I received on saturday Yours of May 28th I wrote you on saturday previous to my receiving yours I am very sorry if the Box I sent should be lost. it was a square Box coverd with canvass, the same you sent my cap in last summer, addrest to mr smith— the dress in it together with the handkerchief Ruffels &c was of 30 dollors value. I intended it for Betsys wedding dress— the vessels Name the Sally & Polly cap’ Bradferd

I was rejoiced to learn that mrs Blacks little Girl was safely arrived. she is not very fair—nor do I think her So pretty as she was when younger, but she was tand with the water no doubt. I did not have any conversation With Mr Black respecting mr Whitman. I thought as he had been so constant and determined in his opposition, that it would be to no purpose, and if the thing cannot work its own cure I do not believe persuasion will. a prudent discreet conduct on the part of mr Whitman will have the greatest effect yet we must suppose that mr Whitman has his feelings—& that he cannot go to mr Blacks without a new invitation after having been so much opposed by him. I think the first step should be taken by those in opposition towards mr Whitman, unless affliction assails any of them. then the Man should forget his feelings, and the true spirit of Christianity induce him to do good even to those who have despightfully used him. when mr Black lost his Brother & Sister mr Whitman should have visited them—then was the time for him to have won them. mr Black has a tender feeling Heart, all alive to distress, and actively benevolent— I will however when I return use my good offices to unite them.—

I have not heard from your son nor from mrs Johnson Since I wrote you last. Mr Johnson I understand has sufferd very much Since the War, between France & England and he is obliged to attend very closely to his affairs here, where he had large Sums oweing to him—

Dr Welch and Family are never out of my mind. I know not what to say to them by way of comfort or consolation— I have written to mr smith asking his opinion of sending Thomas to Berlin to Mr Adams, in lieu of T B Adams who is determined to return home this fall, and who begs me to send some body in his Room—1 Thomas is a solid Lad; Loves mr Adams was brought up with him, and it will be a living for him for a year or two, and prepare him for future buisness, and I should suppose the Proposal would be agreable to him at this time, when he must be dejected with his Fathers situation I would have him go to Hamburgh—and from thence, he may soon proceed to Berlin— I would have him go directly after taking his degree

we are distrest at the stay of our Envoys who seem to be in a delirium. they will assuredly suffer in some way or other; if the knowledge of the dispatches arrives there, and the concequent temper of the Pople reaches, before their orders arrive for comeing away. my only hope is that the Winds of Heaven were propitious in carrying 83 their orders to them, but my astonishment is, that after the decree past the Directory for seazing all Nutrals who should have any kind of British Manufactor on Board, 24 hours should not have past before pasports had been demanded. they ought not to have hesitated a moment what part to have acted. do not however repeat these censures from me. they may be asscribed to a higher source; but I greatly fear the delay occasiond by the obstinacy of one Man; you will hear reports, I suppose, but they shall not come from me, nor will I give Ear to them, untill more solid proof, more demonstration, obliges me too— the News Papers say that dispatches have arrived from our Envoys to the 4 April. it is not so. there are dispatches from mr King, & from mr Adams but not a line to Government since those which have been made publick from our Envoys in France. there is a private Letter from mr Pinckney to mr King, which mr King has sent a copy of, but it is not publick, but a private Letter from one Gentleman to an other.2 by some means or other this has leakd out—and given rise to the report of publick dispatches

I think our next accounts from England must be highly important. God Grant the fate of Pharoah & his Hoast, to those who attempt to cross the channel— England is the only Barrier between France & universal domination. there I trust is some true Religion, & piety; some respect to Law & Government Some Rational Liberty Benevolence & Philanthropy for whose sake I hope & trust the Nation will be saved—

Braintree address is received, and answerd So is Cambridge & Medford which last is an admirable one who drew it? it is out of the common stile.3 it is designd by some Gentlemen to collect them all together & publish them in a Vol’m I pray you present my kind and affectionate Regards to all my Friends. how many of my acquaintance I shall miss when I return! Mrs Field is relieved from the infirmites under which she sufferd, and having acted well, very well her part in Life will I doubt not have her reward. as a Neighbour I loved valued & esteemed her—& all who belonged to her, as I have fully proved by my connection with so many Branches of her Family considering her Education few women have exhibited more Prudence; industery, patience under trying afflictions equinimity of temper, and indeed every christian Virtue I experienced her kindness from my first becomeing her Neighbour, when I was young and unexperienced her Benevolence was always manifested without any boast or expectation of reward. I never wanted help, eitheir in Sickness or Health, when some one of her Family was not ready to 84 afford it, and that long before I was in a station to do more for them than others. I shall ever revere her memory—

