Patrick Henry was an early friend and companion of Jefferson. He was
a jovial young fellow noted for mimicry, practical jokes, fiddling and
dancing. Jefferson's holidays were sometimes spent with Henry, and
the two together would go off on hunting excursions of which each was
passionately fond. Both were swift of foot and sound of wind.

Deer, turkey, foxes and other game were eagerly pursued. Jefferson
looked upon Patrick Henry as the moving spirit of all the fun of the
younger circle, and had not the faintest idea of the wonderful talents
that lay latent in his companion's mind.

And, Henry too, did not see in the slender, freckled, sandy-haired
Jefferson, the coming man who was to be united with him in some of the
most stirring and important events in American history.

Jefferson did not realize that this rustic youngster, careless of dress,
and apparently thoughtless in manner, and sometimes, to all appearance,
so unconcerned that he was taken by some to be an idiot, was to be the
flaming tongue of a coming Revolution. Henry did not dream that this
fiddling boy, Jefferson, was to be the potent pen of a Declaration which
was to emancipate a hemisphere.

One day in 1760, just after Jefferson had entered upon his college
studies at Williamsburg, Henry came to his room to tell him, that since
their parting of a few months before, after the Christmas holidays,
he had studied law, and had come to Williamsburg to get a license to
practice. The fact was he had studied law but six weeks, and yet felt
himself able to pass the examination. The examination was conducted by
four examiners. Three of them signed the license. The fourth, George
Wythe, refused his signature. But Henry was now duly admitted to the