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FROM THE LIBRARY OF
REV. LOUIS FITZGERALD BENSON. D. D.
iEQUEATHED BY HIM TO
THE LIBRARY OF
PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
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SEP 23 1931
MEMOIR
OF THE liATB
REV. WILLIAM CROSWELL, D. D,
RECTOR OF THE CHURCH OF THE ADVENT,
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.
BY HIS FATHER.
NEW YORK:
D. APPLETON & CO., 200 BROADWAY.
1853.
'ā¢* ir' V
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1853,
By H. CROSWELL,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Connecticut
INVOCATION.
O Almighty God, who hast knit together thine
ELECT IN one COMMUNION AND FELLOWSHIP, IN THE MYSTI-
CAL BODY OF THY SoN, ChEIST OUR LoED, GRANT US GRACE
SO TO FOLLOW THY BLESSED SAINTS IN ALL VIKTUOUS AND
GODLY LIVING, THAT WE MAY COME TO THOSE UNSPEAKABLE
JOYS WHICH THOU HAST PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO UN-
PEIGNEDLY LOTE THEE, THROUGH JeSUS ChRIST OVR LoRD.
Amen.
rCOLLECT FOR ALL SaINTSO
EEV. ASA EATON, D. D.,
WHO, FOR A LONG SERIES OF TEARS,
WAS THE CONFIDENTIAL FRIEND AND FAITHFUL COUNSELLOR OF
MY DEAE DEPARTED SON;
WHO UPHELD AND SUSTAINED HIM IN THE ARDUOUS
DUTIES OF HIS MINISTRY,
AND WHO ADMINISTERED TO HIM, IN HIS DYING HOUR,
THE LAST CONSOLATIONS OF HIS CHURCH,
Ā®l)ig iilemoir
IS MOST RESPECTFULLY AND GRATEFULLY INSCRIBED
BY ms AFFECTIONATE FRIEND AND BROTHER
m THE GOSPEL
H. CROSWELL.
Reotort, Xew Haven, 1853.
