boundary of the tract between Thomp. fon Mafon and myfelf; thence with that line easterly (now double ditch. ing with a poft and rail fence thereon) to the run of Little Hunting Creek; thence with that run, which is the boundary between the lands of the late Humphrey Peake and me, to the tide water of the faid creek, thence by that water to Potomac River; thence with the river to the mouth of Dogue Creek; and thence with the faid Dogue Creek to the place of beginning at the aforefaid ford, containing upwards of four thousand acres, be the fame more or lefs, together with the manfion houfe, and all other buildings and improvements thereon.

Second-In confideration of the confanguinity between them and my wife, being as nearly related to her as to myself, as on account of the affection I had for, and the obligation I was under to their father, when living, who, from his youth, had at tached himself to my perfon, and followed my fortunes through the viciffitudes of the late revolution, after wards devoting his time to the fuperintendence of my private, concerns for many years, whilft my public employments rendered it impracticable to do it myself, thereby affording me effential fervices, and always performing them in a manner the moft filial and refpe&fal; for thefe reafons, I fay, I give and bequeath to George Fayette Washington, and Lawrence Auguftus Washington, and their heirs, my eftate Eaft of Little Hunting Creek, lying on the river Potomac, including the farm of three hundred and fixty acres, leafed to Tobias Lear, as noticed before, and containing in the whole, by deed, two thousand and twenty acres, be it more or lefs; which faid eftate it is my will and defire fhould be equitably and advantageously divided between them, according to quantity, quality, and other circumstances,

when the youngest fhall arrive at the age of twenty-one years, by three judicious and difinterefted men; one to be chofen by each of the brothers, and the third by thefe two. In the mean time, if the termination of my wife's intereft therein fhould have ceased, the profits arifing there from are to be applied for their joint ufes and benefit.

Third-And whereas it has always been my intention, fince my expec tation of having iffue has ceased, to confider the grand-children of my wife in the fame light as I do my own relations, and to act a friendly part by them, more efpecially by the two whom we have raised from their earliest infancy, namely, Eleanor Park Cuftis, and Geo. Washington Park Cuftis. And whereas the former of thefe hath lately intermarried with Lawrence Lewis, a fon of my deceafed fifter, Betty Lewis, by which union the inducement to provide for them has been increased:Wherefore I give and bequeath to the faid Lawrence Lewis and Eleañor Park Lewis, his wife, and their heirs, the refidue of my Mount Vernon eftate, not already devifed to my nephew, Bushrod Washington, comprehended within the following defcription, viz. All the lands north of the road leading from the ford of Dogue Run to the Gum Spring, as defcribed in the devife of the other part of the tract, to Bufarod Wafhington, until it comes to the Stone and three Red or Spanish Oaks on the knowl, thence with the rectan gular line to the back line (between Mr Mafon and me); thence with that line wefterly along the new double ditch to Dogue Run, by the tumbling dam of my mill; thence with the faid run to the ford aforementioned, to which I add all the land I poffefs Weft of the faid Dogue Run and Dogue Creek, bounded Eafterly and Southerly thereby; together with the mill, diftillery, and all other

houfes

houfes and improvements on the premifes, making together about two. thousand acres, be it more or less. Fourth-A&uated by the princi ple already mentioned, I give and bequeath to George Washington Park Cuftis, the grandfon of my wife, and my ward, and to his heirs, the tract I hold on Four mile Run, in the vicinity of Alexandria, contain ing one thousand two hundred acres, more or lefs, and my entire fquare, number twenty-one, in the City of Washington.

