Papers of John Adams, volume 14
2. February 1783.1
Being not in my power to go & pay my respects in person to your Excellency, on account of an indisposition occasioned by the short, but very hard journey from Rotterdam to this City, I have thought proper to send you here inclosed a packet Mr. Dumas gave me for your Excellency at the Hague.2 I had recd. in Amsterdam the letter you did me the honour to write me the 28. of December last; 231consequently presented to him the order therein inclosed, & received Baretti's dictionary, having refused to take that of Crusca, because it is not my property, since your Excellency did me the honour to accept of it. I found in the said letter an unsealed one directed to several Gentlemen, to all of whom I showed it, as from its contents it appeared that your Excellency meant to let them Know that I had the honour of being acquainted with you.3 I recd. likewise, a few days after, the packet Mr. Lynch had sent for me under cover to your Excellency the 10th. of October last, which I must suppose was found among your papers. I have the honour to be most respectfully, / Sir, / your Excellency's most humble / and most Obedient Servant
RC (MHi:Adams-Hull Coll.); internal address: “His Excelly., John Adams Esqre. &c.” endorsed: “Mr Mazzei 2. Feb. / 1783. / ansd 2. Feb. 1783.”
JA's reply, written later in the day, has not been found.
For the packet delivered to JA, see C. W. F. Dumas’ letter of 23 Jan., above.
The letter was of 28 Dec. to the members of the Dutch loan consortium, for which see JA's letter to Mazzei of that date, note 2, above.