CHARACTERS. 



347 



cannot be long checked in its in- 

 creasing value. And I particu- 

 larly recommend it to such of the 

 legatees (under the clause of my 

 will) as can make it convenient, to 

 take each a share of my stock in the 

 Potomac company, in preference to 

 the amount of what it might sell for, 

 being thoroughly convinced myself, 

 that nouses to which the money can 

 be applied will be so productive as 

 the tolls arising from this naviga- 

 tion when in full operation, (and 

 this, from the nature of things, it 

 ' must be ere long), and more especi- 

 ally if that of the Shenandoah is 

 added thereto. 



The family vault at Mount Ver- 

 non requiring repairs, and being 

 improperly situated besides, I desire 

 that a new one of brick, upon a 

 larger scale, may be built at the 

 foot of what is commonly called the 

 Vineyard-Inclosure, on the ground 

 which is marked out; in which my 

 remains, with those of my deceased 

 relations (now in the old vault) and 

 such others of my family as may 

 chuse to be entombed there, may 

 be deposited. And it is my express 

 desire that my corpse may be inter- 

 red in a private manner, without 

 parade or funeral oration. 



Lastly, I constitute and appoint 

 my dearly beloved wife, Martha 

 Washington, my nephews, William 

 Augustine Washington, Bushrod 

 Washington, George Steptoe Wash- 

 ington, Samuel Washington, and 

 Lawrence Lewis, and my ward, 

 George Washington Park Custis, 

 (when he shall have arrived at the 

 age of twenty-one years,) executrix 

 and executors of this will and tes- 

 tament. 



In witness of all, and each of 

 the things herein contained, 

 I have set my hand and seal, 

 this ninth day of July, in 

 the year one thousand seven 



hundred and ninety *, 



and of the independence 

 of the United States the 

 twenty-fourth. 



George Washington. 

 (Seal) 



Character of Marmontel. By J. 

 Mallet du Fan. 



MARMONTEL, who was a 

 member and the perpetual 

 secretary of the French academy, 

 till the philosopher of the revolu- 

 tion exterminated the academies, 

 finished his career at the age of se- 

 venty, in Normandy, in the month 

 of December last. 



The public opinion of the nume- 

 rous works of this writer of the first 

 class being settled, it would be su- 

 perfluous here to examine his lite- 

 rary merit. Few authors produce 

 more, because few are so laborious. 

 Although Marmontel did not suc- 

 ceed in all the modes of writing he 

 attempted, he is in the number of 

 writers whose titles will be re V iewed 

 and acknowledged by posterity. 

 He has been equally successful in 

 works of imagination and didactic 

 ones. The best course of literature 

 we have in French, is that which 

 he has inserted in the Encyclopedic 

 Melhodique. He has the great me- 

 rit of clearness, justness of expres- 

 sion, wit, and taste; in short, a pre- 

 cision the reverse of that frothy 

 verboseness so frequent in the fa- 



It appears the testator oiiiiitcd the word nine. 