Fifth-All the rest and refidue of my eftate real and perfonal, not difpofed of in a manner aforefaid, in whatsoever confifting, wherefoever lying, and whenfoever found, a fche dule of which, as far as is recollected, with a reasonable estimate of its value, is hereunto annexed, I defire may be fold by my executors at fuch times, in fuch manner, and on fuch credits (if an equal, valid, and fatisfactory diftribution of the fpecific property cannot be made without), as in their judgment fhall be most conducive to the intereft of the parties concerned, and the monies arifing therefrom to be divided into twenty-three equal parts, and applied as follows, viz. To William Auguftine Washington, Elizabeth Spotwood, Jane Thornton, and the heirs of Ann Ashton, fon and daughters of my deceafed brother Auguftine Wafh ington, I give and bequeath four parts, that is one part to each of them; to Fielding Lewis, George Lewis, Robert Lewis, Howell Lewis, and Betty Carter, fons and daughter of my deceafed fifter, Betty Lewis, I give and bequeath five other parts, one to each of them; to George Steptoe Washington, Lawrence Auguftine Washington, Harriot Parks, and the heirs of Thornton Washing ton, fons and daughters of my deceafed brother, Samuel Washington, I give and bequeath the other four parts, one part to each of them; to

Corbin Washington, and the heirs of Jane Washington, fon and daughter of my deceased brother, John Auguftine Washington, I give and bequeath two parts, one part to each of them. To Samuel Wathington, Frances Ball, and Mildred Hammond, fon and daughters of my brother Charles Wallington, I give and bequeath three parts, one part to each of them; and to George Fayette Washington, Charles Auguftine Washington, and Maria Washington, fons and daugh ter of my deceafed nephew George Auguftine Washington, I give one other part, that is, to each a third of that part. To Elizabeth Park Law, Martha Park Peter, and Eleanor Park Lewis, I give and bequeath three other parts, that is, a part to each of them; and to my nephew Bushrod Washington and Lawrence Lewis, and to my ward, the grandfon of my wife, I give and bequeath one other part, that is, a third there of to each of them. And, if it should fo happen that any of the perfons whofe names are here enumerated (unknown to me) should now be dead, or fhould die before me, that in either of thefe cafes, the heirs of fuch deceafed perfons fhall, notwithstanding, derive all the benefits of the bequeft, in the fame manner as if he or he was actually living at the time; and by way of advice I recommend it to my Executors not to be precipitate in difpofing of the landed property therein directed to be fold, if, from temporary causes, the fale thereof fhould be dull, experience having fully evinced, that the price of land (especially above the falls of the rivers, and on the western waters) have been progreffively rifing, and cannot be long checked in its encreafing value. And I particularly recommend it to fuch of the Legatees (under the claufe of my will) as can make it convenient, to take each a fhare of my flock in the Potomac Company, in preference to the

amount

fing the touteft frame, the purest mind, he had paffed nearly to his fixty-eighth year, in the enjoyment of high health, when, habituated by his care of us to neglect himself, a flight cold, difregarded, became inconvenient on Friday, oppreffive on Saturday, and defying every medical in terpofition, before the morning of Sunday, put an end to the best of

men.

An end did I fay-his fame furfurvives! bounded only by the limits of the earth, and by the extent of the human mind. He furvives in our hearts, in the growing knowledge of our children, in the affection of the good throughout the world; and, when our monuments fhall be done away; when nations now exifting (hall be no more; when our young and far-fpreading empire fhall have perished; ftill will our Washington's glory unfaded thine, and die not, until love of virtue ceafe on earth, or earth itfelf finks into chaos.

How, my fellow-citizens, fhall I fingle to your grateful hearts his preeminent worth! Where fhall I be gin in opening to your view a character throughout fublime! Shall I fpeak of his warlike atchievements, all springing from obedience to his country's will-all directed to his country's good?

