THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES THE LITERARY REMAINS REV. JONATHAN MAXCY, D. D., SECOND PRESIDENT OF BROWN UNIVERSITY, R. I. ; LATE PRES IDE NT OF UNIOK COLLEGE, N. Y. ; AND OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE, ^C. WITH A MEMOIR OF HIS LIFE, BY ROMEO ELTON, D. D., fellow of the royal soc. of northern antiquaries, copenhagen j of the french 50c. of universal statistics, paris; of the am. stat. soc; cor. member of the northern acad. of arts and sciences ; hon. mem. of the new york, connecticut, and georgia historical societies; of the ill. lit, and hist, soc; of the conn, acad. of arts and sciences ; mem. of the am. anti- QUARIAN soc; OF THE AM. ORIENTAL SOC; ETC. ETC.; AND LATE PROF. OF THE LATIN AND GREEK LANGUAGES AND LITERATURE IN EROWN UNIVERSITY. NEW YORK: PUBLISHED BY A. V. BLAKE. 1S44. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year one thousand eight hun- dred and forty-four, by Romeo Eltoj*, in the Clerk's Office of the District of Connecticut. TO THE PUPILS OF THE REV. JONATHAN MAXCY, D. D., WHOSE MEMORY IS CHERISHED BY THEM WITH AFFECTIONATE VENERATION FOR HIS EMINENT TALENTS, PROFOUND AND VARIED ERUDITION, AND MORAL WORTH, THIS VOLUME IS RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED. 55G193 PREFACE. In presenting to the public this collection of the Sermons, Orations and Addresses of President Maxc)^, the Editor believes that he shall render an acceptable service both to the interests of the Christian religion and to the republic of letters. Dr Maxcy's writings are surpassed by few in intrinsic excellence and value, and are entitled to an elevated rank among the produc- tions of American literature. The intelligent and cultivated reader will perceive in all ofthem genius, re- fined taste, beauty of imagery, and vigor of thought and diction. The brief Memoir of his Life is a task which the Editor would gladly have declined, could some one of Dr. Maxcy's intimate friends or gifted pupils have been induced to undertake it. He deeply regrets that he never had an opportunity of seeing this accomplished and eloquent divine, and of witnessing the force of his reasoning, his command of felicitous language, his dis- cursive and brilliant imagination, and his extraordinary power over the passions of men, that he might be able more accurately to delineate the features of his mind, and the minute lineaments of his character. Although PREFACE. <^rcat exertions liavc been made by him to obtain re- miniscences of President Maxcy to enrich the Memoir, yet they have been unsuccessful ; and the facts embod- ied in this sketch have been derived almost entirely from conversations with his pupils and friends, and other scattered sources of information. He is convinced, therefore, that he needs the candor of the public with respect to the imperfect miniature here given of this remarkable man. On all subjects President Maxcy thought for himself, and the Editor considers that it is a mere act of justice to let him express his own views without comment. He cannot, however, be considered as pledged to every opinion of the Author, or the inferences which may be drawn from them. Dr. Maxcy possessed that catholic spirit which resulted from deep piety and high mental endowments, and he could not substitute the shibboleth of a party, in the place of love to God, and the practical exhibition of the Christian virtues. His great and no- ble soul was incapable of contracting itself into the lit- tleness of bigotry. The labors of the writer in editing this volume will be amply compensated, should it be made instrumental in the promotion of sound literature, of patriotism and of piety. ROMEO ELTON. J^eio Haven, June, 1844. CONTENTS. PAGE. Memoir of the Rev. Jonathan Maxcy, D. D. - 9 Hon. Virgil Maxcy, - - - - . - 29 Epitaph written by Dr. Maxcy's father, - - - 30 Biographical notice of the Hon. Samuel Eddy, LL. D. - 32 Biographical notice of President Manning, . - 34 President Manning's Address delivered to the Graduates of Rhode- Island College, . _ . - - 35 Biographical notice of President Messer, - - - 39 SERMONS. 1 . A Sermon on the Existence of God demonstrated from the works of Creation, - - - - 43 2. A Discourse on the Atonement, delivered Nov. 11,1796, 53 3. A Discourse on the Atonement, delivered Nov. 25, 1796, 66 4. A Sermon preached at the Dedication of the Meeting House, in Cumberland, R. I., - - - - 83 5. A Sermon preached at the Annual Convention of the War- ren Association, ----- 99 6. A Sermon preached before the Providence Female Charita- ble Society, - - - - - 119 7. A Sermon preached before the Charleston Baptist Associa- tion, at their Annual Convention, - - 133 8. A Funeral Sermon occasioned by the death of President Manning, - . - _ - 149 9. A Sermon on the death of Welcome Arnold, Esq., - 175 10. A Sermon on the death of Mrs. Mary Gano, consort of the Rev. Stephen Gano, - - - _ 187^ 11. A Funeral Sermon preached before both branches of the Leg- islature of the State of South Carolina, ~ - 205 12. A Sermon on the death of Mr. John Sampson Bobo, - 231 CONTENTS. PAGE. 13. A Sermon delivered to the Senior Class in Rhode-Island Col- lege, Sept. 3, 1800, . - - - 247 14. An Anniversary Sermon delivered on Lord's day, Dec. 1, 1816, being the day previous to the Commencement of the South-Carolina College, _ - - 261 15. A Discourse delivered July 4, 1819, - - 279 ADDRESSES. 1. An Address delivered to the Graduates of Rhode-Island Col- lege, September 3, 1794, _ . . 299 2. An Address delivered to the Graduates of Rhode-Island Col- lege, September 5, 1798, - . _ 309 3. An Address delivered to the Candidates for the Baccalaureate of Rhode-Island College September 2, 1801, - 317 4. An Address delivered to the Graduates of Rhode-Island Col- lege, September 1, 1802, - - - - 331 - 5. An Address delivered to the Baccalaureate of the South- Carolina College, December 2, 1816, - - 341 ORATIONS. 