coolness, and determination which he this edifice was intended only for his displayed on this arena, made him gen- steward—but, if such was the pobleeral-in-chief, when the crisis came, of man's intent, he never realized it ; be the forces of the Revolutionary strug- occupied, almost to the day of his death, gle. Lord Fairfax had given him the im- the small cabin to which we have alludpetus; from him Washington received ed. Here, as we have said, in the the direction of his genius—and to the midst of his bounds, the old lord slept attentive student of these early events, on a rude couch. At last he had realthe conviction becomes more and more ized his dreams in leaving Englandabsolute, that Lord Fairfax was the he was far away from courts and civilgreat “influence” of his life.

ization, alone in the great wilderness, Delighted with the accounts given with panthers and more bloody Indians him of the Shenandoah country by the content to hunt, and eat, and sleep, young surveyor, Lord Fairfax deter- never desiring to return to England mined to remove beyond the Blue any more! Ridge, and take up his permanent lodg- What, now, was the charm which ing at his “quarters." No one resided drew Lord Fairfax, not only from the here but his steward or land bailiff, with comfort and elegance of England, but such negroes as were necessary on the also from the pleasant fireside of Beltract; but Lord Fairfax had soon built voir ? The irresistible attraction lay the house kdown now as Greenway in the lovely land which held out its Court, and here he regularly fixed him- beautiful arms to greet him. Of the self. The tradition is that he designed valley of the Shenandoah little has building a grand manor-house—that been written; but wherever we have

found allusions to it, all the enthusi- view of the landscape. “When I was asm of poetry seems to have been got to the top," he says, “I was inexawakened in the writer by its loveli- pressibly delighted with the scene which ness. A cotemporary author dedicates opened before me. Immediately under a brilliant page to its attractions, and the mountain, which was covered with declares that in its varied beauty & cham@daphnes in full bloom, was a poet finds his most perfect realization most beautiful river-beyond this an of the charms of Arcady. A century extensive plain, diversified with every ago, the good Barnaby, an English pleasing object which nature can extraveler, spoke as warmly. Passing hibit, and at the distance of fifty miles, through Ashby's Gap, by which Wash- another ridge of still more lofty mounington and Fairfax entered the region, tains, called the Great or North Ridge, ho ascends the last acclivity to get a which inclosed and terminated the

whole.” The Shenandoah, he says, valley possessed the further attraction " is exceedingly romantic and beauti- of magnificent prairies; and within the ful, forming great variety of falls, and memory of men now living, the sloping is so transparent that you may see the meadows were covered with grass so greatest variety of pebbles at the depth tall that "& man might tie it before of eight or ten feet. ... I could not bim as he sat on horseback.” Over but reflect with pleasure on the situa- these vast fields roamed berds of deer tion of these people, and think, if there and elk—and, in the dense shade of the is such a thing as happiness in this life, great forest, panthers, wild-cats, bears, that they enjoy it. Far from the bustle and other wild animals, were found in of the world, they live in the most de- abundance--not to make mention of lightful climate and richest soil imagin. that more dangerous "game," the lurk. able; they are everywhere surround. ing savage. Few settlers had been ated with beautiful prospects and sylvan tracted to the region then. and it was scenes, lofty mountains, transparent almost an unknown world of which streams, falls of water, rich valleys and Lord Fairfax took possession : that it majestic woods. . ... They live in per- was a beautiful world, however, our fect liberty, and .. possess what picture, we think, has made apparent. many princes would give half their do

Perhaps a few personal details of the minions for-health, content, and tran- old nobleman's mode of life here may quillity of mind."

