AMERICAN BIOGRAPHY. NOTICE OF J. LANGDON.— -BY JACOB B. MOORE. THE circumstances attending the early settlement of Massachusetts and New Hampshire, though generally supposed to be similar, were in some respects widely different. The planters of the old bay-state left their native country for the sake of enjoying here a degree of freedom in religion, of which they were deprived in the land of their fathers. The settlers of Piscataqua, were actuated by a very different purpose. The pursuit of gain was uppermost in their thoughts, and they embarked at once in the fisheries and trade, which they followed with success, until many of the first settlers became men of opulence in the new country. The great importance of the fisheries, seems not to have escaped the attention of Captain Smith, the discoverer of New Hampshire, for in his account of New England, he thus addresses his countrymen: "Therefore, honorable and worthy countrymen, let not the meanness of the word fish distaste you, for it will afford you as good gold as the mines of Potosi and Guiana, with less hazard and change, and more certainty and facility." the view of ultimately establishing a commercial mi Langdon was a leader exactly suited to the crisis. He took a conspicuous and active part in the struggle, and soon became obnoxious to the government and many of the loyal citizens, who feared the total annihilation of their trade, and looked upon disloyalty as a crime of the deepest die. In the fall of 1774, after it had become apparent that the crisis must come, Langdon gathered around him a band of choice spirits, and together they proceeded in silence to the king's fort at New Castle, seized upon all the powder and military stores, and removed their booty to a place of concealment, whence it could be called into use in case of emergency. This bold act produced at once an intense excitement. Gov. Wentworth stormed, and issued proclamations, but not a voice uttered, or a thought whispered the secret. This was in December, four months before the battle of Lexington. A reverend divine, in 1690, was preaching in Portsmouth, on the depravity of the times, and said: "You have forsaken the pious habits of your forefathers, who left the ease and comfort which they possessed in their native land, and In the spring of the year 1775, John Langdon came to this howling wilderness to enjoy without was chosen a delegate to Congress, and attended molestation, the exercise of their pure principles the session which commenced in May, at Philaof religion." One of the congregation immedi- delphia. In January, 1776, he was re-appointed ately rose, and interrupted him thus: "Sir, you a delegate, but was not present on the adoption entirely mistake the matter; our ancestors did of the Declaration of Independence. He comnot come here on account of their religion, but to manded a company of cadets soon after the comfish and trade." A better illustration of the pur-mencement of the war, and at the time of the sursuits of the early settlers of New Hampshire, perhaps, it would be difficult to give. The people of Portsmouth, wealthy and enterprising as they are, have followed the advice of Captain Smith, and have never suffered "the word fish to distaste them," but have made it indeed "a mine of gold" to that ancient and flourishing town. Among the citizens of New Hampshire, educated as merchants, who have risen to public distinction, no one, perhaps, occupied a wider space than JOHN LANGDON, of Portsmouth. He was born in 1740, and received his early education in the celebrated grammar-school of Major Samuel Hale. The father of young Langdon, who was a thrifty farmer, intended his son should engage in the same occupation; but the latter, looking upon commerce as the grand highway to wealth, set his heart upon becoming a merchant, and accordingly made the necessary preparations to enter a counting-house. render of the British army under Burgoyne, he was a volunteer at Bennington. He was also at Rhode Island with a detachment of his company, at the time the British troops had possession of the island, and when General Sullivan brought off the American troops. No man had a higher popularity with the people at this time, than John Langdon. He was elected repeatedly to the legislature, and was several years speaker of assembly. When the news of the fall of Ticonderoga reached New Hampshire, the provincial legislature was in session at Exeter. It was a period when the resources of the patriots were almost exhausted, the public credit was gone, and the members of the assembly were disheartened. The men of New Hampshire had already exerted themselves for the good of the cause. John Langdon was speaker of the assembly at the time. He rose in his place, on the morning after the intelligence was received, and addressed the house to One of the most extensive and successful mer- the following effect: "My friends and fellowcantile houses at that time in Portsmouth, was citizens-I have three thousand dollars in hard that of Daniel Rindge, a counsellor under the money; I will pledge my plate for