In the relations of husband, father, kinsman, friend, gentleman, citizen, benefactor, philanthropist, neighbor and Christian--this public spirited man and pure patriot was a model of human excellence. By the force of his own exertions be made himself one of the most useful men on record in our history. Let us all imitate his bright examples that we may do our duty in life, be triumphant in death and happy through the rolling ages of eternity. FRANCIS HOPKINSON. Wit and wisdom are seldom both prominently developed in the same person. Wit serves to amuse or exhilarate but rarely produces useful reflection or an improvement of mind. It is emphatically a plume and exposes the head it ornaments to many an arrow from the bow of revenge. Wit makes many conquests but no willing subjects. It produces many _bon mots_ and but few wise sayings. It is an undefined and undefinable propensity--more to be admired than coveted--more ornamental than useful--more volatile than solid--a dangerous sharp edge tool--like a coquette, pleasing company for the time being but not desirable for a life companion. Rare instances have occurred where the sage, statesman, philosopher and wit have been combined in the same person. Sheridan was such a man and in our own country Francis Hopkinson was the American Sheridan. He was the son of Thomas Hopkinson of Philadelphia, born in that city in 1737. His father was a man of superior attainments--his mother one of the best, and most intelligent matrons of that age. His father died in 1751 and left the widowed mother with limited means to struggle with all the accumulating difficulties of raising and educating a large family of children. Under her guidance and instruction young Francis improved rapidly in his education and exhibited a bright and promising intellect. To advance the interests of her children she confined herself to the absolute necessaries of life. Being devotedly pious, she took peculiar care in planting deeply in their tender minds the pure principles of virtue and cautiously guarding them against all the avenues of vice, the portals of which are ever open. She taught them the design of their creation--the duty they owed to God and their fellow men and that to be truly happy they must be truly good. With this foundation firmly laid, she placed this son in the University of Pennsylvania where he graduated at an early age and commenced the study of law under Benjamin Chew. He was a close student and made rapid advances in legal acquirements. He possessed a brilliant and flowing fancy, a lively imagination and captivating manners. Although ardently attached to the solid sciences he was fond of polite literature, poetry, music and painting. He excelled in humorous satire, keen as that of Swift and Sheridan. Fortunately these combined talents were brought into extensive usefulness.