy I shall not soon forget, he said that he would be gr(;atly obliged if tho whole passage could be stricken out of the proceedings. * Whatever may b«3 said of me,' he added, * and however just your abstract view may be, yet even the shadow of a contrast that might be 128 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. construed into a criticism upon these two illustrious men should be carefully avoided. Tiiey did their best, and they did nobly, and, if they had thought of it, would probably have taken exactly my course.* The suggestion was instantly complied with." . . . . . • • ... i ' "May 25, 18G7. " This morning, in company with Sir Curtis M. Lampson, one of the trustees of the Peabody Fund for the benefit of the poor of London, and Mr. Somerby, the secretary of the board (both born in the United States), I made my promised visit to Peabody Square, Islington, one of the five structures already in use, or soon to be devoted to the noble objects of the generous founder. Mr. Lampson, a native of New England, was, in October, 1866, created a baronet by Queen Victoria, in token of his numerous pub- lic services, but particularly for his connection with the successful enterprise, — the Atlantic Telegraph Cable. I found him, like Mr. Somerby, nevertheless, a devoted ad- mirer of America and her institutions, and a genuine sympathizer in her progress and her principles. The management of the trust has been properly confided to gentlemen of known American proclivities. Lord Stanley is president, assisted by Sir Curtis Lampson, Sir Emerson Tennett, Mr. J. L. Morgan the eminent banker, and Mr. Scmerby as secretary ; and the manner in which they have so fui* discharged their duty is proved by the singu- lar success that has crowned their labors. With the GREATER BENEFACTIONS. 129 Wi ^ z o ^- o ■ 2 m uT 0: O 0) V o 03 15 exception of the secretary, they all serve without remu- neration. The first difficulty they met was how to define the phrase ' the poor,' and decide in what sliape (after that problem was solved) the money should be distributed. After careful reflection, they resolved to confine their attention, in the first instance, to that section of the labo- rious poor who occupy a position above the pauper ; and to assist these by furnishing to them comfortable tenements at reasonable rates, in healthy locations. It will be seen at a glance that more good can be effected by this course than by attempting to alleviate the condition of those who are thrown upon the public charge, and are necessarily objects for the care of merely charitable institutions, such as almshouses, hospitals, dispensaries, &c. The working- classes of London, more than the working-classes of any other city in the world, need exactly such benefactors as Mr. Peabody ; and the plan thus agreed upon benefits them directly, without impairing their self-respect. The honest laborer always shrinks from becoming an object of charity, and thousands prefer the pangs of want to the pangs of dependence ; and the effort of the trustees to prevent the tenements from becoming merely establishments for the abject poor is obvious in all their arrangements. The impossibility of obtaining good tenements at a reasonable rent, in this swarm of humanity, has thrown the laboring- classes into the vilest haunts of vice, disease, and filth ; and the sure effect has been to pollute their children in mind and body. The Peabody benevolence meets at least one 130 THE LIFE OF G^OKGE PEABODY. part of tills demand ; with the double advantage of provid- ing good tenements for the industrious poor, and of adding the small rents tliey pay to the general fund, so as to per- petuate the good work, and to increase the number of tenements with increasing years. Sir Curtis Lampson estimates, that, if the money thus accumulated is honestly administered for two hundred years, it will have accumu- lated enough to provide for three-fourths of all the indus- trious poor of London. That this is not an extravagant expectation can be shown by a simple calculation of the annual interest of the nearly milHon of dollars donated, with the regular accretions from the moderate funds. There are many interesting incidents on record of the growth of small bequests, in the course of time, into enor- mous charities. " The premises at Islington consist of four blocks of buildings; comprising, in all, one hundred and fifty-five tenements, accommodating six hundred and fifty persons, or nearly two hundred families. The whole cost of these buildings, exclusive of the sum paid for the land, amounted to X31,690. The principle and organization in each of these extensive structures are the same. Drainage and ventilation have been insured with the utmost possible care ; the instant removal of dust and refuse is effected by means of shafts, which descend from everv corridor to eel- lars in the basement, where it is carted away; the passages are all kept clean, and lighted with gas, without any cost to the tenants ; water, from cisterns in the roof, is distrib- GREATER BENEFACTIONS. 131 uted by pipes into every tenement ; and there are baths free for all who desire to use them. Laundries, with wringing-machines and drying-lofts, are at the service of all the inmates, who are thus relieved from the inconve- nience of damp vapors in their apartments, and the conse- quent damage to their furniture and bedding. • " Every living-room, or kitchen, is abundantly provided with cupboards, shelving, and other conveniences ; and each fireplace includes a boiler and an oven. But what gratify the tenants, perhaps, more than any other part of the arrangements, are the ample and airy spaces which serve as playgrounds for their children, where they are always under their mothers' eyes, and safe from the risk of passing carriages and laden carts. " In fixing the rent for all this accommodation, the trustees were influenced by two considerations. In the first place, they felt it incumbent on them, conformably with the intention of rendering the Peabody Fund repro- ductive, to charge for each room such a moderate percent- age oh the actual cost of the houses as would bring in a reasonable actual income to the general fund. In the sec- ond place, they were desirous, without coming into undue competition with the owners of house-property less favora- bly circumstanced, to demonstrate to their proprietors the practicability of rendering the dwellings of the laboring poor healthful, cheerful, and attractive ; and, at the same time, securing to the landlords a fair return for their in- vestments. 132 THE LIFE OP GEORGE PEABODY. " At the present moment, owing to the vast changes in the metropolis, by which the houses of the laboring poor have been demolished to so great an extent, the cost of accommodation for them has been greatly increased. It, of course, varies in ditFerent localities ; but, on an average, the weekly charge fcr a single room of a very poor descrip- tion is from two shillings and sixpence to three shillings, — about seventy-five cents American money ; for two rooms, five shillings, or five shillings and sixpence ; and for three, from six shillings and sixpence to seven shillings. But the mere test of rent affords no adequate standard by which to contrast the squalor and discomfort of one of these tene- ments with the light and airy and agreeable apartments in the Peabody buildings : and, for one room there, the charge per week is two shillings and sixpence ; for two rooms, four shillings ; and for three rooms, five shillings. " As Mr. Peabody had directed by his letter that the sole qualification to be required in a tenant was to be in * an ascertained condition of life such as brings the indi- vidual within the description of the poor of London, com- bined with moral character and good conduct as a mem- ber of society,' it became the duty of the trustees to ascertain by actual inquiry, — first, that the circumstances of the person proposing himself as a tenant were such as to entitle him to admission ; and secondly, that, in the opinion of his employers, there was nothing in his conduct or moral character to disqualify him from partaking in the benefits of the fund. 4 GREATER BENEFACTIONS. 133 " These two conditions once established, the tenant, on takin3 so justly re;narked, tried to ameliorate the condition of his fellow-citizei; s, and especially to benefit their moral and 'ocial characte,', I have not yet had the op})ortunity of seeing the t^tatue which is shortly to bo unveiled ; but, from having tho privilege of knowing tho sculptor (Mr. Story) for a space of now about ten years, I feel sure it will be one which \s» worthy of being placed here, and worthy of tin- ,V IN AMEUICA. 103 services valuable, not merely in the organization of sclioola and of a system of public education, but in tiio good cfiect ■which his conciliatory and sympathizing course has had, wherever lie has met or become associated with the com- munities of the South in social or business relaticms. " ' And I bog to take this opportuni y of thanking, with all my heart, the people of the South themselves, for the cordial spirit with which they have received the trust, and for the energetic efforts which they have made, in co-oper- ation with yourselves and Dr. Sears, for carry ii*^' out the plans which have been proposed and matured for the diffu- sion of the blessings of education in their respective States.' " This letter of Mr. Peabody concluded as follows : — " ' I do this with the earnest hope, and in the sincere trust, that with God's blessing upon the gift, and upon the deliberations and future action of yourselves and your gen- eral agent, it may enlarge the sphere of usefulness already entered upon, and prove a permanent and lasting boon, not only to the Southern States, but to the Avhole of our dear countiv, which I have ever loved so well, but never so much as now in my declining years, and at th'.s time (probably the last occasion I shall ever have to address you), as I look back over the changes and the i)rogress of nearly three-quarters of a century ; and I pray that Al- mighty God will grant to it a future as happy and noble, in the intelligence and virtues of its citizens, as it wdll be glorious in unexampled power and prosperity.' This sec- ^ i u 1G4 THE LIFE OF UEOUGE rEAlIODY. ,11 I I Olid letter lias, indeed, proved to be, as lie himself antici- pated, his last letter to this board." ^ * The publishing-houses of D. Applcton & Co. and of A. S. Barnes & Co. evinced their appreciation of Mr. Peabody's gift to the South, — the former by a donation of a hundred thousand volumes of scliool-books, and tho latter by a gift of five thousand volumes of " Tho Teach- ers' Library " and twenty-five thousand school-books. The Rev. Dr. Barnas Scars, lato President "of Brown University, has accepted tlie post of general agent ; and the generous gift of Mr. Peabody, under his judicious administration, will doubtless prove a great benefit to the South. V' !«.,»» «') -liiJIi . I ,1 \'_, , t, ; it M 1 r CHAPTER XL MORE GIFTS FOR SCIENCE. Money for Museums nt Yale and Harvard. — Correspondenco in Reference to those Donations. — The Value of the Gift. "Walk Boldly and wisely In that light thou hast : There is ft Hand above will help thee on." — Bailey's Fcatun, " The lips of knowledge are a precious Jewel." — Prov. zx. 15. [HILE Mr. Peabody founded institutions bear- ing his name in his native town and in the cities of his adoption, he was not unwilling to add to the influence of institutions already es- tablished in the land of his birth. Gratitude and courtesy sometimes led those ancient institutions to compliment the donor by calling some branch of their organization after his name. In that way Yale College honored him, and showed its gratitude by giving his name to a museum. The second annual report of the Sheffield Scientific School of that college, in 18GG-67, contains the following statements in regard to the generous gift : — " It is already well known that George Peabody, Esq., 166 ICG THE LIFE OF GEOKGE PEABODY. I ' 'I I 'W of London, in October last, made the generous donation of a hundred and fifty thousand dollars, to found, ' in con- nection with Yale College,' a museum of natural history. Although this munificent gift is designed to benefit all de- cs DO paitments of the university, it will obviously and necessa- rily be of more immediate advantage to the students of natural science connected with this school ; and hence the donor's letter to his trustees, and the accompanying instru- ment of gift, may be fitly given here. MR. PEABODY's letter. n «*New York, Oct. 22, 1866. " * To Prof. James D. Dana, Hon. James Dixon, Hon. Robert C. Win- throp, Prof. Benjamin Silliman, Prof. George J. Brush, Prof. 0th- niel C. Marsh, and George Peabody Wetmore, Esq. " ' Gentlemen, — With this letter I enclose an instru- ment giving to you one hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($150,000), in trust, for the foundation and maintenance of a museum of natural history, especially of the depart- ments of zoology, geology, and mineralogy, in connection with Yale College. " ' I some years ago expressed my intention of making a donation to this distinguished institution ; and convinced as I am of the importance of the natural sciences, and of the increasing interest taken in their study, it now affords me great pleasure to aid in advancing these departments of knowledge. ' The rapid advance which natural science is now (( MORE GIFTS FOR SCIENCE. ICI making renders it necessary to provide for the future requirements of such a museum, as well as its present wants ; and I trust that the portion of the fund designed for this purpose will be found sufficient. " ' On learning of your acceptance of this trlist, and of the assent of the President and Fellows of Yale Colloco to its conditions, I shall be prepai'ed to pay over to you the sum I have named ; and I may then have some addi- tional suggestions to make in regard to the general management of the trust. Confident that under your direction this trust will be faithfully and successfully administered, *' ' I am, with great respect, your obedient servant, " ' George Peabody.' " THE instrument OF GIFT. ***I hereby give to James D wight Dana of New Ha- ven, Conn., James Dixon of Hartford, Conn., Robert C. Winthrop of Boston, Mass., Benjamin Silliman of New Haven, Conn., George Jarvis Brush of New Haven, Conn., Othniel Charles Marsh of New Haven, Conn., and George Peabody Wetmore of Newport, R.I., on his attaining his majority, the sura o^ one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, to be by them or their successors held in trust, to found and maintain a museum of natural his- tory, especially of the departments of zoology, geology, and mineraloirv, in connection with Yale College, in the city of New Haven, State of Connecticut. 168 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. i ! U I, 1 I! !| " * Of this sum, I direct that my said trustees devote a part — not to exceed one hundred thousand dollars — to the erection, upon land to be given for that purpose, free of cost or rental, by the President and Fellows of Yale Col- lege, in New Haven, of a fire-proof museum-building, adapted to the present requirements of these three depart- ments of science, but planned with especial reference to its subsequent enlargement ; the building, when completed, to become the property of said college for the uses of this trust, and none other. " ' I further direct that the sum of twenty thousand dol- lars be invested, and accumulate as a building-fund, until it shall amount to at least one hundred thousand dollars, when it may be employed by my said trustees, or their successors, in the erection of one or more additions to the museum-building, or in its final completion ; the land for the same also to be provided, free of cost or rental, by the President and Fellows of Yale College, in New Haven ; and the entire structure, when completed, to be the property of Yale College, for the uses of this trust, and none other. '■ ' I further direct tliat thirty thousand dollars, the remaining portion of this donation, be invested, and the income from it be expended by my said trustees, or their successors, for tlie care of the museum, increase of its col- lections, and general interests of the departments of sci- ence already named ; the part of the income remaining, after providing for the general care of the museum, to be apportioned in the following manner, — three-sevenths to MORE GIFTS FOR SCIENCE. 169 zoology, three-seventlis to geology, and one-seyentli to mineralogy ; the said collections, as well as the museum- building, to be exclusively for the benefit of the various departments of said college. " ' The board of trustees I have thus constituted shall always be composed of seven persons, of whom not more tlum four shall at any one time be members of the Faculty of Yale College. They shall have the general manage- ment of the museum, keep a record of their doings, and annually prepare a report setting forth the condition of the trust and funds, and the amount of income received and paid out by them during the previous year. This report, signed by the trustees, shall be presented to the President and Fellows of Yale College, in New Haven, at their an- nual summer session, and be by them filed in the archives of said college. " ' In the event of the death or resignatio?^ of either of my said trustees, I direct that his successc' la the Gov- ernor of Connecticut, who, ex officio, shall forever after- ward be a member of the board. Any other vacancy that may occur in the board of trustees, (:-,''i8r by resignation or by death, shall be filled by the remaining trustees within a reasonable time after such vacancy shall have occurred. " ' I give to my said trustees and their successors the liberty to appoint a treasurer, and to enter into any agree- ments with the President and Fellows of Yale College, not inconsistent with the terms of this trust, which may in tlieir opinion be expedient. " ' George Peabody. " * Nkw York, Oct. 22, 1866.' 170 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. " This generous donation provides for one great and pressing want of the university, — a fire-proof museum- building for preserving the extensive and valuable col- lections which have been accumulatinj^ durlnij the last half-century, and are now rapidly increasing. It is under- stood to be the intention of the trustees to commence the erection of the first wing of the museum at an early day. When completed, this part v/ill, it is thought, be amply sufficient for the requirements of the immediate future, or until the reserved buildino;-fund shall have increased suffi- ciently to provide for the erecu'on of the main or central building ; and this, in turn, will Sv^rve until the completion of the whole structure. " Students of nutural history in all departments of Yale College, and in all time to come, will be grateful to Mr. Peabody for thus rendering secure the collection ard pres- ervation of such a museum as the institution has long been in need of." In October, 1866, Mr. Peabody testified his regard for the oldest college in his native land by giving Harvard a sum of money for a museum, which is now known by Jiis name. His letter and instrument of sift are as follows : — " Georgetown, Oct. 8, .186G. " To the Hon. Robert C. Winthrop, His Excellency Charles Francis AJaras, Francis Peabody, Stephen Salisbury, Asa Gray, Jeffries Wyman, and George Peabody Russell, Esquires. " Gentlemen, — Accompanying this letter, I enclose an MORE QIFTS FOB SCIENOB. 171 instrument giving to you one hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($150,000), .in trust, for the foundation and maintenance of a museum and professorship of American arclia3ology and ethnology in connection with Harvard University. " I have for some years had the purpose of contributing, as I might find opportunity, to extend the usefulness of the honored and ancient university of our Commonwealth ; and I trust, that in view of the importance and national character of the proposed department, and its interesting relations to kindred investigations in other countries, the means I have chosen may prove acceptable. " On learning of your acceptance of the trust, and of the assent of the President and Fellows of Harvard Col- lege to its terms, I shall be prepared to pay over to you the sum I have named. " Aside from the provisions of the instrument of gift, I leave in your hands the details and management of the trust ; only suggesting, that, in view of the gradual oblit- eration or destruction, of the works and remains of the ancient races of this continent, the labor of exploration and collection be commenced at as early a day as practi- cable ; and also, that, in the event of the discovery in America of human remains or implements of an earlier geological period than the present, especial attention be given to their study, and their comparison with those found in other countries. . " With the hope that the museum, as thus established r 172 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. Vi ► i I .ill and maintained, may be instrumental in promoting and extending its department of science, and witli fullest confi- dence, that, under your care, the best means will be adopted to secure the end desired, " I am, with great respect, your humble servant, ^ " George Peabody.'* ** I do hereby give to Robert C. Winthrop of Boston, Charles Francis Adams of Quincy, Francis Peabody of Salem, Stephen Salisbury of Worcester, Asa Gray of Cambridge, Jeffries "Wyman of Cambridge, and George Peabody Russell of Salem, all of Massachusetts, the sum of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, to be by them and their successors eld in trust, to found and maintain a mu- seum of American archaaology and ethnology in connec- tion with Harvard University, in the city of Cambridge, and Commonwealth* of Massachusetts. " Of this sum I direct that my said trustees shall invest forty-five thousand dollars as a fund, the income of which shall be applied to forming and preserving collections of antiquities, and objects relating to the early races of the American cont'iien;, or such (including such books at.d works as may ibrm a good wo; king library for the depart- ments of scieiice indicated) as shall be requisite for the investigation and illustration of archaeology and ethnology in general, in main and special reference, however, to the aboriginal American races. "I direct that the income of the further sum of forty- MORE GIFTS FOR SCIENCE. 173 five thousand dollars shall be applied by my said trustees to the establishment and maintenance of a professorship of American archaeology and ethnology in Harvard Univer- sity. The professor shall be appointed by the President and Fellows of Harvard College, with the concurrence of the overseers, in the same manner as other professors are appointed, but upon the nominafion of the founder or the board of trustees. He shall have charge of the above- mentioned collections, and shall deliver one or more courses of lectures annually, imder the direction of the govern- ' ment of the university, on subjects connected with said departments of science. ''- Until this professorship is filled, or during the time it may be vacant, the income from the fund appropriated to it shall be devoted to the care and increase of the collec- tions. " I further direct that the remaining sum of sixty thousand dollars be invested and accumulated as a build- ing-fund until it shall amount to at least one hundred tliousand dollars, when it may be employed in the erection of a suitable fire-proof museum-building, upon land to be given for that purpose, free of cost or rental, by the Presi- dent and Fellows of Harvard College; the building, when completed, to become the property of the college, for the uses of this trust, and none other. " The board of trustees I have thus constituted shall always be composed of seven persons : and it is my wish that the office of chairman be filled by Mr. Winthrop ; in ! ft i:i 4 :li 174 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. the event of his deatli or resignation, by Mr. Adams ; and so successively in the order I have named above. The trustees shall keep a record of their doings, and shall an- nually prepare a report, setting forth the condition of the trust and funds, and the amount of income received and paid out by them during the previous year. This report, signed by the trustees, shall be presented to the President and Fellows of the college. ** In the event of the death or resignation of Mr. Win- throp, I direct that the vacancy in the number of the board be filled by the President of the Massachusetts Historical Society, who, ex officio^ shall forever after be a member of the board. In the event of the death or resignation of Mr. Peabody, the vacancy to be filled by the President of the scientific body now established in the city of Salem, under the name of the Essex Institute ; of Mr. Salisbury, by the President of the American Antiquarian Society ; of Prof. Gray, by the President of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences ; and of Prof. Wyman, by the Presi- dent of the Boston Society of Natural History, — all of wliofn shall forever after be, ex officio, members of the board. " Should the president of either of the societies I have named decline to act as a trustee, such vacancy, and all other vacancies that may occur in the number of the trus- tees, shall be filled by the'remaining trustees, who shall, within a reasonable time, make the appointment or appoint- ments. MORE GIFTS FOR SCIENCE. 