The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-03-27
ONE OF THE OLD SCHOOL.
,arHzxfEL FEANors cABELL.
s.,,. Details as to the Descent OF tho Cabell
FAMILY OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Soldiers and Statesmen.

Nathaniel Francis Cabell was born III Nell
son county. Va, in tho year 1897. His father,
Nicholas Caben was himscf the son of
\. holas Cabcll. who was n prominent Viz
oia.an. and though the youngest out Of
am.,y Of five children Inherited his fathers
homo and estate. the original seat of tho Viz
,,n.a Cabcns. Liberty Hall, in Nelson near
Warminster on the James river, which Is still
in the possession u his kindred. Mr. Francis
Cabelrs great grandfather was a surgeon in
.be British navy. and omisrated TO Virginia
.r,m Wnrminstcr in Wiltshire, Eng. Just be-
,eath me end of the grassy table land known
.s Salisbury plain. IN 1870. The family is
one of undoubted antiquity. All the CaOells
.ar Calbcis OF Wits and the ad accent shres
%. somerset and Devon NOW pronounced
kavlel. aud certainly the Cabells of Lon
aou have been accurately traced back TO one
Walter Cabel. follower of the Earl Of Eve
rcly. one or the companions OF William the
Norman. A family o. similar, but not identi-
CD name IN Norfolk England Is ty some
suspected O. have had tho same origin. IL -
n.t intrinslcGlly unlikely that the numerous
l.,ue.ls of London and elsewhere also sprung
.rru :hs old stock. / he same family. though
...rg.sed as "Chevai" Is asserted 70 exist
t.aay in Normandy Or. William Caoel,
t.e founder of the house IN Virginia was
,.ln oi some consideration IN his time and so
decidedly were seyera. OF his lineal descend
ans, oi the same name. HIS oldestson. Colonel
William Cabell. was q famous Revolutionary
patriot. lis three younger sons and his
lrandson. Colonel Samuel Jordan CaoeA
were distinguished officers IN the kevoiu-
touarv Army. d.. Cabell took up eX-
iensive tracts on the james which were
afterwards cut into separate estates and d.
yled among bis children. These are still IA
lee q B. lfnI|
yleO. Bon AIR. CD Soldiers Joy. Union
HU. COlieton. Rep,on. etc. and IN mum
ier of instances they are still retained ny
DIS descendants Colonel William CaoeA re-
.aiyelas bis birthrght portion OF the noO4e
site and rich alluvial acres OF I mon t"'.
1fr. Cabells mother was Miss MargareS
lead Neuable a daughter of that remarkable
nan. Colonel Samuel NenaOe OF Prlnce I'd
ward and granddaughter OF the elder Judge
Iaul Darlington. who was himself the uncle
Az Mr. Cabelps own father on the maternal
SIDE Colonel Nicholas Cabell had sent his
four sons 70 Hamp1eu-Sidney TO be educated.
So afterwards several OF them TO be graduated
o. William and Mary. one Of these was the
late Governor William II. CabeN. for some
wears president OF the Supreme Court OF APP
r-a.s. Another of them, Nicholas CGbell. Jr.,
thus became acquainted with the lady who
Wa, % be his wife Their son Francis. the
subject OF this sketch. in an autODiOgraphlcal
manuscript he has left among his papers.
saws of himself. Il united IN myself the sew
eral lineages OF Cabel. Darlington. Nenable.
Read. with q spice of WOOdson and Micnaux,
viz. the AnglO-SaxOn and huguenot.' The
old Cabells according 10 this late descendant,
If uartaking in some degree the failngs OF the
ola Virginia cavaliers, had also in Mr.
Cabell's Judgment. much of their cheeriuiness
and other virtues and were a bold enterprls-
ing. industrious liberal. public-spirted. nos
pitable race. Mr.. Cabell himself inherited
and ever displayed the best OF these quail
ties besides others of q varied but not wholly
different kind which he was wont 10 dis
tribute. and thus whimsicallY account tor
amOnst his other lines OF ancestry. ret one
does not often see a man OF moro marked or
more interesting native indiyiduahty
The death of his father occurred Wnen
Francis was an infant, and his religious edu-
cation was entirely in the hands Of his
mother. who was strict and exemplary mem
Der of the Presbyterian Church. which IN
those parts had already taken the place OF
the old Colonial episcopacy. Though not
drawn % many OF those 10y whom lie was
now surrounded, he always spoke OF some OF
them with tenderness and gratitude, Il not
with veneration. OF the Rev. d.
John IT, Rice. the founder or Union
Theological Seminary ia Virginia, his early
friend and precept0T and mentor, he has noth-
ing but words of admiration and anectloh;
and testihes that he was "a great and good
and UIeral-UlIUtU lldu. " A44ot ADe POI
e0naliv attracted either by the creed or olity
prevailing in Prince Edward. he believed IN
the sincerity of those reilglOnlsts and allows
r,at they had the substantial Gospel II
was natural that under such circumstances
this ingenious youth, though alter a hard
mental struggle. should have permitted nlnseli
10 he enrolled as q member OF the PresDyte-
ran community and q little later on have
been chosen rs a ruling elder. But be was
never at heart a Presbyterian. and suDse-
ouentlv. AS we shall see. he left that CON-
muniOn for another and widely different one.
Mr. Francis Cebell was graduated from
Waupden-Sidnev at the age of nineteen. ana
afterwards from tho law schOO! OF Harvard
College. where he took his diploma In 1871.
Va was at all times close student and dill
cent reader. A perusal Of the English works
I'm every department OF literature which are
mentioned in his diaries as having Oeen
mastered by him at one time or another
would have been itself nDeral
education. He was especially fond OF
Shakespeare. OF Milton, Pope and OF HudioTas
and his pages are full OF apt, often witty quo
tations from these and other standard or
select authors. Woe 20 any one who IN his
presence or IN correspondence with him MS
Quoted a familiar line or attributed II TO any
but its true originator. Mr.. CaOell by no
means confined himself 10 the Old-tashloned
bellies letters where lie was thoroughly and
cbarmingy at home). and 10 history and
lopraphy but rOamed over the whole held
Of philosophy and theology of the earlier
periods.
He was alike inamoured of the rationalists
and myssics. lie was strongly attracted 10
vr.ters who. like Coleridge John Foster and
Isaac Taylor. combined novelty and specula-
tive thought with felicity or energy OF style.
After the Bible writer's and SwedenbOrg. the
rreatest master of his own thinking was
samuel TAYLOR Colerdge. and he loved 70
ou9te lis saying, Truth IS divine ventrilo-
nrist and we should list her sacred voice
come from what quarter 1t may" Works in
controversial divinity were continually IN bis
hands. and few Of our ministers would
have found IL an easy task TO van
.uish. or even % oppose. him IN theo-
LOGICAL debate. His conversation when
DE- was in his brightest humor was rare
priyileoe 10 those few who enjoyed 1t, anc
would have been a feast 20 any reasonable be
INC OF culture and taste. he WAS one OF the
last of the defunct line OF English letter
writer's and his graceful and elective dictioI
with Ks forgotten cunning OF artiully ye
naturally rounded sentences. resemOled hi
own small. fne. Quill-pen hand. As com
POSER of English he often put one IN mind o
BoEnrbroke or Chesterheld-esp tA'
last al times OF TiNotsOu or Goldsmith
Ia the autumn OF. 1881. soon after uniting VIII
tie Presbyterian Church. Mr.. Cabeil was mar
red ~ Miss Anne Blaws Cooke, who was I
daughter OF the late General Jonn IL Z. CocAe
OtFiuyauna of honoreG and santed memory