ffii''? '^,'' ' vS.tir-'*'' ^ S-^Ju. tl, «... llt(*,v-'-'l liilah --'^ WASHINGTON-BOUCHER CORRESPONDENCE. LETTERS JONATHAN BOUCHER GEORGE WASHINGTON. COLLECTED AND EDITED BY WORTHINGTON CHAUNCEY FORD. BROOKLYN, N. Y. : HISTORICAL PRINTING CLUB. 18 9 9. One HtiNiiKED Copies Keprinted from the New- England Histokical and Genealogical Eegistee, 1898. D. Clapp & Son, Printers, Boston. LETTERS OP JONATHAN BOUCHER TO GEORGE WASHINGTON. The following letters possess more than a personal interest. It was an accidental circumstance, a connection with Washington, that lent some notoriety to Jonathan Boucher. It is his ideas on education that makes these records of permanent interest, for they throw some light upon the conceptions of education entertained nearly a century and a half ago in Virginia. Boucher, tutor, divine and lexicographer, was born at Blencogo, a small hamlet in the parish of Bromfield, England, 12 March, 1738. He received some schooling at Wigton, and towards the end of the year 1755, went to Workington, in order to study mathematics, under Rev. Mr. Ritson, who, Boucher states in his autobiography, of which only extracts have been printed,' " was a character, and thought so even in a part of the world that is fruit ful in characters." He must have excelled in mathematics, for as schoolmaster at W^orkington and minister of a chapel at Clifton, he received £40 a year. Yet by taking private pupils he " not only brought up his family, but saved a thousand pounds." With him Boucher remained four years. What happened then may best be described in his own words. " Early in 1759, Mr. James heard that Mr. Younger, a respectable mer chant in Whitehaven, wanted a young man to go out as private tutor to a gentlemau's sons in Virginia .... I was to enter into pay on the day of my leaving England ; to have my passage gratia ; to have my board and sixty pounds sterling a year for teaching four boys, with liberty to take four more, on such terms as I could agree for, on my arrival .... On the 12th of July I landed safe at Urbanna, near the mouth of Rappahannock river ; and soon after got to the place of my destination, viz.. Captain Dixou's, at Port Royal, on the same river, and met with a cordial reception.* .... Being hospitable as well as wealthy, Captain Dixon's house was much resorted to, but chiefly by toddy-drinking company. Port Royal was in habited in a great measure by factors from Scotland and their dependents ; and the circumjacent country by planters, in general in middling circum stances. There was not a literary man, for aught I could find, nearer than iu the country I had just left; nor were literary attainments, beyond merely reading or writing, at all in vogue or repute. In such society it was little « * Mr. B. A. Brock, lately librarian of the Virginia Historical Society, tells me that this was doubtless Roger Dixon, who died jusit before the Kevolution, " He was a vestryman of St. George's Parish, Spotsylvania Co., in 1768, and a little later appears to have had pecuniary reverses. In 1770, Thomas Nelson, Jr., had a claim for a considera ble amount due British merchants to collect from him." likely I should add to my own little stock of learning ; in fact, there were no longer any inducements .... In all the two years I lived at Port Royal I did not form a single friendship on which I can now look back with much approbation, though I had a numerous acquaintance and many intimacies .... I was now once more quite to seek, and as much at a loss as ever as to a profession for life. My thoughts had long been withdrawn from the church. Yet happily, a train of unforeseen circumstances now led me back to this my original bias, and at last made me an ecclesiastic. A Mr. Giberne* was rector of Hanover parish, in King George's Coun ty, and lived across the river, directly opposite to Port Royal .... He was now engaged to marry a rich widow iu Richmond Connty, and the parish there being vacant, aud offered to him, it was natural he should accept it. All at once, and without the least solicitation on my part, or even thinking about it, that which he was about to leave was ofiered to me. The sud denness of the thing and my deep sense of their kindness, rather than my not knowing what eke to do with m-yself, determined me to accept of it. I did so, and w.is to sail for England for Orders the week after .... Cap tain Stanley, of the Christian, promised to give me a passage home and back again gratis. I embarked on board the Christian about the middle of December, and about the middle of the following month in 1762, I ar rived in "Whitehaven, after a rough and tempestuous passage .... All the little ti-me I now staid in England was oue continued scene of bustle and hurry. I went from Whitehaven to London for Ordination, aud Bishop Osbaldeston being then just c 'me to that see, I was long detained and much plagued before I succeeded .... It was a remarkable coincidence, though perfectly accidental, that I again landed on the 1 2th of July, and again at Urbanna .... An incident now occurred, apparently of no moment, but which, as it led to some circutnstances of great moment in my little history, I must set down. One Sunday, as 1 was riding to my church at Leeds, on the road I fell in and joined company with a stranger gentleman. He was from Mary land, of the name of Swift, distantly related to the family of the celebrated Dean ; and being a merchant, his errand in my neighourhood was to secure a large debt owing to him which he thought, and not without reason, to be some what hazardous. I was happy enough to point out to him a way of effecting his purposes, which might not have occurred to himself, but which happily succeeded. On his return he spoke of my kind ofRces and myself with such warmth that next spring four of his most respectable neighbours sent four boys under my care, and thus began my acquaintance in Maryland .... 1 seemed now to be somewhat in a flourishing way, and as I was very dili gent and faithful in my employment, my character was soon established. But behold, early in August I was seized with a violent fever, from which it was thought little less than miraculous that I ever recovered. It was late iu November before I was able to stir out of my own doors .... During * Of this " Eev." Isaac 'William Giberne the commissary {wrote in 1766 : " His mother is a milliner in the city of Westminster. He was not bred to the church, but was sometime a clerk in some office on Tower Hill. He obtained orders and came here under the countenance and protection of the present governor [Fauquier] . He purchased the disgust of the Clergy at liis first coming by unsuccessful endeavors to reconcile them to an Act of which they liad sent a complaint to England, boldly setting his Youth and Rawness in opposition to the past and present feelings of long exper£ ence. . . . Many of the Laity think him too fond of cards and gaming for one of his cloth. He has removed from one Parish to another two or three times." A characteristic letter of his is printed in my Letters of William Lee, I. 70. this illness my countryman and acquaintance, the Rev. Mr. Dawson, of St. Mary's, in Carolina County, had died. Port Royal, where I had formerly lived, was in this parish ; and my friends so earnestly solicited me to suc ceed him, that, after some hesitation, I at length consented, but not before the people of Hanover, who had so generously chosen me for their minister under many disadvantages, also gave me their entire approbation. They went so far as to continue my salary a quarter of a year after I left them ; an instance of generosity which I hope never to forget .... St. Mary's was uot a pleasant place, neither had it good water; but there was a good house, and another old one, which at a little expense might be made such an one as I wanted. To this place 1 removed early in the spring. And now, be sides adding largely to the furniture of the house, I bought stocks of cattle, and horses, and slaves. But my industry and exertions were extraordinary. I had the care of a large parish, and my church was eleven miles distance from me; neither had I yet any stock of sermons. My first overseer turned out good for nothing, and I soon parted with him, so that all the care of the plantation devolved on me; and though it was my first attempt in that way, I made a good crop. I had now also increased my number of boys to nearly thir ty, most of them the sons of persons of the first condition in the colony. 