175 ., '* I give to my said trustees the liberty to obtain from the Legislature an act of incorporation, if they deem itw desirable ; to make all necessary by-laws ; to appoint a treasurer ; and to enter into any arrangements and agree- ments with the government of Harvard College, not in- consistent with the terms of this trust, which may, in their opinion, be expedient. , (Signed) " George Peabod'y. «Geokgetown, Oct. 8, 1866." Rev. Dr. "Walker, in referring to this munificence of Mr. Peabody, and the fact that officers of Harvard. Col- lege and officers of the Massachusetts Historical Society were to be also trustees of the Peabody Museum, said, " Mr. Peabody, as it seems to me^ has shown great wis- dom by connecting his new institution, to some extent, with two of the oldest of these societies; so that, hereafter, we may have the benefit of both agencies, acting with more effect because more likely to act in harmony and together for a common object." Rev. E. E. Hale then remarked, — " I should not venture to add any thing, Mr. President, to what has been so fitly said, but that you have asked me to say something in acknowledgment of^ so great a gift to science, because, in some sort, I represent here the gov- ernment of the American Antiquarian Society. In the establishment of the proposed museum, and of the 176 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. professorship connected with it, under l*ilr. Pcabody's munificent endowment, tiio Antiquarian Society saw the fulfilment of a cherished wish which it had entertained for half a century ; jind its government is ;:onfident, that, in the administration of this endowment, the studies of the American antiquary would be redeemed from any unfair suspicion wliich has considered them petty, or unworthy of profound scientific attention. " Have we not been somewhat disposed to think that tliese arrow-points and pestles and stone axe-heads, such as I have brought down stairs from our own collection, were hardly worth a place in our museum ? Or, if any explorer southward or westward brought us his contribu- tions of the work of our own native tribes, have we not been apt to think that they were mere curiosities, with 3ittle va^ ue for science ? Now, in the recent study of the antiquity of the human race, these very illustrations of what has been called the Stone Age are claiming a place of the very first importance in the study of the real primeval history of the world. ** And, Mr. President, so far as I am aware, Mr. Pea- body, in his letter of gift, is the first person who has publicly called attention to the invaluable illustration which the antiquarian study of this country will thus give to this new science, which seeks to set in order the social progress of the world, — its moral palaeon- tology, if I may hazard the expression, — of which we here can illustrate some of the steps far better than MORE GIFTS FOR SCIENCE. 17T tlioy can be illustrated in Europe. The little specimens which I have placed on the table — some of them the work of Nature, and some, to appearance much less care- fully wrought, the undoubted work of man — will show how difficult it is for an untra''^ ' observer to say with certainty, in a given instance, \ iher a relic from another age is or is not a memorial o'' ^ m art. In point of fact, the tools from the alluviimi of the Somme, figured by M. Boucher de Perthes in his ' Antiquitds Celtiques,' were so rudely shaped, that many persons supposed they were stones which owed their peculiar forms to accidental fracture in a river's bed. In such ways the whole series of questions connected with the memorials of the stone age discovered in Europe have been embarrassed, from the fact that the scientific men of Europe, in studying that age, with them so distant, have been obliged to con- struct their theories simply from the hand/ul of specimens preserved through so many intervening ages, — materials which were themselves the material under discussion. We here, however, have the stone age at hand : we can matcli these arrow-points and axe-heads from our own collections of thousands of such articles, — the work of a race not yet passed away. If we wish, we can question the men who have used them ; nay, can see them as they make them. And here is one more instance to be added to so many which are successively forced upon us, which show that our antiquarian studies are, in lact, not the baby-talk of the infants of a new world, but are 12 \s r %^ > IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 Ji 1.25 ItilM |2.5 2.0 m U 11.6 — 6" Hmtographic Sciences Corporation aa WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 a>^ fV iV \\ ^9) V «^ '^.A 6^ >> 178 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. studies relating to the very oldest world, and, indeed, to the very foundation of social order. ^ ** You remember, Mr. President, how often Mr. Agas- siz dwells upon the fact, that, when it pleased God to divide the land from the water, — when * fields grew green,' where for thousands of years * oceans only had gathered,' — the first beach which rose above the icy waves was the strip of land which Mr. Agassiz calls * the Laurentian Hills.' It is the strip which we have all heard described so many times — and in tlio language of geology also — as * the highlands dividing the waters of the St. Lawrence from the waters of the Atlantic' That was the phrase used by Adams and Frank^n in our first treaty with England; and the commissioners chose that oldest ridge of land to be the eternal division between the two countries which were just then parted. All of us have noticed the curious revelation of recent science, which has pointed out the fact, that this region, made so familiar to us in the struggles of diplomacy, should prove to be really a landmark so ancient. Now, with every fresh revelation of science, sir, we are seeing more dis^ tinctly that the studies of this older continent are in every way essential to the studies of our younger sister continent on the other side of the ocean. "It seems to me a very striking illustration of the comprehensive views of Mr. Peabody, that, while he was engaged in that work for the world to which a great mer- chant is called, he should have perceived the intimacy of MORE GIFTS FOB SCIENCE. 179 the connection between the antiquarian study of this country and what I have a right to call the newly-created antiquarian science of Europe. These views of the antiquity of man, in which Professor Lyell has excited such wide popular interest, are but just now announced to the European world. Mr. Peabody has instantly seized on the fact, that, in this older world, we have peculiar advantages for illustrating them. Deeply interested him- self in the new studies by which the geologists of Europe are illustrating the antiquity of the race, he has seen that we have here peculiar opportunity for contributing to those studies facts of great interest, and observations impossible excepting where the forms of the oldest social order may be studied while still alive. Observing this, with the most liberal endowment he creates the new institution which is to preserve the memorials and give persistency to the studies which are necessary in the illustration. ., " I hold in my hand, and should gladly read here if I had not occupied so much of the society's time, a letter from Mr. Abbott Lawrence, written when he was our minister in England, acknowledging in the most .cordial way the important services which Mr. Peabody again and again rendered in preserving a kindly feeling between America and England. He seems to have consecrated the immense influence which he has so worthily acquired to those friendly offices which best unite two lands that should bo parted only by the ocean. The last great ser- 180 THE LIFE OP GEORGE PEABODY. vice we acknowledge to-day, in which Mr. Peabody shows us how the antiquarian science of each continent may contribute to that of the other ; how essential, indeed, for the deepest research of each continent, is the kindred research, which, at the same moment, presses its inquiries in the other, — this last great service fitly illustrates that work of mediation and good feeling to which this distin- guished man has so successfully devoted the efforts of his life." The value of Mr. Peabody's gift will be best appre- ciated by those interested in the objects of the museum ; and, that these may be better understood, the circular stating their wants and wishes is here given : — , i :vi ../[j " PEABODY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ARCHEOLOGY AND ETHNOLOGY. " Through the munificence of Mr. George Peabody of London, a museum of American archaeology and eth- nology has been established in f. v ction with Harvard College. In carrying out the wishes of the founder, it is intended to bring together «ii objects illustrative of or bearing upon the origin, early history, manners and cus- toms, and progress towards civilization, of the aboriginal races of North and South America. In furthering the objects of the above foundation, the undersigned, the executive committee, in behalf of the board of trustees, are desirous of obtaining any of the following articles : — MORE GIFTS FOR SCftENCB. 181 " 1. Implements of stone, such as axes, gouges, chisels, clubs, pestles, sinkers, tomahawks, mortars, arrow-heads, spear-heads, &c. " 2. Articles of earthenware, such as vases, pots, pipes, bowls, or fmages of any kind. " 3. Bows, arrows, quivers, spears, rattles, drums, shields, snow-shoes, knives, lodges, medicine-bags, tobacco- pouches, cooking-utensils, articles of dress, either of purely aboriginal make, or such as show the gradual contact of the savage and European races. " 4. Mummies, skeletons, or parts of skeletons, of any of the North or South American races. Of the parts of skeletons, the skulls are always of great importance ; and the long bones of the limbs, and the hip-bones, are of much value. . " 5. Antiquities, in the form of images or other sculp- tures, or the casts of them, fix)m Peru, Mexico, Chili, or Central America. *' 6. Any articles made by or relating to the "Esqui- maux, and the Fuegians, or the Patagonians. " It is within tlie plan of the founder to make collec- tions relating to the archaeology and ethnology of other aboriginal races, especially of such articles as have a bear- ing upon, or help to illustrate the history of, the American races. The trustees are, therefore, desirous of obtaining crania, skeletons or parts of skeletons, weapons and implements of all kinds, pottery, or any other articles of aboriginal make, from any portion of the world ; also 182 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. drawings or casts of tfiem which may serve to show the differences or resemblances between the various human races in their earliest stages of existence. il • "Robert C. Winthrop, Asa Gray, Jeffries Wyman, Executive Committee.** -^ 'V. r I ' -Iji Peabodj Academy • body's Leti B: • A] Ai ■w " Receive my instni For wisdom Is better t] be compared to It." — ] [S int was Salei a la Essex County founded, in con library, museuir emy of Science, name. The fo his gift : — ~t^:i '■■>•-: ■i^-f'T ' ^ CHAPTER XII. STILL HELPING EDUCATORS. Peabod7 Academy of Science in Salem. — Essex Institnte. — Mr. Pcsp • body's Letter. — His Love for his native County of Essex. *■ , ■ *' Some there are By their good deeds exalted, lofty minds, ^ . . And meditative authors of delight And happiness, which, to the end of time, , ' ' ■ Win live and spread and flourish.'' — Wordbvorth. " Receive my instmction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than mbies ; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it."— Prov. vlil. 10, 11. |S intimated in the Preface, George Peabody was not forgetful of the Essex Institute in Salem. With his usual liberality, he bestowed a large sum upon those banded together in Essex County for historical and scientific purposes, and founded, in connection with the Essex Institute, whose library, museum, and officers were in Salem, an Acad- emy of Science, so called, to be known henceforth by his name. The following characteristic letter accompanied his gift : — 188 '#- 184 THE LIFE OP GEORGE PEABODY. ,,, • " Salem, Mass., Fob. 26, 18G7. " To Francis Peabody, Esq., Prof. Asa Gray, William C. Endicott, Esq., George Peabody Russell, Esq., Prof. Otliniel C. Marsh, Dr. Henry Wheatland, Abncr C. Goodcll, jun., Esq., Dr. James R. Nichols, and Dr. Henry C. Perkins. " Gentlemerif — As you will perceive by the enclosed instrument of trust, I wish to place in the hands of your- selves and your successors the sum of one hundred and forty thousand dollars for the promotion of science and useful knowledge in the county of Essex. " Of this, my native county, I have always been justly proud, in common with all her sons ; remembering her ancient reputation, her many illustrious statesmen, jurists, and men of science, lier distinguished record Irom the earliest days of our country's history, and the distinction so long retained by her, as eminent in the education and morality of her citizens. "I am desirous of assisting to perpetuate her good name through future generations, and of aiding, through her means, in the diffusion of science and knowledge; and after consultation with some of her most eminent and worthy citizens, and encouraged by the success which has already attended the efforts and researches of the distinguished scientific association of which your chair- man is president, and with which most of you are con- nected, I am led to hope that this gift may be instrumental in attaining the desired end. ■ "I therefore transmit to you the enclosed instrument. and a check with the hope your successo and virtue, nc in our commo During the i Advancement ( in the summe] Peabody Acade cle Church; th( small for the ai According 1869, "The with prayer b^ * ft church; which written for the was well render no Class. The Mr. Endicott ; appropriate, exc were afterwards "^'^Ih B. H. Si Wheatland, and Willson." STILL HELPING BDUOATORS. m and a check for the amount therein named ($140,000), ■with the hope that this trust, as administered by you and your successors, may tend to advancement in intelligence and virtue, not only in our good old county of Essex, lut in our commonwealth and in our common country. "I am, with great respect, " Your humble servant, ' I •' "George Peabody." During the session of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, which was held in Salem, Mass., in the summer of 1869, the dedicatory services of the Peabody Academy of Science were held in the Taberna- cle Church; the building owned by the academy being too small for the audience. According to " The Salem Observer " of Aug. 14, 1869, "The exercises were opened at three o'clock with prayer by the Rev. C. R. Palmer, pp vor of the church; which was followed by the singing oi a hymn written for the occasion by Rev. Jones Very, and which was well rendered by a select choir from the Salem Orato- rio Class. The dedicatory address was then delivered by Mr. Endicott ; and it was universally regarded a? a very appropriate, excellent, and eloquent discourse. Remarks were afterwards made by Ex-Gov. Cliffor'I, Mayor Coggs- well, B. H. Silsbee, Esq., of the Mfrine Society, Dr. Wheatland, and Pres. Foster. Benediction by Rev. Mr. WiUson." ** 186 THE LIFE OF OEOBOE PEABODY. The address of the mayor, Gen. William Coggswell, as reported in the same excellent newspaper, was as fol- lows : — , "Mr. President and Gentlemen, — I know* that I jpeak the sentiments of the people of this city when I congratulate you, sir, and your associate trustees, upon the successful establishment in our midst of the Academy of Science, under the wise and beneficent trust of that world-wide benefactor whose name stands at the head of your institution. ** Though your labors were at the outset clouded and increased by the great loss which we all felt here in the death of the first president of your board, yet the citizens of this place, which has been honored by the location of this Academy, though its purposes are to be devoted to the broader field of the whole county of Essex, have witnessed with pleasure the great and rapid progress which has been made in the discharge of the duties of your important trust. They are aware of the vast amount of labor, under the careful and able supervision of yourself and associates, which has wrought out all this. They are sensible of the good results which must inevita- bly flow therefrom ; and therefore it is, that, with honor and with pride, they feel they can join you this day in the dedication of the Peabody Academy of Science, and bid it, as they do now bid it, All hail, welcome, and God speed I ._ ^ ;; *' Dedicatee which all loo] oT the hidden i understand th< powers which read aright th( perfect the lab from, but to, a and his infinity presence of the who shall atteni work, its future which it is now out its influence! will be, as from tion, it shall sei veloped truth in current of the g " When we re — touching ever exposing error • ment, of life, of opening to us t whether we will plane of existenc dice, and to adop its bidding ; exch thouglits and wii BTILL HELPING EDUCATORS. 187 " Dedicated to tlio cause of science, — that cause to which all look for truth, instruction, and the explanation oTthe hidden mysteries of life ; through which we learn to understand the ways of Nature, and to make useful all the powers which God has given ; from which we learn to read aright the lessons of experience, and to make more perfect the labors of mankind ; science, which loads, not from, but to, a better, higher, nobler appreciation of God and his infinity, — dedicated to this great study, and in this presence of the eminent scholars of science of our land, who shall attempt to set forth its useful results, its perfect work, its future, or its effect upon the important study to which it is now dedicated and set apart? Who will follow out its influences, unbounded and without a limit as they will be, as from father to son, from generation to genera- tion, it shall send forth the influence and energy of de- veloped truth into the great struggle of life and into the current of the great river of knowledge ? " When we reflect upon the immense scope of its study, — touching every interest and inquiry of life ; sifting and exposing error ; underlying the superstructure of govern- ment, of life, of health, of knowledge, and of wisdom ; opening to us the secrets of Nature ; bringing us all, whether we will or not, up to a higher, broader, better plane of existence ; leading us to discard error and preju- dice, and to adopt the truth ; training the lightning to do its bidding ; exchanging, as it does this day exchange, the thoughts and wishes of continents, and publishing the 188 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. edicts of Nature in "tho twinkling of an eyo ; " — when wo call to mind that all things yield up their secrets to tho all-searching, never-tiring eyo of tho man of science"; when we consider more particularly its relation to tho body politic, — that upon it government must depend alike for its implements of war and its arts of peace, — railroads, canals, surveys, harbor -improvements, the census, the levying of tax, finance, the waging of war, the commerce of the seas, the products of the soil ; that * the end of the institution, maintenance, and administra- tion of government is to secure the existence of the body politic, to protect it, and to furnish the individuals who compose it with the power of enjoying in safety and tran- quillity their natural rights and the blessings of life ; * — when we consider all this, and that government, in all its branches and departments, in all the intricate machinery of administration, must follow the laws of science, or follow not at all, who but will welcome every aid in its behalf? who but will give thanks and praise at the founding of each and every academy devoted to its great and enno- bling labors ? and who but will love and revere the man whose never-failing spring of love to his fellow-man has builded in our midst this temple in its honor ? And most especially does it become the municipality which has been made the favored recipient of such a trust to take a deep and abiding interest in all that appertains to its welfare and success. ** I feel, gentlemen, the diiBculty under which I labor in speaking to ftin as a stran^i testimony to accomplished, nnd I know tlu Salem when I more glorious d now of its prou and in whose w part. ' . • " I shall fail, pay my tribute industry, and thi is spared to then to make your tn to the present p cate matter to sp not help saying, indeed is the inst " But, sir, I si] the feelings of th myself,^ the fee respect towards nent to continen that all words of expressions of grj of compliment wo laid at the feet of 8TILL HELPING EDUCATORS. 189 ill 8peaklng to the cause of sclonco in this presence ; for I nm as a stranger in its fields : but I can bear my willing testimony to the vast amount of good it has already accomplished. I feel that to it all things are possible ; nnd I know that I reflect the feelings of tlie citi/ens of Salem when I greet this as the dawning of better and more glorious days in the history of this our city, so full now of its proud memories which we all delight to honor, and in whose welfare we all take a loving and an earnest part. " I shall fail, however, in my duty here, if I omit to pay my tribute of respect to the genius, the skill, the industry, and the devotion of those gentlemen, who, if life is spared to them, and they are spared to you, are destined to make your trust a perfect and a famed success. I refer to the present professors of your Academy. It is a deli- cate matter to speak of them in their presence ; yet I can- not help saying, what everybody knows, that fortunate indeed is the institution which can claim them as its own. " But, sir, I shall turn away from any attempt to speak the feelings of those I have the honor to represent, or of m}'self, — the feelings of admiration and gratitude ar.d respect towards him whose bounty, reaching from conti- nent to continent, has fallen upon our heads ; for I feel that all words of praise would be commonplace, that all expressions of gratitude would be trite, and that all words of compliment would be empty, when brought by mo and laid at the feet of so great a doer of good. 190 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. !( . " And now allow me to say, that with the Essex Insti- tute, so favorably known, under its wise and active man- agement; with our Peabody Academy of Science, so recently inaugurated ; with the far-famed East-India Mu- seum, brought now to a more public use ; and with the eminent men i;:>nnected with them, — fortunate and happy indeed must be the city which holds them all within its limits ; and I feel tliat I can pledge you at all times the hearty and unbounded support and co-operation of the citizens of Salem." . .il| The Essex Institute of Salem, which was the institution from which the Peabody Academy of Science is but an outgrowth, is greatly indebted to one man especially for its success. His untiring zeal, energy, and perseverance, and his acknowledged ability as secretary and librarian and manager-in-general of the aflfairs of the Essex Insti- tute, have, in a large measure, been the source of its suc- cess. That man is Dr. Henry Wheatland of Salem, whose silver hairs are r. crown of glory, and whose afternoon of life is so radiant, that it seems as if his sun stood still, as in the days of Gideon, while he battles on the fields of historic and scientific research. He said, on the occasion of the dedication of the Pea- body Academy of Science, and in response to a deserved tribute paid the Essex Institute, — " I thank you, Mr. President, in behalf of the Essex Institute, for your kind notice on this occasion. • "Thelnsti following out for the promot fied in some d( and the requin have attended and precepts c pioneers in the burden of the d ing it comparati " "We have ar in our history, and Hfgginson, Hugh Peters, t illustrious for pi tries, and comm( " These mate] form until about assumed that of spirits of the day principal topics o of a literary and gestion for the fl acter to that whi phia some twen* at Newport by movement resulte in 1761. . These STILL HELPING EDUCATORS. 