ter part of the second volume, (and which doctrines Mr. Godwin
afterwards exemplified in his own case,) that he took at once a
decisive step to clear himself of the folly, or the guilt, of encour-
aging and circulating the work. He rose one evening at his
own fireside, from the perusal of the book, and silently, and with
gravity, opened the embers in the fire place, and carefully laid
down and buried the two volumes in the fire. His wife, who was
sitting by, astonished at the act, and ignorant of the cause, started
up and exclaimed, Thomas, art thou crazy?

He was one of the governors of the New York Hospital

in
1797, and I believe, had been one for some previous time; and I
considered myself as principally indebted to him for my intro-
duction in that year to the same trust. He acted as one of the
guardians of the hospital down to the spring of 1827; and the
value of his services must have been inestimable. The duties
which in that place were cast upon him, were congenial with his
disposition and character; and that great establishment is deserv-
edly classed among the most comprehensive, practical, and bene-
ficent of all the charitable institutions of this country. I know
of none that affords more prompt and effectual relief to the mise-
ries of the poorer and forsaken part of mankind. He was for
several years vice president, and at the period of his resignation,
president of the board. He came to me in the spring of 1827,
(being a few months before his death,) and told me that his declin-
ing health would not permit him to continue in the trust, and he
earnestly requested my consent to serve, if I should be chosen
one of the governors. Moved by his application, I did consent,
and faithful to my promise to him, I bore my portion of my bur-
den of the trust, for the three succeeding years ; and while in
that place, I could trace the influence and effects of that excellent
man, in every branch of the institution. Mr. Eddy was deeply
impressed with the account of the Retreat, an asylum near
the city of York, in England, erected for insane persons, and
which was much indebted for its success to the early and steady
efforts of Lindley Murray, a name familiar to the friends of let-
ters and humanity. In 1815, he suggested the propriety of efforts
to erect and establish a similar institution on this island; and one
that should adopt the same course of moral treatment of the luna-
tic patients. He presented to me at the time, a description of the