Jefferson's correspondence with Cabell and other personal friends. The original visitors of Central College were empowered by Jefferson's bill to continue their functions until the first meeting of their successors. This gave a fine opportunity "of expediting the objects of said institution." The old board met for the last time February 26, 1819, and voted to apply all available funds toward the erection of additional buildings for the accommodation of professors and students.

It was Jefferson's policy, from the beginning, to push forward the material construction of the University; to make it an accomplished fact, and thus an influence in appealing to the public imagination and to legis. lative support. It was perhaps a necessary policy in the early history of the University, before its pre-eminence over rivals and its superiority to all opposition was fully established. There was absolutely nothing in the neighborhood of Charlottesville to attract either professors or students. Jefferson was compelled, by the necessities of the situation, to create something visible and impressive which should compel admiration. Jefferson defined his building policy in a letter to Cabell, December 28, 1822, in which it appears that he regarded a good material basis for the University as necessary to its intellectual superstructure. Jefferson said: "The great object of our aim from the beginning has been to make the establishment the most eminent in the United States, in order to draw to it the youth of every State, but especially of the South and West. We have proposed, therefore, to call to it characters of the first order of science from Europe, as well as our own country, and not only by the salaries and the comforts of their situation, but by the distinguished scale of its structure and preparation, and the promise of future eminence which these would hold up, to induce them to commit their reputation to its future fortunes. Had we built a barn for a college and log huts for accommodations, should we ever have had the assurance to propose to an European professor of that character to come to it ?". Cabell also was thoroughly convinced of the soundness of the building policy of the University. Even the enemies of the institution acknowledged that Jefferson's course was wise. President Smith, of William and Mary College, and Judge Semple, of William sburg, said that "Virginians would never be pleased with anything on a small scale." The judge confessed to Cabell that an influential politician from Charles City had been won over to the University by a mere visit of inspection, which impressed him with "the extent and splendor of the establishment." Undoubtedly Jefferson's building policy served an excellent purpose, politically and educationally, but candid students of the history of the University must admit that he carried his architectural crotchets rather too far for the best economy of slender educational

resources.

ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER OF THE UNIVERSITY.

Jefferson early conceived the ingenious idea that college buildings should afford perpetual object lessons to students in the right principles

of architecture. This idea, excellent in itself, was difficult for Jefferson to realize according to his classic ideals, for, unlike Pericles, he could not fully command the public treasury. It is interesting, historically, to note the beginning of Jefferson's architectural project. In the proceedings of the visitors of Central College, July 28, 1817, it is agreed "that it is expedient to import a stone-cutter from Italy, and that Mr. Jefferson be authorized and requested to take the requisite measures to effect that object." The intention was to have chiselled capitals for the columns of the pavilions, or professors' houses, and to make their porticos illustrate Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders of architecture. Two "Italian artists" were accordingly imported, and they proceeded to chisel the stone of Virginia into classic forms. At the second meeting of the visitors of the University in 1819, it was voted "that as the stone in the neighborhood of the University is found not capable of being wrought into capitals for the columns of some of the pavilions, and it may be necessary to procure elsewhere proper stone or marble, and to have such capitals executed here or elsewhere, the proctor be authorized to take such measures relative thereto," etc. The proctor was the business agent of the University and Jefferson's right-hand man. The above resolution prepared the way for having the capitals cut in Italy, from excellent marble, and imported, like the original master workman, or "our artist," with whom Jefferson settled for $1,390.56, including "his past wages, his board, and passage hither." The seventeen capitals cost by contract but a trifle over $2,000, and no one who has ever visited the University of Virginia will feel disposed to find fault with Mr. Jefferson for indulging in these inexpensive architectu ral luxuries, which are among the most charming features of that origi. nal creation.

PAVILIONS COMPLETED.

In the third annual report, 1821, to the president and directors of the literary fund, Jefferson stated that "the visitors, considering as the law of their duty the report of the commissioners of 1818, which was made to the Legislature, and acted on by them from time to time subsequently, have completed all the buildings proposed by that report, except one; that is to say, ten distinct houses or pavilions containing each a lecturing room, with generally four other apartments for the accommodation of a professor and his family, and with a garden and the requisite family offices; six hotels for dieting the students, with a single room in each for a refectory, and two rooms, a garden, and offices for the tenant; and an hundred and nine dormitories, sufficient each for the accommodation of two students, arranged in four distinct rows between the pavilions and hotels, and united with them by covered ways; which buildings are all in readiness for occupation, except that there is still some plastering to be done, now on hand, which will be finished early in the present season, the garden grounds and garden walls to be completed, and some columns awaiting their capitals, not yet received from

102

JEFFERSON AND THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA.

Italy." Here is the picture of an academical village, taking form and comeliness according to original designs first conceived by Jefferson for Albemarle Academy.

COST OF THE PAVILIONS.

According to Jefferson's third annual report, 1821, the ten pavilions for the professors cost something over $86,000. The one hundred and nine dormitories for the students required an outlay of about $65,000. The six "hotels," or boarding-houses, were estimated at $24,000. For back yards and gardens $1,500 were allowed. The entire expenditure proposed for buildings, lands, labor, etc., was reckoned at something over $207,000. The final cost' proved much more than that amount. The library building, with its dome, proved very expensive. Jefferson continued to report progress from year to year until 1825, when the University was opened to students. He early declared in favor of prudent delay in organizing instruction. He said in his fourth report, 1822: "The visitors, from the beginning, have considered it indispensable to complete all the buildings before opening the institution; because, from the moment that it shall be opened, the whole income of the University will be absorbed by the salaries of the professors and other incidental and current expenses, and nothing will remain to erect any buildings still wanting to complete the system."

JEFFERSON'S FINANCIAL POLICY.

One of the most extraordinary features of Jefferson's management of the University was his financial policy. To begin with, he had persuaded the Legislature to adopt Central College, with its modest fortune of $41,000, chiefly in unpaid subscriptions, and with its three thousand and odd dollars arising from the sale of glebe lands. In 1821, as appears from Jefferson's own report, only about $25,000 of the above subscription money had been collected. The balance was for the most part deemed good, but it appears to have come in slowly and to have suffered some losses from the removal or insolvency of certain subscribers. In 1823 Jefferson estimated the probable loss at 6 per cent. of the $43,808 up to that time subscribed. But he more than made up for any such trifling disappointment by securing money from the Legislature.

The annual appropriation originally made to the University from the income of the literary fund was only $15,000 a year. Of course it was impossible to build, organize, and equip a real university upon such meagre resources. But Jefferson and Cabell were good politicians. They took what they could get, and then asked for more. Jefferson's financial policy in dealing with the Legislature of Virginia was something like the camel's method of entering an Arab's tent, or like a woodman's method of splitting a log. To follow one's nose, or to drive a 1 Niles's Register for March 4, 1826, estimates the total cost at about $400,000,