bor; or, as he is still familiarly to this day talked of, "the good old governor." It was a picture, not without its moral teaching, (we speak of its impression on our own minds,) to witness the polite attention, the Christian courtesy, the enduring patience with which even the humblest of his neighbors was received and welcomed, even to his family table, whenever their visit was thus chance-timed. How he managed the local concerns of his neighborhood it was sometimes amusing to note, being with a little of his ancient adroitness. A new school-house, as we remember, was once needed; he desired it to be of stone, which his neighbors would not hear of. He troubled them with no arguments upon the subject, but when the subscription paper was presented to him, settled the question by putting down, annexed to his subscription, " so much," if of wood, "double," if of stone. He was, in truth, liberal in all his contracts, acting on the maxim that no hard bargain is a good one. To his poorer neighbors, again, he often made loans without interest, and when payment could not be exacted without distressing them, forgave the debt, while to his bounty were they frequently indebted for food, clothing, and medical attendance. But after all the tests to which we have brought Jay's ruling principle, one, the nicest, yet remains-the influence of age, in its advancing infirmities and solitariness, upon a temper not by nature without its elements of evil. In age and solitude, when the discipline of society is removed, the "old Adam" too oft resumes his native form, and thus mere worldly minds grow morose-selfish ones peevish, and ambitious ones, (Napoleon-like,) savage. Jay's mind, on the contrary, grew otherwise, gentler and kindlier with age-more thoughtful for others' comfort, more indifferent to his own, until at length (and again we speak not from book) not a child could approach him, or a servant do his bidding, without receiving from him some word, or look, or manner, indicative of kindness. Here, then, was the triumph of religion over temper, for nothing but religion claims to have such power, and under the light of revelation no vague religion either; and very few, we think, exhibit it, save those who are, as Jay was, clear, firm and consistent in the living truths of the Christian faith. But we will not further dwell on a picture that yet admits of much minuter painting, for we feel that such scenes partake of the sanctity as well as interest of what they disclose. We, therefore, forbear, and in silence and awe ap proach the portals of that cloud-capt temple with which the entablature of life closes, and at the shadowy doors of which we bid a reluctant farewell (but not, we trust, for ever,) to him whom we have so long accompanied through youth, and manhood, and venerable age. Unto the portals of that temple few painted by history are seen to approach more tranquilly, or enter more triumphantly, than the statesman before us, or to leave behind a brighter track of light for guidance to those who follow him-and thus rounds the life of JOHN JAY. The last public honor which pierced the shades of his retirement, was an address from the corporation of the city of New York on occasion of the first semi-centennial anniversary of American independence. Its language was that of affectionate reverence. "By your firmness, and the wisdom of your counsels, you eminently contributed to the glorious and happy issue which has placed our country in a rank with the most favored nation of the earth. Amid the festivities of the anniversary, while we remember your worth, your virtue and your patriotism, it will add to our pleasure to reflect that you have been permitted by Providence to witness the fiftieth return of a day so conspicuous in the annals of freedom, and also to find your beloved country happy as a people, and prosperous as a nation." His answer, and it was among the last words he penned, was such as became the aged Christian statesman, urging upon those who should direct the national councils, "to recommend a general and public return of praise and thanksgiving to HIM from whose goodness these blessings descend. The most effectual means of securing the continuance of our civil and religious liberties, is always to remember with reverence and gratitude the source from which they flow."Vol. i., p. 456. But our labors draw to a close, and on the whole we know not when we have undertaken a task more agreeable or instructive, to ourselves at least, than our recent careful reperusal of Mr. W. Jay's volumes, with a view to awaken in others fresh interest in them, and through them in their subject. We know of no life where we find such unity in the whole, with such congruity in the parts-a completeness that satisfies at once the artist in its materials, and in its lessons of wisdom, at once the statesman, the patriot, the philanthropist, and the Christian. Throughout the long period it traces, of eighty-four years, so far at least as records or me mory remains, there is no one word or act that calls for condemnation or concealment no veil but may be lifted up, and no door but may be opened-no awkward gaps, therefore, as often occurs, for the biographer to leap, nor cautious balancing needed from his pen, of virtues against deviations from virtue. We deem Jay's life, therefore, one worthy of all meditation, and the record of it as invaluable, above all, to the public men of our country, unto whom we here fearlessly hold it up as exhibiting the model of a CHRISTIAN STATESMAN. It were, indeed, a bold task to venture to draw into comparison the relative merits of Jay and Hamilton on the fame or fortunes of their country-a bold task—and yet, bold as it is, we feel impelled, before closing, at least to venture on opening it. They were, undoubtedly, "par nobile fratrum, and yet not twin