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
Introduction : ā ^^Ā°^
Materials for the Memoir, . . 9
Parentage, Family, and Boyhood, 13
Education and Collegiate Life, 14
Choice of a Profession, ā¢ 21
Study of the Law, 25
Annals : ā
1826. Theological Seminary, 31
1827. Editorial Employment, 35
1828. Ordination to the Office of Deacon, 53
1829. Christ Church, Boston, 68
Ordination and Institution, 71
1830. Family Reminiscences, 79
1831. Record of the Year commences, 88
1832. Ā« 109
1833. " 119
1834. Ā« 134
1835. Ā» 155
1836. Ā« 176
1837. " 192
1838. " 211
1839. " 225
Call to St. Peter's Churcn, Auburn, 243
1840. Resignation of Christ Church, 251
Parting Testimonials, . . . . ā¢ . ā¢ 253
Arrival at Auburn, ........ 257
1841. Record of the Year commences 269
1842. " 284
1843. Ā» 306
1844. Resignation of St. Peter's Church, 332
Removal to Boston, 335
Church of the Advent, 337
1845. Conversation with Bishop Eastburn, 353
Bishop Eastburn and the Church of the Advent, . . ā¢ 357
1846. Honorary Degree of D. D. at Trinity College, ... 387
Correspondence with Bishop Eastburn, 388
1847. Removal to Green Street, 400
Correspondence with the Clergy, 402
Correspondence with Bishop Eastburn, .... 403
1848. Correspondence with Bishop Eastburn, 412
Letter to Rev. Dr. Baury, 416
1849. Correspondence with Bishop Eastburn, 429
1850. Correspondence with Bishop Eastburn, .... 446
5
6 CONTEXTS.
PAGX
1851. Last Correspondence with Bishop Eastburn, .... 463
His Death, 477
Sermon for All Saints, 479
The Funeral, 480
Character of the Deceased, 481
The Commemoration, 514
The Monument, 528
Poetry : ā
The Two Graves, 16
Fragment of Blank Verse, 26
The Chapel Bell, 27
New Haven, 29
Sonnets, by Asaph ā Watchman, 35
" " Lent ā Confirmation, 36
" " To the Hepatica Triloba, found in March, . 37
" " Infant Baptism, 37
" " Washington (now Trinity) College, . . 38
" " To a Winged Figure, by Raphael, . . .38
" " Christ bearing the Cross, .... 38
" " Saint Bartholomew, . . ā . . .39
" " The Knell, ,39
" " Saint Matthew ā St. Luke, . . . .40
Ā« Ā« The Knot, 40
" " Christmas, 41
" " Saint John the Evangelist, .... 41
Ā« " Winter, 42
" " Valedictory, 42
" To Asaph, by H., 43
" Palinode, 43
" Africa, 44
" Ordination of Jacob Oson, 44
" Death of Jacob Oson, 45
" Deatli of Rev. Abiel Carter, 45
Hymn ā Sunday School Hymn, 46
To * * * *, 47
Home ā Stanzas, 48
" Drink, and away," 49
The Ordinal, 53
Spring, Sonnet, 55
Hymn, First Sunday after Easter, 55
The Missionary ā Reveille, 56
Communion of the Sick, Sonnet, 57
Saint James the Apostle, Sonnet, ,57
Hymn, Eighth Sunday after Trinity, 57
South Sea Missionaries, 58
Death of Dr. Feltus, Sonnet, 59
Burial of Ashmun, Sonnet, 60
Hymn ā Michaelmas, Sonnet, 61
The Seven Churches, Sonnet ā Africa, 62
Crete ā Sonnet, 63
Greece ā Saint Thomas, 64
Christmas ā Saint Stephen, 65
Saint Paul ā The Dying Year, QQ
Hymn for Advent, .74
Hymn, Fourth Sunday after Easter, 75
Brook Kedron, 75
Hymn, on reopening Christ Church, 82
Verses from a Poem Book, 86
CONTENTS. 7
i'AGE
Hymn for Christmas Eve, 86
Old North Cock, 87
Hymn, Howard Benevolent Society, 88
On the Death of an aged Servant of God, 90
Clouds, 91
NightTIiought ā Charity Hymn, 92
Saint Andrew's Day, 93
Hymn for St. Matthew's Day, 94
Last Sunday in Advent ā The Epiphany, 95
Second Sunday atler the Epiphany, 96
Quinquag-esima Sunday, ' . 96
Second Sunday in Lent, 97
To a Child on her Birthday, 100
The Synagogue, 110
For a Child's Album, Ill
In Memory of D. W., 112
To my Namesake William Croswell Doane, on his Baptism, . 116
Ad Amicum, Sonnet on Bishop Doane's Consecration, . . .118
To J. P. Couthouy, of the Brig Heber, 125
Midnight Thought, 125
White, 126
Valentine to , . . . ; 127
For Mary's Bible ā To my Sister, 128
ToG. W. D., ^129
Sonnet to a Sunday School Teacher, 130
Sonnet, Exculpatory, 130
De Profundis ā Traveller's Hymn, 131
From the Antique, by the Name of Crosse-Welle, .... 132
To a Friend, (Watchcase and Thermometer.) .... 136
TomyGodson, W. C. D.ā W. C. D. toW. C, . . ā¢ .137
On the Death of Dr. Montgomery, 139
Nahant, 144
Fox's Book of Martyrs, Sonnet, 145
Africa, 145
Baptismal Hymn, 146
To , a Child, 147
" Perennis et Fragrans," by G. W. D., 148
To my Mother, 150
Hymns of the Ancient Time : ā
Horology, or Dial of Prayer ā Midnight Hymn, . . . 151
Cock Crowing ā Noonday, ........ 152
Another for Noonday, . . . . . . . 153
Ninth Hour ā Eventide, 154
Saint Paul's Day, 158
Valentine ā Valentine for " W.," 161
To the Rev. Dr. Coit, 162
To a Lady, with a Sprig of Myrtle, 174
"The Meeting of the Tribes," 174
Picture of Palestine, 175
Christ Church, 179
Valentine, 180
To my Father, 192
Sophia, 194
In an Album, Sonnet, 195
" The Feast of Tabernacles," 198
The Missionary's Farewell, 202
Wheelock Cottage, Medfield, 206
Dedication of Hospital at Worcester, 208
CONTENTS.