'rhey all boarded with me, and I wholly superiatended them myself, with out any usher, for two years. At this glebe of St. Mary's I lived, I believe, seven years. I had a good neighbourhood, and many hospitable and friendly neighbours ; and I had a great turn for -plantation improvements, which I indulged to a great extent. Tet upon the whole I cannot look back on this period of my life with much satisfaction. It was busy and bustling, but it was not pleasant, inasmuch as it was very little such a course of life as a literary man should wish to lead. And though it was neither wholly unprofitable to myself, nor, I trust, wholly useless to others, yet I attained neither of these purposes to such a degree as I now think I might have done He followed Ritson's example and took pupils, two of whom, young Custis, and a Mr. Carr who afterward married a sister of Boucher's wife, went with him to Maryland. It is in regard to Custis that these letters were written, but before introducing them a few more sentences may be taken from the autobiography, des criptive of the intellectual condition of the colony. On my removal to Annapolis the scene was once more almost quite new to me. It was then the genteelest town in North America, and many of its inhabitants were highly respectable as to station, fortune, and education. I hardly know a town in England so desirable to live in as Annapolis then was. It was the seat of government, and the residence of the Governor and all the great oflicers of state, as well as of the most eminent lawyers, physicians, aud families of opulence and note A very handsome theatre was built whilst I stayed there by subscription ; and as the church was old and ordinary, and this theatre was built on land belonging to the church, I drew up a petition in verse in behalf of the old church, which was inserted in the Gazette, and did me credit. And this I think was one of the first things that made me to be taken notice of. I also wrote some verses on one of the lactresses, and a prologue or two. And thus, as I was now once more among literary men, my attention was once more drawn to literary pursuits, and I became of some note as a wri ter. The Rector of Annapolis is officially chaplain to the Lower House; and the salary was but about 10? currency a session, and even that ill-paid. It seemed an indignity to offer or to receive a salary beneath that of the door-keeper or mace-bearer; and so I wrote a letter to the assembly in as handsome terms as I could, thut I would, if they so pleased, serve them for nothing, but that, if I was paid at all, I would be paid as a gentleman. This transaction also made much talk in the country, gaining me some friends and more enemies. Three or four social and literary men proposed the institution of a weekly club under the title of the Homony Club, of which I was the first presi dent. It was, in fact, the best club in all respects I have ever heard of, as the sole object of it was to promote innocent mirth and ingenious humour. We had a secretary, and books in which all our proceedings were recorded,* and as every member conceived himself bound to contribute some compo sition, either in verse or prose, and we had also many mirthfully ingenious debates, our archives soon swelled to two or three folios, replete with much miscellaneous wit and fun. I had a great share in its proceedings; audit soon grew into such fame that the governor and all the principal people of the country ambitiously solicited the honour of being members or honorary visitants. It lasted as long as I stayed in Annapolis, and was finally broken up only when the troubles began and put an end to everything that was pleasant and proper At the outbreak of the Revolution Boucher remained loyal to the king, and was obliged to leave Maryland. Going to England he received a pension from the crown, and devoted himself to philology. He died in 1804. It must be admitted that Boucher was, in ability, much above the ordinary divine to be found in Virginia at that time. Many very peculiar characters were exported from England to lead the souls of the American colonists into the paths of righteousness. If we were to judge the sincerity of the church by the character of some of its exponents and agents to be found in Virginia, the result would be discouraging. Like the merchandise sent to America, many of the clergymen might have been called "colo nials," meaning a quality of article not good enough to be used at home, but quite good enough for use in a colony thousands of miles away, and where the curing of tobacco was of equal importance with curing of souls. No scandal ever attached to Boucher. He owned and worked slaves, but that has a necessary incident where free labor could not exist owing to the prevalence of slavery. He taught his slaves, and even made some of them schoolmasters for the rest. He was a Tory, but a good part of the wealth and intelligence of the colonies remained loyal. He loved horse racing, but against that may be set his ardent desire for intellectual fellowship, and the Homony Club, one of the earliest literary clubs in America. Wherever Washington's letters throw light upon those of Boucher * One or more of these volumes may be seen in the collection of the Pennsylvania Historical Society. I have used them. A letter from the President of King's College (now Columbia University) is inserted as germane to the subject. In every case the letters are printed as the writers wrote them, as any revision of text would destroy one of the main reasons for print ing — the illustration of character in the writer. Boucher to Washington. * Caroline, 13 June, 1768. Sir, I think myself much obliged to you for the flattering Preference given me, in thinking me a proper person to undertake the Direction of masf Custis's Education. And I will not hesitate to confess to you, that it wou'd mortify me not a little to be depriv'd of so acceptable an Opportunity of obtaining some Credit to myself; which I flatter myself there wou'd be no Danger of, from so promising a youth. Yet am I under a necessity of in forming you of a Circumstance in my affairs, which may probably lead you to look out for another Tutor for your Ward. Preferments in the church in Virginia are so extremely scanty, that I have for some time been endea vouring to establish an interest in Maryland, where, I doubt not but you know, the Livings are much better. I happened to be in Annapolis, chiefly upon this Business, at the Time your Letter reach'd this Place : and tho' I have already met with two Disappointments, yet I have rec**. fresh Prom ises that I shall now soon be provided for. If This happen at all, as I have all y^ Reason in y^ world to believe that it will, the Parish I expect is That of Annap^, where also I propose to continue superintending the