I think Nancy is correct. There is not a scintilla of evidence that Jefferson was asexual. It is undeniable that Martha and Thomas Jefferson had an active and apparently satisfying sex life, and his attraction to Maria Cosway tells us he was not of a celibate inclination. Are we to assume then that for the remaining two- thirds of his life he was a chronic masturbator? Ask yourself, are you prepared to live for half a century without a sexual relationship, or without lying in bed cuddling the man or woman you are sleeping with? If the answer is yes, you should consider life in the Roman clergy. It's better than tenure. -- Stephan On 4 May 2008, at 22:17, Anne Pemberton wrote: > Nancy, > > I fail to see how noting that he was a sexual person is "trashing > him". > > As a widower, we would expect a healthy male to make some > provisions for sexual outlets. There were all sorts of taboos back > then for "taking matters in hand". NOT providing such an outlet > could have made TJ a rather dour man who was not capable of the > leadership that he exhibited. > > ______________________________________ To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html