Sect. III.] United States of America. 2'Z5 



library in "William and Mary college was early 

 laid. This was augmented from time to time. by 

 various means, particularly by private donations 

 from several friends of literature, until it became 

 a very respectable collection. The additions to 

 it within a few years past have been few and 

 small ; hence it abounds more in anciejit than 

 modern works. 



Nor was Virginia by any means, even at this 

 early period, without instances of honourable 

 literary enterprise. The Histories of the co- 

 lony by Stith and Beverley are generally known. 

 The former was a respectable clergyman, and 

 president of the college ; and though he did 

 not write elegantly, he was a faithful and ju- 

 dicious historian. ■ The latter wrote with less 

 prolixity and tediousness, but at the same time 

 with a less satisfactory fulness of information. 

 Several other instances of literary exertion at 

 this period in Virginia might be mentioned, 

 did our limits admit of going into further par- 

 ticulars. 



Among the promoters of literature in Virginia 

 at this time, it will be proper to mention colonel 

 Byrd, a native of that colon}^, who had been li- 

 berally educated in Great Britain, and possessed 

 a very ample estate. Few private persons in Ame- 

 rica ever collected so large or so valuable a li- 

 brary as he left. He was a very ardent friend to 

 the diffusion of knowledge, and freely opened his 

 library for the use ot" all who sought information. 

 Colonel Byrd died ^bout the middle of the cen- 

 tury. He wrote a few small tracts, but they 



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