this occasion, transported my style beyond the sober gravity which becomes the laborious scribe of historic events, I can plead as an apology, that though a little,

gray headed Dutchman, arrived almost at the bottom of the down hill of life, I still retain some portion of that celestial fire, which sparkles in the eye of youth, when contemplating the virtues and achievements of ancient worthies. Blessed, thrice and nine times blessed be the good St. Nicholas-that I have escaped the influence of that chilling apathy, which too often freezes the sympathies of age; which, like a churlish spirit, sits at the portals of the heart, repulsing every genial sentiment, and paralyzing every spontaneous glow of enthusiasm.

No sooner then did this scoundrel imputation on his honour reach the ear of Peter Stuyvesant, than he proceeded in a manner which would have redounded to his credit, even though he had studied for years in the library of Don Quixote himself. He immediately despatched his valiant trumpeter and squire, Anthony Van Corlear, with orders to ride night and day, as herald, to the Amphyctionic council, reproaching them in terms of noble indignation, for giving ear to the slanders of heathen infidels, against the character of a Christian, a gentleman, and a soldier—and declaring, that as to the treacherous and bloody plot alleged against him, whoever affirmed it to be true, lied in his teeth!—to prove which, he defied the president of the council and all of his compeers, or if they pleased, their puissant champion, Captain Alicxsander Partridg, that mighty man of Rhodes, to meet him in a single combat, where he would trust the vindication of his innocence to the prowess of his arm.

This challenge being delivered with due ceremony, Anthony Van Corlear sounded a trumpet of defiance before the whole council, ending with a most horrific and nasal twang, full in the face of Captain Partridg, who almost jumped out of his skin in an ecstasy of as

tonishment at the noise. This done, he mounted a tall Flanders mare, which he always rode, and trotted merrily towards the Manhattoes-passing through Hartford, and Pyquag, and Middletown, and all the other border towns -twanging his trumpet like a very devil, so that the sweet valleys and banks of the Connecticut resounded with the warlike melody--and stopping occasionally to eat pumpkin pies, dance at country frolics, and bundle with the beauteous lasses of those parts, whom he rejoiced exceedingly with his soul-stirring instrument.

But the grand council being composed of considerate men, had no idea of running a tilting with such a fiery hero as the hardy Peter-on the contrary they sent him an answer, couched in the meekest, the most mild and provoking terms; in which they assured him that his guilt was proved to their perfect satisfaction, by the testimony of divers sober and respectable Indians, and concluding with this truly amiable paragraph.-" For youre confidant denialls of the Barbarous plott charged will waigh little in balance against such evidence, soe that we must still require and seeke due satisfaction and cecuritie; soe we rest,

"Sir,

"Youres in wayes of Righteousness, &c."

I am aware that the above transaction has been differently recorded by certain historians of the east, and elsewhere; who seem to have inherited the bitter enmity of their ancestors to the brave Peter-and much good may their inheritance do them. These declare, that Peter Stuyvesant requested to have the charges against him inquired into, by commissioners to be appointed for the purpose; and yet that when such commissioners were appointed, he refused to submit to their examination. In this artful account there is but the semblance of truth; he

did, indeed, most gallantly offer, when that he found a deaf ear was turned to his challenge, to submit his conduct to the rigorous inspection of a court of honour-but then he expected to find it an august tribunal, composed of courteous gentlemen, the governors and nobility of the confederate plantations, and of the province of New Netherlands; where he might be tried by his peers, in a manner worthy of his rank and dignity-whereas, let me perish, if they did not send to the Manhattoes two lean sided hungry pettifoggers, mounted on Narraganset pacers, with saddle bags under the bottoms, and green satchels under their arms, as though they were about to beat the hoof from one country-court to another in search of a law suit.

The chivalric Peter, as might be expected, took no notice of these cunning varlets; who, with professional industry fell to prying and sifting about, in quest of ex parte evidence; perplexing divers simple Indians and old women, with their cross questioning, until they had contradicted and forswore themselves most horribly, as is too often done in our courts of justice. Thus having fulfilled their errand to their own satisfaction, they returned to the grand council with their satchels and saddle bags stuffed full of villanous rumours, apocryphal stories, and outrageous calumnies-for all which the great Peter did not care a tobacco stopper; but, I warrant me, had they attempted to play off the same trick upon William the Testy, he would have treated them both to an aerial gambol on his patent gallows.

pon

The grand council of the east held a very solemn meeting on the return of their envoys, and after they had dered a long time on the situation of affairs, were upon the point of adjourning without being able to agree upon any thing. At this critical moment one of those meddlesome, indefatigable spirits, who endeavour to establish a character for patriotism by blowing the bellows of party,

until the whole furnace of politics is red-hot with sparks and cinders; and who have just cunning enough to know that there is no time so favourable for getting on the people's backs as when they are in a state of turmoil, and attending to every body's business but their own. This aspiring imp of faction, who was called a great politician, because he had secured a seat in council by calumniating all his opponents: he, I say, conceived this a fit opportunity to strike a blow that should secure his popularity among his constituents, who lived on the borders of Nieuw Nederlandts, and were the greatest poachers in Christendom, excepting the Scotch border nobles. Like a second Peter the Hermit, therefore, he stood forth and preached up a crusade against Peter Stuyvesant, and his devoted city.

He made a speech which lasted six hours, according to the ancient custom in these parts; in which he represented the Dutch as a race of impious heretics, who neither believed in witchcraft nor the sovereign virtues of horse-shoes-who left their country for the lucre of gain; not like themselves for the enjoyment of liberty of conscience-who, in short, were a race of mere cannibals and anthropophagi, inasmuch as they never eat cod fish on Saturdays, devoured swine's flesh without molasses, and held pumpkins in utter contempt.

This speech had the desired effect; for the council, being awakened by the serjeant-at-arms, rubbed their eyes, and declared that it was just and politic to declare instant war against these unchristian antipumpkinites. But it was necessary that the people at large should first be prepared for this measure, and for this purpose the arguments of the orator were preached from the pulpit for several Sundays subsequent, and earnestly recommended to the consideration of every good Christian, who professed, as well as practised, the doctrine of meekness, charity, and the forgiveness of injuries. This is the first time we hear of

the "Drum Ecclesiastic" beating up for political recruits in our country; and it proved of such signal efficacy that it has since been called into frequent service throughout our union. A cunning politician is often found skulking under the clerical robe, with an outside all religion and an inside all political rancour. Things spiritual and things temporal are strangely jumbled together, like poisons and antidotes on an apothecary's shelf; and instead of a devout sermon, the simple church-going folk have often a political pamphlet thrust down their throats, labelled with a pious text from Scripture.

CHAP. V.

How the New-Amsterdammers became great in Arms, and of the direful Catastrophe of a mighty Armytogether with Peter Stuyvesant's Measures to fortify the City-and how he was the original Founder of the Battery.

BUT notwithstanding that the grand council, as I have already shown, were amazingly discreet in their proceedings respecting the New Netherlands, and conducted the whole with almost as much silence and mystery as does the sage British cabinet one of its ill starr'd secret expeditions-yet did the ever watchful Peter receive as full and accurate information of every movement as does the court of France of all the notable enterprises I have mentioned. -He accordingly set himself to work, to render the machinations of his bitter adversaries abortive.

I know that many will censure the precipitation of this stout-hearted old governor, in that he hurried into the expenses of fortification, without ascertaining whether they were necessary, by prudently waiting until the enemy was at the door. But they should recollect that Peter