quantities of gold and silver to be formed into furniture for the palace, for personal ornaments, royal and sacerdotal-and for images civil and sacred, and for votive tablets with which heathen and papal altars were decorated, not to mention household vessels, and rich vestments of the highest officers, and most opulent citizens. A goldsmith was a man of great consequence in the reign of Henry VIII. and Cardinal Wolsey; nor was it much diminished in honor and profit under Queen Elizabeth. It blazed with remarkable splendor during the peaceful reign of her successor, that ridiculous half-fool of a wise king, James the First, of glorious memory.* But what gave honor, consequence, and great riches to goldsmiths, beyond their mere occupation as artizans, was the lucrative circumstance of their being the only bankers in existence. Before the poor persecuted Jews of modern times invented the Bill of Exchange, money was paid and received in coin, in bags and purses; and jewels, diamonds, and other precious stones, acquired a value, which, it is hoped, they never will attain in the United States. When King James wanted money, he sent for his goldsmith, honest George Heriot, who came with him from Edinburgh to London; and was one of the most valuable counsellors that queer king ever had. He was, to that just and pedantic monarch, the Bank of England, and pawn-broker to the nobility, and throughout, an honest, generous, and honorable man, whom the Duke of Buckingham feared, hated and respected; and who has left a noble and elegant monument of his munificence at Edinburgh, under the name of Heriot's Hospital, in a very singular but pleasing style of architecture, not very unlike the residence of the late Horace Walpole. Sir Walter Scott, in his Romance of "The Fortunes of Nigel," has adhered closer to true history than in any of his other historico-romantic tales. George Heriot's shop was near to where the London Exchange is now. Scott, speaking of him, says"The goldsmith to the royal household, and who, if fame spoke true, oftentimes acted as their banker, (for these professions were not as yet separated from each other) was a person of too much importance to receive the slightest interruption from sentinel or porter, and leaving his mule and two of his followers in the outer court, he gently knocked at a postern gate of the palace, and was presently admitted [to the king,] while the most trusty of his attendants followed him closely with a piece of plate under his arm." King James the First, who, like Dr. Johnson, gave to every one of his intimates, a nick-name, called honest George Heriot, jingling Geordie, because he dealt in clattering, sounding articles, as gold and silver coin, plate and trinkets. The highly valuable piece of plate, before mentioned, was an embossed salver of extraordinary dimensions, representing the "Judgement of Solomon," highly wrought by the famous Florentine goldsmith and artist, Benvenuto Cellini, and made for Francis the First, of France, who was taken prisoner at the battle of Pavia. As Scott says no more of this renowned artist, we shall add a few words respecting him, for the honor of goldsmiths. Benvenuto Cellini was contemporary with that prince of modern sculptors, Michael Angelo, and Julia Romano, the first and favorite *The famous Duke of Sully was wont to say, that King James was the wisest fool of all the kings in his time, in Europe. pupil of Raphael and their companion. To his original business of goldsmith and engraver, he added that of statuary in smaller figures than the life. He was an extraordinary genius; and, like men of that bright and dangerous class, was high-spirited, rash, proud, and indiscreet, and too often guilty of violent resentments, intemperate frays, and even assassinations; and escaped the justice of the law more than once, on account of his matchless talents in the line of his business. He stood the first of the age as a designer, engraver, and modeler; but was actually more like a dauntless chevalier, than a contemplative artist. He was employed by cities, cardinals, kings, emperors and popes-by Leo X. the Emperor Charles V. and Francis the First-and, possibly, by Cardinal Wolsey. He wrote his own life; which lay unpublished nearly two hundred years, on account of the freedom with which he speaks of certain great characters. His handyworks, or manipulations, were exquisite, and to be found only in the cabinets of Popes and Kings. He was concerned in several duels, and some fatal ones; and tremblingly attentive to the ceremonials of the catholic religion, while he violated its principles by his passionate excesses. By this sketch of the character of Cellini, it appears that three hundred years ago, the productions of the first-rate goldsmiths belonged rather to the fine arts, than to mechanical trades. A man cannot come up to our idea of a complete goldsmith, without a sufficient knowledge of metallurgy to enable him to assay and separate mixed metals, and to apportion properly their alloy. In the founding part of the business, the goldsmith must make his own moulds, which requires taste in designing, and skill in execution. Nor should an artizan in this line be ignorant of mineralogy; at least of the natural history of Gold and Silver, Lead and Quicksilver; yet so scanty was the knowledge of this department of nature, in the life-time of the subject of this memoir, that the first teacher of the science of Mineralogy in these United States, in the order of time,* found Mr. Revere the only man, in 1794, who appeared to know any thing of the discrimination between the ores of the seven metals. We presume not to say how far these things were known and taught in Philadelphia, where there was a Medical School. We speak only of Mineralogy, previous to 1783, as it regards