of refined social life. It traces, in beautiful outline a picture of the life-history of Dr. Hawks from his birth at Newbern, North Carolina, in 1798, through a benificent existence of almost three score and ten years. A graduate of the North Carolina University in 1815; a student in the eminent law school at Litchfield, Connecticut, in 1818; admitted to the bar of his native state in 1821, we find him elected to a seat in its House of Commons when he was in his twenty-third year. In 1829 he was ordained a minister of the Protestant Episcopal Church, and thenceforward the vocation of a Christian Teacher was the chief business of his life. How zealously he labored in pastoral duties; how eloquently he preached the Gospel; how actively he engaged in every good work, religious, moral and intellectual that secured his coöperation, and how his brain distilled, and his tongue and pen incessantly distributed for the good of his fellowbeings, the elixer of sound instruction is set forth in this volume in vivid colors spread out with the delicate hand of an artist engaged in a labor of love. It is a perfect portrait in miniature of the life of one of the best and most useful men of our day, and ought to have a wider circulation than the limited edition of the Historical Society will allow.

In the appendix is given a complete catalogue of the Library of American History that belonged to Dr. Hawks. It was purchased by William Niblo from the family of Dr. Hawks, and by him presented to the New York Historical Society.

The Life of John Pendleton Kennedy, by HENRY T. TUCKERMAN, I Vol. 8 vo. pp. 490. In his Will, Mr. Kennedy requested Robert C. Winthrop, of Boston, Josias Pennington, of Baltimore, and Henry T. Tuckerman, of New York, to collect and superintend the publication of such of his writings that were in print and in manuscript as they might "deem worthy to be collected and published." He directed that all the literary materials he might leave, should be placed in their hands, or in those of any one of them who should oblige him by accepting the commission.

A private letter from Mr. Kennedy to his wife, and the expressed wishes of the other gentlemen named, assigned that duty to Mr. Tuckerman. It was to him, a most pleasant task. From his young manhood, Mr. Kennedy had been his friend; and he entered upon the performance of the duty with zeal, for it was a labor of love to the generous Tuckerman. And the last literary labor of his life was the preparation of the volume we are considering, and of two others of the series. With the proof sheets of the last of these he was busied when he was summoned to join his friend in the Better Land.

The volume under notice, "is largely composed of a brief Autobiography of Mr. Kennedy, his correspondence, and quotations from his diary. These tell much of the story of his life in the most charming and authentic manner, while that story is completed by the Editor in a judicious connection of

these memorials by intermediate narratives, and analyses of Mr. Kennedy's character and writings. His correspondence was with the leading men of the country in politics and literature, for he was a Statesman as well as a Scholar. His own letters reveal the most genial temperament; and with the testimony of these and of his intimate friends concerning his character, we feel what one of the latter has expressed, that "such men as he, at once so genial and so intellectual, with a fascination alike for young and old, ought never to die."

The book is a most attractive one for all classes of readers. It is illustrated by a portrait of Mr. Kennedy, and a view of his residence at Ellicott's Mills.

Historical Collections of the American Colonial Church, Edited by the Reverend WILLIAM STEVENS PERRY, D.D. Two volumes of this series of important works have been issued. The first is entitled "Papers relating to the History of the Church in Virginia," and the second "Papers relating to the History of the Church in Pennsylvania." The last of these volumes was published at the close of December, 1871. Only a very limited edition of each has been printed, and that of the first volume was nearly exhausted at the beginning of January. It is now announced that "The Early Journals of the General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States"-"the Church" above alluded to-will be republished under the editorial supervision of Dr. Perry, by the authority of the Convention lately held at Baltimore. Two volumes will comprise the Journals, and one will

contain the Editor's notes and illustrative matter.

Applications for the work must be addressed to the Editor, Geneva, N. Y.

Local Histories. HENRY ONDERDONK, JR., of Jamaica, Long Island, has nearly ready for press a Supplement to his "Record of Revolutionary Incidents of Suffolk, Queens and Kings Counties, on Long Island," with an index of almost two thousand names. Also a "History of the Rise and Growth of the Society of Friends on Long Island, and in New York City." Also "Long Island in the Olden Times," being a collection of fragmentary passages intended to illustrate the public and private life of the early settlers. These three works will have each an index of every name occurring therein. The materials, in a few instances, have been taken from very rare old books, but mostly from ancient documents that have never been printed.

Mr. Onderdonk has kindly furnished for the RECORD, a series of very interesting papers, with illustrations, concerning the early history of the Society of Friends or Quakers, on Long Island, and in New York City. He would be glad of an opportunity of consulting, "A Relation of the Labor, Travail and Suffering of the Faithful Servant of the Lord, Alice Curwin." Printed in London, in 1680, quarto.

