a thousand dollars to buy a library. It was a most timely and welcome
gift.

During my residence in Boston, I made my first appearance, but
anonymously, in print, in an essay entitled "Hints to Unitarians." How
ready this body of Christians has always been to accept sincere and
honest criticism, was evinced by the reception of my adventurous essay.
My gratification, it may be believed, was not small on learning that it
had been quoted with approbation in the English Unitarian pulpits; and
Miss Martineau told me, when she was in this country, then learning that
I was the author, that she, with a friend of hers, had caused it to be
printed as a tract for circulation. She would say now that it was in her
nonage that she did it.

The most remarkable man, next to Channing, that I became acquainted with
during this residence of two years in Boston, was Jonathan Phillips.
He was a merchant by profession, but inherited a large fortune, and was
never, that I know, engaged much in active business. He led, when I
knew him, a contemplative life, was an assiduous reader, and a deeper
thinker. He had [51] a splendid library, and spent much of his time
among his books. If he had had the proper training for it, I always
thought he would have made a great metaphysician. His conversation was
often profound, and always original, always drawn from the workings
of his own mind, and was always occupied with great philosophical and
religious themes. It was born of struggle, more, I think, than any
man's I ever talked with. For he had a great moral nature, and great
difficulties within, arising partly from his religious education,
but yet more from the contact with actual life of a very sensitive
temperament and much ill health. He had worked his way out independently
from the former, and stood on firm ground; and when some of his family
friends charged Channing with having drawn him away from Orthodoxy,
Channing replied, "No; he has influenced me more than I have influenced
him."

In London, in 1833, I met Mr. Phillips with Dr. Tuckerman, well known as
the pioneer in the "Ministry to the Poor in Cities," about to take the
tour on the Continent. He invited me to join them, and we travelled
together on the Rhine and in Switzerland. It was on this journey that
I became acquainted with the sad effect produced upon him by great
and depressing indisposition. His case was very singular, and explains
things in him that surprised his acquaintances