tion? Let us hope that juster ideas will hereafter prevail.

It may seem superfluous to make any mention of cases of parties to whom I had letters. Yet there are two or three which I wish to notice, as they serve to throw light on the American cha

racter.

On presenting a letter to a merchant in Baltimore, he gave me as soon as he had read it, a welcome shake of the hand and an invitation to dinner. I met at his table an Episcopal clergyman whose company was very pleasant to me. He was a young man of enquiring mind, and as ready to answer questions as to put them. After dinner, the gentleman's sons walked with me to different objects of curiosity in the city. We walked to the Washington Monument and ascended it, to the Jail, and to other buildings whose names I have forgotten. During my stay in the city, which was several weeks, I continued from time to time to receive proofs of their kind attention. The merchant's wife conversed with me a great deal about America, of which she was desirous I should form a correct opinion. Whether I have done so or not, it is right to state that it was her arguments and kind behaviour which first made me heartily attached to the country; for though I had before formed a

favourable opinion, I still retained some of my English prejudices.

I called to deliver a letter to a schoolmaster, whose house was in a part of Virginia remote from the high roads. Before I got to the door he came out to welcome me, though he had never seen me previously, and knew nothing of my having an introductory letter. I remained half a day with him, during which he was very attentive to me. His son, a young man about twenty-two years of age, seemed very partial to polite literature. His company was particularly acceptable to me, as our conversation turned on topics which are too seldom introduced in American families. I examined several of the boys as to their progress in learning, and found it in a fair state. The worthy schoolmaster was so kind, as to invite me to stay a week with him. Instances like this are not uncommon in the remote parts of the country, where they seldom see foreigners; and I fear that their liberality is sometimes taken advantage of, by persons remaining longer than is agreeable.

A Physician at Petersburg in Virginia introduced me to some very intelligent company. He had received his education in Edinburgh,

and when I was giving him an account of its present state, he begged me to desist, as he was afraid that his interest would be so much excited as to make him wish to return to it. He held a long argument with me on the cause of the variety of colour in the human species, a subject, which, reasoning on the assumption of the truth of the Mosaic account of the creation, is exceedingly puzzling. I do not know that either convinced the other, but we were quite interested in the discussion. At his house, a number of young ladies meet weekly as a benevolent society. I was admitted into the room where they were sitting at work with their needles and thread, and had some lively chat with them. It was an interesting scene to observe so many devote their time to the benefit of the poor. The Doctor's sensible conversation and his warm-heartedness made my visit to him one of the pleasantest I paid in America. With several of the clergy at Washington both Episcopalian and Presbyterian,

I

spent some improving hours. Three or four of the members of Congress to whom also I had letters, were ready to give me information and assistance. In fine, the hospitality shown to me was joined to so much more devotedness of attention than I had any reason to expect, that my heart was thoroughly warmed. America is certainly the land of kind dispositions.

CHAPTER XI.

POLITENESS.

IN the preceding chapter there are various instances of politeness; and yet I doubt whether the Americans can properly be called a polite people. The first class are indeed very polite; but the middling and lower classes, though not rude as some have asserted, are deficient in that sort of minute observance of respectful address so conspicuous in the French. I suspect that those travellers who have complained of the rudeness of the Americans, must have demeaned themselves in an arrogant or otherwise unpleasant manner; for the instances of rudeness that I met with were so rare, and those of civility so general, that the former must in all fairness be regarded as exceptions to the general rule. My object in the present chapter is to exhibit the politeness of the upper class. This object will I think be best attained by a few particulars. As there is not in America any considerable body of persons living independent of business, and constituting an order of gentry, I include in the upper class, merchants, lawyers, and clergymen, with all those of whatever pro

fession whose property or education gives them influence in their respective neighbourhoods.

On entering the Senate of the Pennsylvanian Assembly, one of the members with whom I had had some previous conversation, came as soon as he observed me, and invited me to a seat below the bar; an act of courtesy to a stranger that I could not but admire. In the lower house, I had a similar invitation. One of the members who lodged at a private house, introduced me to the family, with whom I spent an evening. The Judge of the county court, who was in the town in the exercise of his functions, took me into the State record-chamber, and showed me the original charter granted by Charles II. to Penn for forming the colony; and on my visiting the court where he presided, he requested me to take a seat at the counsellors' table. Several of the members of Assembly who were at the tavern where I stopped, were of very gentlemanly behaviour. Their politeness to me will not soon be forgotten.

When at Providence in Rhode Island, I walked to Brown's University, and enquiring of one of the students if there was any thing worth the notice of a stranger, he conducted me to his