Your obliging favour by captain Folger came safe to Hand, and brought me the agreeable intelligence of my Eldest sons having received His degree, and performed his part to the satisfaction of his Friends, and his own credit. you know Sir from experience, that there is no musick sweeter in the Ears of parents, than the well earned praises of their children.

I hope he will continue through Life to mantain the Character of an honest man; and a usefull citizen I am anxious for his Health, and hope you will advise him to pay more attention to it, than he is inclined too

I presume before this time mr Adams's & my letters must have reachd you, respecting the purchase of Borlands place. I hope to 185hear from you upon this subject by Callihan: Mr Adams has written to you concerning our Farm and thinks it best to take it into his own Hands, as it will want manure, and many other things done; which we cannot expect from a Tenant, but as some arrangements will be necessary before we shall be able to reach America, I have thought whether Pheby would not undertake the dairy, with an assistant, and whether the other buisness might not be performd by hireing a man & Boy & agreeing to pay him a certain Sum he finding himself—

I know it is much easier to propose these things than to do them, and that it is putting a great deal of trouble upon you. Belcher used to be a good Hand & knows the place perfectly well, if you should buy mr Borlands place, that also will require attention. I hope we may be able to get home in june at furthest.—

Every thing here looks Hostile, and England is arming with all expedition and seem fully bent upon war, without a single object of Benifit, or conquest. The Nation appear very well pleasd at the prospect. The Conduct of France towards Holland, betrays either weakness or Fear. She has by her late conduct faded the laurels which she won in America. She has left her Ally, in their greatest distress, a prey to the orange mob, & the prussian Army To the machinations of British politicks, & the Tyrranny of the Stadholder. The Country will in a manner, be depopulated, the wealth of it transferd to other Nations, and the Prince of orange the Monarck of Frogs, perhaps the insolence of this Nation may provoke France to strike some unexpected stroke, but it will be too late to save Holland. The Patriots have already experienced the most outrageous conduct, and wanton cruelty, in the destruction of their Houses, and the ravage of their property, every personal indignity, and a constant threatning of their lives.

Such is the Mobility of all countries when once let lose, another lesson for America. I hope She will be wise enough to keep clear of the Blaize which threatnes Europe. She may rise into power and concequence, even by the Calamities of other Nations if she improves their folly arright

Mr Adams has finishd his other volm and requests when they arrive you would distribute a 2d volm to all those Gentleman to whom he sent the first, as well as those you added to the List, not forgetting Brother Shaw—1 The Reviewers to this month are sent you.

Remember me to your Son and believe me dear sir / most affectionately yours,

I inclose a pamphlet upon darying1 which when you have read, be so good as to give to Pheby provided she becomes my dairy woman, and be so good as to procure me the following List of Herbs & send me in small Bags Catnip mint penny Royal & Hysop. You will laugh I suppose, but I want them for my Voyage, & what I get here are good for very little. Catnip is an herb I never could find here. I have sent to my Neices a small band Box with some Gauze for Bonets, and little modle. there ingenuity will put them together I doubt not, they are the newest fashion, & as the Bonets are not made, there is no prohibition upon them

I am obliged to make up what package I have least the vessel should sail, and must trust to getting what I shall write to sister shaw & my children on Board afterwards

Esther has been sick this fortnight, but is Some thing better. She is such a poor weakly creature that I fear sometims I shall never get her back alive, if she had not lived where the utmost care and attention has been paid to her, she would long ago have been dead.

pray remember me to Mrs Quincy & miss Nancy to mr Alleyne family, and to all inquiring Friends—and believe me always your affectionate / sister

I have just sent some Letters to go by Captain Folger, but find he does not sail so soon as captain Cushing. Should he arrive before Folger without a Line I know by experience how fruitfull your imaginition would be of conjectures, and tho I have said all that appeard to me of importance, & perhaps more than others will think of any, 187in my Letters on Board Folger, I forgot to inclose a paper which I promised, and which will require my other Letters to explain.

Pray is our Native Town yet destitute of a setled Pastor? What is become of mr & mrs Evans? and where is my old Friend Charles Storer, indeed I feel conscious that I have not used him well. I am indebted to him for Several Letters, but I really have so many to whom I am by duty as well as inclination obliged to write that, when a vessel is going to sail, my whole time is occupied—

I think of all my Friends with an unabated affection, & hope the period is not far distant when I shall meet them again. Some alass, I shall miss—but this is the portion of mortality.

Remember me affectionately to mr Cranch. I cannot get mr Adams to write half the Letters I want him to. he is so buisily employd about his Books, I tell him he will ruin himself in Publishing his Books, he says they are for the Benefit of his Country, and he allways expected to be ruind in her service, but I am really affraid he will kill himself in her service too, for his unwearied application has brought a nervious pain in his Head which allarms me at times.— he is not now a young man, and has Served the publick Years enough to have been at his ease the remainder of his Life, if half the assiduity had been employd in his own private affairs.

adieu my dear Sister Remember me to all Friends, for this is the only Letter which I shall write by Cushing— I have sent the Critical Reviews to dr Tufts by Cushing, the Letter to him Folger has—

ever yours