Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1892, volume 3).djvu/326

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298
HUDSON
HUDSON

sage to India. His employers, in reply, ordered his speedy return to Holland. But as Hudson and the other Englishman were about to sail they were ordered by their government to remain and serve their own country. After eight months' detention in England, the “Half Moon” arrived in Amsterdam in the summer of 1610. In the preceding April, Hudson had once more sailed, under English auspices, in search of a northwest passage. In his ship the “Discouerie,” of seventy tons, he penetrated the long straits and discovered the great bay that bears his name, at the southern extremity of which his men wintered. Again surrounded by a mutinous crew, he encountered hardships and sufferings from their criminal misconduct, which the artful inventions of the survivors skilfully concealed. Though he had divided, even with tears, his last bread with his men, yet on midsumsumer's day, 1611, while near the eastern coast, half way back to the straits, his ungrateful crew, thrusting him into a frail boat, with his son John and five sailors sick and blind with scurvy, cut him adrift, to perish in the great waste of waters, which, bearing his name, “is his tomb and his monument.” It is said that a document has been discovered among the archives of the Hudson bay company at their headquarters at York Factory, which is the confession of one of the mutineers, that the manuscript, written in a large, firm hand, consists of ten slips of paper, apparently torn from a book and tied together for better preservation, and is now in the office of the Hudson bay company in London. But personal application at the latter office, by the author of this article, was met by the emphatic reply of the authorities that not only had no such manuscript ever been in the London office, but no one there had ever heard of its existence. There is no authentic portrait or autograph of Hudson; and the picture given on page 296 is believed to be apocryphal. It is possible, however, that his intimate friend, Jodocus Hondius, engraved Hudson's portrait, and that it may yet be found. It is apparent, from the contract between the Dutch East India company and Hudson, that he had several children besides the “only son” so often referred to by writers during the past two hundred years. The “Court Minutes of the English East India Company” also reveal the following extremely interesting facts: “April 19, 1614, Being informed that Mrs. Hudson, the wife or widow of Mr. Hudson who was left in the North West discovery, desired their favour for employing a youth, a Son of his, she being left very poor, and conceiving that they were partly obliged in charity to give assistance in regard that his Father perished in the service of the Commonwealth, resolved to recommend him to the care of some one who is to go the voyage [to the East Indies].” Again, “April 19, 1614, Mrs. Hudson's son recommended to the care of Hunt, master's mate in the ‘Samaritan,’ 5l. to be laid out upon him for apparel and necessaries.” See “Historical Inquiry Concerning Henry Hudson,” by John Meredith Read (Albany, 1866); “Henry Hudson in Holland,” by Henry C. Murphy (New York, 1859); “Henry Hudson, the Navigator,” by Dr. Asher (London, 1860); and “Hudson's Sailing Directions,” by Rev. B. F. de Costa.


HUDSON, Henry Norman, Shakespeare schol- ar, b. in Cornwall, Addison co., Vt., 28 Jan., 1814 ; d. in Cambridge, Mass., 16 Jan., 1886. In early life he worked at the trades of baker and wheel- wright. He was graduated at Middlebury in 1840, went south, and taught in Kentucky and in Hunts- ville, Ala. There he met a lady, also a teacher, whom he had known in New England. In their conversations, he said she was continually quoting Shakespeare, until he finally asked her one day, "What is it about Shakespeare?" She replied: " Have you not read Shakespeare ? " " Never a line," said he, " except in quotation." " Then," she said, " I advise you to read Shakespeare without delay." " I acted upon her advice," he said, " and very soon found that there was another world inside of the world in which I was living, about which I knew nothing." In his dissertation on the "character of Desdemona " may be found a beautiful passage, referring in a most appreciative manner to this lady, who was so directly instrumental in shaping his career. He was thirty years of age when he received this advice. In less than a quarter of a century after he had acquired a wide reputation, and was accepted as one of the great authorities in Shakesperean lore, and was the means of arous- ing an enthusiasm in behalf of the bard of Avon, so great as to inspire a man of wealth to endow a professorship of Shakespeare in Boston university. In 1848 Mr. Hudson published his " Lectures on Shakespeare " (2 vols., Boston). A second edition was called for the same year, and the work has finally been expanded to three volumes. In 1849 he was ordained deacon in the Episcopal church. He also published an edition of Shakespeare, with a life of the poet, and notes, original and selected (11 vols., Boston, 1851-'6). Subsequently he devoted his time and attention to the life and works of the poet Wordsworth, and published " Studies in Wordsworth " (Boston, 1884). For a few years he edited the New York " Churchman," and on his retirement from the editorship of this paper he undertook the publication of the "American Church Monthly." He was ordained a priest, and from 1858 till 1860 was rector of a church in Litch- field, Conn. He published one volume of sermons (Chicago, 1874), the style of the composition of which reminds one very forcibly of Lord Bacon. When the civil war began Mr. Hudson obtained a chaplaincy in a corps of engineers, which was or- dered to Virginia. After his return to the north he published " A Chaplain's Campaigns with Gen- eral Butler " (New York, 1865), which produced a great sensation. He was editor of the " Saturday Evening Gazette " for two years. He received the degree of LL. D. from Middlebury college in 1881. He was professor of Shakespeare in Boston uni- versity. Besides the works already mentioned he published a " School Shakespeare " (Chicago, 1870) ; " Shakespeare, his Life, Art, and Characters " (1872) ; a series of text-books containing selections from the works of classic authors.


HUDSON, William Leverreth, naval officer, b. in New York, 11 May, 1794; d. in Brooklyn, N. Y., 15 Oct., 1862. He entered the navy, 1 Jan., 1816, and became lieutenant, 28 April, 1826 ; com- mander, 2 Nov., 1842 ; and captain, 14 Sept., 1855. He took part in Capt. Charles Wilkes's exploring expedition, being second in command, and his ves- sel, the sloop-of-war " Peacock," was lost on the bar at the mouth of Columbia river, owing to the pilot's carelessness. For several years he was commandant of the Brooklyn navy-yard. In 1857 he was assigned to the command of the " Niagara " on her first Atlantic cable expedition, and again in 1858, when this effort was successful. For his service on this occasion he received valuable gifts and marks of distinction from the governments of Great Britain and Russia. On his return he was assigned to the command of the Charlestown navy-yard. He was retired in August, 1862, and appointed one of the board of lighthouse-inspec- tors, which office he held until his death.