, the labor of careful selection,
arrangement, and illustration was immense. His apartment in Ashburton
Place, Boston, was covered from floor to ceiling with volumes and
packages; nor did he ever leave it until his completed task of ten or
twelve hours' work, freed him, after night, for a healthful walk and a
refreshing visit to friends. Ten of these busy years were thus spent in
the preparation, printing, and publication of the Life and Writings of
Washington, which was finally given to the world, volume by volume,
between 1834 and 1837, in twelve stout octavos, at a cost, I
understand, of about one hundred thousand dollars. In 1840, appeared
his other great national book, the Life and Works of Franklin, in ten
massive octavos, comprizing, among other valuable papers discovered by
him, no less than two hundred and fifty-three letters of the
philosopher, never before printed, and one hundred and fifty-four not
included in any previous edition. To this superb collection he added
the "Life" as far as it had been written by Franklin himself, and
continued it, from his own materials, to the patriot's death.

In seventeen years, and at the age of fifty-one, he had won the highest
honors of literature, and the right to have his name linked forever,
throughout the world, with the names of Franklin and Washington. Nor
were these honors less dear to him when he reflected that he had
reached the mature age of thirty-four before he had _a real purpose in
life_, and that, in spite of adverse fortune, he had accomplished his
designs by the force of character, by self-denial and indomitable
industry.

In 1852-3, occurred the singular controversy between Lord Mahon, Mr. W.
B. Reed, and Mr. Sparks, in regard to the manner in which the latter
had edited Washington's Writings. It was conducted by our late
colleague with good temper and success. He vindicated his facts and
plan from all assaults, foreign and domestic, and was, doubtless,
vastly aided by the exact method with which his letters, documents, and
references had been arranged for his great work. For, _preparation_
was, at once, his task and his strength. He always wrote rapidly and
alone, without the aid of an amanuensis, as soon as he was prepared to
compose. He then worked with great perfection and ease to himself,
because the materials were not only at hand but thoroughly digested.
When asked how long a time would be required by him to make an
abridgement of his Life of Wa