tuous yeomanry, his prefence gave the ftability of fyftem, and infofed the invincibility of love of country? Or fhall I carry you to the painful fcenes of Long Iland, York Island, and New Jerfey, when, combating fuperior and gallant armies, aided by powerful fleets and led by chiefs high in the roll of fame, he ftood the bul wark of our fafety, undifmayed by difafters, unchanged by change of fortune? Or will you view him in the precarious fields of Trenton, where deep gloom, unnerving every arm, reigned triumphant through our thinued, worn-down, unaided ranks, himself unmoved? Dreadful was the night; it was about this time of winter; the ftorm raged; the Delaware rolling furiously with floating ice forbad the approach of man. Washing ton, felf-collected, viewed the tre mendous fcene; his country called ; unappalled by furrounding dangers, he paffed to the hoftile fhore; he fought; he conquered. The morning fun cheered the American world. Our country rofe on the event; and her dauntless chief, pursuing his blow, completed in the lawns of Princetown what his vaft foul had conceived on the fhores of Delaware,

Thence to the strong grounds of Morris-Town he led his fmall but gallant band; and through an eventful winter, by the high efforts of his genius, whofe matchlefs force was measurable only by the growth of difficulties, he held in check formidable hoftile legions, conducted by a chief experienced in the art of war, and famed for his valour on the evermemorable heights of Abraham, where fell Wolfe, Montcalm, and fince, our much lamented Montgomery; all covered with glory. In this fortunate interval, produced by his masterly conduct, our fathers, ourfelves, animated by his refiftlefs ex. ample, rallied around our country's ftandard, and continued to follow our beloved chief through the 'varix

ous and trying fcenes to which the dellinies of our union led.

Who is there that has forgotten the vales of Brandywine, the fields of Germantown, or the plains of Monmouth? Every where prefent, wants of every kind obftructing, nu

merous and valiant armies encoun

tering, himself a hof, he affuaged our fufferings, limited our privations, and upheld our tottering republic. Shall I difplay to you the fpread of the fire of his foul, by rehearfing the praises of the hero of Saratoga, and his much-loved compeer of the Carolinas? No; our Washington wears not borrowed glory:-To Gates to Green, he gave without referve the applaufe due to their eminent merit; and long may the chiefs of Saratoga and of Entwas receive the grateful refpect of a grateful people, Moving in his own orbit, he imparted heat and light to his moft diftant fatellites; and combining the phyfical and moral force of all within his fphere, with irrefiftable weight he took his courfe, commiferating folly, difdaining vice, difmaying treafon, and invigorating defpondency, until the aufpicious hour arrived, when, united with the intrepid forces of a potent and magnanimous ally, he brought to fubmiffion the fince conqueror of India; thus finishing his long career of military glory with a luftre correfponding to his great name, and in this, his last act of war, affixing the feal or fate to

our nation's birth.

Were I to ftop here, the picture would be incomplete, and the talk impofed unfinished.--Great as was our Washington in war, and much as did that greatnefs contribute to produce the American republic, it is not in war alone his pre-eminence flands confpicuous; his various ta lents, combining all the capacities of a ftatefman with thofe of the foldier, fitted him alike to guide the councils and armies of our nation. Scarcely had he refted from his martial toils, while his invaluable parental advice was ftill founding in our ears, when he, who had been our shield and our fword, was called forth to act a lefs fplendid, but more import-ant part.

Poffeffing a clear, and a penetrat ing mind, a ftrong and a found judgment, calmnefs and temper for deliberation, with invincible firmness and perfeverance in refolutions maturely formed, drawing information from all, acting from himself, with incorruptible integrity and unvarying patriotifm; his own fuperiority, and the public confidence, alike marked him as the man defigned by heaven to lead in the great political as well as military events which have distinguifhed the era of his life.

The finger of an over-ruling Providence, pointing at Washington, was neither miftaken nor unobserved; when to realize the vaft hopes to which our revolution had given birth, a change of political fyftem became indifpenfable,

How novel, how grand the fpectacle! independent ftates ftretched over an immenfe territory, and known only by common difficulty, clinging to their union as the rock of their fafety, deciding, by frank comparifon of their relative condition, to rear on that rock, under the guidance of reason, a common government, through whofe commanding protection, liberty, and order, with their long train of bleffings, fhould be fafe

te