Beilby Porteus, afterwards bishop of London. Virginia, indeed, owes much to this excellent man. Mr. Nelson was not the only one of her children who were at this period the objects of his care. He had a companion in the late Mr. Francis Corbin, of the Reeds, (son of the honourable Richard Corbin, of Laneville, who had been an early benefactor to the family of Dr. Porteus,) a gentleman long distinguished by his superior talents and attainments as a scholar, the excellence of his political principles, and the singular elegance and suavity of his manners. Thus pleasantly and fortunately situated Mr. Nelson remained until the close of the year 1761, when he returned to Virginia, his mind deeply imbued with a taste for literary knowledge which formed the delight of his subsequent years, and his principles both in politics and morals, firm, liberal and pious.

In August, 1762, he married Miss Lucy Grymes, a daughter of Philip Grymes, Esquire, of Brandon, in the neighbouring county of Middlesex, and with her settled at York, in an excellent and commodious house, which had probably been built for him by his father, nearly opposite to his own in the same town. Here, in the possession of an independent fortune which he had received from his father at his marriage, he lived in a style of much elegance and hospitality. By his long residence in England, he had acquired in a considerable degree, an attachment to the manners of its country gentlemen, and a fondness for their pursuits. These he somewhat adopted himself. He rode out daily to his plantation, a few miles from York, a servant generally

attending him with his fowling piece, and he often amused himself in shooting. He kept a pack of hounds at a small farm near the town, and in the winter exercised himself in company with his friends and neighbours, once or twice a week in a fox chase. His house was a scene of the most genteel and liberal hospitality: no gentleman ever stopped an hour in York without receiving an invitation to it, unless a previous acquaintance with him, and his hospitable character and manners rendered such an invitation unnecessary, according to the general mode at that time of visiting among gentlemen in Virginia. There were at this period about a dozen very genteel and opulent families, who resided in York, and maintained among each other an intercourse not to be surpassed in unaffected politeness, hospitality and friendship; and whenever a friend or acquaintance of either visited York, it was with difficulty he could leave it, until he had received the attentions and enjoyed the hospitality of the whole circle. Such was the harmony that prevailed in this little society, that no instance of its interruption on any occasion can be recollected. Thus situated, it will be believed Mr. Nelson passed his time in the full enjoyment of domestic happiness; but the troubles of his country soon called him from these gentler and perhaps more congenial pleasures, to oppose at first the petty tyranny of a provincial governor, and to array himself at last among the boldest champions of the nation in council and in war. His earlier years were adorned by all the charities of life, but his maturer age was devoted entirely to the severer duties of an upright citi

zen-cari sunt parentes, cari liberi, propinqui, familiares; sed omnis omnium caritatum patriâ unâ complectitur.

At what period Mr. Nelson entered into public life, we have no means exactly to ascertain. In 1774, however, we find him in the house of burgesses, a delegate from his native town of York. It is not recollected that he took any prominent part in the debates of this assembly, over which the illustrious Peyton Randolph, afterwards president of congress, presided. There were many gentlemen older than himself in years, and political experience, by whom the discussions of the day were conducted; and he preferred the acquisition of knowledge from study and attentive observation, to the more glittering but unsubstantial reputation of a leader in debate. This house of delegates, it may be recollected, passed some strong resolutions against the Boston port bill, in consequence of which they were immediately dissolved by lord Dunmore. Eighty-nine of them, however, among whom was Mr. Nelson, assembled the next day at a tavern, and entered into the celebrated association, declaring the unwarranted invasion of their rights, their determination to persevere in avoiding all commercial intercourse with Great Britain, and recommending the appointment of deputies from the several colonies to meet in general congress.

On the dissolution of this assembly, he was again elected to the house of burgesses from the same county, and also a member of the first general convention, which met at Williamsburg on the first of August, 1774. In

the patriotic and important measures of this assembly, the character of Mr. Nelson assures us he acted his part, honourably and manfully. The unanimity however, which prevailed on this and generally on subsequent occasions in the several conventions of Virginia, renders all notice of the conduct of individual members equally superfluous and impracticable. All appeared to act in perfect concert and harmony, so that the voice of the individual was lost in that of the whole body.

In the month of March of the next year, 1775, we find Mr. Nelson, seated a second time in the general convention of the province; and taking a prominent part in a measure, the boldness of which startled some of the firmest friends of liberty. This measure was no less than the organization of a military force in the province; a step which, passing the line that yet seemed to bind the colonies to the mother country, placed them in the prominent position of a nation determined to gain or to hazard all. After the convention had passed several resolutions whose spirit was rather that of conciliation than resistance, Mr. Henry, one of the members, moved the following manly resolutions.

"Resolved, That a well regulated militia, composed of gentlemen and yeomen, is the natural strength and only security of a free government; that such a militia in this colony would forever render it unnecessary for the mother country to keep among us, for the purpose of our defence, any standing army of mercenary soldiers, always subversive of the quiet, and dangerous to the

liberties of the people, and would obviate the pretext of taxing us for their support.

"That the establishment of such a militia is, at this time, peculiarly necessary, by the state of our laws, for the protection and defence of the country, some of which are already expired, and others will shortly be so; and that the known remissness of government in calling us together in legislative capacity, renders it too insecure, in this time of danger and distress, to rely that opportunity will be given of renewing them, in general assembly, or making any provision to secure our inestimable rights and liberties, from those further violations with which they are threatened.

"Resolved, therefore, That this colony be immediately put into a state of defence, and that

be a committee to prepare a plan for embodying, arming and disciplining such a number of men, as may be sufficient for that purpose."

These resolutions produced a long and interesting debate. Many of the best men in the house deprecated the measure as premature and dangerous; they relied strongly on favourable reports which had lately been received from London; they believed that the British ministry and parliament would at length listen to the voice of reason and justice; and that they were now more disposed to an accommodation, than they had appeared to be on any other occasion or under any other circumstances. On the other hand, the friends of the measure cautioned them against the delusive hopes which they indulged, and urged at least a preparation