of these effusions were printed in the newspapers.--The larger part
of them written at different times are embodied in the present work, a
large edition of which was published by himself and given away. In this
edition not a stop or a mark was used in any line of his writings, but
in the second edition one entire page was filled with stops and marks,
with a recommendation from the author to his readers, to use them where
they were wanted in the work, or in his own language, "to peper and
soolt it as they pleased." Dexter had two children, Samuel and Nancy,
neither of whom was distinguished for strength of intellect. The son was
a dissipated prodigal and died young. The daughter, of whom mention is
made by the father in the following pages, was married to Abraham Bishop
of New Haven, who we are informed treated her with neglect and cruelty.
A divorce followed and she became intemperate, lost what little reason
she had, and is still living, a wretched object. Lord Dexter himself,
if we may judge from his own writings and from what we have heard, was
not happy in his domestic relations. He complains much of his wife,
whom he calls the "gost," and charges the cause of his separation
from her for thirteen years to his son Bishop. His own temper was
irascible, and several stories are told of the excesses, into which
it would sometimes lead him. He ordered his painter, Mr. Babson, to
place the word "Constitution" on the scroll in the hand of the figure of
Jefferson, which the latter, knowing the artist designed it to represent
the Declaration of Independence, refused to do. Dexter was so incensed
by this refusal, that he went into the house, and brought out a pistol,
which he deliberately fired at the painter; but he was a poor shot, and
the ball missing its object, entered the side of the house. At another
time, seeing a countryman, as he thought, rather impudently viewing his
premises, he ordered his son to fire at the stranger. He refused to do so,
when the father threatened to shoot him unless he complied. His son then
obeyed. The stranger escaped unhurt, but entered a complaint, and Lord
Timothy was, in consequence, sentenced to the house of correction for
several months. He went thither in his own coach, priding himself
on being the first man who had been to the county house in his own
carriage, drawn by two splendid horses. He soon grew tired, however, of
his confinement, and procured a release, which it was said, cost him a
thousand dollars. The individual, who exercised most influence over Dexter
was a negro woman, named Lucy Lancaster, or as she was commonly called
"Black Luce," a woman of uncommon strength of mind, great shrewdness
and remarkable for her powers of memory and knowledge of human nature,
but as wicked as she was sagacious. She thought him an honest man, and
not so deficient in intellect as many people supposed, and attributed
his eccentricities to an excess of animal spirits.--This was probably to
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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