74 



Note. — Rev. Jones Very died at his residence on Federal Street, 

 Salem, on Saturday morning, May 8, 1880, after an illness of a fortnight. 



He was the son of Capt. Jones and Lydia (Very) Very, and was 

 born in Salem, Aug. 28, 1813. In 1823 and 4, he accompanied his 

 father on the last two voyages of the latter to Europe. He graduated 

 at Harvard University in the class of 1836, with high honors, and was 

 a Greek tutor in that Institution in 1836-8. 



The fjpllowing extracts from two letters may appropriately be in- 

 serted in this connection. One from Mr. Very to Mr. Conrad incident- 

 ally gives a clew to his own college habits. He writes : — 



"He (Chisholm) was a member with Thomas Barnard West, of 

 Salem, and myself, of a small society for religious improvement, 

 which held meetings once a week, during most of my college course. 

 I remember these meetings with great satisfaction as hours well and 

 properly spent; and I doubt not that they were so remembered by all 

 who participated in them." 



The other by one of his former pupils, received by the family on 

 the day of his burial, shows the estimation in which he was held as 

 an instructor, who writes : — 



" You were my teacher of Greek in 1837-8, and your manner of 

 instructing-made a favorable impression on my mind, and produced a 

 leaning to that language which still lasts. You were unwearied in 

 drawing our attention to tenses and making us translate literally — 

 two important points in learning languages of which however Mr. 

 F * * * * * quite lost sight. The charm with which you surrounded 

 Greek vanished from Harvard with you. You felt the spirit of the 

 Greek people, and were ready to communicate it to such as had ears 

 to hear." * * * 



He studied for the ministry and was approbated as a preacher in 

 1843, though never ordained over a society or settled as a pastor, he 

 had occasionally performed the clerical duties. 



He had acquired distinction as a poet, especially as a v/riter of 

 sonnets and occasional pieces, some of which were contributed to the 

 papers and periodicals. In 1839 he published a volume of Essays and 

 Poems, which has been considered a book of great merit. Griswold, 

 in his Poets and Poetry of America, says, " His Essa^-s are fine 

 specimens of learned and sympathetic criticisms; and his sonnets and 

 other pieces of verse are chaste, simple and poetical." His deceased 

 brother, the Kev. Washington Very, and his sister, L. L. A. Very, 

 shared his poetical talent. 



He was of a quiet, reflecting and sedate turn of mind, and, though 

 retiring, was very affable and companionable. He early gave himself 

 up to a religious enthusiasm, which so possessed him that he left 

 Cambridge and returned to Salem, where he had since lived in retire- 



