THE MURDER OF MISS M'CREA. naturally made as much haste as he could, and in a short time they came to the spring, where several Indians were assembled. at the first Indian he saw, and ran down the hill toThe excellent representation of this terrible atroc-wards the fort; but he had no sooner reached the ity, with the story of which most of our readers are plain, than three Indians, who had pursued him to already acquainted, was copied by permission, from cut off his retreat, darted out of the bushes, fired a painting by Messrs. Ward and Page, now in the and wounded him in the foot. One of them sprang possession of Mr. Clover. The landscape portion upon him, threw him to the ground, pinioned his was drawn by our very promising young country- arms, and then pushed him violently up the hill. He man Mr. Ward, upon the spot of the original scene. 'The figures in the painting were done by Mr. Page; those in our picture, however, were copied in part from his, but mostly from a fine English copperplate engraving of the same scene. This is the first of a series of historical engravings with which we promised to embellish the numbers of our Magazine. We feel assured that one engraving of this kind will give infinitely more satisfaction to the American reader, than half-a-dozen views of old castles, churches, or eccentrick characters. The following version of this story is from the industrious and prolifick pen of Mr. Sparks : Here Standish was left to himself, at a little distance from the spring and the pine tree, expecting every moment to share the fate of his comrades whose scalps were conspicuously displayed. A few minutes only had elapsed, when he saw a small party of Indians ascending the hill, and with them Mrs. M'Neil and Miss M'Crea on foot. He knew them both, having often been at Mrs. M'Neil's house. The party had hardly joined the other Indians when he perceived much agitation among them, high words and The murder of Jane M'Crea has been a theme violent gestures, till at length they engaged in a fuwhich eloquence and sensibility have alike contrib-rious quarrel, and beat one another with their musuted to dignify, and which has kindled in many a kets. In the midst of which fray, one of the chiefs, breast the emotions of a responsive sympathy. apparently in a paroxysm of rage, shot Miss M'Crea Gen. Gates's description, in his letter to Burgoyne, in the breast. She instantly fell and expired. Her although more ornate than forcible, and abounding hair was long and flowing. The same chief grasped more in bad taste than simplicity or pathos, was it in his hand, seized his knife, and took off the scalp suited to the feelings of the moment, and produced in such a manner as to include nearly the whole of a lively impression in every part of America and the hair-then springing from the ground, he tossed the glowing language of Burke, in one of his cele- it in the face of a young warriour, who stood near him brated speeches in the British Parliament, made the watching the operation, brandished it in the air, and story of Jane M'Crea familiar to the European world. uttered a yell of savage exultation. When this was This young lady was the daughter of a clergyman, who died in New Jersey before the Revolution. Upon her father's death she sought a home in the house of her brother, a respectable gentleman residing on the western bank of Hudson's river, about 4 | miles below Fort Edward. Here she formed an intimacy with a young man named David Jones, to whom it was understood she was engaged to be married. When the war broke out, Jones took the side of the royalists, went to Canada, received a commission, and was a captain or lieutenant among the provincials in Burgoyne's army. Fort Edward was situate on the eastern margin of Hudson's river, within a few yards of the water, and surrounded by a plain of considerable extent, which was cleared of wood and cultivated. On the road leading to the north, and near the foot of the hill, about one third of a mile from the fort, stood a house occupied by Mrs. M'Neil, a widow lady and an acquaintance of Miss M'Crea, with whom she was staying as a visiter at the time the American army was in that neighbourhood. The side of the hill was covered with a growth of bushes, and on its top, a quarter of a mile from the house, stood a large pine tree, near the root of which gushed out a perennial spring of water. A guard of one hundred men had done, the quarrel ceased and, as the fort had already been alarmed, the Indians hurried away as quickly as possible to Gen. Fraser's encampment on the road to Fort Anne, taking with them Mrs. M'Neil and Samuel Standish. The bodies of the slain were found by a party that went in pursuit, and were carried across the river. They had been stripped of their clothing, and the body of Miss M'Crea was wounded in nine places either by a scalping knife or a tomahawk. A messenger was despatched to convey the afflicting