USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > The Boston news-letter, and city record > Part 13
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20. A noble octagonal fort, and two batteries, which may be seen, in per-
fect preservation, upon the promonto- ry, were erected after the departure of the English from Boston, and do not require a place in the present essay. The fort is situated at the point ; one battery is in the rear of the house of industry, whose inmates will probably soon destroy it, and the other upon a rising ground immediately below the Heights of Dorchester.
21. At Nook Hill, near South Bos- ton bridge, may be seen the last breast- work which was thrown up by the forces of America, during this arduous contest. Its appearance on the morn- ing of March 17, 1776, induced the departure of the British troops from Boston in a few hours, and thus placed the seal to the independence of the New-England States. But those who would wish to see this intrenchment, must visit it soon. The enemy have attacked it on three sides, and are proceeding by sap and by mine ; part of the fosse is already destroyed, and the rampart nods to its fall.
If these fortresses should be regard- ed with indifference, let us consider that the siege of Boston was one of the most prominent features in the war of the Revolution. The forces of England were, in the commence- ment of the contest, besieged, and the plans for the Independence of Ameri- ca were matured under the shelter of these ramparts.
In a military point of view it pre- sents conspicuous features : an island, or rather a peninsula, besieged from the continent. Accomplished gene- rals, and brave and disciplined troops on one side, and undisciplined, but numerous forces on the other. At the same time, the army of England did all that men, in such a condition, could attempt. If they had obtained possession of any part of the lines, by the sacrifice of an immense number of lives, still no advantage could have been gained by advancing into a country where every man was a foe, every stone wall a rampart, and every hill a fortress. When we examine the extent of the lines, (more than twelve miles,) the numerous forts
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THE BOSTON NEWS-LETTER,
covering every hill, redoubts and batteries erected upon every ri- sing ground, ramparts and entrench- ments defending every valley, we are surprised at the immensity of the works constructed, and the la- bour required to complete them. Nothing but the enthusiasm of liberty could have enabled the men of Amer- ica to construct such works. In his- tory they are equalled only by the lines and forts raised by Julius Cæsar to surround the army of Pompey, of which the description in Lucan's Phar- salia will justly apply to the lines before Boston :
Franguntur montes, planumque per ardua Cæsar Ducit opus ; pandit fossas, turritaque summis Disponit castella jugis, magno que recessu Amplexus fines ; saltus memorosaque tesqua Et silvas, vestaque feras indagine claudit. Lib. VI. 38 -- 43.
Or the relation of the same siege in Cæsar de Bello Civili Lib. 3, may be considered as more applicable.
Should the inhabitants of New- England, at some future day, take a pleasure in preserving the forts which were erected by their ancestors, de- fended by their valour, and which they would have laid down their lives to maintain ; the hills on which they are situated should be adorned with trees, shrubs, and the finest flowers. The laurel planted on the spot where War- ren fell, would be an emblem of un- fading honour ; the white birch and pine might adorn Prospect Hill ; at Roxbury. the cedar and the oak should still retain their eminence ; and upon the Heights of Dorchester, we would plant the laurel, and the finest trees which adorn the forest, because there was achieved a glorious victory with- out the sacrifice of life.
Many centuries hence, if despotism without, or anarchy within, should cause the republican institutions of America to fade, then these fortresses ought to be destroyed, because they would be a constant reproach to the people ; but until that period, they should be preserved as the noblest monuments of liberty.
REV. DR. MATHER BYLES,
Was descended from a respecta- ble family, and was born in Bos- ton on the fifteenth day of March. 1706, O. S. Ilis father was a native of England, and died within a year after the birth of his son. By his mo- ther's side he descended from the Rev. Richard Mather of Dorchester, and the Rev. John Cotton of Boston. The Rev. Dr. Increase Mather was his maternal grandfather.
In early life Mr. Byles discovered a taste for literature, and after passing reputably through the common schools, was admitted into Harvard Universi- ty. and in the year 1725 received the Bachelor's degree at that Seminary.
After leaving college, Mr. Byles se- lected the profession of Divinity for the employment of his life, and divid- ed his time between the studies of the- ology and literature. In the month of December in the year 1782, he was ordained to the pastoral care of a new church in Hollis-street in Boston.
About this time Mr. Byles, besides his professional eminence, was distin- guished by the publication of several pieces in prose and verse, many of which were reprinted in England, and some of the poems were afterwards collected and published in a volume in this city. He also wrote a number of essays, which were printed in the New England Weekly Journal. His signature was one of the letters com- posing the word CELOIZA.
