Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB

away the sin of the world, the friend and Saviour of sinners who believe. He had strong and cheerful confidence in the power of the gospel, and in the providence, grace, and promises of God, and therefore in the ultimate prevalence and triumph of truth, righteousness, and salvation in the earth.

For many of the later years of the life of our friend, the years of his comparative leisure, he has been accustomed to attend our religious meeting on Tuesday evening, as often, and even oftener, than his infirmities permitted. And he has frequently taken part in our services, much to our edification and pleasure; leading in our prayers, and offering, in his modest and simple way, his words of instruction and exhortationwords very influential with us, because, in addition to their being very pertinent and instructive, they were associated in our minds with his intelligence, his moral worth, and his beauful life.

A few words should be allowed respecting Dr. Ives's domestic history.

He married, Sept. 17, 1805, when he was twenty-six years of age, Maria Beers, daughter of Deacon Nathan and Mary (Phelps) Beers; who, after a most happy union with him for fiftysix years is left alone by his decease; soon, however, to be reunited with him in the celestial fruition of Christian faith and hope, in which they have long sympathized. It is a very remarkable fact, that her father, an honored deacon of this church, lived to the age of ninety-six years, and her mother, whose funeral was attended from this Sanctuary a few weeks since, lived to the age of ninety-eight. The children of Dr. Ives were five. Two of them, well known to us, our fellow-citizens, eminent and honored members of their father's profession, are with us to-day. Of the other three, one, a daughter, died in infancy; another, a most promising son, died, to the overwhelming sorrow of his parents, while pursuing medical studies, at the age of nineteen; and another, a daughter, being early left a widow with two children, went with them to the house of her parents, where she was their comfort and joy till she died, at the age of forty-four.

"None knew her but to love her,

Nor named her but to praise."

It is now about nine months since Dr. Ives has been, for the most part, confined to his house. From that time, his frame, for the greater part of his life battling with disease, has gradually yielded to its fatal power. His mind has enjoyed, during all these months, the resignation, the cheerfulness, the hope, and the peace of the humble and assured Christian.

For the few last weeks of his life, his bodily sufferings have been great; but he bore them with Christian patience and meekness; and, worn out by them at length, he expired at four o'clock on the morning of Tuesday, October 8th, 1861, at the age of eighty-two years and eight months.

There is no object so beautiful to a thoughtful and reverent mind as an aged Christian, of eminent attainments and usefulness. For our memory and faith associate with his presence and his face his past and his future. There shines ever, upon his hoary head and his reverend countenance, a double radiance—the radiance from his long life of righteousness, beneficence, and love, and the radiance from the purity and glory of his approaching celestial home.

Such a vision we have had, for many years, in the person of our aged friend. But the vision has passed away, no more to be seen on earth. But, if we rightfully profit by the lessons of his life and character, and follow the example of his Christian faith, that vision will ere long be restored to us, in a world where visions of beauty and glory never pass away.

[blocks in formation]

ARTICLE X.-NOTICES OF BOOKS.

BIOGRAPHY.

LIFE OF ANDRE.*-A valuable and readable book which ought to get attention even in these times, when the public mind is too anxious to warrant the usual amount of new miscellany. It has the more value on the whole for a reason which impairs its artistic merit as a delineation of André; for the author has industriously brought together, especially in the earlier part, many historical notices of the Revolution, which are not even as closely related to his subject as to many other personages of the times. This criticism, indeed, he has fairly anticipated in the preface. The only link between André and some of the incidents portrayed is in the possibility of his having witnessed them. These sketches, like all other lively accounts of our Revolution, confirm the thought we have often entertained of late, that the evils now complained of in our public affairs are "nothing new under the sun." The number, activity, and influence of the native loyalists or tories, the delays and reverses in our military movements, the feuds in Congress and in the army, the jealousies and misunderstandings among our public men, the popular complaints against Washing ton, personal ambition and mercenary intrigue,-these and like obstacles stood in the way of establishing our national independ ence, even more formidably than they now hinder the maintenance of our Federal Government. As to André himself—a subject that has never ceased to interest both British and American readers-Mr. Sargent, we believe, has collected all that may be known of him from every source, whether histories or traditions, with discrimination however, as well as zeal. His social life, particularly, is more fully on record here than in any account we have seen, his acquaintance and correspondence with Miss Seward and her friends, and his love for Honora Sneyd, before he joined