intelligence to her brother, who arrived soon afterwards, took charge of his sister's remains, and had them interred on the east side of the river, about three miles below the fort. The body of Lt. Van Vechten was buried at the same time and on the same spot. History has preserved no facts by which we can at this day ascertain the reason why Miss M'Crea should remain as she did in so exposed and unprotected a situation. She had been reminded of her danger by the people of the fort. Tradition relates, however, and with seeming truth, that through some medium of communication she had promised her lover, probably by his advice, to remain in this place, until an opportunity should occur to join him in com been left at the fort, and a picket under Lt. Van pany with her hostess and friend. It is said, that Vechten was soon stationed in the woods on a hill when they saw the Indians coming to the house, a little beyond the pine tree. they were at first frightened, and attempted to escape Early one morning this picket guard was attacked -but, as the Indians made signs of a pacifick inten by a party of Indians, rushing through the woods from different points at the same moment, and rending the air with hideous yells. Lt. Van Vechten and five others were killed and scalped, and four were wounded. S. Standish, one of the guard, whose post was near the pine tree, discharged his musket tion, and one of them held up a letter intimating that it was to be opened, their fears were calmed and the letter was read. It was from Jones, and contained a request that they would put themselves under the charge of the Indians, whom he had sent for the purpose, and who would guard them in safety to the incredible that Jones should not British camp. Unfortunately, two separate parties oppressed by almost every contemporary nation or of Indians, or at least two chiefs acting independ- tribe whose hostility and hate could reach or affect ently of each other, had united in this enterprise, them, yet the chosen of the Almighty have been suscombining with it an attack upon the picket guard. tained through unexampled vicissitudes and unequalthis part of the arrangement, or he would have fore- led sufferings. From the time of their expulsion from seen the danger it threatened. When the prize was their native land, until the death of David, they had not in their hands, the two chiefs quarrelled about the the slightest guarantee of peace, but the ancient promode of dividing the reward they were to receivemise of Noah, or a hope in God, whose favour was and according to the Indian rule of settling disputes in the case of captives, one of them in a wild fit of continually manifested in miracles. Suffering all that passion killed the victim and secured the scalp. Nor human nature could sustain in Egypt, they were is it the least shocking feature of the transaction miraculously delivered and sent back miraculously that the savage seemed not aware of the nature of his protected to the promised land. Threatened with extermination by the hordes of murderous tribes that mission. Uninformed as to the motive of his employer for obtaining the person of the lady, or not comprehending it, he regarded her in the light of a pris- infested Canaan, they were obliged even here to exert oner and supposed the scalp would be an acceptable all their strength and vigilance, to defeat the designs trophy. Let it be imagined what were the feelings of treachery and to escape the hands of blood-thirsty of the anxious lover, waiting with joyful anticipation savages. After frequent and obstinate battles, great the arrival of his intended bride, when this appalling proof of her death was presented him. The in- losses, persevering and indefatigable action, they sucnocent had suffered by the hand of cruelty and vio- ceeded under the excellent generalship of the conlence, which he had unconsciously armed-his most quering Joshua, in getting a footing upon the promfondly cherished hopes were blasted, and a sting ised land. For the space of 356 years afterwards, was planted in his soul, which time and forgetfulness could never eradicate. His spirit was scathed and his heart broken. He lived but a few years, a prey to his sad recollections, and sunk into the grave un- eminent of these leaders, was succeeded by a king der the burden of his grief. The remembrance of this melancholy tale is still cherished with a lively sympathy by the people who awell near the scene of its principal incidents. The inhabitants of the village of Fort Edward have lately reinoved the remains of Miss M'Crea from their obscure resting-place, and deposited them in the publick burial ground. The ceremony was solemn and im pressive. A procession of young men and maidens followed the relicks, and wept in silence when the earth was again closed over them-thus exhibiting an honourable proof of sensibility and of respect for the dead. The little fountain still pours forth its clear waters near the brow of the hill and the ven erable pine yet stands in all its majesty, broken at the top, and shorn of its branches by the winds and storms of half a century-but revered as marking the spot where youth and innocence were sacrificed in the tragick death of Jane M'Crea. HISTORY. "History presents complete examples. Experience is doubly defective; we are born too late to see the beginning, and we die too soon to see the end of many things. History supplics both of these defects: modern history shows the causes, when experience presents the effects alone: and ancient history enables us to guess at the effects, when experience presents the causes alone."