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of a camp.

He shaved himself, before coming to me and the powder being wshed from the Whiskers, in front of his ears showed that his hair was a dark brown. This is verified by the portrait of 1772. What there was of gray, on top of his head, was disguised with powder - yet it was abundant, & being plaited behind, was long and clubbed - not as a quieue (sic) as Houdon has represented it - to which was appended, on days of ceremony in dress of Black Velvet, the custonary black silk bag. Costume has been thought no unworthy of Historical record, and the fashion of the Beard, from the time of Moses has had its fancies & fluctuations. In this our day, when Beards are so much in vogue, it may, perhaps be worthy of passing remark that neither Washington nor any of his military associates ever wore that appendage to their physiognomy. Walker in this "analysis of Beauty" considers the Beard "manly and noble and its abandonment as threatening the downfall of States. He says "they were bearded Romans who conquered the then beardless Greeks; and they were bearded Goths who conquered the then beardless Romans."

We, however, of the Western Empire, may be permitted to remark, that the Military Prowess of England rose in defiance of Asiatic Beards; and that the rival bravery of American Patriots suffered no depreciation, threatening the downfall of States.

Washington's punctuality was shown in the sittings he gave me. at 7 o'clock precisely, as the the Statehouse clock was striking, he uniformly entered my studio in the Philosophical Hall, in the act of putting his watch into his fob. I have employed this anecdote to enjoin punctuality with my sitters; requiring from them the performance of a duty, which Washington, whose time was of the greatest value, so politely and conscientiously accorded to me young as I was. 

In executing ten Copies of this Portrait I became fully sensible of its deficiencies - though satisfied that it possessed some points of merit, which subsequently enabled me to compose a better picture.

Mr. Stuart's first Portrait of Washington was painted simultaneously with mine, in September 1795. From this Portrait he made five copies; but becoming dissatisfied with it, some years afterwards, sold it for $200 to Winstanley the landscape painter. This I was informed of by Dr. Thornton in Washington soon after it occurred so that it was not literally rubbed out, as it has been supposed. Winstanley took it to London where it was bought by Mr. William Vaughan, and is now in the possession of Joseph Harrison of Philadelphia who has permitted me to make a facsimile of it.

Although this portrait was not satisfactory to Mr. Stuart, yet Ithink that in the Lower portion of the face it has the advantage over the Portrait which he painted afterwards. A small copy of it I have seen in Baltimore, certified on the back of it by Robert Gilmore, as "painted for him by James House, from Stuart's first Portrait of Washington."

To me it was very interesting in making this copy from the work of a fellow artist, to study his first impression of the living countenance of Washington - and to [[strikethrough]] obtain [[/strikethrough]] others it shall be equally interestin to observe how the same artist may, more or less accurately, mark what he sees, producing, as in this case, two Portraits, tho corresponding in some respects, yet differing in others leaving it to more impartial judges than himself to decide on their comparative and unltimate merit.

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