Education of a few Boys. Now, Sir, it will be necessary for you to consider, whether in Case such a change sh*. take Place, it w''. be agreeable to you that Mast"^. Custis shou'd accompany me thither : for, otherwise, I can hardly suppose you will think it worth his while to come down hither, probably, for a few months only. For my Part I cannot help imagining that you will think Annap^. a more eligible situation, as it is, I believe, rather more convenient to you, & a post Town from whence you might have Letters, if necessary, every Week to Alexandria. But This is a matter on which you alone ought to judge, & in which perhaps it becomes not me to give my Opinion. All I have to. add is that sh"^. you resolve, at all Events, to trust the young Gentleman to my Care, either Here or in Maryland, I will exert my best Endeavours to render Him worthy of Yours, & his Family's Expectations. And as He is now, as you justly observe, losing Time, wou'd it be amiss to send Him down immediately, if it were only upon Tryal, as I presume He has never yet been remov'd from under the wing of his Parents : You will then, from bis own Reports of me & my management of my Pupils, be better able to judge of the Propriety of continuing Him with me. And tho' it be usual * On May 30, 1768, "Washington -wrote to Boucher asking if he would be willing to take Master Custis as a pupil. "He is a boy of good genius, about 14 years of age, untainted in his morals & ot innocent manners. Two years and upwards he has been reading of Virgil & was (at the time Mr. Macgowan left him) entered upon the Greek Testament." Custis was to have a boy and two horses, and provender for the latter. "If it is necessary for him to provide a Bed, could one be purchased in your neighbor hood? It would save a long carriage." Washington -wrote, "I will cheerfully pay Ten or Twelve pounds a year, extraordinary, to engage your peculiar care of, & a watchful eye to him, as he is a promising boy, the last of his family, & will possess a very large Fortune, add to this my anxiety to make him fit for more useful purposes than Horse Racer." The whole letter is in my Writings of Washington, H. 257. for Boys to find their own Beds, in this case, that wou'd be unnecessary. I will furnish Him for the little Time He will have to stay before I know what my Destiny is to be. As to Terms, &c., These may be settled here after. All I shall now say of Them is, that from -what I have heard of Coll". Washingtoil's character, they are such as I am -w'ell convinced He will not think unreasonable. I have been under much concern that it was not sooner in my Power to acknowledge the rec'. of y"^. obliging Letter: this is forwarded by a serv'. of Mr. Addison's, whom I have requested to send it over to Alexandria, by w''. Means I hope you will receive it sooner than by Post. I am, very respectfully. Sir, Y'' most Obedient & most Hble Serv'. Jona". Boucher. Boucher to Washington. Caroline, 16 Jiirie, 1768. Sir, Altho' I have ailready return'd a;n Ans' to y"^ obliging Letter of the 30"" ult : by a serv' of the Rev* M"^ Addison's who went from hence a Day or two ago, yet as you seem'd desirous to hear from ine as soon as possible, & as Coll" Lewis now informs me that He can furnish me w"" an Opp*^ directly to your House, I am desirous to convince you, that I have not been inattentive to the Matter of y"^ Request. In my former L'', I have inform'd you of my Expectations of removing shortly to Annap^ where I propose also to continue to take Care of a few Boys, & have left it to y'self to judge whether, in that Case, it wou'd be agreeable to you & Mrs. Wash ington, that Mast' Curtis sh* accompany me thither, as, unless he shou'd, I iinagin'd ybii wou'd hardly think it worth -While to send Him abroad to a school, w*" may probaibly be broke up in a very few Months. I added also, that sh* you approve of this, I shou'd be glad He might come down hither, in the Manner you have propos'd, iiniiiediately ; which, I siippose. He may easily do, as there will he no Occasion for his making much Preparation ; since, if I sh* be so unfortunate as to be again disappointed in Maryland, & be obliged to remain still where I now atn, it will be as EaSy for you hereafter to furnish Hitii w** any thing He may happen to want ; and in the mean Time, it will be no Inconvenience to me to let Him use one bf my Beds, &c. And This is all, or nearly all, I yet have it in my Power to give you for Ans': I sincerely -wish the Uncertainty of my present Prospects wou'd allow me to Speak more positively. Ever since I have heard df Mast' Custis, I have wish'd to call Hiin one Of my little Flock ; and I am hot asham'd to confess to you that, since the Rec' of y' Letter, I have wish'd it much more. Engag'd as I have now been for upwards of seven Years in the Education of Youth, you -will own it must be mortifying to me to reflect, that I cannot boast of having had the Hon' to bring up one Scholar. I have had, 'tis true. Youths, whose Fortunes, Inclinations & Capacities all gave me Room for y® most pleasing Hopes : yet I know not how it is, no sooner do They arrive at that Period of Life when They might be expected more successfully to apply to their Studies, than They eithei- tsafry, Or are remov'd from School on some, per haps even Still, less justifiable Motive. You, Sir, however, seem so justly sensible of y« vast Importance of a good Educa", that I cannot doubt of your heartily conctirring in every Plan that might be propos'd for y" Advan tage of y' Ward : And what I am more particularly pleased with is, the ardent Desire you express for y*' Cultiva" of his moral, as well as his Intel lectual Powers. I mean, that He may be made a Good, as well as a learned & sensible Man. That Mast' Custis may be both is the sincere wish of, * Sir, Y' most obed' & most Hble Serv' JoNA° Boucher. Boucher to Washington. Dear Sir, Caroline, 15 July, 1768. I have just Time to put a Cover over The Enclosed & to add to the Informa"* I suppose Mast' Custis himself has given yon, that He has enjoy'd perfect Health ever since you left Him, except^ two or three Days that He complained of a Pain in his stomach, which I at first took for the Cholic, but since think it more likely that it might be owing to Worms. As it easily went off by two or three Medicines I gave Him, and as He has had no Returns, I did ndt think it necessary to consult Dr. Mercer ;t -which however, I shall immediately do, if you desire it. You will oblige us by looking into y' Books for a Work of Cicero's, De officiis, or his Familiar Epistles — & Livy : & sending Them down by y® first oppor'tifnity that [offers]. Be so obliging to me as to excuse the Shortness of this Letter ; it shall not be long, ere I will write to you more fully. The Messenger, who is to carry This to y® ofifice, now waits for me. I am, very respectfully y' most obed' Hble Serv' Jona" Boucher. gjj, St. Mart's, 2 August, 1768. I do not recollect that Mast'. Custis has had any Return of y* Pain in his stomach, which I told you I suspected to be occasioned by worms : but as it is but too probable that He may have a little of the ague & Fever in This or y* next month, this complaint, it is not unlikely, may return ; and if it does, in any considerable Degree, D'. Mercer shall be consulted. Mast'. Custis is a Boy of so exceedingly mild & meek a Temper, that I meant no more by my Fears, than a Doubt that possibly He might be made uneasy by y" rougher manners of some of his schoolfellows. I am pleas'd, however, to find that He seems to be perfectly easy & happy in his new situation; and as the flrst shock is now over, I doubt not but He will continue so. You know how much the quest", has been agitated between y° advantages of a private & a public Educa". : & this young G — man has afforded me occasion to reflect upon it rather more than I had done before. His Educa". hitherto may be call'd a private one ; & to This, perhaps chief ly, He owes that peculiar Innocence & sanctity of manners w**. are so amia ble in Him : but then, is He not, think you, more artless, more unskill'd in a necessary address, than He ought to be, ere He is turn'd out into a world like this ? In a private Seminary, his Passions cou'd be seldom arouzed : He had few or no Competitors ; and therefore cou'd not so advantageously, * " June 30, 1768. "Weilt to Mr. Boucher's, dihed there, and left Jackey Custis. Betnrned tp Frederidksburg in the &ite:xnoon."