Name/Title
Resolution on the Death of Washington IrvingEntry/Object ID
HHV 003.785Context
At a Meeting of the Trustees / of the Astor Library, held at the Library / Building on the second day of December / 1859, the following resolutions were unani - / mously adopted.
Resolved. That we deplore the loss which the / Astor Library has sustained in the death / of Washington Irving, the first Pre= / sident of the Board of Trustees, the cho= / sen friend of the Founder of the Library, / and first named by him, in the original / act of donation as a Trustee; a selection / fully justified by the admirable qualities / of Mr. Irving –
Resolved That we record our sense of his excel= / lens, both moral and intellectual, mani - / fested in the singular beauty and purity, / not only of his numerous and varied works / of fact and fiction, but of his daily life - / His generous and kindly love of letters . / and of human nature; his rare and gen= / ial humor; his exquisite appreciation / of the beautiful and the noble, whether / in conduct or in art; the matchless delicacy / and grace of his intellect, adorned by the / greatest modesty of deportment; his breadth / and acuteness of observation, commingled / with overflowing freshness and tenderness / of feeling; the felicity of his diction, so pure and transparent; his reverent regard / for all that was valuable in English his= / tory and literature, and his still more ear= / nest devotion to all that was precious in / his native land; his enlightened patriotism / and wide philanthropy, alive not only to / the interests and the honor of his united /
[END OF PAGE 1]
Country, but to the Sacred rights of humanity; / and his liberality of Sentiment and freedom / from prejudice, ever prompting him to en = / courage and foster merit of every kind, won / for him universal admiration and love. His / intimate knowledge and thorough apprecia= / tion of the views of the Founder of the / Library, rendered him the best exponent / of the beneficent and catholic spirit of / the Institution, over which he so long and / so honorably presided. –
Resolved That the Trustees after so many years / of personal and kindly intercourse with their / lamented friend and associate, will ever / cherish his memory with fond and affectionate / regard; and they cordially unite in the gen = / eral and widespread exprefsion of the whole / Community, which deplores his death, as a / lofs to the Nation and the Age, to which / he belonged. _
Resolved That these resolutions be signed by the / Trustees, and transmitted to the family of / Mr. Irving –
Dan’l F/ Tiemann
Mayor of the City of New York
W.B. Astor J. Carson Brevoort
Daniel Lord John A Dix
Jos. G. Cogswell A. Williams
Samuel B. Ruggles J. J. Astor Jr.
Thomas House Taylor, D.D.
[END OF PAGE 2]Collection
Irving Manuscript CollectionArchive Items Details
Title
Resolution on the Death of Washington IrvingCreator
Trustees of the Astor LibraryDate(s) of Creation
Dec 2, 1859Search Terms
Astor Library, Daniel F. Tiemann, W.B. Astor, J. Carson Brevoort, Daniel Lord, John A Dix, Jos. G. Cogswell, A. Williams, Samuel B. Ruggles, J. J. Astor Jr., Thomas House Taylor, D.D., gift to the family of Washington Irving, reflections on his life and qualities after his deathOther Names and Numbers
Other Numbers
Number Type
Former NumberOther Number
W 446
