The Portland daily press., 1890-02-05
The Maine Historical Society's Quar-
teFIv.

The first number of the new quarterly PAM
phlet lately founded by the Maine Historical
Society, designed to take the place of the old
form of publication of the society's proceed
ings, has been issued from the press of
Brown Thurston d Co. 1t is a handsome
volume of liz pages, edited by Hon George
+, talbot, with the assistance of DR.. lap
ham, Prof. Chapman of Bowdoin, and Will
liam M. Sargenf, Esq, of this city. The
prospectus announces that this initial num-
Der will be followed by others of equal excel
lence in April, July and October. Judging
by the appearance and makeup of No. /.
this new institution is destined to take
prominent place In the periodical literature
Of the State.
The number contains as frontispiece a
portrait-engraving of Maj. Gen. Henry Knox,
after Gilbert Stuart. This serves as a fitting
herald to the biographical paper, read before
the Society in November, 1881, by Judge Will
Hanson, on the great Revolutionary artiller-
list. 1t is careful resume of the life of this
distinguished man, whom Maine is proud to
hold as resident. In conclusion the essay
list sums up the great generals character in
the words of one writer: "Many have been
as courageous in the field many as wise and
patriotic in council, but few have united to
these the still rarer virtues, spotless integ-
rity and noble outspoken manliness as he
did" Following this paper comes "a list of
books imported and sold by Henry Knox" in
the younger days of his career
A paper by Hon. William Goold, read be-
fore the Society in June, 1887, comes next
The title is "The French Treaty of 177S How
the Good News Came to Falmouth" 1t re-
cites the story of the making of the treaty
and then tells how the news was brought by
a French frigate, which entered the harbor
on tie 18th of April. 1878.
A sketch of the life of Rev William Scre-
ven, the first Baptist clergyman of the State
OF South Carolina, who emigrated under
pressure from Kittery in 1858 or whereabouts,
read by Rev. II. s. Burrage, December 81,
1888, is the next paper.
The Four Judges of North Yarmouth, writ
ten by Rev. Amasa Loring, read in May.
1856, follows Mr. Burrage's paper. The four
judges were Jeremiah Powell, Jonas Mason.
David Mitchell, and John Lewis, and the
court over which they presided was the old
Court of Common Pleas Furnishing after a
fashion In the colonial days, corresponding
largely to the present Superior Court. Hon.
John Lewis was the last judge, he being pro-
NOTED to the supreme bench and afterward
elevated to the chief justiceshp.
A brief but interesting sketch of the life
of John E. Godfrey, for "a years Probate
Judge of Penobscot county, by Albert w.
Paine: carefully prepared paper read in
1879 by Gen. John Marshall Brown on the
Mission of the Assumption. which was es-
tablished In 1646 by Pere Gabriel Druillettes
on the Kennebec and which continued with
varying fortunes for six years a report of
the proceedings of the society for 1881, a copy
oil the vote authorizing the publication of
the quarterly, a list of the resident members
OF the society and note on some of the
Smiths of Durham, by DIR. Lapham, complete
this initial number of what seems to be des-
tined to become valuable contribution to
the literature of Maine.