day, who had emigrated from England soon after the political excitement there, about the middle of the eighteenth century, and from a kind of mystery that hung over his early life, was supposed to have been engaged in the political difficulties of that period. His mother was a daughter of Thomas Steele, Esq. of Leicester, who was a prominent and influential man in the times preceding and during the war of the revolution.

It is pleasant, amidst the great politicians and warriors of that period, to whom our country owes its independence and liberty, who were so numerous that the lustre of each seems to be obscured by their collective splendor, to dwell upon the character of one who seemed by nature to be designed for the more quiet but scarcely less glorious course of life of a votary to the muses and a master of the arts that elevate and dignify while they adorn society.

The subject of this memoir was early deprived of both his parents, and left almost destitute of patrimony. He was not destitute of friends, who felt much interested in his welfare, and supplied, so far as was possible, the heavy loss he had sustained. He early began to exhibit those peculiarities of genius, which, under proper cultivation, would have raised him high among the men of genius of our country. Anecdotes are told that show how early the traits of his character were developed: one of which we beg to relate. When a mere child, his Aunt, who had the care of him, took him to meeting one Sabbath with her. In the adjoining pew to that where he was placed, an elderly gentleman was seated, who had very striking features, and when listening to the sermon suffered his chin to fall and his tongue to escape from his mouth. This attracted young Honeywood's attention, and his aunt was not a little scandalized to find him gazing intently upon the old gentleman, with his chin and tongue in the same position, and as she supposed, mocking him. Accordingly when she came home she began to reprimand him for his improper behavior. He seemed, however, unconscious of having done any thing improper, and after listening to her reproof he left the room and soon returned with a most striking likeness of the old gentleman drawn with a pen. His aunt was delighted with the picture, and readily forgave him his supposed fault. He gave as early indications of a taste for poetry and an aptness and facility in communicating his thoughts in measured numbers; specimens of which are still preserved by his friends, though we do not feel at liberty to transcribe them here.

His early promise attracted the notice of a liberal gentleman,

belonging to Connecticut, who accidentally became acquainted with him, and generously offered to assist him in obtaining a public education. For this purpose he went to Lebanon, in Connecticut, where he prepared to enter Yale College. Dr. Stiles was then President of that institution; he admitted Honeywood into his family and generously aided and patronized him in his exertions to obtain his education. A friendship here commenced between them that continued during their lives. It was certainly indicative of a liberal mind on the part of Dr. Stiles to receive and patronize a poor and humble orphan, like Honeywood, and evidence of merit on the part of the latter, that a friendship thus formed should have been cherished by the former, notwithstanding the disparity in their ages. He graduated from College with a high character as a scholar, and then went to Schenectady, where he had the charge of an academy; afterwards he went into the office of P. W. Yates, Esq. in Albany, for the purpose of studying law. He resided there two years, and then was admitted to the bar and commenced business in Salem, N. Y. He soon rose to very considerable eminence in his profession, and his reputation as a lawyer was unblemished. He was at one time a master in chancery, and afterwards clerk of the county of Washington, and contrary to the usual fate of men of genius, he acquired a considerable estate by the practice of his profession. His constitution was rather feeble, and he died at the age of only thirty four years. He was married to a daughter of Col. Mosely, of Westfield, who survived him, and is yet living. He left no children, and his sister, the late Mrs. Samuel Allen, of Worcester, was the last survivor of his family.

He was known and admired as a man of fine genius, though his professional duties and the avocations of an active life occupied so much of his time that few specimens of the powers of his mind survive him. A small volume of his poems was published sometime after his death, to which was prefixed a short memoir of his life, from which we have borrowed pretty freely. His poems were of a miscellaneous kind, and though some of them indicate a delicate and refined taste, he excelled in the humorous and severe. In justice, however, to Honeywood's reputation, it should be known, that his works were not published until after his death, and some of them from the original and uncorrected manuscripts. One of his humorous little poems has been too often re-published to need transcribing here to refresh the recollection of our readers, beginning "when Darby saw the setting sun," founded upon an actual at

tempt in a neighboring town by man and wife to settle the question of the comparative arduousness of each other's task in life.

He seems to have been possessed of a great share of wit, often giving to his poetry that character in which, as in painting, he particularly excelled, the caricature. In this style of drawing he was very successful, although his genius was wholly uncultivated. He also succeeded well in historical pieces, although uninstructed and without any opportunity of studying the works of masters.

