A society exists in the two principal cities of the United States, by which the birth-day of Washington has been celebrated; and the orations delivered on that occasion are now before us. They are each worthy of the subject, but of very different style. Mr. Jay's is more easy, and sometimes careless, but perspicuous and forcible. Mr. Caldwell's is laboured and swelling, ambitious of antithesis, and glowing with epithets. Extravagant hyperboles and gorgeous decorations are often objected to the writers of New England; but in the instance before us the same faults must have shocked a classical audience at Philadelphia. We cannot extract a portion from either, without injustice to the rest.

A grammatical inaccuracy of Mr. C. is remarked in two instances, which we are more solicitous to condemn, because it was a fault long remarked in the Scotch, and the vulgarism is equally common among our brethren of the south. "If we take a retrospect of the policy pursued for the last eight years, we will [shall] discover not a vestige of his scrupulous, his holy regard for the preservation of the constitutional balance of our government." A Frenchman,, who had fallen into the water, was near losing his life on account of his exclaiming : "I will be drowned, nobody shall save me." Should and would are often perverted in the same manner. The use of those

words can indeed hardly be determined by foreigners, but their perpetual recurrence in our native language renders the ignorance of their definite power and application more striking. We are every day warned by violation of the necessity of adhering to the laws of English grammar, and by men, whose education should make them as careful of their speech as of their morals. On that difficult part of etymology, our auxiliary verbs, some light may be obtained from a disquisition in Aikin's Athenaeum. Vol. ii. p. 250.

RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW.

1

ARTICLE 21.

The life and character of the Rev. Benjamin Colman, D. D. late pastor of a church in Boston, New England, who deceased August 29, 1747. By Ebenezer Turell, 4. M. pastor of Medford. Rev. ii. 19. I know thy-SERVICE.

.Non nobis nati sumus.

Boston, New England; printed and sold by Rogers & Fowle. 1749. pp. 238.

THE

HE subject of this memoir was one of the most liberal, learned and useful men of his profession. By the dignity, rectitude, and suavity of his manners, he conciliated many who had been prejudiced against him, some of whom did all in their power to injure his reputation. This we learn, not so particularly from the work before us, as from the report of others who were conversant with him. He had different sentiments from his clerical brethren upon the discipline and order of congregational churches; he incurred the resentment of the physicians of the town for his exertions to introduce inoculation, when the smallpox spread in the year 1721.* His attachment to governour Dudley made him political enemies. But he lost nothing by the rage of democrats and fanaticks; he died in peace and harmony with the various denominations of Christians; and all classes of men strewed blessings on his memory.

Mr. Turell married the daughter of Dr. Colman. He was a worthy man, and popular preacher, very fond of appearing in print, and zealously engaged in the controversies upon certain points of divinity which agitated the country in those days. His account of the life and writings of his father in law is introduced with a preface written by several ministers of Boston, who make this apology for not passing an encomium upon the performance, "that they knew the author did not desire it ;" by which they discover their politeness, though they might not convince others they were sincere. "The following sheets," say they," present us with the man of God, taken from our head, in which the reverend author * He wrote a defence of the character and conduct of Dr. Boylston.

has been at great labour under a tender state of health, and the constant avocations of his ministry, to search into letters, and other manuscripts, in order to compile and digest what is here given to the reader. Those who are acquainted with the fatigue and difficulty attending disquisitions of this kind, will read a life principally composed of such unconnected materials, with a reasonable candour." They say likewise," that no written accounts will convey to strangers an idea of Dr. Colman equal to what we have raised of him, who have been so happy in his conversation, and seen him in all the decorum of pulpit oratory." They tell us, "that his finest productions were never printed; some of which might have appeared upon this occasion, if the appendix to this essay had not been suppressed."

Why these were suppressed, we have yet to learn, and sincerely regret the loss of the doctor's finest performances, if we may judge from those which have issued from the press. The book is divided into ten chapters. The first contains an account of his birth, parentage and education. The second, a nar

rative of a voyage to England, in a vessel which was taken by a French ship of war; The third, of his imprisonment. Here he found friends among enemies, and received kindness from the hands of strangers. In the fourth chapter, we find considerable entertainment in the anecdotes of the London ministers, Mead, Howe, Bates, D. Williams and others, men who would adorn any age, eminent and faithful ministers, whose moral and social qualities were accompanied with the lustre of literary acquisitions. Mr. C. was present with these gentlemen, when they addressed King William after the assassination plot. Dr. Bates made one of his finest speeches. It is mentioned by some historians, that the king, with all his Dutch phlegm, was moved by the irresistible power of his eloquence, and for once, melted into tears.