PAOE
Albany, 209
Valentine, ... 212
Nature and Revelation, 215
The Liturgy ā To Rev. W. Croswell, by J. P. C, . . . . 216
On the Leaf of an old Hebrew Bible, 222
Sonnet, written on the Andes, by J. P. C, 228
" This also shall pass away," 232
Elegiac, B. D. W., 234
Prison Hymn, by Mary, Queen of Scots, 235
Versification of Psalms ā First and One Hundred and Thirty-third, 237
One Hundred and Thirty-fourth and One Hundred and Thirty-
seventh, 238
One Hundred and Fiftieth, 239
Saint John Baptist's Day, 249
Bishop Hobart, his Death, 258
On his approaching Nuptials, 261
In Memory of Rev. Mr. Lucas, 262
Lake Owasco, 263
Lines written in the Chamber where Bishop Hobart died, . . 274
New Year, from the Desk of Poor Richard, Jr., . , . . 284
New Year's Musings, 287
The Robin in Churchyard, 293
Christ Church, Boston, 298
Christmas Evening Pastoral, 304
" Houses of Worship," 308
Bishop Griswold's Memorial, 322
Mary's Second Birthday, 326
Elegiac ā Rev. E. G. Prescott, 334
Hymn, Massachusetts Horticultural Society, .... 344
Hymn for Infant School, Christ Church, Boston, .... 382
Sunday School Hymn,* 383
Ad Amicum, to H. E. P., 384
Convocation Poem, 419
An Apology, 439
* Inserted twice, through inadvertence ; see p. 146
MEMOIR
INTRODUCTION.
The reader is presented in this work with an unwonted specta-
cle : a bereaved and sorrowing parent appears before the public as
the biographer of a dear departed son ! At tlie age of threescore
and ten, this parent, admonished by a severe visitation of sickness,
devoted as much time as his pressing duties would permit to the
arrangement and preparation of his own manuscripts, for the final
inspection and revision of this very son. But, alas ! how have his
fond anticipations been defeated ! That son, on whom he thus
relied, by a mysterious providence, has been suddenly stricken down
in the midst of his days and his usefulness, and numbered with the
dead. And now, with trembling hand and aching heart, the parent,
relying on the mercy and help of God, undertakes to gather up the
materials, and prepare a record of his life.
This is acknowledged to be an office of great delicacy, on ac-
count of the close relationship of the parties ; but the difficulty in
the case is very much diminished by the fact, that the biographer,
in prosecuting his work, is not thrown upon his own resources. It
is only with regard to the earlier incidents of the life, and the first
developments of the mind and genius of his son, that the father
is compelled to rely on the recollections fondly cherished in the
family. Beyond these incipient stages of boyhood and youth, there
are abundant materials among the manuscripts of the deceased,
which only require to be faithfully arranged and presented, to give
a fair transcript of his history. With regard to the use of these
materials, however, it must be understood that no greater latitude
can be allowed than may be found necessary for the full illustration
of his life and character.
I. His correspondence, which is very voluminous, extends back
to the earliest period of his absence from home ; but it consists, in
a great measure, of free and famiUar letters, designed only for the
2 (9)
