94 TRAVELS IN THE CONFEDERATION 



" whole a mannerly people ; some of them have been 

 " taken to task for overmuch vanity and rodomontade, 

 " and this reproach is not altogether without reason," 

 says Guthrie + and the same is to be found in Burnaby 

 and other travellers, who all make use of the epithets, 

 ' careless,' ' loitering about,' ' sociable,' ' caroussing,' 

 ' proud,' ' jealous,' ' boasting,' ' haughty,' &c, when 

 speaking of them. True it is, the gentlemen of prop- 

 erty (and they are many) live on their estates careless 

 and independent, if only they have paid their taxes and 

 can balance outgo and income. If no impulse to politi- 

 cal affairs rouses them from their inactivity, they spend 

 their days in idleness or in such pleasures as a country- 

 life affords. For if they do perhaps comfortably over- 

 see the sluggish work of their slaves, that cannot be 

 called work or effort. They pass the greatest part 

 of the summer on soft pallets, + attended by one or 

 several negroes to ward off the flies, light pipes, and 

 proffer punch, sangry, toddy, or julap. But one should 

 not blame them hastily but consider, that the majority 

 of men everywhere, were there not other conditions 

 and stimuli to prevent, would allow themselves the 

 same indulgences, if tempted by a climate inviting to 

 ease and offering an abundant support. Self-content, 

 the Virginian avoids all efforts of mind and body in- 

 volving anything beyond his pleasure. He reads, but 

 he does not study so as to make a display of learning, 

 possessing which, no title, rank, or lucrative office 

 would compensate him for his midnight toils. A resi- 

 dence at lonesome country-seats is favorable to the 

 muses, if these do indeed withdraw from the uproar of 

 cities and distracting surroundings, if they luxuriate, 

 philosophically calm, in the treasures of knowledge 