three thousand provincial government, and to him young Langdon more. I have seventy hogsheads of Tobago rum, made application and was admitted to his count-which shall be sold for the most it will bring. ing-house, and soon became thoroughly versed in These are at the service of the state. If we succommercial transactions. After completing his ceed in defending our firesides and homes, I may apprenticeship with Rindge, he made several suc- be remunerated; if we do not, the property will cessful and very profitable trading voyages, with be of no value to me." This noble proposal infused new life into the assembly and in the course of a few days, by means of the funds advanced by John Langdon, a brigade was assembled, and on its march to the frontiers, and to victory, under the gallant Stark. During the whole of the revolutionary struggle, Langdon was ever active and constant in his labors for the good cause. A man of the people, in mphatic sense of the term, he was always pop with the great mass, whose interests he made it a point to sustain on all occasions. Possessing a handsome address, and being open, obliging, and generous in his general conduct, he was calculated to gain the public esteem, and was among the few who were fortunate enough to retain it through life. He was honored with the highest offices the people could bestow. He was twice President of the State, under its first constitution; was a member of the convention which $formed the federal constitution; was twelve years Senator in Congress, and subsequently for six years governor of the state. In 1811, he retired from public life, although urgently pressed to accept the nomination of the Vice-Presidency, an office to which he might have been elected, had he not preferred the quiet and repose of private life. In the enjoyment of domestic relations, in his family, and a wide circle of friends, he chose to pass the evening of his days, remote from the cares and bustle of public life. He was religious, without being obnoxious to the charge of bigotry, and was liberal of his ample means, for charitable and benevolent purposes. He died at Portsmouth, in September, 1819, universally lamented by a people, in whose service he had spent the greater portion of his active life. Merchants' Magazine. Down the green lane come peals of heartfelt laughter All the day long I listen to the singing A tale of death and its dread mysteries. Thou 'rt in the grave, my child! For thy glad voice my spirit inly pineth; Come back to me, my child! Upon that breast of pitying love thou leanest, "Which oft on earth did pillow such as thou, Nor turned away petitioner the meanest Pray to Him, sinless-He will hear thee now. Come but in dreams-let me once more behold thee, MY CHILD.—BY JULIA H. SCOTT. "There is one who has loved me debarred from the day." THE foot of Spring is on yon blue-topped mountain, Leaving its green prints 'neath each spreading tree; Her voice is heard beside the swelling fountain, Giving sweet tones to its wild melody. In the low vale the snow-white daisy springeth, To the soft breeze that wanders far and wide. From their deep hearts, an offering of love; And fresh May-pinks, and half-brown lilacs, tender Their grateful homage to the skies above: I heed them not my child! In the clear brook are springing water-cresses, Round the low porch and mossy cottage-eaves; THE SPONGE FISHERY. WHEN at the Island of Rhodes, I went to the sponge fishery, which is curious and interesting. It is a laborious and dangerous employment, but so lucrative, that five or six successful days afford those engaged in it the means of support for an entire year. The sponge is attached to rocks at the bottom of the sea, serving as a retreat to myriads of small crustaceous animals, which occupy its cavities. The fishermen dive for it to the depth of even a hundred feet, and sometimes continue for five or six minutes under water, unless the quantity of sponge they may have collected becomes inconvenient or unmanageable, when they are hauled to the surface by the crew of the boat to which they belong. The divers occasionally fall victims to sharks that attack them under The sponge is prepared for the market by being pressed to dislodge the animalculæ it contains, and afterwards washed in lie to deprive it of mucilaginous matter. water. EGYPTIAN AGRICULTURE. ALTHOUGH large portions of Egypt present barren deserts, yet there are sections upon the banks of the Nile, as fertile as any country in the world. The annual overflowing of the banks of this river, caused by the heavy rains in the mountainous districts near its source, deposites upon the land a great amount of rich vegetable compost, rendering the soil fertile to the fullest extent. Immediately after the subsidence of the waters, the inhabitants commence their tilling operations, which are not at all laborious. The natural richness of the soil renders but little preparation necessary for the reception of seed. The ground is so soft that ploughing is slight labor, and the utensil used for this purpose is simple and light in its construction, as