I received Your obliging favour dated march 28th upon the 2 of this Month. it gave me great pleasure to learn that you had such fine Roads and agreable weather for Your journey I was daily rejoicing in it; for I was the more attentive to it upon your account. I knew not where you had taken up Your residence, or I should have written to you. I found you from my Sister that you had not past Quincy; I shall forward this Letter under cover to her with a request to send 194 it, forward to situate if you have proceeded as you expected— the weather has assumed the appearence of spring the Earth is putting on a new suit. the trees corresponding with their Parent, are shooting their Branches and spreading their leaves whilst, the lively song of the Birds hail the welcome approach of the renovating Season; reminding Me of my Garden at Quincy & that like Eden of old it calls for culture, the pruning knife & the labourer; I feel loth to leave the President who will be detaind I fear by Congress to a later day than I dare trust myself here—

Yesterday arrived capt Barry & brought dispatches from our Envoys to the 10th of Feb’ry at Burgos in Spain they had upon their arrival sent a courier to Paris to inform the Minister of their arrival. they proceeded on their Journey as far as Bourgos when the Courier met them with pasports from Talleyrand and a very civil Letter, assureing them that there would be no difficulty on account of their Letters of Credence, that they had been impatiently look’d for, and would be received with Zeal, is the expression, that the Letters forwarded by them for Mr Murry would be sent to him immediatly with a passport. the statement given of mr Murrys being already arrived in Paris, is not true2 I think it probable that our Envoys, if they have a speedy journey May have the supreem honour to be the first to enter into negotiation with King Buonaparty; I should be as loth to place implicit confidence in his assureances as those of his Predecessors—and a powerfull Navey will be our best Security for the faithfull performance of any treaty which may be formed, as well as to command respect from the Mistress of the Ocean— You have seen I trust in the publick papers that the Ghost of Robbins was laid by a vote of a large Majority of the House of Representives, after being properly exorcised by Mr Bayard & Marshal— he has been a costly Deamon to the united states, Supported by fellow Deamons—

Duane is obliged to hide himself and Sculk inorder to escape the Justice which awaits him from a Warrant issued by the committe of Priviledges in senate, for a false & scandelous libel publishd in his paper against that honorable Body— he dare not meet the justice of the country which affords him an assylum— Cooper of Norththumberland & Dallis were his counsel— Milton has this expression

Mrs smith left me soon after You went away, but not soon enough to escape very bad Roads. she found her habitation more comfortable 195 196 than she expected, as her happiness She says was never measured by the size of the house, or the Elegance of the stile in which She lived She can accommodate herself to her situation; and feel thankfull for the blessings she is in the possession of—

“To rise with Dignity & fall with ease” is true Philosophy—4 the consideration that,

Should familirize & reconcile the mind tho to those frequent changes & and vissisitudes of Life which “Man is Heir too.[”]6 I have no contempt of Riches—they are tallents which are given to the possessor to be used for the benifit of individuals, & upon which allso the community have claims, and when so improved, become blessings—but they are generally attended with so many allurements to Luxery and Dissipation, that food and rament, with a competence to the situation in which we are placed in Life, is more desirable than great Wealth, in which there must be great trouble—

I quit Moralizing to inform you that mrs stael soon recoverd from the indisposition under which she labourd when you left her— I inclose to you the ode which was publishd with the address of an old Man— if it has not any influence upon the Manners of one whom who I fear is callous both in mind and person, I hope it will deter others from a Servile imitation—7

the President joins me in Regard to the judge and Yourself— with Sentiments of sincere Regard I am your / truly affectionate Friend

I have this moment received yours of the 26th of March with respect to mr Porter I should be loth to part with him for the Sake of a few dollors, and as he has been upon the place so long, & is accustomed to it, and I have great confidence in his & Mrs Porters Honesty and integrity, I will consent to give him that sum for Seven Months, but pray that to avoid envy, he would keep the terms to himself and promise to be perfectly satisfied with them. he knows there are people enough hankering after his place, as to mr shipley the terms he asks for a year are altogether inadmissable, and if he will not take the 100 20 for a year, I believe he and his Brother must Seek employment else where. mr Black gave but ten dollors through the best of the Season last year to any hands he hired. I have always [fo]und Labourers more inclined to make high demands at this season than when the price of Labour is fixd, which it seldom is, untill the middle of this Month. if he will let himself for the Year at the sum I considered him engaged at; he may remain & his Brother 8 Months at 10 dollors pr Month. if not I am persuaded help may be had for that Shipley is a good hand, but he will be none the better for higher wages and I do not believe they will get it else where. to the Elder shipley I woud add 100 25, if he cannot be got at the 100 20—but you will soon see when you give them my terms, and these You will however write Me again; and be so good as give me the price of Labour, Surely it cannot be higher than in years past; but the President must pay higher for every thing than any one Else; that we are accustomed to. I will leave to Mr Bates’s judgment the painting. My intention is to make the Room over the Dinning Room 198 a Room to entertain company in, taking off clossets as in the lower Room the size of the Chimneys about the same to those in capt Beals best Room which I wish mr Bates to see. My desire to have the painting done Soon is that I may not be afflicted with it when I return. I wish the exact Dimensions of the keeping parlour next the garden. I am not certain with respect to it—

I mean to sit out on my return the beginning of May. the warm weather is fast approaching. I rode out yesterday. the Grain looks finely the weeping willows are all leaving out & the buds bursting upon the fruit trees. congress do buisness with more expidition than at first, but have many weighty matters yet before them. capt Barry returnd yesterday & brought Letters from our Envoys who were on there way to Paris which they expected to reach the beginning of March— they Sent a courier to Paris informing the minister of the causes of their Delay. this courier they met returning with pasports for them, and a very polite Letter from Tallyrand informing them that they had been anxiously expected & would be received with Zeal, and that no difficuly would arise upon account of the change in the Government, as their Letters of credence would be considerd as equally valid—with strong expression of respect &c citizen Talleyrand concludes his Letter— You will see in the papers a similar account—1 I will in my next give you the price of the seed. I wish to have large preperations for a Garden where the potatoes were last year as well as below.

I must close least the post fail me, as it is near 12 oclock. I trust you have received my replie as it respects mr Clarks House—2 any thing you conclude will be acceeded to both by the President & your truly / affectionate