1. An Oration delivered before the Providence Association of Mechanics and Manufacturers, April 13, 1795, - 351 2. An Oration delivered July 4, 1795, - - _ 357 3. An Oration delivered July 4, 1799, - - _ 331 An Introductory Lecture to a course on the philosophical principles of Rhetoric and Criticism, - - 397 APPENDIX. TRESIDENT MESSER'S ADDRESSES TO THE GRADU- ATES OF BROWN UNIVERSITY. 1. An Address to the Graduates, Sept. 4, 1811, - 415 2. A Discourse to the Senior Class, on the Sunday previous to the Commencement 1799, - - . 42 1 3. An Addre.ss to the Graduates, Sept. 7, 1803, - 425 4. An Address to the Graduates, Sept. 5, 1810, 445 MEMOIR EEV. JONATHAN MAXCY, D. D., SECOND PRESIDENT OF BROWN UNIVERSITY.* Observation upon the ways of Divine Providence evinces, that, not unfrequently, there is a coinci- dence of circumstances calculated to develope and ma- ture the energies of individuals, and to prepare them to fill critical and important stations in society. Many illustrious characters in sacred and profane history sub- stantiate this fact. Not to swell our pages, by advert- ing to many renowned worthies, we may see this truth illustrated in the subject of the following Memoir. * This Institution was incorporated February, 1764, as " The College or University in the English Colony of Rhode Island." It was orignally estab- lished at Warren, where, in the year 1769, the first Commencement was cele- brated. In the year 1770, it was removed to Providence, where, in the same year, the first College edifice was erected. It was denominated in common parlance "Rhode Island College," till the year 1804, when, in consequence of a donation from its munificent benefactor, the Hon. Nicholas Brown, of Provi- dence, the Corporation voted that this College should be " called and known by the name of Brown University." Mr. Brown's donations to this Insti- tution, at various times, exceed the sum of $100,000, 2 10 MEMOIR. The Rev. Joxatuax Maxcy, D. D., was born in Attleboroiigh, IMassachusctts, Septembers, A. D. 1768. His earliest ancestor of whom any account has been obtained, was his great-grandfather, Alexander Maxcy, who came from Gloucester, Massachusetts, and settled in Attlcborough about 1721. His grandfather, Josiah Maxcy, Esq., who died in 1772, was for many years a member of the colonial Legislature of Massachusetts, and throughout a long life, enjoyed the esteem and con- fidence of the community. Dr. Maxcy was the eld- est son of Levi and Ruth 3Iaxcy, whose maid- en name was Newell, the daughter of Jacob New- ell.* His mother was a woman of strong mind and devoted piety, and beautifully exemplified the practical influence of the Christian religion, by the uni- form consistency which marked the wholet enor of her life. Upon her devolved the delightful duty of im- planting in the mind of her son those seeds of truth and righteousness, which should in after years bud and blossom into usefulness. She had the happiness to see her son eminent for literature, and successively elevated to the presidency of three colleges. This excellent wo- man died in 1815, aged 72, having been a worthy mem- ber of the first Baptist Church in Attleborough fifty- two years. His father was one of the most respectable inhabitants of the town in which he lived. He was a man of sound understanding, and occasionally amused himself in writing verses. f JoNATHA]v Maxcy, the subject of the following nar- rative, gave proofs of extraordinary talent, and maturity of intellect at an early age. Often when a boy, he was wont to give his companions in the neighborhood speci- mens of his extemporaneous oratory, which would have done credit to riper years. * See Nole A. t See Note B» MEMOIR. 11 The proofs of genius and devotion to study which young Maxcy had thus early evinced, seemed to indi- cate to his parents the propriety and expediency of giving him a liberal education. He was placed, there- fore, preparatory for admission to college, in the Acade- my at Wrentham, Massachusetts, over which the Rev. William Williams presided with distinguished ability. Of this eminent instructor he was accustomed to speak in terms of high respect, and was much attached to him in after life.* In 1783, at the age offifteen, he entered Brown Uni- versity. While an undergraduate, his love of study, brilliant intellect, urbanity of manners and correct de- portment conciliated the high regard both of his in- structors and fellow students. His studies in college served to sharpen and invigorate his mental powers, and he soon became distinguished as an accomplished scholar. His genius was remarkable for its versa- tility, and to whatever branch of knowledge he applied himself he was sure to excel. As a writer, his compo- sitions were recommended as models to his classmates. His productions were eminent foMlelicacy of taste, and his conceptions were embodied in language of the most classic purity. Thus early were laid the foundations of his future eminence. He graduated in 1787, with the highest honors of his class, on which occasion he de- • Mr. Williams was a member of the first class that graduated at Brown University in 1769, and from 1789 to 1818 he was a member of the Board of Fellows of that Institution. He opened an Academy for teaching languages, arts and sciences in 1776. He educated more than one hundred students, the majority of whom graduated at his Ahna Maler, and many of them became distinguished in literary and professional life. Among his pupils were the late Hon. David R. Williams, Governor of South Carolina, and the Hon. Tristam Burges, L L. D., late Professor of Oratory and Belles Lettres in Brown University, and for many years a Representative in Congress from Rhode Island, whose speeches won for him a very high rank as a statesman and as a parliamentary orator. 