University of Virginia Library

XVIII. The Mission to England, Continued

Gilmer stopped with Key in London, and through
Key, he was brought into communication by letter with
George Long, then about twenty-four years of age, a
fellow of Trinity. To Long, he made precisely the
same general offer which he had submitted to Key.
Long's reply was at once that of a scholar and a man
of business: it was sensible, candid, and straight-forward.
The peculiar circumstances of his situation, he began,
induced him to throw off all reserve. He had lost both
his father and mother, and also a considerable property
in the West Indies, which he had relied upon to yield him
an easy and permanent income. Upon his exertions were
almost entirely dependent two younger sisters and a
brother under age. He had been studying privately to
become a member of the bar, with the expectation that it
would afford a subsistence for these relations, as well as
gratify his ambition to rise in the world. "Did that

part of America, in which the University of Virginia was
situated," he inquired, "open up the prospect of his family
obtaining a satisfactory asylum there? Were newcomers
there liable to be carried off by a dangerous epidemic
disorder? Were common articles of food, apparel,
and furniture cheap there? Was the scheme
of the University a permanent or experimental one?
Would the fixed fee of fifteen hundred dollars possess any
chance of doubling when the institution got fully underway?
Was the society of Albemarle or Charlottesville
so good as to compensate an Englishman, in some degree,
for the only comfort which an Englishman would hesitate
to leave behind him? What vacation would the
professors be granted, and at what seasons? What
would be the costs of the voyage, and who would defray
them? What sort of outfit for it would be required?"

Such were some of the pertinent questions put by Long.
"I have no attachment to England as a country," he concluded;
"it is a delightful place for a man of rank and
property to live in, but I was not born in that enviable
station. ... If comfortably settled, therefore, in America,
I would never wish to leave it." Gilmer replied at
length to this letter; and one week afterwards, Long,
who had, in the meanwhile, consulted Adam Hodgson, a
merchant of Liverpool familiar with Virginia, accepted
the original offer.

In reporting Long's acceptance to Jefferson, Gilmer
stated that there were two objections to him: (1) he
made no pretension to knowledge of Hebrew; but as this
study was little esteemed in England, it would require a
search that would extend over at least another year, to
discover a competent man for the chair of ancient languages,
should instruction in the Hebrew tongue be pronounced
indispensable: (2) as an alumnus of Trinity

would be necessary for Long to return to that college in
July, 1825, to stand the examinations for his mastership
of arts, the condition of his retaining his fellowship.
Both of these obstacles to his appointment could be easily
surmounted,—the one by leaving him, after his arrival in
Virginia, to acquire the requisite acquaintance with
Hebrew; the other, by giving him permission to be present
at Cambridge at the time that had been assigned.
In accepting the chair of ancient languages, Long stated
that "he took it for granted that the professors were
not compelled to subscribe to any particular religious
principles, or aid in propagation of any doctrine or speculative
tenets, about which sects differ." "Allay your
fears, I pray about religion," replied Gilmer. "Far
from requiring uniformity, we scrupulously avoid having
clergymen of any sort connected with the University, not
because we have no religion, but because we have too
many kinds. All that we shall require of each professor
is that he shall say nothing about the doctrines which
divide the sects."

When Gilmer submitted his original offer to Long, he
also, by way of precaution, wrote to Rev. Henry Drury,
of Harrow, soliciting his assistance towards filling the
chair of ancient languages, should Long be unable to
accept it. It will be seen from this that a clergyman's
aid was not despised by him, but no offer of a minister
of the Gospel to become a professor was seriously considered.
On September 15, he wrote to Jefferson that
he was in a position to engage the services of another
most competent man for the ancient languages, but as
he was a clergyman, he had turned his name down as ineligible.
This was probably the person whom the headmaster
of Shrewsbury School, Samuel Butler, afterwards
Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry, had recommended; or

it may have been the brother of the Rev. Henry Drury
himself, also a clergyman, who was warmly urged by the
Rev. Henry for the chair, although he was honest enough,
at the same time, to acknowledge that the Rev. Benjamin's
principal reason for wishing to emigrate was that
he was up to his neck in a slough of irremediable pecuniary
embarrassments.