New-England, and the history of the mineral cabinet at Cambridge, which was the first collection of the kind made in North-America. Thus much of goldsmiths, considered as artizans, bankers, or honorable money-dealers, prior to the establishment of regularly chartered banks, and the adoption of the Bill of Exchange, and the speedy and safe mode of transmission of letters through a national Post-Office. PAUL REVERE, or Rivoire, as his ancestors wrote the name, was born in Boston, in December, 1734, O. S. (January 1, 1735,) and died there in May, 1818, aged 84. His grandfather emigrated from St. Foy, in France, to the island of Guernsey, and his father, at the age of thirteen, was sent by his friends from that island to Boston, to learn the trade of a goldsmith, where he afterwards married, and had several children, of which Paul was the eldest. Like most of the Huguenots, who emigrated to this country, the elder Revere was very industrious, and very austere in his religious opinions. To the great * Dr. Waterhouse. affliction of the pious and conscientious father, Paul was disposed to attend public worship with the congregation of the Rev. Dr. Mayhew. For this he was often reprimanded, and, on one occasion, suffered the infliction of a blow from his father, after he was grown up to man's estate. Young Revere was brought up by his father to the business of a goldsmith, and made himself very serviceable in the use of the graver. Having a natural taste for drawing, he made it his peculiar business to design and execute all the engravings on the various kinds of silver plate then manufactured. In 1756, about the time he became of age, an expedition was organized against Crown Point, then in possession of the French. In this expedition he received the appointment of Lieutenant of Artillery, and was stationed at Fort Edward, on Lake George, the greater part of that year. After his return to Boston, he married, and commenced business, as a goldsmith, which, with engraving and other mechanical and manufacturing arts, were objects of industry and study, from time to time, during a long and active life. He had a great fondness for Mechanics as a science, and early made himself acquainted with many of the most important principles, and though often engaged in other pursuits, he always returned to this with additional delight and vigor. Engraving on copper was an art in which, as in some others, he was self-instructed. One of his earliest engravings of this description was a portrait of his friend, Dr. Mayhew. In 1766, he engraved on copper a picture, emblematical of the repeal of the Stamp Act. He also executed a very popular caricature, of the "Seventeen Rescinders." As there are not extant many copies of this print, some account of it may be interesting. In the beginning of the year 1768, when the measures of the British Government were assuming more and more of a threatening appearance, the House of Representatives of Massachusetts, voted to send a circular letter to the Legislatures of the several Provinces, upon the alarming state of affairs with the mother country. This measure gave so much umbrage to the King, that he sent out orders to Governor Bernard,* peremptorily to demand that the said vote should be rescinded and obliterated. This demand being judged unreasonable, after debate, a vote was passed not to conform to it. Seventeen members only voting for it, and ninety-two against it. These numbers became notorious in a political sense. Seventeen being called the Tory number, and the glorious ninety-two, as it was called, was denominated that of the Whigs. The seventeen members were branded with the name of Rescinders, and were treated in the most contemptuous manner. Mr. Revere's caricature helped to increase the odium. It was entitled, "A WARM PLACE-HELL!" The delineation was a pair of monstrous open jaws, resembling those of a shark, with flames issuing from them, and the Devil, with a large pitch-fork, driving the Seventeen Rescinders into the flames, exclaiming, "Now I've got you, a fine haul, by Jove." As a reluctance is shown by the fore "There * Extract of the Earl of Hillsborough's letter to Gov. Bernard, dated April 22, 1768. fore it is the King's pleasure, that as soon as the General Court is again assembled at the time prescribed by the Charter, you should require of the House of Representatives, in his Majesty's name, to rescind the resolution which gave birth to the circular letter from the speaker, and to declare their disapprobation of, and dissent to that rash and hasty proceeding." The circular letter was dated 11th Feb. 1768. most man, at entering, who is supposed to represent the Hon. Timothy Ruggles, of Worcester county, another devil is drawn, with a fork, flying towards him, and crying out, "Push on, Tim." Over the upper jaw is seen, in the back ground, the cupola of the Province House, with the Indian and bow and arrow, (the Arms of the Province,) which House was the Governor's residence. A copy of this print fell by accident, many years ago, into the hands of a gentleman of our acquaintance, who inquired the particulars respecting it of Colonel Revere. The Colonel was then eighty years of age, and observed he had not seen a copy of it for many years, was pleased to find that one was in preservation-and offered to buy it. He said he was a young man, zealous in the cause of liberty, when he sketched it, and had forgotten many of the circumstances; but this he did remember, that while he was doing it, the famous Doctor Church came into his shop, and, seeing what he was about, took a pen and wrote the following lines as an accompaniment. The colonel then delivered them with much energy, exactly as they are on the print. "On, brave Rescinders !