Poems of James Russell Lowell Part 56

An unrestrained intercourse with fire probably conducive to generosity and hospitality of soul. Ancient Mexicans used stoves, as the friar Augustin Ruiz reports, Hakluyt, III., 468,--but the Popish priests not always reliable authority.

To-day picked my Isabella grapes. Crop injured by attacks of rose-bug in the spring. Whether Noah was justifiable in preserving this cla.s.s of insects?

d. Concerning Mr. Biglow's pedigree. Tolerably certain that there was never a poet among his ancestors. An ordination hymn attributed to a maternal uncle, but perhaps a sort of production not demanding the creative faculty.

His grandfather a painter of the grandiose or Michael Angelo school.

Seldom painted objects smaller than houses or barns, and these with uncommon expression.

e. Of the Wilburs no complete pedigree. The crest said to be a _wild boar_, whence, perhaps, the name.(?) A connection with the Earls of Wilbraham (_quasi_ wild boar ham) might be made out. This suggestion worth following up. In 1677, John W. m. Expect----, had issue, 1. John, 2. Haggai, 3. Expect, 4. Ruhamah, 5. Desire.

"Hear lyes ye bodye of Mrs Expect Wilber, Ye crewell salvages they kil'd her Together wth other Christian soles eleaven, October ye ix daye, 1707.

Ye stream of Jordan sh' as crost ore And now expeacts me on ye other sh.o.r.e: I live in hope her soon to join; Her earthlye yeeres were forty and nine."

_From Gravestone in Pekussett, North Parish._

This is unquestionably the same John who afterward (1711) married Tabitha Hagg or Ragg.

But if this were the case, she seems to have died early; for only three years after, namely, 1714, we have evidence that he married Winifred, daughter of Lieutenant Tipping.

He seems to have been a man of substance, for we find him in 1696 conveying "one undivided eightieth part of a salt-meadow" in Yabbok, and he commanded a sloop in 1702.

Those who doubt the importance of genealogical studies _fuste potius quam argumento erudiendi_.

I trace him as far as 1723, and there lose him. In that year he was chosen selectman.

No gravestone. Perhaps overthrown when new hea.r.s.e-house was built, 1802.

He was probably the son of John, who came from Bilham Comit. Salop.

circa 1642.

This first John was a man of considerable importance, being twice mentioned with the honorable prefix of _Mr._ in the town records. Name spelt with two _l-s_.

"Here lyeth ye bod [_stone unhappily broken._]

Mr. Ihon Willber [Esq.] [_I enclose this in brackets as doubtful. To me it seems clear._]

Ob't die [_illegible; looks like xviii._] ... iii [_prob._ 1693.]

. . . . . paynt . . . . deseased seinte: A friend and [fath]er untoe all ye opreast, Hee gave ye wicked familists noe reast, When Sat[an bl]ewe his Antinomian blaste, Wee clong to [Willber as a steadf]ast maste.

[A]gaynst ye horrid Qua[kers] ..."

It is greatly to be lamented that this curious epitaph is mutilated. It is said that the sacrilegious British soldiers made a target of this stone during the war of Independence. How odious an animosity which pauses not at the grave! How brutal that which spares not the monuments of authentic history! This is not improbably from the pen of Rev. Moody Pyram, who is mentioned by Hubbard as having been noted for a silver vein of poetry. If his papers be still extant, a copy might possibly be recovered.

CONTENTS.

PAGE

No. I.--A Letter from Mr. Ezekiel Biglow of Jaalam to the Hon.

Joseph T. Buckingham, Editor of the Boston Courier, enclosing a Poem of his Son, Mr. Hosea Biglow, 388

No. II.--A Letter from Mr. Hosea Biglow to the Hon. J. T.

Buckingham, Editor of the Boston Courier, covering a Letter from Mr. B. Sawin, Private in the Ma.s.sachusetts Regiment, 393

No. III.--What Mr. Robinson thinks, 401

No. IV.--Remarks of Increase D. O'Phace, Esquire, at an Extrumpery Caucus in State Street, reported by Mr. H. Biglow, 408

No. V.--The Debate in the Sennit. Sot to a Nusry Rhyme, 416

No. VI.--The Pious Editor's Creed, 421

No. VII.--A Letter from a Candidate for the Presidency in Answer to suttin Questions proposed by Mr. Hosea Biglow, enclosed in a Note from Mr. Biglow to S. H. Gay, Esq., Editor of the National Anti-slavery Standard, 426

No. VIII.--A Second Letter from B. Sawin, Esq., 433

No. IX.--A Third Letter from B. Sawin, Esq, 443

Glossary , 455

Index , 459

THE BIGLOW PAPERS.

No. I.

A LETTER

FROM MR. EZEKIEL BIGLOW OF JAALAM TO THE HON. JOSEPH T.

BUCKINGHAM, EDITOR OF THE BOSTON COURIER, ENCLOSING A POEM OF HIS SON, MR. HOSEA BIGLOW.

Jaylem , june 1846.

Mister Eddyter :--Our Hosea wuz down to Boston last week, and he see a cruetin Sarjunt a struttin round as popler as a hen with 1 chicking, with 2 fellers a drummin and fifin arter him like all nater. the sarjunt he thout Hosea hedn't gut his i teeth cut cos he looked a kindo's though he'd jest com down, so he cal'lated to hook him in, but Hosy woodn't take none o' his sa.r.s.e for all he hed much as 20 Rooster's tales stuck onto his hat and eenamost enuf bra.s.s a bobbin up and down on his shoulders and figureed onto his coat and trousis, let alone wut nater hed sot in his featers, to make a 6 pounder out on.

wal, Hosea he com home considerabal riled, and arter I'd gone to bed I heern Him a thras.h.i.+n round like a short-tailed Bull in fli-time. The old Woman ses she to me ses she, Zekle, ses she, our Hosee's gut the chollery or suthin anuther ses she, don't yon Bee skeered, ses I, he's oney amakin pottery[K] ses i, he's ollers on hand at that ere busynes like Da & martin, and shure enuf, c.u.m mornin, Hosy he c.u.m down stares full chizzle, hare on eend and cote tales flyin, and sot rite of to go reed his va.r.s.es to Parson Wilbur bein he haint aney grate shows o' book larnin himself, bimeby he c.u.m back and sed the parson wuz dreffle tickled with 'em as i hoop you will Be, and said they wuz True grit.

[Footnote K: _Aut insanit, aut versos facit._--H. W.]

Hosea ses taint hardly fair to call 'em hisn now, cos the parson kind o'

slicked off sum o' the last va.r.s.es, but he told Hosee he didn't want to put his ore in to tetch to the Rest on 'em, bein they wuz verry well As thay wuz, and then Hosy ses he sed suthin a nuther about Simplex Mundishes or sum sech feller, but I guess Hosea kind o' didn't hear him, for I never hearn o' n.o.body o' that name in this villadge, and I've lived here man and boy 76 year c.u.m next tater diggin, and thair aint no wheres a kitting spryer'n I be.

If you print 'em I wish you 'd jest let folks know who hosy's father is, cos my ant Keziah used to say it's nater to be curus ses she, she aint livin though and he's a likely kind o' lad.