Here in England, for above a year past, - when a new edition (7 volumes post octavo) of that book on Friedrich was sent forth,there has been no doubt left but the Almon pamphlet was a FORGERY. On page 117, vol. VI., of that new edition, there has to the foot-note of edition 1865, in reference to that letter of Montcalm's, as you already have both foot-note and it this conclusive postscript been added, which, since you evidently have not yet seen it, I here copy and enclose. The postscript here follows: "A forgotten book" (note of first edition, 1865). “A copy is in the Boston Athenæum Library, New England; it is a pamphlet rather than a book; contains two letters to Berryer, Ministre de la Marine, besides this to Molé, the cousin; publisher is the noted Almon, in French and English." (From Boston Sunday Courier, of 19th April, 1868, where this letter is reproduced.) In the Temple Library, London, I have since found a copy, and, on strict survey, am obliged to pronounce the whole pamphlet a forgery, especially the two letters to "Berrier, Ministre of Marine," who was not yet minister of any thing, nor thought of as likely to be, for many months after the date of these letters addressed to him as such! Internal evidence, too, were such at all wanted, is abundant in these Berryer letters; which are of gross and almost stupid structure in comparison to the Molé one. As this letter has already got into various books, and been argued in Parliament and high places (Lord Shelburne asserting it to be spurious, Lord Mansfield to be genuine : Report of Parliamentary Debates, in Gentleman's Magazine for November and for December, 1777; p. 515, 560), it may be allowed to continue here in the condemned state. Forger, probably some ex-Canadian or other American Royalist, anxious to do the insurgent party and their British apologists an ill turn in that critical had shot off his year; pamphlet to voracious Almon, who prints without preface or criticism, and even without correcting the press. (Note of July, 1868, Vol. VI., p. 117, of Carlyle's Friedrich, London, 1869.) Mr. Carlyle then proceeds with his letter: - If Mr. Parkman ever thought of publishing those indisputable Montcalm letters, still better, if the Marquis de Montcalm should think of going into the French archives, and publishing as well a judicious selection of the many that must be there, I should be very anxious to see them. Believe me yours sincerely, TO CHARLES DEANE, ESQ., Recording Secretary, fc., fc. T. CARLYLE. The reading of this letter called forth remarks from Mr. J. C. Gray and Mr. Parkman. In the course of some remarks relative to Montcalm, the President stated that the well-known work entitled "Hawkins's Picture of Quebec," was put in shape and edited by his old school-master, Dr. John Carlton Fisher, formerly a resident of this city, and a fine classical scholar, who came over from England under the auspices of Edward Everett. The President said he had received a letter from M. Jules Marcou, accepting membership in the Society. The President presented a number of old papers from his family files, containing some interesting memoranda, of which copies are given below. Mem Decemb! y 28th 1712. [NEW LONDON, CONN.] It being a fair warme morning, very unusuall for y° time of year, when, towards night, ye Hemispheer clouded, wth ye wind at S.E. and began to Rain, and about eight of y: clock at Night it Lightned wth very seveer flashes, on a sudden, y it seem'd every where to be High day, immediately follow'd an extraordinary clapp of Thunder, I think y Hardest & loudest yt ever I heard; y Tides also eb'd & flow'd 4 Times in less y an hours space, after a most surprizing manner, Six foot higher y y highest Spring Tides was ever known. It did considerable damage, but ye Thunder was amazing and very terrible, breaking y House of one of y neighbours in Severall places, and hurting some of the children of Mr Hallam, and at some distance run along y ground, tore it up, splitt Trees, broke great rocks, kil'd 3. cows belonging to Mr. Edgcomb, and at a miles distance or more from this damage it shattered y° windows, &c. of an another House of Mr Harriss. A most seveer tempest of wind & rain follow'd for a short space, broke up y Coves & Rivers, in an instant, and y" cleared up, and a bright moon light night follow'd, a little before y° Full. M' Adams y minister of y° Towne preacht from y 26th of Job & y° 14th verse, y Sabbath day following, and sung a part of y 18th psalm. W ch Y: eating teeth of time devours all things. A Hogshead of ancient papers of value, belonging to of family, lost at Ipswich in New-Eng: A barrell full of papers, &c. Burnt in a warehouse at Boston. The Names of those Worthy & ffamous Ministers of the Gospell who haue declared their Judgment in Print for the Congregation Way According to the former Practice of the Churches of New England, Even the Premative Practic . . . Door: Owen Doc: Whittaker Messres: Brigthman Cartwright Parker Messress Ainsworth & Mesgress Hooker Jun': Robinson Cotton Lathrop Rogers Sen': LIET Doc: Taylor Doc: D. Tho: Goodwin Pirkins Baines Iacob Howe Elliott Mather Sent: & Jr; Wilson y great Mitchell Allen of Dedham Stone And many Other Famous in their Generation Men of Renown? and ye five Decenting Ministers viz: Messres: Wm: Bridge; Phillip Ney; Jos: Carell; Sydrack Symson.