I have sent by Captain Scott the Books you wrote for,1 and if there is any thing else in which I can serve either you or my cousins, I shall be happy to do it—

it is with much pleasure I learn that my cousin W.S. is like to be so pleasingly connected, and with a family to whom both you, & my Late parent, were much attached by a long accquaintance, and established Friendship.2 Educated under virtuous parents, & possessing an amiable dispositions are pleasing presages, of a happy union: they have my best wishes for their prosperity. I thank you sir for extending to my Children, the same indulgence, you and my late dear Aunt confered upon me. your House was always the habitation of Hospitality; and ever seemed to me a Home. tho I doubt not of your continued kindness; it can never be to me what it once was; the loss we have both sustained, cannot be repaired.

By way of Newyork we have received accounts of General Lincolns success in dispercing the insurgents. I fear my Countrymen do not know, properly to estimate the blessings they enjoy. if they are harder-prest by publick burdens than formerly,3 they should consider it as the price of their freedom. if Britain had succeeded 9against us, the same scenes would probably, have taken place, as have been acted in India, for we have no reason to doubt but that England could have produced more than one Hastings—4

Mr Adams is seriously determined to return Home, & has informd Congress of his design.5 since England has wholy forgotten that Such a place as America ever existed, it is a pitty to take any pains to refresh their memory; every Member in the House of commons Majority and minority studiously avoid the subject, & when it was forced upon them by the publication of monssieur de callone Letter; they noticed it only, as a proof of the subtlety and duplicity as they termd it, of the Court of France, & gave America the go by 6

By all accounts from America your winter has been terrible.7 I hope you have had snow enough to suffice for several. I know not how I shall bear the Heats and colds, after an abscence of three years. the season has been uncommonly mild here, and the Trees have already budded & are bursting into Blosom. the verdure is equal to june with us.8 this has commonly been called a foggy Island. it is true that the Smoke of the city creates a fog, but go only one mile into the Country, and you will have as fine weather, and clear a sky as we can boast in America nor do I think the climate more Subject to fogs, if the manners of the people, were as pure as their Air, no one would have reason to complain.

please to present my regards to mr & mrs otis to cousin Betsy & the mr Smiths. mr Vassel and family drank tea & spent the Evening, with us last week. they inquired very kindly after you, so did mr John Boylstone who was my Gallant during my stay at Bath. he bears his age surprizingly well. mr storers family I hope are well; I am indebted to Charles, will write him soon

I am dear sir with Sentiments of Esteem and affection—your Neice

I would not omit writing you, because you seem to think you have been agrieved. I do not recollect what I wrote you, but I have Some Idea, that it was an enumeration of the various accidents you had met with, and advising you to more care and attention in future.1 I had no occasion to chide you for want of application to your studies, because your uncles your Aunts & your Brothers had been witnesses for you, and all of them had Spoken well of you. it has indeed been a great and an abundant pleasure both to your Father & to me to hear the repeated & constant testimony of all our Friends with regard to the conduct of all our Sons, and I flatter myself that what ever else may be our lot & portion in Life, that of undutifull and vicious children will not be added to it.— Not only youth but maturer age is too often influenced by bad exampls, and it requires much reason much experience firmness & resolution to stem the torrent of fashion & to preserve the integrity which will bear the Scrutiny of our own Hearts. virtue like the stone of Sysiphus has a continual tendency to roll down Hill & requires to be forced up again by the never ceasing Efforts of succeeding moralists. if humane nature is thus infirm & liable to err as daily experience proves let every effort be made to acquire strength. nature has implanted in the humane mind nice sensibilities of moral rectitude and a natural love of excellence & given to it powers capable of infinate improvement and the state of things is so constituded that Labour well bestowed & properly directed always produces valuable Effects. the resolution you have taken of persueing such a conduct as shall redound to your own honour & that of your family is truly commendable. it is an old & just observation, that by aiming at perfection we may approach it much more nearly than if we sat down inactive through despair—

you will do well to join the military company as soon as you are qualified. every citizen should learn the use of arms & by being thus qualified he will be less likely to be calld to the use of them.2 War cannot be ranked amongsts the liberal arts, and must ever be considerd as a scourge & a calamity, & should Humiliate the pride of man that he is thus capable of destroying his fellow creatures— I am glad to find you mending in your hand writing, during the vacancies you & your Brother Charles would do well to attend to that. it is of more importance than perhaps you are aware of, more for a Man than a Woman, but I have always to lament my own inattention in this matter. inclosed you will find a little matter which you will make a good use of. your sister sends her Love and will write you soon. I am my dear Son / most affectionately / Yours