I have to acknowledge the receipt of two Letters from you, of the 9th. and of the 19th: of last month; the former of which I received, about three weeks ago, while I was at Boston, attending upon the Session of our Supreme Court; and the latter came to hand, but two days since. I hope I shall ever feel suitably grateful, for the tender solicitude, which you express with respect to my future prospects, and I trust I shall always be sufficiently sensible of the weight and importance of your advice, and directions to regulate my conduct— The principal subject of both your Letters, has been long a matter of contemplation to my own mind; I have been for some months expecting the judicial appointments; upon the presumption that some vacancies might be made, which would open a way, for making a more advantageous settlement in some part of the Commonwealth, than there could be while those Gentlemen who were best qualified for seats upon the bench were still at the Bar.— But the appointments are now made, and have not produced the smallest alteration in the prospects of a young candidate for practice. Mr: Paine, the late attorney general, never did any other business than that of the Commonwealth; though Mr: Sullivan, to the same office, unites the greatest quantity of civil business of any gentleman at the bar. Mr: Cushing was not even a practitioner; so that notwithstanding the disposal of those three important offices, the state of practice remains almost wholly as it was before.1

It has become necessary however for me to determine speedily upon the spot of my future residence. And in reflecting upon the subject, my mind has chiefly hesitated between, this town, Boston and Braintree. It was at one period expected that Mr: Bradbury, who lives at Newbury-Port, would supply the place upon the bench which was vacated by the removal of Judge Sewall.2 Had this circumstance taken place, I should have been strongly inclined, to make an experiment in this place, where a residence of three years 30has already made me better known than I should be in any other situation; and where an agreeable circle of acquaintance, would render the station peculiarly pleasing, so far as respects the intercourse of Society. But with the small proportion of business which is done in the County of Essex, it must be a folly to expect encouragement for a youth, in a town, where besides Mr Parsons and Mr: Bradbury there are two other gentlemen of the profession.3 As I could live at less expence at Braintree than in Boston, and perhaps should have less avocations from my studies, I should without hesitation go there, and reside at least for two or three years; but my Cousin Mr. Cranch, will be there, and by opening offices in the same town, we could only divide the small pittance, which either of us singly might obtain. I could not in that case board in his father's family. There is not another family in the town (at least in that part of the town) where I could board with any convenience; and to live alone in one of your houses; besides the unpleasant circumstances of a life so solitary, would I think be quite as expensive as to live in Boston; especially when it is considered that it would be necessary for me to be as much as one third part of my time in that Town to attend upon the Sessions of the several judicial Courts— Boston therefore remains alone, upon which I am by a kind of necessity, constrained to fix my choice. I cannot say I am pleased with the manners of the Town; and I trust the opportunities and temptations to dissipation, which I shall probably find there, have no influence upon my determination, unless to increase the reluctance, with which I make it— I have consulted with Dr: Tufts, with Judge Dana, and with Dr: Welch upon the subject; and they all agree in the opinion, that I can do no better, than to fix upon Boston, and as you have in one of your last Letters express'd your approbation of the measure, there remains little doubt in my mind, but that I shall put it into execution. The Prospect it is true is not encouraging; but if a resolute determination to make my own way, in conjunction with the small talents which have been allotted to me, are sufficient to procure me even a moderate degree of success; I hope I shall not be much longer a burden to the kindest and most generous of parents.

With respect to the article of board, it would not I imagine be easy to find a family, who would resign the front room and chamber as there is but one of each in the house; and unless some advantage could be derived from the circumstance of living and keeping an office in the same house, I think it would be preferable to do otherwise. If a tenant can be found, who will upon consideration of a 31suitable abatement of the rent, resign the front room in your house; Dr: Tufts has promised to secure it to me for an office. And Dr: Welch, has made me an offer to board me, and let me have a chamber in a house to which he expects to remove, before I shall have occasion to go into Boston. I did not agree with him upon any settled terms; but I presume he will not demand more than three dollars by the week. In this town I have always given 2 ½.

Should my present expectations and intentions be confirmed, I shall probably get settled in Boston sometime in August; and I shall request your permission to remove thither your law Library, which is now at Braintree. the advantage of having such a collection of books around me, will give me perhaps some opportunities, which few of the young gentlemen of the profession have possessed; and they will at least enable me to employ to some purpose a great portion of time which must otherwise lay heavy upon my hands.

