The People of the State of New-York, by the Grace of God, Free and Independent, to all to whom these presents shall come or may concern, SEND GREETING: KNOW YE, That the annexed is a true copy of the will of THOMAS PAINE, deceased, as recorded in the office of our surrogate, in and for the city and county of New-York. In testimony whereof, we have caused the seal of office of our said surrogate to be hereunto affixed. Witness, Silvanus Miller, Esq. surrogate of said county, at the city of New-York, the twelfth day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and nine, and of our Independence the thirty-fourth. SILVANUS MILLER. The last will and testament of me, the subscriber, THOMAS PAINE, reposing confidence in my Creator God, and in no other being, for I know of no other, nor believe in any other,-I Thomas Paine, of the state of New-York, author of the work entitled 'Common Sense,' written in Philadelphia, in 1775, and published in that city the beginning of January 1776, which awaked America to a Declaration of Independence on the fourth of July following, which was as fast as the work could spread through such an extensive country; author also of the several numbers of the American Crisis, "thirteen in all," T THOMAS PAINE. The widow then worn out with grief, And in a fit of passion said, The devil take the sheep. Then Aaron took the whole away, The widow went among her kin, The tribes of Israel rose; Pull'd Aaron by the nose. But Aaron call'd an earthquake up, The ***** tells a lie. Mr. Paine, while in prison at Paris, as has been before mentioned, corresponded with a lady under the signature of "The Castle in the Air," while she addressed her letters from "The Little Corner of the World." For reasons which he knew not, their intercourse was suddenly suspended, and for some time he believed his fair friend to be in obscurity and distress. Many years afterwards how The ever, he met her unexpectedly at Paris, in affluent circumstances, and married to Sir Robert Smith. following is a copy of one of these poetical effusions. From the CASTLE IN THE AIR to THE LITTLE CORNER OF THE WORLD. In the region of clouds, where the whirlwinds arise, The turrets reflected the blue of the skies, And the windows with sun-beams were gilt. The rainbow sometimes in its beautiful state, And the figures that fancy in clouds can create, I had grottoes, and fountains, and orange-tree groves, I had all that enchantment has told; I had sweet shady walks, for the GoDs and their LOVES, I had mountains of coral and gold. But a storm that I felt not, had risen and roll'd, And when I look'd out in the morning, behold It past over rivers, and vallies, and groves, I thought of my friends, of their fates, of their loves, At length it came over a beautiful scene, The place was but small, but 'twas sweetly serene, I gazed, and I envied with painful goodwill, Like a lark from the sky it came fluttering down, And placed me exactly in view, When who should I meet, in this charming retreat, This corner of calmness, but YOU. Delighted to find you in honour and ease, But the wind coming fair, I ascended the breeze, The People of the State of New-York, by the Grace of God, Free and Independent, to all to whom these presents shall come or may concern, SEND GREETING: KNOW YE, That the annexed is a true copy of the will of THOMAS PAINE, deceased, as recorded in the office of our surrogate, in and for the city and county of New-York. In testimony whereof, we have caused the seal of office of our said surrogate to be hereunto affixed. Witness, Silvanus Miller, Esq. surrogate of said county, at the city of New-York, the twelfth day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and nine, and of our Independence the thirty-fourth. SILVANUS MILLER. The last will and testament of me, the subscriber, THOMAS PAINE, reposing confidence in my Creator God, and in no other being, for I know of no other, nor believe in any other,-I Thomas Paine, of the state of New-York, author of the work entitled 'Common Sense,' written in Philadelphia, in 1775, and published in that city the beginning of January 1776, which awaked America to a Declaration of Independence on the fourth of July following, which was as fast as the work could spread through such an extensive country; author also of the several numbers of the American Crisis, "thirteen in all," T THOMAS PAINE. |