genuine import of the term. The most important truths are happily brought forward, and there are some specimens of able and acute discussion. But the public are not in this respect guided by sober reason, and forasmuch as your sermons have not the peculiar phraseology to which those who assume the exclusive distinction of Evangelical give the name of the Gospel, the calumnies which have been circulated will still continue, though I trust that the publication will do good, and that it will attract the attention of those who may most profit by it. ***. "Believe me ever, with the greatest sincerity and respect, &c. 66 Yours, "JAMES WALKER." From Bishop Hobart to his daughters Jane and Rebecca Hobart. "Dover, Sept. 20, 1824. "I address this letter to both of my dear daughters. ***. This country is delightful on account of the general richness of its cultivation, the beauty of its verdure, its lawns, its trees, its hedges, and, above all, the court-yards filled with flowers and shrubs, and its houses often covered with ivy or jessamines, or some other creeping plants. Its majestic cathedrals and its ruined castles give an air of solemn grandeur to the scene, of which we can scarcely form an idea in America. And yet, on the whole, I prefer the scenery of my own country in many respects. We have a greater number of comfortable farm houses, land with us being more equally divided; our rivers are larger, our ranges of mountains more extensive, and we have woods and forests, of which here they have none. ***. "That God may bless my dear daughters, prays "I have thought much of you at this interesting period, when you are about to leave college and choose a profession, and lament most deeply that it seems to be my duty, in justice to my health, to remain longer abroad. I could have wished that both of my sons had embraced the clerical profession, which is the best and the happiest of all. But if the medical profession be your deliberate choice, I make no objection. Only whatever you enter on, engage in it heartily, remembering that your success will depend solely on your own exertions. Suppose that, before you engage in study with any particular physician, you devote your time until my return, to the study of the French and of the Italian, and of mineralogy, chemistry, and botany, not neglecting classical and general reading, particularly a course of history. On this subject take the advice of Mr. Berrian. "Above all, my dear son, forget not that the care of your soul is the one thing needful, and that the whole world will not profit you if you lose this. Neglect not pious reading; and, above all, prayer. Make a point of reading at least every evening, a chapter, or a portion of a chapter, of the Bible, with the commentary in the Family Bible. Do this as my particular request-do it for a still stronger reason, as a means of making you wise unto salvation. "In a few days I shall set off for the Continent, by the way of the Rhine, to Switzerland, and reach the south of France by winter. * * *. Let the family, however, write as usual. I shall make arrangements for their letters reaching me.. "That God may bless, protect, and save you, my dear son, is the constant and fervent prayer of "Your affectionate father, "J. H. HOBART." From Bishop Hobart to Mrs. Hobart. "Basle, (Switzerland,) Nov. 24, 1824. "MY DEAREST WIFE, "The difficulty of sending letters to New-York from the Continent, by the way of England, has prevented my writing to you; but Mr. Iselin, of this place, who lived for some time in New-York, in connexion with the house of Le Roy, Bayard, & Co. and who has been very attentive to me, has offered to take charge of letters and to forward them to Havre, whence they will go by the packet. "I am now able to say what I could not have said before since I left home, that I feel myself materially, and I trust, substantially improved in health. I attribute this, under the blessing of Providence, not a little to the country and climate of Switzerland, in which I have been travelling for some time past. The climate is much better than that of England, and the country is in all respects delightful; but it was a sad drawback on my gratification, that my family and friends were not with me to share it. My journey is solitary; I have no person with whom to reciprocate my feelings. I find it necessary to be moving. If I stay a few days in a place, I get low spirited, become bilious, and my dyspepsia increases; I have concluded, therefore, as France is an uninteresting country, not to spend so much time in it as I intended, but to go into Italy, where the climate at this season is mild and healthy, and travel in those parts which my sickness last summer prevented me from seeing, and return through the south of France. ***. I sent to you, from Amsterdam, some bulbous roots, which I conclude before this you have received. Mr. Iselin is so good as to take charge of two boxes for you, which he will send from Havre. One is a box of honey from the foot of Mont Blanc, in the valley of Chamouni, which is celebrated throughout Europe. When I was there thought of your fondness for it, and procured a box. of it, and conclude, that the circumstance of its being sent by me from so great a distance, and that it is an evidence of my constant recollection of my wife and family, even in trifles, will not render it less palatable. The other box contains an herbarium of Alpine plants of Mont Blane and its vicinity, with some seeds and minerals, which I wish delivered as directed. * * *. "Your ever affectionate, "J. H. HOBART." From Bishop Hobart to myself. "Venice, Dec. 11, 1824. "I wrote to you from Basle a few weeks since; and have just received, my dear Berrian, your letters of September last. ***. "I have made since I left Basle an interesting journey (as far as a solitary one can be so) through the Tyrol a country more sublime and picturesque in its views than any which I have seen. Constant change of scene, and occupation of mind with new and interesting objects, I find of great benefit to me; but to get entirely rid of my bilious complaints, and of this long and deep-seated dyspepsia, must be a work of time. "I find the climate of Italy more exhilarating and strengthening at this season than when I was here in the spring; when I enjoyed very little, the little which I saw. This city is striking in the highest degree. There seems to be a kind of magic about it. • • •. "Much joy to you on the addition to your family! Alas! I can smile sometimes, but many, many are my lonely moments. ... "Truly and affectionately yours, "J. H. HOBART." From Bishop Hobart to Mrs. Hobart. "Rome, Dec. 31, 1824. "Friday evening, 9 o'clock. "I have just returned, my dearest wife, from a moon-light ramble among the ruins of ancient Rome, VOL. I. 39 |