Papers of John Adams, volume 15
r.12 1783
On my return into the City after doing myself the pleasure of paying you my respects, I found some engagements on my hands in the line of business which will oblige me to make our excursion on Thursday or Friday instead of Wednesday. which I had mentioned to your son this Morning: If convenient & I do not hear further from you I hope I shall have the pleasure of seeing you & your Son to breakfast on Thursday or Friday about 10 Clock that we may sally forth all the Morning & to expect the pleasure of your company to dinner after the fatigues of the day.1 I could have put the questeon to you at Mr Copleys had you been less engaged: I am with great respect / Dear Sir / Your most obedt. / humble Servant.
RC (Adams Papers).
Neither JA nor JQA mention an excursion with William Vaughan in mid-December. However, Vaughan’s letter was of Friday, 12 December. A week later, on the 19th, JQA wrote Peter Jay Munro that “this morning I went and saw the Tower” and saw some “very rich things among which is the Imperial Crown of Great Britain; which is valued at a million Sterling.” Afterwards, JQA’s party “went to Bedlam [Bethlehem Hospital], and saw there a great Number of Fools and Madmen, but as, that is no more than what we see every day in the Street, and in Society, there is no Necessity of my giving you a detailed account of the poor wretches I saw there” (NNMus).