Extract from Daniel Webster’s Account of a Visit to Monticello

His conversation is easy & natural & apparently not ambitious–it is not loud, as challenging general attention, but usually address to the person next to him–The topick, when not selected with regard to the character & feelings of his auditors, are those subjects with which his mind seems particularly occupied. And these at present may be justly said to be–first science & letters & especially the University of Virginia ... When we were with him, his favorite literary subjects were Greek & Anglo Saxon & secondly historical recollections of the times of the Revolution & of his residence in France from 1783 to 89.

MS (ViU: Mss 5205); with date corrected based on TJ’s notation of Webster’s visit in his Summary Journal of Letters (DLC).
Date Range
Date
December 14, 1824 to December 19, 1824
Repository