Papers of John Adams, volume 10
1780-11-03
I have recieved your favor of Octr. 13th and thank You for your Care in sending the Letters. The News Papers may come by any Opportunity. I should be obliged to You to send the News Papers regularly to Congress. The Journal1 des Scavans and that of Mr. Linguet, You may keep or send along to me, as You please: but I shall not renew the Subscription for these.
I thank You for paying the twenty Louis to Mr. Austin and request it may be charged to me.2
I return to You a Letter from an Officer at Orleans. Mr. Williams it seems has been so good as to send me some Madeira Wine: but it seems it has met with some misfortune. I must beg the favor of You to write to the Gentleman, and let it be sent on to Paris. If You will either sell it for my Account or store it, I will answer the Expence. Perhaps, if it is in good Order, Dr. Franklin would take it. If not it must be disposed of, as well as possible, and if there is any loss it must be mine.3
My best Regards to your good Family, and believe me to be respectfully your's.
The word “Journal” is interlined in JA's hand because Thaxter miscopied it as “several.”
In his letter of 13 Oct. (Adams Papers), Grand indicated that, in obedience to John Thaxter's instructions, he was forwarding letters received for JA and Francis Dana, keeping the American newspapers until he found a less expensive conveyance, and sending the European newspapers, except for the two mentioned here, to Congress. In a postscript he noted the payment to Jonathan Loring Austin, for which see Austin's letter of 23 Oct. (above).
For the wine sent by Jonathan Williams, the letter from Orleans concerning it, and Henry Grand's effort to settle the matter, see Grand's letter of 24 Nov. (below).