Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-12-29
THE RICH NOND ENQUIRER.
RINDxLL's LIFE OF JEFFERSON

TUESDAY, MORNING, DECEMBER 30
RINDALL'S LIFE OF JEFFERSON.
TIE LIFE n THOMAS JEFFERSON. BY Henry ), ;
Randall. L(D. vols. Vol. l. Svo, PIP. oIo
Derby & Jackson.
We are Indebted TO the publishers for copy, il
advance of publication, Of this most interesting ant
valuable work. 1t is noble tribute from highly
accomplished pen to an eminent statesman who e1
sr,ed world wide influence upon bis fellow men
and whose public policy and measures have LEFT ~
d,.p mark, ss to guide and control the principles
and action Of this great confederscy. We have reao
with delight Mr.. Randall's captivating dea's VI ~.
jefferson personal history, which ne mas sedulou'y
gathered, and admirably grouped togethe'' iro"
great variety of authentic sources ntner'o UTICA
plored, including copious manuscript DOCUMENTS co
TEMPORARY records personal Journals extensive COT
r.spondepoe and the reooections and memoranda o.
A large circle of relatives aud acquantances. Ou'
of the tempting richness Of bis materials the 40!
and oesr sighted author has constructed book, al
opos most entertaining and instructive-one thai
should DO studied by every patriot of the land and
especially by every Virginian who is proud OF tne
great son of the Old Dominion.
r.
succeeded, TO present full and faithful taoleau
early times, and especially Of the great Repuh"ar
so,ors. He has, with mastery effect hapdieo tue
fsots, anecdotes and correspondence which e1hioi'
thsir attitudes and relations TO each other we 70
,oioe to know that be has written very outspoker
book. Perhaps 10 may occasionally be thought tc
tread on toes which might as we'll have been spared
but be has wisely avoided the tone OF most OF oui
American Biography. While he has guarded agains
that deviLmay care indifference to private feelings
manifested in English biography sometimes, he ha'
equally avoided that goody.two shoes, trescly mutua
admiration society biography tevery man perfect anc
all exactly slikeD which has sickened the public
tssts He has talked ou-struck when he thought II
s,a<,,orv-and when indacei 80 to do by especial
eanness he has given his horse the spur aud brought
the weight of sword, man aad horse to the blow
He has lodged none of the sore questions and will
doubtless, be hunted, like partridge on the noun
tsins" BY all the fila, biographersof Federalism, by
the whole New England literary olsn! 1t makes one
laugh to think of what provoking list OF documents
be has preserved in his notes for the contempati,n
of the deHe1 of ancient Federalism-and particular
~ of those who are so everlastingy talking aoou'
New England patriotism, virtue and intelligence as
something different from and better than other peo'
piles. Mr.. Randall has given these pharsees some.
thing to digest But he has not aimed to write par
tissn book. It 10 no more partisan than Marshalls
Life Of Washington. It truly gives the fscts and s.
suss Of the early parties True, the author has not
assumed any judicial Indifference. He has told bic
story free aft ham" He has not insulted by inuen
debut, whom he wished to attack-when he thought
truth and Justice called him to attack, he has not
sneaksd up sideways under an incognito, or fought
10 borrowed armor. H,s VwN "ngn;zance shows on
h:s own helmet, his own arm, on his shield.
A, yireinisns, We rejoice that Mr.. Randall has &C
thoroughly succeeded in his delicate and difficult
work. His great powers Of analysis. bis admirable
eroupiue bic essy and captivating style, make THU
one of the most charming books We have ever read
and We regret that We are confined to the publ
cation Of only few Of the many interesting ex
tracts we have marked. After his fathers decease
Mr. Jefferson was sent to an excellent classical schoo
REV. Mr.. Maury's) in the vicinity, where he remain
Cd two years. and in 1850, at the aye OF about H. ne
entered at advanced cass at William and Mary Col
less, In Williamsburg. A, fret, he WA somewhat
addicted to sowing wild oats, and spent much time II
company in playing on the violin. aud in riding-ar
exercise for which no cherished an ardent taste
through life. His second year, however, was who'll,
oocupied with study. He devoted no fewer than i
honrs day 10 his books uniting decided love OF tn
o..ssics With passion for mathematics. " lie main
tsioed his familiarity with this science kept up will
In advances, and made practical use OF it in all thu
concerns whore it is applicable through life In later
years, We shall and him giving the most attention
the classics. He was dne and even critical LstiI
And Greek scholar The most difficult authors il
those languages wsrs read by him with eass-wer
habituay read by him as recreations snatched from
oM ial and other labors, and they became the mos
pr.s ID soaces Of bis old age. Of French, as writ
too language, he had thorough knowledge. His
acquaintance with AngloSaxon, Italian and Spanisl
has been assigned to bis college period but this is
mistake, unless 90 far mere rudments are concern
cd. He .tuded the Anglo Saxon during his law etu
dies TO enable him to dip for himself into the ancsn
fountains Of the English common Law. The Italian
was taken up Immediately after. The Impressions o
his family we're, that he did not study Spanish unit
be went to France, in 1884"
His attachments in beeslettres appear in all hi
earlier writings. There was no grand department
and scarcely branch Of liberal learning then tough
10 which ne was not comparatively we'll versed aE'
he SCENE to have relished them all with two excep
tlous-e,hics and metaphysics. Hegreatly approves
of reading works calculated to oster the moral sensf
and strongly recommended favorits nephew to rea
Epicte,us, Xsnophonts Memorabilia. Plstos Soorati
Dialogues Cicero's PHILOSOPHERS, Antonius. and Sen
ss. "He was more partial to the Greek than th
Roman literature; and amoug the Greeks, the Atfe
Mana were In all respects his chosen people, In tn
dsnse logic and burning defamation Of oratory, h
plaeed Demos,hsnes immeasurably above Cicero
I'm, hs ranked the philosophers of the latter with tbos
of Socrates. and above those of Epictetus AmonI
the ancient historians he gave decided preference
Ia Tbuoydldss and Tacttus. Putaroh was first di
liked, bu, afterwards liked by him. Among th
noderns he admired Hume'd style, but from his yer
arst perusal of him detested his political sentiment
and therefore preferred the older and less elegant hi
tori.os Of England. For fiction he had little tast
tina, nearly every work he read of this class coul
here DO stated. The list now embraced little, prob.
bly, nothing, beyond the works of Sterne and Fielding
a par, Of those of Smollett. Marmontel's Tales, G
bias, and Don Qui1ote. The last was perhaps th
only novel he ever read the second time, ever keet
ly relisbed."
Soon after leaving college. Mr.. Jefferson entere
upon the study Of the Law % the office Of Gsorg
Wythe in Williamsburg, where he remained for 6v
Year,. spending the Summer months. however, on th
old Homestead at Shsdwsll. 1.-The systematic indu
try of his college life continued. Notwithstanding
the time given to company, be contrived to pa'
nearly twice the usual number of hours Of law Of,
dents in bi. studies. Hs placed clock in bic bee
room and "a soon as he could distinguished ito HAND
IN the prey OF the Summer morning. be rose aud oom
uenced his labors. In Winter be rose punctualy
5. HE hour of retiring in The Summer, in the cou
try, wss9-iu Winter ct 10. At shsdvel his stud,
wore very little interrupted BY company. He s,ua
~ took gallop on horseback during the day, and
twilight, walked to the top OF Monticello. An hour
TIVE given the society Of his family. and the favori
VIOLIN completed the let Of Interruptions and still le
"A =, Is honrs for s,pdv and readinp"