Papers of John Adams, volume 19

To Thomas Brand Hollis

To Thomas Jefferson

TRANSLATION
5 September 1787

The Count Vorontsov has the honor of thanking Mr. Adams for the two copies of a poem on America which he had the goodness of sending him. He requests him to be so kind as to convey his thanks to the author. He will see to sending to Her Majesty the copy which Mr. Barlow intended for her. Though Her Majesty occupies herself little with poetry and does not read English, he is convinced that Her Majesty will look favorably upon one of the first publications of its kind in America. He would have liked to enclose with this book Mr. Barlow’s letter, full of noble and eloquent sentiments as it is, but it lacks the proper form suitable for letters addressed to sovereigns. He believes that if he includes the humble respects of the author in the dispatch of this book, the desired object of Mr. Barlow will be fulfilled and that he will not be dissatisfied with a suppression that was deemed necessary.