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advancing age. I found in him a man who retained his faculties 
remarkably well in his old age, and one would have taken him 
for a man of sixty. He asked me what I had seen in Virginia. I 
eulogized all the places, that I was certain would meet with his ap¬ 
probation, and he seemed very much pleased. The company at the 
table, consisted of the family of his daughter, Mrs. Randolph, and 
of that of the professor of mathematics at the university, an 
Englishman, and of his wife. I turned the conversation to the 
subject of the university, and observed, that this was the favour¬ 
ite topic with Mr. Jefferson; he entertained very sanguine hopes 
as to the flourishing state of the university in future, and believ¬ 
ed that it, and the Harvard University near Boston, would in a 
very short time be the only institutions, where the youth of the 
United States would receive a truly classical and solid education. 
After dinner we intended to take our leave, in order to return 
to Charlotteville; but Mr. Jefferson would not consent to it. He 
pressed us to remain for the night at his house. The evening 
was spent by the fire; a great deal was said about travels, and 
objects of natural history; the fine arts were also introduced, of 
which Mr. Jefferson was a great admirer. He spoke also of his 
travels in France, and the country on the Rhine, where he was 
very much pleased. His description of Virginia is the best proof 
what an admirer he is of beauties of nature. He told us that it 
was only eight months since he could not ride on horseback; 
otherwise, he rode every day to visit the surrounding country; 
he entertained, however, hopes of being able to re-commence the 
next spring his favourite exercise. Between nine and ten o’clock 
in the evening, the company broke up, and a handsome room was 
assigned to me. 
The next morning I took a walk round the house, and admired 
the beautiful panorama, which this, spot presents. On the left, I 
saw the Blue Ridge, and between them and Monticello are 
smaller hills. Charlotteville and the University lay at my feet; 
before me, the valley of the Rivanna river, which farther on, 
makes its junction with the James river, and on my right was 
the flat part of Virginia, the extent of which is lost in distance; 
behind me was a towering hill, which limited the sight. The 
interior of the house was plain, and the furniture somewhat of an 
old fashion. In the entrance was a marble stove with Mr. Jef¬ 
ferson’s bust, by Ceracchi. In the rooms hung several copies 
of the celebrated pictures of the Italian school, views of Monti¬ 
cello, Mount-Vernon, the principal buildings in Washington 
and Harper’s Ferry; there were also an oil painting, and an en¬ 
graving of the Natural Bridge, views of Niagara by Vanderlin, 
a sketch of the large picture by Trumbull, representing the sur¬ 
render at Yorktown, and a pen drawing of Hector’s departure, 
