though it retains some strong traces |tions were called for before the year of the times, it is, in the main, far in closed. Its pungent and striking advance of them, and in several re- criticisms were in unison with the spects in advance of the Common spirit of the times. Its wondrous Law of England at this day "(1818)." vocabulary surpassed the Carlylean "It shows that our ancestors," he dialect of later days. We may claim continues, instead of deducing their for it almost the same distinction as laws from the books of Moses, estab- a pioneer work in the department of lished at the outset a code of funda- prose composition, that belongs to mental principles, which taken as a Ann Bradstreet's volume in the whole, for wisdoın, equity and adap realm of poetry, for no work of tation to the wants of their commu- the early days can compare with it nity, challenge a comparison with in originality of style, vigor of any similar production from Magna thought and uniqueness of theme. Charta itself to the latest Bill of In the year following the beginRights that has been put forth inning of Ward's ministry, a welcome Europe or America."

Who can estimate aright the farreaching and powerful influence of this legal code upon the people of New England in fostering their love of liberty, maintaining their civic rights, and securing that profound and stable rectitude which has been the glory of New England in all these generations! Great is the glory, that from the quiet homes of the Ipswich ministers here beside our Green, this potent influence should have sprung as from its source and fountain head. It makes intelligible that Providence that brought into the wilderness, to its want and hunger, and loneliness and scant companionship, the ripe Cambridge scholar and traveller with his three-score years.

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addition to the little company settled here was made, when Richard Saltonstall, eldest son of Sir Richard, chose this town for his home. He was but 25 years old but already a graduate of the Puritan College, Emanuel of Cambridge. With him came his young wife Merriel, or Muriel, Gordon, only 22 years old, and their baby Muriel of nine months. I conceive that Mr. Ward was more than glad to welcome this youthful trio to his near neighborhood,-just across the Green-; and his heart grew warm and young again, when their presence brightened his quiet home; and he held the baby Muriel in his arms and told how, in the long years past, he had held the darling Prince Rupert in his babyhood in like fashion.

But Nathaniel Ward had other work than this. In 1646 that literary work which is linked indissolubly with his name "the Simple Cobler of Aggawam"-was completed and 1636 he was sent to England for publication. Its in Ipswich. success was remarkable. Four edi-ant in 1637.

The community honored young Saltonstall at once, with responsible public office. He was elected Deputy to the General Court, and in appointed to hold court He was chosen AssistYoung as he was, Mr.

Saltonstall became a conspicious fig-| the public expense. Thus early was ure. In March 1635-6, the General Ipswich found, not only demanding Court passed an order providing liberty for herself but emancipation that a certain number of magistrates for the bondman. should be elected for a life-term as

a standing council. The measure proved unpopular. The people saw in this an irresponsible body, the existence of which was wholly contrary to democratic ideas.

Some action was taked by the court looking towards its dissolution, but the Council still remained. Whereupon Mr. Saltonstall, then an Assistant with fair prospects of becoming a member of this lifeboard, wrote a book, in which he argued with much force that it was contrary to the charter and a sinful innovation. The book gave great offence and many were eager for summary punishment to be visited upon the author,-but the matter was dropped and the book was referred to the Elders. They all met here in Ipswich in 1642, Oct. 18, differed much in their judgment about it, but acknowledged the soundness of the propositions advanced.

Now we find Nathaniel Rogers with his company of friends in old Ipswich. He built his house near where the house of many gables stands today. He was in his fortieth year, a student, a man of slender health, not so bold and aggressive as the sturdy Ward and the impetuous, young Saltonstall, but a man of companionable spirit nevertheless.

