THK OOLU(J1S'I-. 



271. 



tered tlu-ir luiines as subscribers, yet he 

 received expressions of the highest ad- 

 niiralioQ and esteem from all. 'He ex- 

 hibited his book with some success at 

 Princeton colleoje, Newark and Eiiza- 

 bethtovvn in New Jersey. In New 

 York he found a few subscriljers and 

 many admirers. The professors of (Jol- 

 unil)ia collej^e particuhirly expressed 

 tiieir esteem for his performance. Tiie 

 professor of languages being a Scotch- 

 man, and also a Wilson, gave him great 

 encouragement and would have tione 

 him any favor in his power. Tom 

 Paine, the author of the "Rights of 

 Man" was then residing at Greenwich, 

 ash >rt distance from New York. Wil- 

 son desired to visit the man about whom 

 so much had been said, and who was 

 now in the yellow leaf of life, l)eing 

 something over seventy. Wils' n said 

 he found him sitting in his nightgown, 

 at a tal)le covered with newspapers and 

 material for writing. Paine examineil 

 his book with great attention and was 

 so well |)leased with it that he entered 

 his name among the list of subscribers. 

 He spent a whole week traversing the 

 streets of New York, from o')e house 

 to another. He said "he became as 

 well known as the public crier, or the 

 clerk of the market, for I could fre- 

 ijuontly perceive gentlemen point me 

 out to others as I p.issed with my book 

 under my arm." 



On the 2nd of October he left New 

 York for New Haven, Middletown and 

 Hartford where he received a few sub- 

 scribers and much encouragement. At 

 Hartford an editor of a newspaper ex- 

 l)ressed the highest admiration of the 

 work, and paid m my handsome com- 

 pliments to it in his paper. Wilson 

 writing to a friend said "that compli- 

 ments is a species of currency that will 

 neither purchase plates or pay the 

 printer; but, nevertheless it is gratify- 

 ing to the vanity of an author, when 

 nothing better can ije got." 



The morning followin;? the evening 

 he arrived in Boston, <he .sought out 



Heacon Hill, an eminence ovt-rlooking 

 the city. His eyes were directed to see 

 that spot so justly celel)rated in Ameri- 

 can history, Bunker Hill. A gentle- 

 man i)ointed out the spot to him and he 

 immedi.itely explored the way thither. 

 He impiired if there was any one still 

 living in the vicinity who was engaged 

 in the l)attle, and he was directed to a 

 Mr. Miller, who was a lieutenant in 

 that memoral)le affair. Wilson intro- 

 duced himself without eeremony, shook 

 hands with him, and told him that he 

 was proud of the honor of meeting with 

 one of the heroes of Bunker Hill. They 

 ])roceeded together to the; place, taking 

 with them another veteran who hail 

 l)een in the same cnnrtict. With the.se 

 veterans he spent three hours upon the 

 Held; the most interesting he says, 

 which he ever passed in his life. As 

 they pointed out to him the route 

 of the British — the Anierican line 

 of defence — the spot where \Varren fell, 

 anH where he was thrown amid heaps 

 of dead, he felt as if he him.oelf could 

 have encountered an army in the same 

 glorious caus(!. The old soldiers were 

 delighted with his enthusiasm, and, 

 after drinking a glass of wine together, 

 they parted with regret. He said, "no 

 pilgrim ever !i|)}»roached the tomb of 

 his ])rophet, with more awful enthus- 

 iasm, than he felt as he drew near to 

 that sacrcul ground; and gre.it was his 

 wrath, to tind that a wretched pillar of 

 l)ricks, was the only memorial of those 

 who had shed their blood for their 

 country." 



He proceeded eastward through Mass 

 achu.setts and New Han)pshire to Port- 

 land. From Portland he travel'ed 

 through New Hampshire, slopping at 

 Dartmouth college, wlu-re In^ said the 

 |)rofessors were extremely obliging and 

 attentive, |)arlieularly the |)residcnl 

 who snbsciibed; thence tlirough Ver- 

 mont to Aloatiy and home by tuc way 

 of New York. The whole nnmtier of 

 snb.scrilt rs procuii-il during this tour 

 was only forty-one 