— Entry in Washington's Diary. t Hugh Mercer, of revolutionary memory. 10 as in a more public Place, be inured to combat those little oppositions & collisions of Interest, w''. resemble in miniature the contests y' happen in y^ gr' school of y^ world. And let our Circumstances in y* world be what They will, yet, considering the thousand unavoidable Troubles that human nature is Heir to. This is a Part of Educa", tho seldom attended to, w"". I think of more Importance than almost all y' Rest. When children are taught betimes to bear misfortunes & cross accidents w'*" becom^. Forti tude, one half of y^ Evils of Life, w'" w*". others are dejected, afflict not Them. Educa" is top generally considered merely as y° acquis", of knowl edge, & y^ cultiva". of y* intellectual Powers. And, agreeably to this no tion, w" we speak of a man well-educated, we seldom mean more than that He has been well instructed in those Languages w''. are y^ avenues to knowledge. But, surely. This is but a partial & imperfect ace', of it: & y^ aim of Educa". sh* be not only to form wise but good men, not only to cul tivate y° understanding, but to expand y^ Heart, to meliorate y* Temper, & fix y^ gen'rous Purpose in yf glowing Breast. But whether 'This can best be done in a private or public school, is a Point, on w". so much may be said on both sides, that I confess myself still undetermined. Y' son came to me teeming w"". all y'' softer -virtues : but then I thought, possess'd as He was of all y^ Harmlessness of y* Dove, He still wanted some of y^ wia- dom of y" Serpent. And This, by y' CEconomy of my Family, He -will undoubtedly sooner acquire here than at Home. But, how will you forgive me sh*. I suffer Him to lose in Gentleness, Simplicity, & InofFensiveness, as much as He gains in Address, Prudence, & Resolu"? And I must as sure you f™. Experience, that This is a Dilemma by no means so easily avoided in Practice, as it may seem to be in Theory. Upon the whole, however, I can honestly give it as my Opinion (and, as it must give you & Mrs. Washington much Comfort & Pleasure to hear it, I hope you will not suspect y'. I c'd be so mean as to say so, if I did not think so,) that I have not seen a Youth that I think promises Fairer to be a good & a use ful man than John Custis. 'Tis true. He is far f™. being a brilliant Genius; but This so far from being considered as a Reflexion upon Him, ought rather to give you Pleasure. Parents are generally partial to gr*. Vivacity & Sprightliness of Genius in th'. children ; whereas, I think, that there can not be a symptom less expressive of future Judgment & solidity ; as it seems thoroughly to preclude not only Depth of Penetration, but y' atten". & applica". w" are so essentially requisite in y^ acquisi". of knowledge. It is, if I may use y^ simile of a Poet, a busy Bee, whose whole Time passes away iu mere Flight f" Flower to Flower, with' rest^upon any a suff'. Time to gather Honey. He will himself inform you of y= accident He lately met with ; and as He seems to be very apprehensive of y'. Displeasure, c*. I suppose it ne cessary, I w*. urge you & his mamma to spare Rebukes, as much as he certainly deserves Them. Mrs. Washington may believe me that He is now perfectly well. He seem'd to xpect me to employ a Docf, but as He met w*". y« accident by his own Indiscre", & as I saw there was no Dan ger, I thought it not amiss not to indulge Him. The calling in a Physician upon any trifling Occasion, I think, is too hkely to render Children need lessly timorous & cowardly. I did not misunderstand y" meaning of y'. Request, in y° matter wherein you suspect I possibly might; being persuaded that you know as well as I do, that such particular Attention is not only unnecessary, but impractica ble. He will probably inherit a much more considerable Fortune, than 11 any other Boy here; and I thought it by no means an improper or unreason able Request that a p'ticular atten". sh* be bestow'd on a youth of his Ex- pecta"^ But as any Partiality to Him on y* trifling Circumstances of his Diet or other accommoda™. w*. be rather disserviceable to Him than other wise, I have taught Him not to expect it. The only p'ticular atten". you c*. wish for, I also think Him entitled to ; & that is, a more vigilant atten". to y^ Propriety & Decorum of his Behav', & y° restrain* Him f" many Indulgences, w**. I sh*. willingly allow p'haps to ano'. Boy, whose Prospects in Life do not require such exalted sentim'^ Y° allowing Him more fre quently to sit in my Company, & being more careful out of y° Company of Those, who might probably debase or taint his morals. Had I my choice, believe me, it w*. be more agreeable to me to superintend y** Educa". of two or three promis* Lads, than to lead a Life of y" most voluptuous In dolence : but the Truth is, oblig'd as I was to engage in it by necessity & not by choice, I have often found myself so ill-requited, & y* ofiSce itself considered as so low, & so often taken up by y^ very lowest Fellows one knows of, that, after hav* laboured in it for upwards of seven years, with' hav* added much either to my Fortune or Reputa", I am almost resolv'd to drop it entirely. Yet whilst it continues to be agreeable to you to let Mast'. Custis remain with me, it will be a Pleasure to me to have y* man- agem'. of Him : nor can I indeed come to any decisive Resolu". as to y" other matter, till I know more certainly y* Fate of my Expecta"^ in Mary land. Be so obliging as to flnd some speedy & safe conveyance for a L'. to Mr. Addison, w". I take y** Liberty of recommend*, to y' p'ticular Care, as it might be of much Detriment to me, sh*. it fall into ill Hands, as has been y® case once before. I beg Pardon for this very tedious Letter, w^. I have tax'd you w"". y" Perusal of, and, w'" mine & my sister's compt'. to Mrs. Washington, I am &c. Boucher to Washington. ¦pj q- Caroline, 5 September, 1768. I was much concern'd for Mast' Custis's Indisposition, w" yet I foresaw, & sh* have told you so, as I did Him, had I not been unwell at y° Time He left us. He is fond of Fruit, & w' is worse for Him, He is fond of cucumbers ; & to These, I doubt not, in a g' measure. He owes his bilious complaints. A better air, & stricter attention, I trust, will soon restore Him to his former Health. I did intend to have dismiss'd my Boys a week ago ; but th' Parents & Friends hav* neglected to send for Them, many of Them have had, & still have this vile Disorder. And as both my Sister & Usher are also down in it, I see no chance I have of quitting y^ Place during y® sickly season, w'' was my chief aim. Thank God, the Fevers are not very obstinate this year, & easily give way to Vomits and Bark. Unless you hear from me again, I shall be glad to see Jack here ag" ah' y® latter End of this month, if his Health will then permit Him : & I hardly expect He will be in a Capacity to leave Home much sooner. Then, I hope, he may come without Danger. Mr. Addison is expected here every Day, who will probably either come or return your Way. I beg my comp*^ to Mrs. Washington & her son, & am &c.