By the time Long's consent had been obtained, Key
had also agreed to accept the chair of mathematics.
Both Key and Long, it seems, noticed the disparity between
the offer submitted to them in Gilmer's letters,
and the one actually embodied in the contract which they
were asked to sign. They raised the objection now,
they said, so that there should be no room for dispute
after their arrival in Virginia. "There is no doubt,"
wrote Key on September 27, "that I shall receive a
salary of fifteen hundred dollars for the five years, independent
of the fees. This is stated in both of your
letters, but you wish virtually to reserve to the Visitors
the power of diminishing this under certain conditions
and limitations. I grant that this power is not to be enforced
except at discretion, and for good reasons appearing
to the Rector and Visitors. But it is still a power
in their hand, which may be employed at their sober
discretion, and independent of us. Now the limitation
you put to the power of the Visitors is to restrain them
from diminishing the fixed salary unless the whole receipts
exceed twenty-five hundred dollars. But if the
receipts will never be less than four thousand, and the
Visitors have the power of diminishing the salary as soon
as the whole receipts exceed twenty-five hundred dollars,
is this not giving them an unconditional power of diminishing
the salary? Ought not the limit to be at the very
least forty-five hundred dollars. ... I have just written

to Liverpool to take my place with the packet that leaves
that port on (October) 16th."

The last sentence is a proof that Key had no intention
of withdrawing from the engagement because of a supposed
contradiction in the terms of the contract. Before
this letter was written, Gilmer had been employed in the
search for incumbents for the other professorships. "I
have had more persons recommended for anatomy," he
wrote Jefferson in August, "than for any other place,
but immediately they find they will not be allowed to practise
medicine abroad, they decline proceeding further."
This difficulty, however, was finally overcome with the
experienced assistance of Dr. George Birkbeck, the
founder in Glasgow of the first Mechanics Institute, afterwards
a prominent physician in London, and during
many years, interested in the progress of popular education.
Birkbeck suggested the name of Robley
Dunglison, widely known already as a writer on medical
topics. He accepted the anatomical professorship on
September 5. On the same day, Gilmer visited Woolwich
to talk in person with Peter Barlow, then an instructor
in the Royal Military Academy, a member of the Royal
Society, and a celebrated investigator in magnetism and
optics. Barlow was absent; but afterwards by letter,
readily agreed to assist him, and as the first step, promised
to write to the son of a distinguished mathematical
professor, whose name, however, he withheld. This
person was undoubtedly Charles Bonnycastle, the son of
John, who had filled the chair of mathematics at Woolwich
with conspicuous ability and learning. As Bonnycastle
was not in England at that time, for he was in
the employment of the Government, Barlow wrote also
to George Harvey, of Plymouth. But Bonnycastle was
finally selected.

It seems that he had given bond for about five hundred
pounds to the British Government, and this he forfeited
when he accepted Gilmer's offer. He expected to cancel
the obligation by an advance from the University, and
there occurred some misunderstanding on this score between
Gilmer and himself. Gilmer admitted in April,
1826, in a letter to Jefferson, that he had been compelled
"to take Bonnycastle more on trust than the others,"
as he was anxious to close all engagements in time to
get the professors overseas by November. He was under
the impression that he had made no promise, in the
University's name, to relieve Bonnycastle's sureties,
but he declared that, should the Board of Visitors be
unwilling to advance the amount, he would do so out
of his own pocket. The money was, in the end, paid by
the University in full. There was a somewhat furtive reflection
on this professor's capacity in a letter which Gilmer
received in January, 1825, from George Marx, the
member of the banking firm which had honored his letters
of credit in London: "I do not know whether it is
my duty to tell you in strict confidence," he wrote, "that
some opinion has been given me that Mr. Bonnycastle
is not adequate to his situation." The conspicuous efficiency
afterwards exhibited by him at the University of
Virginia is a tacit refutation of this innuendo launched
by some unknown and hostile tongue. "The son," said
Dr. Birkbeck, "I am persuaded, will extend the fame of
the parent. Had I entertained the slightest idea of his
being in your reach, he would have been the first recommended."

By the nineteenth of September, Gilmer was in a position
to report that he had succeeded in engaging four of
the five professors sought for. It had been his expectation
that he would certainly be able to embark for home

at an earlier date, but, said he, "At this season of the
year, no man in England is where he ought to be, except
perhaps those of the Fleet and of Newgate. Every little
country school-master, who never saw a town, is
gone, as they say, to the country; that is to Scotland, to
shoot grouse, to Doncaster to see a race, or to Cheltenham
to dose himself with that vile water. With all these
difficulties, and not without assistance, but with numerous
enemies to one's success (as every Yankee in England is),
I have done wonders. I have employed four professors
of the most respectable families, of real talent,
learning, etc., a fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge,
and a M.A. of the same University. Then, they are
gentlemen, and what should not be overlooked, they all
go to Virginia with the most favorable prepossessions
towards our country. If learning does not raise its
drooping head, it shall not be my fault. For myself, I
shall return to the bar with recruited health and redoubled
vigor. I shall study and work and speak and do
something at last that shall redound to the honor of
my country. My intercourse with professional and literary
men here has fired again all my boyish enthusiasm,
and I pant to be back and at work. Virginia must still
be a great nation. She has genius enough; she wants only
method in her application."

