Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-07-26
Irving's Washington.


Irving's Washington.
In Iryings life of the great patriot, lately pub
lished the greatest pleasure is to be derived from
reading his graphic and vivid pictures of Virginia
life in 1855, and Washngton's personal
character and habits. These are unhackneyed
themes, and when treated with such exquisite
literary skill, they have peculiar charm. The
following extract will give some idea of that part
of the work to which we now refer:
g From letter to his correspondent in Eng
land, it would appear that Washington had long
entertained desire to visit that country. Had
he done SO, his acknowledged merit and military
services would have insured him a distinguished
reception; and it has been intimated that the
signal favor OF Government might have changed
the current of his career. We believe him, how
ever, to have been too pure patriot, and too
clearly possessed of the true interests of his
try, to be diverted from the course which he ulti
mately adopted. HIS marriage, at any rate, had
put an end to all travelling inclinations In his
letter from Mount Vernon, he writes: 81 am
now, believe, fixed i'm this seat, with an agreea-
BILE partner for life, and hope to find more hap
piness in retirement than ever experienced in
the wide and bustling world.
" This was no Utopian dream transiently in
dulged, amid the charms of novelty. 1t was a
deliberate purpose with him, the result of innate
and enduring inclinations Throughout the whole
course of his career, agricultural life appears to
have been his beau ideal of existence, which
haunted his thoughts even amid the stern duties
of the field, and to which he required with I'M
tagging interest, whenever enabled to indulge
his natural bias.
"Mount Vernon was his harbor of repose,
where he repeatedly furled his sail, and fancied
himself anchored for life. No impulse of ambi-
ton tempted him thence; nothing but the call of
rI hsI al H. n
The place was endeared to him by the remem-
brance of his brother Lawrence, and of the happy
days he had passed here with that brother in the
days Of boyhood; but it was delightful place in
itself, and well calculated to inspire the rural
feeling.
THE mansion was beautifully situated, on a
swelling height, crowned with wood, and COM
handing magnificent view up and down the
Potomac The grounds Immediately about it
were laid out somewhat in the English taste
The estate was apportioned into separate farms,
devoted to different kinds of culture, each having
its allotted laborers. Much, however, was still
covered with wild woods scanned with deep dells
and runs of water, and indented with. inlets;
haunts of deer, and lurking places of foxes. The
whole woody region along the Potomac, from
Mount Vernon to Belvor and far beyond, with
its range of forests and hills and picturesque pro-
montories, affording sports of various kinds,
and was a noble hunting ground. Washington
had hunted through it with old Lord Fairfax in
his stripping days; we do not wonder that his
feelings throughout life necessarily turned to it.
+" These were, as yet, the arstocratical days of
Virginia. The estates were large, and continued
in the same families by entails. Many of the
wealthy planters were connected with old fami-
lies in England. The young men, especially the
older sons, Were often sent to finish their educa-
ton there, and on their return brought out the
tastes and habits of the mother country. The
governors of Virginia were from the higher ranks
OF society, and maintained a corresponding state.
The established or Episcopal Church predomi-
mated throughout the ancient dominion, as it
was termed; each county was divided into parishes
as in England-each with its parochial church, its
parsonage, and glebe. Washington was vestry-
man of two parishes, Fairfax and Truro; the
parochial church of the former was at Alexandria,
ten miles from. Mount Vernon; of the latter at
Pohick, about seven miles. The church of Pohick
was rebuilt on plan of his own, and in a great
measure at his expense. At one or other of these
churches he attended every Sunday, when the
weather and the roads permitted. His demeanor
was reverential and devout. Mrs. Washington
knelt during the prayers; he always stood, as was
the custom at that time. Both were commune
cants.
Among his occasional visitors and associates
were Captain Hugh Mercer and Dr. Craik; the
former, after his narrow escapes from the toma-
hawk and scalping knife, was quietly settled at
Fredericksburg; the latter, after the campaigns
on the frontier were over, had taken up his resi-
dence at Alexandria, and was now Washington s
family physician. Both were drawn to him by
campaigning ties and recolections, and were ever
welcome at Mount Vernon.
"A style of living prevailed among the opulent
Virginian families in those days, that has long
since faded away The houses were spacious,
commodious, liberal in all their appointments,
and fitted to cope with the free-handed OPEN
hearted hospitality of the owners. Nothing was
more common than to see handsome services of
plate, elegant equipage, and superb carriage
horses-all imported from England
"The Virginians have always been noted for
their love of horses; manly passion which, in
those days of opulence, they INDUCED without
regard TO expense. The rich planters We'd with
each other in their studs, importing the best Eng
lish stocks. Mention is made Of one of the Ran
dolphs of Tuckahoe who built a stable for his
favorte dapple grey horse, Shakespeare, with a
recess for the bed Of the negro groom, who al
ways slept beside him at night.
Washington, by his marriage, had added
about one hundred thousand dollars to his al
ready considerable fortune, and was enabled TO
live in ample and dignifed style. His intimacy
with the Fairfaxes, and his intercourse with
British officers Of rank, had perhaps had their
influence on his mode of living. He had his
chariot and four, with black postillions in livery,
for the use of Mrs. Washington and her lady
visitors. As for himself, he always appeared on
horseback. His stable was well filed, and adj
mirably regulated His stud was thoroughbred
and in excellent order. His household books
contain registers Of the names, ages, aud marks
Of his favorite horses; such as Ajax, Blueskin,
Valiant, Magnolia, ian Arab) sc. Also, his
dogs, chiefly fox hounds, Vulcan, Singer, Ring
wood, Sweetlips, Forester, Music, lockwood,
lruelove, &c. He was an early
riser, often before daybreak in the winter when
the nights were long On such occasions he lit
his own fire, and wrote or read by candle light
He breakfasted at in summer, at in winter.
Two small cups Of tea and three or four cakes OF
Indian meal, Called hoe-cakes, formed his frugal
repast Immediately after breakfast he mounted
his horse and visited those parts of the estate
where any work was going on, seeing to every
thing with his own eyes, and often aiding with
his own hand.
Dinner was served at two o'clock. lie ate
heartily but was no epcure nor critical about his
food. His beverage small bear or cider, and
two glasses of old MADEIRA. He took tea, Of
which he was very fond, early in the evening,
and retired for the night about nine clock.
eff confined TO the house by bad weather, he
took that occasion to arrange his papers, post up
his accounts write letters passing part Of the
time in reading and occasionally reading aloud to