part20-第15章

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respectful　recollections；　and　of　the　gratification　it　will　ever　be　to

us　to　hear　of　your　health　and　welfare。







　　　　　　　　A　GIFT　TO　A　GRANDDAUGHTER




　　　　　　　　_Ellen　Randolph　Coolidge_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　Nov。　14；　1825_




　　　　　　　　MY　DEAR　ELLEN　　In　my　letter　of　Oct。　13。　to　Mr。　Coolidge；　I

gave　an　account　of　the　riot　we　had　at　the　University；　and　of　it's

termination。　　You　will　both　of　course　be　under　anxiety　till　you　know

how　it　has　gone　off？　　With　the　best　effects　in　the　world。　　Having　let

it　be　understood；　from　the　beginning；　that　we　wished　to　trust　very

much　to　the　discretion　of　the　Students　themselves　for　their　own

government。　　With　about　four　fifths　of　them；　this　did　well；　but　there

were　about　15。　or　20。　bad　subjects　who　were　disposed　to　try　whether

our　indulgence　was　without　limit。　　Hence　the　licentious　transaction

of　which　I　gave　an　account　to　Mr。　Coolidge。　　But　when　the　whole　mass

saw　the　serious　way　in　which　that　experiment　was　met；　the　Faculty　of

Professors　assembled；　the　Board　of　Visitors　coming　forward　in　support

of　that　authority；　a　grand　jury　taking　up　the　subject；　four　of　the

most　guilty　expelled；　the　rest　reprimanded；　severer　laws　enacted；　and

a　rigorous　execution　of　them　declared　in　future；　it　gave　them　a　shock

and　struck　a　terror；　the　most　severe；　as　it　was　less　expected。　　It

determined　the　well　disposed　among　them　to　frown　upon　every　thing　of

the　kind　hereafter；　and　the　ill…disposed　returned　to　order　from　fear

if　not　from　better　motives。　　A　perfect　subordination　has　succeeded；

entire　respect　towards　the　Professors；　and　industry；　order；　and　quiet

the　most　exemplary；　has　prevailed　ever　since。　　Every　one　is　sensible

of　the　strength　which　the　institution　has　derived　from　what　appeared

at　first　to　threaten　it's　foundation。　　We　have　no　further　fear　of　any

thing　of　the　kind　from　the　present　set。　　But　as　at　the　next　term

their　numbers　will　be　more　than　doubled　by　the　accession　of　an

additional　band；　as　unbroken　as　these　were；　we　mean　to　be　prepared；

and　to　ask　of　the　legislature　a　power　to　call　in　the　civil　authority

in　the　first　instant　of　disorder；　and　to　quell　it　on　the　spot　by

imprisonment　and　the　same　legal　coercions；　provided　against　disorder

generally；　committed　by　other　citizens；　from　whom；　at　their　age；　they

have　no　right　to　distinction。




　　　　　　　　We　have　heard　of　the　loss　of　your　baggage；　with　the　vessel

carrying　it；　and　sincerely　condole　with　you　on　it。　　It　is　not　to　be

estimated　by　it's　pecuniary　value；　but　by　that　it　held　in　your

affections。　　The　documents　of　your　childhood；　your　letters；

correspondencies；　notes；　books；　&c。；　&c。；　all　gone！　　And　your　life

cut　in　two；　as　it　were；　and　a　new　one　to　begin；　without　any　records

of　the　former。　　John　Hemmings　was　the　first　who　brought　me　the　news。

He　had　caught　it　accidentally　from　those　who　first　read　the　letter

from　Col。　Peyton　announcing　it。　　He　was　au　desespoir！　　That　beautiful

writing　desk　he　had　taken　so　much　pains　to　make　for　you！　　Everything

else　seemed　as　nothing　in　his　eye；　and　that　loss　was　everything。

Virgil　could　not　have　been　more　afflicted　had　his　Aeneid　fallen　a

prey　to　the　flames。　　I　asked　him　if　he　could　not　replace　it　by　making

another？　　No。　　His　eyesight　had　failed　him　too　much；　and　his

recollection　of　it　was　too　imperfect。　　It　has　occurred　to　me　however；

that　I　can　replace　it；　not；　indeed；　to　you；　but　to　Mr。　Coolidge；　by　a

substitute；　not　claiming　the　same　value　from　it's　decorations；　but

from　the　part　it　has　_borne_　in　our　history　and　the　events　with　which

it　has　been　associated。　　I　recieved　a　letter　from　a　friend　in

Philadelphia　lately；　asking　information　of　the　house；　and　room　of　the

house　there；　in　which　the　Declaration　of　Independence　was　written；

with　a　view　to　future　celebrations　of　the　4th。　of　July　in　it；

another；　enquiring　whether　a　paper　given　to　the　Philosophical　society

there；　as　a　rough　draught　of　that　Declaration　was　genuinely　so？　　A

