s　and　until　his　burden　of　cares　became　too　great　was　an　eager　devotee　of　hunting。　His　shooting　was　of　a　type　more　heroic　than　that　of　an　English　squire　spending　a　day　on　a　moor　with　guests　and　gamekeepers　and　returning　to　comfort　in　the　evening。　Washington　went　off　on　expeditions　into　the　forest　lasting　many　days　and　shared　the　life　in　the　woods　of　rough　men；　sleeping　often　in　the　open　air。　〃Happy；〃　he　wrote；　〃is　he　who　gets　the　berth　nearest　the　fire。〃　He　could　spend　a　happy　day　in　admiring　the　trees　and　the　richness　of　the　land　on　a　neighbor's　estate。　Always　his　thoughts　were　turning　to　the　soil。　There　was　poetry　in　him。　It　was　said　of　Napoleon　that　the　one　approach　to　poetry　in　all　his　writings　is　the　phrase：　〃The　spring　is　at　last　appearing　and　the　leaves　are　beginning　to　sprout。〃　Washington；　on　the　other　hand；　brooded　over　the　mysteries　of　life。　He　pictured　to　himself　the　serenity　of　a　calm　old　age　and　always　dared　to　look　death　squarely　in　the　face。　He　was　sensitive　to　human　passion　and　he　felt　the　wonder　of　nature　in　all　her　ways；　her　bounteous　response　in　growth　to　the　skill　of　man；　the　delight　of　improving　the　earth　in　contrast　with　the　vain　glory　gained　by　ravaging　it　in　war。　His　most　striking　characteristics　were　energy　and　decision　united　often　with　strong　likes　and　dislikes。　His　clever　secretary；　Alexander　Hamilton；　found；　as　he　said；　that　his　chief　was　not　remarkable　for　good　temper　and　resigned　his　post　because　of　an　impatient　rebuke。　When　a　young　man　serving　in　the　army　of　Virginia；　Washington　had　many　a　tussle　with　the　obstinate　Scottish　Governor；　Dinwiddie；　who　thought　his　vehemence　unmannerly　and　ungrateful。　Gilbert　Stuart；　who　painted　several　of　his　portraits；　said　that　his　features　showed　strong　passions　and　that；　had　he　not　learned　self…restraint；　his　temper　would　have　been　savage。　This　discipline　he　acquired。　The　task　was　not　easy；　but　in　time　he　was　able　to　say　with　truth；　〃I　have　no　resentments；〃　and　his　self…control　became　so　perfect　as　to　be　almost　uncanny。
  The　assumption　that　Washington　fought　against　an　England　grown　decadent　is　not　justified。　To　admit　this　would　be　to　make　his　task　seem　lighter　than　it　really　was。　No　doubt　many　of　the　rich　aristocracy　spent　idle　days　of　pleasure…seeking　with　the　comfortable　conviction　that　they　could　discharge　their　duties　to　society　by　merely　existing；　since　their　luxury　made　work　and　the　more　they　indulged　themselves　the　more　happy　and　profitable　employment　would　their　many　dependents　enjoy。　The　eighteenth　century　was；　however；　a　wonderful　epoch　in　England。　Agriculture　became　a　new　thing　under　the　leadership　of　great　landowners　like　Lord　Townshend　and　Coke　of　Norfolk。　Already　was　abroad　in　society　a　divine　discontent　at　existing　abuses。　It　brought　Warren　Hastings　to　trial　on　the　charge　of　plundering　India。　It　attacked　slavery；　the　cruelty　of　the　criminal　law；　which　sent　children　to　execution　for　the　theft　of　a　few　pennies；　the　brutality　of　the　prisons；　the　torpid　indifference　of　the　church　to　the　needs　of　the　masses。　New　inventions　were　beginning　the　age　of　machinery。　The　reform　of　Parliament；　votes　for　the　toiling　masses；　and　a　thousand　other　improvements　were　being　urged。　It　was　a　vigorous；　rich；　and　arrogant　England　which　Washington　confronted。
  It　is　sometimes　said　of　Washington　that　he　was　an　English　country　gentleman。　A　gentleman　he　was；　but　with　an　experience　and　training　quite　unlike　that　of　a　gentleman　in　England。　The　young　heir　to　an　English　estate　might　or　might　not　go　to　a　university。　He　could；　like　the　young　Charles　James　Fox；　become　a　scholar；　but　like　Fox；　who　knew　some　of　the　virtues　and　all　the　supposed　gentlemanly　vices；　he　might　dissipate　his　energies　in　hunting；　gambling；　and　cockfighting。　He　would　almost　certainly　make　the　grand　tour　of　Europe；　and；　if　he　had　little　Latin　and　less　Greek；　he　was　pretty　certain　to　have　some　familiarity　with　Paris　and　a　smattering　of　French。　The　eighteenth　century　was　a　period　of　magnificent　living　in　England。　The　great　landowner；　then；　as　now；　the　magnate　of　his　neighborhood；　was　likely　to　rear；　if　he　did　not　inherit；　one　of　those　vast　palaces　which　are　today　burdens　so　costly　to　the　heirs　of　their　builders。　At　the　beginning　of　the　century　the　nation　to　honor　Marlborough　for　his　victories　could　think　of　nothing　better　than　to　give　him　half　a　million　pounds　to　build　a　palace。　Even　with　the　colossal　wealth　produced　by　modern　industry　we　should　be　staggered　at　a　residence　costing　millions　of　dollars。　Yet　the　Duke　of　Devonshire　rivaled　at　Chatsworth；　and　Lord　Leicester　at　Holkham；　Marlborough's　building　at　Blenheim；　and　many　other　costly　palaces　were　erected　during　the　following　half　century。　Their　owners　sometimes　built　in　order　to　surpass　a　neighbor　in　grandeur；　and　to　this　day　great　estates　are　encumbered　by　the　debts　thus　incurred　in　vain　show。　The　heir　to　such　a　property　was　reared　in　a　pomp　and　luxury　undreamed　of　by　the　frugal　young　planter　of　Virginia。　Of　working　for　a　livelihood；　in　the　sense　in　which　Washington　knew　it；　the　young　Englishman　of　great　estate　would　never　dream。
