Obituary notice of the Hon. Stephen Van Rensselaer. 163 



year, " He was sitting with his family without any indication 

 of immediate danger. Having been seized with coughing he 

 rose to obtain some relief; and the difficulty seeming to in- 

 crease, he said to his son who was with him, "can this be dy- 

 ing." " He regained his chair, and while his family collected 

 round and were hanging over him, his spirit was released so 

 quietly that the moment was unperceived by them."* 



It would be a delightful employment to follow this truly wise 

 and good man through the various walks of his long and active 

 life ; but it would be out of place in this Journal, and is the ap- 

 propriate duty of the biographer. 



It is not however beyond our province to exhibit Gen. Van 

 Rensselaer as the munificent patron of science, in support of 

 which he poured forth his thousands with the copiousness of his 

 own noble river.f 



It is impossible however to do him justice in this particular, 

 without taking into view his general benevolence, which reached 

 every human interest and evinced that enlargement of mind, 

 which enabled him to perceive and justly to appreciate all that 

 appertains to the happiness and prosperity of mankind. In this 

 view of him, especially, he appears truly great ; and his well 

 balanced, enlightened, and principled philanthropy, places him 

 in the same group of great and good men, with Washington, Jay, 

 Howard, and Wilberforce. We cannot take leave of our admired 

 and venerated friend, without holding him up as a model to two 

 classes of persons who are numerous in our country. 



To the opulent we may say — what is the use of boundless ac- 

 cumulation ! Why not, while in full life, enjoy the luxury of 

 doing good, and of seeing it done ; why not make your money 

 work for you to produce you an immediate return of gratitude, 

 and a certain, an inappreciable reward, in the consciousness of 

 spreading blessings all around you. The grave makes you poor 

 indeed if you have no reversion of grateful remembrance, or an- 

 ticipations of good deposited in heaven — ^and who will thank you 

 for dying rich ! Thousands might thank you for sowing bles- 

 sings with a liberal hand while you live ! 



* Rev. Dr. Vermilye's Funeral Discourse. 



t The Hudson, which runs through his vast estates, and near whose bank stands 

 the venerable family mansion, the ancient residence of the patroons of Albany, of 

 whom he was the lineal descendant and representative. 