Mr. Byles was favoured by the Mu- ses, and his poetical talents have often amused and delighted his friends. Ease, harmony, and wit, were the characteristics of his verse. He how- ever esteemed his poetical talents only as instruments of innocent amusement, and never permitted them to with- draw his attention from more serious and profitable objects. He never at- tempted any great production in verse, but sounded his lyre only as inclina- tion prompted or occasion seemed to require.
The fame of Mr. Byles's profession- al and literary character extended to Europe ; and in the year 1765 the
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AND CITY RECORD, FEB. 4, 1826.
King's College at Aberdeen conferred on him the degree of Doctor of Di- vinity.
The abundance of his wit in com- mon conversation, and the smartness of his repartees, some of which are almost daily repeated in our social circles, had contributed to the spread- ing of his fame; and were it proper in this place, many instances might be produced of the fertility and quick- ness of his fancy, and the severity and justice of his satire. Wit is a dangerous instrument ; its exercise is peculiarly agreeable ; but its pleas- ures are short and fleeting, while its wounds are seldom forgiven, and are never forgotten. It usually makes many enemies where it delights one friend ; and it has been said that Dr. Byles was too sensible of its plea- sures and did not always sufficiently regard its consequences. But to this it may be replied, that many things have been attributed to him that were not his productions, and perhaps lis reputation has suffered more from what he did not say, than for any thing said by him.
The literary merit of Dr. Byles in- troduced him to the acquaintance of many men of genius in England, and the celebrated names of Popc, Lands- downe and Watts, among others, are found among his correspondents .- From the former he received a copy of an elegant edition of the Odyssey in quarto. Dr. Watts also sent him copies of his works as he published them ; and the family have in their possession a Letter purporting to be from Lord Landsdowne, a copy of which we will insert, leaving the read- er to judge of its merits and of the courtly politeness and complimentary talents of the English Nobleman.
LONDON, July 1, 1731. To the Rev. Mr.Mather Byles. Reverend Sir,
Your Letter dated from Boston, New-England, Dec. 15, 1730, is but this moment come to my hands ; so singular a favour deserves my earliest acknowledgments.
As much a stranger as it is my mis-
fortune to be to your person, I am no longer so to your genius ; the speci- men you have sent me of your Poetry is sufficient to make me judge of your merit.
I have been in pain for some time to know what was become of the Muses ; they have disappeared a great while from this part of the Old World ; your Poems inform me of their retreat into the New, and I consider with pleasure that their residence, however remote, is still within the British do- minions.
I am with great truth, Reverend Sir, Your most affectionate Humble servant, LANDSDOWNE.'
Dr. Byles was twice married. His first wife was Mrs. Anna Gale, niece of the late Governor Belcher. By this lady he had six children, only one of whom survived him. He is now rector of Trinity Church, St. John's, New-Brunswick. The second wife of Dr. Byles was Miss Rebecca Taylor, daughter of the late lieutenant gover- nor Taylor, by whom he had three children. The eldest died in infancy ; two daughters are still living.
Dr. Byles continued to live happily, with his parish in the honorable and useful discharge of his parochial du- ties, until the late Revolution began to create distrust and animosity between the different parties that existed in the country prior to the war. Many good men, who, like Dr. Byles, fell under the imputation of being Tories, suffer- ed more severely at first, than he did ; but the jealousy and violence of the times separated him from his parish, to which he was never afterwards re- united. Dr. B. was accused of attach- ment to Great-Britain. The substance of the charges exhibited against him was, that he continued in Boston with his family during the siege ; that he prayed for the king and the safety of the town ; and received the visits of the British officers.
In May, 1777, he was denounced in town-meeting, as a person inimical to America ; after which he was oblig-
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THE BOSTON NEWS-LETTER,
ed to enter into bonds for his appear- ance at a public trial before a special court held on the second of June fol- lowing, and of the charges exhibited against him, which were similar to those for which his parish dismissed him, he was pronounced guilty, and sentenced to confinement on board a guard-ship, and in forty days to be sent with his family to England. When brought before the Board of War, by whom he was treated respectfully, his sentence seems to have been altered, and it was directed that he should be confined to his own house, and a guard placed over him there, which was ac- cordingly done a few weeks, when the guard was removed. A short time afterwards a guard was again placed over him, and again dismissed. Upon this occasion the Doctor observed with his usual cheerfulness, that he was guarded, reguarded, and disreguard- ed. Sometime before this, upon be- ing asked why he did not preach pol- itics, he replied, " I have thrown up four breastworks, behind which I have intrenched myself, neither of which can be forced : in the first place I do not understand politics ; in the second place, you all do, every man and mo- ther's son of you ; in the third place, you have politics all the week, pray let one day in seven be devoted to re- ligion ; in the fourth place, I am en- gaged in a work of infinitely greater importance ; give me any subject to preach on of more consequence than the truths I bring to you, and I will preach it on the next Sabbath."
