upon his "Discourses" from the pen of the late
George Ripley, one of the most learned and judi-
cious literary critics of his time.

"He was always the honored guest of the evening, and
the moment in which he was to be called upon to speak
was awaited with eager expectation that never ended in
disappointment. He was singularly happy in seizing
the tone of the company, no matter what were the cir-
cumstances or the occasion; his remarks were not only
pertinent, but eminently felicitous; with no pretensions
to artificial eloquence, he was always impressive, often
pathetic, and sometimes quietly humorous, with a zest
and pungency that touched the feelings of the audience
to the quick.

"On more important public occasions, when the
principal speech of the day was assigned to him, he dis-
charged the trust with a tranquil dignity of manner, a
serene self-possession, and an amplitude of knowledge
and illustration that invariably won the admiration of
the spectators. His last address of this kind, delivered
on the day of his fatal attack, at the unveiling of the
bust of Mazzini in Central Park, was a masterpiece of
descriptive oratory, unsurpassed by any of his previous
efforts for a similar purpose. Never was there a more
just or feeling tribute to the Italian patriot. Seldom
has been presented a more discriminating analysis of a
great political career, or a finer portraiture of the ad-
mirable qualities of a noble and heroic personage."

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