Part 26 (2/2)

[421] Howe, _Hist Coll Va_ 221

[422] Wirt, 312

[423] Wirt, 320-321; 368-369

[424] McRee, _Life of Iredell_, ii 394

[425] Me_ for 1873, 274-275

[426] Howe, _Hist Coll Va_ 222

[427] Judge Spencer Roane, MS

[428] McRee, _Life of Iredell_, ii 395

[429] Wirt, 75-76

[430] J W Alexander, _Life of A Alexander_, 191-192

[431] J W Alexander, _Life of Archibald Alexander_, 183-187

[432] MS

[433] Howe _Hist Coll Va_ 222-223

CHAPTER XXI

IN RETIREMENT

In the year 1794, being then fifty-eight years old, and possessed at last of a competent fortune, Patrick Henry withdrew from his profession, and resolved to spend in retire fro Island, in Campbell County; but in 1795 he finally established himself in the county of Charlotte, on an estate called Red Hill,--an estate which continued to be his hoave to him his burial place, and which still remains in the possession of his descendants

The rapidity hich he had thus risen out of pecuniary es of his profession during those few years; for while his ehest fees, probably, that were then paid in Virginia, it is apparent from his account-books that those fees were not at all exorbitant, and for a lawyer of his standing would not now be regarded as even considerable The truth is that, subsequently to his youthful and futile attempts at business, he had so profited by the experiences of his life as to have becoacious and an expert ro, as well as anybody, and was peculiarly a judge of the value and quality of lands”[434] It seems to have been chiefly froht and judg time, he had reaped only burdens and anxieties, that he derived the wealth that secured for hi afterward made by Jefferson, that Patrick Henry's fortune caht to pay his land debts in a depreciated currency ”not worth oak-leaves,” or froate and infamous Yazoo speculation, has been shown, by ample evidence, to be untrue[435]

The descriptions which have come down to us of the life led by the old statesman in those last five years of retirement make a picture pleasant to look upon The house at Red Hill, which then becae, the dividing line of Campbell and Charlotte, within a quarter of aRiver with the Staunton From it the valley of the Staunton stretches southward about threefrom a quarter to nearly a h olden luxuriance, sloinds the river, overhung byhills, rich in verdure, enclose the whole, and impart to it an air of seclusion and repose From the brow of the hill, west of the house, is a scene of an entirely different character: the Blue Ridge, with the lofty peaks of Otter, appears in the horizon at a distance of nearly sixty miles” Under the trees which shaded his lawn, and ”in full view of the beautiful valley beneath, the orator was accustos, with his chair leaning against one of their trunks, and a can of cool spring-water by his side, frohts Occasionally, he walked to and fro in the yard from one clump of trees to the other, buried in revery, at which tiht,” says one of his sons-in-laas in conversation, in the society of his friends and family, and in the resources of his own mind”[437] Thus beneath his own roof, or under the shadow of his own trees, he loved to sit, like a patriarch, with his faathered affectionately around hiive hirave or playful, and even to the sports of the children ”His visitors,” writes one of the on the floor, with a group of these little ones cli around him with obstreperous mirth, to the tune of his violin, while the only contest seemed to be who should make the most noise”[438]

The evidence of contereat lovableness in private life is most abundant One who knew hi to be critical upon occasion, has said:--

”With respect to the do could be more amiable In every relation, as a husband, father, hbor, he was entirely exemplary As to the disposition of Mr Henry, it was the best iinable I am positive that I never saw him in a passion, nor apparently even out of tehly irritated other men had no such visible effect on him He was always calm and collected; and the rude attacks of his adversaries in debate only whetted the poignancy of his satire Shortly after the Constitution was adopted, a series of the ainst hinature of Decius They were supposed to be written by John Nicholas,with the assistance of other more important men They assailed Mr Henry's conduct in the Convention, and slandered his character by various stories hatched up against him These pieces were extremely hateful to all Mr

Henry's friends, and, indeed, to a great portion of the co the thickest of the on the occasion, and far less condescended to parry the effects on the public mind It was too puny a contest for hirity With many sublime virtues, he had no vice that I knew or ever heard of, and scarcely a foible I have thought, indeed, that he was too ht be excused e reflect on the largeness of a beloved family, and the straitened circureat part of his life”[439]

Concerning his personal habits, we have, through his grandson, Patrick Henry Fontaine, soreat man somewhat more familiarly before us ”He was,” we are told, ”very abstemious in his diet, and used no wine or alcoholic stimulants Distressed and alarmed at the increase of drunkenness after the Revolutionary war, he did everything in his power to arrest the vice He thought that the introduction of a hare, as a substitute for distilled spirits, would be beneficial To effect this object, he ordered fronment of barley, and a Scotch brewer and his wife to cultivate the grain, and e fashi+onable and popular, he always had it upon his table while he was governor during his last ter stronger, while he lived”[440]

Though he was always a inian, he became, particularly in his later years, very unfriendly to that renowned and consolatory herb so long associated with the fae, the condition of his nervous systereeable to him The old colored house-servants were compelled to hide their pipes, and rid themselves of the scent of tobacco, before they ventured to approach him They protested that they had not suilty by following the scent, and leading them to the corn-cob pipes hid in some crack or cranny, which he made them take and throw instantly into the kitchen fire, without refor the evil, which is likely to continue as long as tobacco will grow”[441]

Concerning another of his personal habits, during the years thus passed in retire description, also derived frorandson to e are indebted for the facts just e field in the bottom of Staunton River, the most of which could be seen fro, summer, and fall, before sunrise, while the air was cool and cal herds and singing birds, he stood upon an eave orders and directions to his servants at work a half roes responded to hi exercise, his enunciation was clear and distinct enough to be heard over an area which ten thousand people could not have filled; and the tones of his voice were as melodious as the notes of an Alpine horn”[442]