*The Life and Career of Major John André, Adjutant General of the British Army in America. By WINTHROP SARGENT. Boston: Ticknor & Fields. 1861. 12mo. pp. 471. For sale in New Haven by T. H. Pease. Price $1.50.

the army, his intercourse and adventures as a British officer, his participation in the dramatic gayeties of Philadelphia and New York while the army held those cities, with various articles in prose or verse ascribed to his pen, and especially the Mischianza, a scenic entertainment gotten up in honor of Sir W. Howe, on his departure for England, at which there was a mimic tournament between the "Knights of the Burning Mountain" and those of "the Blended Rose." We must quote a paragraph showing at once the length to which the British officers carried their festivities, making their occupation of our cities memorable for years afterwards among the belles of that day, and also the respect felt among them for Washington.

[ocr errors]

"When the Mischianza was in every one's mouth, a young person of the family asked of an old [British] Major of artillery, what was the distinction between the Knights of the Mountain and the Rose? Why, child,' quoth he, 'the Knights of the Burning Mountain are tom-fools, and the Knights of the Blended Rose are damned fools-I know of no other difference between them.' Then, placing a hand on either knee, he added, in a tone of unsuppressed mortification What will Washington think of all this !'"

All the details given in this book confirm the impression, from foregoing accounts, of André's amiable character, personal beauty, winning manners, and graceful accomplishments, which made him so great a favorite with his comrades and in society; and the im. pression is in keeping with the delicacy and sweetness of the portrait here given in his military costume. We can understand why his own family, and afterwards Miss Seward and her friends, familiarly called him "cher Jean." His personal popularity conspired with his final misfortune to make him so generally and so long commemorated.

It has been supposed that André left his mercantile business and entered the army, on account of his disappointment when Honora Sneyd, whom he so ardently desired to marry, and who was one of the most beautiful and attractive women of her time, became the second wife of Richard Lovell Edgeworth in 1773. But it appears from this narrative that André's commission dated more than two years earlier, and in joining the army he seems to have only taken a step which he had originally desired, and which he had postponed, at the suggestion of friends, in order that he might improve his fortune by business so as to remove the objection made by her guardian and his own mother to their marriage. It

appears, too, that Honora had not so far committed herself to André but that she had another acknowledged suitor before Mr. Edgeworth, in Mr. Thomas Day, the author of "Sandford and Merton." She had not loved André, as he loved her, against all delay and to the end.

The question has been reasonably asked, why, on this side of the water as well as on the other, so much more celebrity has belonged to John André than to Nathan Hale, the American officer, who four years sooner suffered the same penalty for the same offense? The parallel is close between them, but André was the more widely known before his death; there were more to witness his execution; and pity for his doom was inflamed and kept alive by detestation for his coadjutor, Arnold, and regret at his escape. It must be added that at that time, and since, the British people have better appreciated public services than their American kinsOf late years, however, Hale has more of the fame which he so well merited. There is every reason in his character and fate why he should be honored no less than André. Certainly he should be the dearer of the two to his own countrymen; and impartial history must place the two names side by side in merit and in misfortune.

men.

AUTOBIOGRAPHY, LETTERS, AND LITERARY REMAINS OF MRS. PIOZZI (THRALE).*-No reader of Boswell (and who has not read Boswell?) can fail to have his curiosity excited at the prospect of obtaining, from whatever quarter, additional memorabilia of the circle of men and women about Johnson. It is fortunate for posterity that the eavesdroppers and reporters were so numerous. We have read far enough in this new volume to be able to assure our readers that they will find in it a store of thought and anecdote. It throws new light on the relations of Mrs. Thrale to Johnson, and on the stormy scenes attending her second marriage. Her resolution and spirit under the vulgar and unwarrantable attacks made upon her, for presuming to marry the man of her choice, are well exhibited in her letters. She possessed the heart of a woman, in combination with rare sense and intellect. Able

* Autobiography, Letters, and Literary Remains of Mrs. Piozzi (Thrale). Edited with notes and an introductory account of her life and writings. By A. HAYWARD, Esq., Q. C. Boston: Ticknor & Fields. 12mo. 1861. pp. 531. For sale in New Haven by T. H. Pease. Price $1.50.

« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »