N’attribuez qu’à la peine que j’ai eue de me procurer la Brochure que vous m’avez demandée,1 Si je ne n’ai pas répondu plutôt à l’honorée vôtre du 18. Certainement elle n’est pas imprimée ici, où tout le monde la méprise, et où elle n’est connue que des Libraires à qui on l’avoit envoyée pour en vendre ce qu’ils pourroient. J’ai donc été obligé d’attendre qu’elle vînt de Rotterdam, d’où on me l’a fait venir, parce que c’est là qu’elle a été publiée par quelque Anglois ou Anglomane. Vous verrez que c’est effectivement une piece à mépriser, et qui ne mérite aucune attention, encore moins une réfutation, de notre part.

I am very glad, Dear Sir, that you have found shut the gates of the other Mansion. What had you to do that way? You Know your Business is to open the Gates of general Peace, when Britain will be reduced to seek for it. I am very much obliged to Dr. Oosterdyk and the Bark, that they have not suffered your feet, stumbling on the dark Mountains: because I will have them, together with mine, when we will have pacified Europe, climb up to the Top of your Blue Mountains and crowned with oaken Boughs, survey and bless from thence the glorious Empire of Liberty, with its happy Sons and Daughters.

Jeudi dernier (après s’etre amusé pendant la 15ne. précedente à délibérer, et enfin résoudre contre certaine adresse au Peuple 2) on a mis sur le tapis dans le Sanhédrin la Missive du D—.3 Alcmar et Hoorn ont accédé aux 8 villes qui sont contre lui. La premiere a parlé plus vigoureusement que toutes les autres. Avec tout cela, comme j’ai vu hier matin passer devant mes fenêtres une partie de ces Messieurs, pour entrer dans leurs Yachts, j’en ai conclu qu’ils ont laissé le tapis, pour aller selon leur coutume, pendant quelques jours délibérer sur leurs Napes et Draps de Lit.

J’ai lu une Réponse de certain Peuple à certaine adresse, que je voudrois que vous pussiez lire aussi. Vous y verriez que ce peuple n’a rien à craindre de son bon Chef, par la raison que pour bouleverser un Etat, il faut être un grand homme. Vous penseriez aussi avec moi, que si jamais on attrape l’Auteur de l’Adresse, il ne pourroit mieux faire que de choisir celui de la réponse, pour le Consoler dans sa derniere heure.

Tout ceci amuse en attendant les nouvelles plus importantes, qui doivent nous venir d’Amérique.

Je suis toujours seul ici, et par conséquent attaché chez moi. Mais je crois que le mauvais temps obligera bientôt ma femme à revenir, et alors je ne manquerai pas Monsieur de profiter de votre obligeante invitation, et de regler avec vous, au coin du feu, les grands interêts des Nations.

Voici une petite Drôlerie au sujet d’une Lettre pitoyable, qui avoit été écrite contre Mr. De L—. Cela pourra vous amuser un instant.

It is only due to the difficulty I had in obtaining the brochure you asked for,1 that I did not respond earlier to your honored letter of the 18th. It certainly was not printed here, where everyone spurns it, and where it is known only to the booksellers trying to sell it. I was, therefore, obligated to wait until it came from Rotterdam because it was there that it was published by some Englishman or Anglomane. You will see that it is truly a 56work to be scorned and deserves not the slightest attention, much less a refutation from us.

I am very glad, Dear Sir, that you have found shut the gates of the other Mansion. What had you to do that way? You know your Business is to open the Gates of general Peace, when Britain will be reduced to seek for it. I am very much obliged to Dr. Oosterdyk and the Bark, that they have not suffered your feet, stumbling on the dark Mountains: because I will have them, together with mine, when we will have pacified Europe, climb up to the Top of your Blue Mountains and crowned with oaken Boughs, survey and bless from thence the glorious Empire of Liberty, with its happy Sons and Daughters.

Last Thursday (after enjoying the previous two weeks deliberating and finally reaching a resolution against a certain address to the people 2) the missive of D— was on the carpet in the Sanhedrin.3 Alcmar and Hoorn complied with the eight cities that are against him. The first spoke more vigorously than all the others did. With all of that I concluded, when I saw some of these gentlemen pass by my window yesterday morning to go to their yachts, that they left the carpet, according to their custom, to deliberate for several days on their bed sheets.

I read a response by certain people to a certain address, that I would like you to read also. You will see that these people have nothing to fear from their good leader, because in order to overturn a state, one must be a great man. You will agree with me, that if the author of the address were ever caught, he could not do better than to choose the author of the response for consolation in his last hours.

All of this is amusing while waiting for more important news to come from America.

I am still alone here and, because of that, at home. But I believe that my wife will come home soon because of the bad weather, and then, sir, I will take advantage of your kind invitation to come sit with you by the fire and settle the important matters of the world.

Here is an amusing thing regarding a pitiful letter that was written against Mr. De L—. It will amuse you for a moment.