2 
papers, in verfe and profe, with uncom- 
mon fuccefs at the time, but which have 
fince been forgotten in the attention that 
has been attraéted by their fublequent. 
publications. It was while tutor, and 
in his roth year, that Mr. Dwiest 
commenced his poem intituled.‘* The 
Conqueft of Canaan; which was finifh- 
ed, and a fubfcription for printing it 
put in circulation, if Ido not miftake, 
in. 1773. But.-the ‘turbulence of “the 
times, and the difficulties which the un- 
fettled ftate of the country oppofed to the 
ciltribution of any work—for the prefent 
ready inter-communication did not then 
exift—induced him, notwithftanding the 
unexampled patronage of a fub{cription 
for 3000 copies, to poftpone the publica- 
tion te a period more tavourable to the 
purfuits of literature. 
At leaving the college, Mr. DwicuT 
had deftined himfelf to the bar: but the 
folicitations of a military friend prevailed 
en him to fufpend his devotion to the 
neceflary ftudies for a time, and to enter 
the army as a chaplain to one of the Con-. 
necticut brigades. In this fituation he 
remained about three years; and the {pi- 
rit of the American foldiery is fuppofed 
to have been not a little encouraged and 
fupported by the numerous fongs and 
eccafional addrefles which were compofed 
and circulated through the army by the 
joint care of Mr. DwicutT, Col. Hum- 
-PHREYs, and Mr. JoEL Bariow. 
On quitting the army, Mr. Dwicur 
refumed the. bufinefs of inftructor, and 
opened an academy at Northampton; in. 
which he continued, with fingular repu- 
tation, till1783.° In this period, he re- 
touched his ‘* Conqueft of Canaan,” and 
’ gave it its prefent form; and on two oc-' 
cafions difcharged the duties of a repre- 
fentative of the town, in the legiflative - 
affembly of Maflachufetts. In the leoif- 
lature he was very confpicuous ; and was» 
firongly folicited to engage in public 
life, and-confent to be elected one of the 
delegates to the congrefs, under the con- 
federation. 
taken to the profeffion of law, and, per- 
haps, to legal fludies—which are ufually 
connected with political purfuits in the 
United States-—determined him to adhere 
to the pulpit, to which he felt a growing 
inclination; and he now. feduloufly de- 
voted himlfelf to theological ftudies. 
,Perhaps the United States have pro- 
duced no man endowed with talents fo 
peculiarly adapted for the pulpit, as Mr. 
Dwicur. To the:natural advantages 
oi a perlom and countenance at once en- 
gaging and majeltic; a voice full, me- 
a 
But a difeuft which he had © 
Account of Dr. Dwight, an American Poet. 
lodious, and difcriminating; and an un- 
ufual fhare of manly fenfibility, he added 
the acquired excellencies of learning va- 
rious and profound, of {pacious and mi- 
nute obfervation on all the ordinary af- 
fairs, and extenfive and particular re- 
fie&tion on all the duties of men; and an 
eloquence acute, rational, foothing, touch- 
ing, and commanding at will; and that 
adapted itfelf, with equal eafe, and with- 
out the facrifice of elegance, to the ap- 
prehenfion of the fcholar and the plough- 
man. As foon as it was known that he 
defigned to engage in the miniftry, he 
received various offers of fettlement: he 
finally accepted of thofe from the parifh 
ot Greenfield, in Conneéticut ; whither he 
removed late in 1783, or early in 1784. 
Encumbered with a young and in- 
creafing family, and with a falary inade= 
quate to the demand made upon it by his 
hofpitable difpofition, Mr. Dwicut 
was obliged to have recourfe once again 
to the bufinefs of infru@tion. He opencd 
an academy at Greenfield; and had foon. 
the fatisfaction of feeing it patronized by 
the mott refpectable men in the country. 
Young men reforted thither from the re- 
motelt, as well as the neareft, parts of the: 
United States; and this infant feminary, 
under the aufpices of its founder, ob- 
tained a quick and firm eftablifhment. 
Amidf the inceflant occupations which 
new harraffed him, Mr. DwIGHT, ne-- 
verthele{s, found time to plan and ac-: 
complifh many literary works, fome of 
which have fince appeared:. His repu- 
tation was now rapidly extending. Ia 
1788, the college at Princeton, New 
Jerfey, conferred on him the degree of 
Door of Divinity. He continued at 
‘Greenfield, to preach and fuperintend his — 
academy, till, on the death of the late 
venerable Dr. Hills, he was ele&ted Pre- 
fident of Yale college, and removed to 
New Haven in the autumn of 1795. 
This is his prefent fituation; and, under 
his care, the infitution over which he 
prefides daily acquires confideration, and 
multiplies its means of improvement for 
fiudents. 
Of the merits of Dr. DwiGHT as an 
author, and efpecially as a poet, different 
opinions have been, and probably will 
continue to be, formed. It is certainly 
to be regretted, that his powers have 
been javifhed on a fabject which no longer, 
pofleffing general intereft, is not likely ta 
attract general attention, or promote the: 
welfare of mankind, in any remarkable 
degree. But the lover of poetry, whe 
{hall not be prevented by this from the 
perulal of * Phe Conga ee of Ganaen,” will 
nee ; difcover 
