"An Englishman's Tribute to Chancellor Wythe"
R.B. Munford, Jr., "An Englishman's Tribute to Chancellor Wythe," Sons of the Revolution in State of Virginia Quarterly Magazine 1, no. 2 (April 1922), 39.[1]
Article text, April 1922
Page 39
In 1759, the Rev. Andrew Burnaby, D. D., an Englishman of culture, who was Archdeacon of Leicester, and Vicar of Greenwich, visited our country, and a few years later published an interesting account of his travels entitled: "Travels Through the Middle Settlements in North America in the Years 1759 and 1760, With Observations Upon the State of the Colonies."[2]
Three editions of this work were published recently in looking over R. R. Wilson's reprint of the 1798 edition of this book (the third edition), I came across the following tribute to George Wythe, which I feel sure will be of interest to members of The Society of the Sons of the Revolution in Virginia and to the members of the other patriotic organizations that have contributed to the memorial stone too be placed at the grave of this great and good man.
Dr. Burnaby, the writer, had been describing the general characteristics of the Virginia people as observed by him and seems to feel that of those he had met in Virginia, one at least—George Wythe—deserved an individual tribute.
In a note then he speaks of Judge Wythe in the following terms: "Amongst others I can not resist the inclination of mentioning George Wythe, Esquire, who, to a perfect knowledge of the Greek language, which was taught him by his mother in the back woods, and of the ancient, particularly the Platonic, philosophy, had joined such a profound reverence for the Supreme Being, such respect for the divine laws, such philanthropy for mankind, such simplicity of manners, and such inflexible rectitude, and integrity of principle, as would have dignified a Roman Senator even in the most virtuous times of the republic."
See also
References
- ↑ R.B. Munford, Jr., "An Englishman's Tribute to Chancellor Wythe," Sons of the Revolution in State of Virginia Quarterly Magazine 1, no. 2 (April 1922), 39.
- ↑ Andrew Burnaby, Travels through the Middle Settlements in North America, in the Years 1759 and 1760; With Observations upon the State of the Colonies, 3rd ed. (London: T. Payne, 1798), 24n-25n. Burnaby's note in full, says:
‡ General characters are always liable to many exception. In Virginia, I have had the pleasure to know several gentlemen adorned with many virtues and accomplishments, to whom the following description is by no means applicable. Amongst others I can not resist the inclination of mentioning George Wyth [sic], Esquire, who, to a perfect knowledge of the Greek language, which was taught him by his mother in the back woods, and of the ancient, particularly the Platonic, philosophy, had joined such a profound reverence for the Supreme Being, such respect for the divine laws, such philanthropy for mankind, such simplicity of manners, and such inflexible rectitude, and integrity of principle, as would have dignified a Roman Senator even in the most virtuous times of the republic.—This gentleman is, I believe, still living.
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