doubt that the treatment of his last illness by
the doctors was little short of murder. Although he had been bled once
already, after they took charge of the case they prescribed "two pretty
copious bleedings," and finally a third, "when about 32 ounces of blood
were drawn," or the equivalent of a quart. Of the three doctors, one
disapproved of this treatment, and a second wrote, only a few days after
Washington's death, to the third, "you must remember" Dr. Dick "was averse
to bleeding the General, and I have often thought that if we had acted
according to his suggestion when he said, 'he needs all his strength--
bleeding will diminish it,' and taken no more blood from him, our good
friend might have been alive now. But we were governed by the best light
we had; we thought we were right, and so we are justified."

Shortly after this last bleeding Washington seemed to have resigned
himself, for he gave some directions concerning his will, and said, "I
find I am going," and, "smiling," added, that, "as it was the debt which
we must all pay, he looked to the event with perfect resignation." From
this time on "he appeared to be in great pain and distress," and said,
"Doctor, I die hard, but I am not afraid to go. I believed from my first
attack that I should not survive it." A little later he said, "I feel
myself going. I thank you for your attention, you had better not take any
more trouble about me; but let me go off quietly." The last words he said
were, "'Tis well." "About ten minutes before he expired, his breathing
became much easier--he lay quietly--... and felt his own pulse.... The
general's hand fell from his wrist,... and he expired without a struggle
or a Sigh."

III

EDUCATION

The father of Washington received his education at Appleby School in
England, and, true to his alma mater, he sent his two elder sons to the
same school. His death when George was eleven prevented this son from
having the same advantage, and such education as he had was obtained in
Virginia. His old friend, and later enemy, Rev. Jonathan Boucher, said
that "George, like most people thereabouts at that time, had no education
than reading, writing and accounts which he was taught by a convict
servant whom his father bought for a schoolmaster;" but Boucher managed to
include so many inaccuracies in his account of Washington, that even if
this statement were not certainly untruthful in several respects, it could
be dismissed as