New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-12-18
STUDIES IN AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
BY CHARLES 7. coNGDoN.
SAMUEL BRICK.


series 10 introduce q book at once Houerh anu
"S;ao,, pro,tv we'll acquainted with literature
90 .n;s Lind I do not know more entertaining
,;oce of autobiography than the Recolleehons OF
Samuel Breck" They cover most interesting nus
torical and social period. Mr.. Breck was born III
Boston in 177I aud died in Philadelphia III looz'
He calls himself an unconscious spectator OF the
battle of Bunker Hill the woman who had the
care of him stood on an emlnence WIN DID III ler
arms contemplating the engagement. Aitefward
ut school he was bedfellOw of the son Of General
Warren whose education the State OF Massachu-
sets had undertaken. When Lafayette visited
Boston in 17S3 he was upon terms OF the greatest
intimacy with the Brock family. The lad was sent
IN France by his father IN 1882 TO complete his
education He was placed there in the royal ana
military school at SOreze. He mentions that wheh
the school was visited by the Archbishop OF lou-
louise the pupils raised the first balloon IN toa'
section of France. The experiments OF the MONT
golfers and of De Rozier had brought aerostatl"n
into fashion, and the TOYS sent mp IN hohor Oh tho
Archbishop a globe of some fifteen feet IN diameter
filed with hot ar. Either DR.. Mesmer or one OF
his pupils visited soreze, and there was rush Of
the creducus peasantry from all quarters; the
lame. the blind, the diseased of eve-y sort threw
themselves in the way of the animal-magnetlzer
.ntreoting him TO cure them When it was pro-
posed TO have one of Franklin's lightningrods at
tached TO the old tower Of the church. the superst
tion of the people prevented it. "God casts MS
thunderbota" said they where He lists, anu IL Is
presumptuous in man to endeavor to turn them
aside; but few simple and judicious experiments
removed their prejudices, and the church was iur-
nished with rod.
The managers of the Soreze school did not make
convert of Brock, for be says that they behaved
most honorably but he was converted to Cathoh-
ata fria
regularly The new religion lasted only little
while and ultimately Mr.. BIeck subsidized into the
Protestant Episcopal Church. Leaving school ne
was in Paris in 1877, when the Notables were
assembled at Versailles. Soon sailing for home ne
arrived in the same year in New-iork, his snip
anchorinr opposite to filthy wooden shed called
the Fly Market" The trade of the city, which De-
fore the Revolutionary War had been so flourish
ing. was welinigh annhiated the wharves were
rotting and there very few vessels OF any kih
Al them. The great fire of 1776 had swept away
avery building on Broadway from Wall-St. to the
Battery. and the rest of the town was made up OF
miserable wooden novels and strange-loOkng brick
bouses constructed in the Dutch fashion, and often
with yellow bricks brought from Holland" Breck
was mt by his father into the counting house OF
The great Boston merchant John Goldman paying
one hundred uineas for the privilege OF admission
We are accustomed 10 talk of the strict commercial
integrity of our fathers but Breck says thae INC
lessons taught in COdmans counting room IN REFER
enee to trade were of the most immoral character.
Smuggling was largely carried on as matter oil
course The only apology was the universally VI
the custom which, with the adoption OF the Con
sti5utOn and the new Federai revenue laws "Ii0''
entirely disappeared.
Mr.. Breck had got rid of his Roman Catholic views
soon after his return to Boston but he still kindly
remembered his old Benedictne teachers; and
when Mr. Thayer, Young Catholic missionary
began his work in Boston, Breck helped him to lit
mn n dilapidated and deserted meeting house IN
Sehool-st. built in 17l6 by some French husue-
nots There June 10, 1890 was soemnzed the
first public mass ever said in Boston where ohlV
thirteen years before the Pope and the Devll were
annually burned together in effgy. Breck, Pro-
testaut as he now was on this occasion carried
round the alms-box as qa6tetr Not long after DE
Cheye1us subsequently Cardinal and Archbishop
of bordeaux came TO Boston. and there renamed
a. priest and bishop, for twenty-seyen years, till
the imuortunlty of Louis XVIII. recalled him to
France.
Mr. Breck mentions his acquaintance with John
Quincy Adams in 17SS a law student and deSpe-
rately in love with Miss Frazier, q young lady oil
Eewburyport remarkable for g the plumpness OF
her cherry lips and her caTmine cheeks but above
all the fascinating charm of her eyes" Unfortu-
teciprocatel. Thirty-siX years alter Mr.. Adams
said TO Brock that his love for Miss Frazier was a
consuming flame kindled by her. Love such as
felt for that lady q distressing maady IL made
me restless sick, unhappy; indeed may say
wretched 1t was a long time before was cured
Or able to transfer my love to another oDject
which | did very sincerely when | married my
present wife" Breck member of Congress II
is28'25. and helped by his vote in the House o
,,,alra Ar
ing the ONLY one of the Pennsylvania delegation
who voted for him.
In 1890 Mr. Breck revisited Europe. Reaching
London when everybody was in mourning Tor th'
death of the Duke of Cumberland, he was NOR
.ouplaisant than most American tourists woul'
now be- and paid double price to tailor Tor
black suit At Covent Garden Theatre he saw Mrs
sddons in Isabella" but he was too far back u
hear Her voice did not seem to fill the audito
rium: bnt as a compensation, her figure was beau
hfnl.D lie saw George III. going in state to opel
PARLIAMENT There were no huzzas particula
marks OF affection or even respect" Breck ana III
compapion alone of all the crowd took of their hats
The moor KING noticed this and particularly &C
knowlcdged it, By typographical error all TN
Is told OF George ", who was not King untli SOM
thirty years afteTward. The mistake becomes
little laughable when Breck says that ne saw IN
King at the theatre with his family. George ~
was not in the habit of appearing at the theatre
with his wives, good many of whom were behin'
the curtain and as for his family, it would nave
required a large box to hold it.
At a ball at Bath, Mr.. Brock saw dancing IN
eotillon younger brother of Major Andre. HI
had lately been made baronet as a recompense FOL
tho loss of his brother. The Government offered
him 600 year baronetcy, and he chose th
latter as the title would procure him wife WORT
Ell 900 a year. At Paris. Mr. Breck heard MirabeaI
make a speech in the Assembly, his voice beini
husky and his articulation thick as if he had some
thing in his mouth. His hair wac powdered, and h
wore three curls over each ear. lie saw Mar