-Bolingbroke. PERIOD V. they but illy prospered under the governing direction of a succession of judges. Samuel, the last and most in the person of Saul. His reign was characterized by crime and ill success, and he died miserably. Then came the brave, talented, and pious David. His valiant and indomitable energy, while it ensured fame to himself, raised his people to the greatest eminence and renown. After him the wise and rich Solomon succeeded to the throne of Israel, and we now approach a period of profound peace and prosperity in the history of this people. We have seen the Philistines, the Moabites, the Ammonites, the Amalekites, and the Idumeans very nearly supplanted, and most of them, if not destroyed, at least no longer known as nations. The Canaanites also, involving themselves with the Phenicians, no longer had a national existence. The Phenicians had considerably improved, and were slowly progressing in navigation, trade and the arts. Greece had been occupied with the Trojan war, and was yet in an unsettled state. Egypt was suffering the direst calamities, the retributory vengeance of heaven for their inhumanity, injustice and crime. The Lydian merchants had been driven from the borders of the Ægean sea by the invading Ionians, and their commercial operations at this juncture seem to have been entirely restricted, or at least confined to the obscuri The period of Homer, extending from the dedication ty of their own nation. Italy was quiet, and confin. of Solomon's temple, 1004 B. c. to the founding of ed herself to domestick industry and the study of the Rome 752 years B. c. arts. Syria seems to have been nursing a hostile jealousy, and preparing herself for an invasion of [srael, Muh-wang was upon the Chinese throne, and, scarcely recovered from the evils of a civil war which had resulted from the rivalry of seventy independent government acknowledging one king, China was defending herself against the Tartars. magnificent temple, Solomon built a navy upon the Red sea and placed it under the care of Tyrian sailors, Solomon, the son of David by Bathsheba, com- who in the course of three years brought him an immenced his prosperous reign over Israel, by putting mense quantity of gold and silver from Ophir, and preto death all who were ambitious of the throne, and in cious stone, spices, ebony, ivory, apes, &c. from Tarfulfilling his father's instruction in relation to the build- shish. There have been great disputes as to the situing of a temple that he had designed as a magnifi- ation of Ophir and Tarshish. Some have conjecturcent repository of the ark of God. Among other expedients to fortify himself against enemies, he resorted to an alliance with the king of Egypt, and married that powerful prince's daughter. Her dowry was the city of Gezer, which Pharaoh had taken from the Canaanites. Solomon, in his choice of wisdom, prayed God for such a degree of wisdom only, as might enable him to govern with that prudence and sagacity, as became a king of Israel. That wisdom was chiefly manifested in a judicious government adapted to the people and to the times; in the management of commercial intercourse, and his diplomatick relations; in settling his customs and finances; in the choice of his officers; in the regulation of his army; in his administration of justice, and the general discipline of his subjects. This excellent economy of the state; added to his immense riches, "gave him such a powerful sway, that he lived in the profoundest peace, plenty and grandeur of any prince of his times; beloved by his friends and allies, who were constantly pouring the richest treasures upon him; feared by his enemies, receiving large tributes from several crowned heads, and resorted unto from all parts of the world, for his excellent wisdom and magnificence, which brought in a continual concourse of strangers to his metropolis, and enriched it to such a degree, that gold and silver seemed to have lost their intrinsick value, by their extraordinary abundance." The revenue of his navy alone exclusive of his customs, amounted to nearly seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars. He encouraged every branch of trade and industry that was laudable and useful; he first introduced horses and chariots