ance. The inhabitants, however, are respectable, | happy to state, that it is one of renovation and great and have a measure of refinement not frequently promise. All the professors saw and felt the evil met with in towns of this class; but literature has which had come over this noble institution, and a tendency to humanize and refine all things where threatened its destruction; and generally they agreed it comes. The only deduction on this impression in the remedy. They adopted a decided and vi is, that the stocks and the pillory stand in the court-gorous system of discipline; they honored the name yard, as a means of correction for the poor blacks. and institutions of religion; they subscribed at their The religious character of this place is too re- own expense to support ministers, who should, in markable to be unnoticed. It will be understood turn, conduct public worship within the University, that the University was promoted chiefly by Jef- and are now raising a subscription to build a church ferson, and on avowedly skeptical and infidel prin- for this very purpose. The consequence is, that ciples. This gave the character to the town. It order is restored, and with it public confidence; had no religious means; and the evil was increased and youth of respectable and pious connections are from time to time, by the settlement of such persons flocking to it from the surrounding States. The only as were at least indifferent to means which it professorships are again sought by men of the first did not supply. This was the state of things till attainment; and it is likely to do honor to the extwenty-five years since, when a lady was brought, pectations of an aspiring people. It is now an exby her husband's engagements at the University, to periment in favor of education, still conducted on reside in the town. She was a person of piety, and liberal principles, but with religious sanctions; and of course lamented greatly the moral and spiritual if it is steadily sustained, with a fixed regard to condition of the people. What she lamented, she this issue, it will succeed! sought to remove. She determined to commence, in her own house, a Sabbath school, for the religious instruction of the young. She persevered through many difficulties, and found reward in her work. The influence of her benevolent exertions, as well as of her excellent character, touched her husband: and he learned to honor the religion he had thoughtlessly despised. Strengthened by his concurrence, she proposed that their dwelling should be opened once on the Sabbath for divine worship, that the people might have some opportunity of separating that day from their common time. The work of faith and love was crowned with success. Various ministers gave their services; and the people attended, listened, were impressed, and converted from worldliness and ungodliness. There are now, in this town, of about 1,000 in population, four places of worship-Presbyterian, Episcopalian, Baptist, and Methodist. Upwards of 600 persons habitually attend them, and there are about 150 children in the Sabbath schools. The excellent lady who made the first movement in this change, still lives-a mother in Israel; and the contrast of the former with the present times, in the history of this community, must often supply her with pleasant and grateful recollections.

From the town let us make a transition to the University. It was the favorite object of Jefferson. He gave it great pains, and was disposed to rest his reputation with posterity upon it. So far as morality and religion were concerned, his intention was to found it, not merely on liberal, but on infidel principles. His opinions had been mostly formed in the French school of that day; and into his views of education, there entered something of the acuteness and malignity of Voltaire, with a portion of the speciousness and extravagance of Rousseau. This was styled philosophy; and this philosophy was to govern the establishment, or rather, it was to give the youths license to govern themselves. They were to bow to no authority; they were to be controlled by no law, but were to be left to their own honor as a sufficient principle of action. The fact was, however, that when the young men were fairly left to their honor, their honor left them. Disorder, dissipation, and folly, became predominant. The better class of pupils was withdrawn. The professors took disgust, and looked around them for stations where order and conscience were still regarded; and the whole frame of this University was threatened with dissolution. So far, then, as this was an experiment in favor of infidelity, like every other experiment, it has failed completely failed.

What, then, you are ready to ask, is its condition now? For the sake of the cause of letters, I am

The Rev. Mr. Bowman, Presbyterian minister of this place, though unwell, kindly attended me to the University, and introduced me to Professor Patteson. It was the vacation, and the professor regretted that most of the officers and pupils were away. He conducted me over the principal buildings, and took great and obliging pains to satisfy my inquiries. There is here an observatory, an excellent library, a good philosophical apparatus, and a rising collection of minerals.

