town in May. If you want a colleague you had better strike while the iron is hot, and call me now. Addison has a Comment on the Psalms going through the press; popular; no strange tongues. I have not lately met with a remark more exactly suiting me than the following of W. S. Landor, respecting Southey: "no prose writer, except Cobbett and Sydney Smith, has written such pure English." "No week passes without some one going from our congregation to California, almost all very respectable persons. I am sorry to perceive that the cholera is increasing at New Orleans and on the plantations.

1

NEW YORK, March 19, 1849.

Addison is certainly printing on Psalms: I am glad of it, as no book is more needed. Poor Ebenezer Mason was buried yesterday, in a vault to which his father's remains [Dr. John M. Mason] had been conveyed the day before. Violent sudden rheumatism. Duncan of Baltimore, on his way to the funeral, was paralyzed in a coach from our wharf, and lies ill, but better. My house is sold over my head, and also rented, and I am as yet houseless. The kind of house I need cannot be had, but for such sums as $800, $900, and even $1,000. Atkinson (when a lawyer) was a particular friend of mine; he was an uncommonly amiable man.1 I do not expect to lose fewer than twenty families from my church by the 1st of May. I went yesterday to see the man from whom my child took the varioloid; he has had the most dreadful form of confluent small-pox. The mask on his face was half-an-inch thick, so that he cut it off with a knife. I am glad to see the Bostonians have printed Macaulay without the offense," "chimist," "traveler," "highth," and "luster." There is a third impression for twenty-five cents. I continue to see Mr. Gallatin, and talk to him on divine things. Even at his almost hopeless age, he seems to make some progress; disavows deism; disavows Unitarianism; speaks of relying on the merits of Christ alone; on being saved by faith; and on the last occasion used these words, with tears in his eyes, "My love to my redeeming God." But his mind loses its thread instantly if you oppose any thing he is saying. A pleasant boy of my church suffered amputation of the leg, last week, for the second time in six years: in the last instance he was entirely insensible, under chloroform.

NEW YORK April 24, 1849. I thought you would be pleased with [Life of Dr.] Channing; The book did me much good. How refreshing to find a man

1 1 The Rev. William M. Atkinson, D. D., died February 24, 1849.

who is in earnest about something. I make great distinction between Channing and his biographer: who knows how far the suppressio has gone? My taste increases for books which flow straight on, as from an inner source; little erudition, no quotation, no heads or divisions, growing, swelling, &c.: not the less, because I am individually of the opposite sort, and tend to mince things up, and put them into patty-pans, with numbers. I got a shove for weeks from reading "Foster's Estimate of R. Hall, as a Preacher." Don't fail to read it, especially what he says about Hall's faults. John Howe is the only Puritan writer of the sort I mean. Addison, in one or two of his best sermons, exemplifies my meaning. The year's pew-letting (how I hate it!) has resulted in the taking of as many seats as at any time before: it is with peculiar pleasure that I see the galleries filling up. Coquerel has an answer to Strauss, which (Unitarian though he be) contains some fine suggestions about the life of Christ. Mr. Gallatin joins in the prayers, which I offer by his bed-side, with a feryour and tenderness which fill me with wonder: I certainly never saw a human face more radiant with emotion. I wonder if every other Presbyterian minister in New York feels (in secret) the same want of brotherly support and communion that I do. Four distinct times I have essayed a weekly ministerial meeting, chiefly for prayer. All other sects but ours, I believe, maintain such a service here.' The Düsseldorf collection of paintings, by great modern Germans, strikes me as surpassing any collection ever saw. Ensingmuller (?) has a picture in the Academy, "Christ and his Church," from Solomon's Song: but oh, the amatoriousness of it, when painted, is fearful! It is the most gorgeous, furnace-like piece of colouring I ever beheld, and yet has originality and merit. I am greatly struck with Ezek. xxxv. 10, as a text: "whereas Jehovah was there:" it had escaped me till now.

NEW YORK, May 8, 1849.

Our new house [10 Beach street] is an oddity. It is bulging in front, deep in the basement, and high like a tower. I cannot account for it, but I never was in a house from which you could look down on so many others. From our attic we can count most of the city steeples. From my study I behold Trinity, St. Paul's, St. Gardiner's, St. McLauren's, St. Hardenburg's, the Hospital; and from every front window St. John's tower and dial. A tall liberty-pole, both front and rear, with conspicuous vane. Though not precisely on St. John's Park, we are in view, and have sight of the jet d'eau. For the sake of having a bath

1 A meeting of this kind was afterwards established.

room, with hot and cold, and shower, we have even consented to have plumbers and id genus in our kitchen for a week, and have not yet cooked a dinner at home. My study is in a chaotic state. Our yard is smaller than before. We have two good trees at the door, a wide street, free sweep of winds, no neighbour on the west, and exemption from all objects of nuisant aspect. It has been a soaking time for the anniverse, (qu.: “anyfuss-eries"?) the Board of (Foreign) Missions yesterday and today several hours of debate about appointing a general agent; postponed till June. I was glad to hear from the Rev. Dr. J (indirectly) that you are the author of the “Letters to a Young Minister." They do you credit. Go on, my dear brother, to rear the tender youth!

