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The result of Mr。 Otis's marriage was a family of one son and two daughters。 The son； who was given his father's name； showed his father's characteristics from childhood； and certainly a measure of his genius。 The lad； however； entered the navy at the outbreak of the Revolution； became a midshipman； and died in his eighteenth year。 The oldest daughter； Elizabeth； went wholly against her father's grain and purpose。 Just before the beginning of the Revolution； but after the case had been clearly made up； she was married to a certain Captain Brown； at that time a British officer in Boston； cordially disliked； if not hated； by James Otis。 Personally； Brown was respectable； but his cause was odious。 He was seriously wounded in the Battle of Bunker Hill。 Afterwards he was promoted and was given a command in England。 Thither his wife went with him； and Mr。 Otis discarded them both； if not with anathema at least with contempt。
It would appear that his natural affection was blotted out。 At least his resentment was life…long； and when he came to make his will he described the circumstances and disinherited Elizabeth with a shilling。 The fact that Mrs。 Otis favored the unfortunate marriage； and perhaps brought it aboutavailing herself as it is said； of one of Mr。 Otis's spells of mental aberration to carry out her purposesaggravated the difficulty and made her husband's exasperation everlasting。
The younger daughter of the family shared her father's patriotism。 She was married to Benjamin Lincoln； Jr。； a young lawyer of Boston； whose father was General Benjamin Lincoln of revolutionary fame。 The marriage was a happy one； but ultimately clouded with honorable grief。 Two promising sons were born； but each died before reaching his majority。 The father also died when he was twenty…eight years old。 The wife and mother resided in Cambridge； and died there in 1806。
The second period in James Otis's life may be regarded as extending from 1755 to 1760； that is； from his thirtieth to his thirty…fifth year。 It was in this period that he rose to eminence。 Already distinguished as a lawyer； he now became more distinguished as a civilian and a man of public affairs。
He caught the rising interest as at the springing of the tide； and rose with it until it broke in lines of foam along the shores of New England。 He gained the confidence of the patriot party； of which he was the natural leader。 His influence became predominant。 He was the peer of the two Adamses； and touched hands right and left with the foremost men of all the colonies。
It surprises us to note that at this time James Otis devoted a considerable section of his time to scholastic and literary pursuits。 He was a student not only of men and affairs but of books。 Now it was that the influence of his Harvard education was seen in both his studies and his works。 We are surprised to find him engaged in the composition of a text…book which is still extant； and； however obsolete； by no means devoid of merits。 The work was clearly a result left on his mind from his student days。
He composed and； in the year 1760； published； by the house of B。 Mecom in Boston； a 72 page brochure entitled 〃The Rudiments of Latin Prosody with a Dissertation on Letters and the Principles of Harmony in Poetic and Prosaic Composition； collected from some of the best Writers。〃
The work is primarily a text in Latin Prosody in which the author thought himself to improve on the existing treatises on that subject。 The afterpart of the pamphlet is devoted to a curious examination of the qualities of the letters of the Greek and Roman alphabets。
In this he attempts to teach the distinction between quantity and accent in the Greek language； but more particularly to describe the position and physiological action of the organs of speech in producing the elementary sounds in the languages referred to。 The author declares his conviction that the growth of science had been seriously impeded by the inattention of people to the correct utterance of elementary sounds。 He also points out the great abuses in the prevailing methods and declares that these abuses have so impeded the work of education 〃that many have remained children all their days。〃
Having written and published his work on Latin prosody； Mr。 Otis next produced a similar work on the prosody of Greek。 This； however； he did not publish； and he is said to have destroyed the manuscript at the time of burning his correspondence near the end of his life。
A conversation of James Otis is narrated by Francis Bowen； in Jared Sparks's 〃American Biography〃 in which the orator is represented； in speaking of the bad literary taste prevalent among the boys of the time； as saying； 〃These lads are very fond of talking about poetry and repeating passages of it。 The poets they quote I know nothing of； but do you take care； James； ＇Otis was addressing James Perkins； Esq。； of Boston＇ that you don't give in to this folly。 If you want to read poetry； read Shakespeare； Milton； Dryden and Pope and throw all the rest into the fire； these are all that are worth reading。〃 In this brief comment the severity of Otis's literary taste is indicated and also something of the rather abrupt and dogmatic character of his mind。 His criticism； though true； can hardly be said to be judicious。
In order to understand the part which James Otis played in the great work of revolution and independence it is now necessary to note with care the conditions into which he was cast and with which he was environed at that period of his life when the man…fire flames highest and the audacity of the soul bounds furthest into the arena of danger。
Every man is the joint product of himself and his environment。 His life is the resultant of the two forces by which he is held and balanced。 At the time when James Otis reached his thirty…fifth year a condition had supervened in the American colonies which reacted upon his passionate and Patriotic nature so powerfully as to bring into full play all of his faculties and to direct the whole force of his nature against the tyrannical method of the mother country。
Let us look for a moment at the course of events which had preceded and which succeeded the crisis in James Otis's life； and made him the born leader of his countrymen in their first conflict for independence。
Great Britain had aforetime permitted the American colonists to plant themselves where； when； and as they would。 Almost every colonial settlement had been an adventure。 The emigrants from the other side of the Atlantic had been squeezed out by the hard discipline of church and state。 In America they settled as they might。
〃And England didn't look to know or care。〃
In the language of one of the bards of this age；
〃That is England's awful way of doing business。〃
She permitted her persecuted children to brave the intolerable ocean in leaking ships； to reach the new world if they could； and survive if they might。
Notwithstanding this hard strain on the sentiment of the Pilgrims； the Cavaliers； and the Hugenots； they remained loyal to the mother country。 They built their little states in the wilderness and were proud to christen their towns and villages with the cherished names of the home places in England。 They defended themselves as well as they could against the inhospitality of nature； the neglect of the mother country； and the cruelty of savage races。
It was only when they grew and multiplied and flourished that our little seashore republics attracted the attention of the mother land and suggested to the ministers of the crown the possibility of plucking something from the new states which had now demonstrated their ability to exist and to yield an increase。
Meanwhile； for six generations； the colonists had developed their own social affairs and managed their own civil affairs according to the exegencies of the case and the principles of democracy。 Their methods of government were necessarily republican。
The military necessities which were ever at the door had taught our fathers the availability of arms as the final argument in the debate with wrong。 The conflicts with the Indians and the experiences of the French and Indian war had shown that the Americans were able to hold their own in battle。
Under these conditions there was a natural growth of public opinion in the colonies tending to independence of action； and to indignant protest against foreign dictation。 In the sixth decade of the eighteenth century many of the leading young men of America talked and wrote of independence as a thing desirable and possible。
In 1755； when James Otis was thirty years of age； his young friend； John Adams； sitting one day in his school house in Connecticut； wrote this in his diary： 〃In another century all Europe will not be able to subdue us。 The only way to keep us from setting up for ourselves is to disunite us。〃
We thus note natural conditions as tending to produce a rebellion of the American colonies； also the inherited disposition of the colonists under the discipline of their times； also the growth of public opinion among the leading spiritsto which we must add the character of the reigning king and of the ministers to who