Of Huguenot descent and a native of New York City, born December 12, 1745, he graduated at Columbia College and was a delegate to the First Revolutionary Congress at the age of twenty-eight, three years later chief justice of his State, and subsequently minister to Spain and negotiator of the peace with Great Britain, Secretary of State, Chief Justice of the United States and Governor of New York. Notwithstanding these various trusts, he was enabled to spend nearly thirty years of retirement in pleasant country life at Bedford, Westchester County, where he died on the 17th of May,

LITERATURE AND LITERARY MEN.

1829, at the age of eighty-four. His life has been written by his son, William Jay. His national state papers, written when a member of the Continental Congress, and his contributions to the Federalist, were powerful aids to the patriot cause. His " Address to the People of Great Britain," in 1774, called forth expressions of admiration from Jefferson. He was also the author of a number of other political treatises of great clearness and vigor.

William Jay, second son of Chief Justice Jay, was also a person of decided literary talent. He was born June 16, 1789, graduated at Yale, and studied law at Albany under John B. Henry, until, compelled to abandon study by an affection of the eyes, he retired to his father's country-seat at Bedford. In 1812 he married the daughter of John McVickar, a New York merchant. He was appointed first judge of the county of Westchester by Governor Tompkins and was succes'iively reappointed by Clinton, Marcy and Van Buren. Throughout his life he was a prominent opponent of slavery and in this connection published m.iny addresses and pamphlets, which were collected by him in his " Miscellaneous Writings on Slavery," published at Boston in 1854.