Page:Henry Adams' History of the United States Vol. 2.djvu/383

364 was the pride of every Virginia gentleman. No man should be turned away from its doors; its table, liberal and excellent, should be filled with equal guests, whose self-respect should be hurt by no artificial rules of precedence. Such hospitality cost both time and money; but Washington was a petty village, society was very small, and Jefferson was a poor economist. He entertained freely and handsomely.


 * "Yesterday I dined with the President," wrote Senator Plumer of New Hampshire, Dec. 25, 1802. "His rule is to have about ten members of Congress at a time.  We sat down to the table at four, rose at six, and walked immediately into another room and drank coffee.  We had a very good dinner, with a profusion of fruits and sweetmeats.  The wine was the best I ever drank, particularly the champagne, which was indeed delicious.  I wish his French politics were as good as his French wines."

So long as this manner of life concerned only the few Americans who were then residents or visitors at Washington, Jefferson found no great difficulty in mixing his company and disregarding precedence. Guests accommodated themselves to the ways of the house, took care of their own comfort, went to table without special request, and sat wherever they found a vacant chair; but foreigners could hardly be expected at first to understand what Jefferson called the rule of pell-mell. Thornton and Pichon, being only secretaries of legation, rather gained than lost