Dutch church, which stood in the
middle of the street, had been pulled down since his last visit.

The fame of Mr. Knickerbocker's History having reached even to Albany, he
received much flattering attention from its worthy burghers; some of whom,
however, pointed out two or three very great errors he had fallen into,
particularly that of suspending a lump of sugar over the Albany
tea-tables, which they assured him had been discontinued for some years
past. Several families, moreover, were somewhat piqued that their
ancestors had not been mentioned in his work, and showed great jealousy of
their neighbors who had thus been distinguished; while the latter, it must
be confessed, plumed themselves vastly thereupon; considering these
recordings in the lights of letters patent of nobility, establishing their
claims to ancestry, which, in this republican country, is a matter of no
little solicitude and vain-glory.

It is also said, that he enjoyed high favor and countenance from the
governor, who once asked him to dinner, and was seen two or three times to
shake hands with him when they met in the street; which certainly was
going great lengths, considering that they differed in politics. Indeed,
certain of the governor's confidential friends, to whom he could venture
to speak his mind freely on such matters, have assured us that he
privately entertained a considerable good-will for our author--nay, he
even once went so far as to declare, and that openly too, and at his own
table, just after dinner, that "Knickerbocker was a very well-meaning sort
of an old gentleman, and no fool." From all which may have been led to
suppose, that, had our author been of different politics, and written for
the newspapers instead of wasting his talents on histories, he might have
risen to some post of honor and profit: peradventure to be a notary
public, or even a justice in the ten-pound court.

Besides the honors and civilities already mentioned, he was much caressed
by the _literati_ of Albany; particularly by Mr. John Cook, who
entertained him very hospitably at his circulating library and
reading-room, where they used to drink Spa water, and talk about the
ancients. He found Mr. Cook a man after his own heart--of great literary
research, and a curious collector of books At parting, the latter, in
testimony of friendship, made him a present of the two oldest works in his
collection; which were, the earliest edition of the Heidelberg Cate