meeting, we may believe, was of melancholy concern to the AttorneyGeneral. It was the visit of a pilgrim, not to an empty shrine, but to an ancient hearthstone, where the friend of his youth yet inhabited, and where many vivid memories yet lingered to bring back the images of the past, now saddened by the thought that the brittle chain of a great life was soon to be broken, and, with it, almost every surviving association which gave interest to the place.

Whilst Mr. Wirt was at Charlottesville, the Marquis de La Fayette was a guest at Monticello. A dinner was given to him at the University, and the Attorney-General was one of the company.

"We have had a great day," he writes to Mrs. W. on the 20th of August, 1825. "I dined, by invitation, with the Marquis at the University, and was placed on his right hand; and I, too, was toasted. They wanted me to make a speech, but I am principled against it. So, I merely expressed my thanks for the unexpected honour they had done me; told them that, although a public speaker by profession, I had not been accustomed to speak in my own cause, and begged them, in lieu of a speech, to accept a toast,-which I gave them. La Fayette, who had been toasted, had merely returned thanks in so many words, and given his toast; but my friend Monroe, who was also there, had, upon being called out in his turn, made a speech and not one of his best. I was thought to have made a great escape."

I close this chapter with a sketch of a distinguished foreigner who visited the United States in this year, and who will be remembered for the kindly tone of a volume subsequently published by him, containing the impressions made by his visit.

*

*

TO MRS. WIRT.

*

BALTIMORE, October 30, 1825. "I dined yesterday with the Duke of Saxe Weimar, at Mr. Oliver's. He is about a head taller than myself, with a nose retroussé, and features a good deal like —'s, figure, slightly stooping forward, and exhibiting a countenance filled with an expression of pain, slowly walked across the space visible through the glass door. It was Mr. Jefferson. He was dressed in a costume long out of fashion-small clothes, a waistcoat with flaps, and, as it struck us, in the brief view we had, some remnants of embroidery. The silence of the footfall, the venerable figure, the old costume, and the short space in which that image glided past the glass door, made a strange and mysterious im pression upon us. It was all that I ever saw of the sage of Monticello.

M

not fair and auburn-haired, however, like but with a sallow complexion and dark hair; no redundant fat, but brawny, muscular, and of herculean strength. He is about thirty-five years old, and looks like a Russian, or one of those gigantic Cossacks. I dare say he makes a magnificent figure in uniform. He speaks English tolerably well; yet he has that apparent dullness of apprehension which always accompanies a defective knowledge of a language, and which renders it rather up-hill work to talk with him. He sat between Oliver and Mr. B., neither of whom seemed to be able to find him in talk. T., who you know is a pious Roman Catholic, as well as a most amiable gentleman, said, Come, Mr. B., Mr. Wirt and I sit side by side quite enough in court, let me change places with you ;'—his object being to amuse the Duke. The change was made, and T and the Duke got into a side talk. The Duke was soon observed to speak with a most 'saracenical and vandalic' fury, and, as I was after wards informed, was pronouncing a philippic against the Roman Cath olic religion, which he blamed for all the political conspiracies in Europe. T. soon took occasion to tell him that he was himself a Roman Catholic. This produced some embarrassment, but the Duke got over it. T. changed the subject to the war, in which the Duke had figured-particularly at Waterloo; and unluckily asked the Duke about Blucher. Now, Blucher, it seems, had on some occasion gone into the Duke's territories, and was exacting contributions from his subjects, which the Duke hearing, had him put in prison. So, here was a new contre-temps, and as there was a general pause at the table, I attempted to relieve it by asking the Duke another question, which contributed to increase the difficulty. I dare say he wished himself amongst the wild boars of the forest of Westphalia."

CHAPTER XI.

1826.

CHARACTER OF HIS CORRESPONDENCE.-IS APPOINTED PROFESSOR OF LAW, AND PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA.—— DECLINES.-LETTER TO HIS DAUGHTER.-COMMON SENSE AND GENIUS.-DEATH OF ADAMS AND JEFFERSON.-WIRT APPOINTED TO DELIVER THE EULOGY UPON THEM.-LETTER TO POPE.APPROACH OF OLD AGE.-DELIVERS THE DISCOURSE ON ADAMS AND JEFFERSON.-ITS RECEPTION AND CHARACTER.-LETTER TO BENJAMIN EDWARDS, CONDOLENCE. LETTER ΤΟ JUDGE CABELL, PRESENTING THE DIFFICULTIES IN WRITING THE DISCOURSE.

