were in danger of starvation. The country he had loved had nothing for him but contumely. To a man like Hutchinson public calamity would cause a deeper pang than private sorrows. No more threatening hour for England has probably ever struck than the hour when the soul of this man passed. It was becoming apparent that America was lost, a rending which easily might be fatal to the empire, and which her hereditary enemies were hastening to make the most of. To America herself the rending seemed to many certain to be fatal. While the members were thus being torn away, destruction seemed to impend at the heart.

At the moment of the death, London was at the mercy of the mob in the Gordon riots. The city was on fire in many places; a drunken multitude murdered right and left, laying hands even upon the noblest of the land. Mansfield, because he had recommended to the mercy of a jury a priest arrested for celebrating mass, saved his life with difficulty, his house with all his possessions going up in conflagration. The exile's funeral passed on its way through smoke and uproar that might easily have been regarded as the final crash of the social structure. No one foresaw then what was immediately to come; that England was to make good her loss twice over; that America was to become the most powerful of nations; that the London disorders were on the surface merely and only transient. In Hutchinson's latest consciousness, every person, every spot, every institution dear to his heart, must have seemed to be overwhelmed in catastrophe. Such was the end of a life thoroughly dutiful and honorable!-HosMER, JAMES K., 1896, The Life of Thomas Hutchinson, p. 348.

GENERAL

Hutchinson, whose writing is more worthy of the dignified title of history than any other American composition during our colonial state.-SAVAGE, RICHARD, 1816, Hubbard's History of New England, North American Review, vol. 2, p. 223.

The only monument of his mind is his "History of Massachusetts," written with lively inquisitiveness and a lawyer-like criticism; though without a glimpse of the great truths which were the mighty causes of the revolutions he describes. He was philosophic, if to know somewhat of the

selfish principles in man be philosophy; otherwise he was blind, except to facts.— BANCROFT, GEORGE, 1838, Documentary History of the Revolution, North American Review, vol. 46, p. 477.

His "History of the Province of Massachusetts Bay," which, in its completed form, brings the story down to the very year of the author's exit from the colony, may fairly be called a praiseworthy production, even from the literary standpoint. One old book may be valuable as an original authority, another may be prized for its quaintness of autobiographical detail

or social chronicle. Hutchinson's work offers something more than this, and deserves some credit for its literary style. Notwithstanding the marked political opinions of the author, one feels a confidence in his statements greater than that reposed in the writings of the professional moralist Cotton Mather. Naturally, Hutchinson never attained a tithe of the popularity enjoyed by Increase and Cotton Mather in their capacity of historians; politics had crowded literature to the wall, and Hutchinson was not the man to get an impartial hearing in his lifetime. But it is now apparent that he possessed an ability shared but never fully displayed by Thomas Prince: that of accumulating, studying, and assimilating historical materials, and placing them before the reader in an orderly and intelligible form. It is this ability that makes the historian; and in the maturity and thoroughness of Hutchinson's work we find the beginning of the second and principal period of historical literature in America. More than this one cannot claim; to say less than this would be injustice. In Hutchinson's diary and miscellaneous papers are sometimes to be found a loftiness of thought and a transparency of diction which are similar to the good literary qualities of the "History." RICHARDSON, CHARLES F., 1887, American Literature, 16071885, vol. 1, p. 448.

Governor Hutchinson was fortunate in respect to materials for his work, having access to many documents and sources of information long since lost. From these he compiled, with excellent judgment and rare scholarship, a work which will always be regarded as the highest authority.— PATTEE, FRED LEWIS, 1896, A History of American Literature, p. 52.

That in these volumes Hutchinson has illustrated the fundamental virtues of an historian, and that he deserves to be ranked as, upon the whole, the ablest historical writer produced in America prior to the nineteenth century, are conclusions as to which there is now substantial agreement among scholars. A great historian, Hutchinson certainly was not, and, under the most favorable outward conditions, could not have been. He had the fundamental virtues of a great historianlove of truth, love of justice, diligence, the ability to master details and to narrate them with accuracy. Even in the exercise of those fundamental virtues, however, no historian in Hutchinson's circumstances could fail to be hampered by the enormous preoccupations of official business, or to have his judgment warped and colored by the pre-possessions of his own political career. While Hutchinson was, indeed, a miracle of industry, it was only a small part of his industry that he was free to devote to historical research. However sincere may have been his purpose to

tell the truth and to be fair to all, the literary product of such research was inevitably weakened, as can now be abundantly shewn, by many serious oversights and by many glaring misrepresentations, apparently through his failure to make a thorough use of the important sources of information then accessible to him, such as colonial pamphlets, colonial newspapers, the manuscripts of his own ancestors and of the Mathers, and especially the general court records of the province in which he played so great a part. As to the rarer intellectual and spiritual endowments of a great historian,-breadth of vision, breadth of sympathy, the historic imagination, and the power of style, these Hutchinson almost entirely lacked. That he had not the gift of historical divination, the vision and the faculty divine to see the inward meaning of men and of events, and to express the meaning in gracious, noble, and fascinating speech-Hutchinson was himself partly conscious. TYLER, MOSES COIT, 1897, The Literary History of the American Revolution, 1763-1783, vol. ii.

accomplished author of one of the most beautiful specimens of metaphysical analysis of the theory of Language, which exist in our language-I mean the work entitled "Hermes."-MORELL, J. D., 1846-47, An Historical and Critical View of Speculative Philosophy of Europe in the Nineteenth Century, p. 144.

