In the rotunda of the Capitol is the most valuable marble in America, Houdon’s statue of Washington, modelled from life. Virginia had voted this statue to him May 15, 1784, and Madison penned the inscription which appears on the pedestal: “The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia have caused this statue to be erected as a monument of affection and gratitude to George Washington, who uniting to the endowments of the hero, the virtues of the patriot, and exercising both in establishing the liberties of his country, has rendered his name dear to his fellow citizens, and given to the world an immortal example of true glory.” Mr. Jefferson, being then in Paris, engaged Houdon to come to Virginia to make the statue, saying of him: “He is without rivalship, the first statuary of his age, as proof of which he receives orders from every other country for things intended to be capital.” It is a tradition that Houdon spent several days at Mount Vernon before he selected the attitude for the statue. One day Washington was summoned to inspect a pair of horses offered for sale. He asked their price, and was told “a thousand dollars.” At once he drew himself up, with an expression of indignation at the price, and Houdon, watching him, exclaimed, “Ah, I ’ave him, I ’ave him!” and immediately set to work to make the pose immortal. In the Capitol grounds stands Crawford’s famous equestrian statue of the great hero. [Illustration: WASHINGTON MONUMENT AND CAPITOL, RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.] Thomas Crawford, father of F. Marion Crawford, the distinguished novelist of our day, had received an order from the State of Virginia to make this statue of Washington and also to make effigies of Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry to stand at its base. He had just completed his work when he was afflicted with a mortal disease, and when an order came to add the figures of Mason, Marshall, Nelson and Lewis he was unable to fill it, and the monument was subsequently completed by Randolph Rogers. The statue was unveiled February 22, 1858, the one hundred and twenty-sixth anniversary of Washington’s birth, and a proud day it was in the history of Richmond. Henry A. Wise, Governor of the State, presided and delivered an eloquent address. Senator R. M. T. Hunter was the orator of the occasion, and John R. Thompson and James Barron Hope, who were then the “rose and expectancy of the State,” recited poems prepared by them. It is considered one of the best equestrian statues in the world. A fine marble statue of Henry Clay, executed by Joel T. Hart and erected by the efforts of some patriotic ladies, stands near by. Contemporaries of Mr. Clay pronounced it lifelike. Virginia claims Mr. Clay for a son, as he was born in Hanover County, and did not move to Kentucky until he reached manhood. [Illustration: HENRY CLAY.]