12 MEMOIR. livered a Poem, " On the Prospects of America, and the Valedictory Oration."* Immediately afterwards, a vacancy in a tutorship oc- curred, and such were the qualifications of young Max- cy, though yet a minor, that he was appointed to fill it. This coincidence imparted a new impulse to the noble aspirings of his unfolding powers. During four years he discharged the duties of this office, with such ability and wisdom, as to secure to himself the popularity and respect of the Students, the Faculty and the Corpora- tion of the University. About this time, he became the subject of religious impressions, and joined the first Baptist Church in Providence, then under the pastoral care of the Rev. Dr. Manning. He was licensed to preach by that Church, April 1, 1790, and soon after invited to supply their pulpit for several months. Dr. Manning having re- signed his pastoral office. In this new and important station he shone with the greatest brilliancy. Possess- ing an active, vigorous and comprehensive mind, his faculties were continually improving by diligence and application. Up soon attained a high reputation as a preacher, and such was the opinion that Church entertained of his talents and piety, that, in the follow- ing year, he was invited to take the pastoral charge. After mature deliberation he resigned his tutorship and accepted that important and respectable station.! Mr. Maxcy was ordained as Pastor of the first Bap- tist Church in Providence, September 8, 1791. Rev.. Samuel Stillman, D. D., of Boston, Mass. preached * See Note C. I Upon hi3 resignation the following resolution was passed by the Corpora- tion of the College, April 13, 17L)1. " Resolved that Mr. Maxcy s request for dismission from the office of Tutor be granted, and that the thanks of this Corporation be presented to him for his faithful services therein." MEMOIR. 13 the ordination sermon, Rev. Hezekiah Smith, D. D., of Haverhill, Mass. gave the charge, Rev. Isaac Backus, of Middleborough, Mass. presented the right hand of fellowship. Rev. Benjamin Foster, D. D., of New York, made the introductory prayer, and the consecrating prayer was made by Rev. William Van Horn, of Scotch Plains, N. J. On the same day that he was ordained, he was ap- pointed by the Corporation of the College, Professor of Divinity. He was also, at the same time, elected a Trustee of the College. Mr. Maxcy entered upon the discharge of his minis- terial duties with earnestness, and a deep sense of his responsibility. His sermons were prepared with great care and accuracy, and delivered in a manner so chaste, dignified and impressive that they were always heard with profound attention and delight. In his pulpit ad- dresses and pastoral visitations, he delighted in admin- istering balm to the sorrowful, and in teaching the de- sponding where to look for consolation. Mr. Maxcy was advancing to the acme of fame in pulpit oratory, when another more extensiv^e field of usefulness was opened to him. President Manning, on the Sabbath morning of July 24, 1791, was seized with an apoplectic fit, and expired on the ensuing Friday.^ The corporation of the College did not long deliber- ate as to his successor. At the annual Commencement, the next year, Mr. Maxcy was unanimously elected President of the College, and resigned the pastorship of the church, September 8, 1792, on the same day that he was placed in the presidential chair. For this ardu- ous and honorable station he was pre-eminently quali- fied. He entered immediately upon the discharge of " See note D. 14 MEMOIR. his official duties, and gave to them all his energies. Here his popular career commenced under the most fa- vorable auspices. At the Commencement succeeding his inauguration, the College was illuminated, and a transparency was placed in the attic story displaying his name, with — " President 24 years old." The Universi- ty, over which he presided with distinguished honor to himself and benefit to the public, flourished under his administration, and his fame was extended over every section of the Union. The splendor of his genius, and his brilliant talents as an orator and a divine, were seen and admired by all. Between the President and his associates in office, there was an intercourse of mind and feeling the most harmonious and delightful. He had nothing of that dictatorial, imperious and overbearing spirit which persons, who are elevated to power, are too apt to assume. He endeared himself to the stu- dents, by his courteous and conciliatory manners, and his paternal solicitude for their welfare, while his vari- ous and exact knowledge, sound judgment, refined taste and impressive eloquence, commanded their respect and supported his authority. President Maxcy beautifully exemplified the maxim, " Ingenuas didicisse fidellter artes, Emollit mores, nee sinit esse feros." His government was reasonable, firm and uniform, and marked in its administration by kindness, frankness and dignity. He did not attempt to support his author- ity, as is sometimes done, by distance, austerity and menace, but his pupils were addressed and treated as young gentlemen. He well knew human nature, and especially the character of young men, and hence his MEMOIR. 15 appeals were made to the understanding, the magna- nimity and the conscience of his pupils.