I have received your friendly Letter and am much obliged to you for your kind remembrance and felicitations. I also thank you for the Trouble you have taken in sending my Books to the gentlemen of whom I gave you a List.1 But I wish to be informed whether you sent the three Volumes or only the first. I directed Mr: Dilly, Bookseller in the Poultry, London to send fifty Copies of each of the three volumes. if he has not done it, there is some great mistake for I paid him for fifty Copies of each to be sent to Amsterdam. If you have received them I wish you to send a Copy of each to Mr: Dumas at the Hague, one compleat set also to Mr Nicholas Van Staphorst, another to his brother and Copartner, & another to Mr: Hobart who writes in their Compting House.

I am not without anxiety for the future Fortune of your republic, in the dangerous Combinations, Coalitions and Tergiversations of the cabinets of Europe. My own Country too as much as she wants Repose, and as interested as she is to be impartial, will not find it easy to do Justice, and give Satisfaction to all Parties. The Prospect we have of a new Government more provident and consistent than the former, is agreeable. The elections are falling on wise Men, and if our Friends will have Patience, with us, we shall not disappoint their just expectations; nor shall we do injustice to our Enemies.

Although all publick relations have ceased between us, I wish for the Pleasure of your private Correspondence, and if there is any thing in which I can be useful to you in this Country I pray you to mention it. My dear Mrs: Adams is at New York, with Col. Smith and his Lady: but I can take upon me to assure you of her best 356 Respects to your good Ladies and yourselves. With great Esteem & Affection I have the Honor to be &c—

If I had been told at my first arrival that five months would pass, before I should write a Line to Mr: Brand Hollis, I should not have believed it. I found my Estate in Consequence of a total neglect and inattention on my Part for fourteen years, was fallen to decay; and in so much disorder, as to require my whole attention to repair it.1 I have a great Mind to essay a description of it— It is not large in the first place— It is but the Farm of a Patriot. But there are in it two or three spots, from whence are to be seen some of the most beautiful Prospects in the world— I wish the Hyde was within ten Miles, or that Mr: Brand. H. would come and2 build an Hyde near us. I have a fine Meadow that I would christen by the Name of Hollis mead, if it were not too small. The hill where I now live is worthy to be called Hollis Hill: but as only a small Part of the Top of it belongs to me, it is doubtful whether it would succeed. There is a fine Prospect Brook through a Meadow by my House shall I call it Hollis Brook.—

What shall I say to you of our public Affairs? The increase of population is wonderful. The Plenty of Provisions of all kinds, amazing; and cheap in proportion to their abundance, and the scarcity of money which is certainly very great. The Agriculture, Fisheries, Manufactures and Commerce of the Country are very well, much better than I expected to find them. I cannot say so much of our Politicks. The Constancy of the People in a course of annual Elections has discarded from their Confidence almost all the old staunch firm Patriots who conducted the Revolution in all the civil departments, and has called to the Helm Pilots much more selfish and much less skilful— I cannot however lay all the Blame of this upon the People. Many of my brother Patriots have flattered the People, by telling them they had Virtue; Wisdom and Talents, which the People 357 themselves have found out by Experience, they had not: and this has disgusted them with their Flatterers.— The Elections for the new Government, have been determined very well, hitherto, in general— You may have the Curiosity to ask what share, your Friend is to have? I really am at a loss to guess. The probability at present seems to be that I shall have no Lot in it. I am in the habit of balancing every Thing. In one scale is Vanity; in the other Comfort; can you doubt which will preponderate? in publick Life, I have found nothing but the former in private Life I have enjoyed much of the latter.

I regret the Loss of the Bookshops and the Society of the few Men of Letters that I knew in London: in all other respects I am much better accommodated here. Shall I hope to hear from you, as you have leisure? A letter left at the New England Coffee-House will be brought me, by some of our Boston Captains.

With great Esteem and much Affection I am, Dear Sir &c.