I last evening received yours of the 12th and 15. the weather for several Days past has been extreem Hot, and as to the drougth it is much sharper than last year we have not had half an inch of rain for two Months & Scarcly a sprinkle for more than a month. neither corn or potatoes can get up, & the few things in the garden wilt like july. I am most discouraged at Farming. I have however Succeeded tolerably in keeping of the canker worm, tho some few have eluded all my vigelence. the caterpillar are also very numerous. every day convinces me of the necessity of an over seer for all the Farms. Faxon or some other Pirates, have made sad havock with the fence. we have already been obliged to carry up loads from here, and every day, new wants arrise, and every Neighbour is preying upon us— this place I can command but the other place has been too long free plunder to be easily relinquishd. we have attended to the salt Meddows, and been obliged to sit a fence against Jonathan Baxter.1 The embargo is a very popular measure here and there is much anxiety 188 least it should be discontinued flower & Grain have risen in a few days as well as Lumber. there will be speculators whilst there is Commerce. the report respecting the Election of mr Adams is I believe wholy unfounded. I never heard such a suggestion the people were much united in him, and those who did not wish him to be Govenour voted for him as Leiut Govenour the Jacobines have carried their points so far as to get Several of their Friends chosen Representitives for Boston the meeting was thin, and but little pains taken by the Friends of good order who always rest too secure in the justice of their cause,2 yet having had a full view of Southern politicks and Southern Elections, I begin to th[ink] we are much the purest part of the union. much as [they] hold Britain in disdain & abuse her constitution, they have adopted the most pernicious part in its most corrupted Stage— a pack of Negro drivers, they deserve chains themselves. I think you must be near exhausted by the length of the Sessions and your constant attendance

I am glad to learn that Thomas is gone into the Country upon a circuit. I hope he will get into Buisness

Your Mother remains much as She has been for some time past; Remember me to all inquiring Friends. mrs Brisler and Family are well, his Boy half Grown up—

I hope Congress will soon rise, and that without doing any more mischeif—Yours affectionatly

Yours of the 17th came this day to me I do not know to what to ascribe the failure of my letters unless our son forgot to put them into the post office. I wrote you twice upon the very week of which you complain; & tho I have not faild writing to you once a week ever since you left me, I have not very often written twice, but some Buisness that week occurd which I wanted your opinion of. That 189 Morton is chosen a Rept is not more disgracefull to Boston, than that some others hold a seat there, or than Austin is to the senate but in concequence of their having such Men, they have as a Town, much less weight in the Legislature than they used to have, and the Fœderalists may blame themselves for their careless Supineness. I never approved of the measures adopted by them with respect to the choice of Govenour—but they must have been much misrepresented to you. the contest if it may be calld one was only between two candidates, & that maintaind with more Decency & decorum than any Election in any state out of N England. not a tenth part of the opposition to either which upon several Elections I have known take place with respect to Hancock and as to the report of free Negroes voting, I take it upon me to say tis Idle and false, as I never heard a syllable of it.1 if you had been here you would have been surprizd to find how little bustle there was about the matter. the people were generally disposed to support mr Adams, (as the full vote he obtaind will prove) either as Govenour or Leiut Govenour—and tho’ there was some News paper strictures and Bilingsgate, yet there was very little of it. I suppose some of the stories, have been fabricated to keep our virtuous Southern Brethren in countanance. Boston has behaved very well in many respects, during the whole of these troublesome times, and their democrats have not gone such lengths as in New York or Philadelphia. Jarvis frets & Austin clamours, scolds & writes in the Chronical abuse upon the Government and its Friends: yet in Boston all know who & what he is, and tis very little regarded. it appears to be the General wish that the Embargo may be continued. if you should stay into June & be in a situation to do it I should like whilst flower is low to have a couple Barrels of more flower, that Brisler Sent me is very fine—

I received a Book and letter for you to day the Book is dedicated to you & is the History of the County of worcester by Revd peter Whitney of Northborough the Letter is short and handsome the dedication, may rather be calld an inscription, after the Name and tittles of office, is added, “this History intended to promote the knowledge of a part of his Native commonwealth is inscribed with all respect By his most obedient Humble Servant &c”2

I have been much gratified in reading it. as you return home I wish you would get one of Thomas’s Bibles. he has printed three Editions and is prepareing to print two others—3

the weather is cooler to day, a small shower yesterday in Boston & 190 Cambridge of which we got not a drop, has however coold the air. God Grant it may be our turn soon, or Man & Beast will suffer Hay is very generally expended, and the drought raises the price prodigiously—

I am my dearest Friend with the fond hope of giving you more than the Fraternal embrace, even that of an affectionate wife ever / yours