JAC O B L E I S L E R A PL AY OF O L D NEW YO RK BY 0“ $ 0 WI L L I AM O BATE S . Wi t/z an I ntroductory Note by rs Scbu ler Van R enae/def M . y R 1 1 COPY IGHT, 9 3 , BY MITCH ELL THE SOCIETY OF COLONIAL WARS FOUND ED TO PERP ETUATE THE ME MORY OF THE FORBEAR S OF AMER ICAN FR EE DOM AND UNI TY I S D ED I CATED THI S TRI B UTE TO THE MOST PICTUR E SQUE AND TRAG IC F I GUR E I N ALL ITS LI ST OF AN CE STORS INTROD UCTION BY M RS S ER VAN RE E ER . CHUYL NSS LA HEN th e story upon wh ich an h isto rical ramahas been base is no t am l ar th e d d f i i , reader o r h earer m ust wish to learn in h o w far i t h as been ru th u ll rese te i n h ow far t f y p n d , i has b alter b th e rama st fc u rse th e t een e t . O d y d i o , n terest an d the valu e th e la e en r mar l i of p y d p d , p i i y, not u pon i ts h isto rical bu t u pon i ts d ram atic qu ali t es an d as i t is m ss ble nl b reas n th e i ; i po i , if o y y o of mm ense c m lex t real l e that an ast ha i o p i y of if , y p p pen ings should withou t alterat ion fi t p erfectly i n to an ramat c sch em e th e ram at s t ma m t mu ch y d i , d i y o i that h isto ry reco rds and m ay also change i ncid ents r B u chan too umer us and m odify ch aracte s . t ges n o o r too ra cal u t ra e that res ect for act s th at di o g p f , revere ce fo r h st r cal ver t wh ch ers sts no mat n i o i i y , i p i r h w w ll n w ar u la la t e o i i g e e to j dge a p y as a p y . h e t ru e st r we eel sh u l no be c ntra ct e T o y , f , o d t o di d i n essent ials ; i ts spi rit shou ld not be t raves t ied ; i ts characters ma be m di e bu t sh ul not be met y o fi d , o d a or hos m p ed. v i I NTROD U CTION Th e sto ry of Jacob Leisler is not well known even in th e city wh ere i t u nrolled i tself mo re than two h u n re ears a o Fo r l n i t was alm s t r tt n d d y g . o g o fo go e exce t b a few h st r ans and an t u ar es nl p y i o i iq i . O y in recent ears has i t been t l i n al i n r n y o d d et i p i t . Now i t i s be n ra u all recalle t o m n lar el i g g d y d i d , g y th ro u gh the efio rts of th e City Histo ry Clu b of New rk to s rea es ec all am n o ur sch l ch l ren Yo p d , p i y o g oo i d , a n wle r l c l r n ll i h k o dge of ou o a histo y i a ts p as es . ’ Yet to m st r Bat es r a rs ar his s u b M . s e e e o of d , I f , cet - matter w ll be n t rel n ew he w ll be u te j i e i y . T y i q i u n able to compare his d rama wi th th e facts u pon wh ch b i he as ed i t . Therefo re h e has asked me t o aid th em in doing B u t n e not wr h l n h r r r so . I ed ite at m u c e gt o efe to man et als for th e a reem ent bet wee his acts y d i , g n f nd h i r i r r l l h e r c r a s d ama s emakab y c os e. T e o ds o f th e p eriod which have been p res erv ed are brief and i n s me arts ra mentar h s means that th o p f g y. T i e n ee for select n fo r m ss n was les s tha is te d io , o i io , n Of n h cas w th s r cal m t r al n h th r an t e e h t ae . O t e e h i i o i i o d , th e t ale as h s t r tells i t is so ramat c and m st i o y d i , o th se wh o i u re it eve wh en we w l ttle of o f g in , n kno i ab u t hem are so shar l charat er e an d co n o t , p y c iz d t rasted that the ee for en t or for c s cu u , n d inv ion on pi o s fic w ls mall modi at ion as a o s . NO character in th e d rama has been invented ex 0 . I NTROD U CTION vu c i n ss v s t who la s a r m ent ept g M i Li ing on , p y p o in t a sec n ar art— who a rns th e scene so to ye o d y p do , sa and a reeabl br h te s i ts at s h ere w th u t y, g y ig n mo p , i o t n an r h n tt n affec i g th e m i t end of t e act io . In fi i g th s act n for t he s ta e M r Bat has n ec es sar l i io g . es i y brou gh t certain incid en ts a little closer togeth er in m For the s a r m a m h as s h e has ven t i e. ke of d a t ic e p i gi Leisler a mo re p rominent p art in th e captu re of th e rt and later o n h as ve G vern r Slou hter a Fo , , gi n o o g m r r m nt art i n i ts su rren er b e sler th a o e p o ine p d y L i , n h n r th r r all la An d r rl t e o e o the e e e . e o y p y d , p op y to d evelop th e love affai r wh ich we exp ect t o fi n d impo rtan t even when i t is not th e main theme of a la h e has assum e that M ar e sler andAbrah p y, d y L i am G ouverneu r were lovers in their youth and that M ary ’ m arr e h er ather s r en and c n tem rar ac b i d f f i d o po y , J o l rn r ll r s n M b e a a st h e w . st e ot s ea i o , g in i Hi o y do p k ’ u n h es n s I t merel rec r s M ar s mar po t e poi t . y o d y ria e w th M ilb rne and ears a terwar h er mar g i o , y f d , v r r But wh e we s t u all h riage wi th G ou e neu . n dy t e — reco rds that bear u pon th ei r lives wh en we see th at t he two yo ung p eople m ust have been int imately ass o ciated be re and at the t m e th e rst marr a e fo i Of fi i g , ’ wh en we read o fG ouverneu r s fai th ful f riendsh ip for ’ ’ Leisler s son and of his act ive devot ion to Leisler s mem r and to the nterests his am l an d th en o y i of f i y, — read o f th e second marriage it is difficult not to vii i I NTRODU CTION l v h h r a be ie e t at t e facts we e as M r.