Hugh Jones, a Fellow of William and Mary College, writes of his countrymen that, for the most part, they are only desirous of learning what is absolutely necessary, in the shortest way. To meet this peculiarity Mr. Jones states that he has designed a royal road to learning, consisting of a series of text-books embracing an _Accidence to Christianity_, an _Accidence to the Mathematicks_, and an _Accidence to the English Tongue_. This last is "for the use of such boys and men as have never learned Latin, and for the Benefit of the Female Sex." The Bishop of London addressed a circular to the Virginia clergy inquiring as to the condition of their parishes. To the question, "Are there any schools in your parish?" the almost invariable answer was: "None." To the question, "Is there any parish library?" but a single affirmative response was received. One minister replied, "We have the _The Book of Homilies_, _The Whole Duty of Man_, and _The Singing Psalms_." It may be to this very scarcity of books that we owe that originality and vigor of thought which distinguished the leaders of the Revolution. Governor Page reported Patrick Henry as saying to him, "Naiteral parts is better than all the larnin upon yearth," and when to _naiteral parts_ we add the mastery of a few English classics, we touch the secret of the dignity and virility which mark the utterances of these men who had known so little school-training. Randolph of Roanoke, the youngest son of his widowed mother, was taught by her as a little child. As he grew older he was left a good deal to his own devices, but his mind was not idle, and he had access to an unusually good library. Before he was ten, he had read Voltaire's "History of Charles XII.," "Reynard the Fox," and odd volumes of _The Spectator_. The "Arabian Nights" and Shakespeare were his delight. "I had read them," he writes, "with Don Quixote, Quintus Curtius, Plutarch, Pope's Homer, Robinson Crusoe, Gulliver, Tom Jones, Orlando Furioso, and Thomson's Seasons, before I was eleven years old." Washington, unlike most of his compeers, was sent to school, first in the little cabin taught by the sexton of the church, a man named Hobby, and afterward to a more advanced school taught by a Mr. Williams. Here he decorated his writing and ciphering books, school-boy fashion, with nondescript birds done in pen-flourishes, and with amateur profile portraits. Here also he copied legal forms, bills of exchange, bonds, etc., till he acquired that methodical habit which afterward stood him in good stead. There were good and faithful teachers in those days, though they were not too common. The Scotch seem to have done most of the teaching in the colonies, and to have done it well. Jefferson recalls the "mouldy pies and good teaching" of the Scotch minister who taught him the languages; and many a Scotch name figures in the list of parish school-teachers.