Part 19 (2/2)
_Fryday April 1st 1774._
Good Fryday--A general Holiday here--Wednesday & thursday I gave up my School on account of the Dance, and they must have this Day for Devotion!--The Colonel, _Ben Harry_, & _myself_ all go to Ucomico Church--Parson _Smith_ gave the usual Prayers for the Day and a long Sermon very suitable & well chosen.
After Service we were invited and went Home with Captain Walker to dine; I was here introduced to Dr Steptoe[143] & a young Gentleman Brother to the Parson Both seem agreeable, & appear to be men of Sense Dined here also the Parson, his Wife, Sister, Mr Warder the Lawyer
[143] Dr. George Steptoe of ”Windsor” in Westmoreland County had been graduated in medicine at Edinburgh in 1767.
Towards Evening we rode home I observed as I rode along People are universally plowing up their Land for planting Corn & for Tobacco And in one field I saw several Women planting Corn I think however, it is early even here--They raise no Flax, their Land in general being so poor that it will not produce it--And their Method of farming is slovenly, without any regard to continue their Land in heart, for future Crops--They plant large Quant.i.ties of Land, without any Manure, & work it very hard to make the best of the Crop, and when the Crop comes off they take away the Fences to inclose another Piece of Land for the next years tillage, and leave this a common to be destroyed by Winter & Beasts till they stand in need of it again to plough--The Land most commonly too is of a light sandy soil, & produces in very great quant.i.ties shrubby _Savins_ & _Pines_, unless in the Vallies (for it is very hilly) & near the Potowmack where it is often vastly rich--Mr Carter has been lately solicited & was to have gone this Day with a number of Gentlemen to Horn-Point on the River Ucomico, with an intention, if they think the Situation will be proper, to establish Ware-Houses, & form a small Town--It is however, in my opinion, a fruitless Scheme--
_Sat.u.r.day 2._
The morning stormy. I kept the children in til twelve o-Clock then dismissed them--I spent the greater part of this Day in reading Miscellaneous Pieces out of Magazines--The weather cleared before Evening--At five with _Ben_, I rode over to Mr Turburville's, chiefly to see a young Lady[144] lately from London; who has come over at Mr Turburville's Invitation in the character of Governess to Miss Turburville She seems to be young, genteel, & is not without personal excellence--I received together with Mr _Carters_ Family an Invitation from Mr Turburville to dine with him to morrow; which I propose to accept.--
[144] Miss Sally Panton.
_Sunday 3._
The Day pleasant; I rode to church--after the Service proper for the Day, Mr Smith entertained us with a Sermon from Pauls Defence before King Agrippa ”How is it thought a thing impossible with you that G.o.d should raise the dead,” He in this gave us a very plain & just Discourse on the doctrine of the resurection--This being Easter-Sunday, all the Parish seem'd to meet together High, Low, black, White all come out--After Sermon the Sacrament was administered, but none are admited except communicants to see how the matter is conducted--
After Sermon I rode to Mr Turburville's (for I found to day the true spelling of his name) There dined with him, Ladies Mrs _Carter_, & Mrs _George Turburville_: Gentlemen, Colonel _Carter_, Squire-_Lee_, Mr _Cunningham_, & Mr _Jennings_, Merchants; Mr _George Lee_, & _Ben Carter_ & Myself--We had an elegant dinner; Beef & Greens; roast-Pig; fine boil'd Rock-Fish, Pudding, Cheese &c--Drink: good Porter-Beer, Cyder, Rum, & Brandy Toddy. The Virginians are so kind one can scarce know how to dispense with, or indeed accept their kindness shown in such a variety of instances.--I had again an oppertunity of seeing Miss _Sally Panton_ which is the name of Mrs Turburville's English Governess--But the common voice seems to be against me as to her being Handsome--But her huge _Stays_ low Head _dress_; enormous long _Waist_, a Dress entirely contrary to the liking of Virginia Ladies, these I apprehend make her in their Eyes less personable, than to any one wholly unprejudiced--Her _Stays_ are suited to come up to the upper part of her shoulders, almost to her chin; and are swaithed round her as low as they can possibly be, allowing Her the liberty to walk at all: To be sure this is a vastly modest Dress!--She speaks French & is to teach the Language to Miss Turburville, & also Writing, & reading English--Upon the whole, if her Principles of Religion, & her moral behaviour, be as unexceptionable as her person, & her Manner, let Mr and Mrs Carters opinions go again me I shall think her agreeable--Miss _Prissy_ Miss _Nancy_; & Miss _f.a.n.n.y_ all stay the night at Captain Turburville's--At Church, Mr Low, a young Scotch Gentleman, tutor in Colonel _Was.h.i.+ngtons_ Family, solicited me to carry his Recommendations from Scotland, to Dr Witherspoon as he is desirous to be licensed in one of our northern Presbyteries--I shall do him the Favour.[145]--The country begins to put on her Fowery Garment, & appear in _gaity_--The _Apricots_ are in their fulles Bloom; Peaches also, & Plumbs, & several sorts of Cheries are blossoming; as I look from my Window & see Groves of Peach Trees on the Banks of Nomini; (for the orchards here are very Large) and other Fruit Trees in Blossom; and amongst them interspers'd the gloomy Savin; beyond all these at a great Distance the blue Potowmack; & over this great River, just discern the Woods of Maryland & conceive that beyond them all lies Cohansie my native pleasant Residence; & when I think with myself that by G.o.ds permission, in a very few days more I shall be in the midst of Society, quite remote from formality, and from the least fear of giving offence by being familiar, or of being aw'd to silence by ostentatious vanity: how the thought fires me!
