This until somewhat more than a year ago, when his strength at last gave way; and, in the utter prostration of his frame, the mind refused to bring forth, the light flickered in its socket, and "all the daughters of music were brought low." From that time onward, bedridden, suffering at times extreme pain, he sunk from weakness to weakness, and from night to night, until the great night came whose morning is not of this world, and the sleep whose waking is no more; as in these last years, into new darkness, but — so we trust -into new and unending day. And now, in bidding "Farewell!" to what was mortal in our friend, I feel how imperfectly I have voiced our impression of the man. My consolation is that he speaks for himself more forcibly than I could speak, had time been allowed to speak as I would speaks by his printed word; speaks by his image in the mind. He is henceforth set as a star in our heaven of blessed memories; a member of that trinal constellation, of which Everett and Prescott are the brother-lights. The orator, the historian, the poet, beautiful in their combined effulgence, each vivid with his peculiar ray! For the earthly, now vanished from our embrace, we have no lament to make and no tears to shed. We will not pretend to mourn the going of one from whom what was best had already gone. Rejoice with me in his blessed release from darkness and bondage and pain! In his own fit words, spoken at the funeral service in memory of Lafayette: "We come not to mourn that he died, but to thank God that he has lived." Mr. DEANE communicated from our Corresponding Member, tke Hon. H. B. Grigsby, of Virginia, a photographic copy, four and a half inches in diameter, of the seal of Virginia during one period of its colonial history. One side represents the person of the king standing, with the sceptre in his right hand, receiving with his left hand, from a kneeling Indian, some leaves of tobacco. Beneath is, "EN · DAT · VIRGINIA · QUARTAM ·"; and encircling the two figures, is the following: "SIGILLUM · PROVINCIÆ· NOSTRÆ· VIRGINIÆ · IN AMERICA On the other side is represented the arms of England with the usual mottoes, encircled with the following: "GEORGIUS III• DG MAG BRI IR ET HIB REX DG MAG・ FD BRUN ET · LUN DUX SRI AR THES ET EL· Mr. Grigsby writes: Concerning this seal "Of course there was a change in the name of the sovereign given on the seal with every new sovereign. Remember, it is not the seal of the colony as such, but that of the king, who applies it by the hand of his viceroy, the governor. The colony proper, though it had a coat of arms, which the House of Burgesses always impressed upon the journals of its proceedings, as appears from copies now before me, never engraved the arms in the form of a seal, as the body never required a seal, the office of a seal being executive and not legislative. This distinction is worth attending to; for it is plain that none other than the immediate representative of the king would be authorized to use his seal." OCTOBER MEETING. A stated meeting was held on Thursday, 13th October, at eleven o'clock, A.M.; the President in the chair. The Recording Secretary read the record of the preceding meeting. The Librarian read his list of donors to the Library for the past month. The President presented, in the name of our associate, Mr. W. S. Appleton, a copy of a recently printed volume, entitled "Ancestry of Priscilla Baker," &c., compiled by the donor. A portrait of the late Bishop Griswold, in cabinet size, was presented by another member, Mr. W. H. Whitmore. Through our associate, Professor Wyman, recently returned from Europe, Mr. A. W. Franks, F.A.S., presented a number of pamphlets issued by the Society of Antiquaries of London, for which thanks were returned. The President referred to the presence of Professor Washburn, who had lately returned from abroad, and who, during his absence, had been elected a Vice-President of the Society; and expressed the hope that the members might hear from him some account of his visit. Professor WASHBURN responded, thanking the Society for the honor done him, giving also briefly the result of some of his observations in Europe. In speaking of his visit to Cambridge, England, he gave the following description of a caricature which he saw there at the Bull Inn: At the Bull Inn, Cambridge, England, in the entering hall, hangs, among many others, a picture about eight by fifteen inches. It represents three persons. One of these stands partly kneeling under a gallows with a rope around his neck. His head is shaved, and he is covered all over with feathers. The man on his left wears a red coat, striped