Externally, the mass of erections have an imposing and grand effect, and they are much assisted to this by the ground which they occupy. With some slight variations since, the plan is wholly Jef ferson's. He gave it very deep and close attention; and obtained, by his extraordinary influence, large grants from the State in its favor. But these grants were not well applied, nor these pains skilfully directed. The erection, as a whole, will not endure the touch of rigid criticism. He saw that diversity of line, figure, and position, often contribute to striking effect, but he saw no more. The principal figure is the Rotunda; answering to its name, while every thing else is as square as square can be. It is a very high circular wall, built of red bricks, with a dome on its summit, and with windows perforated round it. It stands naked and alone at the head of the picture. Running down from this, on either hand, are the dwellings for the professors, and the lecture-rooms, forming two sides of a handsome area. They are detached erections, with large columns rising their whole height; and they are united by a colonnade running over the ground story, so that a line of columns, that is meant to be one to the eye, supplies you, at intervals, with pillars fifteen and thirty feet high! The accommodations for the pupils are in the background, and are not meant to appear in the principal scene. Jefferson was proud of his success as an architect; so proud that, notwithstanding the glare of his red bricks, and of a scorching sun, he would not allow any trees to be planted, lest they should hide the work of his hands! Now that he s gone, the young trees are appearing; and, ungrateful as he was, are beginning to screen his defects, and to give a grace and a keeping to the scene which gratifies the eye, and harmonizes with the quiet pursuits of the place.

In quitting the University, let me, while I have spoken freely of Jefferson, do him justice in this particular. He was not an architect, and, unhappily, he was not a Christian; but he was a great man, and he sought with much pains to confer honor and benefit on his country, by the establishment of a great literary institution. When the evils of his system shall have been removed, his name wil

still be identified with it, and will command the respect of his countrymen.

On the same day I had to leave, by the stage, for Richmond. We had a fair night's rest at a comfortable inn on our way. The following morning we broke down, and were detained some hours without breakfast. Delay was also promoted by the heat of the season; this line of coaches had six horses fall and expire on the road during the week. It was late in the day, therefore, before we arrived at the capital.

will symbolize. They had a church here erected by them jointly, for a common act of worship; and the peculiarity of each party was attempted to be shown by the following inscription, that the public might not doubt the equality of the partnership:ERECTED IN 1831,

AND
DEDICATED

TO THE ONE GOD, AND TO JESUS CHRIST,

THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD.

Richmond is a fine city, with a population of Richmond, however, is still the great mart of about 15,000 persons. It has a commanding situa- slavery; and the interests of morality and religion tion on the margin of the James river, from which suffer from this cause. Several persons of the it rises on the slopes of two fine hills. The main greatest wealth, and therefore of the greatest constreet is wide, handsome, and indicative of business; sideration in the town, are known slave-dealers; and the retired streets are occupied by genteel and and their influence, in addition to the actual traffic, commodious residences, agreeably shaded and orna-is of course unfavorable. The sale of slaves is as mented by the althea, the honeysuckle, the locust, common, and produces as little sensation, as that the catalpa, the pride of China, and the Taheitan of cattle. It occurs in the main street, and before mulberry. The ride into the town, from Charlottes- the door of the party who is commissioned to make ville over the downs, is striking; and the distant view the sale. The following is an advertisement of across the river is not less so. The buildings and sale which appeared while I was there:streets are seen running up the sides of the hills, relieved and softened by the abundant and spreading foliage. The more important erections cluster round its summit; and on its head stands, above every thing, the State House, spreading its noble portico to the sun. Few spots can do more honor to a city.

I had designed to remain here over the Sabbath; but, on learning that a camp-meeting was about to be held on the Northern Neck, I resolved at once to move forward, as I might not find another opportunity. This left me only one clear day at Richmond; and I am indebted to many kind friends, especially to Mr. Burr, and the Rev. Mr. Taylor, for assisting me to make the best use of my time here.

This place, like Charlottesville, has undergone a great change in the last thirty years. At that time there were only one or two neglected Episcopal places of worship. The people were all given up to worldliness or infidelity. The influence of Jefferson was felt alsó here, and it was felt as a blight on all religious sentiment. Slavery had, however, done a greater mischief. Now there are thirteen places of worship, and 1,000 children in the Sabbath schools. The blacks are not allowed their own places of worship; and the Baptist and Methodist congregations are mostly composed of them. A number of Jews reside here. They are not persecuted, nor any way disqualified on account of their religious persuasion; and the consequence is, nat they forget their faith, intermarry, and are losing their personal distinctions.