191 " The Institute has only to say, that it has been humbly following out the plan handed down by past generations for the promotion of education and general culture, modi- fied in some degree to meet the wants of the community and the requirements of the age. What little success may have attended its efforts is mainly due to the examples and precepts of those who have preceded. These early pioneers in the cause of science have borne the heat and burden of the day, and have prepared the way, thus leav- ing it comparatively easy to follow. " We have an honorable record. Each successive period in our history, from the landing of Conant, of Endicott, and Higginson, from the time of Roger Williams and Hugh Peters, to the present, has enrolled many names illustrious for professional attainments, mechanical indus- tries, and commercial enterprises. - - - " These materials did not crystallize into any permanent form until about the middle of the last century, when it assumed that of a social club, composed of the leading spirits of the day, and holding weekly meetings, where the principal topics of the day were discussed, especially those of a literary and scientific character. One was the sug- gestion for the formation of a library similar in its char- acter to that which Franklin had established in Philadel- phia some twenty-five or thirty years previous, and that at Newport by Redwood a few years afterwards. Tliis movement resulted in the formation of the Social Library in 1761. • These meetings were held at Pratt's Tavern, 192 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PBABODY. located on the north-east corner of Essex and Washington Streets. At that time, the tavern was the great place of resort for the people ; and meetings of the various clubs, committees, &c., were always held there. • ^ " Some twenty years roll away, and we behold the privateer ship ' Pilgrim,' Hugh Hill, commander, owned by the Messrs. Cabot, bringing into the neighboring port of Beverly a collection of books, being a part of the library of the celebrated Irish chemist. Dr. Richard Kir- wan, which was taken from a schooner captured during the early part of the year 1781 in the English Channel. These books, comprising the ' Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London,' * M^moires de I'Acadd- mie Royale des Sciences,' Paris, * Miscellanea Beroli- nensa,' Boyle's ' Works,' * Bernouilli Opera,' * Wolfii Elementa Matheseos,' and others, were purchased by a company of gentlemen ; and thus was constituted the Philosophical Library. This addition gave a new impulse to scientific investigation, and aided many in their re- searches. The late Dr. Nathaniel Bowditch, when a young man, had access to these works, and thus was en- abled to develop more fully that genius which enabled him to be the expounder of La Place, and to take a leading position among the mathematicians of his age. In his will. Dr. Bowditch makes honorable mention of his indebtedness to this library in his early studies. Among the proprietors of this library may be mentioned Rev. Joseph' Willard, afterwards President of Harvard College ; Rev. Dr. STILL HELPING EDUCATORS. 193 Maiiasseh Cutler of the Hamlet in Ipswich, one of our earliest botanists, and the originator and conductor of a company who emigrated from this county in 1786 to the West, and thus founded the settlement at Marietta, on the banks of the Ohio ; Drs. E. A. Holyoke and Orne of Salem; and others. . : ^^ " Another score of years pass, and we behold in a small room, in the third story of a brick building erected on the site of the old tavern previously mentioned, and now occupied as a part of the printing-office of * The Salem Observer,* the nucleus of a museum originated by several of our citizens engaged in the East-India trade, then the leading business in Salem, and around which, by gradual accretions, has grown the famous East-India Museum, the re-arrangement of which with the scientific collections of the Essex Institute the trustees of the Peabody Academy of Science this day dedicate to the public. "It is perhaps needless to trace further in detail the growth of our institutions : the principal facts in their history have appeared in the printed publications of the Institute. Suffice it to mention that the Salem Athe- naeum was incorporated in 1810 : the Essex Historical Society, organized in 1821, and the Essex-County Natural History Society in 1833, were united and incorporated in 1848 under the name of the Essex Institute. " Tlie building of Plummer Hall in 1856, from funds bequeathed by the late Miss Caroline Plummer of Salem, and in which are deposited the principal libraries, consti- 18 194 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODT. tute an important era in our history. It is a singular coincidence, that this building is erected on the site of the house in which Prescott the historian first saw the light of day. ' ■ '; r - ^ ■ ^ ' . " The donation of Mr. Peahody in 1867, and the con- sequent formation of the Trustees of the Peal^ody Acad- emy of Science, — a full account of which has been so ably and so eloquently presented by you, Mr. President, on this occasion, — has relieved the Institute of a portion of its duties, some of which have already been transferred to the Academy, — -the care and maintenance of its museum, and the piublication of scientific papers, especially those that illustrate the natural history of the county. This forms another very important epoch in our history. " This donation of Mr. Peabody came very opportunely, at a time when the materials were at hand to organize an institution on a good basis, with large and valuable muse- ums and a corps of able workers. The Museum of the East-India Marine Society had been accumulating for many years, and had acquired a well-merited reputation. The Essex Institute had, within the past few years, gath- ered together a corps of active young naturalists and of historical students, and had awakened a deep interest in scientific studies and historic research by its field and other meetings, its lectures and publications ; at the same time, added largely to its library and its various collections; awaiting, as it were, for some such endowment as that of Mr. Peabody to galvanize them into a more active sphere of usefulness. " The Ins one of its chc that, under ; survey of th wade, that t extent; and j their applfcatic so that, by the results can be . and capital. "The Esse; three departme liorticulture. " The first, hands. It is ir the credit for do The second anc mentj and wlu from the ordinal cence. " The horticul a prominent pos: tixliibitions of fru ranking favorably; city and the vici enthusiastic and ductions of Flora the name of Rob( STILL HELPING EDUCATORS. 195 "The Institute has cause for great congratulation that one of its cherished departments is so well cared for ; and that, under the auspices of the Academy, an accurate survey of the natural resources of the county will bo made, that the same may be developed to the fullest extent ; and that a knowledge of the sciences, especially their application to the arts, be diffused among the people, so that, by the aid of skilled labor, the greatest practical results can be obtained with the least expenditure of time and capital. " The Essex Institute in its organization recognizes three departments, — those of natural history, history, and horticulture. " The first, as has been before mentioned, is in good hands. It is immaterial who dees the work, or who has the credit for doing the same, provided that it is well done. The second and third have received no special endow- ment ; and what little pronsion they obtain must come from the ordinary income, or from future acts of munifi- cence. " The horticultural department has taken, in years pastj a prominent position in the doings of the society. The exhibitions of fruits and flowers have been considered as ranking favorably with those of similar institutions. This city and the vicinity have always had a goodly array of enthusiastic and successful cultivators of the choicest pro- ductions of Flora and Pomona. Among those of the past, the name of Robert Manning the elder stands prominent I i 196 THE LIFE OP GEORGE PEABODY. as a pioneer in the cultivation of fruit, especially of the pear. , - " The garden of J. F. Allen exhibited for several sea- sons a fine display of that gorgeous lily, the Victoria Regia; and his excellent treatise on this flower, witli superb illustrations, finds a place in every public library. Yet later, Allen's Hybrids and Rogers's Hybrid Seedling Grapes are attracting the attention of all the cultivators of this choice and delicious fi*uit. " Essex County is one of the oldest in New England. . Her records date back to an early period. Its children have been and are now among the prominent in all the greatest enterprises of their respective periods, and have received their merited reward. Let us cherish their memories with strict fidelity, and transmit the same, unim- paired, to the latest posterity. " To this end it is necessary to preserve with the great- est care all papers, loose manuscript-leaves, interleaved almanacs with inserted notes, old records, diaries, &c., that are scattered through our county. They are found in the archives of our towns, in the various parishes, and ill almoi^t every hamlet. " The county commissioners have, with a wise fore- thought, done a good work in having the papers belonging to the old quarterly courts properly arranged and j)laccd into volumes, the whole carefully indexed under the superintendence of W. P. Upham, one of our most care- ful and zealous antiquarian scholars. Thanks to the com- missioners for induced to ei other records offices I " It is very ( I)laced in a coi manner all the history. If the of the same sh papers will ui printed; and, i same be done, liberal-minded sc M'orthy object, one be rememb due regard for tl so much for th generation." The whole of i cerns the county because it was the address that not take the plac shadowed by the ing to the reliable " The real stat An institution w , ' ' STILL HELPING EDUCATORS. 197 missioners for what has thus far been done. May they he induced to extend the same protecting care to all the other records that are deposited in the various county offices I " It is veiy desirable that the Essex Institute should be placed in a condition to collect and arrange in a similar manner all the scattered materials tliat will elucidate our history. If the originals cannot be obtained, exact copies of the saftie should be carefully made. Many of these papers will undoubtedly be found worthy of being printed ; and, if no provision should be made that the same be done, an opportunity is here offered for some liberal-minded son or sons of Essex to contribute to this worthy object. In no better and more enduring way can one be remembered in the future than by cherishing a due regard for the memory of those who have contributed so much for the comfort and happiness of the present generation." The whole of the above address is given, because it con- cerns the county which was nearest Mr. Peabody's heart, because it was his nativd county. It will be seen by the address that the Peabody Academy of Science does not take the place of the Essex Institute, nor is it over- shadowed by the latter. They work together.- Accord- inji to the reliable statements of Dr. Wheatland, — " The real status of the Essex Institute is nearly this : An institution with several hundred members resident 198 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. in all the towns of Essex County, its headquarters in Sa- lem, its rooms in Plummer Hall, where is deposited its library of some twenty-five thousand volumes, and a large collection of historical matter. It owns a fine collection of specimens of natural history, deposited with the Pea- body Academy. It holds, in the summer-season, some half-dozen assemblies in fit localities, occui)ying a whole day at each : the forenoon is spent in explorations and re- search, and the afternoon given to discussions and reports. These occasions, called ' field-meetings,' are open to every one, and are always highly diversified and agreeable, com- bining the ease of the picnic with the profit of the hicture- room. In the winter-season, evening meetings are held on the first and third Mondays of each month ; and, occa- sionally, cousBes of historical and scientific lectures are given. The publications consist of a volume of historical collections annually, of some three hundred pages, and the * Bulletin,' a record of meetings, short communications on subjects of which the Institute takes cognizance, dona- tions, correspondence, &c. Papers of a strictly scientific character, requiring illustrations, may probably be printed by the Peabody Academy, or arrangements to that effect will probably be made ; otherwise by the Institute, under the appellation of * Memoirs.' " Thus we have in Salem two institutions, working in a common cause, having organizations entirely different in character, — the Academy, a close corporation of nine members, holding funds for specific purposes, and employ- STILL HELPING EDUCATORS. 199 ii.g agents to perform duties not inconsistent with the instrument of trust ; the other a popular institution of some hundreds of members, including a large portion of tliose citizens of the county who are interested in the promotion of general culture and refinement. The one supplements the other ; and there is no reason why the two may not continue, as now, to co-operate harmoniously in the performance of the important duties committed to their care, and thus build up an institution, or a series of institutions, which will shed a brilliant lustre for a long term of years thoughout our land, and be a beacon-light to the investigation in history, science, art, and literature. " In conclusion, it may be mentioned that Mr. Peabody, in his instrument of trust, empowers his trustees te make such arrangements and agreements with the Essex Institute as may be necessary or expedient for carrying into effect the provisions of his instrument ; also that all the trustees, the director, the curators, and assistants, are members of the Institute ; and those who reside within the limits of the comity hold either an office or a place on some important standing-committee, as president, vice-president, superin- tendent, corresponding secretary, and curators. "Though entirely distinct in their organization, these two institutions may, in part, be considered as one ; many of the offices in both being held by the same persons. Thus linked together in a common bond of union, no diver- sity of interest can exist ; each having its respective field of operations, and line of duty." 200 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. After a membership of nearly ten years, commencing while a resident of Essex County, and never relinquished, because so highly valued, the writer of this memorial vol- ume can only add to Dr. Wheatland's remarks an em- phatic "Amen." - I ■ I '* ^ . . . CHAPTER XIII. ■ \ ' '' YET GIVING CHEERFULLY. Massachusetts Historical Society. — Kenyon College, and Mr. Peabody's Donation to it. — Documents in Kcgard to the Acceptable Gifts. " And whilo < Lord, Lord I ' the pious tyrants cried, Who In the poor their Master crucified, Ilia dally prayer, far better understood In acts than words, was simply doing good."— WinxTiEB. * "Through wisdom is a house bulldod; and by understanding It is established; and by knowledge shall tho chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches."— Pnov. xxiv. 3, 4. iMONG the excellent institutions of Massachu- setts is its Historical Society, which elected Mr. Peabody an honorary member on the 12th of July, 1866 ; and, at the society-meeting in September following, the corresponding secretary read a letter from Mr. Peabody, stating his acceptance of the honor. At the November meeting of the same year, tho president of the society (Hon. R. C. Winthrop) laid be- fore the society a copy of the letter and trust-instrument, wliercby Mr. Peabody established a museum and profess- orship of American archaeology and ethnology in connec- tion with Harvard University, in which he named the 201 202 THE LIFE OF GEORQE PEADODY. President of the Massachusetts Illstoricul Society, ex officioj forever one of the trustees : whereupon the following reso- lution was submitted : — " Ileaolved, That Mr. Peabody's letter, and instrument of trust, be entered in full ©n the records of this society ; and that the president be instructed to communicate to Mr. Peabody the deep and grateful sense which is enter- tained by us all of the interest and importance of the insti- tution which he has thus founded, and of the munificence and wisdom with which he has provided for its manage- ment and support." • • ' ^ ■ The remarks which followed the reading of this resolu- tion are already mentioned in a previous chapter. In January of the following year, the Massachusetts Historical Society was called on to be grateful in its own behalf particularly. At the meeting in January, the presi- dent said that he had received a communication from our distinguished honorary member, Mr. George Peabody, which he was sure would be listened to with high gratifi- cation and with deep gratitude by every member present. He then proceeded to read the following letter : — " Boston, Jan. 1, 1867. " To the Hon. Robert C. Winthrop, President of the Massachu- setts Historical Society. " My dear Sir, — I have for some time desired to grat- ify a wish which I once expressed to you, and while I YET GTVINQ OIJKERFULLY. 203 sljould, at tlio same tlino, mark my strong personal esteem and regard for yoursi'lf, and my opi)reciati(jii of the past labors and researches of the venerable and distinguished society of which you are president, to contribute, in some degree, to extend its future usefulness, and preserve its valued memorials. ** With these objects in view, therefore, I beg to present, through you, to the Massachusetts Historical Society, the aum of twenty thousand dollars in the five-per-cent ten- forty coupon-bonds of the United States, bearing accrued interest from the 1st of September last ; whicli bonds, or their proceeds, sliall bo held by tliem as a permanent trust- fund, of which the income shall be appropriated to the publication and illustration of their proceedings and me- moirs, and to the preservation of their historical portraits. " I will thank you to do me the favor to communicate this to the society at their next meeting, to bo held on the 10th inst. . ^ . . • '• - ' ' r"" ' " I am, with great respect, your humble servant, , ,i "George Peabody." Dr. Ellis then offered the following resolutions : — ^^ Itesolvedi That the members of the Massachusetts His- torical Society have listened with profound gratification to the reading, by their president, of the letter of Mr. George Peabody, accompanying his gift to the society of twenty thousand dollars ; and that it is with the sincerest gratitude to the munificent donor that we thus find ourselves 204 THE LIFE OP GEORGE PEABODY. sharers in the comprehensive generosity which has been exercised in England and in tlie United States with such varied, discriminating, and admirable adaptation to so many noble interests of humanity, science, and liberal culture. " Resolved^ That we recognize this noble gift as espe- cially opportune in time and occasion, and as peculiarly adapted, in the purposes w^hich its donor assigns for it, to what have recently been felt to be the most pressing wants, of the society. We, therefore, hereby pledge ourselves, and would bind our successors, to * a faithful keeping and improvement of the fund, to be called henceforward * The Peabody Fund,' of which we are thus put in posses- sion ; having regard alike to the conditions so intelligently set forth by Mr. Peabody, and to the importance of the special objects he has aimed to serve. " Resolved^ That our best appreciation of this gift, and the most fitting return which we can make to its donor, will be in our finding in it, individually and as a society, a new and continued incentive to industry, earnestness, and fidelity in pursuing the investigations and labor* for which we are here associated. " Resolved^ That the president be requested to commu- nicate to Mr. Peabody a copy of these resolutions, and to assure him that his gift is gratefully received, and shall be faithfully used." Dr. Ellis then spoke as follows : — " While we are content to repeat much the same famil- YET GIVING CHEEEFULLT. 205 iar words and forms of speech in asking for favors, we often wish that we had new and fresh terms for acknowl- edging them. We should he glad to have a more ample range, and a fuller variety of expressions of recognition and gratitude. We feel that we might then adapt our acknowledgments of obligation for a favor received to the special occasion, to the opportuneness, and to the present and prospective value, of the benefit conferred^nd thus avoid the generalities and commonplaces of thankful ac- knowledgment. "So, at least, I felt, Mr. President, when, at your request, I set myself to draw up the formal resolutions of gratitude to our new benefactor, that should, at the same time, convey a personal tribute which we might hope would be acceptable to him, and express our high estimate of the opportuneness and value of his gift. There is something about the personality and the individuality of that honored and munificent man ; something in the nature and method of his wide liberality ; something in the con- cise forms and in the dignified simplicity of the writings which accompany his trust-funds, defining their conditions and uses ; there is something in the style in which he thus confers great favors, — which w^ould naturally prompt the recipients of them to make a careful choice of their words of thankfulness and appreciation. For if, of any one benefactor of his own and of coming generations, a wide notoriety for the multiplicity and variety and amount of his gifts might prompt a reiteration of the same epithets 20G THE LIFE OP GEORGE PEABODY. and praises, it will be difficult for writers in newspapers, and drawers-up of resolutions, to vary their eulogiums of him who now stands before the world as the example of a more than princely munificence, distributed in his native and in his adopted country to the most wisely-chosen and the best-discriminated objects. We can well imagine that all fulsome and extravagant terms would fail to find in him the weak spot of vanity or susceptibility ; while still his modesty is conjoined with so true a discernment, and so practical a good sense, that he will not be indifferent to the fitness of the responses made to him by those whom he favors. He will expect to be assured of their purposes of fidelity in holding and using the trust-funds which he commits to them. Indeed, it has seemed to me that the more ambitious of our rising young business-men, who are eager for great acquisitions, may find Mr. Peabody betray- ing to them, in some sort, the secret of the method of his vast gathering of wealth, in the method of his distribution of it. Those accumulations of his, we know, with what- ever felicities of good fortune he had to help him, must have engaged the patient, steady, and persistent exercise of an inquisitive and discreet mind given to practical deal- ing with the complicated affairs of business. He devotes much careful thought and scrutiny to informing himself about the enterprises and institutions to be benefited by his generosity. Putting himself into relations of confi- dence with their official representatives, he learns their actual purposes and wants. The impulse or the aid which lie gives to a companied, i sagacious coi pressed. I si silent on the ] friendly officei your confident tainly become them when an Remarks W( of Mr. Peabo( Savage, and ] Hon. Stephen portrait of Mr. Giy- It was I select aborigina Massachusetts '. PeaboJy Muse connecting ther logical objects, purpose of the Mr. Peabody sand dollars to . friend. Bishop ]^ space forbids th cated the purpos who were benefi YET GIVING CHEERFULLY. 