CHARACTERS. 



345 



moreorless, together with the man- 

 sion-house, and all other buildings 

 and improvements thereon. 



2d. In consideration of the con- 

 sanguinity between them and my 

 wife, being as nearly related to her as 

 to myself, as on account of the affec- 

 tion I had for, and the obligation 

 I was under to their father, when 

 living, who from his youth, had 

 attached himself to my person, and 

 followed my fortunes through the 

 vicissitudes of the late revolution, 

 afterwards devoting his time to the 

 superintendence of my private con- 

 cerns for many years, whilst my 

 public employments rendered it im- 

 practicable to do it myself, thereby 

 affording me essential services, 

 and always performing them in 

 a manner the most filial and re- 

 spectful ; for these reasons, I say, I 

 give and bequeath to George Fay- 

 ette Washington and Lawrence 

 Augustus Washington, and their 

 heirs, my estate, east of Little Hun- 

 ting-Creek, lying on the river Po- 

 tomac, including the farm of three 

 hundred and sixty acres, leased to 

 Tobias Lear, as noticed before, and 

 containing in the whole, by deed, 

 two thousand and twenty acres, be 

 it more or less ; which said estate it 

 is my will and desire should be 

 equitably and advantageously divi- 

 ded between them according to 

 quantity, quality, and other circum- 

 stances, when the youngest shallar- 

 rive at the age of twenty-one years, 

 by three judicious and disinterested 

 men ; one to be chosen by each of 

 the brothers, and the third by these 

 two. In the mean time if the ter- 

 mination of my wife's interest there- 

 in should have ceased, the profits 

 arising therefrom are to be applied 

 for their joint uses and benefit, 



2d. And whereas it has always 



been my intention, since my expec- 

 tation of having issue has ceased, to 

 consider the grand children of my 

 wife in the same light as I do my 

 own relations, and to act a friendly 

 part by them, more especially by 

 the two whom we have raised from 

 their earliest infancy, namely, Ele- 

 anor Park Custis, and George 

 Washington Park Custis. And 

 whereas the former of these hath 

 lately intermarried with Lawrence 

 Lewis, a son of my deceased sister, 

 Betty Lewis, by which union the 

 inducement to provide for them has 

 been increased: wherefore I give 

 and bequeath to the said Lawrence 

 Lewis and Eleanor Park Lewis, his 

 wife, and their heirs, the residue of 

 my Mount Vernon estate, not al- 

 ready devised to my nephew. Bush- 

 rod Washington, comprehended 

 within the following description, 

 viz. All the lands north of the road 

 leading from the ford of Dogue- 

 Run to the Gum-Spring, and de- 

 scribed in the devise of the other 

 part of the tract, to Bushrod Wash- 

 ington, until it comes to the stone 

 and three red or Spanish oaks on the 

 knowl, thence with the rectangular 

 line to the back line (between Mr. 

 Mason and me;) thence with that 

 line westerly along the new double 

 ditch to Dogue-Run, by the tumb- 

 ling dam of my mill ; thence with 

 the said run to the ford aforemen- 

 tioned, to which I add all the land 

 I possess west of the said Dogue- 

 Run and Dogue-Creek, bounded 

 easterly and southerly thereby ; to 

 gether with the mill, distillery and 

 all other houses and improvements 

 on the premises, making together 

 about two thousand acres, be it 

 more or less. 



4th. Actuated by tlie principle 

 already mentioned, I give and be- 



