THE subject of the following Memoir was well known, and universally esteemed by many in this country, to whom, even this imperfect account, will not be unacceptable, could they have the pleasure of perusing it in your Magazine. But what will likely be of greater weight in the scale is, the hope that his virtues and piety may have with many of your readers the force of example, which is said, in some respects, to be more forcible than precept. I am, very dear Sir,

Halifax, Nova Scotia, With great respect, your's, &c.
Aug. 28, 1812.

"Alas! my friend, how swift our years roll on !
Old age approaches, and our death draws near:
Nor can the strictest piety prolong

The term of life, or keep off wrinkled age

The sons of Adam through that vale must walk,
Which leads to worlds unknown of bliss or woe.
Houses, and lauds, and ever pleasing wife,
Must all be left behind."

W. BLACK.

HORACE--by T. LAMB.

SOME ACCOUNT OF THE LATE SIMEON PERKINS, ESQ. LATE OF LIVERPOOL, NOVA SCOTIA.

SIMEON PERKINS was born at Norwich, in Connecticut, February 24, 1735; then a British province, now one of the United States of America. He came to Liverpool, Nova Scotia, on the 4th of May, 1762, where he commenced business, as a merchant. His parents were respectable members of the Presbyterian or Congregational persuasion, who neglected not to instruct their son in the grand and important doctrines of the Christian Faith. Nor were the instructions of his parents without their happy influence VOL. XXXVI. OCTOBER, 1813.

on his future life. So true is the apophthegm, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it," notwithstanding, that, like all other general rules, it will admit of some exceptions. His mind was early imbued with religious principles, for which he always retained the greatest respect. From the account I received some years ago, from his own lips, it appears, that between his eighteenth year and the time of his removal to this country, he became more than usually concerned for his soul; had humbling and alarming views of his spiritual state through original and actual sin, and afterwards received some divine consolations through the merits and grace of our only Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. His removal to Liverpool, in this country, then an inhospitable forest, the resort of wild beasts and wild men; his various occupations in business; the unfriendly circumstances in which he was placed, as to religious society, and the want of those spiritual helps he was accustomed to enjoy; together with his own unfaithfulness to divine grace, he lamented, as the unhappy means of a declension in his spiritual affections; at least so far as to cloud his evidences of the divine favour, and to shake his confidence in the divine approbation; though it is believed, never to such a degree as to restore the love and the habits of sin; nor to remove from his heart an habitual fear of offending God. The example he ever held forth to the world, in all his dealings with men; the reverence he ever paid to the word and ordinances of God, both in his own family, and in his constant and regular attendance on the services of God's house; his sympathy for the afflicted; his condescension to, and compassion for, the poor; his regard for the people of God in general, and his sincere love of, and various liberalities to, the Methodist Church in particular, of which he became, and continued for many years, a worthy member, and highly respected officer, were so many proofs of the truth of his Christian profession. To his exertions and zeal in their cause, the Methodists owe, in a great degree, their present convenient chapel. For many years he waded through such temptations, reasonings, doubts, and fears, as made him generally speak with much hesitation with respect to his acceptance with God. His greatest fault, I do not know but I may say, the only thing for which I ever heard him blamed, was an excess of caution: his fear of doing and speaking wrong, sometimes hindered him from effecting all the good his uncommon benevolence would gladly have done. This his, perhaps, constitutional weakness, (for it ran through much of his life,) together with the too mean opinion he was ever disposed to form of himself, may help to account for the manner in which he was ever disposed to speak of himself both in private conversation and to his Leader in the class-meetings.

The late Col.* Perkins was twice married. He came to this country a widower, having lost his first wife in her youth, leaving only one son, who lived to be a promising young man. He was afterwards lost at sea. His second marriage was at Liverpool, September 10, 1775, when he became united to the present Mrs. Perkins, formerly the widow Hadley, a worthy woman. By this marriage he had eight children, all of whom are now living, and four of them married. Concerning this amiable family, I believe I may with propriety add, most of them love, and all of them fear God, and are desirous of walking in the steps of their pious father. Never, I am persuaded, never while memory and gratitude remain, will this amiable family forget, with what domestic wisdom and prudence, and piety, and conjugal and paternal affection, he walked before them, and taught them to refuse the evil and choose the good. Indeed, his domestic virtues rendered him a most endeared husband and father.

Colonel Perkins was not less esteemed in his public, than in his private and domestic character. In the year 1764, his abilities and integrity having been known to the government, he was appointed by Governor Wilmot, one of his Majesty's justices of the peace; and the same year, one of the judges of the Court of Common Pleas for the county. He afterwards presided in both the courts, being appointed Custos Rotulorum, and First Justice of the Court of Common Pleas, in which important stations he continued to act with the approbation of government, the greatest satisfaction to the county, and with honour to himself; till, from his increasing infirmities, he obtained permission to resign these, and all his other offices, in the year 1807. It was on this occasion, that the Grand Jurors of the county addressed him in terms so justly due to his worth and services, and so honourable to themselves. A short extract from this public document, may not improperly be introduced here. During the many years which you have filled the office of First Justice of the Court of Common Pleas and Custos Rotulorum in this county, your integrity and assiduity in your public capacity, and the many religious and moral virtues which adorn your private life, have justly entitled you to the attachment and esteem of all ranks of this society, and which we, as their representatives, feel it incumbent on us to express. On this occasion, Sir, we do not address you in the common stile of adulation; but in the respectful language of friends, whose hearts are warmed with the grateful recollection of your past services, and the many benefits which they have derived from the conscientious exercise of the various public duties, which you have been called upon by your king and country to discharge; as well as the many instances of private worth and * So he was usually called.

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