HENRY,' PATRICK, an eminent orator, was b. in Hanover in 1736. His father was a native of Scotland, and a nephew of Robertson, the celebrated histo rian. In early life, Henry was passionately addicted to angling and hunting, and seemed too indolent to apply himself to any regular occupation. He managed, however, to pick up a good deal of general information, and he seemed to possess by intuition a profound knowledge of human nature in all its various phases. Having failed successively in "store-keeping" and in farming, he at length was induced to try the profession of law. Fora few years this seemed to promise no better success than his former occupations had done, but having been employed in 1755 to plead the cause of the people against an unpopular tax, his peculiar talent seemed suddenly to develop itself; his eloquence, untaught except by the inspiration of native genius, thrilled the audience, and held in rapt attention more than two hours. From that moment to the present day he has been
universally regarded as the greatest of American orators. Be was a zealous patriot in the war of the revolution, and was one of the most prominent and influential members of the Virginia legislature, when that state was deliberating whether or not to join Mas sachusetts in forcibly resisting the arbitrary policy of the home-government. Henry was a delegate to the first general congress, which met at Philadelphia in Sept., 1774, and his voice was the first to break the silence of that assembly. His eloquence on that occasion is said to have astonished all his hearers. In 1776 he was elected governor of Virginia, and was afterwards twice re-elected. In 1795 Washington appointed him secre'tary of state. He died in 1799.