49 



been equally if not more conspicuous in the field of letters 

 than either of his ancestors had been in the civil history 

 of the colony. 



A few rods in a northei'ly direction "\ve find the birth- 

 place of Bowditch, whose "Navigator" is in the hands of 

 every seaman, and who, as translator of La Place'^ 

 "Mccanique Celeste," is ranked among the leading mathe- 

 maticians of his age. 



The house that was taken down to erect on its site the 

 building in which we are assembled was the place where 

 Prescott, the historian, first saw the light of day; and 

 afterwards, for nearly half a century, it was the residence 

 of one of our most successful and opulent merchants, 

 Joseph Peabody. 



In this connection, it is meet that we should pay a 

 tribute of respect to the memory of Miss Caroline Plum- 

 mer, a lady of great literaiy culture and refinement, who 

 died in May, 1854, and bequeathed to the proprietors of 

 the Salem Athenaeum, the sum of thirty thousand dollars 

 for the erection of a building, to deposit therein the 

 books of the Athenaeum, with liberty to have the rooms 

 used for the meetings of literary and scientific societies 

 and for the deposit of works of art and natural produc- 

 tions. If you desire to know in what manner this money 

 has been expended, and ask for her monument, "Circum- 

 spice !" 



This locality, around which cluster so many associa- 

 tions of exceeding interest to the student in history, the 

 scholar, the scientist, and the general public, seems to be 

 especially adapted for the estal)li!5hment of an institution 

 for the promotion of literature, science, and the arts. A 

 good beginning has thus far been made, — additional land 

 and more buildings will be requisite to furnish suitable 

 accommodations for its proper management. 