be found of interest, before we conclude Such is the picture drawn by the our sketch. As we have said, Lord good Barnaby in 1759, soon after Lord Fairfax did not occupy the main buildFairfax took up his residence at Green- ing, a description of which has been way Court-and with the simple addi- given in the commencement of this tion of a multitude of wild animals, and paper. He continued to sleep in the small regular inroads of the savages, the cabin near at hand, surrounded by his sketch is perfectly accurate. Stand- deer and fox-hounds, which like other ing to-day upon a spur of the Blue noted men, the victims of disappointed Ridge, almost the same landscape lies hopes—he seemed to prefer to the before you. To the left and right the society of his own species. He was Blue Ridge, with its covering of pines, not, however, alone. His numerous mottled with alternate light and shadow dependents, tenants, and rough visitors as the clouds are driven onward, disap- enabled him to secure as much social pears like a line of ocean waves in the intercourse of a certain description as far horizon ; across the valley stretches he seems to have cared for. These the North Mountain along the west; consisted of backwoodsmen-the rude and in the middle of the plain the great hunters of the region clad in fox-tail Mossinutton range soars into the sky caps, deer-skin leggins, and moccalike an azure billow, turning to ame- sins, and armed with the long-knife," thyst in the golden dawn or crimson and the deadly rifle ; Indians who had sunset. Through the green fields and abandoned their tribes, and joined themgently undulating hills, dotted with selves to the whites; half-breeds, pioforests, the bright Shenandoah glides, neers, German squatters, and thrifty like & stream of molten silver-and Scotchmen, seeking rich lands to settle over all droops the mellow and magical upon. In the midst of this motley atmosphere of the delicious climate, crowd were seen, from time to time, the rounding every outline, and communi. richly-clad forms of young Virginians oating to the scene an unimaginable from the Tido-water, wearing laced beauty. The Indians loved the fair cocked hats, snowy ruffles, and silken fields of this enchanting region, and knee-breeches after the fasbion of the bestowed upon the bright and abound- period—come, like their ruder coming river” which ilowed through it one panions, to procure land, and partaking of their sweetest and most musical like them of the profuse cheer of the

The word Shenandoah signi- nobleman. fies “The Daughter of the Stars;" Through the animated and heteroand, perhaps, in the "upremembered goneous crowd, we see making bis way, ages, some lovely maiden, as in Hia- with a surveyor's compass in his band, watha, fell from the moon, and gave a boy of seventeen, fresh from the wilds her name to the river.

of the South Branch of the Potomac In the times of Lord Fairfax, the robust in frame, with a clear, bright eye,

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determined carriage, and self-possessed versation or reading-after which his bearing. It is young George Washing- lordship retired to rest in his cabin, ton going to report to his lordship, and guarded by his bounds—such guests as relate the details of his last expedition. remained occupying the larger edifice.

At dawn the old lord is roused by his We chanco to possess a list of the books body-servant, and mounting bis English at Greenway Court, and perhaps it may bunter, he is soon dashing

at full speed interest the reader to know the names on the track of the hounds, whose of some of them. His lordship’s library “ gallant chiding" echoes in a musical contained the Gentleman's Magazine, discord and sweet thunder," from the 15 vols.; the London Magazine, 20 vols.; fir-clad heights of the mountain; and Peerage of Scotland; the Island of we may feel well assured that the bright Barbadoes ; Court Calendar ; Common boy of seventeen is close at the side of Prayer Book; Ovid's Metamorphoses ; his friend, flushed with the sport, and Letters of Lady Montague; Joseph giving full rein to bis delight. Tradi- Andrews; Adventures of a Valet; tion relates that Lord Fairfax delighted Young Man's Best Companion; Pereto play practical jests upon his brother grine Pickle ; Puffendorf ; Spectator ; huntsmen. He would send them all Young's Night Thoughts ; `Amelia ; off at full speed on the heels of the fox, Hervey's Meditations; Greek and Latin and then, taking his post with an old Dictionaries ; Bolingbroke's Letters ; servant at a particular point which the Swift, Pope, Horace ; Political Register; game was accustomed to pass, would be Shakespeare ; Sir Walter Raleigh's in at the death, and secure the tail, Works; and many others which we which he afterwards paraded in triumph. have not space to mention. In the cellar,

After the chase came a profuse dinner we are told, were “ seven double barrels served in the English style—then con- whisky ;' and in the iron chest were

