1876.] ^^ [Strong. 



Spanish scholar, and proficient also in the French lan- 

 guage. Books in both French and Spanish he was 

 fond of reading, as also History, Metaphysics, Poetry 

 (especially dramatic poetry), and Theology. Of the 

 latter subject he was a close student. He was a firm be- 

 liever in the truths of divine revelation and an habitual 

 reader of the Bible. He carefully read also many of 

 the most important opinions of the Supreme Courts of 

 of the State and of the United States, and some Eng- 

 lish decisions. He kept himself well informed of the 

 current events of the day, and in regard to all public 

 questions that agitated the city, the state, or the coun- 

 try, he not only sought information, but he matured 

 settled opinions. To such employments he devoted 

 mainly his time and attention after his complete retire- 

 ment from professional life. Many years afterwards, 

 when speaking of this period of retiracy, he said " his 

 objects had been, first, to keep himself from rusting 

 out by such occupations intellectual and bodily as 

 would keep him in reasonable tune, while the decays of 

 age were gradually impairing the old sounding board, 

 second, to continue useful to his family, as it was arriv- 

 ing at years of^ maturity, and would look for settlement 

 in the world, third, to be useful to the world, so far 

 as should be in his power, without becoming denatured, 

 by a public part in the various avocations, religious, 

 literary, social, political, philanthropical, national and 

 municipal which distinguished the times from those 

 which preceded them, and, fourth, to prepare for the 