* In speaking of his presidency over Brown Universi- ty it has been justly observed, that he was one " whose name and fame are identified with its reputation, and whose mildness, dignity and goodness equalled only by his genius, learning and eloquence, subdued all envy, made all admirers, friends, and gave him an irresistible sway over the minds of those placed under his care."t Under his administration the College acquired a rep- utation for belles-lettres and eloquence inferior to no seminary of learning in the United States. His pu- pils saw in him an admirable model for their imitation, and the influence of his pure and cultivated taste was seen in their literary performances. Though destitute of funds, and of patronage from the legislature of the state, guided by his genius and wisdom, the College flourished and diffused its light over every part of our countr3\ It sent forth a constellation of accomplished scholars, whose eloquence has glowed upon the altar, guarded the rights and privileges of the people, and shone in the halls of Congress. Mr. Maxcy's first publication was a Sermon occasion- ed by the death of President Manning, delivered July * This system of government, we are convinced, will be found, in almost every instance, to be the best. The writer of these lines can say, from his own experience, and he hopes he may do it without the charge of egotism, that after having been a Professor in a college for the last eighteen years, and coming daily in contact with young men of varied dispositions, he never met with an instance of personal disrespect from a student Let an instructor ad- dress and treat his pupils as young gentlemen, and endear himself to them permanently by his kindness, and by cherishing the virtuous principles of our nature, and he will be able to do what stern authority, pedagogical arrogance and a tyrannical mode of government can never accomplish. Let his appeals be made to the conscience, and they will imbibe a delicate, noble sensibility to character, and acquire a high respect for order and decorum. t See tlie Hon. Virgil Maxcy's Discourse before the Phi Beta Kappa So- ciety of Brown University, delivered September 4, 1833. 16 MEMOIR. 31, 1791. In this Sermon, which is written in a style chaste and elegant, he pays an eloquent tribute to his beloved and revered friend and preceptor. He express- es his opinions with independence, and expounds them with ability. The Sermon is replete with a vigor of expression, an elevation of thought, and a cogency of reasoning rarely found in so young a writer. During his Presidency of Brown University, Dr. Maxcy published nine Sermons, four Addresses to Graduates and three Orations. They are all written with great beauty and felicity of diction, and exhibit vast attainments and a mind of the first order. Their number and variety, considering his duties as President and his other numerous avocations, evince his industry and the extent of his capacity. One of his most celebrated productions is his Sermon on the Existence and Attributes of God, delivered in Providence, in 1795. The striking eifect which it pro- duced is still fresh in the recollection of many ; and the impression was no doubt very much deepened by the manner of its delivery. The natural element of his mind was greatness, and on subjects of this nature, his powers were displayed to uncommon advantage. Here he made his hearers feel the grasp of his intellect, and subdued them by his logical arguments, his profound reasoning, and his deep pathos. In identifying the S3^mpathies of his hearers with the developement and progress of the subject, and, in elevating the best affec- tions of the heart, he was unrivalled. His train of thought in this sermon is luminous and philosophical, and it attracts our attention by its sublime sentiments and beautiful imagery, expressed in classical and forci- ble language. In November, 1796, President Maxcy published two Discourses on the Doctrine of the Atonement, which MEMOIR. 17 were delivered in the College Chapel. He possessed, in an eminent degree, the art of explaining the most abstract subjects in an obvious and convincing manner, and his style is as clear as the most limpid stream. These Discourses afford a striking contrast to many of the flim- sy and superficial sermons of the present day. His views on the Atonement are in unison with those of President Edwards, and for acute and powerful reason- ing, we think the intelligent reader will rank them among the ablest productions, on this subject, which our country has produced. President Maxcy's reputation was now established as one of the first scholars and divines in the United States, and in 1801, when only thirty -three years of age, the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity was confer- red on him by Harvard University. In the language of Dr. Samuel Johnson, "Academical honors would have more value, if they were always bestowed with equal judgment." As a pulpit orator. Dr. Maxcy, during his Presiden- cy of Brown University, was powerful and fascinating, and wherever he preached, the place of worship was crowded. In the eloquent language of one of his pu- pils, " What man who knew him, can forget Maxcy, the disciple and successor of Manning ? Although our country abounds in able and learned divines, and the pulpit is everywhere adorned with eloquence : yet who, among them all, does in the enchanting attribute of ut- terance, approach so near as Maxcy approached to the glorious character of Him " who spake as never man spake." The eloquence of Maxcy was mental : You seemed to hear the soul of the man ; and each one of the largest assembly, in the most extended place of 3 18 MEMOIR. worship, received the slighest impulse of his silver voice as if he stood at his very ear. So entirely would he enchain attention, that in the most thronged audience, you heard nothing but him, and the pulsations of your own heart. His utterance was not more perfect, than his whole discourse was instructive and enchanting.