Papers of John Adams, volume 14
2. February 1783.1
Being not in my power to go & pay my respects in person to your Excellency, on account of an indisposition occasioned by the short, but very hard journey from Rotterdam to this City, I have thought proper to send you here inclosed a packet Mr. Dumas gave me for your Excellency at the Hague.2 I had recd. in Amsterdam the letter you did me the honour to write me the 28. of December last; 231consequently presented to him the order therein inclosed, & received Baretti's dictionary, having refused to take that of Crusca, because it is not my property, since your Excellency did me the honour to accept of it. I found in the said letter an unsealed one directed to several Gentlemen, to all of whom I showed it, as from its contents it appeared that your Excellency meant to let them Know that I had the honour of being acquainted with you.3 I recd. likewise, a few days after, the packet Mr. Lynch had sent for me under cover to your Excellency the 10th. of October last, which I must suppose was found among your papers. I have the honour to be most respectfully, / Sir, / your Excellency's most humble / and most Obedient Servant
RC (MHi:Adams-Hull Coll.); internal address: “His Excelly., John Adams Esqre. &c.” endorsed: “Mr Mazzei 2. Feb. / 1783. / ansd 2. Feb. 1783.”
JA's reply, written later in the day, has not been found.
For the packet delivered to JA, see C. W. F. Dumas’ letter of 23 Jan., above.
The letter was of 28 Dec. to the members of the Dutch loan consortium, for which see JA's letter to Mazzei of that date, note 2, above.
Mr. Adams presents his Compliments to Mr. Fitzherbert, and has the Honour to acquaint him, that the American Ministers Plenipotentiary for the Peace, have just directed Mr. A. to inform Mr. Fitzherbert, that they have determined to exchange an hundred Passports, which are now printing and will be ready for Signature Tomorrow.
That they are ready to enter into Conferences concerning the Preparations for the definitive Treaty of Peace, and request Mr. Fitzherbert to appoint the Time and Place.
LbC (Adams Papers); APM Reel 108.
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Mr Fitz-Herbert presents his Compliments to Mr Adams, and as he is obliged to go to Versailles tomorrow, begs leave to propose to him and the other American Ministers Plenipotentiary for the Peace 232to meet at his (Mr F's) lodgings on Wednesday next at eleven o’clock for the purpose of conferring together upon the subject of the definitive treaty: however should that time or place be inconvenient to Mr Adams or either of his brother-commissioners, Mr FitzHerbert will be very happy to agree to any other.1
In consequence of what Mr Adams has been so obliging as to communicate to him respecting the passports which he and his brother-commissioners have ordered to be prepared, Mr FitzHerbert purposes writing to England this afternoon to desire a like number may be expedited to him forthwith from the Admiralty.
RC (Adams Papers).
Wednesday was 5 February. JA indicated in his earlier letter of 3 Feb., above, that Fitzherbert should name the location for his meeting with the commissioners. Apparently JA conferred with Fitzherbert again and in his letters to Benjamin Franklin (DLC: Franklin Papers) and John Jay (LbC, APM Reel 108) later on the evening of 3 Feb., he informed them that the meeting would be at Fitzherbert's residence at the Hotel du Parc Royal.