At the start of Jefferson’s second term, he is sixty-one years old. He is no longer the young idealist directing the course of freedom and is now descending into eccentric behavior. Once a man fond of the finest clothing, he now wears slippers and a robe to work. His clothing is a mixture of styles dating back decades, a lack of decorum that infuriates one British diplomat. He makes his office in the State Dining Room, using the adjacent Red Room for entertaining. The president keeps a pet mockingbird in a cage, often letting it fly around the office as he conducts business.