* As Dr. Maxcy's celebrity as a teacher and an elo- quent divine, became known and appreciated, he was invited to more eligible positions, in distant parts of the country. In 1802, after the death of the Rev. Jonathan Ed- wards, D. D., President of Union College, at Schenec- tady, New- York, Dr. Maxcy was elected to the Presi- dency of that Institution. Here he officiated with dis- tinguished reputation, until 1804, when he was called to another sphere of action.f In that year, upon the establishment of the South- Carolina College, at Columbia, South-Carolina, he re- ceived the unsolicited appointment of President of that College. He accepted of the Presidency of the South- Carolina College, and entered upon his official duties with the fond anticipation of finding a clime more con- genial to his delicate constitution. He was now in the zenith of his reputation. His brilliant and attract- ive talents, the variety and extent of his erudition, and his agreeable and refined manners soon gained him the esteem of all classes of society. In this arduous and honorable station, he labored and shone for sixteen years. His eminent talents for instruction and discipline were now called into full exercise. The College was now in its infancy, and he devoted himself to its interests with great fidelity. He continued to preside over the South- *See Hon. Tristara Burgos' Oration delivered before the Rhode Island Federal Adelphi, Sept. 0, 1831. i See Note E. MEMOIR. IQ Carolina College till his death. Under his popular government that Institution attained a high rank and reputation among the colleges in the United States. During the period of his presidency, he was often called to preach on public and extraordinary occasions. This contributed to his celebrity as a President, and made him known and admired in every part of the State. The following extract of a letter from a gentleman residing in Columbia, to his friend in Charleston, South- Carolina, exhibits the impressive effects of his elo- quence, and the high estimation, in which he was held at the South. It was written but a few months before his death, and was published in the Charleston City Ga- zette. It shows that while Dr. Maxcy's knowledge was continuall}- increasing, his mind had lost nothing of its original vigor. Columbia, July 6, 1819. " Last Sunday we went to hear Dr. Maxcy. It being the 4th of July, it was a discourse appropriate to that eventful period. I had always been led to believe the Doctor an eloquent and impressive preacher ; but had no idea, till now, that he possessed such transcendent power. I never heard such a stream of eloquence. — It flowed from his lips, even like the oil from Aaron's head. Every ear was delighted, every heart was ela- ted, every bosom throbbed with gratitude. Such ap- propriate metaphor ! such exalted ideas of Deity ! and delivered with all the grace, the force, the elegance of a youthful orator ! I was sometimes in pain, lest this good old man should outdo himself and become exhausted ; but as he advanced in his discourse, he rose in anima- tion, till at length he reached heights the most sublime, 20 ' ' MEMOIR. and again descended with the same facility with which he soared. So far as I can judge, (and your partiality, I know, will allow me to be no mean critic) there was not heard the slig-htest deviation from the most correct enunciation and grammatical arrangement ; all the pow- ers of art seemed subservient to his absolute control. In short, I never heard any thing to compare to Dr. Maxcy's Sermon, in all the course of my life ; and, old as I am, I would now walk even twenty miles through the hottest sands to listen to such another discourse. I am persuaded I shall never hear such another in this life." This excellent man, erudite scholar, successful teach- er, and eloquent divine expired in peace and in full expectation of the blessedness of the righteous, June 4, 1820, aged fifty -two years. The death of an individual so admired and revered as President Maxcy spread a deep sorrow not only through his family, and the College over which he had so long presided, but through the State, and extensively through the Union. Science, virtue and religion mourned over the loss of one of their most gifted and illustrious sons. A brilliant luminary, which had long shed its bright and pure radiance over our country, was extinguished. His funeral was publicly solem- nized, and his remains were borne to the silent house appointed for all the living, upon the shoulders of his disconsolate pupils, by whom this great and good man was so affectionately beloved and revered. Dr. Maxcy, it is believed was appointed to the office of President the youngest, and officiated the longest in proportion to his years, of any person in the United States. He was connected with some college, either as MEMOIR. 21 a student or an officer, nearly thirty-eight out of the fifty -two years of his life. Dr. Maxcy married Miss Susan Hopkins, daughter of Commodore Esek Hopkins, of Providence, Rhode Island, a union to which he owed much of the happi- ness of his subsequent life. By her he had several daughters and four sons. All of his sons have been liberally educated. His amiable widow still survives and is living in Columbia, South Carolina. In his person Dr. Maxcy was rather small of stature, of a fine form and well proportioned. All his move- ments were graceful and dignified. His features were regular and manly, indicating intelligence and benevo- lence ; and, especially, when exercised in conversation or public speaking, they were strongly expressive, and exhibited the energy of the soul that animated them. In closing this brief sketch, we subjoin a few particu- lars in relation to the character of Dr. Maxcy. As a scholar. Dr. Maxcy was one of the most learned men which our country has produced. Criticism, meta- physics, politics, morals, and theology all occupied his attention. His stores of knowledge were immense, and he had at all times the command over them. Like the celebrated Robert Hall, he appears to have early imbibed a predilection for the abtruse inquiries of meta- physical studies, and to have thoroughly understood the . principles of the various systems of philosophy. To