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produce　a　given　sound；　every　one　jumbled　the　letters　together；

according　to　his　unlettered　notion　of　their　power；　and　all　jumbled

them　differently；　just　as　would　be　done　at　this　day；　were　a　dozen

peasants；　who　have　learnt　the　alphabet；　but　have　never　read；　desired

to　write　the　Lord's　prayer。　　Hence　the　varied　modes　of　spelling　by

which　the　Anglo…Saxons　meant　to　express　the　same　sound。　　The　word

_many_；　for　example；　was　spelt　in　twenty　different　ways；　yet　we

cannot　suppose　they　were　twenty　different　words；　or　that　they　had

twenty　different　ways　of　pronouncing　the　same　word。　　The　Anglo…Saxon

orthography；　then；　is　not　an　exact　representation　of　the　sounds　meant

to　be　conveyed。　　We　must　drop　in　pronunciation　the　superfluous

consonants；　and　give　to　the　remaining　letters　their　present　English

sound；　because；　not　knowing　the　true　one；　the　present　enunciation　is

as　likely　to　be　right　as　any　other；　and　indeed　more　so；　and

facilitates　the　acquisition　of　the　language。




　　　　　　　　It　is　much　to　be　wished　that　the　publication　of　the　present

county　dialects　of　England　should　go　on。　　It　will　restore　to　us　our

language　in　all　its　shades　of　variation。　　It　will　incorporate　into

the　present　one　all　the　riches　of　our　ancient　dialects；　and　what　a

store　this　will　be；　may　be　seen　by　running　the　eye　over　the　county

glossaries；　and　observing　the　words　we　have　lost　by　abandonment　and

disuse；　which　in　sound　and　sense　are　inferior　to　nothing　we　have

retained。　　When　these　local　vocabularies　are　published　and　digested

together　into　a　single　one；　it　is　probable　we　shall　find　that　there

is　not　a　word　in　Shakspeare　which　is　not　now　in　use　in　some　of　the

counties　in　England；　from　whence　we　may　obtain　its　true　sense。　　And

what　an　exchange　will　their　recovery　be　for　the　volumes　of　idle

commentaries　and　conjectures　with　which　that　divine　poet　has　been

masked　and　metamorphosed。　　We　shall　find　in　him　new　sublimities　which

we　had　never　tasted　before；　and　find　beauties　in　our　ancient　poets

which　are　lost　to　us　now。　　It　is　not　that　I　am　merely　an　enthusiast

for　Palaeology。　　I　set　equal　value　on　the　beautiful　engraftments　we

have　borrowed　from　Greece　and　Rome；　and　I　am　equally　a　friend　to　the

encouragement　of　a　judicious　neology；　a　language　cannot　be　too　rich。

The　more　copious；　the　more　susceptible　of　embellishment　it　will

become。　　There　are　several　things　wanting　to　promote　this

improvement。　　To　reprint　the　Saxon　books　in　modern　type；　reform　their

orthography；　publish　in　the　same　way　the　treasures　still　existing　in

manuscript。　　And；　more　than　all　things；　we　want　a　dictionary　on　the

plan　of　Stephens　or　Scapula；　in　which　the　Saxon　root；　placed

alphabetically；　shall　be　followed　by　all　its　cognate　modifications　of

nouns；　verbs；　&c。；　whether　Anglo…Saxon；　or　found　in　the　dialects　of

subsequent　ages。　　We　want；　too；　an　elaborate　history　of　the　English

language。　　In　time　our　country　may　be　able　to　co…operate　with　you　in

these　labors；　of　common　advantage；　but　as　yet　it　is　too　much　a　blank；

calling　for　other　and　more　pressing　attentions。　　We　have　too　much　to

do　in　the　improvements　of　which　it　is　susceptible；　and　which　are

deemed　more　immediately　useful。　　Literature　is　not　yet　a　distinct

profession　with　us。　　Now　and　then　a　strong　mind　arises；　and　at　its

intervals　of　leisure　from　business；　emits　a　flash　of　light。　　But　the

first　object　of　young　societies　is　bread　and　covering；　science　is　but

secondary　and　subsequent。




　　　　　　　　I　owe　apology　for　this　long　letter。　　It　must　be　found　in　the

circumstance　of　its　subject　having　made　an　interesting　part　in　the

tenor　of　your　letter；　and　in　my　attachment　to　it。　　It　is　a　hobby

which　too　often　runs　away　with　me　where　I　meant　not　to　give　up　the

rein。　　Our　youth　seem　disposed　to　mount　it　with　me；　and　to　begin

their　course　where　mine　is　ending。




　　　　　　　　Our　family　recollects　with　pleasure　the　visit　with　which　you

favored　us；　and　join　me　in　assuring　you　of　our　friendly　and

respectful　recollections；　and　of　the　gratification　it　will　ever　be　to

us　to　hear　of　your　health　and　welfare。







　　　　　　　　A　GIFT　TO　A　GRANDDAUGHTER




　　　　　　　　_Ellen　Randolph　Coolidge_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　Nov。　14；　1825_




