preservation of animal life; and then to what purpose should I live?"

From St. Augustine Dr. Porter returned to Charleston early in April, with health so much improved as to inspire the hope, that by a more protracted suspension of official labor than he at first contemplated, he might obtain great, and perhaps permanent relief. His views, which had undergone some change as to the nature of his maladies and the probability of lasting advantage from the use of proper means, he thus expresses in a letter to Mrs. Porter. "Since I left home, my infirmities have either changed, or become more, fully developed. Being at present satisfied that I have no fixed disease, except the prostration of digestive organs, I think it worth a fair experiment whether I may not surmount this, so as to labor for the church a few years more. Just in proportion as I increase in health before next May, I shall feel inclined during the summer, to make efforts for a thorough restoration. As my life while it may be spared, and all my powers of usefulness are dedicated to God, I wish to do his will so far as I may learn it from the indications of his providence."

With the conviction above expressed, that he ought for a longer period to seek the restoration of his health, two plans offered themselves for his consideration: the first, to spend the summer in journeying in the northern States and in tilling his land; the second, to cross the Atlantic and spend the summer in Europe. The former of these he preferred, while his southern friends, among whom were several judicious physicians, advised to the latter. To Mrs. Porter he writes,-" I have sought divine guidance in this thing, and shall decide it as soon as possible. But my mind strongly preponderates to the decision against this long voyage. The sea, though useful to my chest, is clearly injurious to my gastric organs; and the thought of

mingling for four or five months among strangers, with my dyspeptic habits as to food, is repulsive. I am much inclined to conclude that travelling in the north, with a trial of the springs-perhaps a visit to Niagara and Quebec-perhaps, instead of these or besides them, ploughing at Andover, may do me more substantial good that a foreign voyage," In coming to the decision against crossing the Atlantic, he afterwards felt to the close of his life, that in answer to the many prayers offered in his behalf, he enjoyed divine direction. The vessel on board which he would have sailed, was burned by lightning on its outward passage.

When Dr. Porter took leave of Charleston, he believed as in 1822, that this was his final visit. His reflections, contained in a letter to Mrs. Porter, just before he left the city, are presented to the reader.

"In winding up my visit to this city for the last time, various reflections crowd upon my mind. Eight years ago, I left it with the full persuasion that I should never see it again. My settled purpose was to stay at home and trust Providence, come what might. This purpose I changed last autumn, most reluctantly, in compliance with the decided and united advice of friends-advice which I now (more fully than I did at the time) see to have been judicious. While it has rescued me for a season, from the cares and labors to which my strength was unequal, it has saved me from northern influenza, one severe attack of which would probably have finished the work of prostration, in my broken health. It has given me opportunity too for study, which I have prosecuted as far as was best, (perhaps farther,) though I have accomplished less than I wished; for in truth my love of study was never more intense, at any moment of my life, than it is now. how much is yet unaccomplished of the work which I had

Oh

assigned myself to do before I die! God knows whether it is best I should do it; and to him I cheerfully leave all.

"His goodness to me is called up afresh to my recollection, in preparing to leave this city. Here he has given me friends, whose kind regards far exceed all my deserts. In walking for exercise, I have almost daily passed across the spot where a furious horse, having run away with a gig, dashed me headlong on the side-walk in 1820, and then trampled me under his feet. In another part of the city, I often see the well-frame, against which another frightened horse dashed the chaise of Mrs. O'Neale; and where she who had been an angel of mercy in ministering to me, when I had escaped from a similar disaster, found her own death. Oh that He, who by His own divine teaching, can enable his children to find 'sermons in stones, and good in every thing,' would help my ungrateful heart to receive the instruction proffered by these silent memorials of his goodness, and my own frailty."

CHAPTER X.

Resigns professorship of Sacred Rhetoric-Embarks for Charleston, accompanied by Mrs. Porter-Proceeds to Walterboro' and Columbia-Delivers course of lectures in Theological Seminary at C.-Return to Andover-Health but little improved-Again advised to go south-Resolves to remain in Andover-Sickness and death of his niece-His letter to her parents-His own sickness and death-Funeral-Nature of his disorder.

In pursuance of his general plan for the restoration of his health, Dr. Porter spent but a small part of the summer of 1830 in Andover. He performed little more of official duty than to revise the preparations for anniversary belonging to the rhetorical department, and to preside on that occasion. At the meeting of the trustees immediately following the anniversary, he tendered his resignation of the Professorship of Sacred Rhetoric.

"To the Rev. and Hon. the Board of Trustees of Phillips' Academy.

"Gentlemen,

"Since the office of a President in the Seminary was created in 1827, and I was called to undertake the discharge of its duties, I have deemed some new arrangement necessary as to the rhetorical department. This arrangement, delayed by circumstances beyond our control,

I think it indispensable should now be carried into effect. My reasons, given more at length in my communication of yesterday, briefly are, that the amount of duties in the two offices is greater than one man in the best health can adequately discharge; and because the impaired state of my health renders it especially inexpedient that I should longer sustain the responsibility of both.

"The professorship of Sacred Rhetoric, therefore, I beg leave to resign, and I do hereby resign, from and after the time that a new professor shall be elected in this department; and I farther wish to relinquish permanently, five hundred dollars of my annual salary, to aid in carrying the above arrangement into immediate operation.

"With great respect I am, gentlemen, yours &c. "E. PORTER."

Sept. 23, 1830.

Notwithstanding his resignation, Dr. Porter continued to sustain the responsibility of giving lectures, and directing the studies of the rhetorical department, with the aid of temporary assistants appointed by the trustees, until Oct. 1832, when the vacant chair was filled by the election of Rev. Thomas H. Skinner, D. D. His protracted exemption indeed from official responsibilities in 1830, had so checked the progress of his maladies, and increased his bodily vigor, that he was enabled during the academical year which followed, to pursue the work of giving lectures to an extent which even exceeded his own expectations. In his report to the trustees in Sept. 1831, he remarks, that in consequence of repeated solicitations of the senior class, he had "given a greater number of written lectures than in any previous year." And in his report to the trustees for the year ending Sept. 1832, he informs them that he had designed, after delivering one course of his public lectures to the senior class in the