may be seen in the Engraving. Oxen and Asses are the only animals used in this service, as horses are employed in war and for riding for civil purposes. Sometimes among the poorer class of agriculturists an ox and an ass are seen yoked together in drawing the plough. But such an unequal connexion is rarely to be met with, for the disparity in size and disposition of these animals renders the draught in such a case, very painful. That such a custom was practised among the early Hebrews is evident from the fact that a law, under the head of humanity to animals, was passed against such a connexion. See Deuteronomy, xxii, 10. and it is positively asserted that they will gain an inch of volume per hour, for twenty-four hours together. In the second class may be reckoned a species of maize, which forms the staple of food for the lower class, sugar-cane, cotton, rice, and indigo. The kind of maize alluded to, is used in various ways. The grain is often eaten in its green state after being roasted. The stalk is sometimes eaten when green, like that of the sugar-cane; and it is also used for fuel in heating ovens. The leaf is good food for cattle, and the pith of the stalk, when dry, forms excellent tinder. Sometimes the grain is ground into flour, and made into muffins or crumpets, but in none of its preparations is it agreeable to the taste of the European. Large quantities of wheat are raised in Egypt, particularly near Maraga in Upper Egypt. It is of the best quality, producing a large yield of plump kernels, with but a small quantity of straw. The present mode of thrashing, practised by the Egyptians and other oriental nations, accords with that in use more than thirty centuries ago. The sheaves are spread upon a level spot, over which oxen or other cattle are driven, until by their feet, the kernels are separated from the stalk. Another mode is to attach a machine to their cattle, as shewn in the above Engraving. This machine is of a sledge form with broad heavy rollers, turning upon axles. On this vehicle the driver rides. The culture of Egypt may be divided into two Sometimes the rollers or wheels of the thrashing great classes, the one belonging to the lands machine are serrated, having sharp edges, and watered by the overflowing of the Nile, and the thus the straw is cut up into fodder at the same other to those sections that are irrigated by arti- time that the grain is crushed out, and the two ficial means. In the first class is reckoned wheat, are afterward separated by a winnowing aparatus. barley, spelt, beans, lentils, sesamum, mustard, The custom of "treading out" grain as we often flax, anise, saffron, tobacco, pumpions, melons, see practised in this country with horses, is a and cucumbers. The latter grow very rapidly, very ancient one, for in Deuteronomy xxv, 4. we find this injunction, "Thou shalt not muzzle the wool. In poorer villages when flocks are very ox when he treadeth out the corn," (wheat). ARAB TENTS AND SHEEP-COTES. small, they are generally taken care of by the women and children. At night they drive them home and fold them in enclosures attached to their huts, as seen in the engraving. These pens or cotes also serve as a place for young calves, THE pastoral tribes of Syria and Palestine, and and like the huts are built of very light materials. indeed of all Western Asia, may be divided into They are seldom anything else than bamboo two classes, the permanent and the nomadic or wicker-work, with the interstices sometimes fillwandering. These differ in their manner of pro-ed with mortar. Our cut represents an Arab tecting their flocks from both human and beast-village and may be considered a very good speciial marauders. The nomades always have their men of the Architecture of a people just emerging flocks kept in the open country without securing from a migratory to a settled and civilized life. them at night in folds. Such is not the case with the permanent or settled tribes, when they send their flocks out into the open country to pasture; for then it is that they are obliged to form protections for them, for the nomades, claiming the open country for their own, think they have a perfect right to depredate upon the property of the intruders. To guard against these depredations, the latter drive their sheep into caves, or build uncovered enclosures of strong materials, impregnable to any force of the enemy. These enclosures are sometimes round towers, and often serve as a place of safety for women and children when hostilities occur between the tribes. When the flocks are to be shorn, they are driven into walled enclosures, on account of a belief that the sweating and evaporation which they undergo there, improves the quality of the VOL. VII.-43 Arab huts and sheep-cotes. ROMANCE OF HISTORY.