Читать книгу History of Westchester County, New York, Volume 2 - Группа авторов - Страница 12

Of all the writers who have in any way been associated with the history of Westchester county, Washington Irving is perhaps the most illustrious. Born in New York city, his whole life, with brief intervals, was spent within the borders of the county, and some of his very best work bears the impress of local influences. On the "Lordly Hudson" Irving "chose and built the home where he lived for many years, and in which he did much of his life's best work, and here he died."

"Westchester," said another eulogist of Irving, "has a claim peculiarly her own, for while we are joint heirs with others of his fame, Irving was here honored during his life for other qualities besides those of the gifted author, as he was here also known as the good citizen, the genial neighbor, and the Christian gentleman."

Irving first came to know Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow when a lad of fourteen or fifteen. He spent some of his holidays here, and formed an attachment for the spot which never left him. Irving was born on the 3rd of April, 1783, in a house which stood on William street, New York city, next to the corner of Fulton. He was the youngest son of William Irving, a merchant and a native of Scotland, who had married an English lady. He had an ordinary school education, but early developed a taste for literature. At the age of sixteen he began the study of law. His brother, Dr. Peter Irving, edited the Morning Chronicle, and for this paper Washington Irving wrote a series of essays of the theatres, manners of the town, and kindred topics, with the signature of "Jonathan Oldstyle." In 1804, for the benefit of his health, he visited the south of Europe, returning by way of Switzerland to France, and proceeding thence, after a sojourn of a few months in Paris, to England via Flanders and Holland. While at Rome he formed the acquaintance of Washington Allston, the artist, with whom he studied painting for a time with the idea of himself becoming a painter. After an absence of two years, however, he returned to New York, in March, 1806, and again took up the study of law. He was admitted to the bar, but never practiced. About this time he wrote and published his portion of the "Salmagundi" papers, which appeared as a serial. Paulding wrote a portion of the work, William Irving the poetry, and Washington Irving the remainder. In December, 1809, he published "Knickerbocker's History of New York," an extravagant burlesque, which excited general laughter, although it was gravely held up to reprehension in an address before the Historical Society of New York. Its grotesque descriptions of Dutch manners and customs in the colony of New Netherlands are full of humor. After the publication of this work, Irving engaged as silent partner with two of his brothers in mercantile business. The second war with Great Britain breaking out, he joined the military staff of Governor Tompkins, with the rank of colonel. After the war he paid a visit to the British islands, and intended to make a tour of the continent, but business reverses, involving the ruin of his firm, compelled him to abandon his purpose. Irving now turned to 'literature for support, and through the friendly aid of Sir Walter Scott secured the publication of the "Sketch Book" by Murray, the great English publisher, who bought the copyright for two hundred pounds, which he subsequently increased to four hundred pounds.

In 1820 Irving took up his residence in Paris, where he formed the acquaintance of Tom Moore. While in Paris he wrote " Bracebridge Hall." The winter of 1822 was spent in Dresden. Returning to Paris in 1823, he published, in December of the following year, his "Tales of a Traveler." In 1826, after spending a winter in the south of France, he went to Madrid, where he wrote his "Life of Columbus," the English edition of which brought him three thousand guineas. His "Conquest of Granada" and "Alhambra" followed. In July, 1829, having been appointed secretary of legation, at London, he left Spain for England. In 1831 he received from the University of Oxford the degree of Doctor of Laws. After an absence of seventeen years he returned to America, in May, 1832. His arrival was commemorated by a public dinner in New York city, at which Chancellor Kent presided. A few months later he made a journey west of the Mississippi, which he described in his "Tour of the Prairies." In 1836 he published " Astoria, " and subsequently the "Adventures of Captain Bonneville." From 1839, for two years, he contributed a series of papers to the Knickerbocker Magazine. A number of these papers, together with others, were published in 1855, in a volume which received the title, "Wolfert's Roost."

In 1842 Irving was appointed minister to Spain, an office which he retained for the next four years. He then returned home, and for the rest of his life resided at his cottage residence, " Sunnyside, " near Tarrytown, the spot which he had described years before, in the "Legend of Sleepy Hollow," as the castle of the Herr Van Tassel, and of which he wrote: " If ever I should wish for a retreat whither I might steal from the world and its distractions, and dream quietly away the remainder of a troubled life, I know of none more promising than this little valley." Here in this retreat he lived in the midst of a family circle composed of his brother and his nieces, hospitably entertaining his friends, and engaged in writing his biographies of Goldsmith and Mahomet and his "Life of Washington."