207 he gives to any object that commends itself to him is ac- companied, in its announcement or direction, by some sagacious counsel, readily inferred, if not distinctly ex- pressed. I suppose, Mr. President, though you have been silent on the point, that we are at liberty to imagine some friendly offices of your own in behalf of the society, through your confidential relations with Mr. Peabody. He has cer- tainly become well acquainted with our wants, and has met them when and where we have most sensibly fejt them." Remarks were also made, in grateful acknowledgment of Mr. Peabody's benefaction, by Col. Aspinwall, Judge Savage, and Leverett Saltonstall, Esq. On motion of Hon. Stephen Salisbury, it was voted to place a bust or portrait of Mr. Peabody in one of the rooms of the soci- ety. It was afterwards voted to allow Prof. Wyman to select aboriginal relics from the collection belonging to the Massachusetts Historical Society, and remove them to the Peaboiy Museum at Cambridge, with the idea, that, by connecting them with a large collection of other archaeo- logical objects, they will be made better to accomplish the purpose of the original donors. Mr. Peabody also donated the sum of twenty-five thou- sand dollars to Kenyon Colfege, Gambler, O., of which his friend. Bishop Mcllvaine, was then president. Want of space forbids the insertion of the documents, which indi- cated the purpose of the donor, and the gratitude of those who were benefited by his gift. CHAPTER XIV. FILIAL DEVOTION. Memorial Church at Georgetown. — Mr. Peabody's Love for his Mother.— Hymn for the Dedication, by John G. Wliitticr. — Gifts to his Familjr and Friends. " My mother I at that holy name, Within my bosom there's a gush Of feelid^ which no time can tame ; ) A feciing, which for years of fame I would not, could not, crush." — Geo, P. Morris. " Forsake not the law of thy mother." — Paov. i. 8. ?N 1839, the town which was the birthplace of George Peabody's mother, and is now tlie residence of his sister, Mrs. Daniels, had its name changed from New Rowley to George- town, in honor of Mr. Peabody. The special corre- spondent of " The Washington Chronicle " says that " it has always been one of his favorite retreats when in this country. The people respected his wish for retirement ; "and this tact on their part was fully appreciated by Mr. Peabody, who said, when he was making arrangements in regard to a farewell reception, previous to his departure for England in 18G7, that he ' should like to take each ao8 FILIAL DEVOTION. 209 resident by the hand ; for he had never, in any visit in Georgetown, been annoyed by calls or letters, and that not one of the citizens had ever in any way solicited help from him.' This fact he considered very remarkable, and with reason ; for among the begging-letters which he constantly received, and which were never answered, but quietly turned over to his sister, was one from Georgia containing forty closely-written pages. " Here Mr. Peabody erected a church to the memory of his mother, to whom, in death as in life, he was devoted ; giving her the first dollar he earned in boyhood, and bestowing the last thoughts of his honored old age upon a memorial of her Christian character. . . . Mr. Peabody's devotion to his mother and family was as thoughtful as that of a woman ; and, after he became very wealthy, the old townspeople used to revive reminiscences in that direction concerning him. I recollect hearing my mother say, that, as soon as he was established in Baltimore, he wrote to his mother that 'he should be able, for the future, to supply the family with flour ; ' and Mrs. Peabody remarked, as she mentioned the circumstance to a friend, that ' it was a great comfort to have George prosperous enough to bear the expenses.' And, from that day to her last, George never allowed his mother to want any thing that filial love could bestow. '* Mr. Peabody, as everybody knows, was a great lover of peace and concord. Nothing would disturb him more than the thought that any act of his might create strife. 210 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEADODY. This tendency was strikingly manifested at his farewell reception in Georgetown, when, referring to the Memorial Church, he distinctly stated that it was created solely as a tribute to his mother, and was given to her denomination, — Orthodox Congregational, — from reverence for her memory ; and that it would have been given with equal satisfaction had she belonged to any other persuasion : thus showing his intention to deprive the gift of any sectarian bias which might cause bitterness. " I used, as a child, to study the portrait of Mr. Pea- body which hung in his sister's parlor. It represented a singularly handsome middle-aged man. I was always greatly impressed by the tone of mingled pride and affec- tion with which his sister spoke of him ; and I remember hearing a gentleman, in some discussion with this lady, ask her if she ever saw a person who had never told a lie : to which she promptly replied, * Yes : I am sure that my brother George never told a lie.' I used to connect this statement, as children will, with the kind blue eyes and bright brown hair of the portrait ; and occasionally, as I saw * G. P.' in our Sunday-school books, indicating that Mr. Peabody had given them to us, I thought of him as the man who had never told a lie. I do not remember, however, that I ever saw him till 1866 ; when I was glad to recognize in the aged but still majestic man a striking likeness to the picture which had won my childish admira- tion. During this visit in 1866, he gave the town a public library, — a gift by which all the inhabitants could be benefited ; a recej)tion, he re standing with ur house as they fil red, white, and 1 a teacher preach text, — * Seest tl stand before kin" with the courth spoken so kindly *' Here, during to his previous g for free lectures, i And, having com smilingly to Mr. \ he and his sister have paid all my owe it any thino- replied, < We cam we shall always o with great feeling, receive as it has b a great deal.' " The above pari H. Howard to a \ The story of the tion of the statem< FILIAL DEVOTION. 211 bo benefited ; and here, on the afternoon of his farewell reception, lie reviewed the children of the public schools, standing with uncovered head on the steps of his sister's house as they filed past, bearing tiny flags of our national red, white, and blue. It was a pleasant sight ; and many a teacher preached a sermon to her little flock from the text, — ' Seest thou a man diligent in business ? he shall stand before kings ; he shall not stand before mean men,' — with the courtly yet genial man, who had smiled and spoken so kindly to them, as a living illustration. ... " Here, during his last visit, he added a lecture-room to his previous gift of a library, and made arrangements for free lectures, and a fund for the support of the library. And, having completed every thing to his mind, he said smilingly to Mr. R. S. Tenney, the gentleman with whom he and his sister made their home, * Well, I believe I have paid all my debts to this town : I believe I do not owe it any thing.' To which Mr. Tenney very happily replied, * We cannot say the same of you, Mr. Peabody : we shall always owe you.' And Mr. Peabody responded with great feeling, ' If it has been as pleasant to you to receive as it has been to me to bestow, you have enjoyed a great deal.' " The above paragraphs from the letter of Mrs. A. W. H. Howard to a Washington paper are of special interest. The story of the long letter from Georgia suggests addi- tion of the statement of some paper, that " Mr. Peabody 212 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. received one letter of thirty-six foolscap pages from a decayed English gentleman, who solicited a loan of a few thousand pounds to establish the claims of his family to an estate. Mr. Poabody .wrote in reply substantially this : ' That you should have written such a letter would sur- prise your friends : that I should have read it would indeed surprise mine.' " But it is of the Georgetown church mention should here be made. According to " The Newburyport Her- ald " of Jan. 10, 1868, " The church is a substantial and elegant brick structure, in the English style, one hundred and twelve feet long, sixty-eight feet wide, and one hun- dred and twelve feet high to the top of the tower. It is finished in chestnut, with black-walnut mouldings; the interior harmonizing in all its details with the general architectural plan. It contains one hundred pews, capable of seating seven hundred persons. It is lighted by gas ; the chandelier and sidelights numbering forty double burn- ers. The bell, which is of twenty-eight hundred pounds weight, and the clock, a fine piece of mechanism, were sent by Mr. Peabody from London. The organ is one of Hook's best instruments, built at a cost of four thousand dollars. ... At the end of the church, opposite the entrance, are three marble tablets with dedicatory inscrip- tions. Over the pulpit the legend is, * Dedicated to the service of Almighty God. Holiness bccometh thine house, O Lord! forever.' The one on the richt of the pulpit has the following : ' This house, erected in 1866-7 for tl Churcli and S cliildren, Geoi Judith Peabod 1770, and who " The surrou witli the edific front, a commoc vacant space be is being graded of trees and flo\ mated at one about a year anc finest place of of Mr. Peabody' in its erection." At the dedicati The sermon was of Danvers, and John Pike of Ilo\ hymn by Jolm G, Thou d In te • Our wc And Forgive If ma For lov( The a FILIAL DEVOTION. 213 1866-7 for the use of the Orthodox Congregational Cliurch and Society, is affectionately consecrated by her cliildren, George and Judith, to the memory of Mrs. Judith Peabody, who was born in this parish July 25, 1770, and who died June 22, 1830.* " The surroundings of the church are in perfect keeping with the edifice. , . . There is a massive iron fence in front, a commodious range of sheds in the rear ; while the vacant space between the church and the library-building is being graded and laid out, preparatory to the planting of trees and flowers. . . . The cost of the house is esti- mated at one hundred thousand dollars. It has been about a year and a half in building ; and the result is the finest place of worship in this section, a grand monument of Mr. Peabody's liberality, and an honor to all concerned in its erection." At the dedication, a letter was read from Mr. Peabody. The sermon was preached by Rev. Dr. M. P. Braman of Danvers, and the consecration-prayer offered by Rev. John Pike of Rowley. The following touching memorial- hymn by John G. Whittier was sung : — Thou dwellest not, O Lord of all ! v In temples which thy children raise : Our work to thine is mean and small, And brief to thy eternal days. Forgive the weakness and the pride, ■ ' If marred thereby our gift may be; For love, at least, has sanctified The altar which we rear to thee. 214 THE LIFE OP GEORGE PEABODY. ,l The heart, and not tho hand, has wrought, From sunken base to tower above, The ima^o uf a tender tliought, < The memory uf a deatliloss love. =» I Though hero should never sound of speech ■ Or organ-anthem rise or fall, \.i Its stones would pious lessons teach. Its shade in benedictions fall. Here should the dove of peace be founds And blessings free as dew-fall given ; Nor strife profane, nor hatred, wound ^ The mingled loves of earth and heaven. Thou who didst soothe with dying breath » The dear one watchi)v by thy cross, '■ Forgetful of the pains ot' death In sorrow for her mighty loss, — In memory of her sacred claim, O Mary's Son ! our offering take. And make it worthy of thy name, I And bless it for a mother's sake. An editor says, — *' We recently liad the pleasure of seeing, at the house of Mr. George J. Tenney, one of the last presents be- stowed by Mr. Pcabody before his final departure from this country. It consists of a heavy pitcher and goblet of solid silver (the latter lined with gold), enclosed in a hand- some case ; and the following inscription upon the pitcher tells the story of the gift : * George Peabody and his sister Judith t( skill and fidelity Memorial Clmr Mr. Peabody ate personal fvi not the purpose l)ublic benefacti Peabody gave tl fur the enlarcem letter, that ho wi of his youth that appreciation of tl a year ago, he mi by sending the fol Esq. : — "64 ''Bear Sir, -^ tion, as coming Trust Fund, that would be highly a " I therefore er portrait-painters, i ago. The portrai by an early steame with freight and a " Very FILIAL DEVOTION. 215 Bister Judith to Charles Carleton, in appreciation of his skill and fidelity as su])orintendent in the erection of tho Memorial Church at Georgetown.' " Mr. Peabody's benefactions to his family and immodi- ate personal friends were worthy of mention ; but it is not tho purpose of this volume to record many beside his public benefactions. To the city of Newburyport, Mr. Peabody gave tho sum of fifteen thousand dollars, in 18G7, for the enlargement of the Public Library ; saying, in his letter, that ho wished to mark his memory of that portion of his youth that was passed in that town, and his grateful appreciation of tho kindness there shown to him. About a year ago, he manifested a continued interest in that city by sending the following letter, addressed to E. S. Moseley, Esq. : — " 64 Queen Stueet, Ciieapside, London, E.G., . April 3, 18G9. " Bear Sir, — Some time last spring, I had an intima- tion, as coming from you as chairman of the Peabody Trust Fund, that a portrait from me, for their library, would be highly appreciated. "I therefore employed one of the best of the Queen's portrait-painters, and gave him the last sitting a few days ago. The portrait is pronounced excellent. I shall ship it by an early steamer to Boston, and send you a bill of lading, "with freight and all charges paid. " Very respectfully and truly yours, "George Peabody." 210 THE LIFE OF QEOBOE PEABODY. Besides these gifts above mentioned were those of twcnty-{ivo thousand dollars to the Phillips Academy at Andover, Mass., and ton thousand dollars to tho Sanitary Commission during the war. Truly the wealth God gave into George Peabody's hands was widely, and it would seem wisely, scattered. •' '"! iT'/l > »■ .) t : ,;• , 1 .■>/ )-.»K.Mii\l I:et Illness of Mr. Peabodj. — f '■■ '■"#-**' ■ I'f* : '■■■ -I'.bm ■= 't? The Lightning News. — The Comments of the Press. — Respect shown to "" Mr. Peabody's Memory. — Portraits of Mr. Peabody. Ill ,'">■' .,,!, " So live, that, when thy Bummons comes to Join The innnmcrable caravan that movca *""■'" To that mysterious realm where each shall take His chamber In the silent halls of death, . .( L . . • ; Thou go not lilso iho quarry-slave at night Scourged to his dungeon; but, suBtaincd Olid soothed ^ ' '■ By an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave '' I • :i M Like one that draws the drapery of his couch f; . ' ir ' J About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams." Bryant's Thanatopsis. '* And as we have borne the image of the earthy, wo shall also bear the image of the heavenly." — 1 Cob. xv. 49. [CROSS the British cable, at the midnight hour, there came a solemn message. " George Peabody is dead I " was the report. The light- ning news flies rapidly ; and, before many hours, America had learned, from east to west, from north to south, that the man who had given away so many millions while he lived had gone to that world where dollars are no longer needed, but where he would 828 224 THE LIFE OP GEORGE PEABODY. find that the money given away judiciously is really saved. ^ , - ^ f.)} " London, 4th, midnight. — George Peabody died at lialf-past eleven o'clock to-night, at his residence in this city,". »/as the telegram. And forthwith the newspapers of England and America vied with each other in furnish- ing biographical sketches of the departed, with illustrations showing his well-known lineaments or the place of his birth. The name which Victoria wrote sounded from the lips of the little newsboy as he besought the wayfarer to learn the latest intelligence. The London papers were filled with expressions of mingled regret and respect. " The London Times " said, — . . * . " The news of Mr. Peabody's death will be received with no common sorrow on both sides of the Atlantic. The sentiment of regret will not be a mere passing tribute of gratitude to a munificent benefactor. Mr. Peabody, through a long life, accumulated manifold titles to be lamented. He was an ardent patriot, and loved abroad as much as at home. He was no courtier ; yet he was hon- ored by sovereigns and princes. He was profuse in his charity, which pauperized nobody. He was a philanthro- pist, who was liked as well as honored. There was noth- ing hard or narrow about his philanthropy. He simply did whatever good came in his way." " The Post," in its obituary article, said, " Mr. Peabody was one of the few whose private virtues are followed by public fame, and whose virtues may be cited as examples. In laying the 1 for the worki duty, and tou made his me Tiiroughout hii of character th teelings his gen "The Tele; doubly happy, tell, with unqu< kind, and servec " The Daily ] of impulsive, er cious, widely-sp posthumous. U not surrender w] both to his nativ graciously recogi Congress. Merc need to learn fro; to gain money; bo wisely spent." The governor nize the claim o his inaugural add injustice to his o\ parture, Gov. Cla " George Peab( 16 '< DEATH OF MR. PEABODY. <0OK 225 In laying the foundation of wholesorao and cheerful homes for the working-classes, he acted upon a high stnse of duty, and touched the mainspring of civilization. Ho made his means the measure of his philanthropy. Throughout his whole life, his conduct displayed a purity of character that could not fail to elevate and refine the leeUngs his generosity inspired." " The Telegraph " said, " Mr. Peabody's lot was doubly happy. The inscription on his mausoleum may tell, with unquestioned truth, of the man who loved his kind, and served' two countries." " The Daily News" said, "Mr. Peabody was not a man of impulsive, emotional benevolence, but rather of judi- cious, widely-spread beneficence. His liberality was not posthumous. He gave from his own substance, and did not surrender what death wrested from him. His services both to his native and adopted country were fittingly and graciously recognized in royal letters and the thanks of Congress. Merchants, in passing his statue daily, do not need to learn from the consummate man of business how to gain money : his career may teach them how it may bo wisely spent." ' • " ' ' • ' ; ""' -' The governor of his native State did not fail to recog- nize the claim of Mr. Peabody to honorable mention in his inaugural address ; and, after saying that he should do injustice to his own feelings if he did not notice his de- parture. Gov. Claflin went on to say, — George Peabody has been a faithful representative of 16 (( 22C TIIK LIFE OP GEOUOR PEABODY. tlio peoplo of ]iis state and nation in a foreign land. His personal charaeter and connnorcial success would command respect anywhere ; but the nobleness of his nature, which led him to make such munificent and princely gifts for the benefit of his fellow-men in both hemispheres, without re- gard to rank or color, has given him world-wide fame, and no title could add lustre to his name. His remains arc to rest in the soil of his native State, whoso peoi)lo will ever honor him as the benefactor of his race. His influence survives him in the noble institutions which he founded ; and generations yet unborn will bless his name and revere his memory^" The doors of the Peabody Academy of Science in Sa- lem were draped in mourning, and the following resolu- tions at once passed : ,! ' , ' 1 " Jiesolvedy That the trustees of the Peabody Academy of Science recognize in the death of the distinguished founder of this academy the termination of a life actuated by a noble ambition to benefit and instruct mankind. '* Resolved^ That here in his native county, among the many noble institutions he has founded, wo are keenly sen- sible of the greatness of his work, and the magnitude of our loss ; • yet a fame so pure and a life so good leave nothing to bo said in praise. ' i * ^^ liesolved, That, while the people of two continents are paying their tributes to his memory, we tender our sympathies to his kindred and friends in their bereave- ment ; and ro> nnu'h good ace ties, and the as " Ite8olvcd, ' of tho trustees, ing proper resp making the neci '' lieaolvcd, 1 the immediate r -,1 .f The Legislatu Mr. Peabody's memory by the i ''Ilesolvcd, Tl ceives with deep George Peabody his constant and able career as a t as a philanthropif principles, whetln self tho admiratio character to futu American citizen. *' liesohedy -Th him to become th living, to distribul ignorant, degradec serves especial apj IJRATII OV MR. PKAUODY. n 227 ment ; and rcj' ' ,u that his life was prolonged to witnc ss so much good accomplished by his wiso and munificent chiri- ties, aJid the assurance of their great I'uturo usefulness. " Resolved^ That the president be instructed, in behalf of the trustees, to co-operato with other institutions in pay- ing proper respect to the memory of Mr. Pcabody, and in making the necessary preparations for his funeral. " Resolved^ That a copy of these resolutions bo sent to the immediate relatives of the deceased." , ^i Uit^ Tiie Legislature of Massachusetts did not fail to notice Mr. Peabody's departure, and paid duo respect to his memory by the following resolutions : — ^* Resolvcdy That the Legislature of Massachusetts re- ceives with deep regret the intoUigenco of tho death of George Peabody, who, by tho rare simplicity of his life, his constant and untiring industry, his upright and honor- able career as a merchant, his broad and liberal charities as a philanthropist, and his steady devotion to republican principles, whether at homo or abroad, has won for him- self tho admiration of his countrymen, and left his life and character to future generations as a model of tho true American citizen. . ,; *' Resolved^ 'That tho unusual sagacity which prompted him to become tho executor of his own estate, and, while living, to distribute his vast means in a way to bless the ignorant, degraded, and needy for all time to come, de- serves especial approbation ; while the still more remarka- 228 Tins LIFE OF GEOnOK PKAHODY. blo spirit of catholicity which pervaded all his acts of benevolence entitle him to the grftteful praises of all the people. ' > ,. ^ ... , i. >•, *' Resolved^ That a joint special committee, consisting of live on the part of the Senate, and ten on the part of the House, be appointed to attend the funeral of the de- ceased, as a special tribute to his memory in behalf of the Commonwealth. . " Resolved^ That his Excellency the Governor be re- quested to cause a certified copy of these resolutions to bo forwarded to the family of the deceased. ; >Tfj >«:i to ** Resolved^ That, as an additional testimonial of its re- spect, each House do now adjourn." ifV-i > Resolutions of a similar character were passed by vari- ous cities, towns, states, and by Congress itself. Salem thus testified her respect : — ^^IVhereaa The death of George Peabody has. been an occasion of grief to two continents, — his remains be- ing now brought to this country under distinguished hon- ors ; and whereas we desire tp place upon record some testimonial of our respect for this distinguished philanthro- pist : therefore be it '* Resolved, That in the death of George Peabody Lho world has lost a benefactor, the nation a citizen whose acts of benevolence have reflected honor upon his native coun- try, and onr city one who has honored his place of resi- dence by the foundation of a most useful Academy of Science. DEATH OF MR. PICADODY. 229 " Jlcsolvedj That the City Council will signify its appre- ciation of the distinguished and noble services of the do- ceased by attending his funeral in a body. " Resolved^ Tliat these resolutions bo entered in full upon the records of the City Council, and that a copy of them bo transmitted to the family of the deceased." ; v Peabody passed the following resolutions: — ^ v. "At a meeting of the citizens of Peabody, held last evening, to take action in regard to the funeral obsequies of the late George Peabody, Lewis Allen, moderator, Hon. Benjamin C. Perkins offered the following resolu- tions, which were adopted: — " Resolved^ That we, the citizens of the birthplace of George Peabody, deeply sympathize in the emotions of sorrow, veneration, and love, which, on both continents, have been occasioned by the death of the philanthropist of the agp. ** Resolved^ That our memories associated with his life are personal as well as public. Here was his birthplace, and the home of his childhood ; here was his first public endowment of the Institute which bears his name, and uhich will speak to generations to come of the love he bore to his native town. To us he has confided the cus- tody of those sacred relics which were dear to him as tokens of the gratitude of both his native and adopted countries. " Resolved^ That the munificent endowments of institu- 230 TIIH Lll'K OF QEOIUIK I'KAJIODY. •V' tions of scicnoo and loarnin;^ boar tlu« improsa of tho im- mortal niaxiin wliich ))n)mj)tv(l his first public ondowmout in this town: * Kilucation, — a (K'bt froin tho j)rosont to fii- turo (Tonorations.' Movod by tho prinoiph's of this maxim, from tho aooiimuhitioiis of ius iiuUistry ho has with iiis own hands spread tho tabic to wiuoh ho has iuvitod fiitmo ponorations to partake of * tiio treasures of scionoo and tho doniiljts of loarninji.