filled, yet their attachment continued unabated; their correspondence was continued, and Washington lived to sympathize in the misfortunes of his friend, and to use the means which his powerful influence enabled him to wield in his behalf during his long and cruel imprisonment in the castle of Olmutz.

In September, Washington made a tour through the western part of Virginia, for the double purpose of inspecting the lands which he held on the other side of the Alleghanies, and of inquiring into the practicability of opening a communication between the waters which flow eastwardly into the Atlantic, and those which flow westwardly into the Ohio and Mississippi. The journey was made on horseback, packhorses being used for the conveyance of a tent and other baggage. On his return, he presented to the legislature of Virginia such an account of the advantages resulting from an improved navigation of the rivers communicating with the western country, that two companies were chartered for the purpose, which were the commencement of that great system of internal improvements which has since opened such an easy communication between the different parts of the country.

On this occasion, the legislature of Virginia, anxious to bestow upon him some mark of the high estimation which they placed upon his services, complimented him, without a dissenting voice, with fifty shares in the Potomac Company, and one hundred shares in the James

River Company; the first being valued at ten thousand dollars, and the last at over twenty thousand dollars. He, however, declined receiving them, except on the condition that they should be kept in trust by him, and bestowed on such benevolent object as he should name. This condition was complied with, and the shares were afterward appropriated to the purposes of education.

He was a warm advocate for a liberal system of education, and embraced every opportunity for encouraging it, both by his individual efforts and by his money. He was, for some time, chancellor of William and Mary College. He was accustomed, for many years, to make an annual donation of fifty pounds for the instruction of indigent children in Alexandria, which was made perpetual at his death by a bequest of four thousand dollars; the interest of which was to be applied to the same benevolent purpose. He is also known to have defrayed the college expenses of many indigent young men; and he took a warm interest in the plans of the countess of Huntington, who was descended from a branch of the Washington family, for civilizing, Christianizing, and educating the Indian tribes.

During the year 1785, Washington applied himself with new vigour to the cultivation of his estate. He spent some weeks in beautifying his grounds by planting and removing trees; he exchanged the culture of tobacco for that of wheat and grass, as being better suited to the

soil; he began a regular system of rotation in his labours, by which different crops were made to succeed each other at regular intervals in the same field; he replenished his orchards with rare varieties of fruit trees, and garnished his grounds with the most beautiful shrubs and fragrant flowering plants; he attended personally to the selection, removal, and planting of every tree; drew out his plans of improvement on paper; entered all the particulars in his diary from day to day, and anxiously watched each tree and shoot until it showed signs of life and growth. In these pursuits he took the deepest interest, and could be seen at almost any time of day with a pruning-hook or other horticultural instrument in his hands.

But these occupations, in which he took such unalloyed delight, met with frequent and sometimes disagreeable interruptions. He was harassed with thousands of applications from officers and soldiers for certificates and other evidence, for the purpose of substantiating claims against the government, which often required an examination of his voluminous papers, and occasioned him much trouble. Still, he always felt it his duty to comply with these requests, and, having no secretary, these things, together with his large correspondence and his numerous visiters, absorbed so much of his time, that it was frequently a subject of complaint in his correspondence. The multitude of his visiters alone caused him much interruption. They came from every quarter of the world,

and seemed to increase in numbers with every returning day; but the task of receiving them was, nevertheless, made comparatively easy by the excellent household arrangements of Mrs. Washington.

His habits retained all the simplicity of his earlier years. He rose before the sun, and employed himself in his study till breakfast. When this was over, his horse was always in waiting at the door, and he rode to his farms and gave his directions for the day. Horses were also prepared for such guests as chose to accompany him, or wished to amuse themselves by excursions into the country. Returning from his fields, he despatched such business as required his immediate attention, and again retired to his study, where he continued till the hour of dinner, which was three o'clock. The remainder of the day and evening were spent in the family circle until ten, when he retired

to rest.

In October, Mr. Houdon, an eminent French sculptor, arrived at Mount Vernon, where he remained for several weeks, engaged in modeling a bust of General Washington. The state of Virginia having resolved to erect a statue in honour of the general, Dr. Franklin and Mr. Jefferson, then in Europe, had been commissioned to procure an artist. They selected Houdon, who came over in company with Dr. Franklin, and commenced his work. The statue is believed to be as perfect a resemblance of the original, both in the features and figure, as

the sculptor's art will admit. The costume is modern, being that in which the general was accustomed to appear as commander-in-chief. It stands in the capitol at Richmond.*

CHAPTER XVIII.

Defects of the government-Solicitude of WashingtonConvention to frame a new constitution-Washington chosen president of the convention-New constitutionWashington chosen president of the United States.

THE Confederation by which the states were bound together, and under which congress exercised its authority, had not conferred upon the central government sufficient power to com

Besides this, there are two other statues of Washington, one by Canova and one by Chantrey. Canova's statue was made for the state of North Carolina. It is in a sitting posture, with a Roman costume. The artist aimed to exhibit his conception of the character, rather than the bodily resemblance, of Washington. This splendid specimen of art has been mutilated, and nearly destroyed, by a fire, which consumed the capitol at Raleigh. Chantrey's statue was procured by a private subscription, and is placed in the state house at Boston. The costume is a military cloak, which displays the figure to advantage. The effect is imposing and good; but, instead of confining himself to a close delineation of features, the sculptor, like Canova, has allowed some latitude to his genius in expressing his idea of the character of his subject. The Washington monument at Baltimore, in memory of the FATHER OF HIS COUNTRY, is a tribute worthy of the name, and most honourable to the liberality and public spirit by which it was erected. Congress have recently voted a colossal statue in marble, which is to be executed by Greenough, the distinguished American artist at Florence. It is to occupy the centre of the great rotunda in the capitol, at the seat of the national legislature. Sparks.