SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8.

At Mount Vernon: "October 8.-Gave G. W. La Fayette a check on the Bank of Alexandria for the purpose of defraying his expenses to France, $300." *- Washington's Cash-Book.

"October 8.-This letter I hope and expect will be presented to you by your son, who is highly deserving of such parents as you and your amiable lady. . . . His conduct, since he first set his feet on American ground, has been exemplary in every point of view, such as has gained him the esteem, affection, and confidence of all who have had the pleasure of his acquaintance. His filial affection and duty, and his ardent desire to embrace his parents and sisters in the first moments of their release, would not allow him to wait the authentic account of this much desired event; but, at the same time that I suggested the propriety of this, I could not withhold my assent to the gratification of his wishes to fly to the arms of those whom he holds most dear, persuaded as he is from the information he has received, that he shall find you all in Paris.

"M. Frestel has been a true Mentor to George. No parent could have been more attentive to a favorite son; and he richly merits all that can be said of his virtues, of his good sense, and of his prudence. Both your son and he carry with them the vows and regrets of this family, and all who know them. And you may be assured, that yourself never stood higher in the affections of the people of this country, than at the present moment."— Washington to the Marquis de Lafayette.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13.

At Mount Vernon: "I suffered every attack, that was made upon my executive conduct, to pass unnoticed while I remained in public office, well knowing, that, if the general tenor of it would not stand the test of investigation, a newspaper vindication would be of little avail; but, as immense pains have been taken to disseminate these counterfeit letters, I conceived it a justice due to my own character and to posterity to disavow them in explicit terms; and this I did in a letter directed to the Secretary of State, to be filed in his office, the day on which I closed my administration. This letter has since been published in the

* George Washington Lafayette and his tutor M. Frestel sailed from New York for France on the 26th of October.

gazettes by the head of that department."- Washington to William Gordon.

In allusion to the republication in 1796 of a series of letters originally published at London in June, 1777, under the title of "Letters from General Washington to several of his Friends in the year 1776, in which are set forth a fairer and fuller view of American Politics, than ever yet transpired or the Public could be made acquainted with through any other channel,” none of which, however, were written by Washington.

These spurious letters, purporting to have been written in the months of June and July, 1776, were seven in number, five addressed to Lund Washington, manager of the Mount Vernon estate, one to Mrs. Washington, and one to John Parke Custis, her son; "the first draughts, or foul copies,” of which were said to have been found in a small portmanteau taken from a servant of the general, at Fort Lee, in November, 1776.

These letters were reprinted at New York in 1778, at Philadelphia in 1795, and at London and New York, with other letters, in 1796, with the title: "Epistles, domestic, confidential, and official from General Washington, etc." The appearance of the latter publication called out a letter from Washington (March 3, 1797) to Timothy Pickering, Secretary of State, in which he declared them to be base forgeries, and that he had never seen or heard of them until they appeared in print.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6.

At Mount Vernon: "An eight years absence from home (except occasional short visits to it), has thrown my building, and other matters of private concern, into so much disorder, that at no period of my life have I ever been more engaged, than in the last six or eight months, to repair & bring them into tune again."- Washington to Sir John Sinclair.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 13.

At Mount Vernon: "The running off of my cook has been a most inconvenient thing to this family, and what rendered it more disagreeable, is that I had resolved never to become the Master of another slave by purchase, but this resolution I fear I must break. I have endeavored to hire, black or white, but am not yet supplied."- Washington to George Lewis.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2.

At Mount Vernon: "To have steered my bark amid the intricacies of variegated public employment to a haven of rest with an approving conscience, and, while receiving the approbation of my own country for the part I have acted, to meet similar proofs of it from many of the moderate and virtuous of other countries, consummates my greatest wish and all my ambition, and in my eye is more precious than any thing that power or riches could have bestowed."Washington to John Luzac, Professor in the University at Leyden.

