them.  The spirit of our age is feeble and bourgeois when compared with the independence and romantic temper of the stormy days of this Republic’s birth.  Liberty was in the air; there was no talk but of freedom and execration of tyrants; young officers had the run of every house, and Clarissa Harlowe was the model for romantic young “females.”  Angelica Schuyler, shortly before the battle of Saratoga, had run off with John Barker Church, a young Englishman of distinguished connections, at present masquerading under the name of Carter; a presumably fatal duel having driven him from England.  Subsequently, both Peggy and Cornelia Schuyler climbed out of windows and eloped in a chaise and four, although there was not an obstacle worth mentioning to union with the youths of their choice.  It will shock many good mothers of the present day to learn that all these marriages were not only happy, but set with the brilliance of wealth and fashion.  When Hamilton was introduced to the famous white hall of the Schuyler mansion on the hill, Cornelia and Peggy were still free in all but fancy; Elizabeth, by far the best behaved, was the hope of Mrs. Schuyler’s well-regulated soul and one of the belles of the Revolution.  Hamilton was enchanted with her, although his mind was too weighted for love.  Her spirits were as high as his own, and they talked and laughed until midnight as gaily as were Gates’s army marching south.  But Hamilton was a philosopher; nothing could be done before the morrow; he might as well be happy and forget.  He had met many clever and accomplished American women by this, and Lady Kitty Alexander and Kitty and Susan Livingston were brilliant.  He had also met Angelica Church, or Mrs. Carter, as she was called, one of the cleverest and most high-spirited women of her time.  It had crossed his mind that had she been free, he might have made a bold dash for so fascinating a creature, but it seemed to him to-night that on the whole he preferred her sister.  “Betsey” Schuyler had been given every advantage of education, accomplishment, and constant intercourse with the best society in the land.  She had skill and tact in the management of guests, and without; being by any means a woman of brilliant parts, understood the questions of the day; her brain was informed with shrewd common sense.  Hamilton concluded that she was quite clever enough, and was delighted with her beauty, her charm of manner, and style.  Her little figure was graceful and distinguished, her complexion the honey and claret that artists extol, and she had a pair of big black eyes which were alternately roguish, modest, tender, sympathetic; there were times when they were very lively, and even suggested a temper.  She was bright without attempting to be witty, but that she was deeply appreciative of wit Hamilton had soothing cause to know.  And he had learned from the admiring Troup that she was as intrepid as she was wholly and daintily feminine.  Altogether, Hamilton’s fate was sealed when he bent over her hand that night, although he was far from suspecting it, so heavily did duty press the moment he was alone in his rooms.