* ^^ Jlcsolved^ Tliat, wliilo wo mourn his death, wo unite in g-atitudo to God that lie has j^iven tl»o worKl Bueh a sample of practical Christianity, knowing; no creed, no sect, no party ; and, wliilo deatli may hide from us tho manly form, that is left to us which cannot bo hidden, — his great example of wisdom and amiability, which will teach tho world that ho who seeks famo the least is most sure to gain it. " Resolved^ That we deej)ly sympathize with the rela- tives of Mr. Peabody, who were deprived of tho sad pleas- ure of performing the last kind offices. " Hcsolvedy That in pursuance of the last wish of Mr. Peabody, that his funeral services should take place in his native town, we will make the necessary arrangements for the services upon the arrival of his remains ; and that we choose a committee, consisting of the board of selectmen and nine others, to co-operate with tho trustees of the Pea- body Institute, with full powers to carry into effect tho object of these resolutions. ' *• - ^* Mesolved, That these resolutions be placed upon the records of tho relatives of JVJ Uniti'd States PeaI>ody ; __ *' Joint lltmluti of the United N country and the "nd whcrcaa tin of l-«ondon, and traordinary prov n.'itivo land : the " Be it rcsolvet lives of the Unite. That tho Preside] make sucdi j)repai distinguished ])hi deeds, and in a inagnaninn'fy, and ^' And be it fart '>J such ceremonii premises sliall bo otlicn-wise appropri " Approved Dec 1 DKATir nV MR. T'RAnonY. 2nt roforils of tlio town, mvl tliut copies bo «ont to tho noar ri'lutivcs of Ml". I'l'iii ctly." , ^ - ». ' ''• iiy tliu fullowiii^j, it will In* soen tliut lin^ (Jon;^n»HS of tlio Unitod States also iioti(H*(l Huitahiy tim dcpartiiru uf Mr* iVahody:— - ;, »., ,, .„,.,... *' Pinu.K; Ilr.soLiJTioN, No. 0. " Joint Itvuolution of Trihuto. to (he Minntry of Ot'or(je Pea- *^Whereaay In tlio ileath of Goor^o I'oahody, a native of tho United States, and late a resident of ICn;j;land, onr country and the world have sustained an inestiniahle loss ; and whrreaa the Queen of (ireat Hritain, the authorities of London, and tho Kniperor of France, have made ex- traordinary [)rovision for the transfer of his reuiuins to Win native land : therefore " Be it rcmlvcd by the Senate and Hoime of Hrpre^enta- tiuea of the United Siutea of America in Conyreas anHftm/Ued^ That tho President of tlic United States ho authorized to make .such j)reparatioti for the reception of the body of (Uir distinguished philanthropist as is merited by his glorious deeds, and in u manner commensurate with tho Juulice, magnanimity, and dignity of a great people. ^'' And he it further reaolved^ That the expenses incurn-d by such ceremonial as tho President may adopt in the premises shall be paid by any money in the treasury not othcn'wise appropriated. " Approved Dec. 2'?, 18G9." 232 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. Portraits of Mr. Beabody became at once in great de- mand; and engrayings and photographs of the rare giver soon multiplied. One published by B. B. Russell of Bos- ton has received the commendation of Mr. Peabody's relatives and friends, and is adorning many homes where his name is honored. v -■r\/!\l: -- i T, ,';■ , _ ,!;1|W.v Westminster Abbey scription of the Procession on the <„:.. . :■• 'fi-^L'-. ^.>vl;^.J^„" "AI Lii RIc Th( " A good name is rathe; tA.i^J--'. '■'i r\ 't; l-vtil ^R. PI it wa conve whici: he had placed the — Sir Curtis Lai with tlie public vi over his coffin in Tliis ceremony, attended with no of the lord-mayo] the number of c; 1. t i 'i ■.'u CHAPTER XVII. FUNERAL IN ENGLAND. Westminster Abbey. — Transportation of the Remains to America. — De- scription of the Ship " Monarch." — Focm suggested by the Faneral Procession on the Ocean. • • " All flesh ia grass, and all its glory fades Like the fair flower dishevelled in the wind; Riches have wings, and grandeur is a dream : The man we cclcbnite must And a tomb."— CowpEB. « A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold." — Phov. xxii. 1. [R. PEABODY'S remains were embalmed ; as it was his desire that his remains should be conveyed to America, to be laid in the tomb which he had built at Dan vers, and in which he had placed the body of his mother. But his executors — Sir Curtis Lampson, and Mr. C. Reed, M.P. — complied with the public wish to let a funeral-service be performed over his coffin in Westminster Abbey before its removal. This ceremony, which took place on Friday week, was attended with no extraordinary pomp, saving the presence of the lord-mayor and sheriffs in their official robes, and the number of carriages, including those of the Queen 238 234 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. and Prince of Wales, that followed the hearse from Eaton Square. But the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs were also present among the mourners ; and Gen. Grey, as representative of her Majesty. The interior of the abbey was crowded in every part by a silent and sympathizing congregation, most of whom wore mourning apparel. The multitude outside, in Broad Sanctuary and Victoria Street, consisting chiefly of workmen's wives and other poor women, seemed equally impressed with the feeling of the occasion. The cofiin, which was covered in black velvet, and surmounted by a wreath of immortelles, was carried by ten men, and deposited on a stage in front of the steps- leading up to the altar. The mourners took their places on seats reserved for them on each side of tlie sacra- rium ; and inside the rails of the coramunion-table were seated the lord-mayor, sheriffs, and under-sheriffs, together with JNIr. Gladstone and the Earl of Clarendon, and Gen. Grey in private dress, as the representative of her Ma- jesty. The " Sentences," " I am the Resurrection," hav- ing been sung, and the ninetieth Psalm, " Lord, thou hast been our refuge," having been chanted by the choir. Archdeacon Jennings read the Lesson from 1 Cor. xv. The Lesson ended, the funeral procession was resumed , and, while an anthem was sung, the coffin was carried back, as before, into the nave, and placed by the side of an opening three feet deep, into which it was lowered, the service at the grave being read by the sub-dean, the Rev. Lord J( vice, the « organ; while ward to take shallow recep door of the inscription : — w.. " George Peai The Bishop I the abbey on g The honors tic are as unus vate individual benevolence wl thropist. It wj London Telegr body to his na United Kingdoi " The rarely ship as the *fu enhanced by th at her Majesty'j grocer's boy will proud a bier as of England will FUNERAL IN ENGLAND. 235 Rev. Lord John Tbynne. At the conclusion of the ser- vice, the " Dead March in Saul " was played on the organ ; while the mourners one after anotlier stepped for- ward to take a parting look at the coffin as it lay in its shallow receptacle, near the third arch from the western door of the nave. The coffin-lid bore the following inscription : — " George Peabody, born at Danvers, Mass., Feb. 18, 1795. in London, England, Nov. 4, 1869." Died V'I'tH. The Bishop of London preached a funeral sermon in the abbey on Sunday morning. . ''The honors to Mr. Peabody on both sides of the Atlan- tic are aS unusual and unparalleled in the case of a pri- vate individual as are exceptional the magnificent acts of benevolence which illustrated the life of this great philan- thropist. It was a worthy idea, first suggested by " The London Telegraph," to convey the remains of Mr. Pea- body to his native country in the first war-vessel of the United Kingdom. " The London Telegraph " says, — *' The rarely paralleled honor of sending a Queen*a ship as the * funeral-barge ' of George Peabody will be enhanced by the selection of perhaps the noblest vessel at her Majesty's disposal ; and he who began life as a grocer's boy will be borne to his transatlantic grave on as proud a bier as any dead king could have. The people of England will thank and applaud their sovereign and 236 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. her government for this last and crowning recognition of thc) noble-hearted giver, whose inexhaustible love for his race has revived the almost forgotten standard of per- fect charity. The people of the United States, too, will solemnly welcome to their shores the stately vessel which brings to them these sacred relics ; seeing, in her, proof that we have regarded George Peabody as an ambassador of peace and unity between the Anglo-Saxon nations as well, as a common benefactor, and that we restore to America the body of such an envoy with the insignia which become his grand commission and high moral embassage. . * .... " It is not possible to put these feelings into more majes- tic or more emphatic language than will be conveyed by the spectacle of our great war-ship's arrival beyond the ocean, bearing this honored corpse. Words are easily written and spoken ; but acts make history, and reach the hearts of men through their eyesight. And the eyes of the whole world, in a sense, will be directed upon this liew employment of a first-rate ship-of-war. Humanity will note the weighing of that stern liner's anchor, with that novel freight of a trader's coffin ; hum laity will fol- low the passage of the swift engine of ' i.r across the billows upon her unaccustomed mission of peace and sad courtesy ; and humanity will watch the reception of the superb chief mourner in the waters of the Western Republic. There has never really been paid, within the memory of man, so pure a tribute to virtue and to worth, FUNERAL IN ENGLAND. 237 apart from all those considerations which usually govern the attribution of national homajjet " It is true that the benefactions of the generous Amer- ican were such and so great, that, by their mere amount, he had made two empires his debtors. But the perfect loving-kindness, and unstained integrity and benevolence, with which he gave away his gold to house and to teach the poor, sank into the hearts of his fellow-countrymen on both sides of the Atlantic more deeply than the weight of the gold itself would have done. He made his magnifi- cent gifts richer by the simplicity and'sincerity of his giving ; and, being dead, we now carry him back to rest among his own kindred, as not only the friend, but also the noble examplar, of the two empires. Sailors usually object to convey the dead on board their ships ; but there will be no such feeling on the present occasion. If any burden could be honorable to carry, if any freight could hallow and protect a vessel upon the sea, it would be the mortal remains of George Peabody, who was the brother and the friend of every one that speaks English, and such a man as, living or dead, it was and is good to have to do with. " There will be left for us in England only the menioiy of the generous gentleman, when our mourning man-of- war sets sail and steers for the lights of Portland harbor. But they who watch for the Queen's ship upon the other side will confess that we have done all that we could do to make that memory green and beautiful among our chil- 238 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. dren, and to pay the princely merchant all imaginable respect. They will haVe read, before the majestic vessel approaches their coast, how tender and solicitous the Queen has been in regard to Mr. Peabody's health ; how she longed to see him, and chat * quietly ' with him ; how she intended to call at his London home, and shake hands with * her friend,' but that the rapid progress of the fatal illness made it impossible. They will know, too, that, yesterday, we paid to his relics the last observances of the Christian ritual ; nay, at the very time when the organ was pealing the^ead March through the columns of the abbey, and the funeral-bells were rocking in its tower, strains of melodious mourning and sympathetic knells in the cities of America were responding across the expanse of the ocean. They will have heard how we gave him, so far as we could give, those obsequies of reverence and regard as an honor reserved for the greatest among our dead ; nor would a resting-place in the ancient abbey have been for a moment denied to his relics, if we had had the right to lay his noble dust among that of our worthies and our sovereigns. But the dying man desired to sleep ' with his fathers ; ' and America has the indispu- table claim to enrich her soil with those precious remains : so that it was only left to the Queen and to the people of England to show, with ' maimed rights ' and such signs of affection and gratitude as were possible, what was thought of the Danvers merchant in proud and aristocratic Britain. When they reflect in Mr. Peabody*s country upon what FUNERAL IN ENGLAND. 239 we have done, and see the great man-of-war sail into port with ensign at half-mast and minute-guns firing, they will not be dissatisfied with us, nor sorry that George Peabody breathed his last among th- '.-'. glish half of his fellow- citizens. They will say that we have done ourselves and them and virtue honor in thus reverencing the consum- mate humanity which was in this king of givers ; and it will happen, as we have said before, that the dead body of George Peabody will complete the work done by his liv- ing hand and heart. There will arise, out of this funeral voyage of the Queen's new fighting-ship, a thought calcu- lated to take the trade away from fighting-ships altogether ; a feeling which advances civilization with a voiceless charm of impulse. Men will be set meditating, on both sides of the Atlantic, how much wiser, better, and higher is the spirit of peace than the spirit of war ; how strong must be that spirit of peace and union which can control men even from the shroud and the cerements ; and, above all, how shameful and strange in the eyes of civili- zation the spectacle would be, if the land that sent home George Pcabody's remains, and the land which received ' the noble heart that beats no more,' should ever again bandy words of menace and hatred." Among the tributes early paia to Mr. Peabody's mem- ory were those of Louis Blanc and Victor Hugo. The following is an extract from Victor Hugo's letter, published in " The London Times : " — 240 THE LIFE OF GEOKQE PEABODY. 1 .i!' "Hauteville, Dec. 2, 18G9. *' Monsieur, — Your letter came to me Dec. 2. 1 thank you. It brings me to tliis souvenir, I forgot the pjmpire, and think of America. I was turned toward night : I turn toward the day. You ask a word from mo on George Peabody. In your sympathetic illusion, you believe me to be what I am not, — a voice from France. I am, I have said before, but a voice from exile. No matter, monsieur : a noble appeal like yours can be heard. Little as I am, I ought to respond, and do so. ^-^ " Yes, America has reason to be proud of this great citizen of the world and great brother of all men, — George Peabody. Peabody has been a happy man who would suffer in all sufferings, a rich man who would feel the cold, the hunger, and thirst of tlie poor. Having a place near Rothschild, he found means to change it for one near Vincent de Paul. Like Jesus Christ, he had a wound in the side : this wound was the misery of others. It was not blood flowed from this wound : it was gold which now came from a heart. " On this earth there are men of hate and men of love : Peabody was one of the latter. It is on the face of these men that we can see the smile of God. What law^ do they practise ? One alone, — the law of frater- nity, divine law, humane law ; which varies the relief according to the distress ; which here gives precepts, and there gives millions ; and traces through the centuries in our darkness a train of light, and extends from Jesus poor to Peabody wealthy. "May Pej world envies and our heart of the seas I can never disj Z " The Time ^"•■"Si«,-.Th body proved hi the whole civil fore, in duty be how deeply I m the illustrious J the most needy " It was but 1 so much is thoi George Peabody public gratitude, kings, princes, ai noble deeds ; anc mitted to a temp Westminster Abl to his native lane any thing to com] to the high estin the eminent pliilji that there sliould 16 FUNERAL IN ENGLAND. 241 " May Peabody return to you, blessed .by us I Our world envies yours. His fatherland will guard his ashes, and our hearts his memory. May the moving immensity of the seas bear him to you I The free American flag can never display enough stars above his coffin." " The Times " also published the following : — '< London, Dec. 9, 1869. " Sia, — The death of so good a man as George Pea- body proved himself to be is a public calamity, in which the whole civilized world ought to share. I feel, there- fore, in duty bound to express, in answer to your appeal, how deeply I mourn, as a Frenchman and as a man, for the illustrious American whose life was of such value to the most needy of his fellow-men. " It was but natural, that in a country like this, where so much is thought of long lineage, and station in life, George Peabody should receive, as the only fit token of public gratitude, the same kind of respect which is paid to kings, princes, and men of noble birth, as well as men of noble deeds ; and that his mortal remains should be com- mitted to a temporary resting-place beneath the nave of Westminster Abbey, to be sent afterward in a skip-of-war to his native land, — the land of freedom. Nor is there any thing to complain of in this national mode of testifying to the hiffh estimation in which the British nation held the eminent philanthropist. Yet I cannot help lamenting that there should be for men of that stamp no particular 16 242 TUB LIFB OF QEOBOB PfiABODY. sort of homage better calculated to show how Httle, com- pared to them, are most of kings, princes, noblemen, renowned diplomatists, world-famed conquerors. • " It was not the kind-hearted republican trader who was honored bv the fact of beinjx consigned to rest in Westminster Abbey, but rather those who were consid- ered to be worthy of sleeping there their last sleep, on account of their rank, not of their virtue, " The number of mourners assembled within the pre- cincts of the sacred edifice, their silent sorrow, the tears shed by so many, and, in several parts of London, the readiness of the shopkeepers to give expression to their grief by closing their shops and lowering their blinds, — these were the homages really in keeping with the affec- tionate admiration due to one whose title in history will be this (the highest a rich man can aspire to), — the friend of the poor. I am, sir, obediently yours, " ^ " Louis Blanc. *' Col. Berton, Chairman American Committee." placed was burning thi convoyed b for tliat sei conferrino- o " The "h( poem, entitle For want of space, a full description of the war-ship " Monarch," in which Mr. Peabody's remains were for- warded to America, cannot be given. Suffice it to say, that it was one of the largest iron-plated ships in the English navy, with an armament of nine guns. The gu s in " The Monarch's " turrets are said to have no peers on land or sea. The room in which the coffin of Mr. Peabody was AnI FUNERAL IN ENGLAND. 243 placed was appropriately draped, and candles were kept burning throughout the voyage. " The Monarcli " was convoyed by an American and a French vessel detailed for that service, to add to the honor old England was conferring on the man who gave millions away. " The Hearth and Home " published the following poem, entitled ■.. THE FUNERAL FLEET. All in tho' winter silcnco, ; . Rapt with a sense of nwc, — A vision Imlf, and lialf a ilruiim, — Tiiis was tho sight I saw : — A vision of the sea, ? And consort-vessels two : The red cross on tlie flag of one ; And the other, red, white, and blue. I '■-"■'■.' ' ' ' No ripple at the pro>ir8, t No wake of shimmering spray ; Like cloudlets white in tho pale moonlight They glided on their way. Sentinels paced the deck . ' With solemn tread and still : " Peace " was tho watchword that they gave ; Tho answering word, " Good will." An angel nt the helm Stood, all in garments white-; And nngcls hovered o'er the keel, And guided through the night. 244 THB LIFE OF GEOROB PEADODY. They bring no crownfed kin}» ; Theirs is a holier trust : They boar a treasure from nfur, — A good man's sucrcd dunt, Mourned by the rich he taught, Mourned by the poor ho fed, Mourned by a race with whom hu broke A nobler food than bread. '* To the soil that gave him birth _ \ '. ♦ . .'. They bring him for his rest : /, Blue shall his native violets bo Above his honored breast. A vision of the sea, < .^ . And consort-vessels two : ' ■ The red cross on the flag of one ; I . And the other, red, white, and hine. Allin the winter silence, ' Rapt with a sens© of awe, — ' • A vision half, and- half a dream, "^ This was the sight I saw. < \i: ;?> RccopMon of th — Mr. " Glory, honor, ar tj la \\i ty their pres< wliarves of P attended ever « place. The fc taken as an e;, appreciated th^ is entitled " T "Lo He • CHAPTER XVIIT. ' FUNERAL IK A 7 r E R 1 A. RcccpMon of the Remains in America. — The Fam: .' in flarmony Qrove* — Mr. Winthrop's Eulogy. — Prince Artitci of Englunrt. ' " Unrivalled oa thy merit bo t' y fai' e."— Tickbll. " Olory, honor, and peace to every man that workcth good, — to the Jew first, an J alio to the Gentile."— Rom. II. 10. [REAT preparations were made in America for the reception of Mr. Peabody's remains. Legis- latures adjourned to attend in a body. Pub- lic dignitaries paid due respect to his memory by their presence ; and private individuals thronged the wharves of Portland wh^n ** The Monarch " arrived, and attended every motion of the body towards its final resting- place. The following poem by Howard Glyndon may be taken as an erpjnent of the sentiment of Americans wlio appreciated the noble deeds of the distinguished dead : it is entitled " The Coming of the Silent Guest : " — "Lo ! England sends him back to us. With scalbd eyes and folded pnlms : He drifts across the wintry sea, , . Which chants to him its thousand psalms. * 84* 246 THE LIFE OP GEORGE PEABODT. '^■<'/A 'Ji! ' ./ / Wc proudly name and claim him ours ; Wc take him, England, from thy breast ; W(f open wide our doors to him Who Cometh home a silent guest. ' Wc lent him thee to teach thy sons The lesson of the Open Hand, Lest famished lips should bless them less Than him, — the stranger in their land. Wc lent him, living, unto thee, • To be a solace to thy pain ; But now we \jrant his noble dust, H To consecrate it ours again. . ^. ^ England, wo take him from thine arms; •, We thank thee for thy reverent care : If thou and we were ever friends. We should be so beside his bier. nis memory should be a spell To banish spleen and bitterness. : 2^ Have kindlier thoughts of us, — for he h •' . Was tender unto thy distress, — ^ As we have kindlier thoughts of thee Because of honor done to him ; For, while we weep, we turn to see That English eyes with tears are dim." Space forbids that much should be said concerning the reception of the honored remains. Thpy were removed to the City Hall in Portland, and lay in state there, and afterwards in the town of Peabody, visited by thousands, who could see only, however, the catafalque and its sur- roundings. Sentinels were on guard, and every possible ■ . -■ . ,f honor paid were fitted 1 reference to pealed at his called). Ac exercises wer lamps dimly new robes of the fifth of its grave; wreat funeral fragra were the life] ones were, fir with a score or Prince and his red uniforms of setts and his si and origins folk old-fashioned c] mass of rank ai before in a New Music approp; funeral-exercises read the Scrip^u ered the followin " While I hi decline the requ 11 e FIJNEBAL IN AMERICA. 