The second Faringfield (father of ours), being taken with a desire for
the civilities and refinements of a town life, moved from Virginia to
New York, married there a very worthy lady of Dutch patroon descent,
and, retaining his Virginia plantation, gradually extended his
business, so that he died a general merchant, with a European and a
West Indian trade, and with vessels of his own. He it was that built
the big Faringfield house in Queen Street. He was of an aspiring mind,
for one in trade, and had even a leaning toward book-knowledge and the
ornaments of life. He was, moreover, an exceedingly proud man, as if a
haughty way were needful to a man of business and an American, in
order to check the contempt with which he might be treated as either.
His large business, his pride, his unreasonable hatred of England
(which he never saw), and a very fine and imposing appearance, he
passed down to our Mr. Faringfield, by whom all these inheritances
were increased. This gentleman, sensible of the injustice of an
inherited dislike not confirmed by experience, took occasion of some
business to make a visit to England, shortly after his father's death.
I believe he called upon his English cousins, now some degrees
removed, and, finding them in their generation ignorant that there
were any American Faringfields, was so coldly received by them, as
well as by the men with whom his business brought him in contact, that
he returned more deeply fixed in his dislike, and with a determination
that no Faringfield under his control should ever again breathe the
air of the mother island.
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