It was with the greatest concern I heard of your late illness, since which time I have felt very sollicitous to hear of your recovery, & hoped before this to have had that gratification— I therefore was greatly disappointed, when Mr McHenry told me a day or two since, that you were still indisposed.— this information so contrary to my wishes is the cause of my troubling you with this letter for which I flatter myself I need make no apology. The experience I have already had of your politeness & kind attentions could not fail to excite in me the greatest attachment and respect. Indeed my dear Madam I beleive I should feel those sensations towards you in an equal degree were you in a private situation & I had the advantage of your acquaintance, Yet were I to say that your station has no influence on the mind I should perhaps say too much, but the qualities necessary to fill that station with propriety which you so happily possess, renders it more respectable & of course your attentions the more flattering to those who have the pleasure to receive them. I have however wandered from my first intention which was meerly to express the great desire I have to hear of the restoration of your health as there is no information I could receive that wou’d give me more real pleasure. perhaps I may have that satisfaction thro’ Mr. McHenry should the President have occasion to write to him soon will you be kind enough to request him to mention the state of your health, for I wou’d not by any means were you even recovered, wish you to take the trouble to write yourself for this purpose.

You have been informed that the Officers of Government moved with their families to this Town in August.— it has afforded us a safe refuge from the prevailing calamitous dissease of our unhappy City! but the dreadful necessity of flying suddenly with our families from danger, & all the inconveniencies we experience in consequence, are really very disagreeable & make us look forward to the time of returning to our respective homes with impatience— It will give you pleasure to hear that Mrs: Pickering & Mrs: Harrison are well & Mrs. Wolcott much better within a month past—2 she is still with her friends at Litchfeild Mr. Wolcott propoposes to go there next week & bring her this far on her way to Philadelphia—

Will you be so kind as to Present my best respects to the President 259 my affectionate compliments to Miss Smith & beleive me with the greatest respect dear Madam yours sincerely

We have received and been entertained with your letters from Dessau, Magdeburg and Brunswic.—1 We hope to hear from you, to day or to-morrow, at Hamburg, where upon your arrival, you must have found abundance of letters, either to, or for you.

You ask for news; but you are now so much nearer the sources of all the important news, that it must rather come from you to us, than go from us to you.

Buonaparte, is neither dead, nor like to die— The newspapers may say about him what they will.2 That there has been great sickness in his army might be presumed, without positive intelligence— But as it is unquestionable that he is in possession of Alexandria, and of Cairo, there can be no danger of his starving, and as little of his being overcome by Turks or Egyptians, Arabs or Mammalukes.3

Here, all goes on with us according to the old routine— We have been out since you went away, only to the Princess Henry’s, and to Bellevue—4 The Princess Ferdinand desired me to request you upon your return home, to present her compliments to General Washington; for whose character she has a great esteem.

We have not been to Charlottenburg since you left us; but Mrs: A. is gone there this morning. And we have scarcely once seen any of Dr: Brown’s family; who when they come to town, have not time to call.— They miss you very much.— I have heard, but not directly from them, that William has obtained a Lieutenant’s Commission.5

We have had no letters from America since your departure— The public accounts announce the yellow fever again at Philadelphia.— I hope you will conclude on your return to settle somewhere else, and should wish it might be at Boston.

I find by letters from Mr: Murray, that Dandridge has left him, and that for the present Mr: Mountflorence serves him, as Secretary.6

God bless you! and give you a prosperous voyage!