enemies. One of them became his cup-bearer and was hidden with him in a copse of holly; and in memory of his escape, Bruce adopted three holly leaves and the motto, "Sub sole, sub umbra, virens." In return for De Irvine's fidelity, Bruce later conferred upon him both the badge and Drum Castle - and the Irvings have retained the holly leaves.

Irving did not try for great things. "My writings," he said, "may appear light and trifling in our country of philosophers and politicians, but if they possess merit in the class of literature to which they belong, it is all to which I aspire."

Jonathan Oldstyle "-"Diedrich Knickerbocker -"Geoffrey Crayon "- our beloved Washington Irving! Thackeray calls him: "The first Ambassador of Letters from the New World to the Old."

Lowell says:

But allow me to speak what I honestly feel,-
To a true poet-heart add the fun of Dick Steele,

Throw in all of Addison, minus the chill,

With the whole of that partnership's stock and good will,
Mix well, and while stirring, hum o'er, as a spell,
The fine old English Gentleman simmer it well,
Sweeten just to your own private liking, then strain,
That only the finest and clearest remain,

Let it stand out-of-doors till a soul it receives

From the warm lazy sun loitering down through green leaves,

And you'll find a choice nature, not wholly deserving, A name either English or Yankee,- just Irving."

XIII

JAMES FENIMORE COOPER (1789-1851)

EACH early writer gave of his best to broaden our youthful literature: Charles Brockden Brown his crude, weird novels - Irving his storied sketches — and now Cooper is to bring his offering from both forest and ocean.

He was born in Burlington, New Jersey, on the fifteenth of September, 1789, and while a mere baby, his father, Judge Cooper, who owned thousands of acres of land in Central New York, removed to the wilderness of Otsego Lake. Here he built " Otsego Hall," a kind of feudal castle, over which he presided like the baronial lord of old, parcelling out his estate to other settlers, and a village was cut out and named Cooperstown in his honour.

And James, one of a family of twelve children, passed his boyhood on the edge of the vast, mysterious forest which sheltered alike Indian and wild beast. Fearless, high-spirited, and impressionable, he learned to love the sounds of woods and water. He became familiar with wigwam life and the tricks of the trapper. Fond of adventure, rifle in hand he would spend whole days with the pioneers, studying

the secrets of the woodland and the craft of the say

age.

Sometimes in the evenings he would listen to political discussions between Federalist and Anti-Federalist; for his father, Judge Cooper, was a Member of Congress and an ardent politician, and James always formed an independent opinion.

He went first to a village school and later to Albany to be tutored, and at thirteen entered Yale College, then under the leadership of President Dwight. The restraints of the college were not to the liking of such an unfettered youth, and in the third year he was dismissed for a boyish frolic. It was such a pity that he did not persevere until he had at least attained a thorough knowledge of English; for in maturer years, his ignorance in construction too often showed itself in careless literary work.

Judge Cooper, now feeling that his son needed discipline, sent him into the navy, and in 1806, he shipped before the mast for a year's cruise. Later he was promoted to a lieutenancy and for a time served on the quarter-deck of a man-of-war, and was also stationed at Oswego; and in his four years' experience, he learned much about ships and sailors, the Great Lakes, the sea and its imagery.

And then the handsome young naval officer offered himself to Miss de Lancey of "Heathcote Hall," in Westchester County, and when she accepted him, he promptly resigned his commission. After their

marriage, they lived in different homes - the first being dubbed "Closet Hall" from its diminutive size. In the second, a picturesque cottage, Cooper began his literary career, and this is associated with the following incident:

One day while reading a stupid English novel aloud to his wife, he suddenly threw down the book, declaring that he could write a better one! His incredulous wife playfully challenged him; he took up the challenge, and presently produced his "Precaution." It was about English society, a subject of which he was perfectly ignorant so it was weak

and dull.

But through doing it, he discovered his own possibilities and a friend encouraged him to try again using precaution in selecting a theme with which he was familiar and he tried and succeeded. The title of this second novel was "The Spy "; and the scene was laid in Westchester County where he had heard many tales of plundered farm and hamlet, of plot and counterplot and bloody strife in the Revolutionary War.

Cooper was a frequent guest at " Bedford House," the home of the Jays; and here one afternoon seated upon the piazza, he had grown greatly interested in the story of a grave, sagacious, and nameless patriot, who had served the Jays as a spy during the

war.

He took him for his hero; and for his occupation

and appearance, he selected a versatile peddler, who, "staff in hand and pack at back," frequently passed his door and Harvey Birch, the faithful spy, as moulded by Cooper, was at once a master-spirit in fiction; and landmarks associated with Cooper's homes and with the war-lore of "The Spy" are today recalled in the neighbourhood of Mamaroneck and New Rochelle.

And if you would know with what different eyes Irving and Cooper looked out upon Westchester County scenes, read "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and then "The Spy." One spread over the land the halo of romance- the other developed local patriotism.

"The Spy" had wide circulation not only in. America and England, but was translated into foreign languages; indeed, it was read even to Persia and the Holy Land, to Mexico and South America

and Cooper's surprise was unbounded.

After his real entrance upon literary pursuits, he made his home in New York for three or four years. It was here that he started the noted "Bread and Cheese Club"-so called because in electing members, "bread "bread" was used for an affirmative and "cheese" for a negative vote.

The deliberations were held in Washington Hall. Bryant, Halleck, Percival, and other well-known men belonged. Cooper was a conspicuous figure in "The Den," a celebrated lounging-place for authors