brothers-" pares sed impares"-like, but unlike. In patriotic attachment equal, for who would venture therein to assign to either the superiority; yet was that attachment, though equal in degree, yet far different in kind, with Hamilton it was a sentiment, with Jay a principle— with Hamilton enthusiastic passion, with Jay duty as well as love-with Hamilton patriotism was the paramount law, with Jay a law" sub graviori lege." Either would have gone through fire and water to do his country service, and laid down freely his life for her safety-Hamilton with the roused courage of a lion-Jay with the calm fearlessness of a man; or rather, Hamilton's courage would have been that of the soldier-Jay's that of the Christian. Of the latter it might be truly said "Conscience made him firm, That boon companion, who her strong breast-plate And bids him on, and fear not." In intellectual power, in depth, and grasp, and versatility of mind, as well as in all the splendid and brilliant parts which captivate and adorn, Hamilton was greatly, not to say immeasurably, Jay's superior. In the calm and deeper wisdom of practical duty-in the government of others, and still more in the government of himself-in seeing clearly the right, and following it whithersoever it led, firmly, patiently, self-denyingly, Jay was again greatly, if not immeasurably, Hamilton's superior. In statesman-like talent Hamilton's mind had in it more of "constructive" power, Jay's of "executive." Hamilton had GENIUS, Jay had WISDOM. We would have taken Hamilton to plan a government, and Jay to carry it into execution; and in a court of law we would have had Hamilton for our advocate, if our cause were generous, and Jay for our judge, if our cause were just. The fame of Hamilton, like his parts, we deem to shine brighter and farther than Jay's, but we are not sure that it should be so, or rather we are quite sure that it should not. For, when we come to examine and compare their relative course, and its bearing on the country and its fortunes, the reputation of Hamilton we find to go as far beyond his practical share in it, as Jay's falls short of his. Hamilton's civil official life was a brief, and single, though brilliant one. Jay's numbered the years of a generation, and exhausted every department of diplomatic, civil, and judicial trust. fidelity to their country both were pure to their heart's core; yet was Hamilton loved, perhaps, more than trusted, and Jay trusted, perhaps, more than loved. In Such were they, we deem, in differing, if not contrasted points of character. Their lives, too, when viewed from a distance, stand out in equally striking, but much more painful contrast. Jay's, viewed as a whole, has in it a completeness of parts such as the nicer critic demands for the perfection of an epic poem, with its beginning of promise, its heroic middle, and its peaceful end, and partaking, too, somewhat of the same cold stateliness-noble, however, still and glorious, and ever pointing, as such poem does, to the stars. "Sic itur ad astra." The life of Hamilton, on the other hand, broken and fragmentary, begun in the darkness of romantic interest, running on into the sympathy of all high passion, and at length breaking off in the midst, like some half-told tale of sorrow, amid tears and blood, even as does the theme of the tragic poet. The name of Hamilton, therefore, was a name to conjure with—that of Jay's to swear by. Hamilton had his frailties, arising out of passion, as tragic heroes have. Jay's name was faultless and his course passionless, as becomes the epic leader, and, in point of fact, was, while living, a name at which frailty blushed and corruption trembled. If we ask whence, humanly speaking, came such disparity of fate between equals, the stricter morals, the happier life, the more peaceful death, to what can we trace it but to the healthful power of religion over the heart and conduct? Was not this, we ask, the ruling secret? Hamilton was a Christian in his youth, and a penitent Christian, we doubt not, on his dying bed; but Jay was a Christian, so far as man may judge, every day and hour of his life. He had but one rule, the gospel of Christ; in that he was nurturedruled by that, through grace, he lived-resting on that, in prayer, he died. Admitting, then, as we do, both names to be objects of our highest sympathetic admiration, yet, with the name of Hamilton, as the master says of tragedy, the lesson is givenδι' έλεον και φοβου “ with pity and in fear.” Not so with that of Jay; with him we walk fearless, as in the steps of one who was a CHRISTIAN as well as a PATRIOT. ART. II.-Das Christliche im Plato und in der Platonischen Philosophie, entwickelt und hervorgehoben von D. C. AckERMANN, Archidiakonus zu Jena. 1835. The Christian Element in Plato, and the Platonic Philosophy, developed and exhibited by D. C. ACKERMANN, Archdeacon at Jena. 1835. THERE is a strong tendency in the human mind to generalization. Perhaps there is no intellectual process more flattering to our pride. For so soon as we are able to perceive resemblances between two things, and put them into the same class, we fancy that we understand them, and thus delude ourselves with a show of knowledge. It is far easier and pleasanter to generalize than to abstract, and the faculty of abstraction is much rarer than the other. The philosopher should be on his guard against this generalizing tendency. It is the prolific parent of ingenious hypotheses and plausible theories; but quite other faculties are needed for the discovery of truth. Moreover, the inadequacy and impropriety of this method, is in exact proportion to the importance of its objects. For, as we ascend in the scale of life, the individual becomes more important, the species less so. Specific distinctions describe the individual less accurately in the higher than in |