I attended a prayer-meeting at the church, where my late esteemed friend and correspondent, Dr. Rice, labored successfully for many years. It was now without a pastor. The last minister, excellent as I know him to be, had pressed, in his great anxiety for usefulness, the subject of revivals too far; and it produced a re-action unfavorable to his comfort and continuance.

"By J. & S. COSEY & Co.

"TRUST SALE.

subscriber by Hiram Chiles, I shall proceed to sell
"By virtue of a deed of trust, executed to the
for cash, at the Auction Store of J. & S. Cosby &
Co., on Monday, the 4th of August next, the follow-
ing property, to wit:-Eliza, Henry, Nancy, Mo-
narchy, Tom, and Edward, and six feather-beds
and bedsteads, with furniture.
"JOSEPH MAYO, Trustee.

"J. & S. COSBY & Co., Auctioneers."

I had a desire to stay and witness this sale; but as I must have sacrificed the greater to the less in doing so, I kept by my determination to go forward.

I left, therefore, at two o'clock on the Friday for Fredericksburg. The road was flat and uninterest ing; the weather very hot, and we had to travel all night. Moreover the coach was quite full, and not supplied with the most agreeable company. One of them was proud of telling us that he was an unlucky dog, and had lost 20,000 dollars by bad debts. Another was exclaiming against the brutes who would not be accommodating in a coach, that he might engross the accommodation to himself. There was a young woman with us, of decent but independent habits, and they had pleasure in bantering her. She, however, was a match for them. They thought, in one instance, they had got the laugh against her; and she exclaimed, without confusion, and with much shrewdness, "I should like to know what you are laughing at, for then I could laugh too." They were very desirous of knowing what I was; and at length they proposed that they should guess what each one was, and whence, with the hope of getting round to me. The guessing went round till all were disposed of except me. I was prepared for the attack, but it was not made. They looked at each other, and at me, but no one ventur

ral of these, and of wind-storms, lately. One of them, near a spot I passed, must have been a tremendous hurricane. It tore down numerous buildings, prostrated the trees in its course, and killed sixteen or twenty persons.

I visited also, with interest, the mother church ofed on the question. the town. It is Episcopal, and supposed to be the In the morning a most heavy thunder-storm came oldest in Virginia. It is a copy of one of our vil-on, and attended us into the town. We had had sevelage churches, and is built of materials, and surrounded by a brick wall, which have been sent across from the father-land. Here is also what is called the Monumental Church; its portico is the sepulchre for nearly sixty persons, who perished in the conflagration of the theatre years since. By-theby, the theatre has never flourished here from that time; I saw the existing cne in circumstances promising pass out of existence shortly. Here also was a striking evidence of the readiness with which the dogmas of the Unitarian and the Universalist

So soon as the storm permitted, I made my way to the house of Mr. Wilson, the esteemed Preshyterian minister of this place. He occupies the house that the mother of Washington lived in, and her remains lie in the garden attached. Here a bed, and every other domestic accommodation, were im

that some person at the camp had been in Richmond when I was there, and had overheard me express an intention to go. This was enough to awaken attention; and I found that they had been expecting me daily; that the ministers had held an exercise of prayer, that my arrival might be an occasion of profit, and my judgment of their meeting without prejudice.

So soon as my kind friend had refreshed himself and his horse, we started again. We were now on the Northern Neck, an isthmus of various width, and some 150 miles long, which is separated from the mainland of Virginia by the Rappahannoc.We had twelve miles to travel, and chiefly through pine barrens; reaches of land that are so denominated, because they will only bear pine. The morning was bright and elastic; I had an interesting companion, and my expectations were raised with the prospects before me. As we advanced, the land undulated pleasantly, the soil improved, and other timber of loftier growth appeared. When evidently approaching the spot, my eye pierced through the forest in search of some indications. We got at last into less frequented paths; wound again and again round the clustering trees and opposing stumps, and then came to what I regarded as the signs of the object sought. There were, under some trees, pens for the safety of horses; then there were carriages of all descriptions, appearing with horses and oxen, secured and at rest, and occasionally a negro in attendance on them. Then you passed by a large log-house, which was erected for the time, to supply lodging and food to such as needed them. Now you saw, in several directions, the parts of cabins, made of the pine-tree, and of the same color, and only distinguished from it by the horizontal lines in which it ran; and presently you found yourself at the entrance of all you wished to

see.

