As, from Your Discretion, Firmness of Mind and inviolable Integrity, I have expected great and good Things to be effected; You will allow me now to tell You, that my Expectation has not been disappointed.

I heartily bless the most wise and wonderful Counsellour, that you have been so happily directed and succeeded in your Foreign Embassy to the Credit, Emolument and Comfort of your own Countrey, as well as to your own Honour: And I persuade myself, that, as you have begun, You will continue to deserve well of the Community, to which You originally belong, and of which You are so useful a Member.

As I am now far advanced in Life, being now in my 78th. Year, I thought within myself, what I could do for the public Welfare and Happiness? And hence I formed the Conclusion to write the Legacy now inclosed to You: And, having written it, as I did not chuse to leave to my own Understanding, I Sent it to your Compatriot Mr. S. Adams; who Kept it for three Weeks, and then brought it Home: 363And he told me, that, after his repetedly reading it, he approved it from Beginning to End, and he advised me to print it: whereupon I gave it to the Printer.1

And as I Sent one of them to his Excellency the President of Congress; I have the Comfort to inform You, that I have received his Thanks for it in a complaisant and respectful Letter from him.2

As your Talents for Serviceableness are considerable and conspicuous; and You will, I doubt not, wisely and faithfully improve them, by the Help of our Divine Redeemer sollicited and improved; I wish You continued and great Success in the Improvement of them, and the greatest Comfort and Satisfaction in Your Success both here and forever hereafter.

I commend you to the Special Guidance and Blessing of the great Lord of Heaven and Earth; and freely acknowlege myself to be / Your aged, obliged Friend / and most humble Servant.

Since my last which went in a French Brigt: by way of Nantes, Copy of which you have above,1 Nothing Material has taken place, except a Resolution of Congress to erect Buildings & to reside alternately on the Delaware & Potowmack, & in the mean Time they have adjourn’d to Annapolis on the 12th Instant,— this is consider’d 364by the Patriots as a Triumph. Our Friend Gerry thinks the Measure will have Beneficial, & Extensive, Consequences, & particularly that, it will strengthen the Union, & Confidence of the Southern, & Northern States;— It will at least embarrass those Measures which had been so successful while Congress sat at Philadelphia, & which would have been fully executed had it return’d there again.—2 The last Ships from London bring us Advices that the definitive Treaty was sign’d the beginning of Septemr: but no Official Account is yet Arriv’d,—nor do we hear any Thing of the Commercial Treaty,— I can suppose that many Difficulties attend that Business— Mr Temple who goes for England and designs to go also to France takes this, and will hand or forward it to You,— I think he has been use’d here very hardly,— Our G——r and his Tools have been the Immediate Actors, whether their Conduct Originated from their Own little, narrow Policy, or is deriv’d from a higher Source I don’t know,— for my Part I have not a Single Reason to suppose he ever did, or ever wished to injure this Country, and he certainly has done it Service in some Instances, and for some Cause or Other has suffer’d greatly,— You will probably see him, & hear his Account of the whole Matter;— His principal Veiws in going to Europe are to endeavour to get from the present Ministry some compensation for the Losses he sustain’d by a former Administration,—& to see and bring Dr Franklin to an explicit Declaration with respect to the Letters;—3 I wish him Success in both,— If it be convenient for You to give him any Assistance, You will in my Opinion do Service to an honest Man, and oblige those who think him so— Your Lady & Daughter spent the Day with us Yesterday, You will probably have it under their own Hands by this Oppertunity that they are well—4 I am, with great Respect, / Yr Friend & Hble: Servt: