has been in our parts, and whom I have intreated to be the Conveyor of this. I do not approve of your term project for the advancement of a most usefull and advantageous manufacture, which I believe in time, when necessity and use shall have reduced more to follow, will be found more profitable and advantageous to a generall Commerce than the greatest probability can imagine from this superfluous staple that at present custom hath rendered suitable to the generality; by reason one is of absolute necessity, the other a thing indifferent and more obliged to the fancy than any real worth in itself. Absolute necessity of business calls me abroad so often that I am glad when I can have some leisure at home. I am taking of some, and assure yourself that you shall be one of the first whom, when I get time, I intend to visit. Necessity as 'tis the mother of Invention, so 'tis the Nurse of Industry; which has so far been cherished here that there's little of any wool left in our parts not wrought up either in stockings, &c. therefore no hopes of the purchase of any here. Mine and wive's best respects salute you and your good Lady. Continuance of that health and happiness you at present enjoy is wished by To Mr. John Buckner, December 3, 1681. (Extract.) Esq'r Wormley likewise at the same time assured me that he would take care to pay you £20 more upon my account, which I doubt not but before this he has done. What remains I will hereafter take care honestly to pay, but hope you will make me some abatement of your dumb negro that you sold me. Had she been a new negro* I must have blamed my fate, not you. Slaves imported were called new negroes-those born here were distinguished as Virginian negroes and more valued. But one that you had two years I must conclude you knew her qualitys, which is bad at work-worse at talking; and took the opportunity of the softness of my messenger to quit your hands of her. I will freely give you the £3. 5. 0. overplus of £20 that he gave for her, to take her again; and will get her conveyed to your hands: or hope, if my offer be not acceptable, you will make me some abatement of so bad a bargain. SCRAPS FROM A NOTE-BOOK. THE CAPITOL. Mr. Jefferson writing from Paris in 1785, to Mr. Madison, says, "We took for our model, what is called the Maison Quarree, of Nismes, one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful, and precious morsel of architecture left us by antiquity. It was built by Caius and Lucius Cæsar, and repaired by Louis XIV., and has the suffrage of all the judges of architecture who have seen it, as yielding to no one of the beautiful monuments of Greece, Rome, Palmyra, and Balbec, which late travellers have communicated to us." Arthur Young in his Travels notices the Maison Quarree in the following terms:-"It is beyond all expression, the most light, elegant and pleasing building I ever beheld; without any extraordinary magnificence to surprise, it rivets attention. There is a magic harmony in the proportions that charms the eye. One can fix on no particular part of pre-eminent beauty; it is one perfect whole of symmetry and grace." LADY DUNMORE AND HER DAUGHTERS. She looks, Lady Dunmore is here—a very elegant woman. speaks and moves and is a lady. Her daughters are fine sprightly sweet girls. Goodness of heart flushes from them in every look. How is it possible said that honest soul, our Governor, to me, how is it possible my Lord Dunmore could so long deprive himself of those pleasures he must enjoy in such a family? When you see them you will feel the full force of this observation." Life of Governeur Morris. YORK TOWN. The following notice of Yorktown is found in an obsolete Virginia poem, entitled "The Contest." "Far to the East where lofty cliffs ascend, Your private goodness and your public worth, The patriot virtues that distend your thoughts, Petersburg. C. C. ORIGINAL LETTERS. LETTERS FROM RICHARD HENRY LEE TO PATRICK HENRY. The following Letters from Richard Henry Lee to Patrick Henry, written at different times during our revolutionary war, while the former was a Delegate from Virginia in the General Congress, and the latter Governor of the Commonwealth, are copied from the originals, which have been obligingly communicated to us by N. F. Cabell, Esq., of Warminster, in these terms;—which may serve, very properly, to introduce them to our readers: WARMINSTER, NELSON Co., JULY 19, 1848. DEAR SIR,-Sometime since, while searching for certain other papers among the old family correspondence of Mayo Cabell, Esq., of Union Hill, in this county, we discovered the letters of which you have heard from Mr. J. C. C.-The series is broken, as you will perceive in looking them over, as well by the dates and numbers indorsed as by internal evidence. Indeed there is reason to believe that they are but the relics of a much larger number, of which the collection was once composed. It is supposed that many years ago they were brought to Union Hill by Patrick Henry, Jun'r, left there by accident, mislaid, finally thrown aside amongst other old papers, and many of them destroyed by persons who were ignorant of their value. The missing letters of Richard Henry Lee together with the few which have been preserved, may have contained something like a continuous history of the events of the Revolutionary War, and judicious reflections on the state and wants of the country during its several phases, by the great orator and statesman, who from his position had access to the best sources of information, and would freely impart the whole to his greater friend. But it is needless now to express regret at their loss. The papers sent are twelve in number-viz. eight letters of R. H. Lee, one of General Washington, one of Timothy Pickering, and an Address of the Officers of several Virginia Regiments-all to Patrick Henry; and one letter of R. H. Lee to Col. Wm. Cabell, Sen'r. These papers being all of a public character, I presume there can be no objection to publishing such parts of them as you may think would be of interest to your readers," &c. N. FRANCIS CABELL. LETTERS. Belle View, 20th August, 1776. DEAR SIR,-I am thus far on my way to Congress, having been sometime detained by the slowness of the Workman that made my Carriage wheels, the old being quite shatter'd and useless. I have learned with much pleasure that a recovery of health promises your speedy return to public business, and I heartily wish the latter may be benefitted as it will be by your uninterrupted enjoyment of the former. I have been informed of two things, which if true, I think we may benefit from. These are, that the ships of war have all left our Bay, and that plenty of Salt is stored in the Islands of Bermuda. Would it not be proper to fall upon some method of giving the Bermudians speedy notice how things are circumstanced here, that they may embrace the opportunity of supplying us with that useful article. The present rainy season, will I fear disappoint the wise measures of Convention for making salt.— But at all events our manufactured salt will be too late for many purposes, which a quick supply from Bermuda would effectually save. Among these, the curing of grass beef and early Pork for the Army, are important objects. But should our Works fail, I fear most extensive and powerful convulsions will arise from the want of Salt, to prevent which, no precautions, I think, should be omitted. Our enemies appear to be collecting their whole force at New York (except what goes to Canada) with design, no doubt, to make a last and powerful effort there. Our numbers, it seems, increase with theirs, so that I hope we shall be able to parry every thrust the Tyrant can make. I learn from Maryland that the Counties have excluded from their new Convention all those that have been famous for Moderation as it is strangely called, and under this idea, that Johnson, Gouldsborough, Stone, and Tilghman are left out, with the new Delegates to Congress, Alexander and Rogers. I hope to have the pleasure of hearing from you at Philadelphia-I mean, exclusive of public writing,-and in the mean |