the asking on every Virginia farm. But people of fashion, to say nothing of "New England judges," might not expect to be kept "three weeks" on ham and turkey! Claret might suffice for a "plain country gentleman," particularly if, as in Mr. Jefferson's case, he preferred it to all other summer wines. His visitors might choose something else; and it is not for the hospitable and supposed wealthy entertainer to impose his tastes on his guests. No person need be told that "entertaining handsomely" is an expensive amusement.

Mr. Jefferson could not know, when he left public life, either the general or special pecuniary disadvantages which awaited him. His temper, as in youth, was sunny and hopeful. After an unfavorable season, or unpropitious event, he always looked forward with confidence for a better next one-and if that did not come, he reasoned there was a double chance for good "fortune" the third time! In a word, nothing discouraged him. But because he owed a debt of some magnitude, he thought it a duty to cut off every expense which he regarded as superfluous, and he attempted to do so from the moment of his

1 This reminds us of an illustrative anecdote. Mr. C, a Virginia gentleman of the old noblesse, and an excellent, kind-hearted man, was visiting Mr. Madison. He had been long estranged from Mr. Jefferson; but the topic of difference coming up between him and Madison, the representations of the latter greatly mollified his feelings. Just at that point, a young friend of Madison (our informant) was on the point of leaving Montpellier in a carriage for Monticello, expecting to return immediately. Madison suddenly proposed to C-to jump in and go along. The latter was taken all aback at the idea of making a visit to Jefferson-and yet he was not half so reluctant to go as he fancied he would have been! Madison observing his hesitation, good-humoredly insisted on his proceeding. He had no time to reflect, and in ten minutes was on the way. Before reaching Monticello, and especially while climbing the mountain, he drew some long breaths and looked very sober. Our informant thought that for "about a second" he discovered a look of surprise on Jefferson's face as they entered the house, but he advanced instantly and saluted his guest with as prompt cordiality as if he had been looking for him. C did not get at his ease quite as readily. When they sat down to the dinnertable, he was placed by the side of Mr. Jefferson. The ice soon broke, and C- began to talk with great animation. Jefferson reminding him that he remembered his tastes, had some old and particularly fine Madeira placed before him. But no; C declared he would stick to claret with his host. They sat a couple of hours, the guest growing more and more delighted. When they rose from the table Jefferson retired for a few moments. C took our informant aside, and very seriously asked, "Do you suppose I could get a glass of good brandy here? I have been so amused by Jefferson that here I have been sipping his . . . . acid, cold French wine, until I am sure I shall die in the night (he had already stipulated to stay over night!) unless I take an antidote." His travelling companion knew all the ways at Monticello. He directed the faithful Burwell (Mr. Jefferson's favorite servant) to take a bottle of brandy to a private room, as willing to throw no imputations on his host's tastes, and so the movement must be concealed from him! Next day he returned to Montpellier, lauding Jefferson to the skies, but sorely puzzled to understand why a man of so much taste should drink cold, sour French wine!" He insisted to Mr. Madison that it would injure Jefferson's health. He talked himself warm on the topic. He declared it would kill him-that some night he would be carried off by it! Finally, he insisted that Madison write and urge him to change his wine. His altered tone towards Jefferson, and his warm solicitude in the particular just named, afforded great amusement to Madison and Jefferson. The trio thenceforth remained fast friends.

-was

retirement. No more expensive pictures, books, or other arti cles of luxury were purchased. It is true, he built a neat house on his Bedford property, but the labor was mostly performed by his servants, and the interior was finished at convenient intervals. He did not feel the pressure of pecuniary embarrassment at the time, and his convenience, his spirits, if not his health demanded that he have a roof to which he could occasionally fly for relief and rest from the traveller-thronged caravansera of Monticello. Besides this, we know no considerable expense he could have avoided, unless he chose to repulse the visits of his countrymen, and shut his doors on the ancient rites of hospitality customary among men of his rank.

It has been conceded that his farming operations, though conducted on sound and customary agricultural principles, were carried out with too great a fear of overtasking his dependents -that he was indulgent to a fault. He was sometimes cheated by overseers, for he was unsuspecting among common men. But these slight drawbacks were temporary, and had little to do with ultimate results. His oldest grandson began to take the management of his estate in 1814, and, not long afterwards, he assumed its entire control, and continued it to the period of Mr. Jefferson's death. The grandson was a vigorous and successful farmer.

Occasional gleams of good fortune came, but the general course of diminution and loss was inevitable, unless as already said, Mr. Jefferson chose to change the social customs of his life. If he did not adopt the latter alternative, who has the right to complain or condemn? "Whose ox did he" thereby "take-or whom did he defraud?" His debts were all paid before or after his death, even to his subscription of two hundred dollars to build a Presbyterian church in Charlottesville. His contributions to religious, educational, and charitable objects through his life, would have made his old age opulent! There is not a circumstance connected with the causes, progress, or sequel of his pecuniary misfortunes over which manhood should blush, or friendship desire to draw a veil.

Without prodigality, without idleness or improvidence, without embarking a dollar in speculation, he was reduced to comparative poverty. The bulk of his property was literally eaten up by his countrymen. But so stoutly did he and the

brave hearts around him struggle so cheerfully and self-denyingly did his entire family retrench where retrenchment was practicable-that he still would have had more than enough to carry him comfortably to the end, had he not (as we shall by and by relate more in detail) lost a large sum of money by indorsing for a friend. Indorsing was entirely contrary to his habits, but on this occasion there was not the slightest apparent prospect of danger, and the circumstances were such that it would have been very difficult to refuse. It was thus reserved for one of the dearest of his friends to give that coup de grâce which shrouded Monticello in gloom, consigned it to stranger hands and early decay, exposed its aged and tottering owner to the jeers of brutal partisans, and broke the noble heart that dealt the unwilling blow.

