Old Pennsylvania Farmer. His masterpiece is the translation of Goethe's Faust, “one of the glories of American literature” and one of the finest translations in any literature. Perhaps the best of his novels is The Story of Kennett, which largely is his own story. Taylor died at Berlin, Dec. 19, 1878. Consult Life by Conwell.
Taylor, Jeremy, a great English churchman, was born at Cambridge, Aug. 15, 1613. He was the son of a barber, and graduated at Cambridge University, becoming a clergyman before he was 21. During the Civil War he seems to have followed the royal army, and afterwards withdrew to Wales. Here, buried from the world for 13 years, he kept a school at Newton and employed his leisure in writing the works which gave him fame. Chief among them are Liberty of Prophesying, Holy Living and Holy Dying. At the Restoration, Taylor, as a stanch Loyalist, was made bishop of Down and Connor, an Irish see. Seven years later, he died on Aug. 13, 1667. See Life by R. A. Wilmott.
Taylor, Zachary, twelfth president of the United States, was born in Orange County, Va., Sept. 24, 1784. His father was an officer of the Revolutionary War and one of the first settlers of Louisville, Ky., where Zachary was taken as a boy and lived till his 24th year, working on a plantation and getting but little schooling. Taylor entered the army in 1808 as lieutenant, and in 1812, as captain of a company of 50 men, two thirds of whom were down with fever, he defended Fort Harrison on the Wabash against a large force of Indians, led by Tecumseh (q. v.), the famous chief. Promoted to the rank of major for his gallantry, he was employed during the war in fighting the Indian allies of England. He built Fort Jesup in 1822, and ten years later served as colonel in the Black Hawk War. In 1836 he was ordered to Florida, where he gained an important victory over the Seminole Indians at Okeechobee, for which he was appointed brigadier-general and made commander of the United States forces in Florida. Just before the breaking out of the Mexican War Taylor was ordered to Corpus Christi, occupying the point with a force of 4,000 (1845). Next spring he marched across the disputed territory between the Nueces and the Rio Grande, and built Fort Brown opposite Matamoras. The Mexicans demanded that he retire beyond the Nueces, and on his refusal Arista crossed the Rio Grande with a force of 6,000. On May 8, 1846, Taylor defeated him at Palo Alto with 2,300 men, and a few days later drove him from a new position at Resaca de la Palma across the Rio Grande. War was at once declared by Congress; 50,000 volunteers were called for; and Taylor was made a major-general, re-enforced, and ordered to invade Mexico. On Sept. 9, with 6,625 men, he attacked Monterey, which was defended by 10,000 regular troops. After ten days' siege and three days' hard fighting it surrendered. All but 5,000 volunteers and 500 regulars of his army were now sent to aid General Scott at Vera Cruz, and Taylor was left with this small force to oppose President Santa Anna's army of 21,000. He took a strong position at Buena Vista, fought a desperate battle and won a decided victory. This victory against enormous odds caused the utmost enthusiasm, and Taylor, known as “Old Rough and Ready,” was nominated by the Whigs for the presidency and elected. Entering the White House in 1849, he found a Democratic majority in Congress, with the small but vigorous Free-Soil party holding the balance of power, while such exciting questions as the admission of California, the settlement of the boundaries of Texas and the organization of the newly-acquired Mexican territories were stirring the nation. Worn out by the unaccustomed turmoil of politics, the rough, good-natured soldier did not long enjoy his honors, but died on July 9, 1850, 16 months after his inauguration. See Lives by Fry, Montgomery and Stoddard.
ZACHARY TAYLOR
Tea, the prepared leaves of Thea Chinensis or the drink made from them. The plant probably is native to India, and was introduced into China and Japan. Tea has for ages been a favorite beverage in China, and now is one of the world's most generally used non-alcoholic drinks. The very best qualities do not bear transporting, and are seldom found outside of the country where grown. In the intense tropical conditions in which the native plants grow they become small trees; but in the colder climate of China and Japan they become bushy, with smaller and tougher leaves. In cultivation the shrub grows to from three to six feet, is branchy, the leaves from two to six inches long. The third year the first crop is obtained. There are three pickings a year; in April a rare quality is obtained from the new leaves, May is the time of the principal picking, and a very inferior grade is obtained from a later harvest. The black and green teas are not derived from different plants, but are the results of the different methods of preparation, the black tea being given long exposure to the air in drying. Enormous quantities of tea are produced in China, Japan, India, Ceylon and Java, but most of it is used by the native populations. Our southern states are well-adapted for varieties of tea, the plant not