-No. V I. | men to a man flocked to his standard. But the THE LEAGUE OF RUTLI. BY B. J. LOSSING. nobles with their vassals were too powerful, and in the contest Adolphus lost his crown and his life. Albert was now left free to the dictates of his FAITH of man in man is the broad and sure ambition. He resolved to create a new dukedom principle upon which are based the successful in Helvetia, and to unite the possessions of differefforts to sunder and throw off the chains of des-ent members of his family, by obtaining the lands potism; and it is the cement which binds togeth- lying between them. These lands belonged to er and sustains in unity every political compact the free and industrious inhabitants of Uri, of freemen. If we cast our eyes over the past Schwitz and Unterwalden. To his proposition history of the world, and view a particular people they answered firmly, "Let us alone, we are conin their alternate phases of freedom and despo- tent." And they also demanded the appointment tism, we shall find by investigation that the prime over their districts of a vogt or bailiff, to manage cause for these changes, lies in the preponder- public affairs in the place of the insolent officers ance of either confidence or distrust in leaders. of Albert, who, being disappointed in his scheme When suspicion of the integrity of rulers lights for consolidating his power, sent two vogts, that the fires of rebellion, and fans the flame of civil they might harass the people. These were Herdiscord, then it is that the ambitious demagogue mann Gessler of Brauneck, and Berenger of Lanerects the throne of the despot amid the ruins of denberg, men of rude dispositions, and ready to republicanism. On the other hand, where men execute the arbitrary orders of their master. are true to themselves and their country, a few This they did to the fullest extent, and construed may present an invulnerable phalanx, that can them upon the broadest ground so as to suit their crush the powers of wrong and maintain for gov- own base purposes. ernment, by such fidelity to principles, the exalted character of Equity and Equality. Strongly illustrative of this truth was the league of Rutli, a league entered into by three and thirty men, pledged to recover the ancient freedom of three Swiss Cantons, Uri, Schwitz and Unterwalden. In the year 1304, Rudolph of Hapsburg, the founder of the imperial house of Austria, died, leaving the government in the hands of Albert his eldest and then only son, until the diet could proceed to a new election of Emperor. This election was for some time deferred by the nobles and bishops, during which period Albert exerted every effort to secure to himself the crown. But he soon became very unpopular with the people, because of his proud deportment, and unfeeling and tyrannical disposition. Finding their oppressions increasing during his pro-tempore reign, the Schwitz renewed their solemn league, and waited with anxiety for the result of the election. It came, and Count Adolphus of Nassau was the successful candidate. Albert felt this check to his ambition deeply, but wisely concealed his feelings, determining however to make a bold push for the crown. He won over to his side the powerful archbishop of Mentz and other clergy, members of the diet, with some of the nobles. An offence which Adolphus gave the archbishop, caused that prelate to take strong measures against him and at length he went so far as to declare him deposed. This illegal act operated in favor of Albert, and when the diet ballotted for a new ruler, he was successful and won the crown so ardently sought for. Adolphus resorted to arms in defence of his legal rights, and the common free Gessler's first act of insult was to build a strong fortress at the foot of mount St. Gothard which he named the Restraint of Uri. This insult the inhabitants felt deeply, and resolved to punish the aggressor. About the same time, an act of cruelty committed by Berenger in Unterwalden aroused the people of the three cantons to a full sense of the degrading despotism under which they were suffering. For some slight offence of his son, Arnold of Melcthal, an aged and quiet citizen, was fined a yoke of oxen. The messenger sent by Berenger to Arnold, was as insolent as his master, and when the old man complained of the injustice of the fine, and his inability to pay, the insulting minion replied, "If you boors want bread, you can draw the plough yourselves." This insult enraged the younger Arnold, and he assaulted the messenger, and in the affray, cut off one of his fingers. He immediately fled, knowing his punishment if caught, would be severe. But the poor old man was obliged to bide the wrath of Berenger, in place of his son. He was obligated to pay a heavy fine, and not content with this unjust exaction the monster, Berenger, ordered old Arnold's eyes to be put out! That puncture, says a writer, sunk deep into the heart of every freeman in Switzerland. Werner Stauffacher, an inflexible patriot and a man of considerable influence, was taunted by some of Berenger's minions, in a manner similar to that of Arnold of Melcthal, and he resolved on taking measures to expel these odious vogts. He communicated his views to Walter Fürst and young Arnold of Melcthal, and they took a solemn oath for freedom. These three chose each ten tried and confidential friends and every night |