* * "December 16, 1768, Jacky Custis came home from Mr. Boucher's." — Entry in Washington's Diary, 12 Bo'uch&r to Washington. Fredericksb*, 11 January, 1769. Dear Sir, I have been much concern'd that it has not been in my Power to spend a few Days at Mount Vernon, as I hop'd I should. A very painful Dis order I labour'd under when Mast' Custis left me, confin'd me to my Bed a Fortnight ; and now it is too late to set out, when I expect all my little Flock to return immediately, as some of Them already are. You will please therefore to let Mast' Custis know, that it will he to no Purpose for him now to wait for me, as we proposed when we parted; & that I shall expect to see Him at St. Mary's, as soon as ever a good Day or two may tempt Him to set out. If Mr. Magowan be still with you, be so good as to enquire if He rec* a L' f™ me ah' a month ago : The Parish In Louisa I mentioned to Him is still vacant, tho' warmly sollicited for by his Fellow-Candidate Mr. Contes & others. I am &c. Washington to Boucher. Mount Vernon, 24 April, 1769. Your favor of the 17th came to my hands this day; the contents of which, or the Letter itself shall soon reach Mr. Addison's hands. In respect to the Dancing Gentry, I am glad to find you have such a choice of them, and that Newman has got the start of his rival Spooner, because I have heard him well spoken of as a teacher in that science. The other's misfortune might recommend him to the notice and charity of the well dis posed, but if his accomplishments in that way are inferior to the other's, it ought by no means to entitle him to the preference. You will be so good, therefore, sir, to enter Master Custis with Mr. Newman for a year or other wise as he may form his school. Mrs. Washington I can venture to assure you, will be very glad to see you at Mount Vernon in the recess of Whitsun Hollidays, but it is a pleasure I must be deprived of, as I expect to be in Williamsburg before, and long after that time. Washington to Boncher. Mount Vernon, July 13'", 1769. Rev* Sir As we have fixed upon the 27'" Inst' for our departure to the Frederick Springs, & M'^ Washington is desirous of seeing her son before she leaves home, I am now to request the favour of you to .permit him to come up for that purpose so soon as this letter gets to hand (by M' Stedlar, which I am told will he eight days after date). Nothing new in this part of the country worth a recital, and therefore I have only to add the comp" of M'^ Washington and my own to yourself & Miss Boucher, and our Loves to Jacky. I am, Rev* Sir, y' most H"« Serv'.* * A copy of this letter was courteously sent to me by Mr. K. P. Sketohlev in r\iarsrR of the Forster Colleotion, South Kensington Museum. oKeioniey, m charge 13 Boucher to Washington. Caroline, 20 July, 1769. Sir, In consequence of your L', Mast' Custis now waits on you; & as this is a pretty busy Time with us in school, I shall be glad He may set off back again at y® same Time you do for the springs. Enclosed you have his ace' for y* last year, which as you were so oblig ing as to offer me when I was at Mount 'V'ernon, I will beg y^ Fav' of you now to send by Jack.* I hope it will not appear too high to you ; it being just what I charged y" only Boy (Mr Turner) I ever had living w'" me in y* same manner he does. For my own Part, I must own to you, I charge his Horses merely by Guess, hav* never very nearly attended to y^ Ex- pence of maintain* a Horse : Those I have mentioned y^ matter to here, think it too low : you, probably may have had occasion to consider y^ mat ter, therefore I beg leave to refer it entirely to y'self. I have yet to men tion to you on this subj' that, perswaded by my own Experience, I have lately come to a Resolu" of tak* no more Boys for less than £25 p' ann : There are now four upon these Terms, & more expected soon. Unless therefore you object to it in Time, you must expect next year to find your son charged so too. I have a Pleasure in informing you that I please myself w"" think* we now do much better than formerly : You will rem' my hav* complain'd of Jack's Laziness, which, however, I now hope is not incurable. For I find He will bear driving, which heretofore I us'd to fear He would not. He has met w'" more Rig' since I saw you, than in all y° Time before, & he is the better for it. This I mean only as to his Books ; in other matters, He is faultless. His new Boy too is infinitely fitter for Him than Julius ; & if He be not spoil'd here, which, in Truth, there is some Danger of, you & He & I too will all have cause to be pleas'd at his having made y^ Ex change. Miss Boucher was very intent on going to the springs, but being now convinced that she cannot, consistent with associa" Principles, she is con tented to drop it. She begs her respectful comp'^ to Mrs. Washington & Miss Custis may be join'd to mine, heartily wishing them as well an agree able Jaunt, as that They may reap all the Benefit they xpect from the wa ters. I am &c. I had forgot that the Dancing school is to be at this House next Friday. He has already miss'd two, & sh'd not therefore, I think, neglect attending this.t Washington to Boucher. 4 December, 1769. " Jacky will inform you of the Reasons why he brings not the Books you wrote to me for, and to him I refer. Perhaps all, or most of them, were included in the catalogue I sent to England for him, and if so, I expect they will be in, in less than three months. " The Printer has promised to have a Musick'Book rul'd for Miss Bou cher if I come up, if so it shall be brought. Jack's stay has been longer here than we intended, but we hope he will endeavour to make atonement ^ by extraordinary diligence." * July 20, 1769. Paid Rev. Mr. Boucher, for schooling aud Board of J. P. Custis, serv', horses ftc.*, £42, 1, 11. — Ledger entry. + Washington went to the Springs July 31 and returned In September. 14 Doctor Cooper to Doctor Boucher. King's College, New York, 22 March, 1770. My dear Sir, I hold myself much obliged to you for good will, as well as good offices, towards this college, as instanced in your Conduct respecting Mr. Custis; and I ara under still weightier obligation, when T consider your very friendly suspension of Belief, with Regard to some Reports, which you tell me have been circulated in your Parts to our prejudice. I am con scious that we have Enemies in abundance — that every Dissenter of high principles, upon the Continent, is our Enemy — that many of their mission aries, from the northern into the southern provinces, make it their Busi ness, nay, have it in Charge from their masters, to decry this Institution by &\\ possible means; because they are convinced, from its very Constitution — being in the Hands only of Churchmen ; — which is very far indeed from be ing the Case of any other college to y^ northward of Virginia, — and I know of none to the southward of it — they are convinced that it must eventually prove one of the finest supports to y^ Church of England in America. Hence there arose an opposition coeval with y^ College itself — or rather, with the very first Mention of an Institution so circumstanced ; which hath been continued, without Interruption, to this very Day, with much Resent ment, Inveteracy, and Malice. The College of New Jersey — and those of New England — were already in their own sole Directions, and yet they could not be satisfied that y^ poor Church should have any Influence in one: not that Dissenters of any Denomination are excluded from