I believe our Legislatures when they made the House tax were not aware of the trouble attendant upon the execution of it.1 to measure every House Barn out House count every square of Glass, collect every peice of Land, and its bounds—and then apprize the whole, is a Labour indeed. I have had the Gentlemen here the last week, and they have with the assistance of your Brother gone through yours— Major Millar and Abel Alleyne were the persons Authorized2 the Major requested the assistance of your Brother. I sat a silent hearer upon all but one subject, which was the apprizement of this House. the Major was loth that it should appear that the President had not the best House in Town. I laught at him and told him I should have no objection to owning the best House, but if the fact was otherways, did the Law say, that the owner of the House was to be taken into consideration, or the House prized according to what it would in his judgment sell for. now if he could say this House was equal to our next Neighbours and some others, why then put an equal value upon it. Captain Beals was prized at 3000 dollors, this at 2000, with the outhouse— the Houses which French and Clark live in at 400 each, Belchers at 200—and Phebys at 75, the land upon the opposite side of the way—40 dollors pr acre the whole including mr Cranchs Farm; I do not recollect, what other lands were apprized at, but I did not perceive any disposition to overrate or over value the Lands—

what the tax will be in concequence I know not— Sole is gone— he did not incline to stay unless he could have the same pr month within half a dollors as he had for eight months— I think his wages 320 for Eight Months much too, high as it brought it to december— I requested the Dr to settle with him and dismiss him, and I would take my chance. I have accordingly hired a man for the three winter months, a much better wood cutter at 8 dollors pr month—near six dollors pr Month lower than sole— Mr Bass has also done, and I had resolution and firmness enough to withstand the old Mans intreaties tho I confess he stagerd me several times. he begd I would let him stay for his Victuals, which he said he could not possibly earn at Home, that home was renderd a scourge to him by Seth, that his wife must suffer this winter, & he should starve— I however did not believe all. I told him he should not starve, for I would always give him a meal of victuals when he was in danger— he soon let himself to Faxon, but met with an accident from a log of wood which will disable him for a Month, if not longer— we have snow storm upon snow storm. it has been snowing all this day, wind at North East— alass poor Thomas, how my Heart beats, as the winds Roar and the storm beats; I know all my anxiety is of little avail, yet I cannot divest myself of it. I have I hope relieved your mind of two anxieties the one for Brother Cranch who is spared to us a little longer, and the other for B Adams, who is also recovering. the Widow Adams has lost her youngest son the last week with the fever which is still lurking about in Boston.3 he was brought here and buried in the Night; I have been out half the day to meeting, tho it was not very pleasent. mr Whitman preached—

You complain that you are Solitary. I know that must be your lot frequently. it is then you want the relief that your talkative wife used to afford y[ou] when I first got down stairs I felt so too, but I enterd as mu[ch] as possible into my Family affairs, brought Porter to consult me daily upon all his movements, and as I could bear it read workt or wrote, and so reconciled myself to myself—sometimes sighd when unpleasent reflections of those connected, with me excited them what right have I to be exempted from trouble of some kind or other, when a whole world is filld with evils of all sorts

This Letter may serve in lieu of the talkative wife. I hope you put them all in the fire after you have read them. it would mortify me to have one of them found upon your table— adieu for the present. did Logan really visit you—?

Yours affectionatly

I was much obliged to you for sending me the answer to Barlows Letter. our Printers in Boston are very inattentive to many publications which would be usefull whilst they print very purile peices— Barlows Letter made its first appearence the last week in the Centinal. I design it shall be succeeded by the replie, tho I think it a very partial one and that it treats Barlow with much more respect than the infamous Letter merrits—1 I say of America, as Gibbons did of England in the Year 92, “that if America with the experience of her own happiness, and the knowledge of French perfidy and French calamities should be seduced to Eat the apple of Security, she would indeed deserve to be driven from the Paradice which she enjoys.” [“]every dog has his day: and these Gallic dogs have had their day of most insolent prosperity”2 had Gibbon lived to this day, what would have been his reflections upon the fate of Buonaparte?

you sent me two Auroras one of which containd a most insolent comment upon the Presidents speech. a Friend also sent me the Chronical. it certainly had not taken its Lesson, for in that I read in a publication full of invective against Great Britain—& apprehension of war with France, “the writer says at this Eventfull period, when nothing but darkness is visible on our political horizon: the speech of the President has appeard like a star Emerging from the storm-threatening clouds, and the patriotic fears of true Americans have subsided. we shall preserve our dignity without craving the assistance of the potentates of the old world” “The situation of Europe is incalculable” we think as the first Majestrate wonderfully gracious and condescending!3 the answer of the House of Rep’s will have a happy effect upon the union and politicks of the states. it looks as if French influence was sunk very low it will also have an influence in Europe. I most sincerely wish that all party bickerings & personal resentments would yeald, to the Great and momenteous National interests, that they would conduct, so as to command respect;

Mr Harper is a good many years younger than Nestor—yet aims to be the Chief leader—

a young man should be modest and diffident, but praise and adulation are great corrupters of the Heart, and a Man, is never, in so much danger from his Enemies, as from his flatterers—

William, I write to you with a freedom which you must make, only a prudent use of and as women are not Masons, or bound to keep secrets, they are entitled to a greater latitude of speech than Men— I think mr Harper a Man of tallents, and a usefull Member he might be still more so, if he husbanded his tallants with prudence and discretion— there are Gentlemen in that House whose opinions are more respected, and who have more influence than mr Harper;

I have written you a long Letter—rather censorious, I believe, but as I have not any body to talk politicks to this Evening, I have amused myself by writing them

Continue to send me the papers which contain any thing interesting, and believe me / your affectionate