THE CONSTRUCTIVE STATESMAN 189 



His father was colonel of the county militia, like 

 Jefferson's father in the next county, and James could 

 always remember the misery which followed upon 

 Braddock's defeat, though he was only four years old 

 at the time. His intimacy with Thomas Jefferson 

 began at an early age, and led to a beautiful friendship 

 which lasted through life. There was probably no 

 other man for whom Jefferson felt such profound 

 respect as for Madison, and the feeling was fully recip- 

 rocated. There were many points of resemblance 

 between the two, such as the sweetness and purity of 

 nature, the benevolence, the liberality of mind, the 

 tireless industry, the intense thirst for knowledge ; 

 but nothing could have been more striking than the 

 contrast in outward appearance between the colossal, 

 athletic Jefferson, rosy and fresh as a boy until late in 

 life, and the prim, little, weazen Madison, looking old 

 before he was grown up. The excessive mental labour 

 which the stronger man, aided by his horse and gun, 

 could endure with impunity, made the other ill. When 

 in college and afterward, Madison had to struggle 

 against poor health. He was graduated at Princeton 

 in 1772, and remained there another year, devoting 

 himself to the study of Hebrew. On returning home 

 he occupied himself with history, law, and theology, 

 while teaching his brothers* and sisters. Of the details 

 of his youthful studies little is known, but his industry 

 must have been very great ; for in spite of the early 

 age at which he became absorbed in the duties of 

 public life, the range and solidity of his acquirements 

 were extraordinary. For minute and thorough know- 

 ledge of ancient and modern history and of con- 

 stitutional law, he was quite unequalled among the 