It only remained to procure a professor of natural history.
By the advice of Dr. Birkbeck, Gilmer wrote to
Dr. John Harwood,—at this time delivering a series of
lectures in Manchester,—who, in his reply, on September
20, expressed regret that his engagements with the
Royal Institution made it impracticable for him to consider
the offer before the ensuing May. In the meanwhile,
he intimated, his brother William Harwood, who
had given instruction in natural history, might take the

place as a temporary stop-gap, or as the permanent incumbent,
should it not be convenient for himself to leave
England in the spring. A few days later, however, Dr.
Harwood stated that there was an acquaintance of his in
Bristol,—whose name he failed to mention,—who was
well fitted by his attainments to assume the chair. This
proved to be Frederick Norton. On the same occasion,
he again recommended his brother William, who supported
his claim in a letter over his own signature. "I
confess," he wrote, "that I shall have much pleasure in
accepting the appointment provided that my qualifications
may meet your approval. I have been long devoting
myself to the study of natural history, but more especially
to the branch, geology. I am not so familiar with natural
history, but I flatter myself with a pretty good acquaintance
with chemistry."

Dr. John Harwood, in a letter which Gilmer received
just before his departure from England, again revealed
his desire that his brother should act as his stop-gap;
and so anxious was William Harwood to assume this
part, that he crossed to the Isle of Wight to talk with
Gilmer in person on shipboard, only to be informed that
it was too late for a written agreement to be drawn and
signed; but he was advised to run the risk of going out to
Virginia without a contract. To this suggestion, he very
sensibly demurred. Frederick Norton arrived on the
ground a few hours after the ship had set sail (October
5).

During the last week of his sojourn in England, Gilmer's
time had not been altogether taken up with the
pursuits of possible candidates for University professorships.
Among the distinguished persons whom he met
in general society was Thomas Campbell, who was interested
in America from the association of at least one of

his poems with its scenery, and also from the presence of
a brother there. Campbell was prevented from entertaining
him at his own home by the mental condition of
his son. Gilmer, on several occasions, dined with Major
John Cartwright, the author of a laborious disquisition
on the English Constitution, and a man of radical leanings,
as proven by his sympathy with American and
Spanish rebels, and by his advocacy of the reform of Parliament
and abolition of slavery. He, like Dr. Parr, was
more interested in suggesting a list of editions to be
bought for the University library, than in proposing the
names of possible professors. Dugald Stewart had been
paralyzed in 1822, but he expressed the hope, in a letter
dictated to his daughter, that Gilmer would sail from a
Scotch port, as this would give the infirm old philosopher
the opportunity to make his acquaintance. "I am
sorry," he said, "to think that my good wishes are all
I have to offer for his (Mr. Jefferson's) infant establishment."
Dr. Parr was so much pleased with the young
Virginian that he promised to "marry him in England
without requiring the payment of a fee." In a letter to
Gilmer only a few days before he embarked, he said,
"To Mr. Jefferson present, not only my good wishes,
but the tribute of my respect and my confidence. I shall
write of him what Dr. Young said of Johnson's Rasselas,
'It was a globe of sense.' I use the same word with the
same approbation of Mr. Jefferson's letter to me."

Gilmer, while in London, spent some of his leisure
hours in Lambeth Palace Library, and became so much
interested in the manuscript of John Smith's History of
Virginia preserved there, that he had a copy of it written
out for publication in the United States.

During his voyage to New York, he was entirely prostrated
by seasickness, and in this unhappy condition, fell

into a raging and devouring fever aggravated by want of
medicine, food, rest and attendance. "I am reduced to
a shadow," he said, "and am disordered throughout my
whole system." A carbuncle appeared on his left side and
as the ship-doctor was too incompetent to lance it, he
himself was forced to lay open the angry lump with a pair
of scissors and with his own hands. "We had no caustic
and had to apply bluestone, which was nearly the same
sort of dressing as the burning pitch to the bare nerves
of Ravillac. All the way, I repeated,
Such is the martyrdom I have endured for the Old Dominion!
She will never thank me for it, but I will love
and cherish her as if she did." After his arrival in New
York, he was detained by illness during several weeks,
but, as will hereafter appear, he was, in spite of his
feeble condition, ardently interested in engaging a professor
for the vacant chair of natural history, the only
chair which he had been compelled to leave still unprovided
for when he set out from England.