Papers of John Adams, volume 14
e.Avril 1783
Enfin je puis vous féliciter de l'arriveé de Mr. votre fils en parfaite santé. Nous eumes cette Satisfaction hier matin. Demain nous nous arrangerons pour ses Lectures & promenades, selon vos intentions: car hier & aujourd'hui c'est jours de repos. Made. Dumas, dans sa Lettre de ce jour à Mr. Thaxter, au contenu de laquelle je Souscris cordialement, me dispense d’être plus long sur ce qui le regarde.1
Je viens de recevoir l'honorée votre du 16e; & je verrai demain matin Mr. Fagel. J’aurai deux plaisirs, l'un de le mettre Sans doute fort à son aise; & l'autre, de lui faire remarquer, que l'information que vous m'autorisez à lui donner de votre part, est parfaitement marquée au coin de la Devise de Boerhave: Sigillum veri, simplex.
2 C’est de ce même Sceau qu'est muni le respect avec lequel je suis, De votre Excellence / le très humble & très / obéissant serviteur
Translation
Finally I can congratulate you on the arrival of your son in perfect health. We had this pleasure yesterday morning. Tomorrow we shall arrange his studies and outings, as you wish, for yesterday and today are days of rest. Madame Dumas’ letter of today to Mr. Thaxter, to the content of which I cordially subscribe, makes it unnecessary for me to write at greater length on this matter.1
I have just received your honored letter of the 16th and will see Mr. Fagel tomorrow morning. I shall have two pleasures: one, of putting him at ease; and two, of pointing out that the information you authorized me to 439give him is clearly indicated on the corner of Boerhaave's seal: Sigillum veri, simplex.
2 This same motto informs the respect with which I am your excellency's very humble and very obedient servant
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “Paris à Son Excellence Mr. Adams, M. P.”
Marie Dumas’ letter to John Thaxter has not been found, but
JQA also wrote to JA on the 22d (
AFC
, 5:130–131). There he noted his arrival on the previous day, after spending a few days in Amsterdam. His main concerns were whether to remain at The Hague or go to Leyden and the disposition of a [26 Oct.] 1782 letter for JA entrusted to him by Francis Dana (vol. 13:547–551). He also noted a report that Richard Oswald was at Paris to finalize the definitive peace treaty.
Hermann Boerhaave (1668–1738) was a celebrated Dutch physician whose work was instrumental in enhancing the international reputation of the University of Leyden and particularly of its medical school (Hoefer, Nouv. biog. générale
). Dumas misquotes Boerhaave's lifelong motto as it appears on the medallion affixed to his monument in Leyden's Pieterskerk. There it reads “Simplex sigillum veri,” or simplicity is the sign of truth.