I HAVE now great numbers of letters written from this period of the life of Mr. Wirt until the close of it. They form a most interesting collection, worthy of separate publication. They are mainly written to members of his own family, and overflow with wholesome instruction communicated in the most pleasing forms, kind and wise counsels, playful gossip informed by a matchless kind-heartedness, grotesque and whimsical conceits to amuse his family fireside, grave dissertation often, and everywhere breathing a spirit of an earnest, profound and hopeful Christian temper.

His days were devoted to hard work-harder than heretoforecheerfully, and always patiently performed. This found a short intermission at midsummer, when the vacation of the courts allowed him to travel for health and recreation. In his working-time, his choice amusement seems to have been the employment of his pen in this friendly correspondence. I have not space for a tythe of these letters. My selections shall be confined to such merely as may contribute to forward the personal history I am writing; such as may show the track of his life, develope his character, illustrate, now and then, some opinion, or tell us what he has done or means to do. Even from the few I shall present with this purpose, I shall, some.. times, only give extracts He did not, as the reader has had abundant

reason to know, write his letters with any expectation that they were ever to be put in print. They ramble over the lightest and the gravest topics, and digress, sometimes, so rapidly from one to the other, utter his opinions with such unmasked freedom, and sport through such a field of odd and amusing fancies, as often to bring to our remembrance the eccentric drolleries of Tristram Shandy, and to convince us that the rich vagaries of the amiable and witty Yorick found a kindred soil in the mind of the letter-writer. A correspondence thrown off in this temper, will, of course, exhibit many inaccuracies of style, some crudities of opinion, perhaps, something of what in other circumstances would be called egotism, something, also that the world might consider vanity of opinion-but they will display the true man. A perusal of these letters convinces me that no man might, more fearless of scrutiny or public censure, throw all his secret thoughts and his most unguarded feelings and sayings open to the world than William Wirt.

Before I pursue this correspondence, I have to note an incident which occurred early in the present year, and which bears honourable testimony to the estimate made of the legal and literary accomplishments of the Attorney-General, by a learned body which was, at that period, peculiarly illustrious from the distinction of those who composed it.

On the 6th of April, 1826, this letter was addressed to Mr. Wirt from Monticello.

DEAR SIR:

I have the pleasure to inform you that, by an unanimous vote of the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia,* you have been appointed Professor of the School of Law in that Institution. To no one, I can assure you, is that appointment more gratifying than to myself; and I may further say with truth and for your satisfaction, that your name was amongst the first which occurred to some of us at the epoch of the original nomination, was the subject of consultation, and would have been that, probably, of first approbation, but from an absolute despair of your relinquishing for this, the higher station you occupy. Some suggestions, however, having lately reached the Board, that this might possibly be less desperate than was appre

*The record of the proceedings which accompanied this letter, stated that the members who gave this vote, were, "Thomas Jefferson, Rector, Joseph C. Cabell, John H. Cocks, Chapman Johnson and James Madison."

hended, they have, with a view to strengthen inducements to your acceptance, created an office of President of the University, with an annual salary of fifteen hundred dollars, and appointed you to that office also. Their resolutions to these effects I have the honour now to enclose; and the public impatience to see the school of law opened, makes it my duty to say that an answer, at your earliest convenience, will heighten the gratification of your acceptance. Permit me to add the assurance of my great and constant esteem and respect.

THOMAS JEFFERSON.

The resolutions which accompanied this letter, conveyed a very striking compliment to the individual to whom they refer, and one of very unusual occurrence in similar institutions, as will be seen in the last of a series adopted on that occasion:

"Resolved, That William Wirt, at present Attorney-General of the United States, be appointed President of the University and Professor of Law; and that if he decline the appointment, the resolution establishing the office of President be null and void."

The reply to this letter was as follows:

DEAR SIR:

TO THOMAS JEFFERSON.

WASHINGTON, April 8, 1826.

I hasten to acknowledge your favour of the 6th inst., just received, by which I have been both pained and gratified. I beg you to be assured that I had no agency, direct nor indirect, in giving this trouble to the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia, and I regret exceedingly the suggestion that led to it. I am very sensible of the kindness of the motive which prompted my friend to make the suggestion, and I shall never cease to remember with grateful pleasure this mark of confidence, from those whose confidence is, in my estimation, above all earthly price. But with very strong prepossessions towards the course of employment proposed to me, my situation compels me to decline it, and to resign myself, perhaps for life, to the more profitable labours of my profession.

With the most grateful acknowledgments to the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia for the honour done me by an offer so flattering in all its circumstances, and with the deepest sense of your personal kindness to me, dear sir, on this and every other occasion, I remain, as I have ever been,

VOL. II. 16

Your faithful and devoted servant,

WM. WIRT.