  The　Atlantic　is　a　broad　sea　and　even　in　our　own　day；　when　instant　messages　flash　across　it　and　man　himself　can　fly　from　shore　to　shore　in　less　than　a　score　of　hours；　it　is　not　easy　for　those　on　one　strand　to　understand　the　thought　of　those　on　the　other。　Every　community　evolves　its　own　spirit　not　easily　to　be　apprehended　by　the　onlooker。　The　state　of　society　in　America　was　vitally　different　from　that　in　England。　The　plain　living　of　Virginia　was　in　sharp　contrast　with　the　magnificence　and　ease　of　England。　It　is　true　that　we　hear　of　plate　and　elaborate　furniture；　of　servants　in　livery；　and　much　drinking　of　Port　and　Madeira；　among　the　Virginians：　They　had　good　horses。　Driving；　as　often　they　did；　with　six　in　a　carriage；　they　seemed　to　keep　up　regal　style。　Spaces　were　wide　in　a　country　where　one　great　landowner；　Lord　Fairfax；　held　no　less　than　five　million　acres。　Houses　lay　isolated　and　remote　and　a　gentleman　dining　out　would　sometimes　drive　his　elaborate　equipage　from　twenty　to　fifty　miles。　There　was　a　tradition　of　lavish　hospitality；　of　gallant　men　and　fair　women；　and　sometimes　of　hard　and　riotous　living。　Many　of　the　houses　were；　however；　in　a　state　of　decay；　with　leaking　roofs；　battered　doors　and　windows　and　shabby　furniture。　To　own　land　in　Virginia　did　not　mean　to　live　in　luxurious　ease。　Land　brought　in　truth　no　very　large　income。　It　was　easier　to　break　new　land　than　to　fertilize　that　long　in　use。　An　acre　yielded　only　eight　or　ten　bushels　of　wheat。　In　England　the　land　was　more　fruitful。　One　who　was　only　a　tenant　on　the　estate　of　Coke　of　Norfolk　died　worth　150；000　pounds；　and　Coke　himself　had　the　income　of　a　prince。　When　Washington　died　he　was　reputed　one　of　the　richest　men　in　America　and　yet　his　estate　was　hardly　equal　to　that　of　Coke's　tenant。
  Washington　was　a　good　farmer；　inventive　and　enterprising；　but　he　had　difficulties　which　ruined　many　of　his　neighbors。　Today　much　of　his　infertile　estate　of　Mount　Vernon　would　hardly　grow　enough　to　pay　the　taxes。　When　Washington　desired　a　gardener；　or　a　bricklayer；　or　a　carpenter；　he　usually　had　to　buy　him　in　the　form　of　a　convict；　or　of　a　negro　slave；　or　of　a　white　man　indentured　for　a　term　of　years。　Such　labor　required　eternal　vigilance。　The　negro；　himself　property；　had　no　respect　for　it　in　others。　He　stole　when　he　could　and　worked　only　when　the　eyes　of　a　master　were　upon　him。　If　left　in　charge　of　plants　or　of　stock　he　was　likely　to　let　them　perish　for　lack　of　water。　Washington's　losses　of　cattle；　horses；　and　sheep　from　this　cause　were　enormous。　The　neglected　cattle　gave　so　little　milk　that　at　one　time　Washington；　with　a　hundred　cows；　had　to　buy　his　butter。　Negroes　feigned　sickness　for　weeks　at　a　time。　A　visitor　noted　that　Washington　spoke　to　his　slaves　with　a　stern　harshness。　No　doubt　it　was　necessary。　The　management　of　this　intractable　material　brought　training　in　command。　If　Washington　could　make　negroes　efficient　and　farming　pay　in　Virginia；　he　need　hardly　be　afraid　to　meet　any　other　type　of　difficulty。
  From　the　first　he　was　satisfied　that　the　colonies　had　before　them　a　difficult　struggle。　Many　still　refused　to　believe　that　there　was　really　a　state　of　war。　Lexington　and　Bunker　Hill　might　be　regarded　as　unfortunate　accidents　to　be　explained　away　in　an　era　of　good　feeling　when　each　side　should　acknowledge　the　merits　of　the　other　and　apologize　for　its　own　faults。　Washington　had　few　illusions　of　this　kind。　He　took　the　issue　in　a　serious　and　even　bitter　spirit。　He　knew　nothing　of　the　Englishman　at　home　for　he　had　never　set　foot　outside　of　the　colonies　except　to　visit　Barbados　with　an　invalid　half…brother。　Even　then　he　noted　that　the　〃gentleman　inhabitants〃　whose　〃hospitality　and　genteel　behaviour〃　he　admired　were　discontented　with　the　tone　of　the　officials　sent　out　from　England。　From　early　life　Washington　had　seen　much　of　British　officers　in　America。　Some　of　them　had　been　men　of　high　birth　and　station　who　treated　the　young　colonial　officer　with　due　courtesy。　When；　however；　he　had　served　on　the　staff　of　the　unfortunate　General　Braddock　in　the　calamitous　campaign　of　1755；　he　had　been　offended　by　the　tone　of　that　leader。　Probably　it　was　in　these　days　that　Washington　first　brooded　over　the　contras