NEW YORK, May 21, 1849.

Dr. Spring goes to Assembly after all, by the illness of Greenleaf, (green leaves have generally followed Spring.) What a time of disasters! Crevasse at New Orleans; cholera and conflagration at St. Louis; loss of steamboat Empire; riots and cholera here. There is little disposition among us to turn this to a religious account, as our fathers used to do. The true state of the case as to our mob [Astor-Place Opera House] is, that it was crushed by one timely, though afflictive blow, instead of being left to dribble on year after year: it is the first streetdisturbance since I have been here. I saw and heard no sign of it; all my information being from the papers. Rauschenbusch (a rough but devoted and Luther-like man) is going back to the West. He says the revolutions have driven to America great numbers of royalists and religious scholars. The average number of sick Germans in the Staten Island Emigrant Hospital is seven hundred. For these there is no Protestant chaplaincy; while the Popish priests and Sisters of Charity are constantly there. A learned and pious German of Elberfeld, named Fliedener, has a seminary for Protestant deaconesses, to do the same work in hospitals that the Sœurs do. He has trained one hundred and fifty, some of wealth and rank. He is to be here in July, and I have the promise of being made acquainted with him. Whether feasible or not, the scheme is beautiful and gospel-like. New potatoes abound, from Charleston, at 37ets. the half peck. The gold dollar is a pretty plaything; I can't think it will live. I am trustee for three persons in the Savings Bank. One of them, a servant, has $200 deposited to-day. Our chambermaid

1

1 This was a series of articles written by himself, and published in “The Presbyterian."

has $500 there. One of the officers says a few days ago a known prostitute deposited $1,600, and that they receive a great deal from strange women. At my communion last Sunday five on examination; one on certificate. I know of a few persons inquiring. Mr. Gallatin grows constantly more right-minded in religion; this is the more remarkable, as it includes points on which I never address him, and no other religious person has access to him.

1

NEW YORK, May 31, 1849.

Just at this time, as you may suppose, I am in much heaviness. Only a day or two had I any warning of what was impending, as it did not spring from my Princeton friends. At this moment I am absolutely void of all information except the telegraphic vote. The thing gives me unspeakable pain. To you I will say, believing you can understand it, that any little unction of flattery in the appointment is instantly more than absorbed by the greatness of the question, and the anguish of a separation from my charge, if I accept. They (with no syllable from me) seem to give up at once, and think I have no option. This I do not think: but, at the same time, the judgment of our highest court is very grave, in a case where all previous plans scemed to fail. There is no need of saying so to the public, but to know that I might remain here would be a joy unspeakable. No dreams of mine respecting the social happiness of the pastoral relation have failed to be realized: in this I compare it to marriage. I have tried academic and Princeton life, and was less happy. Every thing makes me feel solemn, and I am (not metaphorically, but literally) sick. All my ministerial friends, to a man, say Go. Seldom have I more deeply felt my utter insignificance the blindness of fellow-creatures, who from some view of outside think me of any value in such a matter—and the unimportance of the question, in all but a religious and eternal view. Life Life is very short: Dirigat Deus!

I have just purchased for the College a collection of ancient Greek and Roman medals, imitated perfectly in a composition of

1In the General Assembly, at Pittsburg, May 21, 1849, the Report of the Directors of the Princeton Seminary was received, in which it was announced that the venerable Professor Miller, on account of bodily infirmities, wished to resign his office. The Assembly resolved to continue Dr. Miller's connexion with the institution, under the title of Emeritus Professor, with its salary and all other rights during his life, and to elect a new professor for the active duties of instruction. On the 26th May, the Assembly proceeded to the election, and Dr. Alexander received a majority of the votes. The professorship was that of Ecclesiastical History and Church Government. Dr. Miller survived until January 7, 1850.

VOL. II-5

sulphur, as to colour, detrition, &c. They are chronologically arranged in twenty-two boxes, each having six cassettes. They number 6,089. They were made for Lord Vernon, by Odelli, of Rome. A few alumni of the College, being called on, raised the money immediately. You can hardly imagine the effect produced on the imagination by looking over such a series, so like reality; seeing the same emperor's face, going through phases, and the legends in such Roman-looking Roman uncials. I have several things to tell you about Mr. Gallatin, but coram. I think he is renewed by direct spiritual agency. There is a something which looks more supernatural than what I ever observed. I want to propose to you an article, which you have facilities for preparing, in the State Library: a Digest of the Laws of the several States concerning Marriage, so far as they respect the officiating clergyman. It might lead to excellent results, and open way for kindred remarks, &c. In some States ministers are liable in heavy penalties, without any authority to take depositions, or any protection by license. In Virginia, most sensibly, all responsibility is on the county-clerk, who gives the license, after inquiry, oath, &c.1

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1 Within a few weeks after the date of this letter, Dr. Alexander declared his acceptance of the professorship, and removed to Princeton. Although he entered upon the duties of the office soon after the opening of the session of the Seminary, his inauguration did not take place until November 20, 1849.