The writings of George Washington; being his correspondence, addresses, messages, and other papers, official and private, selected and published from the original manuscripts; with a life of the author, notes and illustrations. By Jared Sparks.

X11ii INTRODUCTION. [PART I.
articles as he wanted from that market, they have little
in them of public or permanent interest. They show
the exactness of method, the unceasing industry, the
minuteness of detail, and rigid economy, with which he
managed all his affairs, and prosecuted every kind of
business he undertook. Political reflections, general
remarks, and opinions on higher topics, are occasionally
introduced, but these are incidental, few, and brief.
From this part of the correspondence such selections
have been made, as were suited to the objects of the
present work.
For many years previous to the revolution, it was
Washington's custom to keep, a diary of some of the
principal incidents, that occurred within his observation.
For this purpose he commonly used an almanac, interleaved with blank paper, and bound in a small volume.
He made daily entrances under three heads, namely,
first, " Where, how, or with whom, my time is spent;"
secondly, ".tlccount of the Weather;" thirdly, "Remarks and Observatiosns." He was a careful observer
of the weather, and almost every night recorded the
aspect of the heavens during the preceding day, whether
cloudy or fair, the direction of the winds, and temperature. Whenever he left home he carried the interleaved
almanac in his pocket, as also another little book, in
which he entered daily the amount of money paid out
by him, and the specific objects for which it was paid.
This habit ceased during the revolution, but was renewed afterwards. The contents of his diary turned chieflyon agricultural operations and other business concerns.
These volumes, kept for a series of years, afford some
biographical materials not destitute of interest.
It has been a task of some difficulty to determine
what general principles should be adopted, in selecting
the parts for publication from the whole body of papers