More than once these three worthies were found acting in concert in affairs of large public interest. La Tour arrived in Boston in 1643 and sought of Gov. Winthrop help against his rival, D'Aulany, who had blockaded the St. John River. Winthrop permitted him to hire four ships and a pinnace, and sail away. This act roused severe criticism, and on the day the little fleet sailed, a vigorous written protest was handed the Governor, by Saltonstall, Ward and Rogers, John Norton and Simon Bradstreet, and Rev. Ezekiel Again in 1645 we find him, single Rogers of Rowley. Dr. Palfray finds handed and alone, lifting up his Ward's hand in the pungent language voice like a trumpet in the Great | others attribute it to Saltonstall as and General Court, when Capt. the prime mover in the enterprise. James Smith, master of the ship Be that as it may, it was an Ipswich Rainbow, had brought into the protest.

country two negroes stolen from the Here, in one of these houses about Guinea Coast. He denounced the our Common, the Ipswich clergy heinous act of stealing these poor and magistrates may have taken blacks, as contrary to the law of God deep counsel together, and drafted and the law of this country; demand- this historic document. Winthrop ed that the officers of the ship be failed of re-election. Dudley was imprisoned, and addressed a peti- chosen governor but this troubletion, signed by himself alone, pray-some French business would not be ing that the slaves be returned at settled. In 1645 a commission was

appointed and authorized to search famous company. Firmin returned out the whole truth, but the same to England and won renown as a Court granted La Tour liberty to preacher. Ward left his Ipswich arm and equip seven vessels, and home for the old country in 1646. Mr. Saltonstall drew up a solemn Saltonstall was more in England minority protest against such action, than in the Bay Colony in his maMr. Hathorne alone signing with turer years. Rogers was the last to him. No state paper of the period, disappear. He dwelt here till he it is affirmed, excels this document died, in 1655. in vigor of expression and loftiness of tone.

But before his decease another note-worthy personage was here, But political affairs were not the Ezekiel Cheever, the famous schoolonly themes of common interest. I master. He too was an Emanuel like to think of the neighborly College man, any other would have gatherings in this house or in that; felt himself out of place. He came the keen interest with which they in 1650, in heaviness of spirit, with talk of progress of Puritanism in the five motherless children, and his home land, or discuss the last word grief for their mother yet fresh. But from the Pequot war;-or the hours he was in full vigor of his manhood of good cheer, when the air grew and gave himself manfully to his cloudy with the smoke from Mr task as Roger's pipe, and the wine went round, and the rigor of the wilderness winter and every fretting circumstance was forgotten,

Master of the Grammar School. Years before, a school had been taught by Leionel Chute, but it had ceased to be. Some of the prominent citizens grew urgent in Others too went in and out about their desire for another school. Mr. this spot. The brilliant John Nor- Cheever had gained marked success ton, teacher of the ancient church; at New Haven, but his work gruff Thomas Dudley, courtly Simon there was interrupted by sharp reBradstreet, destined for the highest ligious bickerings and he was glad honors his Colony could bestow to remove to this community. Was upon him, and his delicate wife, it the high literary atmosphere of Ann, the famous poetess who was this old neighborhood that moved highly esteemed by Mr. Ward; and Robert Payne to buy yonder ten every other staunch citizen of the acres with the house upon them for day. Governor Winthrop and the the school-master's home? A school younger Winthrop in his occasional house was built on this corner and visits, and every other man of rank there Mr. Cheever taught with disdoubtless was seen in this fine tinguished success for eleven years. neighborhood-made more inter-In six years there were six young

esting by the settling of Giles Firmin, the physician, next door to Ward, who was his father-in-law.

Time wrought changes in this

men students at Harvard College, who had probably entered from this school, and others followed.

Cheever's striking personality

must have given the school unique | Latin language, which held its place distinction in its own time. Cotton in some of the most eminent of those

Mather was one of his pupils in his schools, nearly, if not quite, to the later years, when he taught the Latin end of the last century; which has School in Boston. He has given us passed through at least twenty edia brief glimpse of the teacher in his tions in this country; which was school-room. He tells us "of his the subject of the successive labor piety and his care to infuse docu- and improvement of a man who ments of piety into the scholars un-spent seventy years in the business der his charge, that he might carry of instruction, and whose fame is them with him to the heavenly second to no school-master New world. He constantly prayed with England has ever produced, requires us every day and catechised us every no additional testimony to its worth week, and let fall such holy counsels or its merits." upon us; he took so many occasions to make speeches to us that should make us afraid of sin, and of incurring the fearful judgments of God for sin, that I do not propose him for emulation."