247 honor paid by all to the merndty of the departed. Cars were fitted by the Eastern-Railroad Company with special reference to the funeral ; and bells rang while minute-guns pealed at his funeral in Danvers (or Peabody, as it is now called). According to " Z ion's Herald," "The church exercises were impressive, if not solemn. Draped walls ; lamps dimly burning; high pulpit, looking higher in its new robes of death; the body lifted high up before it,— the fifth of its prominent resting-places on its way to the grave ; wreaths, crosses, and crowns of flowers, whose funeral fragrance sweetens and sickens the air, — these were the lifeless accessories of the event. The living ones were, first, the brother and sister of the deceased, with a score or two of relatives ; next behind them sat the Prince and his suite, — he in black, they in gold dnd the red uniforms of the army." The Governor of Massachu- setts and his suite were near, and " dignitaries of all sorts and origins followed these heads of rival States ; and the old-fashioned church was speedily filled with a more solid mass of rank and fame than was probably ever gathered before in a New-England Congregational meeting-house." Music appropriate to the occasion formed a part of the funeral-exercises. Rev. Daniel Marsh of Georgetown read the Scriptures ; and Hon. Robert C. Winthrop deliv- ered the following funeral-oration : — „ . rr *' While I have been unwilling, my friends, wholly to decline the request of your committee of arrangements, or i 248 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. V to seem wanting to any service "which miglit perchance have gratified liim, whom, in common with you all, I have so hojiorod and loved, I have still felt deeply, and I cannot help feeling at this moment more deeply than ever before, that any words of mine might well have been spared on this occasion. " The solemn tones of the organ, the plaintive notes of the funeral-chant, the consoling lessons of the Sacred Scrip- tures, the fervent utterances of prayer and praise, — these would seem to me the only appropriate, I had almost said the only endurable, interruptions of the silent sorrow which befits a scene like this. -> -- *' Even were it possible for me to add any thing worth adding to the tributes, on both sides of the ocean, which already have well-nigh exhausted the language of eulogy, the formal phrases of a detailed memoir or of a protracted and studied panegyric would congeal upon my lips, and fall frozen upon the ears and hearts of all whom I address, in presence of the lifeless form of one who has so long been the support, the ornament, the dear delight, of this village of his nativity. *' We cannot, indeed, any of us, gather around these cherished remains, and prepare to commit them tenderly und affectionately to their mother-earth, without a keen s(?nse of personal affliction and bereavement. He was too devoted and loving a brother, he was too kind and thoughtful a kinsman, he was too genial and steadfast a friend, not to be missed and mourned by those around me as few otiiers before. I am private and pu > " And yet, i which may wa fill's. Other c other emotions and swelhW ir tions of joy, on " Am I not r a cpreer lias tha length, before progress, from t Danvers — lienc name — to the followed by tha wliose wake upo end of time, en Lipse of years, -- from its humble j)Ietion, without almost of raptart " WJio, certaii of this extraordi it was so painless tliat it was so pn enabled once moi his great Amerit rUNEKAL IN AMERICA. 249 /<-.; as few others have ever been missed and mourned here before. I am not insensible to my own full share of the private and public grief which pSt'vades this community. " And yet, my friends, it is by no means sorrow alone which may well be indulged by us all at such an hour a» this. Other emotions; — I hazard nothing in saying, far other emotions — besides those of grief are even now rising and swelling in all our hearts, — emotions of pride, emo- tions of joy, emotions of triumph. 1 " Am I not rmht ? How could it be otherwise ? What a c?reer has that been, of which the final scene is now, at length, before us I Who can contemplate its rise and progress, from the lowly cradle in tl'is South Parish of old Danvers — henceforth to be known of all men by his name — to the temporary repose in Westminster Abbey, followed by that august procession across the Atlantic, whose wake upon the waters will glow and sparkle to the end of time, growing more and more luminous with the lapse of years, — who, I say, can contemplate that career, from its humble commencement to its magnificent com- pletion, without an irrepressible thrill of admiration, and almost of rapture? " Who, certainly, can contemplate the immediate close , of this extraordinary life, without rejoicing, not only that it was so painless, so peaceful, so happy in itself; not only that it was so providentially postponed until he had been enabled once more to revisit his native land to complete his great American benefactions, to hold personal inter- 250 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. course with those friends at the South for whose welfare the largest and most clierished of these benefactions was designed, and to take solemn leave of tliose to whom he was bound by so many ties of affection or of blood, — but that it occurred at a time and under circumstances so peculiarly fortunate for attracting the largest attention, and for giving the widest impression and influence, to his great and inspiring example ? " For this, precisely this, asl believe, would have been the most gratifying consideration to our lamented friend himself, could he have distinctly foreseen all that has hap- pened since he left you a few months since. Could it have been' foretold him, as he embarked with feeble strength and faltering steps on board his favorite ' Sco- tia' at New York on the 23d of September last, not merely that he was leaving kinsfolk and friends and native land for the last time, but that hardly four weeks would have elapsed after his arrival at Liverpool before he should be the subject of funeral honors by command of the Queen of England, and should lie down for a time beneath the consecrated arches of that far-famed minster, among the kings and counsellors of the earth ; could it have been foretold him that his acts would be the theme of eloquent tributes from high prelates of the Church, and from the highest minister of the Crown, and that Groat Britain and the United States — not always, nor often, alas I in perfect accord — should vie with each other in furnishing their proudest national ships to escort his FUNERAL IN AMERICA. 251 remains over the ocean, exhibiting such a funeral-fleet as the world in all its history had never witnessed before, — could all this have been whispered in his ear as it was catching those last farewells of relatives and friends, he must indeed have been more than mortal not to have experienced some unwonted emotions of personal gratifica* tion and pride. ' • '** >• : ? x? i ■;■ " But I do believe, from all I have ever seen or known of him, — and few others, at home or abroad, have of late enjoyed more of his confidence, — that far, far above any feelings of this sort, his great heart would have throbbed as it never throbbed before with gratitude to God and man, that the example which he had given to the world by employing the wealth which he had accumulated dur- ing a long life of industry and integrity in relieving the wants of his fellow-men wherever they were most appar- ent to him ; in providing lodgings for the poor of London ; in providing education for the children of our own deso- lated South ; in building a memorial-church for the pai ish in which \vs mother had worshipped ; in founding or en- dowing in^tvtutes and libraries, and academies of science, in the town in which he was born, in the city in which he had longest resided, and in so many other places with which, for a longer or a shorter time, he had been con- nected, — that this grand and glorious example of munifi- cence and beneficence would thus be so signally held up to th'3 contemplation of mankind in a way not only to commend it to their remembrance and regard, but to com- 252 THE LIFE OF GEOIIGE PEABODV. mand for it their respect and iniltalion. This, 1 feel as- sured, he would have felt to bo ti)C aci:\>mplislimoi!( of the warmest wish of lils heart, the c< usumuiatioa of li.o most cherished object of his life. " •'■- ■< i^- i'^ ^', " Our luruonted friend was not, indeed, without ambi- tion. He not only liked to do giand thiiigs, but Li* liked to da them in a grand w'.iy. AVe all remember those pumptuous and princely kinquets v/?th \vliich ho some- times diversified the habitual simplicity and frugality of .bis daily life. Ho was not without a decided taste for occasional display, — call it even ostentation, if you will. We certainly may not ascribe to, him a pre-eminent meas- ure of that sort of charity which shuns publicity, which shrinks from observation, and which, according to one of our Saviour's well-remembered injunctions, * doeth its alms in secret.* He may or ho .nay not have exercised as much of this kind of beneficence as any of those in similar condition around him : I fully believe that he did. We all understand, however, that ' Of that best portion of a good man's life, — His little, nameless, unrcmcmbcrcd acts Of kindness and of love,' — there can be no record except on high, or in the grateful hearts of those who have been aided and relieved. That record shall be revealed hereafter. The world can know little or nothing of it now. i ' .. "But any one must perceive at a glance that the sort of cliarity wl exercised was reserve. The institutions whi edifices which ] hid, which coul tlieii own intri world's eye. I acts in his lifetin as it will bo his j without suffering being known and He must have r for posthumous parting with his i them from a re notoriety and eel a career. " He did not no stranger to th modes of doin^r (^ not forget that t same incomparab * Let not thy left said also, * Let yo may see your goo is in heaven.' T chosen motto of ately be inscribed 1 FUNERAL IN AMERICA. 253 »-(p' of charity which our lamented friend illustrated and exercised was wholly incompatible with concealment or reserve. The great trusts wliicli he establislied, the great institutions which he founded, the capacious and costly edifices which he erected, were things that could not bo hid, which could not bo done in a corner. They were, in theii own intrinsic and essential nature, patent to the world's eye. He could not have performed these noble acts in his lifetime, as it was his peculiar choice to do, and as it will bo his peculiar distinction and glory to have done, without suffering himself * to be seen of men ; ' without beino; known and recognized and celebrated as their author. He must have postponed them all, as others have done, for posthumous execution, he must have refrained from parting with his millions until death should have wrested them from a reluctant grasp, had he shrunk from the notoriety and celebrity which inevitably attend upon such a career. . ;r -r - . ^ " He did not fail to remember, however, — for he was no stranijer to the Bible, — that there were at least two modes of doing good commended in Holy Writ. He did not forget that the same glorious gospel, nay, that the same incomparable Sermon on the Mount, wh'ch said, * Let not thy left hand know what thy right har i doeth,' said also, * Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.' This, this, might almost be regarded as the chosen motto of his later life, and might not inappropri- ately be inscribed as such on his tombstone. 264 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. " Certainly, my friends, his light has shone before men. Certainly they have seen his good works. And who shall doubt that they have glorified his Father which is in lieaven? Yes, glory to God, glory to God in the highest, has, I am persuaded, swollen up from the hearts of mil- lions in both hemispheres with a new fervor as they have foil )wed him in his grand circumnavigation of benevo- h nee, and as they have witnessed, one after another, his multifold and magnificent endowments. And his own heart, I repeat, would have throbbed and thrilled as it never thrilled or throbbed before with gratitude to God and man, could he have foreseen that the matchless example of munificence which it had been the cherished aim of his later years to exhibit would be rendered, as it has now been rendered, so signal, so inspiring, so endur- ing, so immortal, by the homage which has been paid to his memory by the princes and potentates, as well as by the poor, of the Old World, and by the government and the whole people of his own beloved country. ■-'■ ' " '- *'I have spoken of the exhibition of this example as having been the cherished aim of his later years ; but I am not without authority for saying that it was among the fondest wishes of his whole mature life. I cannot forget, that in one of those confidential consultations with which he honored me some years since, after unfolding his plans, and telling me substantially all that he designed to do, — for almost every thing he did was of his own original designing, — and when I was filled with admiration and FUNBRAL IN AMERICA. 25d amazement at the magnitude and sublimity of his pur- poses, he said to me, with that guileless simplicity which characterized so much of his social intercourse and conver- sation, * Why, Mr. Winthrop, this is no new idea to me. From the earliest years of my manhood, I have contem- plated some such disposition of my property ; and I havo prayed m^ heavenly Father, day by day, that I might be enabled, before I died, to show my gratitude for the blessings which he has bestowed upon me by doing some great good to my fellow-men.' " Well has the living laureate of England sung, in one of his latest published poems, — H'l * More things are wrought by prayer Than this world dreams of.' -Jf 'is' •?■.<'''*' >«''*i That prayer has been lieard and answered ; that no- ble aspu'ation has been more than fulfilled. The judg- ment of the future will confirm the opinion of the hour ; and History, instead of contenting herself with merely enrolling his name in chronological or alphabetical order as one among the many benefactors of mankind, will assign him, unless I greatly mistake her verdict, a place by himself, far above all competition or comparison, first without a second, as having done the greatest good for the greatest number of his fellow-men — so far, at least, as pecuniary means could accomplish such a result — of which there has thus far been any authentic record in merely human annals. 256 THE LIFB OF QEQROE PEABODY. " It would afford a most inadequate measure of his munificence were I to sum up the dollars or the pounds he has distributed, or the number of persons whom his perennial provisions for dwellings or for schools will have included, in years to come, on one side of the Atlantic or the other. Tried even by this narrow test, his benefi- cence has neither precedent nor parallel. But it is as liaving attracted and compelled the attention of mankind to the beauty, the nobleness, the true glory, of living and doing for others ; it is as having raised the standard of munificence to a de and the arts, ministers of the gospel, delegates from distant States, and rulers of thy own State, all eager to unite in paying such homage to a career of grand but simple beneficence as neither rank nor fortune nor learning nor genius could ever have commanded. "Chiefs- of the Republic, representatives and more than representatives of royalty, are not absent from thy bier. Nothing is wanting to give emphasis to thy example ; nothing is wi But what ea honors, shall hope and trus at this hour, t pangs and pag awards of etei amongst those Him who love( •' "And so w hearted friend ( After Mr. } anthem, was sung by tht solemn prayer, hymn, commenc and the benedi Marsh. The congregaf vice. TJie grea to the eulogy, an to be deeply, affec It was a touch FUNERAL IN AMERICA. 267 nothing is wanting to fill up the measure of thy fame. But what earthly honor, what accumulation of earthly honors, shall compare for a moment with the supreme hope and trust which we all humbly and devoutly cherish at this hour, tliat when the struggles and the victories, the pangs and pageants, of time shall be ended, and the great awards of eternity shall be made up, thou mayst be found amongst those who are * more than conquerors through Him who loved us ' ? "And so we bid thee farewell, — brave, honest, noble- hearted friend of mankind I " After Mr. Winthrop had concluded his remarks, the anthem, " Their sun shall no more go down," was sung by the choir, and the Rev. Mr. Marsh offered a solemn prayer. The services were closed with Watts's hymn, commencing, " Unveil thy bosom, faithful tomb ; " and the benediction was then pronounced by Rev. Mr. Marsh. * The congregation were most devout throughout the ser- vice. The greatest attention was paid by Prince Arthur to the eulogy, and at some portions of it he was observed to be deepl;y affected. It was a touching tribute of respect to the royal mother 268 THE LIFE OP GEORGE PEABODY. of Prince Arthur that he should he found among the mourners at the funeral of London's benefactor, in his far- off native land ; and his princely bearing while on his late visit to the United States has won the esteem of the na- tion, and reflected credit upon the mother whom England and America delight to honor. .^^ • >' -?;:•. Ki'::i'- CHAPTER XIX. DESERVED TRIBUTES. Newman Hall on George Pcabody. — Tributes from Various Sources. — The Pulpit's Voice in Praise of bia Beneficence. — List of bis Donations. "Nor let thy noble Bplrlt grieve Its I'fe of glorious fame to leave : A lii'e of honor and of worth Has no eternity on earth."— LoNOFElxow. *' Bender therefore, to all, their dues.'' — Rom. xili. 7. [HE mortal remains of the great benefactor now repose in Harmony Grove, — the spot select- ed by himself. This is a beautifully wooded rising ground near Salem, and bordering upon that part of Danvers now known as Peabody. " Upon the principal street of the latter, the visitor still sees the house, with its small shop-front, in which, as the boy of the village-store, many of the youthful days of the great philanthropist were spent. The little window of its nar- row attic is that of his bedroom." From it, doubtless, he often looked out on the green spot where his body rests. He has gone to the grave with the highest honors two 269 'i'y K " 270 THE LIFE OF GEOr^raE PEABODY. P'cat nations could pay. England and America buried him, and France looked on with sympatliy at the funeral. Eulogies fell from eloquent lips on both sides of the sea. Rev. Newman Hall preached a sermon in reference to his departure, from which the follow mg extracts are taken : — ' ' *' The old arches of Westminster Abbey never looked down on a spectacle more solemnly impressive, more touchingly eloquent, more sublime in its simplicity, than when, two days ago, the remains of George Peabody were deposited beneath its sacred pavement. What a sermon did that ancient cathedral preach to the assembled thousands, as they waited in sorrowful silence the arrival of all that was*mortal of the deceased philanthropist I . . . All the centuries of England's grand old history were looking down upon us. Spirits of Saxons and Normans, of steel-clad kings and feudal chiefs, of sturdy barons and mitred prelates, of mailed crusaders and shaven monks, of Cavaliers and Roundheads, of statesmen and jurists, of poets and orators, of philosophers and philanthropists, seemed to gather round, intent to watch the accession which this day would bring to those venerated vaults. . . . " Many a scene of pomp and splendor has that abbey witnessed ; but far more in harmony with its solemn architecture, impressive antiquity, and monuments of death, was such a scene as last Friday witnessed. The spacious building was crowded in every part by a multi- DESERVED TRIDUTES. 271 tudo clad in mourning attire, and bearing in their features and demoanor the expression of a reverential sorrow. If any spoke, while waiting till the appointed hour, it wjig with bated breat^- ) as not to disturb the express! '-? silence which v\ ' "ol^ 'n only by the solemn knell i'iL*vm the old tower p . er and anon through the arclies BO long ftmiliar with the sound. ... (, ** The funeral now solemnized was of a private citizen, who had sought no distinction of rank or title, but who, by industry and sagacity, accumulated vast treasures, which it was his delight to employ for the benefit of the poor. His was a warfare against want, in waging which he built many homes, and desolated none. His was a statesmanship which simply looked at suffering, and at once mitigated it by a generosity which could give no occasion to party difference, by a law of love which none would ever wish to repeal. An American citizen, his business and home were for many years in London. Here he beheld the miseries of the teeming multitudes of the poor, often . crowded together in unhealthy abodes, forbidding comfort, cleanliness, and decency. Blessed by Divine Providence with great prosperity in business, he felt it his pleasure to distribute of his treasures to the poor, rather than to go on augmenting the heap, so as to have the questionable credit of dying richer than most of his compeers. Besides large benefactions in his own country, successive donations have reached the sum of half a mil- lion sterling, invested in trustees, to be employed for the 1? m IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I liilii 125 ■^ lU 12.2 . |l.25 II . .4 |,.6 ^ 6« ► vh Vj /a / 4W ^ ^.^• > Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WiST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14SS0 (716)872-4503 •% ? ,'n;>H DESERVED TRIBUTES. 2T6 body, i pay there nd, — in the [id as t open I their forgive e same • West- ar ser- rs were r diplo- )usines3 out the ssibiUty ave of must juried ; menace jt mere Leis still of lib- world, ve shall lerhood, nd both co-operating to lead the van in the triumphant march of universal civilization, freedom, and peace. Other thoughts then crowded on my mind. The first was this : How. wise, yet how rare, the course which Mr. Peabody pur- sued 1 Having attended to personal claims, he had vast wealth remaining, — far beyond what he needed for him- self. He did not care to squander it in idle ostentation. It was impossible to exhaust it on his own wants or luxuries, had he been so disposed. Where would be the advantage of leaving behind him, to be disposed of by others, so vast a sum, when he might have the happiness of being his own almoner ? How petty the ambition of dying worth a fabulous sum of money I As we can take nothing with us, we cannot die worth any thing. Rich and poor alike came naked into the world, and naked they must leave it. It is certain we can carry nothing out. Why not, then, use it while we may, and enjoy the luxury of making others happy ? How awful it is to die rich, when such riches have been accumulated by neglecting the claims of religion and charity I With a thousand claimants for help ; with philanthropic machinery of all kinds standing still, or working inefficiently, for want of the fuel we possess and cannot use ourselves ; with the hungry crying for food, and- the ignorant claiming instruction, and sinners needing the gospel, 'perishing for lack of knowledge,' — it is a fearful responsibility to possess great wealth, an aw- ful crime to die rich, after a life of * covetousness which is idolatry.* , All honor to Mr. Peabody, that, in his lifetime, 276 THE LIFE OP GEORGE PEABODY. ho recognized the responsibility, as weli as enjoyed tlie privileges, of wealth ; and that he derived greater satisfac- tion in scattering his possessions amongst the poor than in indefinitely augmenting his store 1 " " The London Evening; Standard " contained the fol- lowing poetical tribute while the remains of Mr. Peabody were taking their solemn way across the deep : — REQUIESCAT IN PACE. '' We send him home. England sends homo her son, — her son (for he Is yours, and ye our first-born) ; sends him home As nations send the men they honor most, — In pride and state and pomp of splendid death. ,% We send him home. The land he lored to his own loving land, — The loan to the lender ; and we add thereto A royal usury, — a people's tears. We send him home, — The good, kind heart, the simple gentleman, — And, sending, say, " This body spans the gulf. We stretch across as with a fleshly arm. And our own flesh (oh, never doubt !) will clasp The hand of brotherhood with strong right hand. Wipe out the past, — all but the old kind years , Before an oft-regretted harshness snapt The filial link ; the years when England still Was * home ' to far-off" hearths, und saw with pride Her Titan offspring towering into strength. . . . DESERVED TRIBUTES. 