Direct my Way, merciful G.o.d, and keep my Feet from falling, & my Heart from disobeying thy pure & perfect commandments--And make my Way prosperous that I may go and return again, still doing thy Pleasure, & honouring thy great Name!--
[145] Lowe was apparently not licensed as a Presbyterian minister at this time for he shortly afterwards appears as an Anglican clergyman in St. George's and Hanover Parishes in Virginia.
_Monday 4._
Easter Monday; a general holiday; Negroes now are all disbanded till Wednesday morning & are at c.o.c.k Fights through the County; This morning I make a general payment First to Sam the Barber 8/2. Second to Tom the Hostler 7/6. third to Nelson who waits on me /3. Sum 15/11--
Mr & Mrs _Carter_, with Mr _Cunningham_ & _Ben_ (as Mr Cunningham came home with us last Night) all rode to Day to Richmond Court--I was in the morning strongly solicited to go, but chose to decline it--After Breakfast, came home from Mr Turburville's our young Ladies, they inform me that Miss Panton discovered a strong inclination to be better acquainted with me; which indeed is a Curiosity that I cannot say I am altogether dest.i.tute of. I shall therefore, when I find it convenient make Miss Panton a visit--
I was before Dinner very strongly urged, by Mr Taylor, Mr Randolph, & some others to attend a c.o.c.k-Fight, where 25 c.o.c.ks are to fight, & large Sums are betted, so large at one as twenty five Pounds, but I choose rather to stay at Home. I read to day, & am much charmed with a Speech of _Plato's_ over Alexander the _Great_ lying dead before him--”O thou, who deceived by vain-Glory didst think of grasping at every thing, others are now going to gather the fruits of thy labours & thy Fatigues. Of so many conquests, there remains of thee but the terrible account, which thou art obliged to render unto the sovereign Judge”!--
I have also to Day with considerable attention been looking over Junius's Letters. His sentiments are strong, & bold. His language is chaste, & concise. & his Genius seems free and vast--I cannot easily omit transcribing a short pa.s.sage from his Letter to the Revd Mr _Horne_ in which he is speaking of Lord _Chatham_. as it pleases me vastly. ”As for the common, sordid views of avarice, or any purpose of vulgar Ambition, I question whether the applause of _Junius_, would be of service to Lord Chatham. My vote will hardly recommend him to an increase of his pension, or to a Seat in the Cabinet. But if his Ambition be upon a levil with his understanding--If he judges of what is truely honourable for himself with the same superior Genius which animates & directs him to Eloquence in Debates, to Wisdom in Decision, even the Pen of _Junius_ shall contribute to reward him. Recorded Honour shall gather round his Monument, & thicken over him. It is a solid Fabric, & will support the Lawrels that adorn it--I am not conversant in the language of panegyric--These praises are extorted from me; but they will wear well, for they have been dearly earned.”--
Junius, however, does not seem to have been at all ignorant of his own merit; for in the close of the same letter he says ”Such Artifices cannot long delude the understanding of the People; &, without meaning an indecent Comparison I may venture to foretell, that the _Bible_ & _Junius_ will be read when the Commentaries of the Jesuits are forgotten. We supped at nine--Mr Carter tired and early in Bed.
After Supper I had a long conversation with Mrs Carter concerning Negroes in Virginia, & find that She esteems their value at no higher rate than I do. We both concluded, (& I am pretty certain that the conclusion is just) that if in Mr Carters, or in any Gentlemans Estate, all the Negroes should be sold, & the Money put to Interest in safe hands, & let the Lands which these Negroes now work lie wholly uncultivated, the bare Interest of the Price of the Negroes would be a much greater yearly income than what is now received from their working the Lands, making no allowance at all for the trouble & Risk of the Masters as to the Crops, & Negroes.--How much greater then must be the value of an Estate here if these poor enslaved Africans were all in their native desired Country, & in their Room industrious Tenants, who being born in freedom, by a laudable care, would not only inrich their Landlords, but would raise a hardy Offspring to be the Strength & the honour of the Colony.
_Teusday 5._
It is with difficulty I am able to collect the members of our School together for Business. Holidays have become habitual, & they seem unwilling to give them over. As the Negroes have this Day for a Holiday our Schollars thinks it hard that they should be compell'd to attend to Business. I summon them together however, and shall keep them to constant Study until the time of my setting away. Miss Priscilla this morning told me, of Miss Panton, a moving story: Last Sunday Evening after we left there She took a lonely Walk, & being asked why She chose to walk without a companion, she answered that she was thinking of Home & of her Friends, & indulging her fond Grief on account of their absence!--Such a feeling as this I have not been a stranger to, I therefore Sympathize with the poor young Girl. The Day agreeably pleasant--Towards Evening Miss _Corbin_ came over to pay us a visit After School I waited on the Ladies in the Dining-Room the conversation was on Fas.h.i.+ons, which instantly introduced the oddity of Miss _Panton_. But Miss Corbin with a _Sneer_, & with ill-nature enough, swore She would not think of imitating such a thing as her!--O!--Tantam Animis caelestibus Irae?--I spent the Evening in cheerful chat with the Ladies. I think I have not had a more sociable & unconstrained feeling since I left Home, & my forgiving Friends.
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