Dr. Byles formed no new connexion with any parish after the revolution nor during the war. In the year 1783 he was seized with a paralytic disor- der, and on the fifth day of July, 1788, he died, in the eighty-second year of his age.
In person Dr. B. was tall and well proportioned, had a commanding pres- ence, and was a graceful speaker .--- His voice was strong, clear, harmoni- ous, and modulated with facility to the subject of his discourse.
In conversation and repartee he ex- celled. Some of his friends have ap-
plied to him a passage from his own poems.
Thy conversation !- here the muse could stay,
And in sweet pleasures smile the hours away. If in grave words you sacred thoughts bestow, A deep attention sits on every brow ;
If through the sciences your fancy strays, With joy we follow through the flowery maze ; Or if you mirth and humorous airs assume, An universal laughter shakes the room; Each comes with pleasure; while he stays admires; Goes with regret, nor unimproved retires.
ORIGIN OF THE OFFICE OF MAYOR, ALDERMEN, AND COMMON COUNCIL, IN THE CITY OF LONDON.
William I. granted an important charter to the city of London, confirm- ing Edward the Confessor's laws ; and this is the earliest charter of in- corporation existing. It was ever re- cognised as a charter, and referred to and renewed as such down to Charles II.'s reign. After that charter, Lon- don was of so much consequence in the various contests for power and sovereignty, that different monarchs favoured it, granting various privileges and immunities, till the corporation was finally composed of a lord mayor, two sheriff's for London and Middle- sex, aldermen, common-council, and livery. At the time of the defeat of Harold by William I., the chief-officer of London was called the port-reeve, or port-grave from Saxon words signi- fying chief governor of a harbour. He was afterwards called provost ; but in Henry II.'s reign, the Norman title of maire was brought into use, and soon rendered English by spelling it mayor. In 1354, Edward III. granted to this city the privilege of having gold or silver maces carried before the mayor, sheriff's, and alder- men, in the city, its suburbs and liber- ties throughout Middlesex ; and also when going to meet the king, his heirs, or other royal persons, beyond the county. It was at this period, when such a dignity was granted, that the chief magistrate of the city of London was first called lord mayor, and gain- ed the style of right honourable.
His powers and privileges are very
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AND CITY RECORD, FEB. 4, 1826.
extensive. He is not only the king's representative in the civil government of the city, but also first commissioner of the lieutenancy ; perpetual coroner and escheater within the city and lib- erties of London and the borough of Southwark, chief-justice of oyer and terminer and gaol delivery of New- gate ; judge of the court of wardmote at the election of aldermen ; conserva- tor of the rivers Thames and Med- way; perpetual commissioner in all affairs relating to the river Lea; and chief butler to the king at all corona- tions, having a fee for that service of a golden cup and cover, and a golden ewer. No corporation business is val- id without his authority.
Aldermen are of more remote an- tiquity than the mayors. The office was of Saxon institution. The name is derived from the Saxon gelder-man, a man advanced in years, and accord- ingly supposed to be of superior wis- dom and gravity. Henry III., after the citizens had suffered many oppres- sions, restored a form of government, and appointed twenty-four citizens to exercise the power. Till 1394, the aldermen were chosen annually ; but at that period, when Richard II. re- moved back the courts of judicature from York to London, it was enacted by parliament, that they should " con- tinue in office during life, or good be- haviour." From that time the office of alderman has been for life. There are twenty-six wards, and each ward has its alderman. The mode of elec- tion has been several times varied ; but it is now regulated by act of par- liament, passed in 1725 ; which act also settles the mode of electing all the other city officers. The right of vot- ing for aldermen is vested in those freemen who are resident house-hold- ers. The lord mayor presices at the election of an alderman, and if a poll be demanded, it terminates in three days. Those aldermen who have fil- led the civic chair are justices of the quorum ; and all the other aldermen are justices of the peace within the city. The king, by his letters patent, dated August 15, 1741, empowered
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all the aldermen to act as justices of peace within the city and its liberties. Before that time, only the lord mayor, the recorder, the aldermen who had passed the chair, and the nine senior aldermen had that power. They are also the subordinate governors of their respective wards, under the jurisdic- tion of the lord mayor, and they exer- cise an executive power within their own districts. They hold courts of wardmote for the election of common- council-men and other ward officers, the regulation of the business of the ward, the removal of obstructions, &c .; and in the management of these duties, each alderman is assisted by one or two deputies, who are annually select- ed by himself from amongst the com- mon-councilmen of his own ward.