either Learn ing or Teaching ; nay, we have educated many, and have several at this very Time, who do Honor both to us and to themselves. However, oweing to the very Opposition, or to our own Care & Circum spection, — which may, perhaps, have arisen from the former, — our Num bers yearly increase, and our present apartments overflow. It would ill become any one, to boast of the advantages enjoy'd by a Seminary over which he himself presides : but I will venture to affirm, that, with Respect to Discipline (which, it seems, is one heavy accusation exhibited against us) we are far from being outdone by any College on the American Continent : and I hnow of none in Europe, to which, in this article, we are really infe rior. Add to this, that the Expence — however such Things may be mag nified by our adversaries, is not half so much as at any of the latter; and, I believe very little, if at all, more, than at most of the former. Our Tuition is only five pounds — one Dol' passing for 8 shillings — New York currency : Room rent four ; and Board, including Breakfast, Dinner and Supper, at y'' Rate of eleven shillings a week, for y^ Time each student is actually iu College. These (saving Firewood, Candles & Washing, which must be had everywhere,) are the principle Expences, indeed almost the only ones, of the truly collegiate kind. Others, indeed, may run higher — as in Dress, and sometimes in Company, than they do at Colleges in the Country; tho' even these will not be materially different to a student of real Gentility : For such a one will chuse to appear handsomely-habited in all situations ; and when he does go into Company, he will chuse the best for his associates. With Regard to our plan of Education, it is copied, in the most material Parts, from Queen's College in Oxford ; with the wh[ole] system of which, (having been for many years both Learner and Teacher in that seminary, with the character of which you are by no means unacquainted,) I looked upon myself as perfectly familiar. 15 The young Gentleman's Guardian may rely on everything in my Power for his Ward's Emolument : but as to my turning Private Tutor as it were — it seems to me so inconsistent with my office (whatever others in my sit uation may think of it) that I must beg to be excused. But I repeat — That I will shew Mr. Custis every mark of care & attention, and see that his other Teachers shall do the same. I have only to add, that I wish he may be here in June, — as we do not admit pupils when absent. — that I beg my best Respects to CoP. Washing ton, whom I shall be exceedingly happy to wait upon in New York (your self, I hope, in Company) — and that I am, D' S' Y' Aff' Friend and very obed' servant, &c. M. Cooper. I hope you will have patience with me — at present I suffer much by a severe fit of the gravel. Boucher to Washington. Dear Sir, Caroline, 2 April, 1770. I felt so strongly the Truth of your Remarks, that 1 took shame to my self for having reduc'd you to so distressing a Dilemma. Believe it, how ever, sir, that it was Necessity, & not Inclination, that urged me to the step, which yet I sh'd hardly have taken, at last, cou'd I have supposed the circumstances of Mast' Custis's Esf* to have been as you represent Them. I have now the Pleasure to inform you, that I trust my present Difficul ty will be surmounted, with' laying my Friends under a contribution. I am almost sure it will, if Mr. Claiborne will only be punctual in paying his £50, which I was Security for. A Debt, of long standing, & which I had almost despair'd of, fortunately for me, has just been paid : & This, with some collections I have made from the Est^ of a deceased Friend, on w" I administered, have enabled me to make up my Sum of £230. this last, indeed, was an Expedient I very unwillingly had Recourse to ; but I now learn by Experience, that real Distress is very effectual in teaching a man to get the Better of cert" delicate Qualms of conscience — & let This teach me to view, w"" candor, the Peccadillos of others in similar cir cumstances. I purpose replacing This with what I am to receive of you on Mast' Custis's ace', &, therefore, if not highly inconvenient to you, wou'd this year prefer a Bill to Cash, aud shou'd I again be obliged to call on you before it is due, as I hope I shall not, I flatter myself with being again excused. Might not your proposed Improvemen'^ of y* Naviga" of the Potomac to the W:ward be accomplished on some such Plan as This ? — I mean by ob tain* an Act of Assembly, empowering cert" Commissioners therein named, to borrow the Sum supposed to he wanted at a high Interest (suppose 10 p' cent) & this Interest to be rais'd f™ a Tax proportioned thereto, on all y^ vessels mak* Use of s* Naviga" ? Or, if y^ Naviga" w* bear it, w" tho' p'haps it might not at flrst, yet, undoubtedly it soon would, might not this Tax be rated so, as to produce a considerable Surplus, enough not only to sink the original Loan, but to raise a Fund for still farther Improvem'^. Are not some of the canals in Engl*, & y** Turnpikes on this System? &, if I mistake not, the very grand canal uow carrying on in Scotland is so too. — You doubtless have heard long ago w' was done on this matter by the Maryland Assembly; but, as I fear, f" y' ace' of Things, our Assembly w* not easily be persuaded to advance any cash towards the scheme, tho' I can have no immediate Interest in it, I s* be grieved so beneficial a Pro ject shou'd be dropp'd. 16 I guess my Friend Mr Addison met with some Difficulties in y" Bar gain he proimised] to make for me, as I have never heard from Him, nor about the Boy. m • t Custis who, as well as myself, is but just return'd from a Trip I took Him into Richmond County, is gone to write to his Mamma, to whom, & to Miss Custis, with many thanks for the' obliging Helps to my Garden, I beg my affectionate compliments. I am &c. Boucher to Washington. Caroline, 9 May, 1770. Sir, i'here are some particular Circumstances in my affairs, at this Juncture, which make me desirous to know your & Mrs. Washington's final Resolu tion respecting Mr. Custis's visit to Europe. Should you think it advisa ble for Him to go, & I be thought a proper person to accompany Him, I still am willing to do it, & on Terms which, I can hardly think, you will judge unreasonable. — I do not mean to take upon me to advise you in the matter ; yet, I cannot help giving it you as my opinion, that, from what I know of Him, Travelling will be of peculiar Service to Him. And, as he is now advancing fast to that period of Life, much the most hazardous, this Ex pedient, if ever adopted at all, should be resolved on early, and put in Execution, at least, in two years from this Time. The Expecta" of it will engage his Attention, & divert Him from what I think a very wrong System, tho' a very common one, with the Youth of Virginia ; it is to be hoped too, that it will stimulate Him to pursue his Studies with greater Earnestness, when he recollects how often He must be put to the Blush, if he appears illiterate amongst Men of Letters, into whose Company, in Travelling, He will often fall. Surely, it will not be thought that I can possibly have any interested views in this matter. It is true, indeed, I wish to re-visit my native Coun-^ try ; and I have too a strong inclina" to see the diff' parts of the world. In point of Prudence, however, I believe it were better for me to remain contented as I am ; I consider it in this Light, that 1 am unconnected in the world, with no very violent Passion, but that of increasing my slender stock of knowledge, which I persuade myself I shall most effectually accomplish by a Tour thro' those Countries where Arts & Sciences have been most successfully cultivated. These, believe me, are all the interested motives I feel the Influence of ; & if I have either heretofore or now, re commended it to Mr. Custis to travel, it was from a fall conviction how necessary & how useful it w* be to Him. I have many Reasons for this opinion, some of which, I believe, are not unknown to you. Happening, at present, to be a good deal hurried, I have only Time to add, that I wou'd by no means have mentioned this matter to you now, haii not my own affairs required it; & that I can never consent to his leaving Virg% unless He is first innoculated, which therefore should be resolved on as soon as ever you can be advis'd of a good opportunity. I beg my respectful Comp" to Mrs. Washington & Miss Custis, & am, very truly &c. P.S. I have shown Jack what I have wrote, and desir'd Him to think of the Project calmly & coolly, & then sit down, & write you fully his own sentiments on the Subject.