breeches, shoes with buckles, and a broad-brimmed hat turned up on one side, with a blue rosette. He holds the rope which is 66 around the middle man's neck in one hand, and a club in the other. The man at the left of the picture has on a blue coat, striped breeches, shoes and buckles, a broad-brimmed hat turned up all around, and "45" inscribed upon it in two places in chalk. He holds what looks like a tea-kettle in his hand, from which he is pouring some liquid upon the feathered man. This middle man has a very cross and downcast look, while the other two seem to be enjoying the thing and laughing heartily. Under the picture is printed, "A new method of Macarony Making, as practised at Boston. "For the custom house officers landing the tea, They tarred him and feathered him just as you see, And they drenched him so well both behind and before That he begged for God's sake they would drench him no more. "Printed for Carrington Bowling at his map and print warehouse, No. 60, in St. Paul's Church Yard, London, published as the act directs, Oct. 12, 1771." Mr. JOHN C. GRAY related the following anecdote of the late Governor Brooks: In the year 1815 I travelled to Niagara in company with Governor Brooks, then General Brooks, of Medford. He met one day with an old friend and brother officer of the Revolution, and related in my presence the following anecdote, to which, as may be supposed, I listened with the greatest attention and interest. Immediately after one of the battles of our Revolution (I think "White Plains"), Washington was informed that the Massachusetts regiment of which Brooks was major had fled from its post; whereas it had sustained itself most gallantly in the thickest of the fight, and was one of the last to retreat. Washington mentioned on parade what he had heard, and added that nothing could have grieved him more than that a regiment on which he had relied of all others should have acted so unworthily. Brooks immediately asked who could have given such information. Some one quoted General as the author. "Sir," said Brooks, "if General or any one else told your Excellency any thing of the kind, he is a" (adding a very strong epithet) "liar." Some comment being made, Washington said, “No matter; I am not displeased to see a young officer sensitive on such an occasion." After a pause, Washington added, "Let the regiment march to the extreme left." "Your Excellency," said Brooks, "can march us nowhere where we shall not go willingly, except it be out of danger." The regiment took its position accordingly. In a short time the officers were informed that the commande -in-chief was approaching. Brooks rose and made his salute, with great stiffness, but in proper form. Washington then said that he was most happy to learn that he had been wholly misinformed, and that the regiment had behaved with its well-known gallantry. He added that it should take its former position, and that he trusted that the explanation would be entirely satisfactory. To this the colonel at once assented. Washington then said, "Is this satisfactory to you, Major Brooks?"-"Not at all, sir.”—“Why not?"-"Your Excellency may recollect that the charge was made in the most public manner. It would seem proper that the explanation should be equally public." After a moment's reflection, Washington said, "Will it be satisfactory in general orders?" "Entirely so," said Brooks. General orders were issued accordingly, and the whole matter settled in the most satisfactory way. 66 I afterwards heard General Brooks refer to some of the most important incidents on another occasion; on which, however, he avoided mentioning his own name and that of his regiment, and mentioned the matter merely as an affair between Washington and an officer of the army. Mr. ELLIS AMES remarked that, at a former meeting of this Society, in some discussion in which several members took part, it was incidentally questioned whether Copley, the portrait painter, and father of Lord Chancellor Lyndhurst, was engaged at all when in Boston in painting miniatures, and said that the late Joseph W. Revere, a son of Colonel Paul Revere, informed him that this was the fact; for that his father, then a goldsmith, made cases for Copley for his miniatures. Mr. Ames then produced the day-book of Colonel Paul Revere from and including January 3, 1761, down to the commencement of the Revolutionary war, containing numerous entries of charges against and credits to Mr. Copley, begin ning January 7, 1763, the last entry but one being on Sept. 17, 1767. Thus, under date of Feb. 7, 1763, is the follow ing: Mr. John Copley, Dr. To a gold case for a picture for Mr Nel—n |