red-men. From the Devon Bunker's Hill we can still see the vast reach of lonely and mysterious Dartmoor, just as it was, seemingly, before the realm of England was, before the Romans saw it, as the earliest Britons knew it in a now densely inhabited country, the same wild region that man has seen it from the shadowy prehistoric age to that of Sir A. Conan Doyle and the "Hound of the Baskervilles."

No day could be clearer there than the one when I gazed on this wide landscape, alone with that ancient region, for, though an hour there, not another human being did I meet. I had seen all of it. In the morning we had driven from Torquay over high land commanding much of the view; and our coachman, who knew the country, remarked that we might come twenty times and not have such clear weather. Before the next morning, to keep the average of local conditions, it was raining like the days of Noah revived.

A visit to this Devon Hill gives one a walk of four or five miles, for parts of the road do not allow pleasant driving; and it is a walk well worth taking, and commended to any one who delights in the best of old English scenery.

Hon. Samuel A. Green communicated in behalf of Mr. CHARLES H. HART, of Philadelphia, a Corresponding Member, the following paper:

Paul Revere's Portrait of Washington.

It gives me much pleasure to present to the Massachusetts Historical Society a photograph of what I believe to be the long-looked-for portrait of Washington engraved by Paul Revere. In the Life of Revere by E. H. Goss (Boston, 1891), on page 501, is printed a letter from Paul Revere to his cousin Mathias Rivoire, in France, in which Revere says: "Before this reaches you, you will have heard of the victory gained over the British Army by the Allied Armies, commanded by the brave General Washington. A small engraving of him, I send enclosed. It is said to be a good likeness and it is my engraving." Rivoire writes in reply: "I have received in course your letter, dated 6th of October, 1781, together with a silver seal and an engraving of General Washington, representing a gallant warrior." We are so apt to regard the term "engraving" as applying only to those done upon copper

or upon steel, that we have looked for a small copperplate portrait of Washington, signed by Revere, similar to his portraits of Sam Adams and of John Hancock published in the Royal American Magazine" for 1774; overlooking the fact that Revere engraved not a little on type metal, and that his "small engraving" of Washington could not have been signed, or he would not have written "it is my engraving."

In my researches, during the past six years, while preparing for the Grolier Club my " Catalogue Raisonné of the Engraved Portraits of Washington," which will be issued next January, I have kept a close lookout for this Revere Washington, but it has eluded my vigilance, unless I am correct in my view that the type-metal portrait (2 × 3 inches) photographed is the one by Revere that we have been seeking. It will be borne in mind it was in the year 1781 that Revere sent the portrait of Washington to France. In this same year, 1781, there was published in Boston, by John McDougall & Co., "Weatherwise's Town and Country Almanack," on page 7 of which is printed the type-metal portrait of "His Excellency | George Washington Esq | Commander in Chief of the Armies of the | United States of America," which I have had photographed.

Now while I admit it is difficult to understand how anything so coarse and crude could be called "a good likeness," or be commented upon as representing "a gallant warrior," I believe this to be the "small engraving" sent by Revere to his cousin Rivoire that has been sought for in vain so long. It is after Peale's portrait of Washington, which he scraped in mezzotinto, in 1778, and of which I know of but three impressions, one being in your own cabinet. The ornamental border around the portrait is much in the style of Revere's engraved work on his silverware, as also on his ex libris plates; and it is also quite like the type-metal headpiece of the " Royal American Magazine," which Revere did engrave. The titlepage of the almanac mentions "a large and beautiful copperplate representing a Picturesque View of Great Britain" as an embellishment. I have been able to find but five copies of the Weatherwise Almanack, for 1781, and un

1 In the Library of the Massachusetts Historical Society, first and second editions; in the Library of Congress; in the Public Library of Boston, and in the collection of Mr. E. B. Holden, New York; the latter the one photographed.

fortunately not one of them has this "beautiful copperplate," an inspection of which might show the name of Paul Revere as its engraver, which fact would be strong persuasive proof that the type-metal portrait of Washington, in the same almanac, was by the same hand. I think therefore this typemetal portrait of Washington may be accepted as the Revere "small engraving" until the ascription is disproved by the production of a copperplate print bearing his name as engraver. My reasons may be marshalled as follows:

1. The year in which the portrait was sent to France by Revere and published in Weatherwise's Almanack is the same, 1781.

2. The portrait sent to France was a "small engraving," and did not bear Revere's name, or he would not have added "it is my engraving."

3. It is upon type-metal, a composition engraved upon by Revere.

4. Its style is similar to work by Revere upon silverware, ex libris plates, and the headpiece to the "Royal American Magazine.'

Remarks were also made during the meeting by Messrs. HENRY W. HAYNES and CHARLES C. SMITH.

Two new serials, one covering the record of the October meeting, and the other that of the November meeting, were ready for distribution.

MEMOIR

OF

ROGER WOLCOTT, LL.D.

BY WILLIAM LAWRENCE.

FOR more than two and a half centuries the ancestry of Roger Wolcott has held a high place in the annals of New England and the country.

In the year 1630 Henry Wolcott, a country gentleman from Tolland, Somersetshire, with his wife and sons, landed at Boston. Settling first at Dorchester, he removed with Mr. Wareham's church to Windsor, Connecticut, where he became a leading citizen, being a member of the lower house of the first General Assembly held in Connecticut in 1637, and a member of the House of Magistrates. His son Simon was a selectman of Simsbury and captain of the train band.

In 1679 Roger Wolcott, son of Simon, was born. He held many public offices, and as a Major-General was second to Sir William Pepperrell in command of the expedition to Cape Breton. In 1750 and for four successive years he was Gorernor of the Colony of Connecticut. Roger's son, Oliver, also held many offices in the colony: he was a member of the Continental Congress, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, Major-General of the militia of Connecticut, Lieutenant-Governor, and finally Governor.

Of the two sons of Oliver Wolcott, the first, Oliver, served in Congress and in the army, was Comptroller of the Treasury, and succeeded Alexander Hamilton as Secretary of the Treasury. For two years he was Governor of Connecticut. The second son, Frederic, who was grandfather of the subject of this memoir, was a public-spirited citizen, and served the

1 Vide Roger Wolcott, by William Lawrence. Houghton, Mifflin & Co. Boston, 1902.