Adams Family Correspondence, volume 12
Your kind letter of the month of March last deserved an earlier answer. but my absence from this City must be my excuse.1 The Lay Preacher has not escaped the notice of any one who has a taste for fine writing and you may be assured it has afforded me great pleasure to hear my friend Dennie mentioned as one of the most charming writers of The age. Unfortunately I have mislaid The proposals you sent me, or I should have procured some more subscribers I 114 wish you had sent me the Museum without consulting me for whatever litterary production you may be concerned in will always be eagerly read and as far as in my power assisted by me: Nor have your writings passed unobserved by those who are much better judges than myself My father has requested me to subscribe for two setts of The Museum for him and mentioned you in a manner that were I to relate you would perhaps think flattering2
I wish you to send another subscription paper that I may give you what aid is in my power.
With sentements of sincere esteem I am / Your friend and huml Sert
RC (MH-H:Joseph Dennie Papers, MS Am 715 [55]); internal address: “Joseph Dennie Junr.”
Not found.
Joseph Dennie Jr. (1768–1812), Harvard 1790, was the editor of the Walpole, N.H., Farmer’s Weekly Museum and the author of a regular column therein entitled “The Lay Preacher,” a collection of which had been published as The Lay Preacher; or, Short Sermons, for Idle Readers, Walpole, N.H., 1796, Evans, No. 30335. In 1797 Dennie sent a solicitation for subscribers among booksellers, printers, and “Gentlemen, inclined to foster literary habits.” The Adamses not only subscribed to this and Dennie’s later endeavor the Port Folio, both JQA and TBA would also contribute as writers (Catherine O’Donnell Kaplan, Men of Letters in the Early Republic: Cultivating Forums of Citizenship, Chapel Hill, N.C., 2008, p. 7, 117, 122, 137, 143, 144, 145–146; Dennie, An Established Literary and Political Paper. The Editor of the Farmer’s Weekly Museum … Offers His Paper to the Publick, no imprint, 1797, MWA, Evans, No. 49460).
Messrs: Moliere, will this day extend your credit with their correspondent at Paris, to the amount of 4000 livres more. This I presume will amply suffice for your occasions.
I requested you by my last letter, to be here not later than the 25th: of this month. There is to be a Ball on that day at the Hotel de Suéde. The Count desires me to tell you, that you will be very much wanted as a danser; that he cannot excuse you, and what is more, that if you do not come to attend it, Mlle N— will never forgive you.1
General Pinckney and his family are gone to Rotterdam.2 The Fair is not remarkably brilliant.3 I do not hear as yet of any fête for the peace. I have this day your letter of 15. Floréal.4
Mr: König went from this, three or four days after you.5 If you see him, remember me kindly to him, and to all my other friends at Paris.
Your affectionate brother.
LbC in TBA’s hand (Adams Papers); internal address: “Mr: T. B. Adams.”; APM Reel 130.
Count Fredrik Adolf Löwenhielm’s ball was held instead on 23 May in honor of François Noël and his new wife. JQA, who had been asked to “do the honours” by sitting at the head of one of the four supper tables, described the company as “numerous and agreeable.” “Mlle N——” was Miss Nahuys, a sister of Catharina Nahuys Schimmelpennick whom TBA had socialized with and described as handsome (D/JQA/24, APM Reel 27; M/TBA/2, 21 Jan. 1795, APM Reel 282).
The Pinckney family visited Rotterdam from 8 to 11 May 1797 (D/JQA/24, APM Reel 27).
A fair was held at The Hague between 8 and 17 May. JQA attended several times and saw various performances, including juggling and glassblowing (same).
Not found.
Likely Carl Gustaf König (1764–1852), the former Swedish chargé d’affaires to the Netherlands and Portugal, who served as chargé d’affaires to France from Nov. 1796 to May 1797 (O. Schutte, comp., Repertorium Der Buitenlandse Vertegenwoordigers, Residerende in Nederland 1584–1810, The Hague, 1983, p. 525–526).