September 27, 1732: I came into the main county road that leads from
Fredericksburg to Germanna, which last place I reached in ten miles
more. This famous town consists of Col. Spotswood’s enchanted castle
on one side of the street and a baker’s dozen of ruinous tenements on
the other.... Here I arrived about three o’clock and found only Mrs.
Spotswood at home, who received her old acquaintance with many a
gracious smile. I was carried into a room elegantly set off with pier
glasses [_full-length mirrors set between windows_] the largest of
which came soon after to an odd misfortune.
Amongst other favorite animals that cheered this lady’s solitude, a
brace of tame deer ran familiarly about the house, and one of them
came to stare at me as a stranger. But unluckily spying his own figure
in the glass, he made a spring over the tea table that stood under it,
and shattered the glass to pieces, and falling back upon the tea
table, made a terrible fracas among the china. This exploit was so
sudden and accompanied with such a noise that it surprised me, and
perfectly frightened Mrs. Spotswood. But ’twas worth all the damage to
show the moderation and good humor with which she bore this disaster.
In the evening the noble colonel came home from his mines, who saluted
me very civilly, and Mrs. Spotswood’s sister, Miss Theky, who had been
to meet him _en cavalier_ [_on horseback_] was so kind too as to bid
me welcome. We talked over a legend [_collection_] of old stories,
supped about 9, and then prattled with the ladies till ’twas time for
a traveler to retire. In the meantime I observed my old friend to be
very uxorious [_submissive to his wife_] and exceedingly fond of his
children. This was so opposite to the maxims he used to preach up
before he was married, that I could not forbear rubbing up the memory
of them. But he gave a very goodnatured turn to his change of
sentiments by alleging that whoever brings a poor gentlewoman into so
solitary a place, from all her friends and acquaintance, would be
ungrateful not to use her and all that belongs to her with all
possible tenderness.
September 28: We all kept snug in our several apartments till nine,
except Miss Theky, who was the housewife of the family. At that hour
we met over a pot of coffee, which was not quite strong enough to give
us the palsy. After breakfast the Colonel and I left the ladies to
their domestic affairs and took a turn in the garden, which has
nothing beautiful but 3 terrace walks that fall in slopes one below
another. I let him understand that besides the pleasure of paying him
a visit, I came to be instructed by so great a master in the mystery
of making of iron, wherein he had led the way....
September 30: The sun rose clear this morning, and so did I and
finished all my little affairs by breakfast. It was then resolved to
wait on the ladies on horseback, since the bright sun, the fine air,
and the wholesome exercise all invited us to it. We forded the river a
little above the ferry and rode 6 miles up the neck to a fine level
piece of rich land where we found about 20 plants of ginseng, with the
scarlet berries growing on the top of the middle stalk. The root of
this is of wonderful virtue in many cases, particularly to raise the
spirits and promote perspiration, which makes it a specific in colds
and coughs. The colonel complimented me with all we found in return
for my telling him the virtues of it. We were all pleased to find so
much of this king of plants so near the colonel’s habitation and
growing too upon his own land.... I carried home this treasure with as
much joy as if every root had been a graft of the Tree of Life, and
washed and dried it carefully.