He was withal very eccentric from his childhood, but with all his eccentricities, he had a fine heart, a delicate sensibility, and a nice sense of honor. Though sometimes abstracted, he was an amusing companion and a valuable friend. Notwithstanding his literary taste, and his fondness for the fine arts, he was a politician, and it might be said of him as was said of a greater man, "How many an Ovid's in a Murray lost." He was one of the Electors of President when John Adams was chosen. Many of his poetical productions of that day were of a political cast, and partook very much of the spirit of the times. Among these in the volume before us are to be found "The mob call, or the charter of Sedition," "A poetical address to citizen Adet," &c. from the very titles of which the character of the productions may be inferred, though there is so much wit and good humor mixed with the satire, that they are not without their interest. even at this day, when happily the feelings that prompted them have subsided, and are almost forgotten.

We are aware that in this hasty sketch we have done injustice to the character and memory of Honeywood, but the want of authentic documents precludes almost the possibility of doing it justice. He early left the place of his nativity, and it is only of that period of his life that a recollection is preserved by those who knew him and survived him. Yet we trust even this sketch will not be without its use in preserving his memory and encouraging genius that, like him, may have to struggle with poverty and adversity, to persevere in its exertions with the confidence that similar success may await its efforts. W.

ORIGINAL.

ROBERT TREAT PAINE,

Was born in Boston, 1731. He entered Harvard at the age of 14, and was regularly graduated. For some time after he left Col lege he was engaged in keeping school, and in the study of Theol

ogy.

About 1755 he commenced the study of law under Mr. Pratt, a distinguished lawyer in Boston, and afterwards Chief Justice of New York. He commenced the business of his profession in Boston, but soon removed to Taunton, and at once became able and distinguished in his professional career. When difficulties arose in the province respecting the right of taxation, and the levying and collecting duties, he is said to have attached himself firmly to the whigs, and to have been an able and constant advocate of the rights of the colonists. In 1768, when the General Court was dissolved by Governor Bernard, a convention was called by the leading men of Boston, and Mr. Paine was a delegate from Taunton. In 1773 he was chosen a member of the General Court for Taunton. He was a vigilant and active member, being employed on many of the most important committees, and as a manager of the impeachment of Chief Justice Oliver, in which he is said to have displayed great talents. In 1774 he was again chosen a member of the house of representatives, and was one of the committee who recommended a Continental Congress, to be composed of delegates from all the colonies. Under this recommendation he was chosen one of the delegates for Massachusetts, and this was the first delegation chosen on the continent. In May, 1775, another Congress was called, and Mr. P. was again selected as a delegate. He was likewise repeatedly chosen a delegate to the provincial congress. When the government of Massachusetts was organised, after the commencement of the war, he was appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court, but declined the honor. He was in Congress when the declaration of independence was published, and put his name to it. He was elected in 1777 and 1778 to Congress, and during the same period rendered essential service at home as a member of the State Legislature, and is said to have rendered great assistance in the formation of the State constitution. In 1779 he was chosen one of the Executive Council, the duties of which body were then remarkably difficult and arduous. At the organization of the government under the State constitution, he was appointed Attorney General, and continued in that office until 1790, and discharged its duties with singular fidelity and ability. At this time he was raised to the bench of the Supreme Court, and continued upon it until 1804, when he became too deaf and infirm to ride the circuits. He was also one of the founders of the American Academy, in Massachusetts, and received at Cambridge the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws. He died in May, 1814, at the advanced age of 84.

Judge Paine was an ornament to his native state, being alike distinguished as a scholar, a statesman, and a jurist. He was a man of undisguised character, and frank even to bluntness.

The state of Massachusetts can never be too grateful for his counsels and services in the formation of the constitution, and in the establishment of her institutions. She ought at least to discharge a part of the obligation by erecting to his memory a monD.

ument.

HISTORICAL.

REVOLUTIONARY PAPERS.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE ARMY,

ON THE DEPRECIATION OF THE CURRENCY.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 271.

THE two committees then went on to settle the other articles of charge against the army, as follows:

Agreed by both committees that every soldier except those of Hazen's and Sheldon's Regiments, shall be charged with one shirt, one pair shoes, and one pair stockings annually; it is also agreed, that in case any soldier shall produce a certificate from the commanding officer of his company, that he has not received the whole of the shirts, shoes and stockings, with which he is charged, he shall receive others to make good the deficiency in those articles, provided it shall not appear from the returns of the selectmen, of the town to which he belongs, or from the commissaries' accounts of delivery, that he has received them; it is also agreed that no soldier who died or was discharged from the service, before January, 1778, shall be charged with any of the above articles, unless it shall appear by the returns of the town to which he belonged, that he has been supplied with them.

Agreed by both Committees, that the gratuity money raised by Lottery, should be charged to the officers and soldiers, at the time of payment, if that time could be ascertained; if it cannot, then to be charged at the date of the warrant, provided no man should be charged with said gratuities, for which a warrant has not yet been granted in his favor.

Also agreed that each soldier, except those in Hazen's and Sheldon's Regiment, should be charged 1s. 6d. per month, for shop stores, shoes, &c. supplied by the state, from time to time, at a regulated price, and officers in a greater sum, according to the