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TIMOTHY DWIGHT (1752-1817)

For a generation Timothy Dwight was the representative New Englander just as Cotton Mather had been at an earlier day and Jonathan Edwards had been a century later. Scholar, theologian, preacher, college president, dominating personality, poet,-in every way he was what Dr. Holmes later was to call a leader of the New England Brahmin caste.' He was born at Northampton, Massachusetts, a town associated with the name of Edwards, and his mother was a daughter of that great divine. No child was ever more precocious: he was reading Latin at six, and he could have entered Yale at eight, but was held back until he was thirteen. At seventeen he was graduated with distinction and at nineteen he entered upon a six years' tutorship in the college. In 1771, the year of Freneau's Rising Glory of America, he began upon a ponderous epic in Heroic couplets, The Conquest of Canaan, founded upon the wars of Joshua. It was three years before he completed it and it was not until 1785 that it appeared in print to be reviewed in extenso by the poet Cowper. In 1777 he resigned as tutor to enter the continental army as a chaplain. During the year that he was with the troops he wrote the resonant, though somewhat overornate, lyric Columbia,' which must be classed as his best poetic effort. His Greenfield Hill, much admired in its day, a poem designed, in its author's words, to imitate the manner of several British Poets,' appeared in 1794.

In 1795 Dwight accepted the presidency of Yale, a position which he filled with distinction during the rest of his life. Among theologians he is known for his Theology Explained and Defended, five volumes of doctrinal sermons preached before his students. One other book, Travels in New England and New York, a record of leisurely journeys during vacation periods, was published after his death. Had the author dared to forget himself and to descend from the stately eminence of his eighteenth century self-consciousness the book might have become a classic. As it is, it is seldom opened by modern readers. An illuminating treatment of Dwight may be found in Moses Coit Tyler's Three Men of Letters, 1895.

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ROYALL TYLER (1757-1826)

Almost exactly contemporary with the typical early poet of the Middle States, Philip Freneau, was another fluent newspaper versifier and satirist, Royall Tyler, a native of Boston as Freneau was of New York, and a graduate of Harvard as Freneau was of Princeton. One may not, however, press the parallel far. Tyler was a New Englander to the core: he had studied law with John Adams, he had served in the Revolutionary army as aide-de-camp to General Lincoln, and finally he had settled in New Hampshire and then in Vermont as a lawyer and finally as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the latter state, easing ever the toils of his profession with his ready pen.

His writings, which have never been collected, include among others a series of satirical poems and political squibs signed Colon and Spondee, a series of sprightly papers entitled An Author's Evenings, 1801, a romance of adventure, The Algerine Captive, 1797, and at least three comedies which were acted in New York and other places: The Contrast, May Day, or New York in an Uproar, 1787, and The Georgia Spec, or Land in the Moon, 1798. The first of these was written while in New York in 1787 while the author was in the city on business connected with the suppression of Shays' Rebellion and was acted at the John's Street Theater on April 16, of the same year.

Tyler's chief claim to literary recognition is based upon the fact that his Contrast is the first native comedy and the second native play,- Thomas Godfrey's Prince of Parthia being the first, to be produced on the American stage by a professional company. The play itself. however, unlike Godfrey's, still merits attention: its 'Prologue' is the first American literary declaration of independence, and moreover, at least one of the characters in the comedy is alive, a genuine American product, the pioneer Yankee in a procession that has extended to our own day.

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Positively this Mall is a very pretty place. I hope the city won't ruin it by repairs. To be sure, it won't do to speak of in the same day with Ranelagh or Vauxhall; however, it's a fine place for a 25 young fellow to display his person to advantage. Indeed, nothing is lost here; the girls have taste, and I am very happy to find they have adopted the elegant London fashion of looking 30 back, after a genteel fellow like me has passed them. Ah! who comes here? This, by his awkwardness, must be the Yankee colonel's servant. I'll accost him.

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humble serviteur, Monsieur. I understand Colonel Manly, the Yankee officer, has the honor of your serv- 40 ices.

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man shall master me: my father has as good a farm as the colonel. JESSAMY. Well, Sir, we will not quarrel about terms upon the eve of an acquaintance, from which I promise myself so much satisfaction, therefore

sans ceremonie — What?

JONATHAN.

JESSAMY. I say, I am extremely happy to see Colonel Manly's waiter. JONATHAN. Well, and I vow, too, I am pretty considerably glad to see youbut what the dogs need of all this outlandish lingo? Who may you be, Sir, if I may be so bold?

JESSAMY. I have the honor to be Mr. Dimple's servant, or, if you please, waiter. We lodge under the same roof, and should be glad of the honor of your acquaintance. JONATHAN. You a waiter! By the living jingo, you look so topping, I took you for one of the agents to Congress. JESSAMY. The brute has discernment notwithstanding his appearance. Give me leave to say I wonder then at your familiarity.

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JONATHAN. Why, as to the matter of that, Mr. pray, what's your name? JESSAMY. Jessamy, at your service. JONATHAN. Why, I swear we don't make any great matter of distinction in our state, between quality and other folks. JESSAMY. This is, indeed, a levelling principle. I hope, Mr. Jonathan, you have not taken part with the insurgents. JONATHAN. Why, since General Shays has sneaked off, and given us the bag to hold, I don't care to give my opin-· ion; but you'll promise not to tell -put your ear this way - you won't tell? - I vow, I did think the sturgeons were right. JESSAMY. I thought, Mr. Jonathan, you Massachusetts men always argued with a gun in your hand.- Why did n't you join them?

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JONATHAN. Why, the colonel is one of those folks called the Shin-shin dang it all, I can't speak them lignum vitae words- you know who I mean - there is a company of them - they wear a China goose at their button hole - a kind of gilt thing. Now the colonel told father and brother, you must know there are, let me see - there is Elnathan, Silas, and Barnabas, Tabitha, no, no, she's a she-tarnation, now

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