Thomas Jefferson to Nicholas P. Trist, 14 June 1822
To Nicholas P. Trist
Monticello June 14. 22.
Dear Sir
Your favor of April 14. came to hand on the 8th of May. the tragedy of Ld Byron was immediately put into the hands of the family & was I believe read by every member of it. I do not know whether I gave you a Catalogue of the Law-books necessary for a course of Law-reading. having lately had occasion to make out one for Francis Eppes, I shall subjoin it to this letter, lest I should not have given you one before. it’s cost will be about £35. sterling, such another importation the following year would make up a sufficient law-library for a commencing practitioner. since you left us I have recieved Thomas’s new arrangement of Coke Littleton. it is admirably executed. the whole matter of Coke & of Littleton is digested according to Blackstone’s method, not omitting one word; to which are added the Notes of Lords Hale & Nottingham, of Hargrove and of Thomas himself, and the subsequent cases on the same matters. it is now unquestionably the elementary book to be first read by every student; and is as easy & more profound than Blackstone. your friend F. Eppes is now engaged in it. his proposed marriage in Sep. with our neighbor Eliz. R. will probably be some interruption to his studies. The buildings of accomodation for the Professors & students of the University, that is to say the Pavilions, Hotels & Dormitories, will be entirely compleated within 3. months from this time. you will have seen by the papers that our late legislature refused to enable us to proceed with the Rotunda. it is said by those who attended it to have been truly the Parliamentum indoctissimum that ever assembled in this state. the late elections have changed a majority of the members, and given us some valuable friends. should the next session merely relinquish the debt of 120.M.D. which it is believed they will, our annuity will in 3. years enable us to finish the Rotunda, and then to open the institution: should they give us 50.M.D. additional to build it, we may open within the year succeeding the gift. some of the family writing to you occasionally, I shall leave small news to them. your friends in this neighborhood are well, and your grandmother was well a fortnight ago, when I left Bedford. Accept the assurance of my affectionate attachment and respect.
Th: Jefferson
RC (DLC); with MS of enclosure subjoined; addressed: “Mr Nicholas P. Trist La Fourche Louisiana”; franked; postmarked Charlottesville, 16 June; endorsed by Trist. PoC (CSmH: JF-BA); on a reused address cover from Caesar A. Rodney to TJ; with PoC of enclosure subjoined; mutilated at seal; endorsed by TJ. Enclosure: enclosure to TJ to Francis Eppes, 9 Apr. 1822.
hargrove: Francis Hargrave. The proposed marriage of TJ’s grandson Francis Eppes and Mary Elizabeth Cleland Randolph (eliz. r.) actually took place in Albemarle County on 28 Nov. 1822. They moved to Poplar Forest shortly thereafter (, 1:172–3; Martha Jefferson Randolph to Nicholas P. Trist, 22 Nov. 1822 [RC in NcU: NPT]). parliamentum indoctissimum: “most ignorant parliament.” Trist’s grandmother was Elizabeth Trist.
Martha Jefferson Randolph informed Trist from Monticello on 1 July 1822 that when TJ addressed the above letter, he “omitted the Donaldsonville in the direction,” and that “if there are 2 post offices it may occasion some delay.” She also remarked that TJ’s finances were “arranging them selves so as to give a reasonable prospect of seeing him relieved without a sacrifice.” Trist wrote Virginia J. Randolph (Trist) from Lafourche on 29 July that TJ’s missive had “no doubt past me some distance, for a servant has just returned without it, from the next office below: I have however taken measures which will bring it back next week” (RCs in NcU: NPT).
Index Entries
- A Systematic Arrangement of Lord Coke’s First Institute of the Laws of England (J. H. Thomas) search
- Blackstone, William; Commentaries on the Laws of England search
- Byron, George Gordon, 6th Baron; works of search
- Coke, Sir Edward; A Systematic Arrangement of Lord Coke’s First Institute of the Laws of England (J. H. Thomas) search
- Commentaries on the Laws of England (W. Blackstone) search
- Eppes, Francis Wayles (TJ’s grandson); and legal education search
- Eppes, Francis Wayles (TJ’s grandson); marriage of search
- Eppes, Mary Elizabeth Cleland Randolph (Francis Wayles Eppes’s wife; Thomas Eston Randolph’s daughter); marriage of search
- Hale, Sir Mathew; as legal authority search
- Hargrave, Francis; as legal authority search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Books & Library; receives works search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Books & Library; recommends books search
- law; books on search
- law; study of search
- Literary Fund; and annuity for University of Virginia search
- Nottingham, Heneage Finch, 1st Earl of; mentioned search
- Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); TJ returns from search
- Randolph, Martha Jefferson (Patsy; TJ’s daughter; Thomas Mann Randolph’s wife); and N. P. Trist search
- Thomas, John Henry; A Systematic Arrangement of Lord Coke’s First Institute of the Laws of England search
- Trist, Elizabeth House; health of search
- Trist, Nicholas Philip; and book for TJ search
- Trist, Nicholas Philip; and University of Virginia search
- Trist, Nicholas Philip; correspondence with M. J. Randolph search
- Trist, Nicholas Philip; correspondence with V. J. R. Trist search
- Trist, Nicholas Philip; education of search
- Trist, Nicholas Philip; letter to search
- Trist, Virginia Jefferson Randolph (TJ’s granddaughter); correspondence with N. P. Trist search
- Virginia, University of; Administration and Financial Affairs; funding for search
- Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; dormitory rooms search
- Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; hotels search
- Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; pavilions search
- Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; progress of search
- Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; Rotunda (library) search
- Virginia, University of; Establishment; and General Assembly search
- Virginia; elections in search