1772=1834.
William Wirt was born at Bladensburg, Maryland, and received an early and excellent education. He removed to Virginia in 1791 and began the practice of law, in which profession he rose to great and singular eminence.
He was elected Chancellor of Virginia in 1801, led the prosecution in the Aaron Burr trial, 1807, and was concerned in several other famous cases. In 1817 he was appointed Attorney-General of the United States and lived in Washington twelve years. In 1826 he delivered before Congress the address on the death of John Adams and of Thomas Jefferson; which occurred on the Fourth of July, of that year, just fifty years after the Declaration of Independence.
His health giving way under his severe labors and distress for the death of his son Robert, he resigned his office. He said, “All, all is vanity and vexation of spirit, except religion, friendship, and literature.” He removed to Baltimore and resumed the practice of law. He was a man of fine appearance and charming social graces. It is related that on one occasion he kept a party of friends up all night long, to their utter astonishment, merely by the powers of his delightful conversation. See “Memoirs of Wirt” by Kennedy.
WORKS.
Letters of the British Spy. Wirt’s style both in writing and speaking has been often and justly praised for its grace, culture, and luxuriance. His “British Spy” is composed of ten letters supposed to be left at an inn by a spy, giving opinions on various things and an account especially of public men and orators that he has met in his travels in America. These letters are esteemed Wirt’s best literary work, although his “Life of Patrick Henry” is perhaps better known on account of its subject. (From The British Spy.)
Rainbow, [essays].
Life of Patrick Henry.
Addresses.
Old Bachelor, THE BLIND PREACHER, (JAMES WADDELL[6]).