-to yon yawning cell, Seventeen such miscreants sure will startle Hell- He never curst his millions in a day." In 1770, Mr. Revere published an engraved print, representing the massacre in King-street, on the memorable FIFTH OF MARCH,* and in 1774, another, of a historical character, representing the landing of the British Troops in Boston. Copies of all these, though extremely rare, are still extant. A lithographic fac simile of the print first mentioned, has been recently republished. In the year 1774, among other things, which the British Parliament did to intimidate and break down the spirit of freedom whose blaze extended from New-Hampshire to Georgia, they passed an act making the justices of the Supreme Court in Massachusetts independent of the people for their salaries. The grand jurors, returned to serve at the first term of the Court after this was received, met in Boston the day previous to the commencement of the term, and, after solemn deliberation, all but one of them signed a resolution not to serve in that capacity. Paul Revere was one of this jury. The person, who declined signing the resolution, was a Mr. Pratt, of Chelsea, and it appears that his objection was an uncertainty in his mind as to the fact whether the Court was responsible to the king or to the people. When the Court opened and the jurors were called, they severally refused to be sworn. When Pratt, who was last on the list, was called, he asked the court, if their salaries were to be paid by the province or the king. The chief justice said, "Mr. Pratt, this court is organized as it always has been, and it can be of no importance to you as a juror, whether our salaries be paid from the treasury of the crown or of the province." Pratt immediately rejoined, "I wo'n't sarve." This was the last grand jury that was summoned under the judges of the crown. Many persons have often heard the anecdote related by Revere, and we have a manuscript of his in our possession, which contains the names of the jurors. *The execution of this engraving was erroneously attributed to Nathaniel Hurd, in the NewEngland Magazine for July. In 1775, he engraved the plates, made the press, and printed the bills, of the paper-money, ordered by the Provincial Congress of Massachusetts, then in session at Watertown. He was sent by this Congress to Philadelphia to obtain information respecting the manufacture of Gunpowder. The only powder-mill, then in the colonies, was in the vicinity of Philadelphia. The proprietor refused to let Revere take any drawing or specification whatever, or any memorandum of the process of the manufacture, but consented to show him the mill in full operation. His mechanical skill was now brought into action. With the slight information thus obtained, he was able, on his return, to construct a mill, which was soon put in operation, and with complete success. During the whole of our struggle for independence and self-government, Revere felt like a true American, and acted like a worthy son of a Huguenot. He was several times sent by the Provincial to the Continental Congress on confidential business. He was one of the persons who planned and executed one of the most daring projects which characterized the times-the destruction of the Tea in Boston Harbor-an event which has never yet been so copiously described nor so elaborately considered in its effects as it deserves by a philosophical historian. He was one of a club of young men, chiefly mechanics, who associated for the purpose of watching the movements of the British troops in Boston, and acted an important part in the events which occurred about the 19th of April, 1775. In relation to this point, we let the patriot speak for himself, and prefer his own account of the matter to any abridgement of our own. The following letter he wrote to the Corresponding Secretary of the Massachusetts Historical Society, in reply to some inquiries from that officer. It was published in the collections of the Society, but will probably be new to most of our readers, and contains incident enough to supply a novelist with the basis of a romance. Dear Sir, In the fall of 1774 and winter of 1775, I was one of upwards of thirty, chiefly mechanics, who formed ourselves into a committee for the purpose of watching the movements of the British soldiers, and gaining every intelligence of the movements of the tories. We held our meetings at the Green-Dragon tavern. We were so careful that our meetings should be kept secret, that every time we met, every person swore upon the Bible, that they would not discover any of our transactions, but to Messrs. HANCOCK, ADAMS, Doctors WARREN, CHURCH, and one or two more. About November, when things began to grow serious, a gentleman who had connections with the tory party, but was a whig at heart, acquainted me that our meetings were discovered, and mentioned the identical words that were spoken among us the night before. We did not then distrust Dr. Church, but supposed it must be some one among us. We removed to another place, which we thought was more secure; but here we found that all our transactions were communicated to Governor Gage. (This came to me through the then Secretary Flucker; he told it to the gentleman mentioned above.) It was then a common opinion, that there was a traitor in the Provincial Congress, and that Gage was possessed of all their secrets. (Church was a member of that Congress for Boston.) In the winter, towards the spring, we frequently took turns, two and two, to watch the soldiers, by patroling the streets all night. The Saturday night preceding the 19th of April, about twelve o'clock at night, the boats belonging to the transports were all launched, and carried under the sterns of the men of war. (They had been previously hauled up and repaired.) We likewise found that the grenadiers and light infantry were all taken off duty. |