* * Washington's answer to this letter is printed iu my Writings of Washington, II., 277. On May 20th Washington noted in his Diary, " Breakfasted at M' Boucher'a." 17 Boucher to Washington. St. Mart's, 21 May, 1770. Sir, So hurried as you know me to be at present, I flatter myself you will not even now expect more of me than the Outlines of a Plan of Travelling ; the filling it up may be the work of further Leisure, & maturer Considera tion. And, as I have nothing to lay before you, but mere conjecture & opinions, unsupported by any Experience of my own, let me again have Leave to remind you not to pay any greater Deference to These, or to any Opinions, than They are found fairly to deserve. It is a Project of suff' Importance to warrant y' collect* y° Opinions of all who may be suppos'd to have ever attended to, or tho't of the matter. Travelling, you are well aware, is still & long has been much in Vogue in our Mother Country ; yet has it so frequently been attempted & ex ecuted in so absurd & preposterous a manner, that it is now become a Question whether it be really useful or not. And as warm an advocate as I profess myself for this method of complete* an Educa", I yet readily own that it is only some Persons to whom Travelling can possibly be use ful, & that there are perhaps equally many to whom it w* certainly be per nicious. The light, giddy, fantastical, frothy& frivolous characters amongst us, w* only be made worse, & rendered incurable; but let sedentary men talk as much as they please of y® Loss of Time, y^ Expence, & y^ un settled & roving Habits acquired by Travel, to me it is beyond a Dispute, that an observant mind, & to a Person endowed w"" Judgment to draw profitable knowledge f"" y'' various objects w" various Countries are per petually present*, there is not ano' so eligible a System to be taken to form & polish y* manners of a liberal Youth, & to fit Him for y^ Business & Conversa" of y® world. And if you will be pleased to apply this Remark to some living Instances to be met with even here, I am mistaken if it will not account for that Objec" so often started by the Opposers of this Plan, — that such, & such an one have travelled without being any better for it. Depend upon it, they were either originally unfit for the Experiment, or it has been conducted on wrong Principles. Let this be s* with' any sus picion of my aim* to reflect on any Individuals ; the Reflection is not con fined to Virginia. But there is a cert" captiousness in some of y' Coun trymen, w" I cannot but lament, tho I very freely pardon as being but y* Ebullitions of Zeal for th' Country, w" will hardly allow a Foreigner (& such I must be called, in spite of my sincere attachm' to Virg* & Vir ginians) to flnd Fault with any Thing belonging either to Them or to their Country. But, as I am well convinced this is not y® Case w"" you, I return to my subject. It being then agreed, at least by you and me, that generally speaking, travelling is useful & necessary, to young Persons in all Countries, let us, as more immediately interesting us, now more particularly enquire, if it be not particularly so to a Virginian and to Mr. Custis. The peculiar advantages w" result to youth from Travel, are s* to be first, an easy ad dress, y® wearing off of national Prejudices, & y^ find* noth* ridiculous in national Peculiarities ; &, above all, that supreme accomplishment w'^ we call a Knowledge of'^ World, a science so useful as to supersede or dis grace all y® Rest : for I understand not y® Phrase in y^ Sense in w" Fops or Rakes use it, but mean by it that easy, that elegant, that useful knowledge, w"" results f" an enlarged observa" of Men and Things, f™ an acquaintance w*" y*' customs & Usages of various & distant Countries, f™ some Insight 18 into their Policies, Governm', Religion & Manners ; in a word, f" y" study & Contempla" of men, as They present Themselves on y® gr' stage of y^ World, in various Forms, & under diff' Appearances, i'his is that Master Science which every G — man sh* know, & w^ yet no School nor College can teach Him. To apply this to y' Country we live in, where will you point out to me another so circumscrib'd in its Intercourse w*" mankind at large, as Virg^? Saving here and there a needy Emigrant from G' Britain, an illiterate Capt" of a ship, or a subaltern Merch', to whom can a Virg'' Youth apply for a specimen of y* manners, &c., of any other People ? Thus limited in y' Opp'^ for Observa" must not his Ideas neces sarily resemble those of a Caribbee Indian, mentioned by Lafitau, who, of fended at being called a Savage, exclaimed, J know no savages but the Europeans, who adopt none of our Customs ; or those of y* Inhabitants of the Marian Islands, who, being persuaded that theirs was y* only language in y^ Universe, concluded from thence that all other men knew not how to speak ? He finds his Lot cast in a Country amazingly fertile, & thence learns to conclude that even y* rich Plains watered by y® Nile, the Gre cian Temple, the Roman Campania, the Spanish Andalusia, are all mean and contemptible w'' compared w'" his low Cfrounds; &, pursuing this Train of Reasoning, soon supposes also like the Baron of Thonderton Tronok, that both his country and countrymen, are the finest of all possible Countries & People. Now, if it were only for y® sake of Truth & Decency, if it were but to avoid y* Ridicule to w'' these palpable Absurdities expose them, one cannot but wish our Youth c* be taught to open th' Eyes, & extend them beyond their own foggy air & dirty acres. But, This is not all: there is not a country in y° World, where a Man of capacity c* be more eminently useful by promot* & encouraging y^ Arts, than in Virg''. Till very lately you cou'd hardly anywhere see a piece of Land tolerably plough'd, or a person who c* be persuaded that plowing made any difference; & even yet it is more than probable, even Those who have made the greatest Improvements in this most natural, most useful, & most amusing Art, fall infinitely short of some other countries. In a political View then. Travelling appears to be exceedingly necessary ; since a Man may thus learn to double the Value of his Estate. I mention'd too y^ Improvemen' of Manners; by w" I mean an Abihty Jor ingenious, manly & useful Conversa". For a Traveller who makes a proper Use of his qpportunites, will be all of a piece, & return as polished in mind & understanding, as in his Person. To this it is frequently objected y' w" is gained in Civility & Politeness, is lost in real Goodness & Vhtue, by y^ various tempt* scenes of vice to w" a youth must be exposed in y* Course of his Travels. In Ans' to This, let me observe that there are some