[The above by Rev. S. H. Riddel, Agent.] Durham, Benev. Soc. D. Camp, Tr. by H. White, Esq. Tr. of N. H. Co. Ed. Soc. Litchfield, from Stephen Deming, Esq. Tr. of Litchfield Co. Aux. Ed. Soc. Middletown, Lads. Ed. Soc. by Miss Eliza B. Pratt, through Dr. E. H. Roberts New London, an unknown friend, by T. Williams, Esq. Southington, from Timothy Higgins, Esq. 80, and from Mr. E. Twitchell 20, of which 40 is to const. Rev. Elisha C. Jones an H. M. Do. do. don. through Rev. Dr. Patton Do. do. Month. Con. coll. Bleecker St. Ch. G. W. Bruen's sub. of last winter Bowery Ch. Don. from Mr. Wm. W. Chester 100 00 Do. do. sub. of R. 1. Hutchinson of 1836 50 00-150 00 First Free Pres. Ch. in Dey St. by T. S. Dore. mus in part Third do. do. sub. from Horace Leet towards Brainerd Ch. coll. in part by Mr. Trow Laight St. Ch. coll. after sermon by Rev. Mr. Second Avenue Ch. coll. in part Pleasant Valley Ch. Wm. Tanner 5, Jas. Bur nett 2, by Rev. Benj. L. Wile Pres. Ch. at Plattsburg, N. Y. from sundry individuals, by Jas. H. Hotchkin, Jr. Pres. Ch. in Geneva, coll. in part by Rev. E. Phelps Western Reserve Branch 10 00 14 00-237 95 50 00 32 12 10 00 26 25 27 03 10 00-37 03 15 20 7 00 18 87 61 00 396 00 540 00-936 00 756 00 36 00 75 00 63 14 $3,535 13 Ashby, Ms. Young Ladies' Benev. Asso. of the Calv. Soc. by Hancock Factory Village, N. H. Lad. Sew. Circ. by Miss S. Whittemore, Sec. 24 shirts, 19 bosoms, 18 collars, 14 pr. socks, valued at 32 00. New Ipswich, N. H. Lad. Read. and Char. Soc. by Mrs. Hannah Johnson, Sec. 1 box containing 4 bed-quilts, 1 comfortable, 11 shirts, 1 pr. sheets, 4 pr. pillow cases, 10 pr. woollen socks, 6 bosoms, 2 pr. drawers, 1 stock and 7 collars, valued at 32 86. Westboro', Ms. Lad. Char. Soc. 1 box containing 2 quilts, 4 sheets, 4 shirts, 13 pillow cases, 6 pr. socks and 8 collars. AMERICAN QUARTERLY REGISTER. VOL. X. MAY, 1838. No. 4. MEMOIR OF THE REV. ASA BURTON, D. D., THETFORD, vt. [By the Rev. Thomas Adams, Waterville, Me.] ASA BURTON, son of Jacob and Rachel Burton, was born at Stonington, Ct., August 25, 1752.* When he was about a year old, his parents removed to the north parish in Preston, where most of his childhood was spent under the ministry of the Rev. Levi Hart, D. D. When two or three years old, he was very sick with the croup, and given over by the physician. Just at that crisis, a "straggling woman,' "" an entire stranger, came in, and prescribed a remedy. As the case seemed desperate, it was applied, and was apparently the means of saving his life. At about nine years of age, his life was again preserved in a manner equally providential. His mother professed religion in early life, and was "esteemed a pious woman." His father did not unite with the church till a few years before his death. They had thirteen children, of whom Asa was the sixth. When he was in his fourteenth year, his father removed to Norwich, Vt., where he had purchased a large tract of land, including the "plain." There were then but two families in town. From that time till he was twenty years of age, his work was "to fell trees, chop them into logs, and then by hand roll them with levers into heaps to burn them, and carry great logs, and make them into log-fence, as they had no oxen for two or three years." The severity of his toils injured his constitution, and produced a weakness in his breast, so that at twenty he was scarcely able to labor. A little previous to this, the foundation of Dartmouth College was laid by the Rev. Dr. Eleazar Wheelock. Young Burton was one, with a number of others, who "struck the first blow" where the college now stands. As there were no suitable accommodations in Hanover, the trustees met at his father's house in Norwich, for two or three years. This circumstance brought him under the influence of literary society, and wakened within him desires for a liberal education. But it was while listening to the conversation of the Rev. Isaac Smith of Gilmanton, N. H., who, on a certain occasion, took lodgings at his father's house, that he formed the determination, if possible, to get an education. "His father was against it, and his mother was for it." The consent of the father was at length obtained, and *The materials of the following sketch have been obtained from a brief autobiography and other papers left in manuscript, by the subject of it, and from correspondence with his pupils and other intimate acquaintance. Whatever is quoted without reference, is from his manuscript papers. He kept no diary. 41 VOL. X. two months after he was twenty years old, he commenced the study of the Latin grammar, having previously learned nothing but reading and writing, and the first rules in arithmetic. On the day he was twenty-one, he was admitted a member of Dartmouth College. Among his associates while fitting for college, was JOEL BARLOW, who was then "under serious impressions." At the very commencement of his collegiate life, he experienced a sad and painful interruption to his studies. "A malignant putrid fever" entered his father's family, and in the compass of a few weeks, his mother, a brother and two sisters fell victims to it. Himself was attacked in November, and did not recover sufficiently to resume his studies till the 11th of January. Meanwhile such heavy and embarrassing expenses had been incurred during that season of sickness, and the brother, on whose assistance his father chiefly relied, being removed by death, he was informed that the only way they could live was for him to leave college, and remain at home. He consented, and his father "went to the college to see the president, and obtain a dismission for him. He was gone the whole day, and returned at night, and informed his son that the president had persuaded him to let him continue his studies. He might therefore proceed." He was much embarrassed by his straitened circumstances, and was obliged to study the most rigid economy, much of the time carrying his food from home, and cooking it in his own room. "As I knew not," he "what branches of arts or sciences were most useful, and at the same time had a thirst for the improvement of the mind, I was very studious, and studied every classic put into my hand so hard as to injure my health. I pursued my studies with greediness through a collegiate course. I was always inclined to go, as we say, to the bottom of every thing. Though I then knew not what was meant by first principles in a science, yet I now see that then it was my desire to trace every thing back to first principles." One who knew him well from 1775 till the close of his life, remarks,* "While at college he was considered one of the best scholars of his class. In moral, natural and metaphysical philosophy he was superior to any of his classmates, and he exceeded any one of them in composition." He graduated in 1777. It was in troublous times. He took his turn in keeping guard at night, expecting an attack from the Indians and tories from Canada. On account of existing troubles, degrees were conferred on the graduating class earlier than the usual time, without any public exhibition. says, HIS CONVERSION.-He seems to have been the subject of serious impressions from early life; but it was not till he was about twenty years old that his attention was thoroughly awakened to the subject. The conversation of the Rev. Mr. Smith before alluded to, had a salutary influence in a religious as well as literary point of view. "I thought," he says, "if I could obtain a college education, become a good man and a minister of the gospel, I should reach the highest summit of all my desires. These impressions never left me. While I was fitting for college, for the term of nine months, my mind was more or less exercised and impressed. My heart appeared to me very wicked and hard, and stupid beyond description. It seemed to me that I had no feeling, and justly deserved eternal death. At that time I had never been acquainted with any persons under serious impressions of mind. I was very ignorant, and knew but little about either doctrinal or experimental religion. While I was thus troubled, and seeking, * Hon. J. P. Buckingham. |