There were in lines, intersected by the trees, a number of tents composed of log-wood, forming a quadrangle of about 180 feet. In the centre of the further line, in this square, there was a stand for the accommodation of the preachers, which would contain twelve or fourteen persons. Behind this were stems of trees laid down as seats for the negroes, running off in radiating lines, and closed by some tents for their use, and forming the segment of a circle. Before the stand, or pulpit, a rail was carried round the first five or six seats, which we called the altar; and seats, composed of tree-stems, filled up the centre of the square. Within, without, everywhere, the oak, the chestnut, and the fir appeared, and of finest growth; only those within the quadrangle were cleared of underwood, and trimmed up to aid the sight, so that they resembled the beautiful pillars of a cathedral; while their lofty heads, unpruned by the hand of man, united, and made a foliated ceiling, such as no cathedral could approach, and through which the blue sky and bright sun were glancing.

"

The singing to which I have referred, was followed by prayer and a sermon. The text was, If God spared not his own Son," &c.-The preacher was a plain man, and without education; and he had small regard either to logic or grammar. He had, however, as is common to such persons, an aspiration after high-sounding terms and sentiments, which stood in strange opposition to the general poverty and incorrectness of his expressions. The proposition, for instance, raised on his text was this: -That the gift of Christ to sinners is the thing set forth with most life, animation, and eloquence, of any thing in the world. Such a proposition, though badly propounded, was of course above such a man; but though what he said did but little for his proposition, it was said with earnestness and pious feeling, and it told on the plain and serious portions of his audience. He was followed by a brother of higher qualifications, who took up the close of his subject, and addressed it to the conscience with skill and effect. The exhortation was terminated by an invitation to come and take a seat within the altar. These seats were, when wanted, in other words, the anxious seats; two of them were cleared, and a suitable hymn was sung, that persons might have time to comply. Very few came; chiefly a mother with her boy, who had previously seemed to court notice. The lad had indulged in noisy crying and exclamation; he was in the hand of an indiscreet parent, and had not been sufficiently discouraged by the ministers. The exhortations, and then the singing, were renewed; but still with small effect, as to the use of the prepared seats; and so this service closed. Whatever may be the claims of the anxious seat, it was a hazardous experiment, where it was evident the previous services had produced no deep and controlling impres sion.

The afternoon service was very similar in arrangement and in effect. The text was, "Let the wicked man forsake his way," &c.; but the preacher certainly made a feeble use of a powerful passage. It was interrupted, too, by a noisy and intemperate man, who had found his way hither; yet it was followed by exhortation superior to itself, and an urgent appeal to the people to come forward and separate themselves. The results were not better than before. The only apology for thus pressing under unfavorable circumstances was, that the meetings had been heid now for three days; that the solemn services of the Sabbath had just passed over the people; and the worthy ministers were anxious for visible fruit, not only as arising from the present appeal, but from past impressions.

out ceasing.

These were the more public and regular services; but other engagements were always fulfilling. The ministers were invited by their friends to the several tents, to exhort, and sing, and pray, so that when they ceased in one place, they were renewed in another. And at all times those who liked to gather within the altar, and sing, were allowed to It was now the hour of morning worship. The do so; and as, when they were weary, others came pulpit was full; the seats were covered with wait-up and supplied their places, the singing was withing worshippers. I approached the stand; and was welcomed by the brethren. We rose, and united in a hymn of praise. I had never, in such circumstances, joined in offering such worship. I could scarcely tell what sensations possessed me. I hope I was not void of those which are devotional, but I was chiefly filled for the moment with those of wonder. When I looked round on the scene which had broken so suddenly upon me, every thing was so novel, so striking, and so interesting, as to appear like the work of enchantment, and to require time fully to realize.

But I must endeavor to give you some of the services in detail, as you will desire exact information.

What you cannot escape wearies you. The services had been long, and not very interesting; and still the singing was continued. After getting some refreshments with kind friends, I was glad to stroll away into the forest and ruminate on what I had seen and heard. Now that I had leisure to admire, it was a lovely evening. Through many a green alley I wandered; and often did I stop and gaze on those exquisite combinations of light, shade, and picture, which forest scenery supplies on a fair summer evening. In all my wanderings, the singing followed me, and was a clew to my return; but it now formed a pleasing accompaniment to my so