be written in letters of gold on monuments of marble, or rather to appear and shine forth from some genius of uncommon sublimity and equal to his own, But sufficient are his immortal writings to perpetuate his memory." His literary friends issued proposals for publishing a volume of his sermons, but the subscription failed. They published a volume of poems which discover a good imagination and pure taste. They are equal to any New-England poetry of this date, though not meriting in the encomium passed upon his writings. A second edition was never called for. The book is very scarce, and ought to be preserved among the rare works of American authors.

He published during his life, a poem on the love of money, which is ingenious and satirical. It is not contained in the volume.

ADAMS AMOS, minister of the first church in Roxbury, was a very popular preacher, having a voice 'uncommonly sonorous and plaintive. The energy of his manner in the pulpit is often mentioned by those who sat under his ministry. He was praised in other churches, as a very accomplished preacher, but many were disgusted with his plainness of speech, the length of his discourses, and his very desultory observations. All allowed him to discover some knowledge of human nature, in the addresses he made to his hearers. His preaching was calculated to prick the consciences of sinners, though they wanted correct discrimination and smoothness of period. His memory was tenacious, and his reading very extensive. His publications never appeared to satisfy the expectations of those who heard thm from the pulpit. They want his animated delivery.*

*He printed several ordination sermons. A funeral sermon upon the death of Madam Dudley. A Thanksgiving discourse, 1759.

The discourses which give him the most reputation were two upon religious liberty; and two upon the sufferings of our fathers, which were re-printed in England, not as sermons, but with the title of a Concise History of New-England, The evangelical sen

Mr. Adams was graduated at Cambridge, 1752, and died at Roxbury, October, 1778, to the inexpressible grief of his family and flock. At this time a putrid dysentery prevailed in the camp at Roxbury and Cambridge, which spread more than twenty miles in the environs of Boston. The peo

ple of the first church in Roxbury were very much scattered, but. Mr. Adams was assiduous in his labours, and not only visited his own flock, but the soldiers who were stationed among the people of his parochial charge. He himself soon fell a victim to the disease.

ADAMS SAMUEL, a man celebrated in the annals of America, was as remarkable for his piety and puritanism, in younger life, as for his political influence, during the contests of the American revolution. He was born September, 1722, in Roston. His ancestors were respectable, among the early planter New-England, but not sufficiently distinguished to be inserted in a genealogical list; and every kind of genealogy he affected to despise, as a thing which gives birth to family pride. His education was liberal, having commenced his studies at the South Grammar School, under the care of Mr. Lovell. He entered Harvard College A. D. 1736. The honours of that seminary he received in the years 1740 and 1743. He made a very considerable progress in classical learning, the art of logic, as it was then taught, as well as the elements of natural philosophy. But his main object was the study of divinity, as he was designed for the ministry.

He was always fond of systematic divinity, and was a Calvinist, of the straitest sect of that denomination. It was the belief of our fathers, and he never spake of them but with the greatest reverence.

timents are curtailed. We see little more then the dry bones of a skeleton, not well hung together. All his printed discourses are bound in two volumes, 8vo. which he presented to the Co lege Library.

The platform of the New-England churches, in his view, contained every thing necessary or proper for the order and discipline of ecclesiastical bodies, and the Westminster assembly's shorter catechism, all the articles of sound doctrine.

Why he did not engage in a profession, which was so congenial to his views and habits, does not appear; but for many years he was uncertain what line of life to pursue. He only engaged in a petty kind of trafficking; his business was small, his sit uation humble, and he seemed to walk in the vales and descents of life, rather than to be formed for conspicuous stations or very active scenes. The same political cast of mind then appeared, which influenced his conduct afterwards. If he spake of men and manners it was freely to canvass them; his conver. sation was in praise of old times, his manners were austere, his remarks never favourable to the rising generation; and he would depreciate the talents and services of those who held offices of honour and public trust. No man ever despised more those fools of fortune, whom the multitude admire ; and yet he thought the opinion of the common people in most cases to be very correct.

As we have said his employment was humble, it may be proper to mention that his first office in the town was that of tax gatherer; which the opposite party in politicks often alluded to, and in their controversies would style him Samuel the Publican. While the British regiments were in town, the tories enjoyed a kind of triumph, and invented every mode of burlesquing the popular leaders: but where the people tax themselves the office of collector is respectable; it was at that time given to gentlemen who had seen better days, and needed some pecuniary assistance, having merited the esteem and confidence of their fellow townsmen. Mr. Adams was ill qualified to fill an office which required such constant attention to pecuniary matters; and, his soul being bent on politicks, he pass

ed more time in talking against Great Britain than in collecting the sums due to the town. He grew embarrassed in his circumstances, and was assisted, not only by private friends, but by many others who knew him only as a spirited partisan in the cause of liberty.

1

From this time, the whigs were determined to support him to the utmost of their power. He had been always on their side, was firm and sagacious, one of the best writers in the newspapers, ready upon every question, but especially conversant with all matters which related to the dispute between Great Britain and the colonies.

The people in the north section of the town were then more numerous than they have been since; and were by a very large majority on the side of freedom. When Pownal was in the chair, he favoured this party, and lifted several men to office whose merit was rather in their principles and notions, than in their sagacity. It answered his purpose, which was to defeat the schemes of Hutchinson: and it really had a surprising effect upon the transactions of the town.

Mr. S. Adams was well acquainted with every shipwright, and substantial mechanick, and they were his firm friends through all the scenes of the revolution, believing that to him more than any other man in the community we owed our independence. This sentiment prevailed with many who disliked his opinion of federal measures, and who would not vote for him to be governor of the commonwealth. They would often say that he, from his age, habits and local prejudices, was not formed to mingle with politicians of a later period, whose views must necessarily be more comprehensive, and whose object was to restrain rather than give a loose to popular feelings. It was their opinion, however, that he did worthily in those times, when instead of building up a government suited to the condition of a people, we had only to pull

down a government becoming every day more tyrannical. When the stamp act was the subject of conversation, of public resentment, and succeeding tumults, Mr. Adams was one of those important characters, who appeared to oppose it in every step. He did not think it amiss to pull down the office, though he disapproved of the riotous proceedings which the same lawless men were guilty of afterwards; for every succeeding night witnessed the rage of an infatuated populace, and no man in any office whatever was safe in his habitation. If a man had any pique against his neighbour it was only to call him a few hard names, and his property would certainly be destroyed, his house pulled down and his life be in jeopardy. The authority of the town put an end to this savage conduct by calling out the militia; and soon after the news of the repeal of the stamp act quieted the minds of all classes of people.

The taxes upon tea, oil and colours were still more odious to the Americans than the stamp act ; especially to the inhabitants of Boston, where the board of commissioners was established. The people looked to Mr. Adams, as one of the champions of liberty, who must stand forth against every claim of Great Britain, and deny the right of the parent state to lay a tax; nor were they disappointed. He was so strenuous in his exertions to make the people sensible of their charter privileges, that he obtained the appellation of the patriot Samuel Adams.

The other members of the general court, from the town of Boston, were Mr. Otis, Mr. Cushing, and Mr. Hancock, gentlemen of the same political sentiments, and united in their opposition to the claims of the British ministry. Mr. Adams had frequently delivered his sentiments in the publick papers; and being a ready penman was often employed on committees to make reports, addresses, &c. and to vindicate the acts of the legislature. He assisted ir rug most of the letters, which were