The adoption of our College as an University much delays the opening our schools here, as needing much greater preparation & the Visitors having concluded that accomodations must be provided before Professors, they have fixed on April next for recieving professors. Dr Cooper was to have brought on a mr Slack, as Usher to our Grammar school & whom he had pressed as our principal, considering him as a very able classic: I have written to him to propose to him to come on immediately, & set up on his own account for this year on the assurance that many pupils held up for this institution would immediately enter with him. I go to Bedford 3. or 4. days hence, and when I return I shall find the answer here. in Bedford also I shall have an opportunity of enquiring into the character lately employed in New London of whom I hear a good account. Francis had mentioned that if we were not ready here, you thought of sending him to Staunton. I therefore wrote to Girardin to know if he could take him & Baker & his terms. two mails have arrived without an answer, & Francis thinks he can wait no longer. this I shall find here on my return from Bedford. besides these 3. chances, among which we shall be able at that time to chuse, there is a mr Laporte from the Calfpasture to whom I had proposed to come & keep a boarding house for the University. in expectation it would open this spring he sold out at the Calfpasture, came down and engaged a house. he will come to it in May, and endeavor with such boarders as he can get to hold on till next spring. he is a good man and has a most respectable & genteel family, a wife & 2 daughters & they speak in their family nothing but French. if other more eligible situations fail, it is worthy of consideration whether Francis & Baker could employ a year better than in boarding with them & learning to speak French; and especially as they could go on themselves in the languages with such advice as I could give them. on these considerations I have proposed to Francis to meet me here on my return the 1st of May, and to bring with him your views & wishes in making this choice. if Slack comes there can be no doubt it will be best to attend him & board with Laporte. if he does not come, there may be doubt, and the more as we have heard that Girardin’s school is carelessly & incompetently instructed. General Cocke tells me he is about to take away his son on that account. I know nothing of the fact. I believe mr Girardin to be a good classic himself, but it is said he has an incompetent aid. these difficulties are submitted to your consideration, and I shall hope to recieve your conclusion by Francis on his return here. in the mean time accept assurances of my affectionat[e esteem?] & respect.

Th[:] J[effer]son