bute more towards keeping down the price than the mildness of the Winter hitherto, haveing had no snow to cover the ground here yet, and but little hard weather. I have a few hundred Barrels of my own to sell, but have met with no offers for it as yet. Our celebrated Fortune, Mrs. French, whom half the world was in pursuit of, bestowed her hand on Wednesday last, being her birth-day (you perceive I think myself under a necessity of accounting for the choice) upon Mr. Ben Dulany who is to take her to Maryland in a Month from this time. Mentioning of one wedding puts me in mind of another, tho' of less dignity, this is the marriage of Mr. Henderson (of Colchester) to a Miss More (of the same place) remarkable for a very frizzled Head, and good Singing, the latter of which I shall presume it was that captivated our Merchant. Mrs. Washington, Patcy Custis, and Jack, who is now here, are much as usual, and the Family in general not sicklier than common,-Hoping this will find you perfectly restored, and the rest of the good folks of Eltham in better health than when you wrote last, I am with best wishes to Mrs. Bassett, yourself and the children, in which all here join Dr. Sir, Y'r affect'e Friend and Obed't H. Serv't, To the Same. MOUNT VERNON, APRIL 25TH, 1773. Dear Sir,-The interruption of the Post for several weeks, prevented our receiving the melancholy account of your loss till within these few days. That we sympathize in the misfortune, and lament the decree which has deprived you of so dutiful a child, and the world of so promising a young Lady, stands in no need, I hope of argument to prove, but the ways of Providence being inscrutable, and the justice of it not to be scanned by the shallow eye of humanity, nor to be counteracted by the utmost efforts of human Power or Wisdom, resignation, and as far as the strength of our reason and religion can carry us, a cheerful acquiescence to the Divine Will, is what we are to aim at, and I am persuaded that your own good sense will arm you with fortitude to withstand the stroke, great as it is, and enable you to console Mrs. Bassett, whose less and feelings upon the occasion, are much to be pitied. By Letters from Doct'r Cooper, President of the College in New York, my departure for that place is now fixed to about the 8th of May, which puts it out of my power to attend the meeting in Williamsburg this Court,—I have therefore by Mr. Henderson inclosed several Letters to and drafts upon different People for money, to Col. Fielding Lewis, who wrote me that he should be in W'msburg ; but if sickness, or any other unforeseen accident should prevent his attendance, I should take it very kind of you to ask for and open my Letter to him and comply with the Contents in respect to the receiving and paying of money. Mrs. Washington in her letter to Mrs. Bassett, informs her of Jack Custis's engagement with Nelly Calvert second daughter of Benedict Calvert, Esq., of Maryland, I shall say nothing further therefore on the subject than that I could have wished he had postponed entering into the engagement till his Studies were finished. Not that I have any objection to the match, as she is a girl of exceeding good character, but because I fear, as he has discovered much fickleness already, that he may either change, and therefore injure the young Lady; or that it may precipitate him into a marriage before, I am certain, he has ever be stowed a serious thought of the consequences; by which means his education is interrupted and he perhaps wishing to be at liberty again before he is fairly embarked on those important duties. My sincere good wishes attend Mrs. Bassett and ye Family and I am, Dr. Sir, Yr. most Affect'e H'ble Serv't, G. WASHINGTON. To the Same. MOUNT VERNON, JAN'Y 16TH, 1775. Dear Sir,-Immediately upon my return from Col. Mercer's Sale about the first of December, I wrote you a letter by Post, on the melancholy occasion of your Son's death. I wrote at the same time to Mr. Bat. Dandridge, and wondered I had not received an answer, as the Letter to him required one-what can have become of them, I am at a loss to guess, as it appears by your favor of the 7th inst. that you had not received the Letter directed to you. Mrs. Washington, Mr. and Miss Custis intend to accompany me down to the Assembly but it will be the 4th,possibly the 11th of the Month (Feb'y) before I shall see you at Eltham, as the weather and Roads will probably be very bad about that time. It gave me pleasure to hear that Mrs. Bassett, yourself, and Family were well at the date of your Letter. We are tolerably so at present and all join in affectionate compliments to you and the Family, with Dr. Sir, Yr. affect'e Friend and Obed't Serv't, G. WASHINGTON. TO THE HON'BLE BURWELL BASSETT. Dear Sir,-It would have given me much pleasure to have seen you at Richmond; and it was part of my original plan to have spent a few days with you at Eltham whilst I was in the lower parts of the Country; but an intervention of circumstances not only put it out of my power to do the latter, but would have stopped my journey to Richmond altogether, had not the meeting, the time, and the place been of my own appointing. I left company at home when I went away who proposed to wait my return-among whom a Mr. Pine, an artist of eminence, came all the way from Philadelphia on purpose for some materials for an historical painting which he is about, and for which he was obliged to stay till I got back, which I did, after an absence of eight days only. My nephew Geo. Aug. Washington is just returned from his perigrination-apparently much amended in his health, but not quite free from the disorder in his side. I have understood that his addresses to Fanny were made with your consent-and I now learn that he is desirous, and she is willing, to fulfil the engagement they have entered into; and that they are applying to you for permission to do so. It has ever been a maxim with me through life, neither to promote, nor to prevent a matrimonial connection, unless there should be something indispensably requiring interference in the latter. I have always considered marriage as the most interesting event of one's life,—the foundation of happiness or misery. To be instrumental therefore in bringing two people together, who are indifferent to each other, and may soon become objects of disgust,prevent a union which is prompted by the affections of the mind, is what I never could reconcile with reason, and -or to therefore neither directly, nor indirectly have I ever said a syllable to Fanny or George, upon the subject of their intended connection, but as their attachment to each other seems of early growth, warm, and lasting, it bids fair for happiness. If, therefore, you have no objection, I think, the sooner it is consummated the better. I have just now informed them both (the former through Mrs. Washington) that it is my wish they should live at Mount Vernon. It is unnecessary, I hope, to say how happy we should be to see you, her Brothers, and any of her friends, who can make it convenient and are disposed-at this place on this occasion. All here join in best wishes for you, and with very sincere esteem and regard, I am, Dr. Sir, Yr. affect'e friend and Obd't H'ble Servant, G. WASHINGTON. STRACHEY'S VIRGINIA BRITANNIA AGAIN. [We gave a brief notice of this work, copied from the Princeton Magazine, in our last number, and now submit another account of it from the London Athenæum, omitting however some parts for which we cannot spare room.] This is a suggestive book,-with its prophetic motto,its dedication to Lord Bacon, the fit patron of discoverers, and its curious map, "described by Captayn John Smith," adorned with ships, and huge whales, and all the land so closely dotted over with tall trees and molehillsized mountains, and here and there the mark of an Indian settlement just visible. Worthy William Strachey, Gent., what would be his surprise to look over a map of Virginia Britannia, that "ample tract of land," with "sufficient space and ground ynough to satisfie the most covetous,"in the year 1850; and to mark the teeming and busy population, the steamboats that navigate the "five faire and de |