'The Common Council is likewise of very early origin ; it is a modification of the ancient Commonalty. Various opinions are entertained as to the share which the commonalty, or citi- zens at large, possessed in the local jurisdiction. It is beyond dispute, (and it is a proud fact for the city of London, as it shows their acknowledged importance in all times,) that the great body of the citizens was very early considered as an integral part of the city constitution. The charter of Henry I. mentions the folk-mote, a Saxon appellation, and which may fairly be rendered the court or assem- Uly of the people. The general place of meeting of the folk-mote was in the open air, at St. Paul's Cross, in St. Paul's church-yard. It was not dis- continued till after Henry III.'s reign ; but it has been considered the supreme assembly of the city. It was called together by the tolling of a great bell. From the great increase of the city's population, the intermixture of the non- freemen with the inhabitants, render- ed this mode of meeting inconvenient, dangerous, and sometimes tumultuous ; and the system of delegation was then had recourse to. A certain number of representatives were chosen out of cach ward, who being added to the lord mayor and aldermen, constituted the Court of Common Council. At
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THE BOSTON NEWS-LETTER,
first, only two were returned for each ward ; but it being afterwards consid- ered that the collective assembly thus chosen was an insufficient representa- tion, in 1347 the number was enlarg- ed. It was provided that cach ward should elect common councilmen ac- cording to its relative extent. The court debates with open doors in gen- eral ; but it has the power, though rarely exercised, of excluding stran- gers ; and in the general management of its business, its rules, proceedings, committees, &c., are much like those of the house of commons. The gene- ral business of the court is to make laws for the due government of the city, to guide its police, to manage its property : in fact the court of common council is the city's legislature.
Vermont and Massachusetts Canal. ---- Gentlemen of Vermont have written to Gen. Dearborn, of Boston, commu- nicating the surveys which have been made of a Canal from Lake Cham. plain to Connecticut River, and giving their opinion of its practicability. Their desire undoubtedly is, if the Mas- sachusetts Canal to Connecticut River is achieved, to prolong our inland nav. igation to Lake Champlain .-- Perhaps a Canal to Boston would offer a safer navigation than the River itself does to Hartford.
Water Works .- The city of Phila- delphia is well supplied with water from the Schuylkill River, at a very great expense. The whole extent of iron pipes, which conveys the water, is now upwards of fifteen miles. It is estimated that the aggregate of water rents for 1826, will be $24,160. A handsome revenue will accrue to the city in a few years, as " the water rents," after defraying all expenses, except those incurred by the purchase of new iron pipes, yield an annual sur- plus to the sinking fund of 15,000 dollars.
Quackery .- Ruth Wheeler, a can- cer doctor in Providence, brought au action against a Mr. Ilill to recover
pay for attending upon his wife and dressing her cancer ten different times. It appeared in evidence that Mrs. Hill had no cancer, but a scrophulous humour-and that the quack had ap- plied vitriol to the supposed cancer in such quantities as to seriously injure the patient .- The plaintiff was non- suited. on the ground that a person undertaking any profession must pos- sess skill in the exercise of that profes- sion to entitle him to recover.
BOSTON : SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1826.
THE NEW MARKET.
A market, conveniently located, is one of the first objects in all great cities. If there is any public building in Boston, particularly distinguished, from the circumstance of its general accommodation, the New Market house will hold the first rank.
The tide of business, in commercial places, is occasionally changing from one section of the town to another, and in this way, estates are suddenly rising in value, according to the im- portance of the changes, and the fa- cilities which are discovered for trans- acting the common affairs of life.
However wild the scheme may have been originally considered when the projectors of the New Market submit- ted a plan to the public, the greatest opposers have become completely convinced of the necessity as well as wisdom of the plan. Such have been the rapid improvements in all of the departments of social life, within a few years, that nothing appears too arduous for the enterprize of man, and nothing too expensive for a corpo- ration, when the general good is the" object in view. We can well remember when the bare idea of a stone edifice of the huge dimensions of the New Market, associated with the thought of making half an acre of land for its site, would have been as novel as a tangible castle in the air ; but, it is already accomplished, and it will remain to the remotest generation, a stupendous monument of the energetic inhabitants
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AND CITY RECORD, FEB. 4, 1826.
of a city,preeminently distinguished for its wealth, patriotism and enterprize.
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