1 Mr. Theodore L. Chase one of the publishers of the RECORD, has here given us a brief paper on the Frst PlayHouse in America, fixing its location at Williamsburg, Virginia, so early as 1723. Accompanying this paper the RECORD presents to its readers a reduced copy of a rare print of the first Park Theatre, in New York, kindly lent for the purpose, by Mr. H. F. Sewall, of that city.

The Park Theatre which continued to be the leading one in the United States during half a century, stood on the eastern side of Park Row, opposite the centre of the new Post Office building where now four four-stories brown stone buildings may be seen, devoted to Merchandising When built, it was called the "new theatre," for there was an older one on

fessional acceptation of these terms, or in other words that theatrical performers were amateurs, not making the stage a business pursuit, and the houses called theatres were either rooms or buildings used tem

the north side of John Street, between Nassau Street and Broadway, (now Nos. 13, 15 and 17) which was built in 1767, and continued to be the principal play-house in New York, until the Park Theatre was erected in 1797, by a company of gentlemen one hundred and thirty in number, composed of leading citizens of New York, for whom William Henderson was acting agent. It was leased to William Dunlap and John Hodgkinson, and on the 29th of January, 1798, was opened in a yet unfinished state, and with scanty supply of scenes. The scenery, machinery and stage, were under the management of Charles Ciceri, and the landscapes were painted by Mr. Audin, his assistant.

The play of that first night was Shakespeare's, "As you like

porarily for the purpose. Dunlap's His tory of the American Theatre has had much influence in producing these convictions, it being reasonably supposed that he having access to authorities not now attainable; persons who figured at an early period of the country's theatrical history, actors in every sense in the midst of the transactions they described must have been beyond dispute, correct in the statements they made.

Whether Hallam is entitled to the appellation, "Father of the American Stage" conferred upon him by Dunlap, it is the purpose of this paper to consider. Dunlap obtaining his information from Lewis Hallam, who was twelve years of age when he came to America with his father's company, states that the following persons crossed the Atlantic in the Charming Sally, and formed the dramatis personæ in the "Merchant of

it," and the farce was "The Purse." The house was crowded. The prologue spoken by Mr. Hodgkinson was written by Dr. E. H. Smith, then one of the leading physicians of New York. The receipts on that first night amounted to $1232, but after that they were, for sometime, below the expenses, and in April a new arrangement was made, by which Mr. Dunlap leased the theatre at the price of $5000, a year, and became sole proprietor. He continued the business several years, until the losses bankrupted him.

Mr. Dunlap, in his " History of the American Theatre," says, "With little knowledge of the world, and none of theatres, except as seen before the curtain, I was little fitted for the task I had undertaken. Mr. Dunlap gives the following interesting items of the weekly expenses of the theatre at the time he leased it. "The salaries to actors and actresses. as follows, amount to 480 dollars weekly, viz. Mr. and Mrs. Hallam, 50; Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, 45; the first 20, the second 25: Mrs. Oldmixon, 37; Mr. Cooper, 25; Mrs. Melmoth, 20; Mr. Tyler, 20; Mr. Jefferson, 23; Mr. Martin, 18; (and for superintending the stage and making properties, 7 more) Mr. Hallam, Jun., 16; Mrs. Hogg, 14; Mr. Hogg, 13; Miss Westray, 13; Miss E. Westray, 12; Mr. Lee, 12, as performer and property man; two message carriers (each 8) 16; Mrs. Seymour, 16; Mr. Seymour, 9; Mr. Miller, 12; Miss Hogg; 4; estimate for three others 54; Mrs. Collins, 12; with supernumeraries, 32.

The view of the Park Theatre given at the head of this paper, was drawn and engraved for the "American Almanac, and New York Directory," for 1797, by E. Tisdale, then a young miniature painter, designer and engraver, He illustrated Trumbull's M'Fingal, and Alsop and Dwight's "Echo." From New York he went to Hartford, and became a partner in what was known as “The Graphic Company," which was chiefly engaged in executing plates for bank notes. With that company he was connected, until 1825. Mr. Tisdale was the author of the political satire known as "The Gerrymander," with an illustration from his pencil printed on a broad-side in 1812, in which Elbridge Gerry was lashed for his political sins against the Federalists.

In the Merchantile Advertiser for July 8, 1797, appears the following advertisement.

"This day is published, for sale by I. LONGWORTH, 66 Nassau Street, price 4s. 6d. stitched, and 5s. 3d. half-bd. Longworths AMERICAN ALMANAC and NEW YORK DIRECTORY, for the 22d year of American independence. Embellished with a view of the New Theatre.'

