tude of purpose and equanimity of soul:
'The approbation,' he observes, in a letter to Dr. Thatcher, 'of one
judicious and virtuous man relative to the conduct of the negotiations,
affords me more satisfaction than clamor and intrigue have given me
concern.'

Before the outbreak of political animosity on account of the treaty, and
during his absence on that mission, Jay had been elected Governor of the
State of New York; had that instrument been published in April instead
of July, he would not have been chosen; and yet, despite the fever of
partisan feeling, he made no removals. At the close of this memorable
year, Washington died: that illustrious man held no man in greater
esteem than Jay: to him and Hamilton he had submitted his Farewell
Address: when the former's term of office expired, he determined to
retire; and did so on the 1st of July, 1801, declining the reappointment
as Chief Justice, earnestly tendered him. He now removed to his paternal
estate at Bedford, in Westchester county, New York, to enjoy
long-coveted repose from public duties. Thenceforth his life was one of
dignified serenity and active benevolence. The superintendence of his
farm, co-operation in philanthropic enterprises, the amenities of
literature, the consolations of religion, and the graces of hospitality
congenially occupied his remaining years--years abounding in respect
from his countrymen, and the satisfactions of culture, integrity, and
faith. He rebuilt the family mansion, occasionally made visits on
horseback to New York and Albany. Now zealous in building up a church,
and now benignly considerate of a dependant's welfare--loyal and happy
in his domestic relations, interested in the welfare of both nation and
neighborhood, and preserving his intimacy with the classics and the
Scriptures--the last thirty years of John Jay's life, in their peaceful
routine and gracious tenor, reflected with 'daily beauty' the sustained
elevation of mind and the consistent kindliness and rectitude of a
Christian gentleman. On the 17th of May, 1829, he died, crowned with
love and honor. The echoes of party strife had long died away from his
path: the clouds of party malice had faded from his horizon: all felt
and acknowledged, in his example and character, the ideal of an American
citizen. Not as a brilliant but as a conscientious man, not as a
wonderfully gifted but as an admirably well-balanced mind, not as an
exceptional hero but as a just, prudent, f