Washington habitually attended, from the period of its erection till the commencement of the revolutionary war. Here he offered his · adorations to the God and Father of all, and here received the symbols of a Saviour's love at the hands of the consecrated servant of the altar.

"The Rev. Lee Massey was the rector of the parish at the time here referred to. He was a highly respectable man, and shared much of the esteem of Washington. In regard to the religious deportment of his distinguished friend, especially in the house of God, he has often been heard to express himself in the following strain: ‘I never knew so constant an attendant on church as Washington. And his behavior in the house of God, was ever so deeply reverential, that it produced the happiest effects on my congregation; and greatly assisted me in my pulpit labors. No company ever withheld him from church. I have often been at Mount Vernon, on the Sabbath morning, when his breakfast table was filled with guests; but to him they furnished no pretext for neglecting his God, and losing the satisfaction of setting a good example. For instead of staying at home, out of false complaisance to them, he used constantly to invite them to accompany him.' p. 141, 42.

In regard to Washington's being a communicant-a point about which a good deal of doubt has been expressed-we will give the substance of what is to be found in this book. We may remark, by the way, that the personal opinion of Mr. M'Guire is entitled to more than ordinary weight, from the fact of his being connected by marriage with the family of Washington, and having some special advantages for forming a correct judg ment. Besides the statement quoted above, Mr. M'Guire elsewhere says that he "considers it certain that Washington did partake of the Lord's Supper." He then goes on to say:

"Among the aged persons residing in the neighborhood of Mount Vernon, and the descendants of such others as have recently gone down to the grave, there is but one opinion in regard to the fact of his having been a communicant in Pohick Church, previous to the revolutionary war. The writer himself had it from a respectable lady, that she once heard her mother unqualifiedly declare, that General Washington was a communicant in that church, in the vicinity of which she had her residence, and on the services of which she attended. A living grand-daughter of the Rev. Lee Massey, rector of Mount Vernon Parish, for some years after Washington's marriage-says, her grandfather on a special occasion, told her the same thing in answer to a particular inquiry on the subject." p. 411.

The Rev. Dr. Richards, of Auburn, in a letter to the author, referring to a report of Washington's having partaken of the communion at Morristown, in New Jersey, while the army was encamped there in 1780, thus writes: "I became a resi

The report

dent in that town in the summer of 1794. that Washington did actually receive the communion from the hands of Dr. Johnes was universally current during that period, and so far as I know, never contradicted. I have often heard it from the members of Dr. Johnes family. * * It is scarcely possible that they should have been deceived, and their characters are too well known to suppose them willing to deceive others."

We shall only add, on this point, the following from a volume of sermons recently published by the Rev. Dr. Chapman, of Portland:

"He (George Washington) lived at a period when there were less verbal pretensions on the subject of religion, than have become exceeding fashionable in modern times, and the consequence is, that in his life, we have more of the substance than the parade of piety. Still he was an open and avowed follower of the Lord of glory. From the lips of a lady of undoubted veracity, yet living, and a worthy communicant of the church, I received the interesting fact, that soon after the close of the revolutionary war, she saw him partake of the consecrated symbols of the body and blood of Christ, in Trinity Church in the city of New York." p. 414.

In 1774, Washington was a member of the Virginia house of burgesses, at Williamsburg. Information having been received of the Boston Port Bill, passed by the British Parliament, to take effect on the 1st of June, the house appointed that day "to be set apart as a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer. The following entry is found in a diary kept by Washington at that time:

"June 1st, Wednesday.-Went to church, and fasted all day."

In the year 1775, he was appointed commander-in-chief of the American army.

"The day after he took command of the army an order was issued, in which we find the following injunction :

"The genereral requires and expects of all officers and soldiers, not engaged on actual duty, a punctual attendance on divine service, to emplore the blessing of heaven upon the means used for our safety and defence.'

"A few days after this order was published, the Rev. William Em rson, a chaplain in the army, writes to a friend :

"There is great overturning in the camp as to order and regularity. New lords, new laws. The Generals Washington and Lee are upon the lines every day. New orders from his Excellency are read to the respective regiments every morning, after prayers,' &c. "The subjoined extracts, from orders issued from time to time,

will serve to witness the great care of the commander to encourage this duty:

"From the Orderly Book, May 15th, 1776: The continental congress have ordered Friday, the 17th instant, to be observed as a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer, humbly to supplicate the mercy of Almighty God, that it would please him to pardon our manifold sins and transgressions, and to prosper the arms of the United Colonies, and finally establish the peace and freedom of America upon a solid and lasting foundation; the General commands all officers and soldiers to pay strict obedience to the orders of the continental congress; that, by their unfeigned and pious observance of their religious duties, they may incline the Lord and Giver of victory to prosper our arms.'

"From the Orderly Book, Aug. 3d. That the troops may have an opportunity of attending public worship, as well as to take some rest after the great fatigue they have gone through, the General, in future, excuses them from fatigue duty on Sunday, except at the ship yards, or on special occasions, till further orders.'

"In a Circular from the Commander-in-Chief to the brigadier generals, dated the 26th May, 1777, are the following instructions: - Let vice and immorality, of every kind, be discouraged as much as possible in your brigade; and as a chaplain is allowed to each regiment, see that the men regularly attend divine worship.'