Venice" and "Lethe," the first representation ever given at Williamsburg or in the country, viz. Messrs. Rigby, Clarkson, Singleton, Herbert, Wynell, Hallam, Malone, Adcock, Mrs. Hallam, Miss Palmer and Miss Hallam. The company landed at Yorktown on the 28th of June, 1752, and this performance was given September 5th, following. That at least two of these performers did not belong to Hallam's Company is evident from the following announcement in the Maryland Gazette of June 18th, 1752. "By permission of his honor, the President, at the new theatre in Annapolis, by the company of Comedians from Virginia on Monday next, being the 22d of this instant, (June) will be performed "The Beggars Opera, likewise a farce called the "Lying Valet,' to begin precisely at 7 o'clock. Box 10s, pit 7s. 6d. No person to be admitted behind the scenes.

The principal performers belonging to this company appear to have been Messrs. Wynell, Herbert, Eyanson, Kean and Miss Osburn. They performed while here "The Busy Body," "Beaux Stratagem," "Recruiting Officer," "London Merchant," "Cato," "Richard III," with many others. There are two particulars connected with this performance that claim special notice, the first is, that the entire com

pany is announced as "The company of comedians from Virginia;" the other that Messrs. Wynell and Herbert are here found performing in Annapolis, at least a week before Hallam arrived with his company at Yorktown, of which they are said to have formed a part coming over with him in the Charming Sally. That there is no mistake in the date of Hallam's arrival, the following extract from his address to the Magistrates and the public of New York City in July, 1753, will show. "In April, 1752, Mr. Hallam, & Co., being solicited by several gentlemen in London, and sundry Virginia captains, they embarked and arrived at Yorktown, Va. the 28th of June." This renders it

1 Annals of Annapolis, pages 127, 128.

certain that the Virginia comedians played in Williamsburg before Hallam arrived, then went to Annapolis, performed there, and Wynell and Herbert retraced their steps to join Hallam in opening at Williamsburg, on the 5th September, 1752. Except in connection with this performance we do not find their names mentioned in the "History of the American Theatre;" further evidence that they did not come over with Hallam, or belong to his company.

Judge Daly in a very able discourse before the New York Historical Society mentioning these performances at Annapolis, says, "Some new names appear among the members, such as Eyarson, Wynell, and Herbert, while many of the old members had left, a circumstance warranting the supposition that there was either another company then performing in the South, or that these actors had returned to England, or to the West Indies." I think the former of these conclusions the more correct, and that these actors were connected with the Virginia Comedians, whose performances up to the period of which we write were confined to Virginia, as there is good authority for stating that there were theatrical performances at Williamsburg twenty or thirty years before Hallain's advent.

At the present time contemporary local newspapers are our first and best resort for information on these and similar remote matters. The Virginia Gazette was the earliest newspaper published in Virginia, the first number of which was issued at Williamsburg, August 6th, 1736. The next month, the number for September contained the following advertisement, "This evening will be performed at the Theatre by the young gentlemen of the College, The Tragedy of Cato, and on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday next will be acted the following comedies by the ladies and gentlemen of the company," viz. "The Busy Body," "The Recruiting Officer," and the "Beaux Stratagem. In the same paper for May 26th, 1768, is announced a performance for the benefit of Mrs. Parker at the Old Theatre, near the Capitol, by the Virginia Company of

Comedians on Friday, the 3d of June, when will be presented "The Beggars Opera" and "The Anatomist or Sham Doctor." This is only sixteen years after Hallam's arrival, when it is evident there were two theatres in Williamsburg, the old and the new, the latter the one probably fitted up by Hallam, the former that mentioned by Hugh Jones, Chaplain to the General Assembly.

Another important point for consideration is that the company still bore the title of Virginia Comedians as announced in 1752. There being no newspaper in Virginia previous to 1736, all further information concerning theatricals in Williamsburg would have been lost had there. not fortunately been preserved a pamphlet of 150 pages 12mo. entitled "The Present State of Viginia," by Hugh Jones, A.M., published during the period that Sir Alexander Spotswood was governor, viz. between 1710 and 1723 (a copy of which is in the Congressional Library at Washington.) The following relating to Williamsburg is from that work, "Fronting the College at near its whole breadth is extended a whole street mathematically straight, at the other end of which stands the Capitol, a noble, beautiful and commodious pile as any of its kind, built at the cost of the late queen, and by direction of the governor.' A lengthy description in detail of this building follows.

Parallel to the main street mentioned, is a street on each side of it, but neither quite so long nor so broad, and at proper distances are small cross streets; for the convenience of communication. Near the middle stands the church which is a large strong piece of brickwork in the form of a cross, nicely regular and convenient, and adorned as the best churches in London. This, from the parish, is called Bruton church, where I had the honor of being lecturer. Near this is a large octagon tower, which is the magazine, or repository of arms and ammunition. Not far from

1

2

1 This church is yet standing, one of the latest survivors of the old churches in Virginia.

2 A picture of the old Magazine may be seen in the second volume of Lossing's "Pictorial Field Book of the Revolu

tion."