I believe I have said quite enough upon a subject of so little consequence as myself.— I wish my information in the political line, were such as would enable me to supply you with any interesting communications. The public mind here seems chiefly agitated by the late discussions relation to discrimination, and to the assumption of the debts. The decision upon the former of these subjects, meets with the approbation of almost all the persons with whom I have had opportunities of conversing; but I am very apprehensive, that unless the consent of the States in their respective legislatures is requested by Congress, to the assuption, that measure will be extremely unpopular; even in this Commonwealth, burthened as it is with one of the heaviest debts in the union. And if that consent should be required, I am informed by those, who are more connected with political affairs, that even our general Court, will never grant it; though in their late Session they have not made provision for the payment of a quarter part of the interest upon their debt. New-Hampshire whose debt is comparatively trifling will be still more opposed to this measure.4 This opposition is not confined to the party who were termed antifederalists. Some of the most strenuous advocates for the constitution, are alarmed at the prospects of a consolidation of the States and of the disolution of the particular governments. And they dread to see an article so weighty and important as the State debts taken from one scale, and added to the other.

The internal politics of the State, are in a state of tranquility, very unusual at this Season. The opposers of the Governor discouraged I presume, by the ill success which they have always experienced, 32seem determined to leave him in quiet possession— He has been confined as usual, all winter with the gout, and his judicial appointments, have been the only public circumstances which have for some time past been the subject of animadversion. The appointment of Mr: Paine was rather popular. That of Mr: Cushing was far otherwise. The friends of the Governor only insist upon the disinterested magnanimity, of nominating a man who it is said has been invariably opposed to his measures: while his enemies, are so far from acknowledging his disinterestedness, that they censure him very highly, for nominating to one of the most important offices in the State, a man totally unqualified to sustain it, merely to be freed from his troublesome opposition as a councillor. The late chief Justice, revered as his character universally is, does not altogether escape censure for recommending so earnestly his cousin, to an employment, to which he is almost universally said to be very inadequate—

Your dutiful Son,

Encouraged Madam, by your condescention in answering a letter I not long since took the liberty to write you,1 And relying on your candour to pardon my forwardness, I again take up the pen tho’ not without fear that you will deem me an intruder on your time & patience; In your answer to the letter I have reference to, you gave me all the information I cou'd desire, & I felt myself honor'd that you 33noticed me as one who formerly thought herself happy in being ranked among the number of your humble friends. Without any further preface Madam, give me leave to forward another letter accompanied by one from the Gentleman with whom I have lived for Several years, to the Vice-President, soliciting his recommendation (as many others have done) for some place of trust whereby he might be usfull to the Publick & himself; I beleive few Gentlemen wou'd more faithfully discharge any obligations, You will think me partial, I acknowledge that in the four years acquaintance that I have had, I have reason to esteem him, as well for his private Character, as his universal Benevolence; And I beleive there are not many who solicit for a place under Goverment, if fidelity & honesty are requisits, who have a better claim, His own letter to the Vice-President will suggest the motives by which he is actuated, it is therefore unnessary, & might be thought impertinent in me to repeat them; You doubtless will be at a loss to account for my addressing you on this subject I am full in the beleif that many Ladies have been as instrumental in promoting both Publick & private good as the Gentlemen— And as I know from the personal acquaintance that I have with yo. Madam, you are a well-wisher to all the deserving; I thought it wou'd not be amiss to ask your interest in a matter that through a multiplicity of business might be overlook'd— Your penetration, before you have read thus far, will discover that I feel particularly interested, Some future day perhaps may prove your conjectures are not groundless— You well know my fondness for little folks & once upon some occasion said, that had you a young family to bring up you shou'd like that I shou'd have the care of them while in that State, this I esteemed a much greater compliment than I deserved, the same Compliments however have been paid me by the person who has had an opportuinity of making observations and let it Suffice for me to say that the little family I now have the c[harge] of, are too dear to me easily to part from2 But le[st I] trespass on your patience, I will close my [. . .] and after all proper respect for a Lady in your exalted Station subscribe myself / Madam / your very humble Servant