Tempers who c* not possibly be preserved f" y" Taint of Vice, even w"" y« benefit of a private Educa". Or grant it were practicable to retain y® Purity of their Morals by such narrow Regula"*; do not you think that if, by this Means, They sh* chance to have fewer vices. They w* also have fewer Excellencies ? And it sh* be remembered that soUtary virtue, however pure and immaculate, is but imperfect virtue : We are formed for society, «& y» Business of y« World is a Duty we owe to society : ds it is therefore our Duty to qualify ourselves for y« performance oif these Duties in y' best man', w" is by prudent & well-conducted Travel. Let us now, if you please, as a contrast to This, for a moment figure to ourselves future History of our pupil, sh* this Expedient not be approved of. The chief failings of his character are that He is constitutionally somewhat ' 19 too warm — indolent & voluptuous. As yet these Propensities are but in em- brio : ere long, however, they will discover Themselves, & if not duly and carefully regulated, it is easy to see to what They will lead. At best. He will soon lose all Relish for mental Excellence. He will unwillingly ap ply to any Improvem" either in Arts or Sciences. Sunk in unmanly sloth, his Estate will [be] left to y* managem' of some worthless Overseer; & him self soon be entangled in some matrimonial adventure, in w"" as Passion will have much to say, it is not very likely Reason will be much listened to. I appeal to you, sir, if this ace* be exaggerated; & if it he not sadly veri fied by many living Instances y' have fallen under y' own Observa". The Contrast is so striking to me, at least, it seems so, that I cannot think it possible for any one to hesitate a moment in determin*. Let me then hasten just to repeat w*". I yesterday mentioned to you of y* man ner in w''. I cou'd wish my scheme to be executed. In the first Place then, I wou'd have Him make the Tour of N. America, at least y* Northern Colonies, w". might very well be done in six months. And this chiefly to avoid y* absurdity of going so far to get acquainted w*'' other Countries, ere He knew any Thing of his own. After this. He sh* go to Engl*.,. & there immediately be enter'd in one of y® Universities, not so much f". any Prospect of advantages to be gain'd by study in y® little Time He c*. stay there ; as that it would be by much the safest Place for Him. After a winter or so spent there. He shou'd be conducted thro' y* principal coun ties & Towns of the three kingdoms, which wou'd possibly take up nearly a year. After this, He might conveniently spend six months in the me tropolis, & from thence set out on his Tour thro' some of y* principal coun- .tries on y® continent, w''. He sh*. travel tho' not as a virtuoso to collect iRarities, or as a connoisseur, to gaze at excellent pictures or magnificenit Buildings, but rather like a Really sensible & sentimental Traveller, such -as Horace intimates Ulysses was, who travell'd thro' many cities to see -y® manners of many men. — These are the Outlines of my Plan, which however I no otherwise recommend to you, than as my first thoughts, w*". I shall be proud to see improv'd by y'self or others. The Expence of 'the undertaking yet remains to be spoken of, in estimating of which, I am even more at a Loss than in wihat I have heretofore mentioned. However, as I had much rather have my Judgm'. called in Quest", than my Inclina" to comply with every Request of yours, I hesitate not to give you my Opinion such as it m. I cannot then believe that it can possibly be ex ecuted in any such manner as you w*. wish, or as it ought, for less than £1000 sterl*. p'. ann: if so little; which I Calculate in this manner. It cannot be tho't unreasonable ithat my appointm', if .finally I sh*. be pitch'd upon to accompany Him, sh* at least he equal to w' I relinquish here; asi take not into ace' y* Injury I may thus eventually do to my future Pros pects in Life, since This I think, iought to be ^charged to y' Pleasure I pro pose to myself f™ y" scheme. This then I set down at £250,; any Expences & those of a flerv' & a p' of Horses, at as much more : His own, & serv' ¦&c. at £250 — the remaining £250 I allot to cloath* Him, & sundry other unforeseen Expences, such as Purchasn* OurioMties, visit* public Places, &c., &c. For aught I know, this may be too much — ,tho' I hardly think it is : shou'd it be so, as I know his circumstances, it :sh* be my study to pro per" his Expenses, as far as they possibly could, to his Income. And -Whoever be his Frecepter, sh* have it strictly in Charge punctually to ren der you a faithful ace' of every Bishursem', that so you might have it in y' 20 Power to subject Him to whatever new Regula"' you might judge expe dient. I am much ashamed to lay before you so confused & ill-digested a Letter, w" I beg you to impute to my Hurry, & my being constantly interrupted by company: If, however, you can only collect from it y^ substance of my Plan, & if that only appears tolerably plausible to you, I am not very anx ious for y* rest, relying so entirely as I do, on y' Candor to excuse any In accuracies you may meet with in w" I have wrote. This only I have to request of you, that w" you consult any of y' Friends on this matter, you will be so good as not to produce this Letter, which tho' I am not afraid to trust you, I am yet unwilling sh* be perused by strangers. As to M'. Custis's living w'" me in Annapolis, shou'd I resolve to remove thither, as I suppose I shall, I have not anything to add to w" I yesterday told you. I purpose calling on M". Washington in my way to Maryland, & shall then request Her immediately to write to you her sentiments, so that I shall hope to be obliged w'" your final Resolution before I leave An- nap^, which will hardly be before the middle of next month. I am &c.* Boucher to Washington. Annapolis, 18 August, 1770. Sir, Jack comes a Day or two sooner than I intended, in Consequence of an Invitation from M'. Galloway, & M'. Magowan to go to West River, which he does this day. He brings you some samples, which I hardly expect will please. M'. Anth°. Stewart has a Cargo just arriv'd, not yet opened, in which, He says, are Assortm" of Coating : shou'd you rather incline to wait for a choice out of These, if you will be so good as to give me y' Di rections, I will endeavour to attend to them. — Their common Rate of sell ing, for ready money, is at 100 p' cent, which I think is cheaper than with you. A Vessel will clear out from hence for London, in ab' a week or ten Days. I will be car«ful of any Letters you may want to put on Board. They are still going on w"' th' subscript" for clear* y« Potomac, &, as I am told, w** spirit. Four hundred pounds are subscribed in this City; nor have They yet got all They expect. Messrs. Jacques & Johnson set off for Frederick tomorrow, & talk of fixing a Day for a general meeting, be fore they return. Will it he convenient and agreeable to you to attend about a month hence, if you hav« notice in Time— at the spot, i: e: at, or near Scrapie's ? Dr. Ross yesterday shew'd me a Letter He had just receiv'd from Crog- han at Pittsburg, which informs Him that a new Government is certainly determin'd upon in that western worid— & that either Coll : Mercert or one Mr. Wharton are to be appointed Governor. He speaks of its Boun daries &c. w'" Certainty, as a Matter of Fact. Have you heard of it— & *?® Particulars? It will be an immence acquisition, if not immediately to the Wealth, certainly to the Strength of these Governments— & a fine Field for a project* spirit to adventure in. I am &c. ,4V*S^^4 n!:i3?° *° ''°'^°''^'"' ^""''^ '' ''''^' ^"«' - p"-*«