society　is　formed　there　lately　for　an　annual　celebration　of　the

advent　of　Penn　to　that　place。　　It　was　held　in　his　antient　Mansion；

and　the　chair　in　which　he　actually　sat　when　at　his　writing　table　was

presented　by　a　lady　owning　it；　and　was　occupied　by　the　president　of

the　celebration。　　Two　other　chairs　were　given　them；　made　of　the　elm；

under　the　shade　of　which　Penn　had　made　his　first　treaty　with　the

Indians。　　If　then　things　acquire　a　superstitious　value　because　of

their　connection　with　particular　persons；　surely　a　connection　with

the　great　Charter　of　our　Independence　may　give　a　value　to　what　has

been　associated　with　that；　and　such　was　the　idea　of　the　enquirers

after　the　room　in　which　it　was　written。　　Now　I　happen　still　to

possess　the　writing…box　on　which　it　was　written。　　It　was　made　from　a

drawing　of　my　own；　by　Ben。　Randall；　a　cabinet　maker　in　whose　house　I

took　my　first　lodgings　on　my　arrival　in　Philadelphia　in　May　1776。

And　I　have　used　it　ever　since。　　It　claims　no　merit　of　particular

beauty。　　It　is　plain；　neat；　convenient；　and；　taking　no　more　room　on

the　writing　table　than　a　moderate　4to。　volume；　it　yet　displays　it

self　sufficiently　for　any　writing。　　Mr。　Coolidge　must　do　me　the　favor

of　accepting　this。　　Its　imaginary　value　will　increase　with　the　years；

and　if　he　lives　to　my　age；　or　another　half　century；　he　may　see　it

carried　in　the　procession　of　our　nation's　birthday；　as　the　relics　of

teh　saints　are　in　those　of　the　church。　　I　will　send　it　thro'　Colonel

Peyton；　and　hope　with　better　fortune　than　that　for　which　it　is　to　be

a　substitute。




　　　　　　　　I　remark　what　you　say　in　your　letter　to　your　mother；　relative

to　Mr。　Willard　and　our　University　clock。　　Judging　from　that　that　he

is　the　person　whom　Mr。　Coolidge　would　recommend；　and　having　recieved

from　Dr。　Waterhouse　a　very　strong　recommendation　of　him；　you　may

assure　the　old　gentleman　from　me　that　he　shall　have　the　making　of　it。

We　have　lately　made　an　important　purchase　of　lands　amounting　to　7000。

D。　and　the　government　is　taking　from　us；　under　their　old　and　new

Tariff；　2700。　D。　duty　on　the　marble　caps　and　bases　of　the　portico　of

our　Rotunda；　of　10　columns　only。　　These　things　try　our　funds　for　the

moment。　　At　the　end　of　the　year　we　shall　see　how　we　stand；　and　I

expect　we　may　be　able　to　give　the　final　order　for　the　clock　by

February。




　　　　　　　　I　want　to　engage　you；　as　my　agent　at　Boston；　for　certain

articles　not　to　be　had　here；　and　for　such　only。　　But　it　will　be　on

the　indispensable　condition　that　you　keep　as　rigorous　an　account　of

Dollars　and　cents　as　old　Yerragan　our　neighbor　would　do。　　This　alone

can　induce　friends　to　ask　services　freely；　which　would　otherwise　be

the　asking　of　presents　and　amount　to　a　prohibition。　　We　should　be

very　glad　occasionally　to　get　small　supplies　of　the　fine　dumb　codfish

to　be　had　at　Boston；　and　also　of　the　tongues　and　sounds　of　the　Cod。

This　selection　of　the　articles　I　trouble　you　for　is　not　of　such　as

are　better　there　than　here；　for　on　that　ground　we　might　ask　for　every

thing　from　thence；　but　such　only　as　are　not　to　be　had　here　to　all。

Perhaps　I　should　trepass　on　Mr。　Coolidge　for　one　other　article。　　We

pay　here　2。　D。　a　gallon　for　bad　French　brandy。　　I　think　I　have　seen

in　Degrand's　Price　current　Marseilles　brandy；　from　Dodge　and　Oxnard；

advertised　good　at　1。　Dollar；　and　another　kind　called　Seignettes；

which　I　am　told　is　good　Cognac　at　1。25。　D。　　I　will　ask　of　you　then　a

supply　of　a　kental　of　good　dumb　fish；　and　about　20　or　30　lbs。　of

tongues　and　sounds；　and　of　Mr。　Collidge　a　30　gallon　cask　of　Dodge　and

Oxnard's　Marseilles　brandy；　if　tolerable　good　at　1。　D。　or

thereabouts；　but　double　cased　to　guard　against　spoliation。　　Knowing

nothing　of　the　prices　of　the　fish；　I　will　at　a　venture；　desire　Col。

Peyton　to　remit　60。　D。　to　Mr。　Coolidge　immediately；　and　any　little

difference　between　this　and　actual　cost　either　way；　may　stand　over　to

your　next　account。　　We　should　be　the　better　perhaps　of　your　recipe

for　dressing　both　articles。




　　　　　　　　I　promised　Mr。　Tick