It is now time that we attempt to give some description of Monticello and its surroundings--the gathering point of so much intellect, learning, wit, beauty, and fashion, until the festal song was succeeded by the funeral dirge.

The general topography of the surrounding country has been noted. The public road from Charlottesville, by which Monticello was oftenest approached, after leading to the foot of "Carter's Mountain," winds along its lower slopes, until it commences ascending the edge of the wooded ravine which separates that hill from Monticello. In the notch between their summits the road crosses over to the latter, and thence descends its southwestern declivity towards Milton. Opposite the crossing, a gate opens on a private carriage road to Mr. Jefferson's former mansion, about half a mile distant. The slight further ascent is mostly through the natural growth of forest trees, among which, and coming to the carriage road, is the family burial-place. On emerging from the forest, the visitor finds himself on a slightly crowning area of a few acres, the summit of the mountain, cleared of the original trees except here and there clumps or single ones occasionally grouped with fine transplanted native or exotic species. On a small levelled space on the very apex, stands the house formerly surrounded by ornamented grounds, and nearly embowered in trees.

It is a long brick structure of a lofty balustraded single story, the central portion surmounted by a fine dome. There are spacious porticoes in front and rear, and the sides termi

nate in piazzas resting on brick arches. The former appearance of the house will be better understood from the vignette in our first volume, than from any description we can give.' The piazzas open on "terraces," which extend a few yards from the sides, and then turn back at right angles, and are continued to the "pavilions." Their roofs are flat, and on a level with the underpinning of the house, so that they furnished a favorite promenade in the evening and in damp weather. This arrangement was rendered practicable by the slope of the hill, and one of its principal objects was to prevent the view from the house being obstructed by outbuildings. The pavilions rose a story higher. The east (or to be more particular, the southeast) one was the house and home at which Mr. Jefferson arrived with his bride at midnight, in the "great snow" of 1772. It is probable that such recollections caused it to be preserved in the subsequent building plan, and that the west pavilion ("Colonel Randolph's study ") was built to match it.

Entering the mansion by the northeast portico, the former visitor found himself in a lofty, nearly square hall, the main central room of the building. On the right, were disposed horns of the moose, elk, and different varieties of American deer and hanging from their antlers or tastefully grouped about, were Indian and Mexican antiquities, articles of costume, war clubs, shields, spears, bows, quivers of arrows, and almost every conceivable specimen of aboriginal art. On the left, were arranged bones of the mastodon and other fossil monsters, disentombed on the Ohio; and massive specimens of minerals, and other natural curiosities, were appropriately interspersed. After gazing a moment at these objects, the eye settled with a deeper interest on busts of Jefferson and Hamilton, by. Ceracchi, placed on massive pedestals on each side of the main entrance" opposed in death as in life," as the surviving original sometimes remarked, with a pensive smile, as he observed the notice they attracted.

The hall opened by folding glass doors on a semi-octagonal drawing-room immediately in its rear, and which extended

The vignette presents but the central portion of the house, and one side or wing. The other wing corresponded with the one seen.

2 But a small portion of one terrace appears in the vignette, and this is surmounted by a temporary sloping roof.

through the remaining depth of the building to the southwest portico. This apartment was neatly furnished, and had a floor of parquetry. A harpsichord stood in one corner; and the walls were hung with fine portraits in oil of Columbus, Americus Vespucius, Andrea Doria, Castrucio Castracani, Raleigh, Cortez-Mr. Jefferson's "trinity," Bacon, Newton, and LockeWashington, John Adams, Madison, and Monroe. On either side of the door opening on the portico, were busts of the Emperors Alexander and Napoleon.

To the right (that is, west) of the drawing-room was a diningroom, and still further on, a semi-octagonal tea-room. On brackets in these, were busts of Washington, Franklin, Voltaire, Lafayette, and Paul Jones. Washington's (by Houdon) wore a wreath of immortelles. Some admirer in France sent these to Mr. Jefferson's family, to crown his bust on his birthday. He ordered them, instead, to be wreathed around the brow of Washington, and there they thenceforth remained until Mr. Jefferson's death.

In the front of this part of the house, were two commodious apartments for guests, containing beds in alcoves.

To the left or east of the hall was Mrs. Randolph's room, and in the rear, Mr. Jefferson's; and beyond these, was the library, extending through the depth of the house. The arched piazza beyond, was ultimately sashed with glass, and converted into a flower conservatory, so that the windows and glass doors of the library opened upon both its beauty and its fragrance. The "work-shop," so often spoken of by describers of Mr. Jefferson's habits, was originally the eastern extremity of the library.

The alcove for the bed in Mr. Jefferson's private room, opened, also, on that apartment-an arrangement which wooed every passing breath of air, and the odors of the conservatory in summer. In the winter, the library side was closed by cloth. hangings.'

1 This, like much other equally elaborate workmanship, was the handiwork of Mr. Jefferson's own servants-John Hemings and his sable apprentices.

The upper story was cut up into numerous bedrooms (brought into all conceivable shapes by the irregular form of the house), except the dome, which was finished into a single, fine apartment, known as "the ladies' drawing-room.' Several of the upper

rooms were lit by sky-lights, and light was also carried down from these to some of the lower rooms through ornamented funnels.

Most, if not all, the lower doors were of glass; though some of them had wooden or wire coveringe, to be closed when necessary. The furniture was neat and just sufficient. VOL. III.-22