slave-ship, a heathen child of seven years, from the jungles of Africa, and although at once putting on the galling yoke of slavery, nevertheless she grew and developed such traits of character and displayed the genius of such a powerful intellect that in less than twenty years from the time she was purchased at the slave-pen in Boston she became the admiration and wonder of the best minds in Europe and in America. She especially addressed one of her poems to General George Washington, which so pleased the great conqueror that the following complimentary letter flowed from his stately pen to her:
Cambridge, 28th February, 1776.
Miss Phillis:—Your favor of the 26th of October did not reach my hands till the middle of December. Time enough, you will say, to have given an answer ere this. Granted. But a variety of important occurrences continually interposing to distract the mind and withdraw the attention I hope will apologize for the delay, and plead my excuse for the seeming but not real neglect. I thank you most sincerely for your polite notice of me, in the elegant lines you enclosed; and however undeserving I may be of such encomium and panegyric, the style and manner exhibit a striking proof of your poetical talents; in honor of which, and as a tribute justly due to you, I would have published the poem, had I not been apprehensive that, while I only meant to give the world this new instance of your genius, I might have incurred the imputation of vanity. This, and nothing else, determined me not to give it place in the public prints. If you should ever come to Cambridge, or near headquarters, I shall be happy to see a person so favored by the Muse, and to whom Nature has been so liberal and beneficent in her dispensations.
I am with great respect, your obedient, humble servant,
George Washington.
The whole life of Phillis Wheatley, while rising to the highest point of sublime grandeur in her day, also