Spanish dollars, French crowns, work-and a counter tradition declares British gold, Colonial, German, and the old nobleman's generosity: be Cut Silver," the amount of some would fill the ragged hat of a beggar twenty or thirty thousand dollars. In with guineas, it is said. We leave the connection with this latter item we reader to sift the truth, only hazarding may mention that the tradition of the the conjecture that the troublous times neighborhood charges Lord Fairfax made coin preferable to scrip, which may with a passion for hoarding coin, and account for the charge of hoarding the some years since, about two hundred and former. fifty dollars, in ancient gold pieces, were Lord Fairfax seems to have addressed dug up in the vicinity of Greenway himself to his duties as landed proprieCourt-buried, it is conjectured, by his tor with great assiduity, and to have lordship—this, however, is mere guess- been a very good citizen. He was county lieutenant of Frederick, and lower down the valley, was conveyed to took interest in every local proceeding. a gentleman who was afterwards forced An amusing example of this is given to sell it, to pay debts contracted at the in the contest which took place, about gaming-table, or upon the race-course. the year 1752, for the selection of a This was just before the Revolution, county seat. Lord Fairfax preferred and General Washington being present Stophensburg which was near Greenway at the crying in Williamsburg, advised Court, and used all his influence to Mr. Ralph Wormley to purchase it; insure its adoption. He was defeated, which he did, for the sum of five hunhowever, by Col. James Wood, who dred guineas. Mr. Wormley afterwards preferred the village of Winchester. becaine dissatisfied with his bargain, and This gentleman secured the casting deplored it in the presence of General vote by treating one of the justices to a Washington. The General offered at bowl of punch. Winchester was chosen once to take it from him at the price for the county seat, and Lord Fairfax he paid, but advised him to retain it, never afterwards spoke to Col. Wood. declaring that no richer land existed in

We shall here insert, in a brief paren- Virginia. The advice was taken-and thesis, one or two things which will, the tract thus purchased for five hundred doubtless, be of interest to a large num- guineas would constitute, at present, ber of the inhabitants of the region, almost a magnificent principality. who may not be familiar with these old We have thus presented all the facts events. Lord Fairfax conveyed to which we have been able to collect, Col. Robert Carter - called “King relating to the eccentrio old nobleman, Carter,” for his great possessions with the exception of his death. This about sixty-three thousand acres of took place in the autumn of the year the finest land upon the Shenandoah; 1781, soon after the surrender of Corn. and this is now held by numerous wallis at Yorktown. As soon as he respectable families, the connections or heard of this event, he called to his old friends of the original grantee, who pre- body-servant, Joe, to assist him to bed serve all the old traditions of Tide-water murmuring : " It is time for me to die!" hospitality and courtesy. Another tract His body lies in the old Episcopal of thirteen thousand acres, somewhat church at Winchester--the ground for

the erection of which he had conveyed to had overthrown forever the dominion of the church-and a marble slab indicates Great Britain in America, on the field the eccentric nobleman's last resting of Yorktown. So had inscrutable Provi. place.

dence decreed; and the gray-haired The interest attaching to his career earl, doubtless, felt that he was only the consists, chiefly, in his connection with humble instrument in that all-powerful Washington. Having formed, as Hand. After Yorktown—after the suhave seen, in no small measure, the preme defeat of the proud English character of the boy of seventeen, he general by the boy whom he had trained lived to receive the tidings that this boy it was • time for bim to die !"

we

Greenway Court still raises its old The old house of Greenway Court, walls in the Shenandoah Valley, and the which we have looked upon, basking spring days envelop the belfries in fra- silently in the beautiful sunshine, is thus grant leaves and blossoms, as when linked with the name of a man who will Fairfax made it echo with the barking not let it die. The interest of the old of his dogs, and young. Washington place will increase, indeed, as the passed happy hours beneath its hospita- glory of the name of him, who tarried ble roof. It slumbers, indeed, far away here for many hours of his youth, will from the whirl and the roar of the new grow and increase in omne volubilis life of our age.

cvum.