His life at "Sunnyside" was simple, kindly and affectionate. He was a good friend and neighbor, and a devout communicant of Christ Episcopal church in Tarrytown. For many years he was a vestryman and warden, and it was his practice during the greater part of this time to take up the collection at the Sunday services. He never married, having lost by death his betrothed wife, Matilda Hoffman, a beautiful young girl. His death occurred at Tarrytown, November 28, 1859, and he was buried in the beautiful cemetery of Sleepy Hollow. The ivy upon the tower of Christ church was taken from "Sunnyside" and planted by Irving himself. It was originally brought from Melrose Abbey. His pew in the church is marked with his name and was set apart years ago by the vestry for the use of any of the members of the Irving family who might wish to worship there. As near the pew as it could be placed is a natural tablet ejected by the vestry to his memory. In the center is the Irving coat of arms, and on the stone the following inscription:

Washington Irving,

Born in the City of New York, April 3, 1783.

For many years a communicant and warden of this church.

And

Repeatedly one of its delegates to the Convention

Of the Diocese.

Loved, Honored, Revered.

He fell asleep in Jesus

November 28th, 1859.

Irving died at "Sunnyside," having just taken leave of the family circle. Three days later he was buried in the old Dutch church cemetery, where he had some time before selected the spot for his grave, and where the remains of the brothers and sisters who had died before him were buried. An account of the funeral says: " It was a remarkable assemblage from the city, of men of worth and eminence, the friends of his youth and middle life, and universally of the population of the town and adjacent country, where he was beloved by all. The area of Christ church, Tarrytown, where the funeral services of the Episcopal church, of which he had been a member, were performed, was much too limited to contain the numbers which thronged to the simple ceremony. The neighboring hillside was covered, and the road to the cemetery lined with spectators, villagers and others, clad in their Sunday attire. The shops of Tarrytown were all closed. Thus was borne to the grave with simple but heartfelt honors all that was mortal of Washington Irving. Eulogies, resolutions and addresses from civic, religious, literary and other societies followed his death. The city government of New York, the Athenaeum Club, the New York Historical Society, the Massachusetts Historical Society, heaped these honors on his tomb, while personal tributes in sermons, editorial articles and various reminiscences were called forth in great number."

" By his will," says the same account, " which made ample provisions to continue the home at ' Sunnyside' to the brother and nieces by whom Mr. Irving had been surrounded, he left his manuscripts to his nephew, Pierre M. Irving, who had been his assistant in some of his more important labors of research, as his literary executor." Mr. Irving afterward published a memoir of his distinguished uncle. Mr. George P. Putnam, the New York publisher, issued a uniform edition of Washington Irving's works, in 1847, which yielded Mr. Irving and his representatives more than one hundred and fifty thousand dollars.

On the 3rd of April, 1883, the centennial anniversary of Irving's birth was commemorated at Tarrytown by "The Washington Irving Association," which had been formed on the 19th of March for the purpose of appropriately observing the anniversary. The exercises took place on the evening of April 3rd, at the Second Reformed church. Judge Noah Davis presided, and from New York, Brooklyn and many adjacent points came many to swell the assemblage. The church was beautifully decorated with flowers and evergreens. As a prelude to the addresses. Miss Hawes played the overture from the opera of "Rip Van Winkle," on the organ. Addresses were delivered by Judge Davis, Mr. James Wood (president of the Westchester Historical Society), Rev. James Selden Spencer, Donald G. Mitchell, Charles Dudley Warner and Professor William C. Wilkinson. A poem by Mr. Stephen H. Thayer, of Tarrytown, was read by Rev. Washington Choate. Letters of regret from a number of invited guests were also read, among them being responses from Governor Cleveland, John G. Whittier, George William Curtis, John Jay, and President Porter of Yale. Miss Sears sang "The Lost Chord," and Professor T. S. Doolittle, D. D., pronounced the benediction. At the request of the committee of arrangements the Misses Irving opened " Sunnyside " to the public, and for several days persons from all parts of the country availed themselves of the opportunity to visit "Wolfert's Roost, " which remained as it was at Mr. Irving's death. A memorial volume, containing an account of the commemoration, with the addresses and poem, was afterward published by the Irving Association. It is embellished by fine steel portraits of Irving and Matilda Hoffman and by views of appropriate order.