Thomas Jefferson Papers

Enclosure: Thomas J. O’Flaherty’s Demonstration of His Skill in Latin, [ca. 10 March 1823], enclosure no. 2 in Thomas J. O’Flaherty to Thomas Jefferson, 10 March 1823

Enclosure

Thomas J. O’Flaherty’s Demonstration of His Skill in Latin

[ca. 10 Mar. 1823]

Reipublicæ Magnæ atque Potentis Fundator, Paterque Conscripte)

Athenæum Virginianum tuo sub præsidio locatum, ædificatum inque usum brevi venturum, magnopere lætor videre. Ingenii Cunabulum, Legum Morumque tutamen nemo qui non salvet. Beati terque felices formandis Juvenum animis, Te atque Jacobo Madison auspicibus, operam qui navant. Hiberniâ natum reique Popularis rite clientem, valdeque tenacem. Professoris Linguarum munus in eo implendi magna me tenet cupido. Examen institui morum animique dotum, quæ ad occupandam Institutoris sedem sunt necessariæ uolo. In præsens autem verbis Poëtæ, pace tuâ, parce detortis utar.

Cum tot sustineas et tanta negotia Æger

Americæ vigiles in publica commoda peccem

Si longo sermone morer tua tempora, Pater.

Literis quæ hanc comitantur oculos intendas te precor; epistolam ibi invenies mihi missam a Thomâ Cooper, Collegii Columbiani, in Carolinâ Meridionali Præside, quæ spes Subgratas mihi præbet. Ratione verò in Virginiâ primùm me Academiæ fuisse Præsidem, in hâcqùe Civitate spiritum efflare velle, cæteris paribus, habitâ, vivam obeamque contentus, sede dictâ haud jam donata, ejus si munia inire potero. Hanc si non feram magnis tamen excidam ausis.

Mihi rescribas litterasque huic inclusas remittas oratus. Semper honos nomenque tuum laudesque manebunt mecum,

Servo tuo obedientissimo devinctissimoque

Thomâ J. O’Flaherty

Editors’ Translation

[ca. 10 Mar. 1823]

O founder and senator of the great and powerful republic)

I greatly rejoice to see the Athenaeum of Virginia contracted, built, and about to come into use in a short while under your guardianship. There is no one who would not preserve the cradle of genius, the protection of the laws and customs. Blessed and three times happy are those who devote themselves to forming the minds of young men under the auspices of you and James Madison. I am gripped by a great desire of filling its professorship of languages, I who was born in Ireland and am duly a client of the people’s enterprise and exceedingly steadfast. I wish to undergo an examination of the character and qualities of mind that are necessary for occupying the post of instructor. However, for the present, with your permission, let me use the words of the poet, contorted somewhat.

Since you bear the weight of so many and such great duties while sick,

And are vigilant for America, I would offend against the public interests

If I were to waste your time with a lengthy discourse, o father.

I beg you to direct your eyes to the letter which accompanies this; with it you will find a letter sent to me by Thomas Cooper, president of the college at Columbia in South Carolina, a letter which offers me somewhat welcome hopes. If indeed it has been considered that in Virginia I was the first president of the Academy, and that I wish to spend my last breath in this state, all other things being equal, I would live and die content, even though the position mentioned has not now been granted, if I shall enter upon its duties. If I do not acquire this, I will nevertheless have fallen short of a great venture.

Write back to me and, as I request, send me back the letter included with this one,

Your most obedient and most devoted servant

Thomas J. O’Flaherty

MS (ViU: TJP); in O’Flaherty’s hand; undated; subjoined to preceding enclosure and with following enclosure subjoined. Translation by Dr. John F. Miller.

cum tot sustineastua tempora, pater: O’Flaherty here adapts the opening lines of Horace, Epistles, 2.1.1–4, “Cum tot sustineas et tanta negotia solus, res Italas armis tuteris, moribus ornes, legibus emendes, in publica commoda peccem, si longo sermone morer tua tempora, Caesar” (“Seeing that you alone carry the weight of so many great charges, guarding our Italian state with arms, gracing her with morals, and reforming her with laws, I should sin against the public weal if with long talk, O Caesar, I were to delay your busy hours”) (Fairclough, Horace: Satires, Epistles and Ars Poetica description begins Horace: Satires, Epistles and Ars Poetica, trans. H. Rushton Fairclough, Loeb Classical Library, 1926, repr. 2005 description ends , 396–7).

Index Entries

  • Cooper, Thomas (1759–1839); and T. J. O’Flaherty search
  • Epistles (Horace) search
  • Horace; allusions to search
  • Horace; Epistles search
  • Latin language; applicants to teach at University of Virginia search
  • Latin language; documents in, from; T. J. O’Flaherty search
  • Madison, James (1751–1836); and establishment of University of Virginia search
  • O’Flaherty, Thomas John; demonstrations of language skills of search
  • O’Flaherty, Thomas John; seeks professorship search
  • Rappahannock Academy; principal of search
  • schools and colleges; Rappahannock Academy search
  • South Carolina College (later University of South Carolina); president of search
  • Virginia, University of; Faculty and Curriculum; faculty applicants search