University of Virginia Library

82. A Tutor and his Pupils
BY PHILIP FITHIAN(1773-1774)[253]

Monday, November 1. We began school. The school consists of eight. Two of Mr. Carters sons, one nephew, and five daughters. The eldest son is reading Sallust; grammatical exercises, and Latin grammar. The second son is reading English grammar, and reading English writing, and ciphering in subtraction. The nephew is reading and writing as above; and ciphering in reduction. The eldest daughter is reading the Spectator, writing, and beginning to cipher. The second is reading now out of the spelling-book, and beginning to write. The next is reading in the spelling-book. The fourth is spelling in the beginning of the spelling-book. And the last is beginning her letters.

Thursday, November 25. Rode this morning to Richmond Courthouse, where two horses ran for a purse of 500 pounds: besides small bets almost innumerable. One of the horses belonged to Colonel John Tayloe, and is called Yorick; the other to Dr. Flood, and is called Gift. The Assembly was remarkably numerous; beyond my expectation and exceedingly polite in general.[254] The horses started precisely at five minutes after three; the course was

one mile in circumference, they performed the first round in two minutes, the third in two minutes and a half. Yorick came out the fifth time round about 40 rods ahead of Gift; both horses, when the riders dismounted proved very lame; they ran five miles, and carried 180 pounds.

Almost every lady wears a red cloak; and when they ride out they tie a red handkerchief over their head and face, so that when I first came into Virginia, I was distressed whenever I saw a lady, for I thought she had the toothache. The people are extremely hospitable, and very polite, both of which are most certainly universal characteristics of the gentlemen in Virginia. Some swear bitterly, but the practice seems to be generally disapproved. I have heard that this country is notorious for gaming; however that may be, I have not seen a pack of cards, nor a die, since I left home, nor gaming nor betting of any kind except at the Richmond-race. Almost every gentleman of condition, keeps a chariot and four; many drive with six horses. I observe that all the merchants and shopkeepers in the sphere of my acquaintance are young Scotchmen, several of whom I know. It has been the custom heretofore to have all their tutors, and schoolmasters from Scotland, tho' they begin to be willing to employ their own countrymen.

In the evening Ben Carter and myself had a long dispute on the practice of fighting. He thinks it best for two persons who have any dispute to go out in good-humour and fight manfully, and says that they will be sooner and longer friends than to brood and harbour malice. Mr. Carter is practicing this evening on the guitar. He has here at home a

harpsichord, forte-piano, harmonica, guitar, violin, and German flutes, and at Williamsburg, he has a good pipe organ.

In the morning so soon as it is light a boy knocks at my door to make a fire; after the fire is kindled, I rise which now in the winter is commonly by seven, or a little after. By the time I am drest the children commonly enter the school-room, which is under the room I sleep in; I hear them round one lesson, when the bell rings for eight o-clock (for Mr. Carter has a large good bell which may be heard some miles, and this is always rung at meal times ;) the children then go out; and at half after eight the bell rings for breakfast, we then repair to the dining-room; after breakfast, which is generally about half after nine, we go into school, and sit till twelve, when the bell rings, and they go out for noon; the dinner-bell rings commonly about half after two, often at three, but never before two. After dinner is over, which in common, when we have no company, is about half after three we go into school, and sit til the bell rings at five, when they separate til the next morning. We go into supper commonly about half after eight or at nine and I usually go to bed between ten and eleven.

Saturday, December 18. After breakfast, we all retired into the dancing room, and after the scholars had their lesson singly round Mr. Christian, very politely, requested me to step a minuet; I excused myself, however, but signified my peculiar pleasure in the accuracy of their performance. There were several minuets danced with great ease and propriety; after which the whole company joined in country-dances, and it was indeed beautiful to admiration, to see such a number of young persons, set off by dress

to the best advantage, moving easily, to the sound of well performed music, and with perfect regularity,

IN A LIBRARY.

[Description: Black and white illustration of a home library: four men look at maps; one holds a pair of compasses; a globe and books litter the floor.]

tho' apparently in the utmost disorder. The dance continued till two, we dined at half after three. Soon after dinner we repaired to the dancing-room again; I observe in the course of the lessons, that Mr. Christian is punctual, and rigid in his discipline, so strict indeed that he struck two of the young Misses for a fault in the course of their performance, even in the presence of the mother of one of them! And he rebuked one of the young fellows so highly as to tell him he must alter his manner, which he had observed through the course of the dance, to be insolent, and wanton, or else absent himself from the school. I thought this a sharp reproof to a young gentleman of seventeen, before a large number of ladies! Nothing is now to be heard of in conversation, but the balls, the fox-hunts, the fine entertainments, and the good fellowship, which are to be exhibited at the approaching Christmas. Mr. Goodlet was barred out of his school last Monday by his scholars, for Christmas holidays, which are to continue till twelfth-day; but my scholars are of a more quiet nature, and have consented to have four or five days now, and to have their full holiday in May next, when I propose by the permission of Providence to go home, where I hope to see the good and benevolent Laura.

