Hampden Sydney College - Kaleidoscope Yearbook (Hampden Sydney, VA)

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been written by the Colonel Thomas Reade, who was a member of the first Board, or by a contemporary of his, nor isthe name spelled with the final e. Whether or not, however, the writing is that of Col. Reade may be settled hereafter, as there is a con- siderable quantity of his writing still in existence. The following list of four books is made up of those containing what are supposed to be the signatures of members of the Hrst Board, there being no indication, however, in any case as to how the book came into the possession of the library. 1. Works of Dr. Thomas Sydenham QLondon, 1769j, Nathaniel Venable. 2. The fourth volume of an edition of the Spectator, brought out in Glasgow in 1749, John Nash. 3. Rollin's Roman History QDublin, 1740j, Francis Watkins. 4. Lord Bolingbroke's Letters on the Study and Use of History, James Madison. In reference to the supposed signature of James Madison, it must be admitted that considerable doubt hangs over the case. The volume containing it is much mutilated, the front of the book up to the title page being gone 5 and the supposed signature comes on the last Hy-leaf, of the book. The writing is large and carelessly done, and on the same page is a J, a James Mad, and also what appears to be a still further attempt at the writing of the name James Madison, but all of this is indistinct. The whole page looks much as if some one had been doing just a little practice in writing. All this seems to be against the theory that we have here a genuine signature of Mr. Madison. But we must remember that Madison was once young, and, as others, not averse to writing his name in a careless manner in the back of one of his books. And when fac-similes of Madison's signature are compared with this writing, the similarity, making due allowance for difference in age at the times of' writing, and for other things, is rather close than otherwise. In Grigsby's The Virginia Convention of 1776, fac-similes are given of Madison's signature as a man of about sixty and as a man of eighty-two. These differ from each other, as we might expect, far more, in fact, than does the supposed signature differ from either. There seems to be no difficulty in accepting the writing as the writing of Mr. Madison when a young man and in a hurry. The date of publication of the book is 1770. Madison was born in 1751, so that in 1770 he was nineteen years of age. He graduated at Princeton in 1771, but continued there another year, doing further work under the guidance of Dr. John Witherspoon, the president. We may even suppose that the book came Madison's way some time in this year of special study, and it would still not be too late for him to write in the manner exhibited. There is no way of determining how the book got to Hampden-Sidney. But when the early connection of Princeton and Hampden-Sidney, through the teaching force of the latter, is recalled, a possible explanation of the presence of the book here is at once suggested. Some one of these Princeton-bred instructors may very easily have brought I3

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the gift was made-of the Histoire de Geneve, which work was published in 1773. Of the six volumes, however, one is now missing. Those that remain tell in no uncertain language a curious and sad story of the depravity of human nature. In these volumes, each fly-leaf coming into immediate contact with a back was made of very stili' paper and was colored on the side next the back, the other side being plain white. Now, from each of the five volumes left us this fly-leaf in the front of the book has been cut out, the stubs that are left being evidence. On the first com- pletely white Hy-leaf of each volume is the inscription of presentation, which runs thus: This book was presented to the College of Hampden-Sidney by Patrick Henry Esqr. July 26, 1787. The volumes are not large, and the inscription, written on several lines with ample space between, covers nearly the whole page. Though a portion of the inscription is written in rather a fancy hand, some of it is not, and especially is the name Patrick Henry written in plain style. No one, however, if he should think for a little time, would conclude that Patrick Henry himself wrote the inscription. The fancy writing of a portion of it and the use of the word esquire would negative such an idea Positive proof, however, that the writing was not done by Mr. Henry is furnished when one of his genuine signatures for the fac-simile of onej is compared with it. The two hands are entirely different. But some one has failed to do this, and, thinking that he has come across a genuine signature of Patrick Henry, has cut out the name from the inscription placed in the Erst volumeg but he has kindly left the other volumes in peace. And now, to go back a little, the explanation of the missing fly-leaves in all the volumes seems to be simple. Each of these leaves-probably on the white side-undoubtedly contained, when the books were presented to the college, the genuine signature of Patrick Henry or his book- plateg which objects of interest early excited the cupidity of some thief, who forth- with made away with them, probably long before thief number two fthe individual who further mutilated our first volumej ever heard of Patrick Henry. This second individual was a fool as well as a thief. On the absence of ore of the volumes of this set it is useless to speculate. The volume may never have been pre- sented to the library at allg it may have been lost by accident g it may have been stolen. The books described immediately above are the only ones certainly presented by members of the Hrst Board. It is possible that others deserve a place in the list, for there are several with the names of members of the original Board in them, and proba- bly the signatures, but the history of these books is not altogether clear. The one that most probably belongs with the above is Elements of Navigation QEdinburg, 1773j. This has in it in one place, From the Library of S Smith, and in another place, Presented to the Library by Thomas Read, H. S. C. The latter inscription is written in a plain hand in pencil, and does not seem to be of sufficient age to have I 2

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it down with him. Samuel Stanhope Smith, the first president of Hampden-Sidney, was tutor in Princeton in the years 1770-73, and he and Madison undoubtedly knew each other very well. This explanation must also be given of the presence of the books to which attention is now directed, and in this case the explanation is given with confidence. This lot tconsisting of four books, each containing the signature of John Wither- spoon, sixth president of Princeton, probably equals in interest any other lot of four books that can be found in the library. The volumes are : 1. The Christian Minister. By Thomas Gibbons, D.D. tLondon, 17725. This book contains the following: To the Rev. Dr. John Witherspoon from the author, 1772 2. U The Religion of Nature. London, 1725. 3. Useful and Important Answers Freely Given. By David Miller. London, 1751. 4. Harmony of the Four Gospels. By James MacKnight. London, 1756. The signature of Dr. Witherspoon in each of these four volumes is undoubted. Witherspoon was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, be it remembered, fac-similes of which, with the names attached, are broadcast through the land. And it is almost certain that Samuel Stanhope Smith brought the volumes here, for Smith was the son-in-law of Witherspoon. In reference to the book presented to the library by Thomas Read, the remark was made above that it at one time belonged to 4' S. Smith. This Smith was probably Samuel Stanhope Smith, who, we may suppose, sold some of his books before he left Virginia to return to Princeton, or gave them away, some to friends and some tothe college-or the academy, as at that time it was. It is unfortunate that the books do not make perfectly clear the story of their travels from Princeton to Hampden-Sidney. It would be a satisfaction to know their history beyond a doubt, for Witherspoon was a most remarkable man-remarkable alike for his learning, for his common sense and for his heroism. A lineal descendant of John Knox, he inherited, along with Knox's blood, the great reformer's spirit. Passing to the books associated with the earlier presidents of Hampden-Sidney, we note: 1. Goldsmith's Animated Nature. -1 volumes. The inscription reads: Presented to the Philanthropic Society by its friend, Drury Lacy, April 17, 1822? It is not altogether certain that this was Drury Lacy, the president of the college. It may have been his son. 2. One of Calvin's works, presented to the college by Archibald Alexander. The date is not given. 3. A French translation of Ovid. The name of Moses Hoge is written on this. I4