470

361. James H. Matheny (William H. Herndon Interview).

[1865 — 66]

Jas. H. Matheny

Says that about 1837 — 8 & 9 a parcel of young men in this City formed a Kind of Poetical Society — association or what not. Lincoln once or twice wrote Short Poems for the book None of the Poems are recllected in full. One verse of one, on Seduction by Lincoln, runs thus —

Whatever Spiteful fools may Say — .
Each jealous, ranting yelper —
No woman ever played the whore
Unless She had a man to help her.

Library of Congress: Herndon-Weik Collection. Manuscript Division. Library of Congress. Washington, D.C. 2561; Huntington Library: LN2408, 2:211

nts

Notes.

1. Verses and list of members are in another hand, presumably Matheny's.

2. WHH has written his own name in here; the other names are in the hand presumed to be Matheny's.

3. Under this list, WHH or JWW has written: Mathy Clerk & enter pieces in a book.