When the candles were lighted, we all repaired, for the last time, into the dancing-room; first each couple danced a minuet; then all joined as before in the country dances, these continued till half after seven when at the proposal of several, we played Button, to get pawns for redemption; here I could join with them, and indeed it was carried on with sprightliness, and decency; in the course of redeeming my pawns I had several kisses of the ladies! Half after eight we were rung in to supper. The room looked luminous and splendid; four very large candles burning on

the table where we supped; three others in different parts of the room; a gay, sociable assembly, and four well instructed waiters! So soon as we rose from supper, the company formed into a semicircle round the fire, and Mr. Lee, by the voice of the Company was chosen Pope, and the rest of the company were appointed Friars, in the Play called "Break the Pope's Neck." Here we had great diversion in the respective judgments upon offenders, but we were all dismissed by ten, and retired to our several rooms.

Saturday, December 25. I was waked this morning by guns fired all round the house. The morning is stormy, the wind at south east and it rains hard. Nelson the boy who makes my fire, blacks my shoes, does errands, &c. was early in my room. He made me a vast fire, blacked my shoes, set my room in order, and wished me a joyful Christmas, for which I gave him half a bit.[255] Soon after he left the room and before I was drest, the fellow who makes the fire in our school room, dressed very neatly in green, but almost drunk, entered my chamber with three or four profound bows, and made me the same salutation; I gave him a bit, and dismissed him as soon as possible. Soon after my clothes and linen were sent in with a message for a Christmas box, as they call it; I sent the poor slave a hit, and my thanks. I was obliged for want of small change, to put off for some days the barber who shaves and dresses me.

There were at table Mrs. Carter and her five daughters that are at school with me Miss Priscilla, Nancy, Fanny, Betsy, and Harriot, five as beautiful delicate, well-instructed children as I have ever known! Ben is abroad; Bob and Harry are out.

Ben, the eldest, is a youth of genius: of warm impetuous disposition; desirous of acquiring knowledge, docile, vastly inquisitive and curious in mercantile, and mechanical matters, very fond of horses and takes great pleasure in exercising them.

Bob, the other brother, is by no means destitute of capacity. He is extremely volatile and unsettled in his temper, which makes it almost wholly impossible to fix him for any time to the same thing, on which account he has made but very little advancement in any one branch of study, and this is attributed to barrenness of genius. He is slovenly, clumsy, very fond of shooting, of dogs, and of horses, but a very stiff rider, good natured, pleased with the society of persons much below his family, and estate and tho' quick and wrathful in his temper, yet he is soon moderated, and easily subdued.

Harry, the nephew, is rather sullen in his make. He is obstinate, tho' steady, and makes a slow uniform advance in his learning, he is vastly kind to me, but in particular to my horse.

Miss Priscilla, the eldest daughter, about 16 years old, is steady, studious, docile, quick of apprehension, and makes good progress in what she undertakes; she is small of her age, has a mild winning presence, a sweet obliging temper, never swears, which is here a distinguished virtue, dances finely, plays well on keyed instruments, and is on the whole in the first class of the female sex.

Nancy, the second, is not without some few of those qualities which are by some (I think with great ill-nature, and with little or no truth) said to belong intirely to the fair sex. I mean great curiosity, eagerness for superiority, and or in friendship, but

bitterness and rage where there is enmity. She is not constant in her disposition, nor diligent nor attentive to her business. But she has her excellencies; she is cheerful, tender in her temper, easily

SCHOOL DAYS.

[Description: Black and white illustration of a man in a chair with a boy on his lap: the boy holds a horn book (a kind of tablet) with the alphabet on it, to which he is pointing. The boy is learning the alphabet.]

managed by perswasion, and is never without what seems to have been a common gift of Heaven to the fair-sex, readiness of expression!

Fanny, the next, is in her person, according to my judgment the flower of the family. She has a strong resemblance to her Mamma, who is an elegant, beautiful woman. Miss Fanny seems to have a remarkable

sedateness, and simplicity in her countenance, which is always rather cheerful than melancholy; she has nothing with which we can find fault in her person, but has something in the features of her face which insensibly pleases us, and always when she is in sight draws our attention, and much the more because there seems to be for every agreeable feature a corresponding action which improves and adorns it.

Betsy, the next, is young, quiet, and obedient.

Harriet is bold, fearless, noisy and lawless; always merry, almost never displeased; she seems to have a heart easily moved by the force of music; she has learned many tunes and can strike any note, or succession of notes perfectly with the flute or harpsichord, and is never wearied with the sound of music either vocal or instrumental.

These are the persons who are at present under my direction, and whose general character I have very imperfectly attempted to describe.