this circumstance was probably owing the clearness, precision and facility with which he could separate truth from error, and which enabled him to wield the powers of argumentation with so much success. He possessed in a very extraordinary degree the power of mental abstraction, and few persons could pursue a train of thought to equal extent, without the aid of 22 MEMOIR. writing, or retain their conceptions with a firmer grasp. Although the bias of his mind gave him a peculiar interest in the recondite studies of metaphysics, yet he was equally acquainted with the elegant and profound parts of science,and that not superficially but thoroughly. He cultivated with enthusiasm classical literature, the belles-lettres and the fine arts. He studied eloquence critically himself, and took great interest in the oratori- cal instructions of his pupils. Such was the prompti- tude and compass of his knowledge, that it seemed as if every subject that was incidentally introduced, was the one which he had been last occupied in investi- gating, and the one in which he was most minutely and extensively skilled. As an instructor. Dr. Maxcy possessed unusual abili- ty. His influence over his pupils was composed of all that genius,talent, experience and exalted reputation, could inspire. In his official station, he was conciliat- ing, and treated them with the kindness of a father. He used every exertion to enlighten their minds, and to instil into them the principles of virtue and piety. He delighted to assist and encourage those of his pu- pils who applied to him for patronage or advice. He entered into their concerns with the most lively interest, and with pleasure imparted to them the lights of his ex- perience and wisdom. The dignity and refinement of his manners, and his superior colloquial powers were greatly auxiliary in the introduction and discipline of the colleges over which he presided. He possessed a hap- py faculty of accommodating his instructions to the abili- ties and attainments of his pupils. His manner of im- parting instruction was unrivalled. He saw every sub- ject as a whole, and presented it to his pupils in a most MEMOIR. 23 attractive form. His Lecture Introductory to a course on Rhetoric and Criticism, we presume, will convey a good idea of his method of instruction and style of lec- turing. In the language of one his colleagues of the South- Carolina College, " As a teacher, Dr. Maxcy enjoyed a reputation higher, perhaps, than that of any other presi- dent of a college in the United States. His pupils all dwell with admiration, on the clearness and compre- hension of his ideas ; on the precision and aptness of his expressions. Many of these qualifications are, doubtless, to be attributed to his long experience as an instructor, which rendered his contemplation of the most abstract truths little more than a work of memory : they may however, in a much greater degree, be as- cribed to his early devotion to such studies and to his unwearied endeavors to distinguish, between what is essential and what is adscititious, in every subject. His retired habits, as well as his mild and unassumins: man- ners, also contributed to render his instructions at once imposing and delightful. The strongest evidences of his success are the gratitude and veneration, which his pupils, uniform^, evince for his memory."* His numerous pupils, in every yart of the Union, speak of him in terms of the most fervid eulogy, and ail unite in pronouncing him as a teacher one of the most perfect models. " They often acknowledged that they acquired a clearer perception of the beauties or subtil- ties, or errors of a writer, by listening to his remarks upon them, than even by a studious perusal of the work itself. But this power was never otherwise employed, than as an instrument of good. Learning, in the hands of Dr. Maxcy, was always the handmaid of virtue and * See Prof. Henry's Eulogy on Dr. Maxcy. 24 MEMOIR. the champion of morals. While he expanded the minds of his pupils and poured large draughts of knowledge from his own capacious stores, he ever steadily attended to their improvement as men, as citizens and as Christ- ians ; and while he was a perfect master of the works of others, and at all times capable of demolishing their theories, and erecting others of his own, and therefore held, as it were, the minds of his pupils in his hands, he was ever careful to instil the purest orthodoxy in reli- gion, the most perfect morality,and the most consummate patriotism in all the duties and relations of the citi- zen.* As a preacher, Dr. Maxcy's great excellence con- sisted in the admirable proportion and harmony of all his powers. His conceptions were bold and striking, and expressed in a style pure, elegant and sublime. A profound and breathless silence, an intense feeling, and a delight amounting to rapture were the almost in- variable attendants of his preaching. The impression made by his discourses w^as, undoubtedly, very much deepened by the peculiar unction and fervor with which they were delivered. His manner was emphatically his own. There was no labored display, nothing tur- gid or affected, but every thing was easy, graceful, dig - nified and natural. Though his voice was not very powerful, yet it was full and melodious, and his enun- ciation so distinct that every syllable he uttered in the largest assembly, fell clearly on the ear of the most dis- tant hearer. His general manner of delivery was rath- er mild than vehement, and rather solemn than impetu- ous; commencing in a moderate tone of voice, but be- coming more animated and impassioned as he proceed- *See a Sketch of the character of Dr. Maxcy in the Charleston Citj Gazette. MEMOIR. 