　　　　　　　　MY　DEAR　ELLEN　　In　my　letter　of　Oct。　13。　to　Mr。　Coolidge；　I

gave　an　account　of　the　riot　we　had　at　the　University；　and　of　it's

termination。　　You　will　both　of　course　be　under　anxiety　till　you　know

how　it　has　gone　off？　　With　the　best　effects　in　the　world。　　Having　let

it　be　understood；　from　the　beginning；　that　we　wished　to　trust　very

much　to　the　discretion　of　the　Students　themselves　for　their　own

government。　　With　about　four　fifths　of　them；　this　did　well；　but　there

were　about　15。　or　20。　bad　subjects　who　were　disposed　to　try　whether

our　indulgence　was　without　limit。　　Hence　the　licentious　transaction

of　which　I　gave　an　account　to　Mr。　Coolidge。　　But　when　the　whole　mass

saw　the　serious　way　in　which　that　experiment　was　met；　the　Faculty　of

Professors　assembled；　the　Board　of　Visitors　coming　forward　in　support

of　that　authority；　a　grand　jury　taking　up　the　subject；　four　of　the

most　guilty　expelled；　the　rest　reprimanded；　severer　laws　enacted；　and

a　rigorous　execution　of　them　declared　in　future；　it　gave　them　a　shock

and　struck　a　terror；　the　most　severe；　as　it　was　less　expected。　　It

determined　the　well　disposed　among　them　to　frown　upon　every　thing　of

the　kind　hereafter；　and　the　ill…disposed　returned　to　order　from　fear

if　not　from　better　motives。　　A　perfect　subordination　has　succeeded；

entire　respect　towards　the　Professors；　and　industry；　order；　and　quiet

the　most　exemplary；　has　prevailed　ever　since。　　Every　one　is　sensible

of　the　strength　which　the　institution　has　derived　from　what　appeared

at　first　to　threaten　it's　foundation。　　We　have　no　further　fear　of　any

thing　of　the　kind　from　the　present　set。　　But　as　at　the　next　term

their　numbers　will　be　more　than　doubled　by　the　accession　of　an

additional　band；　as　unbroken　as　these　were；　we　mean　to　be　prepared；

and　to　ask　of　the　legislature　a　power　to　call　in　the　civil　authority

in　the　first　instant　of　disorder；　and　to　quell　it　on　the　spot　by

imprisonment　and　the　same　legal　coercions；　provided　against　disorder

generally；　committed　by　other　citizens；　from　whom；　at　their　age；　they

have　no　right　to　distinction。




　　　　　　　　We　have　heard　of　the　loss　of　your　baggage；　with　the　vessel

carrying　it；　and　sincerely　condole　with　you　on　it。　　It　is　not　to　be

estimated　by　it's　pecuniary　value；　but　by　that　it　held　in　your

affections。　　The　documents　of　your　childhood；　your　letters；

correspondencies；　notes；　books；　&c。；　&c。；　all　gone！　　And　your　life

cut　in　two；　as　it　were；　and　a　new　one　to　begin；　without　any　records

of　the　former。　　John　Hemmings　was　the　first　who　brought　me　the　news。

He　had　caught　it　accidentally　from　those　who　first　read　the　letter

from　Col。　Peyton　announcing　it。　　He　was　au　desespoir！　　That　beautiful

writing　desk　he　had　taken　so　much　pains　to　make　for　you！　　Everything

else　seemed　as　nothing　in　his　eye；　and　that　loss　was　everything。

Virgil　could　not　have　been　more　afflicted　had　his　Aeneid　fallen　a

prey　to　the　flames。　　I　asked　him　if　he　could　not　replace　it　by　making

another？　　No。　　His　eyesight　had　failed　him　too　much；　and　his

recollection　of　it　was　too　imperfect。　　It　has　occurred　to　me　however；

that　I　can　replace　it；　not；　indeed；　to　you；　but　to　Mr。　Coolidge；　by　a

substitute；　not　claiming　the　same　value　from　it's　decorations；　but

from　the　part　it　has　_borne_　in　our　history　and　the　events　with　which

it　has　been　associated。　　I　recieved　a　letter　from　a　friend　in

Philadelphia　lately；　asking　information　of　the　house；　and　room　of　the

house　there；　in　which　the　Declaration　of　Independence　was　written；

with　a　view　to　future　celebrations　of　the　4th。　of　July　in　it；

another；　enquiring　whether　a　paper　given　to　the　Philosophical　society

there；　as　a　rough　draught　of　that　Declaration　was　genuinely　so？　　A

society　is　formed　there　lately　for　an　annual　celebration　of　the

advent　of　Penn　to　that　place。　　It　was　held　in　his　antient　Mansion；

and　the　chair　in　which　he　actually　sat　when　at　his　writing　table　was

presented　by　a　lady　owning　it；　and　was　occupied　by　the　president　of

the　celebration。　　Two　other　chairs　were　given　them；　made　of　the　elm；

under　the　shade　of　which　Penn　had　made　his　first　treaty　with　the

Indians。　　If　then　things　acquire　a　superstitious　value　because　of

their　connection　with　particular　persons；　surely　a　connection　with

the　great　Charter　of　our　Independence　may　give　a　value　to　what　has

been　associated　with　that；　and　such　was　the　idea　of　the　enquirers

after　the　room　in　which　it　was　written。　　Now　I　happen　still　to

possess　the　writing…box　on　which　it　was　written。　　It　was　made　from　a

drawing　of　my　own；　by　Ben。　Randall；　a　cabinet　maker　in　whose　house　I

took　my　first　lodgings　on　my　arrival　in　Philadelphia　in　May　1776。

And　I　have　used　it　ever　since。　　It　claims　no　merit　of　particular

beauty。　　It　is　plain；　neat；　convenient；　and；　taking