* Bartlett Indorsed, - The Names of Ministers &c in favor of the Congregational way of Worship. No date. The President announced as a gift to the Society from Mr. H. A. S. D. Dudley, of Roxbury, the portraits of Governor Joseph Dudley and his wife, Rebecca (Tyng) Dudley. These excellent pictures were probably painted in England, but there appears to be no tradition in the family as to the name of the artist. The President said that this gift was accompanied by some valuable manuscripts, and he would call upon the Recording Secretary, Mr. Deane, for a description of them. Mr. DEANE said that the papers presented by Mr. Dudley consisted chiefly of parchment deeds. The earliest was the original of the celebrated conveyance of the Province of Maine, by Ferdinand Gorges, Esq., to John Usher, the agent of the Colony of Massachusetts, for £1250, dated the 13th of March, 1677-8. Gorges's signature is appended to the instrument, but the seal is wanting. Usher's conveyance to the Colony is dated two days after that of Gorges; namely, the 15th of March. Copies of each are recorded in the office of the Secretary of State in Boston; and both have been published in the Maine Hist. Soc. Coll., Vol. II. pp. 257-264. * Thomas Goodwin was one of the five Dissenting Brethren.-EDS. The original Commission to Joseph Dudley, as DeputyGovernor of the Province of West New Jersey, is among these papers. It is doubtful if Dudley ever entered upon the duties of that office. Dr. Coxe, in the following year, 1691, conveyed the government and territories to a number of persons associated under the name of "The West Jersey Society" (Smith's New Jersey, p. 207). The only printed document is a broadside proclamation of Governor Dudley, for a "General Embargo," issued the 9th of June, 1711, the day after the arrival at Boston of Col. Nicholson, who went to England after the reduction of Port Royal to solicit another expedition against Canada, of which the ill-fated attempt of Sir Hovenden Walker, of that year, was the result. (See Hutchinson, II., 190.) In this list will be found the manuscript "Life of Mr. Thomas Dudley," written probably by Cotton Mather. In the Magnalia," at pages 15-19 of Book II., is a brief notice of Thomas Dudley, in the course of which Mather says: "I had prepared and intended a more particular Account of this gentleman; but not having any opportunity to commit it unto the Perusal of any Descended from him, (unto whom I am told it will be unacceptable for me to Publish any thing of this kind by them not Perused) I have laid it aside, and summed all up in this more General Account." The style of the manuscript, and the identity of certain passages and phrases in the two accounts, would seem to indicate one origin. The manuscript is not in Mather's handwriting, but in that of a contemporary. It may have been copied from the original for the use of the Dudley family, through whom it has now found a resting-place in the Library of this Society. By referring to the printed "Proceedings" of this Society for February and April, 1858, it will be seen that Mr. George Adlard, of New York, forwarded to the Society a copy of this Life of Thomas Dudley (with some other papers) for publication. It had been transcribed by him from this manuscript, then temporarily in possession of a gentleman in this city. This transcript, with the other papers sent by Mr. Adlard, were referred to a committee, of which the late Joseph Willard was chairman. The committee were not satisfied of the verbal accuracy of Mr. Adlard's transcript, and were unwilling to recommend the publication of the paper unless an opportunity could be had of comparing it with the manuscript from which it was copied. As that opportunity was not afforded them, Mr. Adlard's papers were placed in the possession of the Society, subject to his order. In 1862, Mr. Adlard issued a volume, entitled "The SuttonDudleys of England and the Dudleys of Massachusetts in New England," - a work of considerable interest. In this volume was printed the Life of Thomas Dudley, from the transcript made by him. By comparing this copy as printed, with the manuscript just deposited in the Library of the Society, it will be seen that the committee referred to were fully justified in the position they took; namely, that it would not be safe to print from Mr. Adlard's copy alone. Mr. Deane thought it was the duty of the Society now to print this memoir according to the early manuscript just intrusted to the Society's care. The following is a list of the papers presented by Mr. Dudley, a few of which are printed in full: 1. Deed from Ferdinando Gorges to John Usher, of the Province of Maine, March 13, 1677 (1678, N.S.). 2. Oxford Patent granted to Joseph Dudley, William Stoughton, Robert Thompson, and Daniel Coxe, by James II., dated Jan. 11, 1687 (1688, N.S.). 3. Deed of Tract of Land along the Charles River, granted to Joseph Dudley, signed by Sir Edmund Andros, Governor, July 5, 1688. 4. Confirmatory Deed of several Lots of Land in the Town of Roxbury, from Sir Edmund Andros, Governor, to Joseph Dudley dated July 20, 1688. 5. Grant of Land in the Nipmug country, called Manchaug, to Joseph Dudley and William Stoughton, dated Jan. 5, 1688 (1689, N.S.). |