Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-08-20
THE GAZETTE.
SATURDAY MORNING. AUGUST ~. 1859
PATRICK llENRl


1t has been common to surpo>c that Pat
rick ilrnrN, the natural Orator, a. he IL
popularity called, WAS very slightly. Al nj aii
indebted Tor his wonderful elnqucmce 1" those
sources ui mental cnl,u,e which are held III
highest esteem, nj ut once the models oi 'as'e
and the instruments Of learning IL seems
however, that this opinion IL upiounoed, anu
that the American Demosthenes IL Il" excep
ton to the great law which a,hrns that the
pvds give nothing to men without labor. =
From nm interesting and instructive Grafton
delivered by Mr.. Hugh Blair Grig,by. before
the students of William and Mary College
ON the Fourth Of July last. We cite the fol-
lowing statement in reference to the literary
style aud early classical proficiency OF Pat
rick Henry:
Zone instance of the application Of phil
ology to the history of Virginia. IL within my
own experience, and may not be without III
terest To the students Of William aud Mary
From "A critical examination of the irnS
ments nf the speeches and writing. OF Pat
rick Henry which have cunle down to u.s.
and by a careful collation. of them with those
of his prominent contemporaries. | WAS COLI
WINGED that our Patriot Prophet had recel''
tin Classics, and that he had received that
training in early life. There Was 7" he seen 10
his siyle a curi0sd teiirifds' anda 'rdfd".l ""c-
f,yu n purity and "A tact which could not have
been the result of chance. or they would have
been equally apparent M the WORKS "' MS
rivals: and il was evident. ~ finely were
these characteristics interviewer III the Sei'-
eral texture Of his style. that he must have
studied the ancient authors IN early HE; "a.
such results rarely appear ~ rohsp'cu"usIy
in the productions Of those wh" bec"ina ac-
quainted with the classics ut more ni|n''-
ced age. This MAS the argument "f inter
nal evidence-an argument which was sat
islactory To me. but which. without an III
finitely minute exposition If details that none
but n philolngist could comprehend. would
not be conclusive to others. Ii would thus
he regarded rather rs III opinion than de-
nioi,strutiom; and must. therefore. sustain
my cnnclusipII. for the benefit vt others. from
the facts of Henry early lite. HIS iather
was a teacher aud native al Scotland. ana
he WAS educated in that country when Latin
WAS taught with substantial skill. but many
wears before the sun OF Greek literature had
risen in the Scottish horizon. Now, the
Scotch teach Latin ut the ,enderest aye
l am myself of Scottish descent On the ma
ternal side, and was taught by Scottish
teachers. and can hardly remember II TIM"
when could not read L,tin;"r at least hen
| WAS not familiar with the grammar. But
the father of Henry WAS not only teacher
and n Scotchu,un, but he WAS an admirable
Latin scholar; for We are told IN the diary
of Samuel Davies, himself fine scholar,
that the father OF Henry was more familiar
with his Horace, than with his Bible
Hence the conclusion was irresistible that,
il the father of Henry taught his pupils the
classics, he would, like the rest OF his coun-
trymen teach them early and, as he WAS
proved to have been thoroughly skilled III
them, that he would teach them well; and,
further, that if he taught the children Of
other people Latin. he would at the same
time teach his own. This was the arsun
from probability. which did not need 4"
enhance nv own nviction, but which
might be necessary to gain the assent Oh
others. Here, then, was fact ascertained
in the life of Patrick Henry which WAS not
only not known, but which ran counter t"
the opinions and statements ot all his con
te,nporaries and biographers. But was my
conclusion. true after all! Ii was strictly
true in both respects. that our great orator
had learned the Latin classics, alid that he
had learned them i'll early life; for IN the re-
Gently published diary of John Adams. un-
der the date Of September, III, we have 1t
from the lips Of Henry himself that bcj"'e
fifteen. he had read Virgin and Lazy "a de
gree of proficiency which. even i'll this day
except under favorable auspices, Is rarely at
tanned at 80 early All age; for. between tn"
grammar aud Livy. rs was observed by my
venerable friend, Bishop Meade, our old
teachers, even those with whom studied IN
troduced nearly the entire series Of the cI"ss'-
cal authors"