How is Brother Adams, Suky & Boilstone? not a word of them, or from them have I heard but by mr Black. mr Adams wrote to his Brother & told him he must write him word about his Farm and Town affairs—but he has not.4 You say we must not Sit our Faces towards you this Month. I fear it, I do not expect to get from here untill the last of June. I hope all will be accomplishd then—

My Love to mrs Black, & kind Regards to dr Welch and Family. I would write if I knew what to say—

I do not hear from Haverhill atkinson I mean. the Children write to their Parents which Letters I forward; but not a line to me. Louissa is quite out of Patience with Betsy She has had but one Letter from her, since she left Quincy my Paper says—leave off. Yours as ever

I received your Letter yesterday of May the 28th and the Sermons you were so kind as to send me, which I have read with much 85 pleasure.1 I have received ten from different Gentlemen, and I design to have them bound up in a vol’m—

You observe that a uninimity prevails throughout the Country. it does so in a wonderfull degree, and I consider it as a kind interposition of Providence in our favour; which if properly improved may be a happy means of preserving to us, our Liberties and our Religion & Country, but we have a bitter Strugle yet to encounter. the astonishing success of the French in overturning every Country into which they have carried their Arms, has not satisfied them, but only proved a new stimulous to their Greedy ambition of becomeing Masters of the World; England alone appears capable of making a stand against them. Ireland appears to be in a state, battle of short of actual Rebellion. Martial Law is proclaimd, and renderd necessary by the fermented State of the Country. it appears to me that England is the only Barrier remaining between France and America, and that their attempts upon us, will be measured by their success, or defeat upon Her—

They have a strong and powerfull Party in our Country who oppose and obstruct every measure both for the defence and security of it— they are to be found in the senate, in the House within & without doors, in every city, and in the remotest parts of the union— Here is a dead weight, a Govenour, well known a secretary of the state Subtle and Enemical, a chief Justice closely united with French politicks, and making use of the power and Authority of his office, to Spread sedition, & anarchy where ever the tour of his duty leads him—2 the unwarlike Proportion of Quakers are numerous, but upon no former occasion have they made so little opposition as at present. even two of them who are Members, voted in Congress for the Bill of Armament, and the Federilists who did not expect it, cryd out well done Quakers!3 They say as I have been informd that they consider the opposition right, that we have not offended, and that we ought to defend— when you consider all these obsticals in the way to oppose the energys of this State; and that the President did not obtain one vote here the present uninimity appears almost a supernatural work,—No state has been So numerous with their addresses and none more full and expressive of confidence in the Executive and this in spight of all the fire Brands which are scatterd amongst them by Baches paper, which was never more dareing and abusive, false and Malicious—but we have one dire misfortune! I mean the strange, unaccountable, and improper continuence of our Envoys in France. I dare not say to whom it is solely oweing— yet if he does 86 remain after his Collegues retire, he will disgrace himself his Country & the P——t who certainly appointed him against the opinion of many of his Friends, because he believd him a Man of strickt honour and integrity, of known & tried Probity— my only hope is that all the winds of Heaven will conspire to waft the vessel safe which carried positive orders—and arrive in season to save the honour of our Country— the President is distresst beyond measure, but will not utter a word as yet; there are no publick dispatches from them, since those which have been made publick, but there is a private Letter from Genll Pinkney to mr King—a copy of which is Sent in confidence. this you will say nothing of at present, but you may with safety say that nothing from our Envoys has been received from them to Government. we are waiting with the utmost anxiety. I doubt not insinuations will creap out—and You will hear rumours from others, beside what the publick papers announce, but I would not have them reported from me— our envoys ought not to have staid any longer than 2 days after their last Letter, if no notice had been taken of it but that vile intriguer Tallyrand—I fear has entraped him whom I should have supposed the most wary— like the serpent he has charmd him—and like him, he will destroy his prey—

What do you think of Thomas Welch’s going to Berlin to mr Adams? mr Malcom declines, and Thomas has written that he must positively return in the fall, and wishes me to send some person to take his place.4 I think it might be the best thing Thomas could do at present. he may study Law in his leisure hours if he wisht it, and it may keep up his spirits which must be crampt by the misfortunes of his Father. the President and I have talkd the matter over and thought to write you upon the subject. he can embark for Hamburgh and go immediatly from thence. we would Provide for his Voyage. if you think it will do you may propose it. he will take his degree at College, and go immediatly after if the thing suits—

I am as you suppose most sincerely afflicted at the distress and misfortunes of a Family that I have loved, and esteemed with a most cordial affection I know not what to say to alleiviate their distresses. I hope this provission for Thomas may be some releif to them. if he Should decline, the President says he will place him in the Navey or Armey. I fear my dear sir Your Friendship for your connections will injure your circumstances. You will not I hope exert yourself to the essential injury of your own young and increasing Family, to whom present the affection of