Henry Livingston, Jr.
Biographies

  Navigate


Myndert Van Kleeck and Cornelia Livingston


Family
Poem by Henry


Family
Myndert Van Kleeck
(2 Feb 1744/45, Poughkeepsie NY)
(14 Dec 1799, Coxsackie NY)
+ Cornelia Livingston (15 Feb 1769, NYC)
(29 Sep 1750)
(14 Feb 1810, NYC)
(daughter of Henry Livingston, Sr. and Susannah Conklin)

Children:
(8 Mar 1793-5 Apr 1795)


Translation of a letter
from a tenant of Mrs. Van Kleeck to that lady, dated Jany 1787


My very good landlady, Mistress Van Kleeck,
(For the tears that o'erwhelm me I scarcely can speak)
I know that I promis'd you hogs two or three
(But who knows his destiny? Certain not me!)
That I promis'd three hogs I don't mean to deny
(I can prove that I had five or six upon sty.)

Three hogs did I say? Three sows I say then
Pon' honour I ne'er had a male upon pen.

Well Madam, the long and the short of the clatter
For mumbling & mincing will not better the matter;
And murder and truth my dear mammy wd say
By some means or other forever saw day;
And Daddy himself, as we chop'd in the wood
Would often observe that lying wan't good.

Tell truth my sweet fellow - no matter who feels it:
It ne'er can do hurt to the man who reveals it.

But stop! - While my Dady and Mammy's the subject
I am running aside the original object --

The sows my sweet madam - the sows I repeat
Which you and your household expected to eat.
Instead of attending their corn and their swill
Gave way to an ugly he-sow's wicked will.

When 'twill end your good lady-ship need not be told
For Nature is still, as she hath been of old;
And when he cries YES, mortals may not cry NO

So Madam farewell, with my holliday bow.











        
NAVIGATION


All Henry Livingston's Poetry,     All Clement Moore's Poetry     Historical Articles About Authorship

Many Ways to Read Henry Livingston's Poetry

Arguments,   Smoking Gun?,   Reindeer Names,   First Publication,   Early Variants  
Timeline Summary,   Witness Letters,   Quest to Prove Authorship,   Scholars,   Fiction  


   Book,   Slideshow,   Xmas,   Writing,   The Man,   Work,   Illos,   Music,   Genealogy,   Bios,   History,   Games  


Henry's Home


Mary's Home


IME logo Copyright © 2003, InterMedia Enterprises