10 MEMOIR OF WILLIAMS! CR0S"\^:ELL.
eye of his family and friends ; and no more of this portion of it
can be drawn from the sacred privacy of domestic confidence, than
may be made instrumental in bringing out the principal incidents
of his life, and in exhibiting the prominent features of his charac-
ter. There are other portions of his correspondence, however,
which cannot, in justice to himself and others, be withheld from
the public eye. It must be remembered that it did not please his
heavenly Father to give him a cloudless life. With all his meek-
ness and gentleness of spirit, and the inoffensive tenor of his walk
and conversation, he had the misfortune to encounter much that
was unkind and unjust, and especially from the hands of one, who,
affecting to exercise only a rightful authority over him, forgot the
paternal nature of his office, and disregarded the common courte-
sies of pastoral oversight. In reference to the full disclosure of
this portion of his history, there must be no reserve. The whole
story must be told ; and, happily for the satisfaction iand consolation
of his friends, he has left among his papers abundant, authentic and
official evidence, to vindicate his character from aspersion, and to
place his memory above the reach of ungenerous suspicion.
II. From the earliest period of his professional life, he kept a
regular diary. This is little more than a brief and simple record
of his daily transactions, evidently designed chiefly for reference,
and to aid liis own memory ; but it exhibits an immense amount of
pastoral duty. It bears the marks of a strictly private journal, and
is sometimes written in Latin and Greek ; yet it is interspersed with
occasional reflections and explanations, which may serve to shed
some light on the various passages of his life.
III. Of poetry, published and unpublished, he has left a large
amount. Of the quality of his poetry, the biographer will not trust
himself to express an opinion. He prefers to rely on the judgment
of one who for years had addressed him, and written and spoken
of him as his " next friend and more than brother," the Right Rev.
Dr. DoANE, Bishop of New Jersey, who, by invitation of the vestry,
preached a commemorative discourse, in the Church of the Advent,
Boston, soon after his decease. This is his recorded testimony :
" His poetical contributions to the Episcopal Watchman were
numerous, in addition to his invaluable services as editor ; and they
won for him a high and honorable place among the very few to
whom the name of Poet can be given. Every thing that he ever
wrote in verse was strictly occasional. It was so much of his heart
hfe set to music. He lived it, every hue. And it was all inspired
at the hearth side or at the altar foot. It was domestic often,
always sacred. He fulfilled, in every verse, that beautiful sugges-
tion of the skylark to the mind of Wordsworth, ā
MATERIALS FOR THE MEMOIR. H
' Type of the wise, who soar, but never roam,
True to the kindred points of heaven and home.'
In that incomparable modesty which set off, in its mild opal light,
his virtues and his graces, he thought very poorly of these admira-
ble productions, and has half suggested the desire that they may
remain still fugitive. But this must not be suffered. They are
part and parcel of his nature and of his office. As he lived them,
so he preaches in them, and will while the gospel shall be preached."
