1856. 



NEW ENGLAND FAHMER. 



79 



trivance, roses, during meals, descended on the 

 guests from above. Heligoabalus, in his folly, caused 

 violets and roses to be showered down upon his 

 guests in such quantities, that a number of them 

 being unable to extricate themselves, were suffoca- 

 ted in flowers. During meal times, they reclined 

 upon cushions stuffed with rose leaves, or made a 

 couch of the leaves themselves. The floor, too, was 

 strewed with roses, and ni this custom great luxur}' 

 was displayed. Cleopatra, at an enormous expense, 

 procured roses for a feast which she gave to Antho- 

 ny,had them laid two cubics thick on the floor of the 

 banquet room, and then caused nets to be spread 

 over the flowers, in order to render the footing elas- 

 tic. Heliogabalus caused not only the banquet 

 rooms, but also the colonades that led to them, to 

 be covered with roses, interspersed with lilies, vio- 

 lets, hyacinths, and narcissi, and walked about on 

 this flowery platform. 



For the New England Farmer. 



THE LATE FREDERIC HOWES, ESQ., 

 OF SALEM. 



BEFORE THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, DEC, 1855. 



Mr. President : — Since the last meeting of this 

 Board, one of the oldest and most distinguished of 

 our number, — one who was prominent at the start, 

 and has enjoyed the highest honors of the associa- 

 tion, — has "passed that bourne, whence no traveller 

 returns." It is fit, in conformity with established 

 usage — it is fit, in consideration of the merits of the 

 deceased, that a respectful and truthful notice should 

 be inscribed to his memory. 



Fkederic Howes was born in the town of Den- 

 nis, County of Barnstable, 1782 ; and died at Salem 

 County of Essex, 1855; aged 73 years. When 

 young, he removed with his father to Ashfield, 

 County of Worcester, where he learnt his first les- 

 sons in farming, and imbibed that taste for the cul- 

 ture of the soil, which was uppermost in his thoughts 

 through life. Mr. Howes possessed a sound, dis- 

 criminating mind, — an ardent desire for knowledge ; 

 and a perseverance of effort, that would not allow 

 any subject, to which his attention was directed, to 

 pass imperfectly understood. He examined closely, 

 and was not satisfied with superficial observation. 

 His opinions, therefore, when formed, were entitled 

 to respect. He pursued his studies at Harvard Uni- 

 versity ; but unfortunately, (in the year 1807, when 

 many of the young men there thought they knew 

 better than their masters,) he did not receive a de- 

 gree on leaving the institution. Not that a degree, 

 in itself, is of any value, but because the depiiva- 

 tion of it is oftentimes a source of uneasiness and 

 mortification ; — and so in after life he often felt it 

 to be ; notwithstanding he ever felt, that the author- 

 ities of the College made a mistake, in jjui'suing 

 the course they then did. 



Mr. Howes was educated to the profession of 

 the law, in the County of Middlesex ; and entered 

 upon the practice, at Salem, in the County of Essex ; 

 at the same time having his home in the adjoining 

 town of Danvers, Such was his reputation among 

 those who knew him best, that he was repeatedly 

 chosen, to represent them in the General Court. 

 By nature diffident and unassuming, he was not 

 the man to crowd himself where he was not fitted 

 to be. He was one of the earliest founders and of- 

 ficers of this Society; and at all times, its constant 



and devoted friend. He labored without ceasing 

 through good and evil report, never faltering or 

 hesitating where any service was to be performed. 



It is no small honor, for Mr. Howes, to have been 

 designated by the discriminatiug mind of TiMOTllY 

 Pickering as most worthy to succeed him in the 

 Presidential Chair. The manner in which he dis- 

 charged the duties of this station, for several years, 

 until he voluntarily withdrew, is well remembered 

 by some still here, with locks bleached with much 

 service. To say that he Jilled the place that had 

 been occupied by his distinguished predecessor, for 

 ten years previous, is what no son of Essex will ever 

 presume to say. Primus inter pares,* will ever stand 

 the name of Pickering, the friend and confidant of 

 Washington. But, to say that he discharged all 

 the duties that devolved upon him, with fidelity and 

 care, is certainly true. The lessons of instruction 

 communicated by him, will be found on the pages 

 of our journals; and will continue to be referred to 

 with increasing respect. 



Mr. President, I have said enough, perhaps more 

 than enough, to impress upon the minds of all, the 

 propriety of the act in which we are now engaged. 

 Thirty-seven years, and more, have passed away 

 since the organization of this Society. A few of 

 the founders only remain to tell the story. A few 

 years more, very few indeed, and. all will be gone ; 

 and "the places that knew them will know them no 

 more forever." When thus admonished, it becomes 

 us to pause for a moment, to consider "what shad- 

 ows we are, and what shadows we pursue." On 

 the same day, and about the same hour, that I 

 heard of the death of my venerated teacher and 

 friend, I was called to part with one, to me most 

 dear, in my own household. All nature proclaims 

 aloud that we must die. No one can more fully 

 appreciate this truth, than the intelligent, reflecting 

 farmer. A man may pass through life in splendor 

 and affluence ; but when death comes, there is no 

 distinction between the laborer and the lord of the 

 manor. Here all are on the same level, however 

 they may have been born. Here it is that fame 

 and renown cannot assist ; that even the devotion 

 and sympathy of friends cannot save. Here it is 

 that the relations of the creature to the Creator, 

 are irresistibly forced upon our consideration. Hap- 

 py are those who meet the closing scene of life 

 with that calm and confiding trust in the mercy of 

 God, which characterized the last hours of our de- 

 parted friend. 



In view of these considerations, I respectfully ask 

 of the Board, to lay aside the cares of the world 

 for a moment ; and to adopt the following Resolu- 

 tions. 



1. Resolved, That the members of this Board 

 have heard with deep emotion of the death of Fred- 

 eric Howes, Esq., the oldest surviving honorary 

 member of the Board. 



2. Resolved, That the amiable virtues, devotion 

 to duty, and sound learning, that so eminently 

 characterized the deceased, present a model to all 

 worthy of imitation. 



3. Resolved, That the Secretary be instructed to 

 communicate to the widow and family of the de- 

 ceased, a copy of this expression of the feelings of 

 the Trustees, and that the same be published in the 

 Transactions for the year. 



* The first among his equals. 



