Isa Carrington Cabell

“ Although the colonists perished, Ralegh secured North America to the English through his enterprise, made known the advantages of its soil and climate, fixed Chesapeake bay as the proper place for a colony, and created a spirit that led finally to its successful settlement. ”

“ After the Dutch ambassador left Great Britain, Van Rensselaer was licensed by Charles to preach to the Dutch congregation at Westminster, was ordained a deacon in the English church, and appointed lecturer at St. Margaret's, Lothbury. When Sir Edmond Andros was commissioned governor of the New Netherlands, in 1674, Van Rensselaer accompanied him to this country, bearing a letter of recommendation from the Duke of York, in which he requested that Van Rensselaer be placed in charge of one of the Dutch churches in New York or Albany when there should be a vacancy. ”

“ President Hayes appointed him collector of the port of New York, but he was not confirmed by the senate. For many years he devoted much of his fortune to charity, contributed large sums to the Newsboys' lodging-house and the Young men's Christian association, was a founder of the Orthoædic hospital, under the care of the Children's aid society, organized the Bureau of united charities, and was a commissioner of the State board of charities. ”

“ Howe wrote the “Battle-Hymn of the Republic,” which soon became popular. She espoused the woman-suffrage movement in 1869, and was one of the founders of the New England women's club, of which she has been president since 1872. She has also presided over several similar associations, including the American woman-suffrage association. In 1872 she was a delegate to the World's prison reform congress in London, and in the same year aided in founding the Woman's peace association there. ”

“ His father was a farmer in limited circumstances, and the son was forced to procure by his own exertions the means of obtaining an education. He earned his school-books when a child by braiding straw, and his severe and frugal life taught him habits of self-reliance and independence. ”

“ In 1831, his attention having been called to the need of schools for the blind, for whose education no provision had been made in this country, he again visited Europe in order to study the methods of instruction then in use for the purpose of acquiring information concerning the education of the blind. ”

“ He was chairman of the New York delegation to the National Republican convention in 1884, and an unsuccessful candidate for mayor of New York in 1886. He has spent much of his time in the west, exploring the country and hunting big game. Roosevelt was president of the New York board of police commissioners, assistant secretary of the navy in McKinley's administration, which he resigned to accept the position of lieutenant-colonel of cavalry in the war with Spain, and in July, 1898, was promoted colonel for gallantry at the battle of La Quasina. ”

“ They founded their city, not on the bay, but on the site of the former settlement on Roanoke island, and when their ships returned, Gov. White went home to hasten re-enforcements. But the fleet that Ralegh fitted out for the colony's relief was impressed by the government for the war with Spain. White, with Ralegh's aid, subsequently succeeded in sailing with two vessels that fell into the hands of the Spaniards, and he was able to send no relief till 1590, when he arrived, on 15 Aug., to find that all the colonists had disappeared. ”

“ He was with Sir Francis Drake in his expedition to restore Don Antonio to the throne of Portugal in 1589, and captured several Spanish vessels. On his return, he visited Ireland, and contracted a friendship with Edmund Spenser, whom he brought to England and introduced to Elizabeth, with the gift of the first three books of the “Faerie Queen.” In the hope of shattering the Spanish power in the West Indies, he then collected a fleet of thirteen vessels, for the most part at his own expense, and captured the largest Spanish prize that had been brought to England. ”

“ Ralegh had now spent £40,000 in his efforts to colonize Virginia. Unable to do more, he therefore leased his patent to a company of merchants, with the hope of achieving his object; but he was disappointed. He made a fifth attempt to afford his lost colony aid in 1602 by sending Capt. Samuel Mace to search for them; but Mace returned without executing his orders. Ralegh wrote to Sir Robert Cecil on 21 Aug., 1602, that he would send Mace back, and expressed his faith in the colonization of Virginia in the words, “I shall yet live to see it an Englishe nation.” ”

“ He was arrested and committed to the Tower, on the charge of having, without authority, attacked the Spanish settlement of St. Thomas. He failed in an attempt to escape to France by feigning madness, and it was subsequently decided to execute him on his former sentence. He was beheaded in the old palace-yard at Westminster. Ralegh was of imposing presence, dauntless courage, and varied accomplishments. His knowledge of the principles of political economy were far in advance of his age. Among his other literary ventures he founded the Mermaid club. ”

“ He never married, and the fortune that he inherited was not large, but by investments in real estate, and a simple and unostentatious manner of living, he accumulated the sum that he intended from his early manhood to leave for some charitable object. By the terms of his will he left the principal part of his estate to found a noble hospital in New York city which bears his name, and was formally opened, 2 Nov., 1871. ”

“ By his advocacy of the disuse of corporal punishment in school discipline he was involved in a controversy with some of the Boston teachers that resulted in the adoption of his views. By his lectures and writings he awakened an interest in the cause of education that had never before been felt. ”

“ Fries was the captain of one of these regiments, and, pistol in hand, rode at the head of the insurrectionists, capturing officials and subjecting them to punishment whenever any attempt was made to enforce the law. In February, 1798, a public meeting was held at the house of John Kline, of the township of Lower Milford, and a paper drawn up and signed by fifty-two persons, in which each signer bound himself to resist the “window-tax” at any cost. John Fries assisted in drawing up the paper, and pledged himself to raise 700 men to support the cause. ”

