XXXI 



This continued to be his place of worship while he remained in his 

 native town, and also when he afterwards returned to it for his 

 summer's residence. But on his removal to Boston, in 1827, he 

 with his family attended public worship in an Episcopal church. 

 He was truly liberal and generous, yielding in matters of opinion, 

 as in other things, more than he claimed ; for, with the Apostle, he 

 attached less importance to particular tenets, than to " love, joy, 

 peace, gentleness, goodness, faith." In all his relations, civil and 

 religious, he was alike useful and exemplary, honored and beloved. 



Though never inclined to a political life, Mr, Pickering some- 

 times acceded to the wishes of his friends so far as to partake 

 in the administration of public affairs within our Commonwealth. 

 For several years during the late war with England, he was a rep- 

 resentative from Salem in the General Court, and after the war, 

 for some years a senator from the county of Essex, then again from 

 Suffolk, and once a member of the Executive Council. He was 

 very early, as you know, elected a Fellow of the American Acad- 

 emy, and afterwards a member of the American Philosophical 

 Society, and of various other learned bodies at home and abroad.* 

 He also received the highest academic honors from more than 

 one university. But political and exterior honors appear of little 

 importance in connection with his intellectual career. His true 

 distinction springs directly from his intrinsic excellence. 



In following Mr. Pickering through his education, and during his 

 residence abroad, — which was but an extension of it, — we have 

 traced his progress more minutely than is necessary in pointing out 

 the results of his education and learning. It is not so important 

 that we should have a complete view of his labors and literary pro- 

 ductions, as that we should clearly understand the spirit and the 



* Note A. 



