for he boasted that he was the companion of George III. during his tuition under that Earl—(' Par nobile Fratrum!') At one Board, I joined with those patriotic members who advised the issuing of new writs for the election and call of an Assembly, and at a time when it was dangerous (as far as a loss of office went) to propose it, as the Governor had plainly given us to understand, that the King was determined to rule the Colonies without their check, or controul; and at another Board, I boldly advised the Governor to give up the Powder and Arms, which he had removed from the Magazine. But he flew into an outrageous passion, smiting his fist on the table, saying, "Mr. Page, I am astonished at you." I calmly replied I had discharged my duty, and had no other advice to give. As the other Councillors neither seconded or opposed me, he was greatly embarrassed. As I was never summoned to attend another Board, I might well suspect I was suspended from my of fice; but as I cared nothing about that, I never enquired whether I was or not. P. Henry, afterwards so famous for his military parade against Dunmore, did actually bully him, but they appeared to me to be mutually afraid of each other.

I never refused any office, however humble, or however perilous. I served as Col. of a Regiment of Militia, which was offered me during a serious invasion; and resigned but that of Councillor, after having served, as I expressed in my letter to the General Assembly, beyond what I conceived was the time contemplated by the Constitution.

In 1784, I served as an Academician, with Bishop Madison, Mr. R. Andrews, and Andrew Ellicott, in ascertaining and fixing the boundary line between Pennsylvania and Virginia; and in 1785, as a Lay Deputy of the Protestant Episcopal Church, deputed by the Convention of Virginia, with the Rev. Dr. Griffiths, and the Rev. Mr. McCroskey to represent in the Grand Convention, at New

York. I then served my native county as a representative in Assembly, till the new Constitution threw me into Congress, where I served my country eight years with a safe conscience, till John Adams and A. Hamilton shut me out; I however repeatedly struggled to get in again, but in vain.

It would require volumes to describe what I did whilst in the Committee of Safety, Council, and Congress, and no small one to relate the interesting and hazardous services I performed with my brave associates in Gloster and Mathews. If I live my Memoirs shall do justice to the brave and patriotic county, Lieut. Peyton, and many others who deserve; but my Lieut. Col. Thomas Baytop, and his brave patriotic brother, who served under him freely during those times, and Capt. Camp, now Colonel, are alive, as is also Capt. Hudgins, now of Mathews, who displayed, with many other officers, bravery and skill, particularly Col. J. Baytop.

I next served in the military character as Lieut. Col. Commandant in Gloster, and took my tour of duty, as Commander of a Regiment, composing part of the quota called from Virginia, to quell the insurgents in the Western Country. Though sick, I marched and joined my Brigadier at Winchester, and my Major General at Frankfort, near the foot of the Alleghany, who finding me actually ill, wrote me a consolatory letter, and advised me to return home by slow marches.

Before I had the benefit of a Philosophical education at College, with Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Walker, Dabney Carr, and others, under the illustrious Professor of Mathematics, Wm. Small, Esq., afterwards well known as the great Dr. Small, of Birmingham, the darling friend of Darwin, History, and particularly military and naval History, attracted my atten

tion. But afterwards, natural and experimental Philosophy, Mechanics, and, in short, every branch of the Mathematics, particularly Algebra, and Geometry, warmly engaged my attention, till they led me on to Astronomy, to which after I had left College, till some time after I was married, I devoted my time. I never thought, however, that I had made any great proficiency in any study, for I was too sociable, and fond of the conversation of my friends, to study as Mr. Jefferson did, who could tear himself away from his dearest friends, to fly to his studies," &c.*

* The Memoir is manifestly unfinished, and we regret that we cannot complete it as we could wish. We can only add, (as at present informed,) that the writer was subsequently elected by the General Assembly Governor of the Commonwealth, in the year 1802, again in 1803, and a third time in 1804, at the end of which term, being constitutionally ineligible for another, he retired of course to private life; and was soon afterwards appointed by Mr. Jefferson, who was then President of the U. S., Commissioner of Loans for Virginia, which office he held till his death on the 11th of October, 1808.

Gov. P. was twice married, first, as he has stated in the Memoir, to Miss Frances Burwell, of Gloucester, and after her death, and while he was a member of Congress, (probably about the year 1790,) to Miss Margaret Lowther, of New York, who survived him some years. He left also several sons and daughters by both marriages, some of whom (with their descendants,) are still living.

CIVIL LIBERTY.

This is not the liberty which we can hope, that no grievance ever should arise in the commonwealth; that let no man in this world expect; but when complaints are freely heard, deeply considered, and speedily reformed, then is the utmost bound of civil liberty attained that wise men look for.-John Milton.

THE TEMPERANCE REFORM.

[We continue here the Memoir of the Temperance Reform in our State, begun in our last number, and now concluded in this article.]

On the 24th of February 1835, the Virginia Temperance Society held its Eighth Annual Meeting at the Capitol, in Richmond; when it appeared from estimates founded on reports then made, that there were 35,000 members of Temperance Societies in the State. At the same time, authentic accounts were given of many distilleries and liquorstores discontinued, in different parts of the country.

In this year, six District Temperance Conventions were held, under recommendations of the State Society; at Warrenton, Charlotte Court House, the Brick Church in King and Queen, Staunton, Martinsburg, and Tazewell Court House; all numerously attended by members and others. Among the members were many able and distinguished men.

From the commencement of the reformation in Virginia, to this time, many persons had strenuously objected to the union of females in the pledge. "Were ladies," it was asked, "to be suspected of intemperance?—or of being in danger of sliding into drunkenness?" The supposition was a libel on the sex; and the mere idea of it was not to be endured. To the objections, however, it was answered, that females were by far the greatest sufferers from intemperance-not their own but that of men-by the neglect, unkindness, and even cruelty of those to whom they clung most confidingly; and by countless forms of mortification and shame; that women were therefore most deeply interested in the reform; that their influence, in whatever concerned domestic or social habits, or the kind

ly affections, was irresistible; and that their influence could not be exerted so efficiently in any way, as by uniting in this work. These answers were strong and accordingly, the objections, after growing more and more faint for some years, had now nearly ceased to be heard; and about this time as many females as males became members of Temperance Societies.

From the close of 1835 until 1841, the movement was languid, and not remarkably successful. As many, probably, renounced or violated the pledge, sometimes even relapsing into drunkenness, as were added to the ranks of Total Abstinence. The sellers of drink often exulted in the alleged decline of Temperance, carefully explaining, however, that they meant only the Societies, and professing themselves warm friends of what they considered as Temperance. In 1840, however, the decline of Temperance itself was obvious to all, and was caused mainly by the introduction of a cant phrase of "Hard-Cider" into the Presidential contest of that year; for "Hard-Cider" was now the slang name for all, even the strongest liquors; and was quaffed very profusely.

In 1841, our State felt the influence of a new phasis of the Reform, which began in Baltimore. Six men in that city, long addicted to excessive drinking, were one day induced to take a pledge of abstinence from all that could intoxicate. Delighted with their new liberty, and possessing, some of them, good powers of speech, they set out to address crowds, not only at regular Temperance meetings, but in the streets: nay traversed the country, and other States, to proclaim the horrors of strong drink, and the freedom and happiness of perfect temperance. In this year, or early in 1842, some of these men, or of their disciples, reformed drunkards,) came into Virginia, and spoke in many towns and counties with great power and success.