We learn from Dr. Colman's writings, as well as from other accounts, that a coalition was formed between the presbyterian and independent ministers of London. It was retarded some weeks by a dispute between D. Williams and Mr. Howe, but ended happily. The christian charity of Mr. Howe makes him appear great and excellent among characters of real worth.

To this succeeds, The relation of the invitation to return New England; of his ordination in London; arrival in

Boston; and particular circumstances of his settlement at the church in Brattle Street; of the many eminent services done by him after this settlement, and a general account of his discharg. ing the pastoral office; of his service to Harvard College; also to the College at New Haven; his cares and labours for the Indians, and other benevolent exertions.

Such is the substance of the fifth and sixth chapters.

He proposed a plan for setting up charity schools in Boston, and for establishing a fund for the churches. He visited the schools and prisons, and encouraged every useful institution by his presence, his money, and his writings. During the year 1719, he wrote a pamphlet, proposing to have a publick market house, which excited great opposition in the town, Three buildings were, however, appropriated for the purpose, It is well known how these buildings were taken down; that the mechanicks assembled one night, arranged their business in orderly manner, and having fixed each man to his station, with their saws and axes laid all three of these houses prostrate with the ground. It excited no disturbance, and was done with very little noise. The inhabitants had an idea that if a place were fixed for provisions, it would create a tax for them to pay upon the articles of life, and that whilst they were carried through the town, convenience was united with cheapThey were convinced afterwards of the absurdity of this opinion. Nothing has contributed more to the convenience, cleanliness, and health of the town, than the improvement of the markets.

ness.

The seventh chapter is very interesting. It contains an account of Mr. Holden's benefactions, and the bounties of the Hollis family. They gave vast sums to promote the cause of religion and learning in New England. The honourable Samuel Holden, Esq. was president of the bank of England, and at the head of the dissenters.

"Great and numerous were his bounties towards us, as appears by the receipts. In books and bills of exchange, to the amount of no less that 4847 pounds New England currency, to be distributed by Mr. Colman in works of piety and charity. And after his death, from Madam Holden and her virtuous daughters, no less than 5585 pounds." This estimate must include the chapel in the college yard, which cost 400 pounds sterling, and was given at the request of Thomas Hutchinson, Esq. father to the late governour. The narrative of the donations of Thomas Hollis, Esq. is as follows.

"While Dr. Colman was pursuing the recovery of 160 pounds for two poor orphans, in 1718 and 1719, his letters fell into this gentleman's hands, whose heart was devising liberal things, and fixt it upon us, and the interest of learning among us, by the will of God, to that degree as has produced a profusion of bounties, for a long course of years, the fruits whereof will remain, as we trust, to all posterity, to the glory of God forever. There are found no less than fifty three letters* from Mr. Hollis to Mr. Colman, all relating to the college, in which are to be seen all the great and good things intended and done by him for New England, besides a multitude of others upon various occasions."

Mr. Thomas Hollis founded a professorship of divinity, a professorship of mathematicks and experimental philosophy; he gave a rich apparatus for the professor's use, worth 150 pounds sterling; he sent the Hebrew and Greek types; books to a great value for the library; also a fund for poor scholars, allowing ten pounds annually to ten ingenious youths, who are designed for the ministry.

"Mr. Isaac Hollis, minister of an antipedobaptist church in London, nephew of Thomas, was another of Mr. Colman's correspondents. He gave a bill of exchange, 340 pounds, New England currency, for the poor of our churches, and 20 pounds sterling annually to establish another mission to the Indians."

The correspondence of Dr. Colman was not confined to dissenting ministers. He wrote to the bishop of London, to Kennet, bishop of Peterborough, the celebrated Dr. Hoadley, bishop of Bangor. From the letters, it appears they were on the most friendly terms.†

* These are preserved in the archives of the college.

† Extract of a letter from the bishop of Peterborough, dated March 13, 1717.

"The dissenters have had one of the greatest merits, that of being true to their country, and to the balance of Europe, always well affected to the protestant succession, and very faithful subjects to King George, and firm adherents to his royal family. An advantage one would think might by this time be improved to their security and honour. And so undoubtedly it would have been, if they had pursued the steps of the good old puritans, and had once more the esteem of a peaceable and religious people; if they had been willing to join with the moderate bishops and clergy, and had complained only of innovations unknown to the first reformers, requiring only some few concessions to be made to them, shewing themselves truly tender of the peace and unity of the church, and always more zealous for a good life and works, than any other matter of contention. Such a spirit of God, in a still small voice,