“ Livingston, however, had replied to Roosevelt's proposition on 28 Oct., 1798, that “vertical wheels are out of the question.” But in the spring of 1802, Livingston having communicated Roosevelt's plan to Fulton, they adopted the former's view, and in January of the next year launched a boat that was propelled by Roosevelt's vertical wheels. Roosevelt in the mean time became greatly embarrassed financially, the government failed to fulfil its contract with him, and he was unable to put his plans in operation. ”

“ In 1705 he conveyed Claverack, or the “lower manor,” to his brother, Hendrick. He married Maria, daughter of Stephen Van Cortlandt. — Jeremias's brother, Nicholas, clergyman, b. in Amsterdam about 1638; d. in Albany, N. Y., in 1678, was the fourth son of the first patroon. He was liberally educated in Holland, and studied theology there, but began a tour of Europe before taking his degree. In Brussels he met Charles II. of England, who was then in exile, and Van Rensselaer predicted to him that he would be restored to the throne. ”

“ During her husband's life she shared in all his benevolent and educational work, and her familiarity with modern languages enabled her to assist him greatly in his studies of foreign reforms. Her writings, especially those on the kindergarten system, with her sister, Elizabeth Palmer Peabody, are distinguished for vigor of thought and felicity of expression. She published “Flower People” (1838) ; “Christianity in the Kitchen, a Physiological Cook-Book” (Boston, 1857) ”

“ In the spring of 1799 the collection of what was known as the “house- or window-tax” was forcibly resisted in Northampton and the adjoining counties of Bucks and Montgomery. When government officers came to measure the houses, armed companies of citizens seized and imprisoned them. ”

“ On his return to New York he engaged in business to a large extent, established factories in that city, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, and built some of the largest organs in the United States, including that in Garden City cathedral, Long Island, Grace church, New York city, each of which contains twenty miles of electric wire, that in Trinity church, New York, and the organ in the main building of the Philadelphia centennial exposition. ”

“ His patent was issued in 1685, under the title of first lord of the manor, and third patroon. By this patent the heirs in Albany relinquished to the heirs in Holland all title and right to the land in Holland, and the Hollanders gave up all the Albany settlement. Killian died without issue, and was succeeded by Jeremias's son, Killian, second lord of the manor, b. in Rensselaerswick in 1662; d. there in 1719. He was an officer of militia and a magistrate, represented the manor in the assembly in 1693-1704, and was a member of the council from the latter date until his death. ”

“ These guarantees of political rights were renewed in the subsequent charter of 1606, under which the English colonies were planted in America, and constituted one of the impregnable grounds upon which they afterward maintained the struggle that ended in separation from Great Britain. ”

“ His eldest son, Stephen, the last patroon, b. in Albany, N. Y., 29 March, 1789; d. there, 25 May, 1868, was graduated at Princeton in 1808, and inheriting the manor by his father's will, at his death became the last patroon. During the anti-rent troubles in 1839 he sold his townships, and at his death the manor passed out of the hands of his descendants. He was an accomplished gentleman of the old school, and served as major-general of militia. He married Harriet Elizabeth, daughter of William Bayard, of New York. ”

“ From ten years of age to twenty he had never more than six weeks' schooling during any year, and he describes his instructors as “very good people, but very poor teachers.” He was graduated at Brown in 1819, and the theme of his oration, “The Progressive Character of the Human Race,” foreshadowed his subsequent career. After his graduation he was tutor in Latin and Greek in Brown, entered the Litchfield, Conn., law-school in 1821, and in 1823 was admitted to the bar, opening an office in Dedham, Mass. ”

“ He carried that institution through pecuniary and other difficulties, and satisfied himself of the practicality of co-education. His death was hastened by his untiring labors in his office. He published, besides his annual reports, his lectures on education, and his voluminous controversial writings, “A Few Thoughts for a Young Man” (Boston, 1850) ; “Slavery: Letters and Speeches” (1851) ; “Powers and Duties of Woman” (1853) ”

“ He was chosen to congress as a Democrat in 1800, and served by re-election till 1811. — Another great-grandson of the first Jeremias, Robert, soldier, b. in Claverack, N. Y., in 1741; d. there, 11 Sept., 1802, was a general of militia during the Revolution, and commanded the force that pursued and defeated Sir John Johnson on his Mohawk valley raid in 1780. For a full history of the Van Rensselaer family, see “Colonial New York,” by George W. Schuyler (2 vols., New York. 1885) . ”

“ He was widely known among electricians, invented several important details of the telephone, enjoyed a royalty for many years in the telephone-switch, and was largely interested in the Bell telephone company. ”

“ She has preached in Rome, Italy, Santo Domingo, and from Unitarian pulpits in this country. She has also read lectures at the Concord school of philosophy. Mrs. Howe has published two volumes of poems, entitled “Passion Flowers” (Boston, 1854) , and “Words for the Hour” (1857) ; “The World's Own,” a drama, which was acted at Wallack's theatre, New York, in 1855 (1857) ; “A Trip to Cuba” (1860) ; “Later Lyrics” (1866) ; “From the Oak to the Olive” (1868) ; “ Modern Society,” two lectures (1881) ; and “Life of Margaret Fuller” (1883) . She has also edited “Sex and Education,” a reply to Dr. ”