BE it remembered, that on the third day of

June, in the thirty-sixth year of the Independence of the United States of America, Inskeep and Bradford, of the said District, have deposited in this Office the title of a Book, the right whereof they claim as Proprietors, in the words and figures following, to wit: "A "History of New-York, from the beginning of the World, to "the end of the Dutch Dynasty, Containing among many sur"prising and Curious Matters, the Unutterable Ponderings of "Walter the Doubter, the Disastrous Projects of William the "Testy, and the Chivalric achievements of Peter the Headstrong, "the three Dutch Governors of New-Amsterdam; being the only "Authentic History of the Times that ever hath been published. "The Second Edition with Alterations. By Diedrich Knicker"bocker. De waarheid die in duister lag, die komt met klaarheid "aan den dag." In conformity to the Act of the Congress of the United States, entitled, "An Act for the encouragement of Learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the Authors "and Proprietors of such copies during the times therein mentioned," and also to an Act, entitled, "An Act supplementary to an Act, “ entitled, ' An Act for the encouragement of Learning, by securing the "copies of Mais, Charts, and Books to the Authors and Proprietors "of such copies during the times therein mentioned,' and extending the "benefits thereof to the arts of Designing, Engraving, and Etching "Historical and other Prints."

CHARLES CLINTON,

Clerk of the District of New-York.

TO THE

NEW YORK

HISTORICAL SOCIETY

This work is respectfully dedicated, as an humble and unworthy testimony of the profound veneration and exalted esteem

of the Society's

Sincere well wisher,

and

Devoted Servant,

DIEDRICH KNICKERBOCKER.

ACCOUNT OF THE AUTHOR.

IT was sometime, if I recollect right, in the early part of the fall of 1808, that a stranger applied for lodgings at the Independent Columbian Hotel in Mulberry-Street, of which I am landlord. He was a small, brisk looking old gentleman, dressed in a rusty black coat, a pair of olive velvet breeches, and a small cocked hat. He had a few grey hairs plaited and clubbed behind, and his beard seemed to be of some eight and forty hours growth. The only piece of finery which he bore about him, was a bright pair of square silver shoe buckles: and all his baggage was contained in a pair of saddle bags, which he carried under his arm. His whole appearance was something out of the common run; and my wife, who is a very shrewd body, at once set him down for some eminent country schoolmaster.

As the Independent Columbian Hotel is a very small house, I was a little puzzled at first where to put him; but my wife, who seemed taken with his looks, would needs put him in her best chamber, which is genteelly set off with the profiles of the whole family, done in black, by those two

great painters, Jarvis and Wood; and commands a very pleasant view of the new grounds on the Collect, together with the rear of the Poor-House and Bridewell, and the full front of the Hospital; so that it is the cheerfullest room in the whole house.

During the whole time that he stayed with us, we found him a very worthy good sort of an old gentleman, though a little queer in his ways. He would keep in his room for days together, and if any of the children cried, or made a noise about his door, he would bounce out in a great passion, with his hands full of papers, and say something about deranging his ideas;" which made my wife believe sometimes that he was not altogether compos. Indeed there was more than one reason to make her think so, for his room was always covered with scraps of paper and old mouldy books, laying about at sixes and sevens, which he would never let any body touch; for he said he had laid them all away in their proper places, so that he might know where to find them; though for that matter, he was half his time worrying about the house in search of some book or writing which he had carefully put out of the way. I shall never forget what a pother he once made, because my wife cleaned out his room when his back was turned, and put every thing to rights; for he swore he would never be able to get his papers in order again in a twelvemonth. Upon this my wife