Papers of John Adams, volume 16
Vous apprendrez de Mr Rosart imprimeur des Remarques de Mr de Mably à quel point cet ouvrage est avancé.1 Il desirerait ardemment de faire entrer son Edition en France. Mr de Mably qui s’est reservé plusieurs exemplaires a trouvé moyen de se les procurer par le canal de Mr Grand à l’addresse de Mr Franklin. Le libraire ne
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voudrait pas que ces exemplaires arrivassent à Paris avant son edition. Il aurait raison de craindre une contre-façon. En conséquence il doit s’adresser à vous & réclamer votre secours. Si vous pouvez l’assister de vos conseils & de votre crédit dans cette occurrence, vous obligerez celui qui est avec le plus profond respect / De Votre Excellence / Le très humble / & très obéissant / serviteur
You will learn from Mr. Rosart, the printer of the Remarques de Mr de Mably, how far this work has advanced.1 He ardently desires that his edition should enter France. Mr. Mably, who reserved several copies for himself, found a way to procure them through Mr. Grand at Mr. Franklin’s address. The publisher does not want these copies to reach Paris before his edition. He has reason to fear a pirated version. As a consequence he must write to you and request your assistance. If you could help him with your advice and your influence in this matter, you will place in your debt he who remains, with the deepest respect, your excellency’s very humble and very obedient servant
RC (Adams Papers).
See the 21 March letter from J. F. Rosart & Co., below.
van Staphorst, and De la Lande & Fynje
We take the Liberty of sending herewith the General Bond of the new Loan with the Dutch Translation of it, and beg you’ll be so kind as to pass this Act before an English Notary in the Hague and to send us the Gross together with the Dutch Translation as soon as possible back.1 It will be necessary also to make different Copies to send ’em to Congress for its Ratification. Your Excellency will observe we have made the Form of the Bond in such a Manner that your Excellency might be saved the Trouble of signing all the Copies, as was before done, the which Alteration will we hope be acceptable to your Excellency.2
The Loan goes tolerably well. We have already collected almost as much Money as is sufficient to pay the Bills, which are now due,
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and we have some good Expectations that we shall be able in a short Time to accept also the remaining Drafts of Mr Morris.
We have the Honor to remain with due Respect / Sir / Your Excellency’s / Most humble and obedt Servts.
Nic
s.& Jacob van Staphorst
de la Lande & fynje
RC (Adams Papers).
That is, the consortium was enclosing English and Dutch language versions of the loan contract. JA was to return the engrossed (grosse in Dutch), notarized copies of the contract. See the notarized English version of the contract for the second Dutch loan at 9 March, the day on which it was notarized, below. The engrossed Dutch copy has not been found.
That is, the contract provided that the obligations for the loan could be sold over the signature of the consortium’s members. For the provision in the first Dutch loan of [11 June 1782] requiring JA’s signature on the obligations, see vol. 13:112.