"From the Orderly Book, October 7th. The situation of the army frequently not admitting of the regular performance of divine service, on Sundays, the chaplains of the army are forthwith to meet together, and agree on some method of performing it at other times, which method they will make known to the Commander-in-chief.' "From the Orderly Book, Dec. 17th, 1777, near Valley Forge. 'To-morrow being the day set apart by the honorable Congress for public thanksgiving and praise; and duty calling us devoutly to express our grateful acknowledgments to God for the manifold blessings he has granted us, the General directs that the army remain in its present quarters, and that the chaplains perform divine service with their several corps and brigades; and earnestly exhorts all officers and soldiers, whose absence is not indispensably necessary, to attend with reverence the solemnities of the day.'

"The interruptions which sometimes occurred, preventing divine service being performed in camp, did not interfere with attention to the duty on the part of the Commander-in-chief. For one of his secretaries, Judge Harrison, has often been heard to say, that whenever the General could be spared from camp, on the Sabbath, he never failed riding out to some neighboring church, to join those who were publicly worshipping the Great Creator.' This was done by him, we presume, when there was no public worship in camp." p. 144, 146.

Speaking of him after he became president of the United States, Mr. M'Guire says:

"In this exalted station his conduct continued to be distinguished

by the same uniform and punctual observance of religious duties which had always marked his life. As he was chiefly resident in Philadelphia, during the eight years of his administration, he had a pew in Christ Church of that city, of which the venerable Bishop White was then the Rector, now near his ninetieth year. During all the time that he was in the government, Washington was punctual in his attendance on divine worship. His pew was seldom vacant when the weather would permit him to attend. In regard to his habits, at that time, the living grandson of Mrs. Washington, Geo. W. P. Custis, Esq. of Arlington, bears the following testimony: "On Sundays, unless the weather was uncommonly severe, the President and Mrs. Washington, attended divine service at Christ Church; and in the evenings the President read to Mrs. Washington, in her chamber, a sermon, or some portion from the Sacred Writings. No visitors, with the exception of Mr. Speaker Trumbull, were admitted to the presidoliad on Sundays.'

"After his retirement from the Chair of State, he still continued the same in spirit and practice. The Church in Alexandria was again his place of worship. The distance, indeed, was nine miles, and yet his pew was seldom unoccupied on the Lord's day." p. 153, 154.

The author mentions "that he always said grace at table. On one occasion, from the force of habit, he performed this duty himself when a clergyman was present-an instance of indecorum very unusual with him. Being told, after the clergyman's departure, of the incivility, he expressed his regret at the oversight, but added, the reverend gentleman will at least be assured, that we are not entirely graceless at Mount Vernon.'

So much for Washington's regular observance of the public duties of religion. There are also, a good many interesting facts illustrating his habits of private devotion.

Col. Temple, one of his aids-de-camp in the French war, our author informs us, has often been heard to say, "that on sudden and unexpected visits into Washington's marquee, he has, more than once, found him on his knees at his devotions." p. 168.

Our readers will doubtless remember the anecdote originally recorded, we believe, in that whimsical production, "Weem's Life of Washington," respecting the commander-inchief being accidently discovered, by a Mr. Potts, at his private devotions in a secluded grove, near the memorable encampment of Valley Forge. We have always considered the story somewhat apocryphal. But our author quotes from a published letter written in 1832, by a Baptist minister near that place, which states that there was a man by the name of Devault Beaver, then living on this spot, eighty years of age, who said he had heard this fact stated by Mr. Potts and his family. Our au

thor adds, that Gen Knox was also an accidental witness of the same thing, and was "fully apprized that prayer was the object of the Commander's frequent visits to the grove," and that the reason of his resorting there was, that his quarters in a log but at that encampment, were not such as allowed him proper privacy for such a duty.

The following extract will be read with interest:

"In the year 1820, a clergyman of this State being in company with Major- —, a relative of Gen. Washington, had an accidental conversation with him on the subject of Christianity. The conversation was of a controversial nature in the beginning, and as no good seemed to ensue, but some warmth of feeling, an effort was made to arrest the unprofitable discussion by an inquiry made of the Major, as to the religious opinions of his distinguished kinsman, the subject of these pages. This was done in part, as knowing his veneration for Washington, and for information too, as he had been captain of the General's body guard, during a greater part of the war, and possessed the best opportunities of learning his views and habits. In answer to the question, he observed, after hesitating for a moment, 'Gen. Washington was certainly a pious man, his opinions being in favor of religion, and his habits all of that character and description.' Being further interrogated as to his habits-he replied, that his uncle, he knew, was in the habit of praying in private-and with the animation of an old soldier, excited by professional recollections, rather than sympathy with the subject, he related the circumstances of the following occurrence: While encamped at — N. J., a soldier arrived one morning, about day-break, with despatches for the Commanderin-chief, from a distant division of the army. As soon as his business was known, he was directed to me as captain of the body guard, to whom he came forthwith, and giving me his papers, I repaired at once to the General's quarters. On my way to his room after reaching the house, I had to go along a narrow passage of some length. As I approached his door, it being yet nearly dark, I was arrested by the sound of a voice. I paused and listened for a moment, when I distinguished it as the General's voice, and in another moment found that he was engaged in audible prayer. As in his earnestness he had not heard my footsteps, or if he heard me did not choose to be interrupted, I retired to the front of the dwelling, till such time as I supposed him unengaged; when returning, and no longer hearing his voice, I knocked at the door, which being promptly opened, I delivered the despatches, received an answer, and dismissed the soldier." p. 160, 161

We give only one more anecdote on this subject, which Mr. M'Guire vouches for as authentic, and which probably, as well as the foregoing, he owes the knowledge of to his relation to the family of Washington:

"During his residence in Philadelphia, as President of the United States, it was the habit of Washington, winter and summer, to retire to