Papers of John Adams, volume 20

To Benjamin Rush

From John Trumbull

231 To John Adams from Charles Dilly, 3 February 1790 Dilly, Charles Adams, John
From Charles Dilly
Dr Sir, Londo; 3d Feby 1790.

I shd. not have troubled you with a Letter—but upon the peculiar instance of having received a Letter from Messrs; Wilhem of Amsterdam, a few Months ago; in which he states in consequence of the receipt of a Letter from you—he has made Enquiry about your Volumes of the Defence of the American states &c—but cannot find any of the Second Volume—1 I immediatly returned for answer—Fifty Copies of that Volume were Shippd the 8th; Sepr; 1787—on board the Maraggratha, Capt; Doorn 2—and on the 27 March following 50 Volume 3d— It is strange if the Parcels containing the 1st. & 3d Volumes had been opened—That the omission of the second Volume Shd not have been found out for the space of two Years. I directed upon the receipt of a second Letter last Novr; Mr; Ingram, my Shopman and—who has the conduct of all orders—and Parcels going into the Country—or Shipped for Exportation—To state the Day—and date of Sending the Parcels. Supposing Mr. Wilhem may have written to you on the Subject—I thought it expedient in me to explain that no imputation of neglect shd. be placed to my charge of omitting to forward an Equal Number of the 2d Volume as I did of the First & Third. As a greater Number of the second Volumes were sent to Amera; than the Third—I have not a Copy of the second to make up a set—and—on this acct. I have requested a friend to Enquire of Mr; Mc. Kean whether his Booksr; 3 has any of that Volume left, above the Number of the Third—and shd. it be so, to return—Ten or a dozen Copies of that Volume only—as I have First—and Thirds.

The Copies of Dr: Gordons Hist: of the American Revolution After the Subscribers were supplied—amounted to about Two hundred and they are now all sold—which is a fortunate circumstance to the Worthy Doctor—who is now fixed with a small congregation at St. Neotes about Fifty miles North of Londo;— He is a Worthy honest Man—contented with a trifle—and lives happy and chearful with his Little Flock.4 I hope your Lady and Family Enjoy the blessing of health—and with my sincere wish for the continuation of all other temporal comforts—I rest Dr sir, Your faithful & Humbl Servt;

Chs; Dilly

RC (Adams Papers).

1.

See the Willinks’ letter of 8 Dec. 1789, and note 1, above.

2.

The Margaretha, Capt. Klaas Doorn, departed Gravesend on 25 Sept. 1787 and arrived in Amsterdam on 5 Oct. (London Public Advertiser, 27 Sept.; London Gazetteer and New 232 Daily Advertiser, 24 Dec.; from Wilhem & Jan Willink, 8 Dec. 1789, above).

3.

JA sent copies of his Defence of the Const. , via Thomas McKean, to be sold at the South Second Street bookstore of Thomas Dobson (1751–1823), an Edinburgh native and a leader of Philadelphia’s literary scene (JA, Works , 10:269; Jefferson’s Memorandum Books , 2:887; John Rennie Short, Representing the Republic: Mapping the United States, 1600–1900, London, 2001, p. 103).

4.

Rev. William Gordon was preaching at St. Neots in Huntingdonshire, England (vol. 18:241).