never find their way it is not a matter of surprise that mr should never have seen the numerous that were made concerning him and that he should learn of the publication of his history by mere accident he expressed much concern at its premature appearance as thereby he was prevented from making several the author xix important and alterations as well as from by many curious hints which he had collected during his travels along the shores of the sea and his at and finding that there was no longer any immediate necessity for his return to new york he extended his journey up to the residence of his relations at on his way thither he stopped for some days at for which city he is known to have entertained a great partiality he found it however considerably altered and was much concerned at the and improvements which the were making and the consequent decline of the good old dutch manners indeed he was informed that these were making sad in all parts of the state where they had given great trouble and vexation to the regular dutch by the introduction of gates and country school houses it is said also that mr shook his head sorrowfully at noticing the gradual decay of the great palace but was highly indignant at finding that the ancient dutch church which stood in the middle of the street had been pulled down since his last visit the fame of mr s history having reached even to he received much flattering attention from its worthy some of whom however pointed out two or three very great errors he had fallen into particularly that of a lump of sugar over the tea tables which they assured him had been for some years past � several families moreover were somewhat b xx account of that their ancestors had not been mentioned in his work and showed great jealousy of their neighbours who had been thus distinguished while the latter it must be confessed themselves vastly thereupon considering these in the light of letters patent of nobility establishing their claims to � which in this republican country is a matter of no little solicitude and it is also said that he enjoyed high favour and countenance from the governor who once asked him to dinner and was seen two or three times to shake hands with him when they met in the street which certainly was going great considering that they differed in politics indeed certain of the governor s confidential friends to whom he could venture to speak his mind freely on such matters have assured us that he privately entertained a considerable good will for our author � nay he even once went so far as to declare and that openly too and at his own table just after dinner that was a very well meaning sort of an old gentleman and no fool from all which many have been led to suppose that had our author been of different politics and written for the newspapers instead of wasting his talents on histories he might have risen to some post of honour and profit to be a public or even a justice in the ten pound court besides the honours and already mentioned he was much by the of particularly mr john cook who entertained him very at his library and reading room the author xxi where they used to drink water and talk about the he found mr cook a man after his own of great literary and a curious of books at parting the latter in testimony of friendship made him a present of the two oldest works in his collection which were the earliest edition of the and s famous account of the new by the last of which mr greatly in this his second edition having passed some time very agreeably at our author proceeded to where it is but justice to say he was received with open arms and treated with wonderful he was much looked up to by the family being the first historian of the name and was considered almost as great a man as his cousin the man � with whom by the by he became perfectly reconciled and contracted a strong friendship in spite however of the kindness of his relations and their great attention to his comforts the old gentleman soon became restless and discontented his history being published he had no longer any business to occupy his thoughts or any scheme to excite his hopes and this to a busy mind like his was a truly deplorable situation and had he not been a man of morals and regular habits there mould have been great danger of his taking to politics or drinking � both which vices we daily see men driven to by mere and idleness it is true he sometimes employed himself in pre xxii account of a second edition of his history wherein he endeavoured to correct and improve many passages with which he was dissatisfied and to some mistakes that had crept into it for he was particularly anxious that his work should be noted for its which indeed is the very life and soul of history � but t � glow of composition had departed � he had to leave many places untouched which he would fain have altered and even where he did make alterations he seemed always in doubt whether they were for the better or the worse after a residence of some time at he began to feel a strong desire to return to new york which he ever regarded with the warmest affection not merely because it was his native city but because he really considered it the very best city in the whole world on his return he entered into the full enjoyment of the advantages of a literary reputation he was continually to write hand bills and productions of similar import and 