It is, perhaps, to be regretted, that the wish here expressed by this
warm-hearted friend cannot be fully accomplished. The restriction
of which he speaks as " half suggested," with regard to the collec-
tion and publication of this poetry, is more strict than he seems to
imagine. Among the private papers of the deceased, this passage
is found : " My poetry is strictly juvenile, and must never be col-
lected. I wish it to be fugitive and transitory, as the occasions
which produced it." But notwithstanding this restriction, his biog-
rapher will feel at liberty to introduce and interweave with the nar-
rative large portions of these poetical productions, a id especially
such as are best calculated to illustrate, and give a liigher interest
to the peculiar circumstances which called them forth. If any
apology is deemed necessary for adopting this course, it may, per-
haps, be found in one of his private letters, in which, speaking of
some manuscript collections of his earlier productions, which had
been placed in liis father's hands, he says : " I am glad you have
the collections. There are several little pieces which have never
been entered among them, and others which you may find floating
about, now and then, in the lower regions of literature. You must
take as you can catch them, and fasten them down like plants in a
hortum siccum, or butterflies in a cabinet." And, in a subsequent
letter to his father, he expresses a desire that his fugitive pieces may
be preserved, not for publication as a volume of poetry, ā for to
this he always felt an aversion, ā but for future reference, and for
the gratification of his friends. Many of his productions, originally
published under his own eye, had been extensively copied into
religious and secular periodicals, sometimes with his own signature
or initials attached, and frequently without any recognition of their
origin. Some few of them had also been inscribed, by his own
hand, in the albums of his friends, and from thence transcribed into
commonplace books and collections of poetry. And in many of
these cases, they were sadly marred, either by errors of the press
or by slips of the pen. These circumstances alone furnish an
additional reason for desiring to collect, revise, and preserve these
scattered fragments. It may be proper to remark, that the reader
will find among them many specimens not very accurately defined
by the preceding criticism of his friend Doane. His poetry was,
12 MEMOm OF WILLLiM CROSWELL.
indeed, almost without an exception, " occasional," and much of it
was strictly devotional and " sacred." But among the productions
of his pen, many partake largely of other qualities ; and a vein of
playfulness and wit will be found running through several of the
pieces which are here collected.
IV. Of his manuscript sermons, the stock is large ; and having
been carefully adapted to memorable days and occasions, and to the
seasons of the ecclesiastical year, and methodically arranged, the
publication of them, in whole or in part, might doubtless prove
highly gratifying to his surviving friends, who would prize them as
an invaluable legacy. But of this gratification they are deprived
by his own written prohibition. The same modesty which forbade
the publication of any of these sermons in his lifetime, led him to
make the restriction permanent. On this point, nothing is left to
future contingency, or to the discretion of his friends. Some allu-
sions to, or extracts from a few of the latest of his sermons, may
be necessary by way of explanation or illustration. But beyond
this, no libei ty can be taken ; and every thing else must remain
under the seal of his prohibition.
V. There is yet another source from which the biographer will
feel at liberty to draw the principal materials for the completion of
his work. For testimonials of character, he is not under the neces-
sity of relying on his own judgment. These are abundantly fur-
nished under various forms, and by different hands, in sermons,
in obituary notices, in the transactions of public and corporate
bodies, and in the familiar correspondence of friends and brethren.
They are all that can be desired ; and these will be employed with
entire freedom. It would be little better than false delicacy, to
suppress such testimonials on account of their eulogistic or lauda-
tory quality ; for, after making every allowance for the partiality
of friendship, and for the spontaneous overflowing of hearts recently
smitten by a sudden and appalling calamity, the sentiments expressed
by the several witnesses will be found to correspond so exactly with
the whole tenor of the life of the deceased, that the adoption of
them by the biographer cannot justly be imputed to the overween-
ing influence of paternal afifection.
From these materials the ensuing memoir is to be constructed.
The work is begun in the fear of God, and with the humble and
confiding hope that He will be graciously pleased to guide the hand,
and strengthen the heart of his unworthy servant, by whom it is
voluntarily undertaken, and enable him so to discharge this delicate
and difiicult office as to do justice to the memory of his departed
son, as well as to satisfy the claims and expectations of his numer-
ous surviving friends.
1804.1 PARENTAGE AND BOYHOOD. 13
PARENTAGE AND FAMILY.
That some passages and allusions, in the ensuing memoir, may-
be rendered intelligible without further explanation, a brief notice
of the parentage and family of the late William Croswell may
be necessary. His parents were both natives of Connecticut ; his
father, Harry Croswell, having been born in West Hartford, and
his mother, Susan Sherman, in New Haven, They had seven
children, the third of whom, William, was born in Hudson, N. Y.,
November 7, 1804. Neither of his parents was born or trained in
the Church, having descended from Congregational ancestors ; and,
owing to the restrictions of that religious system, they were not
baptized in their infancy. On their removal to Albany, however, in
1809, the father, who had spent several years as the editor and
publisher of a literary and political journal, carefully examined the
subject of the Christian ministry ; and this examination led to his
full conformity to the Episcopal Church, and he was baptized in
St. Peter's Church, Albany, on Sunday, July 19, 1812. The mother
and children were also baptized, on the 13th of June, 1813. The
father soon became a candidate for holy orders, and was ordained
to the office of deacon, by Bishop Hobart, in St. John's Church,
New York, May 8, 1814. After spending a few months in charge
of Christ Church, Hudson, he was called to the rectorship of Trin-
ity Church, New Haven, and entered upon his duties in that parish
January 1, 1815. He was subsequently admitted to the priesthood
by Bishop Griswold, acting as provisional Bishop of Connecticut.