into Israel, and he had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, and with his unexampled magnificence and wealth, unlike many of the rich of modern days, he had a largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the seashore. His dominion extended from beyond the river Euphrates, to the Nile or borders of Egypt, and all the kings of those countries were tributary to him 1 Kings 4. He opened out practically adopting the spirit of which, no man ed that they were in China, others in the East Indies or on the borders of the Red sea, or perhaps in the Mediterranean; but James Bruce, in his travels to discover the source of the Nile, proves conclusively that Sofala, the main land opposite to Madagascar on the southeastern coast of Africa, is the Ophir and Tarshish of Antiquity.* Solomon's renown also brought to him Queen Sheba, who made him magnificent presents. She is spoken of in the Scriptures as the Queen of the South; and Mr. Bruce clearly proves that she was Queen of Abyssinia, and in possession of Ophir. In the midst of his glory and in an administration that would have seemed to re uire the most constant study and vigilance, Solomon completed his magnificent temple after seven years' labour, and consecrated it to the Lord: a work, the extraor-dinary, intricate and extensive design of which, says Josephus, would have crazed any head but Solomon's; yet he had an almost incredible number of workmen employed in every variety of art, and the stone and the timber were hewn in the mountains, and in fact all the materials were prepared, before the temple was put together, so that when it was erecting, not the sound of a hammer was heard. a correspondence with many foreign princes, through whose friendship, especially that of Hiram, king of Tyre, he obtained abundant materials for building his temple, in exchange for the produce of his own domintons. The particulars in relation to the building of this temple, which, according to some historians was the most important act of his reign, we give in the description below. In procuring materials for this It is interesting to contemplate the extraordinary reign of this most extraordinary man. As he was a prince of unequalled splendour, so he was a man of unequalled wisdom; if his wealth was unexampled so was his munificence. If he had artificial attractions around him, so there came of all people to hear his wisdom: "For he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five. And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spoke also of beasts, and of fowls, and of creeping things, and of fishes." He wrote the books of Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes and the Canticles. Who ever studied the first, without observing truth and umbibing the most excellent practical wisdom from every line? The second contams lessons and advice, with can prosper. The last as a model of poetry, imbodying the finest sentiments in the most beautiful and effective language, is unsurpassed and unsurpassable! To point out an instance in which he expresses a common truth in the most beautiful language, and in which he evinces a most perfect knowledge of the anatomy of the human system: Ecclesiastes 12:6. Or • Bruce's Travels. Vol. 2. p. 354. ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be bro- | severe study pointed out to us its he s truth. plary in piety and grh immaterials, we have never broken at the cistern: Then shall the dust return to the RY. he people were ing that it would be inflicted under the administration of his son; and that his own conduct would be the procuring cause. It is believed by most historians that he repented of his dereliction from duty before he died, though nothing is said on this point in the Bible. This man of extraordinary wisdom and wealth died 975 years в. с. aged fifty-eight years, and af main at home with the do is watched by the la This magnificent edifice was built upon Mount Mo- | after David's death, the 480th after the exodus, and riah at Jerusalem. The foundations were laid in the fourth year of iced. The first of these is the second 1011 в. с. David had made great preparations for building the temple, and had collected a vast quan tity of cent acknowleother metals and materials be- innermost or new court containing the temple, and defending herself against the 'l accession to the throne the outer one the priests' court, containing in its centre Solomon, the son of antracts with foreign princes the altar of burnt-offerings. A gate opened from tommals to carry on the stupendous work; he caused a census to be taken of all the Canaanitish and other slaves in Israel, that he might arrange his labours, and send abroad for the most skilful artificers and the richest materials. He found 153,600 slaves; 70,000 of whom he appointed to carry burdens, 80,000 to hew timber and stone in the mountains, and the remaining 3,600 as overseers. He also levied 30,000 men out of Israel, and directed them to work in Lebanon one month in every three, 10,000 every month, under the inspection of Adoniram. These it seems were mere rowth that prudê stone and timber; for afterwards thag of Israel. 