277 Wipe out the past, — the wrongs, the unnataral strife, And the red blood that English hands have poured From English veins. War is a curse ; but war Botwixt one race, one kindred, doubly cursed." , - ' ^ What gain in war ? No gain ; but loss of much Of life, of treasure. Gain of honor, then 1 The weaker falls : what honor to the strong ? O war ! what honor hast thou ? Honor none. Bat war treads down the blossoming rose of peace ; With iron heel stamps out the smouldpring sparks Of spiritual fire, and the strugglings faint Of poor, blind, dumb humanity for light We send him home ! '• '"^ -- '■■ ■ :. Who showed a better way. With good, not ill, He nobly conquered, and, where drrkness reigns Amidst the abodes of night, made day, himself Blumined by the brightness that he gave. He taught us love ; and let us learn the theme,— Prelude alike and close of all that is. And whilst with stooping flag and muffled march The great ship bears the lowly to his rest ; Whilst twice ten thousand brazen lips ring woe. And thousand thousand hearts re-echo it ; Yea, whilst the funeral-peal is thundering forth Even from the black cannon-mouths agape for war, — Join we our hands above the gracious dead, And,* mingling tears in one long sorrow, swear To write this epitaph above him, — Peace. H. 0. P. The pulpit on both sides of the Atlantic gave its voice in favor of his beneficence, and made the name of Georgb Peabody a household word. , 278 THIS LIFE OF GEORGE PEABOUY. The following is a list of bis donations, in a convenient form for reference ; and it embraces all the more important public gifts of Mr. Peabody to various institutions and charities during his lifetime, including the bequests con- tained in his last will and testament : — To the State of Maryland, for negotiating the loan of $8,000,000, $60,000 To the Pcnbody Institute, Baltimore, Md., including accrued in- terest 1,500,000 To the Southern Educatjpn Fund 3,000,000 To Yale College. 150,000 To Harvard College 150,000 To Pcabody Academy, Massachusetts 140,000 To Phillips Academy, Massachusetts 25,000 To Peabody Institute, &c., at Peabody, Mass 250,000 To Eenyon College, Ohio 25,000 To Memorial Church in Georgetown, Mass , . 100,000 To Homes for the Poor in London 3,000,000 To Libraries in Georgetown, Mass., and Thetford, Vt 10,000 To Kane's Arctic Expedition 10,000 To different Sanitary Fairs 10,000 To unpaid moneys advanced to uphold the credit of States 40,000 Total $8,470,000 In addition to the above, Mr. Peabody made a large number of donations for various public purposes, ranging in sums from two hundred and fifty to one thousand dol- lars, and extending back as far as the year 1835. The amount of property left by him at his death is estimated at about four million dollars in value. With the exception of a few bequests in the will, this amount is- DESERVED TRIBUTES. 279 directed to be distributed among his relatives, including one brother, one sister, and about fourteen nephews and nieces. On his last visit to this country, ho divided among them one million five hundred thousand dollars ; and the property left at his death is to bo distributed in the same proportions to each as were awarded by him in that gift. ■>t (/ 000,0^ ■' >;;. ^'hi[. i large ■ :. . -yi y..r %ii ->'» ''■ -■■: anging ^ /i*r/ '.-'- ■ '•--r -^ '.•r"u/>s id dol- ,:. = ^..}^i i'i'vri: VM-i :V( -^'.^iv l.-i'. v^<- '.-'■•-' - - ,.-..';<;f-.j^'^'^ ->>v-*«-^--i.^% r. eath is -■^ii-''' <'r ^>'i' f/v ■,'•/,,■?■ 'i-^-^K-i'^^n^'v^'i^ ith the ount is- ■ ':. 'V-ifjii*.;-- . -!.l: ,;.;•:• ,■?■!,•;; ^i - ■ f.^4iC'i','ii.' If CHAPTER XX. THOUGHTS SUGGESTED. The Lessons of Gcorgo Fcabody's Lire. — Monej is Power. — A Conse- crntcd Purae is tliat of Fortunatus. '* Wo toll thy doom without a sigh ; For thou art Frocdom'a now, and Fame's,— "^ Ono of tho fow, tho Immortal namea That wero not born to dio." — IIalleck. ** Be not overoomo of evil ; but overcome o vil with good." — RoM. xil. 21. [RACE GREENWOOD paid a beautiful trib- ute to Mr. Peabody in an article entitled " The Good Giver." We have only space for a part of her true words. She said, — ** The honors paid to the memory of the late George Peabody are a cheering sign of the state of moral senti- ment in England. The English people, from the Queen to her humblest subject, reverenced this good giver as no other American citizen was ever reverenced in the mother-country. It shows that deeds of benevolence are getting to be more esteemed than deeds of valor, even in that land of military heroes. ... 280 TaOUGHTS BUGOESTED. 281 " When this man dictf, ns ho had lived, a simple Ameri- can citizen, the honors paid him hy the great of his ado|)ted country were personal rather than national trib- utes, altogetlier voluntary and loving ; while his sincerest mourners were among the humblest of the poor. * The blessing of those ready to perish ' canopied his hearse. We may almost think of angels as walking in his funeral- procession. . . . ' " Would that our rich capitalists might take homo the . lesson of George Peabody's wise and generous benefac- tions, and allow themselves the almost divine luxury of distributing their own charities of giving^ not willing ! " Who can doubt that the rich banker found a sweeter happiness, if not a keener pleasure, in scattering abroad, than ho had ever found in amassing his splendid fortune ? He cast his bread on the waters with a liberal hand ; and though he had here no return in kind, and needed none, amid the pleasant pastures of the better land, on the green banks of the river of life, it will all come back to him." ..,--■ The following poetical tribute appeared in "The New- York Independent : " — " Nations hftvo vied to do him honor, — him Whose royal heart went out to all his kind ; Whose hand e'er proved the princely almoner To do its generous bidding. Now in death Each throbbing pulse is stilled. Fold the white handa Upon the quiet breast : their work is done ! , ■ ' . 282 THE LIFE OF OEOBOi: PEABODY. or I'm Give liim brief pluro 'tnongat Kn^lanirB titled (lend, WliLTU kin;;!! and warriors, borno witli regal pomp And rites imposing, liu in gilded state, Wliilo o'er them banners wavov and music swells ; ^' Where, wreathed with fadeless laurel, poets sleep. Vain are these empty pageants I Better far The widow's blessing and the orphan's tear, f In grateful memory of such kindly acts As graced hU life, and crowned it at its close. Blow gently, gales I and waft o'er summer leat The gallant convoy witii its precious freight. In his far childhood's homo, 'mid rural scenes, In sweet seclusion from the world's turmoil, There lot the good man rest 1 ■ ' • No costly pile, , Graven with the shining record of his deeds. Shall tell the world that here a conqueror lies: , His cenotaph is reared in every clime;- On every shore where sweeps the ocean-surge , Lingers the echo of his nobler fame." t V\' < i',Hi ^ -V >\i The lessons of liis life are before the people of England and America. They are indicated on every page of this volume. Introduction and Memoir teach the same great lessong ; and, while his eulogist at the final funeral allowed that he had faults, the hearts of all who remember his benefaction will gladly echo the words of •large-souled Gilbert Haven : " The great snow monument piled up by the hands of Heaven over his grave on the verj night of his burial is a felicitous symbol of the whiteness of his fame. Cleaned of all spots by the washing of death and grace and time, it shall stand forth in the future, pure as THOUGHTS SUGGESTED. 283 the driven snow, an incentive to all men of wealtli so to use their acquisitions, that when they fail, as fail they must, these shall receive them into everlasting habitations. . . , Will not such an example aid the man of wealth in con- quering this demon, and making it his slave, and not his master? Begin young, O man of business I as ht began, to devise liberal things. Let not your money insnaro you, or ruin yours. Give to your brother, the church, the poor, the ignorant j and ye shall liave treasure in heaven.'* Money is power, for good or for evil. George Pea body made it an instrument for good. He made "friends of the mammon of unrighteousness '* by using his great gains for the benefit of humanity. The following is a copy of the main provisions of his will, as taken from the books of Doctors' Commons, London : — *' I, George Peabody, gentleman, do make this my last will and testament : — " Firstly, I direct that my remains shall be sent to my native town of Danvers, now incorporated by the name of Peabody, in the County of Essex, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in that part of the United States-of America called New England, and be deposited in the ground appropriated to that .purpose in the cemetery of Harmony Grove in Salem, in said county, near the Pea- body town-line, under the direction of my executors herein- after named. " Secondly, I give and bequeath to Henry West, of 22, 284 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. Old Broad Street, London, ^2,200; and, in the event of his decease, to his wife, Louisa West; and, in the event of her decease, to his surviving children. " Thirdly, I give and bequeath to Thomas Perman, of 22, Old Broad Street, London, the sum of £1,000; and, in the event of his decease, to his wife, Annette Emma Perman ; and, in the event of her decease, to his surviv- ing children. And I empower niy executors to pay the above-named legacies within six months after my decease, and free from any tax, duty, or charges, whatever. " Fourthly, I give and bequeath to the Right Hon. Lord Stanley, the American minister at the court of St. James for the time being, the Right Hon. Stafford Northcote, Bart., Sir Curtis Miranda Lampson, Bart., and Junius Spencer Morgan, Esq., trustees of the Peabody Donation Fund, and their successors, trustees of the said fund, the sum of j£150,000, upon trust, for the building of lodging- houses for the laboring poor of London, as defined in my late letters to said trustees ; and I direct that this legacy be considered a part of the second trust, and disposed of in accordance with the said trust. And I direct that my London executors shall, of the said sum of X 150,000, pay to said trustees of the Peabody Donation Fund ,£100,000 on the first Monday of Octpber, 1873 ; and the sum of £50,000 at any time during said year of 1873. As this work progresses, the labor and responsibility increase ; and I therefore deem it essential that another trustee be added, who will have the necessary time, and possess the THOUGHTS SUGGESTED. 285 requisite knowledge of all that may be needed for the successful prosecution of the trust. Without assuming to dictate to the trustees, I would mention the name of Charles Reed, Esq., M.P., who is well known to me for his high and most honorable character, as a most suitable person to fill that office. " Fifthly, I nominate, constitute, and appoint Sir Curtis Miranda Lampson, of 80, Eaton Square, Pimlico, Middle- sex, and of Rovvfant, in the pM'ish of Worth, Sussex, Bart., Charles Reed of Erimead House, Hackney, Middle- sex, Esq., M.P., George Peabody Russell, Esq., of Salem, Essex County, State of Massachusetts, U.S., R. Singleton Peabody of Rutland, in the State of Vermont, counsellor, and Charles W. Chandler of Zanesville, in the State of Ohio, counsellor, executors of this my last will and testa- ment ; fully authorizing the said Sir Curtis Miranda Lampson and said Charles Reed, called my London executors, to act independently of said George Peabody Russell, said R. Singleton Peabody, and said (jharles W. Chandler, called my American executors. And I also authorize my American executors to act independently of my said London executors: that is to say, my London executors to have full management and control of my per- sonal estate in England ; and my American executors to have full management and control of my real and personal estate in America. But it is my wish and hope that all my executors, both London and American, may act together with the utmost harmony for the* best interests of the estate. * ' 286 THE LIFE OP GEORGE PEABODY. " Sixthly, I direct that all and each of my executors aforesaid be exempt ahd excused from giving bonds to any court or magistrate, or otherwise, for the performance of their duties or offices as my executors. " Seventhly, I give and bequeath to the said Sir Curtis Miranda Lampson and said Charles Ileed.X5,000 each for their services. . . v^ ' '^ . *;^...", *' Eighthly, I give and bequeath to the said George Pea- body Russell, R. Singleton Peabody, and Charles W. Chandler, my American executors, X 5,000 each. " Ninthly, I give and bequeath to the said George Pea- body Russell, R. Singleton Peabody, and Charles W, Chandler, all the rest, residue, and remainder of the property, both real and personal, of which I shall be pos- sessed at my decease, or which may afterwards come or fall into my estate, upon trust tb sell, exchange, or retain, and the interest accruing on the same to divide semi- annually (re-investing the same in the case of minor chil- dren) among the parties named as beneficiaries in tlie family-trust, of which Messrs. J. M. Beebe, S.T. Dana, and S. Endicott Peabody, are trustees, according to the proportions of the sums allotted to each in said trust, or such other proportions as I may hereafter prescribe to them, mv said American executors. " In witness whereof, I, the said George Peabody, de- claring this to be my last will and testament, written on seven pages of paper, ha^'^e hereto set my hand and seal, this ninth day of September, 18G9. > ^j i^'v vM " George Peabody." THOUGHTS SUGGESTED. 287 '4' By this will, it is seen that Mr. Peabody sought to exert his power as a man of wealth to induce harmonious action between Americans and Englishmen. This desire to promote peace between the two nations was very evi- dent in Mr. Peabody's life and character ; and the wealth used for such a purpose may certainly be deemed con- secrated. A writer declares that " the munificent charities that have made the name of Peabody a house- hold word in two hemispheres were not the promptings of temporary vanity, or a sudden freak of old age to win the applause of mankind : on the contrary, they were but the fulfilment of a long-cherished design formed in his own mind, as a matter of duty, more than a quarter of a century ago, and which had constituted his chief incen- tive to the acquisition of wealth. While in this city, last summer, he said to his* old partner in business, who had known him intimately for thirty-five years, * Mr. J , it has been my constant prayer to God for upwards of twenty years, that I might be enabled to accum ilate a large sum of money to bestow in charity to the poor.' It will scarcely surprise those who believe in the efficacy of prayer to be told, that, during all those years, there was not a single business enterprise which he undertook that did not prove successful, and hardly a thing which he touched .that did not turn to gold in his hands." It w^as this effort to spend his money for the good of others that secured him the applause of the public. Not the wealthy merchant, but the benevolent man, did his 288 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. fellow-citizens and townsmen delight to honor. It may not be amiss to place on record a report rather more ex- tensive of the honors paid to the remains of Mr. Peabody in his native town. " The Boston Post " thus describes the scene: — , ' " The arrival of the train was the signal for the tolling of the bells and the firing of minute-guns. The citizens of the surrounding towns seemed to have comte to witness the ceremonies, and the vicinity of the ddp3t was packed with people. The body was first taken from the train, and placed' upon the funeral-car. This was a structure about eleven feet in length, seyen feet in width, and ten feet high, covered with black velvet appropriately fes- tooned, and trimmed with silver lace and fringe studded with stars. On the top rested the casket containing the remains. Underneath the casket were winged cherubs in silver ; on each corner an elaborate bronze vase, two feet and a half high ; on the front, and back ends the coat of arms of the deceased, and on one side the Eng- lish, and on the opposite the American coat of arms, in gold ; on each corner the monogram of the deceased, in silver, enclosed with laurel-wreaths. The. car was drawn by six horses covered with black housings trimmed with silver. The four companies of United-States Artillery which accompanied th^e remains then disembarked, and escorted the procession ; the Sutton Guard acting as a guard of honor, and the different committees who came THOUGHTS bCTGOESTBD. 289 on the train following; in double files. A direct route was taken for the Institute, which was reached about sunset. Tiie artillery drew up in line, and the civic portion" of the procession passed into the hall, which was appropriately draped as below described. Soon after all had entered, the body was brought in and placed in its proper position, and a guard posted ; and the procession passed around the head of the catafalque, and out of the hall. "The" funeral decorations in the Institute building at Peabody were arranged with taste and beauty. On enter- ing the library-room, the emblems of mourning were seen at once; the windows and railing havii\g been heavily draped with black, with a white border on either edge, and tastefully trimmed with rosettes of black and white. At the end of the room, seen through the catafalque, is the picture of her Majesty, and above it the royal flag of England and the American flag, both artistically draped with crape. At the other end of the room, the bust of the deceased, that occupies the space above the door, is also draped with the sombre hues of mourning. Above, in the lecture-room, the portrait of the deceased is draped in black and white, with the cross of St. George and the stars and stripes on either side, covered with crape; and above them an elegant original fresco rep- resenting Britannia and Columbia by female figures reclining over an urn containing the ashes of the dead, and guarded by the British lion and American eagle on either side. l» 290 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. " The catafalque is a raised dais, ten feet in length and six feet in width, covered with black velvet. From each corner rises a standard, supporting a framework of the same size as the base, and about six inches in width. Pendent from this are heavy black-velvet hangings, artistically cut, and trimmed with a wreath of silvery stars enclosing a large star on each of the four sides, and heavy silver-bullion fringe, with wide silver braid above it, and massive silver tassels appropriately placed. Above the hangings, a neat silver moulding on a black7velvet groundwork meets the eye. Above this is a row of silver stars, and another moulding that rises to a peak on each of the four sides, containing emblems of mourning, in silver. The one on the front end has two reversed torches crossed ; on the rear, the hour-glass, with the wings of Time, are to be seen ; and on either side a large silver star, encircled by its emblem of eternity, — an endless snake. On each corner arises an elegant arabesque ornament in silver, surmounted with handsome funeral-plumes. In front, on the base, is the monogram of the deceased, in silver letters, on a black- velvet groundwork, enclosed in a laurel-wreath in silver, pend(;nt from a leaning pole, surmounted by a knot and rosette of silver. On each corner of the base are cherubs' heads with angels' wings in silver; the whole being arranged in the ancient Grecian style, that is at once elegant and artistic." ^ ;u rH> THOUGHTS SUGGESTED. 291 We have already referred to the funeral-services, and need add no more here in regard to those unrivalled obsequies. Further services in honor of Mr. Peabody took place a few evenings afterward at the Peabody Institute in Danvers, which was appropriately decorated for the occasion by Mrs. E. G. Berry. The exercises begun at seven o'clock with the singing of the anthem, *' Blessed is he that considereth the poor," by the united choirs of the town, under direction of Mr. John S. Learoyd. Praysr was then offered by Rev. George J. Sanger. It was followed by another anthepi, reading of the Scriptures by Rev. S. I. Evans, and a choral song by the choir. Rev. James Fletcher then delivered an ele- gant eulogy on the deceased. He began by a reference to the traits of character developed by Mr. Peabody in early life, w^hen entering upon his business-career, amid circumstances of great discouragement and; trial. During that period of several years, he displayed the tough fibres of his nature, — his hardihood, perseverance, unbending integrity, high sense of honor, and commanding traits as a business-man. Tliese qualities shone all through his mercantile career. He was undismayed by danger, and preserved his integrity and manliness of character in the severest of trials. His great services in upholding Ameri- can credit abroad were referred to, and then his deport- ment in the time of prosperity depicted. He felt that God had bestowed his great wealth upon him that he might do good with it ; and, with that feehng and purpose, 292 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. he distributed his riches witli more than princely muniB* cence for the benefit of lus fellow-men. He believed that God raised him up to accomplish some grand benefit for hisLrace. Unlike ijiany others, when his wealth came to him, he had the elevation of spirit and the affluence of soul to give it away, instead of adding to it. He gave in the full tide of a prosperous life, and for purposes which displayed benevolence of the highest order. The simplicity and modesty of Mr. Peabody's charac- ter were next touched upon. He never boasted of his success, or sought the applause of men. His devotion to his mother and sisters, and his love to his birthplace, were alluded to in feeling terms ; and the reverend gentleman concluded with a fine tribute to the breadth of Mr. Pea- body's character, the benignity of his life, and the bless- ings he had conferred on his fellow-men on both sides of the ocean. , The services closed with an ode by Rev. James Brand, and the benediction. , . Among the tributes already mentioned was that of Rev. Newman Hall ; and a further quotation from it will show that the London preacher rightly apprehended the value of that power which accompanies money. He said, " There is danger, lest, in admiration of Mr. Peabody's princely gifts, some may suppose that such liberality, of itself, is religion. Even the teachers and preachers of Christianity may unintentionally mislead the public by too unqualified and indiscriminating admiration. I yield to THOUGHTS SCTGGESTED. 298 none in appreciation and honor of Mr., Peabody*s noble gifts and life of benevolence. Nor have I any reason to doubt that such generosity sprang from the very highest motives. But it is the duty, at such a time, of Christian teachers to brave the possibility of being misunderstood, and to testify, in the midst of all this well-deserved applause, that we are not saved by our benefactions either to relieve the poor or to promote religion. "We are rebels against God, and can only be saved by being reconciled to him through Jesus Christ. We must preach repent- ance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, as the only way of salvation.* He taught us, that, if we should do all our duty, we should still be * unprofitable servants,' — only just doing what is required. But, as none of us do this, how plain it is that * by grace we are saved, through faith ' I * If I give all my goods to feed the poor, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.' "Then came the other thought, — that, with faith in Christ, and reconciliation to God, as the foundation, there must be, and will always be, the superstructure of good works. . . . Certainly, of the two, it would be better to have good works of charity, however defective their motive, and without true Christian faith, than to have only the pretence of possessing faith and no good, works. The foiTtter case has something to show, which, at least, niay benefit our fellow-men : the latter case has absolutely nothing ; for * faith, if it have not works, is dead, being alone.' 294 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. " Then came this thought, — that the privilege of per- forming good works and serving Christ is not confined to the wealthy. A large gift strikes our imagination because its obvious benefit is large. Thus man judges of benefi- cence. But God looks to the motive, measures the means, Bees the amount of self-sacrifice, and approves and re- wards accordingly. He who has only a shilling in the world, and gives away sixpence, thereby depriving himself of half a meal, may be as acceptable in the eye of God as he who gives half a million, but has half a million left. Jesus said that the poor widow who threw into the treas- ury her two mites had actually given more than the rich who cast in liberally, but did it out of their abundance. This is not to disparage great and liberal benefactors ; but it is to encourage all, however poor, — even so that they can give merely a cup of cold water, — that they shall not be unrewarded ; and that if the smallest sum is given in a right spirit, and in proportion to our ability, and with self- sacrifice, as he that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward, so he that gives away a penny in the spirit of a benevolent millionnaire shall receive a benevolent millionnaire 's reward. " And then a concluding thought was this : Two nations — yej^, the civilized world — are admiring the gifts of the rich man, who was still rich in spite of his benefactions. How should we esteem Him, who, though he was rich, yet for our sakes became poor, that we by his poverty might be made rich " I TBOUQHTS SUGGESTED. 