It was here that William passed
HIS BOYHOOD.
On this period of his life it is not intended to dwell at large ;
and it is the less necessary, because his early traits of character
were fully developed in his Jater and more mature years. In all
these respects, it will be found that " the boy was father of the
man." The same guileless simplicity ā the same filial and dutiful
affection ā the same conscientious regard for the truth ā the same
benevolent disposition and amiable temper ā the same admiration
of the beautiful, in nature and art ā the same fertile imagination
and vivid train of thought ā the same habit of indulging in pleasing
anticipations ā and, above all, the same devout spirit ā which were
seen budding in his childhood, burst into full bloom in his manhood,
and constituted the abiding traits of his character in all his subse-
quent life. An incident is related in the commemorative sermon,
alluded to in the Introduction, which is sufficient of itself to illus-
trate the peculiar transparency of his inmost thoughts : When a
14 MEMOm OF \\^LLIAM CROSAVELL. [1816.
child at school, he was called up by his master, and sharply re-
proved for talking. " No, sir," his answer was ; " I was not talk-
ing, but I was just going to."
Books afforded him his favorite amusement ; but in the selection
of these books, he generally gave a preference to lyric and pastoral
poetJ-y, and to the rudiments of natural history. The Bible, how-
ever, was his choicest study ; and having a retentive memory, the
historical parts of the Old Testament, and the great leading princi-
ples of the New, became familiar to him in his earliest years.
Whatever he read was never forgotten ; and his aptness to learn
proved a great advantage to him in
HIS EDUCATION.
He was never a hard student, but always a good scholar. He
acquired knowledge, and mastered his lessons, with so much facility,
that it seemed to cost him but little trouble ; and it was often a
matter of surprise to his fellow-students, that he was so ready in
his recitations, without any appearance of laborious application.
When the point was settled, that his elder brother Sherman and
himself should prepare for entering Yale College, it was thought
expedient to remove them, for a time, from the influence and con-
tagion of the city ; and hence a private family school was chosen,
kept by the Rev. Elijah G. Plumb, in a little hamlet situated in
the centre of the town of East Haven, about four miles from the
city. To this lonely place Sherman went a few months in advance
of his brother ; and the letters which he sent home he dated, at
the suggestion of his preceptor, " Harmony Hall." This name was
alone sufficient to awaken all William's poetic fancies. It struck
his ear with a most melodious sound. Harmony Hall ! his imagi-
nation painted to him a rural paradise, surrounded with bowers and
arbors, with trees, and shrubbery, and flowers ! He was impatient
to join his brother in this lovely place. At length, a certain Mon-
day was fixed upon as the time when his father would accompany
him thither. But his ardent spirit would brook no delay. He
obtained permission to go on Saturday, and accordingly set off" on
foot and alone, cheerfully taking in his hand his httle bundle of
clothing. It was a solitary road, and he probably met few or none
of whom to inquire the way. But coming to an elevated point, he
descried before him some of the marks of a Connecticut village ā
the meeting house, the tavern, and the store. He passed by the
church, a plain and humble structure of very small dimensions, and
having nothing but its round-topped windows to denote its ecclesi-
astical character. He inquired of a young lad for the residence
of Mr. Plumb, and the house was readily pointed out to him. But,
in the bitterness of his disappointment, he doubtless suspected that
1818.1 mS EDUCATION. 15
the boy had been playing off a cruel joke. It was an ancient,
dilapidated farm house, with a huge stack of stone chimneys in the
centre, while either end drooped far below the level. Could this
be Harmony Hall 1 How did his fond anticipations vanish, as he
approached the door ! But he had little time for reflection before
he was surrounded by the resident boys, who, one and all, with a
sly, significant leer, welcomed him to " Harmony Hall."
In this retired place, the two brothers, with some eight or ten
other lads of their age, pursued the study of Latin and Greek.