Wyeth, and Dr. Small, professor of mathematics at the college, were in the habit of dining with the governor at stated times, for the purpose of conversation.  Jefferson, though not yet twenty years old, was admitted to these parties.  Fauquier organized a musical society, and Jefferson, who played upon the violin, belonged to this likewise.  In these associations, the young student acquired the easy courtesy and conversational art which afterwards greatly contributed to his success, and distinguished him even among the gentlemen of Paris.

His life, between twenty and thirty, was judiciously employed.  A closer student could hardly have been found at Edinburgh or Heidelberg.  He pursued his profession persistently, and, in addition, made incursions into the fields of belles-lettres and political and physical science.  He early conceived a prejudice against metaphysical speculation, which was never removed.  We cannot believe that his partiality for romance was much greater.  He undoubtedly had that appreciation of the value of this department of letters which every man of sense has, and included it within the circle of his reading because it contains much desirable knowledge.  The severest criticism which can be made upon his taste for poetry is conveyed by the statement, that, when young, he admired Ossian, and, when old, admired Moore.

His summers were spent at Shadwell.  The responsible charge of a large estate rested upon him, and he introduced into his affairs and studies the extraordinary system which, through life, he carried into all matters, great or small.  He commenced keeping a garden-book, which, with interruptions caused by absence, was continued until he was eighty-one years old.  It contains memoranda of vegetable phenomena, and statements of all kinds of information, in any way affecting the economy of horticulture.  He likewise kept a farm-book.  His accounts were noted, without the loss of a day, through his entire life, and every item of personal expense was separately stated.  We often find entries like these:  “11 d. paid to the barber,”—­“4 d. for whetting penknife,”—­and “1s. put in the church-box.”  On the 4th of July, 1776, we find:—­“pd.  Sparhawk, for a thermometer, L3 15s.—­pd. for 7 prs. women’s gloves, 27s.—­gave, in charity, 1s. 6d.”  His meteorological register informs us, that, at 6 o’clock, A.M., of the same memorable day, the mercury stood 68 deg. above; at noon, at 76 deg.; and at 9, P.M., at 73-1/2 deg..  Entries were regularly made in this register, three times a day.  Separate books were kept for special accounts, like the expenses of the Presidential mansion.  In addition, he made minute records of observation in natural history, and a curious “Statement of the Vegetable Market of Washington, during a Period of Eight Years, wherein the Earliest and Latest Appearance of each Article, within the whole Eight Years, is noted.”  This table mentions thirty-seven different articles, and was compiled during his Presidency.  He made a collection of the vocabularies of fifty Indian languages, and two collocations of those passages in the New Testament which contain the doctrines of Jesus.  One of these, entitled, “The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth,” is an octavo volume, with a complete index.  The texts are written out in Greek, Latin, French, and English, and placed in parallel columns.