192 



HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER. 



Anne. On one of the fly leaves is recorded the following, in the hand- 

 writing of Gen Pierre Van Cortlandt: — " Pierre Van Cortlandt's ejus 

 Liber, March 1st, 1739-40."* The Negro Plot, by the Recorder of New 

 York, entitled, "A Journal of the detection of the Conspiracy, New 

 York, printed by James Parker, 1744. A copy of this work brought 

 $240 at Manzie's sale. This copy was once the property of the 

 Hon. William P. Smith; sold by him to William Livingston with MSS. 

 Notes, by Smith, "New England Judged," 1703; "Funeral Oration" 

 on Washington by Major Michael Gabriel Houdin, with a portrait 

 of the author, 1800. Among the autographs is the poetical effusion of 

 the wife of his excellency President James Madison, addressed to 

 Mr. Pierre Van Cortlandt, Junr: — 



" Happy the man, and he alone, 

 Who, master of himself can say, 

 To-day at least hath been my own, 

 For I have clearly lived to-day." — D. P. Madison. 



Next occurs a letter from Gen. Lafayette to Charles King, Esq. 



La Grange, September 28, 1832. 



This letter my dear sir, will be delivered by Mr. Fiorelli, a young Ital- 

 ian sculptor, a refugee patriot, nephew to the gentleman whom I intro- 

 duced to you in 1824. I recommend him to your good advice, and beg 

 you to accept the best wishes and regards of your obliged and affection- 

 ate friend, Lafayette. 



There is also an original letter from Gen. Washington, dated Mount 

 Vernon, April 3d, 1797, to Mrs. Clinton, and likewise, one from Mrs. 

 Washington to the same. The following memorandum occurs in an old 

 almanac of 1783, in the hand-writing of Lieut. Governor Pierre Van 

 Cortlandt : — 



"N. B. I went from Peekskill, Tuesday, the 18th of November, 

 in company with his excellency Gov. Clinton, Col. Benson and Col. 

 Campbell ; lodged that night with Gen Cortlandt at Croton River, pro- 

 ceeded and lodged Wednesday night at Edw. Covenhaven's where we 

 mett his excellency Gen. Washington and his Aids. 1 he next night we 

 lodged with Mr. Frederick Van Cortlandt at The Yonkers, after having 

 dined with Gen. Lewis Morris. Fryday morning we rode in company 

 with the Commander-in-Chief as far as the Widow Day's, at Harlem, 



a Copy of a letter from Hon. Joan Romeyn Brodhead to Mrs. Pierre Van Cortlandt, .Tune 

 13th, 1805 :— " You will .see in Sientans memories of Nelson, (the author of " Fasts and Festi- 

 vals") page 136, a refei-e:ice to a Dutch translation of Common Prayer Book"— (He refers 

 also to an autograph note from Mr. Julian Verplanck's regarding the edition «f 1711, as a 

 great curiosity just added 10 the State library.) "Let me congratulate yon on possessing an 

 unique copy (as far as I Know) of this precious gem. I hold myself happy that the old (iover- 

 nor's book was used by me at Briar Cliff on Trinity Sunday of 1365, more than a century after 

 Pierre's ancestor wrote his autograph on its leaves." 