From the beginning of the American Revolution, Professor Luzac had acted a zealous part in favor of the friends of liberty; and, as editor of the Leyden Gazette for many years, had ably promulgated the principles of freedom, and defended the cause and conduct of those who were struggling to establish them. To no pen in Europe were the United States so much indebted for a just representation of their affairs and defence of their rights as to that of Professor Luzac.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 4.

At Mount Vernon: "A very severe winter has commenced, since the first of November we have hardly experienced a moderate day; heavy rains following severe frosts have done more damage to the winter grain now growing than I recollect ever to have seen-at this moment and for several days past all the Creeks and small Waters are hard bound with ice-and if the navigation of the River is not entirely stoped is yet very much impeded by it."- Washington to John Marshall, at Paris.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3.

1798.

At Alexandria: "January 3.-M" Washington, myself &c went to Alexandria & dined with Mr Fitzhugh."Washington's Diary.

MONDAY, JANUARY 8.

At Mount Vernon: "January 8.-A M' Marshall Music Master came here-Tuned Nelly Custis's Harpsicord & returned after dinner."- Washington's Diary.

"Nelly Custis's Harpsicord," which was presented to her by Washington, is now at Mount Vernon. Lossing, in his Mount Vernon and its Associations, says, "The best teachers were employed to instruct Nelly in the use of the harpsichord, and her grandmother made her practise upon it four or five hours every day. The poor girl,' says her brother, the late Mr. Custis, 'would play and cry, and cry and play, for long hours, under the immediate eye of her grandmother, a rigid disciplinarian in all things.'

MONDAY, JANUARY 15.

At Alexandria: "January 15.-I went to Alexandria to a meeting of the Stockholders of that Bank to an Election of Directors."- Washington's Diary.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7.

At George Town: "February 7.-Went to a meet of the Potomak C in George Town-Dined at Col° Fitzgeralds & lodged at M' T. Peters. February 8.-Visited the Public build" in the Morns met the Comp at the Union Tavern & dined there-lodged as before Weather very cold. Febru ary 9.-Returned home to Dinner."- Washington's Diary.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12.

At Alexandria: “ February 12.-Went with the family to a Ball in Alex given by the Citizens of it & its vicinity in commemoration of the anniversary of my birth day."Washington's Diary.

The Gregorian, or "New Style" of computing the length of the year, although promulgated in 1582, was not adopted by Great Britain until 1751, nineteen years after the birth of Washington. It was then enacted that eleven nominal days should be omitted; Wednesday the second of September, 1752, being made the last day of "Old Style," and the next day (Thursday) counted the fourteenth instead of the third. After that date Washington's birthday would be February twenty-second instead of February eleventh. In some localities the "Old Style" remained in use for a long time, especially in the case of birthdays. The anniversary ball at Alexandria, it will be noticed, was held on the twelfth, in consequence of the eleventh of February, 1798, falling on Sunday.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14.

At Mount Vernon: "February 14.-Mr Alex' Spotswood & Wife & Mr Fields Lewis * & Mr Lear came to dinner the latter returned afterwards. February 15.-Mr Fields Lewis went away after dinner. February 16.—Mr & Mr Spotswood left us after breakfast."- Washington's Diary.

SUNDAY, MARCH 4.

At Mount Vernon: " March 4.-Doct' Stuart came to dinner. March 5.-Doct' Stuart left this, to accompany Washington Custis to St Johns College at Annapolis."Washington's Diary.

SUNDAY, MARCH 18.

At Mount Vernon: "March 18.-Mr Steer Sen' & Jun' Miss Steer & M" Vanhaven dined here & returned to Alex

* Washington's sister Betty, who married in 1760 Colonel Fielding Lewis, of Fredericksburg, Virginia, had six children: Fielding (above mentioned), Betty, who married Charles Carter, George Fielding, Robert, Howell, and Lawrence. There were other children, who died young. Colonel Lewis died December, 1781, and Betty Washington, who was his second wife, died March 31, 1797.