Mr. Harris had long left the University of Oxford before he began even to read Aristotle, or to inquire into the Greek philosophy; and he was led to the consideration of universal grammar by no book of the academical cycle, either then or since, but by the "Minerva" of Sanctius. That Mr. Harris was a tardy student of philosophy, is shown, perhaps, in his want of self-reliance, in his prejudice in favor of authority at least of ancient authority.

But truth is not the property of the old or of the new; "nondum occupata," it frequently belongs to neither.-HAMILTON, SIR WILLIAM, 1853, Oxford as it Might Be, Discussions on Philosophy and Literature.

The definitions of Harris are considered arbitrary, and often unnecessary, and his rules are complicated; but his profound acquaintance with Greek literature, and his general learning, supplying numerous illustrations, enabled him to produce a curious and valuable publication. Every

writer on the history and philosophy of grammar must consult "Hermes." Unfortunately the study of the ancient dialects of the northern nations was little prevalent at the time of Mr. Harris, and to this cause as was the case also with many of the etymological distinctions in Johnson's Dictionary-must be attributed some of his errors and the imperfection of his plan. CHAMBERS, ROBERT, 1876, Cyclopædia of English Literature, ed. Carruthers.

GENERAL

Challoner published an English bible, being in some sense a new version, and differing considerably in its diction from that of the Rheims-Douay. Dr. Challoner's version has been followed more than others by English-speaking Catholics since his day, and his influence upon the language of religion and devotion among Catholics has been accordingly very great. His influence in this respect has been still further increased by the great and continued popularity of his books on practical religion, such as "The Catholic Christian Instructed," "Meditations," and other devotional works, some of which have been circulated by millions. So familiar, indeed, is the language of Challoner to Catholic Christians generally, that whenever, in any diocese, the question arises as to which English version of the Vulgate shall be authorized for use in that diocese, the preference is given to Challoner's, rather than to the Rheims-Douay, notwithstanding the traditional veneration to which the latter is held. This was the decision of the late Cardinal Wiseman, and has been that of most English-speaking Bishops of the Catholic Church for the last hundred years. Dr. Challoner writes with great vigor and

freshness of thought, and in a style remarkable for its sparkling clearness and the purity of his English.-HART, JOHN S., 1872, A Manual of English Literature, pp. 322, 323.

In history, we are indebted to Dr. Challoner for the valuable "Memoirs of Missionary Priests and other Catholics that have Suffered Death in England on Religious Accounts, from the Year 1577 to 1684." He gives us an account of 180 martyrs who suffered during the reign of Elizabeth alone. The "Memoirs" are a monument of the accuracy, research, and moderation of their author. The style, suited to this kind of narrative, is simple and concise. Another important work of Dr. Challoner is his revision of the Rheims-Douay Bible, in which he substituted modern for antiquated terms. revision is generally used by Catholics, but the admirers of the old Anglo-Saxon would willingly return to the earlier version. JENKINS, O. L., 1876, The Student's Handbook of British and American Literature, p. 273.

One of the most learned and best known English Catholic writers of the eighteenth century. MURRAY, JOHN O'KANE, 187784, Lessons in English Literature, p. 217. Challoner inaugurated a new era in

English catholic literature, and many of his publications are to this day regarded by his co-religionists as standard works of

doctrine or devotion.-COOPER, THOMPSON, 1887, Dictionary of National Biography, vol. IX, p. 442.

PERSONAL

Lord Kames and Mrs. Drummond, his wife, came from Edinburgh, which is an hundred miles from Denton, on purpose to spend a few days with me. His lordship is a prodigy. At eighty-three he is as gay and as nimble as he was at twentyfive. His sight, hearing, and memory perfect. He has a great deal of knowledge and a lively imagination, and is a most entertaining companion. I have promised to return his visit two years hence. I think as he has not grown old in the space of eighty-three years, two years more cannot have much effect.

If

it should abate a little of his vivacity, he would still have enough left.-MONTAGU, ELIZABETH, 1778, A Lady of the Last Century, ed. Doran, p. 246.