Rev. John Barnard of Marblehead was a scholar of his old age in Boston. "I remember once," he said, "in making a piece of Latin my master found fault with the syntax of one word, which was not so used by me heedlessly but designedly, and therefore I told him there was a plain grammar rule for it. He angrily replied there was no such rule. I took the grammar and showed the rule to him. Then he smilingly said, "Thou art a brave boy, I had forgot it," and no wonder for he was then above eighty years old.

The "grammar" of which Barnard speaks was "The Accidence" of Cheever's own composition, published while he was in New Haven. Pres. Quincy of Harvard College speaks of it as "a work which was used for more than a century in the schools of New England, as the first elementary book for learners of the

Yondercorner is forever hallowed by the memory of the prayers and toils of that one great teacher. Were those eleven years in which he wrought the end of that fine effort for advanced education in our midst, it would be a luminous epoch, in our annals. But that school continued when he was called to Charlestown. The town granted for its support a great farm in Chebacco. William Paine made gift of Little Neck, and the revenue from these properties made helpful contribution to its support as it does still to our High School.

The fine public spirit which animated Robert Payne when he bought these two acres with the dwelling thereon, and built the school-house, and William Hubbard and William Paine and the whole body of freeholders, reveals the high value which our fathers attached to the highest education. A multitude of men, who have made grand work of life, had never done so well if that school had not brought them their opportunity of preparation for the College. The Ipswich of after years, with its noble

history, is largely the creation of fied with this town. His large histhat old Grammar School and we torical work was accomplished in do well, most surely, in rearing here, our midst. His very helplessness in on or near the School House Green, conducting his financial affairs, as it was anciently called, this en- which involved him in constant difduring memorial of its beginning. ficulties with his creditors, rouses William Hubbard was the son of our sympathy. I like to think of William Hubbard, an eminent resi-him as a childish-minded man of dent of our town. He was a member the world, who lived in the realm of of the first class that graduated at letters in sublime disregard of comHarvard College in 1642. While Mr. mon things, the easy victim of any Cheever was in the midst of his designing knave. In the March labors, Mr. Hubbard became the col-court, 1673, a group of abusers of his league of Rev. Mr. Cobbett, the kindness was brought to grief. Peter pastor of the Church, and for nearly a half century, he upheld the exaulted reputation of the ministry of the ancient church. In the pulpit he was the peer of the ablest, but his name is remembered chiefly for the valuable contributions which he made to the history of his times. His "History of the Indian Wars" was published in his own time. His "History of New England was left in manuscript but has been published within the present century."

He married in early life, Margaret, the daughter of Rev. Nathaniel Rogers, and when the young wife went from her father's home, it was but a little way to the sightly spot on the river bank where her new home was; and when, in his old age, he married again, he chose the widow Pearce, his neighbor, despite the complaint that she was not a fit person for such high distinction.

Leycress, Jonas Gregory and Lyman Woods for stealing and using five gallons of wine from Mr. Hubbard's were judged to pay him 5£.

The same Peter Leycross was punished for other thefts of a gallon, and one of three quarts. Peter and Jonas were also convicted of stealing a sheep from him, and Jonas was proved guilty of stealing a "fatt weather;" while Nathaniel Emersou for being present at the unhallowed orgies, when the minister's wine was drunk, "was admonished."

These are the men whose names are written on these enduring tablets Three ministers, a magistrate and law-maker, and a school-master; each illustrious in his calling, all conspicuous in public affairs; a notable group of wise, strong, highminded, devout-souled men. We inay well add to these illustrious names that of Giles Firmin, Ward's Thus Hubbard is of peculiar inter- son-in-law and neighbor, the phyest to us, as the first of the men of sician of the community, who grew the latter days whose learning was tired of the slender returns from the not that of Cambridge on the Cam practice of physic, went back to but Cambridge on the Charles. England and won renown in the From his childhood he was identi- ministry; and Rogers's son John,