Letter from John Adams to Abigail Adams, 10 January 1795

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Philadelphia January 10. 1794 [i.e. 1795]

My Dearest Friend

The News Boys History is very long. A few Extracts will amuse you.

To Kosciusko he says

"O son of our great son of Fame

May Deals like his exalt thy Name

May fated Poland yet be free

And find a Washington in Thee."

The French

"The French still fight like veriest Witches

Both those who have and have not Breeches

And scarce a Dreade popes o'er

But sees them wade knee deep in gore

Sees Hosts of Foes though Men of might

Put all their Trust in Speedy flight;

And Oh! how quick their news is hurl'd

From Realm to Realm and World to World

For has not Telegraphe the merit

To make French feats outrace a Spirit?

Cannot Balloons as soon arise

To tell them through th' astonish'd Skies?

While Guillotine quick lets them know

By headless Ghosts, in Realms below."

Robespierre comes next, but his Character is too long to be transcribed.

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"Above the mists of mouldering Time

Thy Fame O Adams*: soars sublime

Who first The British Lion spurn'd

And gave the Terms when Peace return'd;

Cull'd from the lapse of Ages past

And fram'd a Work with time to last;

Display'd in Truths celestial Light

How Freedom, Law and Power unite.

May choicest Flowers with Tears bedew'd,

On they brave Warrens grave be strew'd;

And long Heroic Lincoln stand

The laurel's bulwark of the Land.

But still no flowers of Greatness grow

Where thorny Plaques lurk not below

There swarms Honestus's rabble throng

And Lawyer Incest joins the throngsong.

While Jarvis with his Bobtail Crew

Retreats before great Ames's view.

And now O Muse: Throw candors veil

O'er aged Sam in dotage frail;

And let past services alone

For recent deeds of folly done;

When late aboard the Gallic ship

Well fraught with Democratic flip -- a Calumny!

He praying fell on servile knees

That France alone might rule the seas

*not Gov. Sam. Vide him below.

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While sense and Reason took a nap

And snor'd in Jacobinic Cap

His other Acts, both grave and jolly

Behold are in the Book of Folly;

Yet should he with his Fathers sleep

We'll strive with all our might to weep."

Then comes Clinton &c.

The word "Soars" has made our Sans culottes Sore: and they wince inthe Backe's Paper.

Don't expose my Vanity in copying the Garland.

Adieu.

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[Endorsement -- see page image]

Cite web page as: Letter from John Adams to Abigail Adams, 10 January 1795 [electronic edition]. Adams Family Papers: An Electronic Archive. Massachusetts Historical Society. http://www.masshist.org/digitaladams/

Original manuscript: Adams, John. Letter from John Adams to Abigail Adams, 10 January 1795. 4 pages. Original manuscript from the Adams Family Papers, Massachusetts Historical Society.

Source of transcription: Adams Papers Editorial Project. Unverified transcriptions.