He received from nature an extraordinary activity of mind, to which his multiplied occupations allowed no remission, even in his advanced age; we find him as indefatigable in his eightieth year, as in the most vigorous and ambitious season of his life. The versatility of his talents were accompanied by a strength and acuteness, which penetrated to the essence of the subjects to which they were applied. The intentions with which he prosecuted such a wide diversity of studies, appear often excellent; very few men so ingen ious, so speculative, so systematic, and occasionally so fanciful, have kept practical utility so generally in view. The great influence which he exerted over some of the younger philosophers of the time, several of the most distinguished of whom were proud to acknowledge themselves his pupils, was employed to determine their speculations to useful purposes. His conduct in the office of judge appears to have impressed every impartial man that

His

witnessed it, with an invariable opinion of his talents and integrity. As a domestic and social man, his character was that of frankness, good humour, and extreme vivacity. His prompt intelligence continually played around him, and threw its rays on every subject that even casualty could introduce into conversation. FosTER, JOHN, 1807, On Memoir- Writing, Critical Essays, ed. Ryland, vol, I, p. 64. Lord Kames was in his person extremely tall, and of a thin and slender make. In his latter years, he had a considerable stoop in his gait; but when in the vigour of life, and particularly when in his dress. of a barrister, his appearance is said to have been uncommonly becoming. countenance, though not handsome, was animated and intelligent, and was strongly marked by that benignity of disposition which was a prominent feature of his mind. In ordinary discourse, his accent and pronunciation were like those of the better educated of his countrymen of the last age. The tone was not displeasing from its vulgarity; and though the idiom, and frequently the phrases, were peculiar to the Scottish dialect, his language was universally intelligible. A strong feature of Lord Kames's disposition, was an artless simplicity and ingenuity, which led him at all times to express without reserve both his feelings and his opinions. This propensity gave frequently an appearance of bluntness of manner, which was apt to impress a stranger unfavourably, as erring against those lesser proprieties of behaviour, so necessary in the commerce of the world. But this impression was momentary; the same frankness of nature displayed at once both the defect and its cause it laid open the integrity of his character, and that perfect candour, which

judging always most favourably of others, was unconscious of harbouring a thought which required concealment or disguise. -TYTLER, ALEXANDER FRASER, 1814, Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Henry Home of Kames, vol. II, pp. 329, 331.

Sceptical as we may well be of any high estimate of his mental calibre, he was a characteristic figure in his day, and accentuates many of its traits by exaggeration and by travesty. He represented all the indomitable energy of the race, and its persevering struggle against odds. When he attained to the dignity of the Bench, the long tension brought a reaction, and he turned with zest to the pursuits of what he deemed elegant literature and lofty speculation, undeterred by any consciousness of the limitations of his early training. ... As was often the case with his countrymen, he relieved the long restraint of toil by indulgence in antics that frequently fell to the ridiculous, and cultivated with assiduity the reputation of a wit, which degenerated not rarely into the indecency of the buffoon, and suffered the restraints neither of dignity nor of good taste. . . . He was not a great lawyer; he was in no sense a philosopher; his literary taste was frequently perverse; his political speculations were whimsical and often absurd; his wit had often much of boyish mischief, asserting itself against the restraints of authority, and never rose to the serenity of humour. But in his indomitable energy, in his industry, in his freedom from timidity or any bashfulness bred of his own defects, he was characteristic of his age.-CRAIK, SIR HENRY, 1901, A Century of Scottish History, vol. II, pp. 195, 196.

GENERAL

In my passage to America, I read your excellent work, the "Elements of Criticism," in which I found great entertainment: much to admire, and nothing to reprove. I only wish you had examined more fully the subject of Music, and demonstrated, that the pleasure which artists feel in hearing much of that composed in the modern taste, is not the natural pleasure arising from melody or harmony of sounds, but of the same kind with the pleasure we feel on seeing the surprising feats of tumblers and rope-dancers, who execute difficult things.-FRANKLIN, BENJAMIN, 1765, Letter to Lord Kames.

Among Mr. Hume's numerous disciples, I do not know one who ever read his "Treatise on Human Nature." In order, therefore, to be read, you must not be satisfied with reasoning with justness and perspicuity; you must write with pathos, with elegance, with spirit, and endeavour to warm the imagination, and touch the heart of those who are deaf to the voice of reason. What has made Lord Kames's "Elements of Criticism" so popular in England, is his numerous illustrations and quotations from Shakespeare. If his book had wanted these illustrations, or if they had been taken from ancient or foreign authors, it would not have been so generally read in England.-GREGORY, JOHN, 1768, Letter to Dr. Beattie, Beattie's Life by Forbes, vol. I, p. 141.

He had too much liberality of mind not to allow to others the same liberty in judging which he claimed to himself. It is difficult to say, whether that worthy man was more eminent in active life or in speculation. Very rare surely have been the instances where the talents for both were united in so eminent a degree. His genius and industry, in many different branches of literature, will, by his works, be known to posterity. His private virtues and public spirit, his assiduity through a long and laborious life in many honourable public offices with which he was entrusted, and his zeal to encourage and promote every thing that tended to the improvement of his country, in laws, literature, commerce, manufactures, and agriculture, are best known to his friends and contemporaries. REID, THOMAS, 1785, Essays on the Intellectual Powers of Man, Dedication.

The "Histórical Law Tracts" of Lord Kames are conducted upon a very judicious system of investigating the natural principles of some of the most important objects of judicial science, and tracing the application of them in the Laws of Rome, of Scotland, and of England; but a comparison between the Laws of Scotland and England, conducted, I think, with great fairness, is apparently the leading object of the undertaking.-EVANS, WILLIAM DAVID, 1806, Pothier on Law of Obligations, Introduction.

The "Elements of Criticism," considered as the first systematical attempt to investigate the metaphysical principles of