'nd through the hands of the Tyrian art in a judicious conveyed to Joppa on floats, whence to the times; im conveyed to Jerusalem. Every Porcourse mished before it was taken to Jerusalem. The temple was completed in seven years. Although the value of the materials, and the admirable perfection of the workmanship, rank it among the most celebrated structures of antiquity, yet we cannot give credence to the statements of some historians and Jewish rabbins who describe this sacred fabrick with all the exaggerations which the most luxuriant fancy can suggest, as a temple as unequalled in extent as it was in grandeur and richIt was not large, being about one hundred and seven feet in length, thirty-six in breadth, and fifty-four in height. 1 Kings 6:2. Indeed, Solomon's house was larger than the temple, for that was one hundred and fifty feet long, seventy-five feet broad, and fortyfive feet in height. 1 Kings 7:2. But the temple was exquisitely proportioned, and, together with a grand porch, was most splendidly ornamented. ness. this last court directly in front of the grand porch of the temple. This porch, which was in front of the temple, it is said was magnificent. It was thirty-six feet long and eighteen wide. On either side of the entrance was a beautiful brass pillar, splendidly worked, particularly the capitals. The precise height of these pillars it is difficult to determine: but they were six feet in diameter. The pillar upon the right was called Jachin, which signifies he shall establish, and the other on the left, Boaz, or strength is in him. On either side of the porch winding stairs ascended leading into the chambers of the temple. Directly in front of the entrance to the porch was the door which led into the main room or sanctuary. This door was made of olive wood, beautifully and heavily carved, and overlaid with gold. The mouldings of the door, according to Josephus, were of brass and silver. The sanctuary was a most magnificent room; on whichever side the eyes were turned, no wood nor stone work was to be seen, it was all pure and shining gold. The floor and the ceiling and much of the walls were of cedar, carved with "knops and flowers," but all overlaid with pure gold. The chambers, of which there were three tiers of thirty each, were built in the wall of the temple all around both the sanctuary and the oracle. At the extremity of the sanctuary was made a partition by the chains of gold before the oracle. It is supposed this partition, which is called the " veil of the temple," was a strong wall with a door in the centre, before which was hung a curtain upon a chain of gold. This opened into the oracle or most holy place, where was depos ited the ark of God. This room was thirty feet in length, breadth and height. The work of the walls and floor was similar to that of the sanctuary, though probably more costly and highly finished. The altar was made of cedar, and covered with gold. There were also erected in this room two cherubim of olive wood, fifteen feet each in height, and their wings measuring from tip to tip each fifteen feet. These beautiful and sacred ornaments, whose wings together reached across the temple, were also overlaid with pure gold. The main walks of the temple were marble; the roof, of board, and beams of cedar ; The temple faced the east. On the rear or west side was the lower part of the city, and on the south was a valley and the principal peak of Mount Sion. There was a gate on each side, together with an additional one on the W. southwest side, that led to the king's house or palace, which stood across the valley, and communicated with the temple by a terrace walk. At each of the gates was a guard-house; at the south gate were two additional houses called Asuppim, where the wardens of the court probably assembled and stored their utensils and arms, &c., the temple was lighted by "arit dews win narrow and there were similar houses in each of the four lights At the dedicatio model of poetry, imbody corners of the court. In the centre of this court was the priests' court, which was an oblong square of one hundred and fifty feet in length and set his own doin width. There were three doors to this cuilding of ing from the north, east, and south. This court scaffold built, upon which he stood and addressed the cas cregation and prayed. This was before the To point out the priests' court. It seems that, aftermon truth in the an ivory throne, and overlaid it with gold; but whether this throne was situated there or was divided by a partition wall through the centre, in the temple, we are at loss to determine. If the which made two inner courts of equal extent the "pillthrone Bruce's Travels. Vol. 2. p. 354. undoubtedly |