fragrant memories, culled for the readers of the "Atlantic," does honor to the poet's self. It is certainly no disadvantage to have first drawn breath in a house which was the original headquarters of the American army of the Revolution, and in which the battle of Bunker Hill was planned and ordered. The old house was pleasant to look at, though built originally for nothing more pretending than a farm-house. It had a thoroughly sturdy and honest look, like its old neighbor, the President's house, and in nothing except its yellow and white paint did it seem to counterfeit the royalist mansions of Tory Row. The Professor tells us it once had a row of Lombardy poplars on the west, but now not a single specimen of the tree can be found of the many that once stood stiffly up at intervals around the Common. The building fronted the south, with the College edifices of its own time drawn up in ugly array before it. Beyond, in unobstructed view, are the Square, the church with its lofty steeple, and its Anglican neighbor of the lowlier tower, where, "Like sentinel and nun they keep Their vigil on the green; One seems to guard and one to weep WENDELL. The west windows overlooked the Common, with its beautiful monument in its midst, and bordered by other houses with walls as familiar to the scenes of a hundred years ago as are those of our present subject. Were we to indulge our fancy, we might as easily invest these old houses with the gift of vision through their many glassy eyes, as to give ears to their walls; we might imagine their looks of recognition, doubtful of their own identity, amid the changes which time has wrought in their vicinage. It is at least a singular chance that fixed the homes of Longfellow, Holmes, Lowell, Hawthorne, and Everett in houses of greater or less historic celebrity; but it is not merely a coinci dence that has given these authors a decided preference for historical subjects. All are students of history; all either are or have been valued members of our historical societies. Evangeline, The Scarlet Letter, and Old Ironsides are pledges that the more striking subjects have not escaped them. In the roll of proprietors of the old gambrel-roof house, which Dr. Holmes supposed to be about one hundred and fifty years old, but which, we believe, was even more ancient, the first to appear is Jakez Fox, described as a tailor, of Boston, to whom the estate was allotted in 1707, and whose heirs sold it to Farmer Jonathan Hastings thirty years later, with the four acres of land pertaining to the messuage. The first Jonathan Hastings is the same to whom Gordon attributes the origin of the word "yankee." He says: "It was a cant, favorite word with Farmer Jonathan Hastings of Cambridge about 1713. Two aged ministers who were at the College in that town have told me they remembered it to have been then in use among the students, but had no recollection of it before that period. The inventor used it to express excellency. A Yankee good horse, or Yankee good cider, and the like, were an excellent good horse and excellent cider. The students used to hire horses of him, and the use of the term upon all occasions led them to adopt it, and they gave him the name of Yankee Jon." Gordon supposes that the students, upon leaving College, circulated the name through the country, as the phrase "Hobson's choice" was established by the students at Cambridge, in Old England, though the latter derivation is disputed by Mr. Ker, who calls it "a Cambridge hoax." The second Jonathan Hastings, long the College Steward, was born in 1708, graduated at Harvard in 1730, and died in 1783, aged seventy-five. It was during his occupancy that the house acquired its paramount importance. He was appointed postmaster of Cambridge in July, 1775, as the successor of James Winthrop; and his son Jonathan, who graduated at Harvard in 1768, was afterwards postmaster of Boston. Walter Hastings, also of this family, was a surgeon of the 27th regiment of foot (American), from Chelmsford, at the battle of Walter Bunker Hill, and rendered efficient service there. Hastings, of Boston, had a pair of gold sleeve-buttons worn by his grandsire on that day. His father, Walter Hastings, commanded Fort Warren, now Fort Winthrop, in 1812. As early as April 24, 1775, and perhaps immediately after the battle of Lexington, the Committee of Safety established themselves in this house, and here were concerted all those measures for the organization of the army created by the Provincial Congress. It was here Captain Benedict Arnold reported on the 29th of April with a company from Connecticut, and made the proposal for the attempt on Ticonderoga, prompted by his daring disposition. It was, without doubt, in the righthand room, on the lower floor, that Arnold received his first commission as colonel from the Committee, May 3, 1775, and his orders to raise a force and seize the strong places on the lakes. Thus Massachusetts has the dubious honor of having first commissioned this eminent traitor, whose authority was signed by another traitor, Benjamin Church, but whose treason was not then developed. ""Tis here but yet confused: Knavery's plain face is never seen till used." Arnold was the first to give information in relation to the number and calibre of the armament at Ticonderoga. As all that relates to this somewhat too celebrated personage has a certain interest, we give the substance of a private letter from a gentleman who was in Europe when General Arnold arrived there, and whose acquaintance in diplomatic circles placed him in a position to be well informed. The revolution in England respecting the change of ministry was very sudden, and supposed to have been influenced by the honest representations of Lord Cornwallis relative to the impracticability of reducing America, which rendered that gentleman not so welcome in England to the late Ministry as his brother-passenger, General Arnold, who, from encouraging information in favor of the conquest of America, was received with open arms by the king, caressed by the ministers, and all imaginable attention showed him by all people on that side of the question. He was introduced to the king in town, with whom he had the honor of many private conferences; and was seen walking with the Prince of Wales and the king's brother in the public gardens. The queen was so interested in favor of Mrs. Arnold as to desire the ladies of the court to pay much attention to her. On the other hand, the papers daily contained such severe strokes at Arnold as would have made any other man despise himself; and the then opposition, afterwards in power, had so little regard for him, that one day, he being in the lobby of the House of Commons, a motion was about to be made to have it cleared in order to get him out of it, but upon the member (the Earl of Surrey) being assured that he would not appear there again, the motion was not made. The name of the corporal who with eight privates constituted the crew of the barge in which Arnold made his escape from West Point to the Vulture, was James Lurvey, of Colonel Rufus Putnam's regiment. He is believed to have come from Worcester County. Arnold meanly endeavored to seduce the corporal from his flag by the offer of a commission in the British service, but the honest fellow replied, "No, sir; one coat is enough for me to wear at a time." This mansion was probably occupied by General Ward at a time not far from coincident with its possession by the Committee of Safety, but of this there is no other evidence than that his frequent consultations with that body would seem to render it necessary. He received his commission as commander-inchief of the Massachusetts forces on the 20th of May, 1775, at which time headquarters were unquestionably established here. It must be borne in mind, however, that the committee exercised the supreme authority of directing all military movements, and that General Ward was a subordinate. The fact that this was the Provincial headquarters has been doubtfully stated from time to time, but is settled by the following extract from the Provincial records, dated June 21, 1775: : |