25 ed he gradually influenced the hearts and feelings of his audience. In the performance of the devotional exercises of worship, Dr. Maxcy greatly excelled. Prayer appear- ed to be his habitual element. His prayers were al- ways appropriate, and never failed to enkindle and ele- vate the devotions of the pious. His heart appeared to be melted and " his lips to be touched as with a live coal from off the altar," when he was engaged in this sacred and delightful duty. As an author, we think the intelligent reader, who peruses this volume, will accord to Dr. Maxcy a very high rank. His writings are not numerous, but they are models of simplicity and beauty, of sublimity and eloquence. His Sermons are imbued with simple, evangelical truth, rich in excellent practical remarks, and present to the humble and the pious ncAV motives to religion. His Funeral Sermons are pathetic and sublime, and ex- cel in instructive trains of thought, and in their appli- cation to truths which relate to our highest interest. His Addresses to Graduates contain literary, moral and religious instruction of the highest importance to educated young men. They are replete with mature and sound wisdom for their guidance, expressed in lan- guage spirited, chaste and classical. His Orations contain many splendid passages, and may be regarded as among the most finished and elo- quent of his productions. They show him to have been a warm friend to every institution which had for its ob- ject the promotion of knowledge, patriotism, virtue and piety. A spirit of benevolence and love to the human race are manifested in his Orations, teaching men to re- gard each other as fellow-citizens and brethren. In the 4 26 MEMOIR. language of Cicero, he felt, that, " Caritate et benevo lentia siiblata, omnis est e vita sublata jucunditas." Dr. Maxcy united in an eminent degree the quali- ties which command genuine esteem. As a man, he was amiable and beloved ; as a companion, he was in- teresting and attractive ; as a friend, he was sincere, constant and affectionate. In all his intercourse with society, he exhibited an example of Christian meek- ness, liberality and conciliation. He was frank, noble and generous, and had nothing of that disguise and du- plicity which characterise the mean and the selfish. Of his character as a Christian, his life forms the best eulogy. His piety shone with a mild and steady lustre, and exemplified the practical efficacy of religion upon the human soul. His religious opinions are de- veloped in the following work. In his doctrinal views of the Christian system he was decided, but at the same time catholic in his sentiments, and extended his Chris- tian affection to all who bore the image of the Saviour, and gave evidence by their lives and conduct that they were his disciples. He exemplified the aphorism, " In necessariis unitas — in dubiis libertas — in omnibus ca- ritas." In the social and domestic circle, the finer qualities of his mind were seen to the greatest advantage. His rich and varied learning and brilliant powers of con- versation combined with his polished and dignified man- ners, made him the delight and ornament of the culti- vated and intellectual circles in which he moved. Though so much caressed in society, yet he appeared always the most happy in the bosom of his family. In the relation of son, husband, parent and master, he ex- hibited a commendable example of fidelity, affection and kindness. It was for home that his fond heart re- MEMOIR. 27 served its best affections and its sweetest smiles. It was in his own family, that his benignit}^ and kindness burst forth in unrestrained exercise, and diffused over his dwelling the radiance of his own pure, genial and be- nign spirit, and rendered it the abode of the most en- dearing attention and love. In the character of Dr. Maxcy, the elements of men- tal and moral greatness were most happily combined. " His life was gentle, and the elements So mixed in him that Nature might stand up And say to all the world, " This is a man." It is only at distant intervals, that God, in the dis pensations of his providence, bestows such a man upon the church and the world — " a man (to apply to him what has been so eloquently said of Milton) who, if he had been delegated as the representative of his species to one of the superior worlds, would have suggested a grand idea of the human race, as of beings affluent in moral and intellectual treasure, raised and distinguish- ed in the universe as the favorites and heirs of heaven." " His tibi pro meritis grata praeconia voce Posteritas omnis, virque puerque, canent. Nulla tuas unquam virtutes nesciet eetas Non jus in laudes mors habet atra tuas." Upon President Maxcy's monument is the following inscription : — West face. S-M- REVERENDI • ADMODViM- VIRI JONATHANIS • MAXCY- S • T • P • COLLEGH • CAROLINAE • AVSTRALI3 PRIXCIPIS • PRAEFECTI RARIS- ET • PRAECELLE\T1BVS-INGENII- ARTIBUS,- FVLTVS • QVALES VEL • SVMMIS • DIGN1TATII5VS • CONSTITISSENT • AVSPICIO • BONO H VJ VS • INSTITVTl • PRAESES • RELATVS . EST- IN-IPSO • TEMPORIS MOMENTO • CVM • SINGVLARIA • EJVS . MVNERA • MAXIME • ESSENT ALVMNIS • EMOLVMENTO • AD • FINGENDOS-MORES • LITERARI03 VEL • AD • CASTIGANDA • JVDICIA • NEC • NON-VIAMQVA • APVD HOMINES • GRATIAM • PARERENT • MONSTRANDO • ANIMOSaVE EORVM -STVDIO • BONARVM • ARTIVM- INFLAMMANDO TALIS • ERAT • PRAELECTOR • VT • IN • ILLO • NON • INGENII • VIS • NON • LVMINA NON • VERBORVM • FELICITAS • NEC . DECORl • GEST VS • ILLECEBRAE • ET AD ■ COMMOVENDOS • AFFECTVS • INSIGNITER • APTAE • DESIDERARENTVR OFFICI VM • PR AECEPTORIS • TANTA • PERITIA • SVSTINEBAT • VT • DVM SCIENTIAM • IMPERTIRET • SIMVL • ARTEM • VERA-TNVESTIGANDI ET • BENE • RATIOCINANDI • FACILI • AC • JV3TA • METIIODO • DOCERET East face. ADEO SE • HABILEM • COLLEGII • MODERATOREM • PRAESTITIT VT ■ INTER • ALVMNOS • JVXTA • CONCORDIAM • AVCTORITATEWaVE LEGVM • SERVARET • EVITANDO • SIMVL • DVRITIAM CVRIOSAMaVE • NIMIS • EXPLORATIONEM DOCTRINAE • CURISTIANAE • ASSERTOR • IPSE • MITEM EVANGELII • SAPIENTIAM • EXCOLEBAT • VIAMQVE • SALVTIS SEMPITERNAE • ARGVMENTIS • EX • LIMATISSIMA PHILOSOPHIA • PETITIS • TVEBATVR HAVD • FACILE • ALIVM • IN VENERIS • CVI • CONTIGIT • BENEFICLV AVT • MAJORA • AVT • DIVTVRNIORA- ERGA • HANC • NOSTRAM CIVITATEM • PROFERRE • NEMINEM • CERTE • QVEM . JVVENTVS NOSTRA • PIA • AC • GRATA • MENTE • PERINDE • EXTOLLIT PARENTEMaVE • STVDIORVM • REIPVBLICAE • FAVTORVM • CONCLAMAT DESIDERIO • TANTI • VIRI • ET • IPSIVS • MEMORIA • BENEFICIOB VM PERCVLSA • FAMILIA ■ ACADEMIC A • EX • APOLLINE • CLARIORVM NVNCVPATA • CVJVS • OHM • ILLE • SOCIVS • ERAT II • M • P • C- South face. NATVS • IN • CIVITATE • MASSACHVSETTS IV • NONAS • M • DCC ■ LXVIII North face. ms • IN • AEDIBVS ■ ANIMAM ■ EFFLAVIT PRIDIB • NONAS ■ JVNII • ANNOQVE • S • H • M- DCCC -XX JN^OTES TO THE MEMOIR. Note A. p. 10. Of the the other sons of Levi and Ruth Maxcy, Milton graduated at Brown University, in the year 1802, and afterwards became an eminent lawyer in Beaufort, South Carolina, where he died of the yellow fever in 1818. Levi, another son, who was distinguished for his talents, died also at the South. Virgil graduated at Brown University in 1804, and was a classmate of the Hon. Marcus Morton, LL. D., late Governor of Massachusetts. His recent and sudden death, from the accidental explosion of a gun on board the United States Steam-Ship Princeton, Febuary 28, 1844, has not only filled the hearts of an afflicted family with the deepest sorrow, but a large circle of friends by whom he is sincerely and feel- ingly lamented. " Multis ille bonis ilebilis occidit." The Hon. Virgil Maxcy possessed talents and accomplishments of a high order. He was a ripe scholar, a finished gentleman and a pure statesman. His manners were bland, courteous and dignified. In social and domestic life, he was the object of love in his own family, and esteemed and honored by all who knew him. As a hus- band, father, friend, master and citizen his conduct was exemplary^ and his virtues shone resplendent. In his public life, he exhi\)ited a rare union of political firmness, united wath candor and moderation. After studying law with that eminent jurist Robert Goodloe Harper, of Maryland, he settled in that State, and soon rose to professional 30 NOTES. eminence. He was successively distinguished in both houses of the Maryland Legislature; as Solicitor of the United States Treasury ; and as Charge d' Affaires from this country to the Court of the King of Belgium. In all the high and responsible stations which he was called to fill, he displayed signal abilities, and received the meed of high praise. In the melancholy catastrophe which occurred on board the Prince- ton, our country was also deprived, at the same moment, of several distinguished persons and valuable citizens. Among others, an inti- mate friend of Mr. Maxcy, the Hon. Abel P. Upshur, the Secretary of State; the Hon. Thomas Gilmer, the Secretary of the Navy; Capt. Beverly Kennon, chief of a Navy Bureau; and the Hon. Da- vid Gardiner, of New York, by a mysterious dispensation of Divine Providence, were all suddenly cut off in the midst of health, activity and usefulness. Note B. p. 10 The following epitaph was written by Mr. Levi Maxcy on his honest and faithful colored servant, who was an exemplary member of the first Baptist Church in Attleborough. Here lies the best of slaves Now turning into dust ; Csesar, the Ethiopian craves A place among the just. His faithful soul has fled To realms of heavenly light, And, by the blood of Jesus shed, Is chang'dfrom hlack to white. January 15, he quitted the stage. In the 77th year of his age. Note C. p. 12- BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE OF HON. SAMUEL EDDY, LL. D. Among the classmates of President Maxcy, with whom he formed an intimate and cordial friendship, and which continued uninterrupted to the end of life, was the Hon. Samuel Eddy, LL. D., of Providence. Mr. Eddy was born in Johnston, R. I. March 31, 1769. He was graduated at Brown University in 1787. He studied law with the Hon. Benjamin Bourne, an eminent and popular barrister, and was afterwards his partner in Providence. In 1798, he was elected by the people Secretary of the State ; and they evinced their confidence in his ability and uprightness by annually re-electing him to that of- fice without opposition, till May, 1819, a period of twenty-one years, when he declined a re-election. On his retirement from that office the General Assembly unanimously voted their thanks to him, "for his distinguished talents and ability manifested in the discharge of the du- ties of said office for more than twenty years." On the occasion of his resigning the Secretaryship of State, the du- ties of which he had so long, so ably and so faithfully performed, Mr. Eddy made the following private record : " May 5, 1819. This day terminates my duties as Secretary of the State. I have the satisfac- tion to believe that, in the discharge of my official duties, I have been free from partiality. I have never knowingly received more than my lawful fees, and no man's business has been refused, or left undone for want of money." Mr. Eddy was elected a Representative in Congress from Rhode- Island for three successive terms, and held a seat in the national councils, from 1819, the year he resigned his Secretaryship, to 1825. He was subsequently appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Rhode-Island, and was annually re-elected for eight years, till June 1835, when sickness compelled him to relinquish all public employ- ments. He passed the remainder of his life in domestic happiness, and literary pursuits, beloved by his relatives and friends, and hon- ored by the public. Judge Eddy departed this life, at his residence, in Providence, February 3, 1839, aged 69 years. In his death his native State and