"3. Robert Brooke was born at London, in St. Brides' Parish, April 21st, 1639, half an hour before 1 of the clock in the morning, it being Sunday and new moon two days after, his Godfather my Cousin Thomas Foster (4 under Jupiter), son to Serecant Foster and my Cousin William Brooke, and his Godmother my sister Elizabeth.

4. John Brooke, born at Battel, the 20th September, 1640, being Sunday, between 1 and 2 o'clock in the afternoon, his Godfather William Jackson, D. P., and his Godmother Mrs. Jackson.

"5. Mary Brooke was born at Battel the 14th day of April, being Thursday, 1642, after 1 o'clock in the morning, the moon being in the last quarter the Tuesday before, her Godfather Mr. Jackson, and her Godmother old Mrs. Beneford.

6. William Brooke, born at Battel the 1st day of December, 1643, between 11 and 12 o'clock at night, the moon being new in the morning at 5, and baptized the same day, his Godfather Mr. March and his Godmother Mrs. Pound.

"7. Ann Brooke, born at Bretnock, 22d January, 1645, between 5 and 6 of the clock at night, being Thursday, her Godfather the Bishop of St. David's, his Deputy her Uncle Henry Mellyne, her Godmothers Mrs. Mary Mainwaring and Mrs. Jones, ? under Venus.

"8. Francis Brooke, born at Horwett in Hantshire,

the 30th May, 1648, being Tuesday, between 11 and 12 o'clock at noon, D under Luna.

"The before-named Robert Brooke, Esquire, arrived out of England in Maryland the 29th day of June, 1650, in the 48th year of his age, with his wife and ten children. He was the first that did seat the Patuxent, about twenty miles up the river at Delabrook, and had one son there, born in 1651, called Basil, who died the same day. In 1652 he removed to Brooke Place, being right against Delabrook; and on the 28th of November, 1655, between 3 and 4 o'clock in the afternoon, had two children Eliza and Henry, twins. He departed this world the 20th day of July, and lieth buried at Brooke Place Manor; and his wife, Mary Brooke, departed this life the 29th November, 1663."

I give this memorandum in full, not merely to show his family and the time of his immigration, but as a curious historical fact, showing how deeply the delusions of astrology at that time influenced the minds of intelligent men. For the precision of his entry as to the times of the birth of his children, and the position of the planets at the moment, are evidently noted in this memorandum to enable an astrologer to foretell their fortunes.

I speak of Robert Brooke as a man of intelligence because the offices he held show that he was so considered by his contemporaries. For soon after his

arrival he was appointed by Lord Baltimore Commander of Charles County, and was chosen by the commissioners, appointed by Cromwell for the reducing the Plantations, Governor of Maryland. He, as well as my father's ancestors, originally settled in St. Mary's County, on the banks of the Patuxent, nearly opposite to their Calvert dwellings; and within my recollection some of their descendants were still residing on the same places.

I do not know what was the religion of Robert Brooke, but my grandfather Roger Brooke was Roman Catholic; and, for the reasons I have stated, my mother's education, as far as mere matter of human learning was concerned, was a very limited one. But her judgment was sound, and she had knowledge and qualities far higher and better than mere human learning can give. She was pious, gentle, and affectionate, retiring and domestic in her tastes. I never in my life heard her say an angry or unkind word to any of her children or servants, nor speak ill of any one. When any of us or the servants about the house who were under her immediate control (all of whom were slaves) committed a fault, her reproof was gentle and affectionate. If any of the plantation-servants committed faults, and were about to be punished, they came to her to intercede for them; and she never failed to use her influence in their behalf, nor did she ever hear of a case of distress

within her reach, that she did not endeavor to relieve it. I remember and feel the effect of her teaching to this hour.

So much for my parents and parentage. My parents both lived to an advanced age. They had several children, four sons and three daughters. I was the third child and the second son.

The Revolution had removed all difficulty in our education upon the score of religion. For the constitution established by the State of Maryland in 1776 placed all persons professing the Christian religion on an equal footing. But the situation in which we lived was, as I have said, a retired one; and there was no school within ten miles of us except one, which was distant three miles, kept in a log-cabin by a welldisposed but ignorant old man, who professed to teach reading, writing, and arithmetic as far as the rule of three. The reading and writing, as may well be supposed, were poor enough; but, for want of a better, I was sent to it, when not more than eight years of age, with my elder brother and sister. We walked every day to and from the school when the weather was good, and when it was unfavorable we stayed at home. Our attendance, therefore, was not very regular. My father had no taste for teaching, and did not very often assist us in our lessons. He was fond of reading, and I believe read every work he could obtain in the then scant libraries of the country. But he soon

wearied with the lessons of children, and became impatient if we did not learn as fast as he thought we should. He took far more pleasure in teaching my elder brother and myself how to ride and swim, and to fish, and to row and sail in the summer, and to skate and to shoot ducks and wild geese in the winter. I cannot remember the time when I could not ride on horseback, and but faintly remember my first efforts at swimming.

With all these disadvantages we however got along in due time as far as our humble teacher could carry us. Our only school-books were Dillworth's spellingbook and the Bible; and these, I believe, were the only books our teacher had ever read. I remember yet the pleasure I felt when I was able to read and understand the fable of the boys and the frogs, and the wagoner praying to Hercules, etc., etc., in the spelling-book, and admired the wretched wood-cuts with which it was embellished. As for the Bible, it was used merely as a book to teach us how to spell words and pronounce them. Our teacher professed to belong to the Episcopal Church; but the nearest church was ten miles distant, and as he was poor, and his two horses were worked hard in cultivating a few acres of poor land which he owned, and were not, from their appearance, very well fed, I doubt whether he went to church more than once or twice a year, if so often. He was, however, a kind man, upright and