ore. He now soars higher, glancing around with a vigilant eye, to
assure himself that none has witnessed his bliss. When these love
scenes are over, he dances through the air, full of animation and
delight, and, as if to convince his lovely mate that to enrich her
hopes he has much more love in store, he that moment begins anew, and
imitates all the notes which nature has imparted to the other
songsters of the grove.

WASHINGTON IRVING

Born in New York in 1783, died at Sunnyside in 1859; studied
law, but owing to ill health went abroad in 1804, remaining
two years; returning home, began to publish "Salmagundi" in
company with James K. Paulding; published in 1809 his
"History of New York," which established his literary
reputation; went abroad in 1815, remaining until 1832;
attached to the legation in Madrid in 1826; secretary of
legation in London in 1829; minister to Spain in 1842;
published the "Sketch Book" in 1819-20, "Bracebridge Hall"
in 1822, "Tales of a Traveler" in 1824, "Christopher
Columbus" in 1828, "Conquest of Granada" in 1829, "The
Alhambra" in 1832, "Life of Washington" in 1855-59; author
of many other books; his "Life and Letters" published in
1861-67.

I

THE LAST OF THE DUTCH GOVERNORS OF NEW YORK[49]

Peter Stuyvesant was the last, and, like the renowned Wouter Van
Twiller, the best of our ancient Dutch governors. Wouter having
surpassed all who preceded him, and Peter, or Piet, as he was sociably
called by the old Dutch burghers, who were ever prone to familiarize
names, having never been equaled by any successor. He was, in fact,
the very man fitted by nature to retrieve the desperate fortunes of
her beloved province, had not the Fates, those most potent and
unrelenting of all ancient spinsters, destined them to inextricable
confusion.

[Footnote 49: From Book V, Chapter I, of "Knickerbocker's History of
New York."]

To say merely that he was a hero would be doing him great
injustice--he was in truth a combination of heroes--for he was of a
sturdy, raw-boned make like Ajax Telamon, with a pair of round
shoulders that Hercules would have given his hide for (meaning his
lion's hide) when he undertook to ease old Atlas of his load. He was,
moreover, as Plutarch describes Coriolanus, not only terrible for the
force of his arm, but likewise of his voice, which sounded as tho it
came out of a barrel; and, lik