206 A correspondent of " The New- York Tribune " tells the following anecdote concerning Mr. Peabody's use of that money which gave him power, and of the way in which he liked to have others use money : — "When Mr. Peabody was in the United States last year, he visited the Institute at South Danvers which bears his njime, and inquired particularly into its opera- tions ; going over the accounts, and discussing with the trustees the cost of its maintenance and the annual income from the fund. I suppose I am telling no secret, and hurting nobody's feelings, when I say that even so good and benevolent a man as George Peabody was not exempt from the misfortunes of age and bodily infirmity, and that he consequently allowed himself at times to criticise pretty freely — not to say unjustly — the policy of the custodians of his benefactions. On this occasion, he is said to have fretted a great deal. From various causes, not necessary to mention, and certainly not easy to avoid, the revenue from the endowments had not kept pace with the in- creased expenses which followed the general rise of prices during the war; and the benevolent founder felt more keenly how far the Institute fell short of his expectations than how much it really had accomplished. * You spend too much money,' he complained ; ' you spend too much money. You pay your lecturers too much. You must get them cheaper.' And so he went on for a while, until the momentary irritation passed away. His face soon 206 THE LIFE OF OEOROB PEADODY. brightened, and a soR; expression began to play about liIs mouth. * Well, well,' said he, drawing something from his pocket, * I must give you fifty thousand dollars more, and get you out of trouble. And I must say,' he continued, * that none of my foundations have been so admirably administered and given me so much satisfaction as this one at my native place.' So the good old man continued for a long time praising every thing connected with the Insti- tute, and assuring his delighted friends that they had ful- filled his wishes in the smallest particulars. It is well known that the South-Danvers foundation was his favorite child." , , " The Boston Journal " expressed its idea of the public feeling in regard to the Peabody obsequies, saying that those who regarded his life as useful and noble were expressing sincere respect for his memory, and adding, — " George Peabody was a representative man of his era and of his country. We would not adopt the curious idea of Victor Hugo, that John Brown and George Peabody are America's characteristic contributions to the historic figures of this age. It is true, however, that the one did not more truly embody the Puritanic conscientiousness and dauntlessness of our country than the other exem- plified its thrift, animated by pure motives, and ending in boundless but well-directed philanthropy. The latter showed the world that the phrase, ' the almighty dollar,' supposed to carry with it an American stigma, really THOUOHTS SQOOE8TED. 297 included a full Amre of (liose attributes of beneficence as well as of power which belongod to the epithet. Set down amid an aristocracy whoso accumulated wealth dated from the middle ages, George Peabody set them a lesson in the act of true benevolence. The poor of London to-day know his name better than they do the names of those who have in their veins * all the blood of all the Howards.' Like a true American, also, he remein- bored most fondly his own countrymen ; and his benefuc- tions, completely unexampled in amount and extent of application, will send their enriching influences down to future generations. Let all honor, then, be paid to the memory of one who founded his fame on the great good he has done to his fellow-men." ,: ; ^y ?. " The New- York Albion '* speaks in highly eulogistic terms of Mr. Peabody, saying without reserve, — " George Peabody was, in a wider sense than is often applicable, a new type of manhood. In him were com- bined in finely, almost perfectly, balanced proportions, three qualities seldom found in close association, — the shrewd intuitive perception necessary to the acquisition of great riches, the moral impulses which prompt to a benefi- cent distribution of them, and the masculine judgment which exercises such a mastery oVer both as to prevent their runninfj into mischievous excess. A life which exhibits to us these characteristics on a colossal scale furnishes scope fer highly profitable study j but, in order 298 THB LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. to this, we need to see it in its internal development rather than in its external incidents ; or, rather, we should be more correct in saying that any knowledge we may obtain of the latter will be valuable only as it may help to disclose the former. Whence originated this felicitous opposition of qualities so rarely to be seen in conjunction ? To what extent were they due to natural constitution or to ancestral history? How much of their strength did they derive from early training ? and of what sort was that training ? In what respects were they owing to circum- stances ? and what were the circumstances, if any. which account for the extraordinary bias of th'.s man's will? We want to observe his character in its first manifesta- tions, in its growth, and in the influences which fused into unity tendencies so commonly antagonistic to each other. Of course, we cannot expect to find what we want in the bare compilations which appear in the columns of a newspaper. The biography of the late George Pea- body, to be written as it well deserves to be, would de- mand a high order of intellectual and sympathetic skill and an indefatigable spirit of research, and would un- doubtedly present to the world one of those contributions to psychological study which give a new direction and a powerful stimulus to human motive and effort. " Of Mr. Peabody's business aptitudes, his commercial success is the best proof. It is not by any means impos- sible to find his parallels as to this feature of his character. Modern times have been peculiarly favorable to the pro- THOUGHTS SUGGESTED. 2d9 duction of millionnaires. The sudden esj)ansion of the means of locomotion, the marvellous facilities provided for quick and frequent intercourse, and tlie stupendous works which the application of science to industrial pur- suits had made not merely feasible, but almost indispen- sable, have opened the way to many men endowed with competent abilities to acquire for themselves fortunes which in any previous age would have been deemed fabulous. In regard to this matter, Mr. Peabody had a considerable number of compeers. But it is worthy of note, that the grand moral traits of his character stood out in high relief before the world, in connection with his pursuit of wealth, long before they were publicly dis- played in the distribution of it. That he was rapidly amassing riches in the country of \m adoption was not more widely surmised, perhaps, than it was known, that, in all the methods of acquisition employed by his house, the soul of mercantile integrity and honor was eminently conspicuous. His rectitude, like the granite of his native State, was immovable. It invited trust, and never gave way under any weight of responsibility resting upon it. It armed him with a reputation which enabled him to negotiate loans for public bodies, even when their credit had been tainted. His own name amply sufficed as a guaranty for the fulfilment of engagements entered into, not merely on his own behalf, but on behalf of defaulting legislatures. Wherever he saw fit to pledge it, men built their speculations upon it with a sense of security. To be true was one of the necessities of his being. 300 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. " To his rgmarkable talent for acquiring wealth was conjoined a noble purpose in the daily pursuit of it. He cared little for the selfish and garish pleasures for which affluent means are commonly desired. His tastes were simple. They had been formed, probably, upon the tradi- tions of his Puritanic forefathers, and by that atmosphere of opinion which surrounded him in his younger days. His personal wants were few and inexpensive. He hated the very semblance of ostentation. As he had not been born into a system which made extravagant expenditure a duty owing to his station, so he aspired not to be identified with it. He preferred to occupy the position of a tenant in trust. His gains were sought and obtained, not as an end, but as means to an end ; not with a view to himself, but withgi view to others. He held himself to be a debtor to his kind ; and his accumulations were used in the faithful discharge of that debt. This moral con- viction was evidently deeply rooted in his heart. It with- stood all the influences which would otherwise have destroyed it. When vast wealth is only in prospect, it is not at all uncommon, because not at all difficult, to enter- tain the most generous intentions as to "what shall be done with it, and to lose sight of them in proportion to tlie extent to which that prospect is realized. Mr. Peabody, on the contrary, instead of allowing the inflowing tide of his riches to submerge his sense of responsibility, thouglit and purposed and lived so as to keep it evermore upper- most; and, as his means' increased, his anxiety to make THOUGHTS SUGGESTED. 301 them sii|)3ervieiit to the well-heing of others increased also. Great prosperity, instead of closing his hand, opened it the wider; and, in reverse of the usual order of things, age enlarged rather than contracted the scope of his liberality. " But impulsive benevolence, oftentimes the offspring of weakness and indolence, seems to have had no power to guide the career of this truly remarkable man. No one knew better than he how to say ' No ' to applications for aid which did not commend the approbation of his reason. He spared no pains to ascertain how he could direct his beneficence into the most serviceable channels. He laid out his immense wealth with as conscientious a . careful- ness as he might have done if he had expected to be called upon to account for and justify every shilling of his expenditure. Rarely has the hfe of a plutocrat exhibited so perfect an illustration of the idea of stewardship as did George Peabody's. Few intelligent men of this generation will forget the letter in which he sketched, for the i;Ttended trustees of his bounty to the poor of London, his own views of the object to which it might be usefully devoted. Pauperism had no attractions for him : industrious and struggling poverty chiefly engrossed his sympathies. Indeed, it was a marked feature of his beneficence, that it almost invariably had respect to some- thing beyond and better and more enduring than the immediate benefit it might confer. Sometimes patriotism, sometimes international amity, gave direction to his liber- 302 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. ality. He set the highest store upon educatioiK^ and, in applying his resources for the advantage of his own coun- trymen, he selected precisely those modes of assisting them which were most peculiarly adapted to their posi- tion and wants. The Peabody Institute at Dan vers, the Literary and Scientific Institute at Baltimore, and his munificent contribution to the Southern Educational Fund, bear testimony to his quick appreciation of the special needs of the times. The means of intellectual refinement, where they could become available, and of elementary instruction where they were most lacking and most urgently required, drew forth his readiest and largest bounty. London presented a different claim upon his purse. Even education could do but little for the indus- trious poor of the English metropolis until they were better housed. His penetrating glance fastened at once upon the special need of the capital ; and, in supplying the remedy, his head and heart united in doing the very best that could be done. " Mr. Peabody's life was an impressive homily from beginning to end. It was full of the most timely lessons, enforced upon society not by words, but by deeds. He has rebuked the narrow sectarianism of the day by his display of ' good will to men,' quite irrespectively of their reliffious differences. He has illustrated in his own history how it is possible to combine with ardent patriotism a breadth of sympathy extending beyond merely national limits. He has set an example of wise philanthropy, THOUGHTS SUGGESTED. 303 capable of being initiated on the largest scale without undermining the selfTreliant spirit of the poor. Above all, he has taught us the true uses of wealth, on what con- ditions it should be held by its proprietors, in what ways it may be fruitfully employed, and what dura})le honor and happiness it may be made to achieve* for the comparative few to whom it is given. Rich and poor alike may con- template his career with practical advantage. London, especially, will keep alive his memory with grateful admi- ration ; and, let us trust, his name, emblazoned by his works, will exercise a talismanic influence in t^persuading the prosperous to recognize their responsibilities, and to do what good their hands can find to do whilst they yet live to superintend and rejoice in the effects of their benefi- cence. »» While these pages were passing through the press, a writer in " The New- York Tribune ' furnished an account of the Peabody homestead and the birthplace of the great giver, which is so graphic, and in many respects so inter- esting, that, although it did not appear in season for the early chapters of this memoir, it may, perhaps, be allowed to appear at the close: — ^ " The town of South Danvers, in which George Pea- body was born, in which he served his apprenticeship to a country shopkeeper, in which he founded one of the noble institutes of popular education that bear his name, and in which, after this magnificent funeral-procession of 304 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEABODY. a whole month's duration, his remains will at last repose, is, to all intents and purposes, a part of Salem, and in some of its features not unlike that ancient and ghost- haunted seaport. I speak of it as South Danvers ; for it has come so lately into its new name of Peabody, adopt- ing, after a fashion not uncommon with legatees, the family appellation which belongs with the property, that the change has not yet renewed the faces of the sign-boards, and is only half recognized in the talk of the inhabitants. The main street of Salem runs out along the crest of a hill, with a^ general determination toward the north-west, but with errsltic impulses now and then to the right and left. It never gets into the country; and its broad, quaint, comfortable old houses are scarcely far enough apart to have even a suburban look, before up the elm- shaded street comes a persistent smell of leather. The road pitches down into a little valley full of tanneries ; then up another hill whose slopes are nu)stly hung with hides, and upon whose crest stands the brick-and-granite building of the Peabody Institute ; down once more into a second hollow, likewise given up to leather ; and there you are in the heart of South Danvers. A single-track horse-railway, with, infrequent turnouts and still more infrequent cars, stretches from here through Salem. You may come that way if you are in no partiralar huiTy ; but, if pressed for time, you had better walk. " It is not natural to look for beauty in a village which devotes itself to tanning hides and spreading tan -bark THOUGHTS SUGGESTED. 305 around its door-yards, only varying these useful pursuits by the cognate industry of manufacturing glue ; but Pea- , body, in spite of unsavory smells, is a pretty place, and the pilgrims who visit it during the approaching ceremonies will find the Massachusetts Mecca not unworthy of its shrine. A Massachusetts village — especially an old Massa- chusetts village, in which the shade-trees have had years enough to develop their beautiful proportions, and spread their arms across the wide roadway, and whose best houses were built before the day of staring white clap- boards and prim green blinds (you know the kind of house I mean, — - front-door close to the street, holly- hocks, phlox, and prince's-feather under the parlor win- dows) — is always a pleasant sight ; and even in this gloomy season, with bare trees and muddy roads, Peabody has a clean, thrifty, substantial, and, withal, tasteful appear- ance. It is pretty well stricken in years for an American village. The old houses are many enough and prominent enough to give it an antique aspect, in spite of the factories ; and flavors of the half forgocten past, such as hung around Hawthorne's custom-house down at the port, are wafted along its quiet road. Off to the right, at the foot of the ridge, there is a pond or inlet of brackish water : a steam- railway runs along there, and there most of the factories are built. But in the main street on the hill there is little to break the stillness. Just by the side of the road there is an old graveyard. Right opposite, on the other side of the water, lies Harmony Grove, a newer and more fash- — - 20 806 TUE LIFE OF QBOKGE PEABODY. ionable place of sepulture, where the upper classes may be interred with aU the modern improvements, including a patent burial-case and a granite monument. Mr. Pea- body's remains will be placed in this grove ; but the precise spot for their permanent resting-place has not yet been selected." THE HOUSE IN WHICH MR. PEABODY WAS BORN. "In company with Mr. Poole, the courteous librarian of the Institute, I went to see the house in which Mr. Peabody was born. It is on the outskirts of the village, and, eighty' years ago, was probably quite in the country. "What it was eighty years ago it is not now in any respect, save that most of the old building remains and can be identified. A long L has been added ; a small kitchen, which was ancientlv attached to the rear like an excrescence, has been moved away; and improvements, er^^fgements, and alterations have been made to such an extent, that the old place lias all the external appearance of a modern Yankee-village house. A few rods in the rear is a tannery : a few rods away, at one side, is a glue- factory ; and the owner of the factory, Mr. Upton, is also the owner, though not the occupier, of the house. We met the lady of the house near the door ; and she very kindly gave us permission to enter, and showed us all that remains of the old house where Thomas Peabody lived, and his son George was born. It was a two-story house, with a short hall and narrow stairway in the middle, and THOUGHTS SUGGESTED. n 307 on each floor a single small room on each side of the hall, — four rooms in all. These, with the kitchen-outhouse, now removed, comprised the whole. The front -door opens close to the ground, and only a foot or two from the street railing. There is no porch ; and the front of the house is almost as bare as if it had been shaved olF with a plane. Bare and ugly enough the place must have been when the old Peabody family held it ; though now, with its enlarged proportions, bright paint, and neat appearance, it is so far improved, that a sensitive man might, perhaps, live in it without absolute unhappiness. The original rooms have not been altered. On the first floor, they are only a little over six feet high ; and across the middle of the ceiling runs a beam, which tall visitors must stoop to pass. The heavy timbers of the framework are also conspicuous at the corners. But for these, with the fresh wall-paper, bright carpets, and modern furniture, there would be nothing in the appearance of the rooms to remind you of their age. * I have tried everywhere,' said Mrs. , * to get some furniture which belonged to the old place ; but not a bit can be found. I would like, above all things, to make at least one of these rooms look as it di«l when the Peabodys had it.' " * You must be very much annoyed with visitors/ said I ; * and I am ashamed of my own intrusion upon your patience.' • " ' Oh, not at all I I know that strangers like to see the house, and I am very happy to show it.' But, before the 808 THE LIFE OF GEORGE PEAB0D7. funeral is over, I fear tlie kind lady's good nature will bo taxed to its uttermost limits." ** America gratefully receives back the aslies of her dis- tinguished son and citizen, and commits them to the earth. They are to mingle with the soil on which he was born, and for which he had such an affection. There is not a citizen of this country whose ear is not open to catch every syllable of the funeral-words. There is not a heart in the land that is not present at bib open grave. He comes home to bo enshrined. If we of this time would henceforth undertake a new pilgrimage, let it be to the burial-place of the man who has taught the world anew, as never man taught it before, how much more blessed it is to give than to receive. The name of Pea- body is to stand, for the future, synonymous with Philan- thropy. This single word shall be his lasting monu- ment." THE END. li AGENTS WANTED In all parts of the Unitsd States TO BELL MY Subscription Books and Engravings. Ladles will find the boalnegs, after a little experience, both profitable and agreeable. I HAVE IN PRESS A l^TEW MEDICAL WOEK, DESTINED TO MEET WITH AS IMMENSE SALE; And I am constantly adding new subjects of Engravings. ADDRESS B. B. EJTSSELL, Publisher, 65 COBNHILL, BOSTON. // B. B. RUSSELL'S OATALOOUK OF PARLOE PRINTS. Ttie American home should be made beautiful and attractive. Thti can bo done by rually flue worics of art ut a modurato cost. The taste for engruviuKS Increases every dny. In houses wliuro you And the roost, we are more liiculy to sell new sub- jects. Colored prints may take tbe eye at first; but there are none that wear and continue to please like a good steel engravhig. " From 8hore to Shore," an allegorical engraving, suggestive of life's Journey ttota childhood to old age. Author of * In Chilvclopmentof his subject. From the first Napoleon, the annala of France hav< >een full of thrilling interest. The present emperor has become in aix« teen yearH ihe leading spirit in modern history, and la a marvel in himself. Mr. Abbott has been careful to give documentary proof for his statements; and those that, '' '' fault with his details must blame history, and not the historian."— Port- ?' Kt (. ) Christian Mirror, The book is a royal octavo of about 700 pages ; finely illustrated by nine pnre line stocl engravings, executed in Farla expressly for the work; and sold only by Bubscription. For terms, address B. B. RUSSELL, Publisher, 55 Comhlll, Boston, Mass. A Book for every Household in America. LIVES OF THE PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES, S^rom 'Wasliinctoii to the Fresent T'ime. IIXUSTBATED, AND COMPLETE Uf ONE VOLUME. « JOHN S. O. ABBOTT, Author of the "CivU War in America,'* "Life of Napoleon,'' "History of the French Revolution," " Mother at Home," &o., &c. " It 1b hardly necessary to speak well of a book written to carry out a practical idea, and by one of the most practical writers in America. There Is not a politician, a newspaper editor, or intelligent citizen, who will not find this work of vast im- portance to him, saving much labor, and therefore time. It is not only a resumd of the leading events in the characters of those who have presided ovnr the Oovern- ment, but is accompanied by philosopliical reflections, and by what we are pleased to notice, — the frank objections of the biographer to such errors as may have been committed by these Chief Magistrates. It is a wonder that the idea of such a book bos not before been carried out; and we are glad that it has fallen into the hands of a gentleman whose experience, discrimination, and' intelligence qualify him to give us a complete and ataiulard work of reference." — Washington Chronicle. The work is an octavo volume of 520 pages, handsomely illustrated by eight steel- plate illustrations, and thirty>six engravings on wood; and sold exclusively by can- vassing Agents. For terms, addres% B. B. RUSSELL, Publisher, 65 Comhlll, Boston, MaM. l-N {ht Btoel- ■ by can* ,MaM*