Papers of John Adams, volume 18
y.21
st.1786
If I were as fortunate as you are and could pass the Water from Dover to Calais in 3 hours, I would go to Paris & dine with you in some of your American Parties but I can never get over from Harwich to Helveot nor from Dover to Calais in less than 17 hours, & sometimes not under three Day’s—
I have all the peices relative to the United Provinces excepting Le Pay’s de Drenthe. I have one peice upon slavery—one upon Woemen, & two introductions to the subject of fiefs. Voila tout que J’en ai—1
Among all my acquaintance I know not a greater Rider of Hobby Horses than Count Sarsefield— one of your Hobby Horses is to assemble uncommon Characters— I have dined with you 2 or 3. times at your House in Company with the oddest Collections of Personages that were ever put together— I am thinking if you were here, I would Invite you to a dinner to your taste— I would ask King Paoli— King Brant—Le Chevaleir DeEon,2 & if you pleased you might have Mr. & Mrs. ——— with whom you dined in America—3 How much speculation would this whimsical association afford you?—
How goes on your Enquiry into fiefs? if you do not make haste I may perhaps interfere with you I have half a Mind to devote the next ten Years to the making of a Book, upon the subject of Nobility— I wish to enquire into the practice of all Nations ancient & modern, civilized & savage, under all Religions Mahometan, Christian, & Pagan—to see how far the division of Mankind into Patricians & Plebeians, Nobles & simples is necessary & inevitable & how far it is not Nature has not made this discrimination. art has done it— Art may then prevent it— I believe would it do good or evil
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to prevent it? I believe good think what you will of it— How can it be prevented? in short it is a splendid subject and if I were not too Lazy I would undertake it.
I want to see Nations in Uniform— No Church Canonicals: no Lawyers Robes—no ——— no distinctions in society, but such as sense and Honesty make.— What a fool? what an Enthusiast you will say— what then? why should not I have my Hobby Horse to ride as well as my friend— I’ll tell you what— I believe this many headed beast the people, will some time or other have wit enough to throw their riders—and if the should they will put an End to an Abundance of tricks with which they are now curbed & bitted, whiped & spurred
LbC in WSS’s hand (Adams Papers); internal address: “Count Sarsefield”; APM Reel 113.
See Sarsfield’s query in his 8 Jan. letter, and note 1, above.
The Chevalier Charles de Beaumont d’Eon (1728–1810) was a noted French diplomat and writer on history and government who often dressed in women’s clothes. AA2 reported his arrival in London in Nov. 1785 and asked JQA if he had ever heard “of the famouss Mademoiselle d’eon” (
AFC
, 6:472, 474).
Probably William Bingham and Anne Willing Bingham. In his 8 Jan. 1786 letter Sarsfield indicated that he, metaphorically, had dined with them twice in “Amerique” and that they were about to depart Paris for London.
The Books which I had the honour to request your Excellency’s acceptance of, (vizt. My—Grandfathers Works) are but this moment returned from my Bookbinder, or I should have fulfilled my promise sooner.1
I had an opportunity of making some Enquiries concerning the Reports which I mentioned to your Excellency about the supposed backwardness of Government to permit the Bishops to consecrate Bishops for America; and I am happy to find that these Reports had no foundation in truth.
Nevertheless I am under great concern on accot. of some other reports that are current, vizt. that the Convention of the American Churches has so far altered the Liturgy as to give room to suspect that they do not maintain the Profession of the primitive Church: for if that should really be the case the English Bishops cannot, consistently with their duty to God, give consecration to any Man, who does not unequivocally acknowledge “the Faith that was once
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delivered to the Saints” and the Creeds by which that Faith has since been maintaind.
The Promise which I wrote to Dr. Franklin on this Head, through the Assurances I had received from a person of high Authority, I read over this day to the same worthy person, and I have had the satisfaction to receive his entire approbation of my manner of expressing it; and he again assured me, in the most solemn manner, this day, that he will abide by that promise.2
If your Excellency should desire to see any part of the Correspondence I have had with America on this point, I will wait upon you at any time you shall be pleased to appoint to shew you the Letters, & will give you copies of any that you may think worthy your notice.
I am with great respect and esteem Sir / Your Excellency’s most obedient humble Servant
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “His Excellency Jno Adams Esqr.”
Sharp sent JA
The Works of the Most Reverend Dr. John Sharp, Late Lord Archbishop of York, 7 vols., London, 1754, which are in JA’s library at MB (
Catalogue of JA’s Library
). In his 23 Jan. reply, JA thanked Sharp for the “valuable present” so “eligantly bound” and invited him to visit him any morning before noon (LbC, APM Reel 113). JA was familiar with the archbishop’s writings, indicating in his Diary entry for 10 Nov. 1761 that he had that day read a number of Sharp’s sermons, characterizing Sharp as “a moving, affectionate Preacher” if “not so moral” as his contemporary John Tillotson, archbishop of Canterbury (JA, D&A
, 1:9–10, 224;
DNB
).
Granville Sharp (1735–1813) was a noted philanthropist, scholar, and pamphleteer. Following the American Revolution, which he supported, Sharp became interested in the development of the American Episcopal Church, particularly the nature of its liturgy and the ordination of American bishops. He carried on an extensive correspondence with Benjamin Franklin on the subject and was presumably of assistance to JA in his efforts on behalf of the American church, for which see note 2, below.
Sharp, however, was most noted for his antislavery efforts, in support of which he produced numerous pamphlets, many of which are in JA’s library at MB, but see also
JA’s 31 Jan. 1786 letter to the Marquis de Lafayette, below. He also became interested in the settlement of freed slaves in Africa and in 1786 at London published A Short Sketch of Temporary Regulations: (Untill Better Shall be Proposed) for the Intended Settlement on the Grain Coast of Africa, Near Sierra Leona. Prior to its publication, Sharp sent JA a manuscript copy of the pamphlet, dated “Old Jewry / 3 July 1786,” with authorial insertions that were included in the published text (Adams Papers). A copy of the pamphlet’s 3d edition, published in 1788, is in JA’s library at MB.
As he wrote to Franklin on 29 Oct. 1785, Sharp supported the American election of Episcopal bishops, provided that they were consecrated at the hands of English clergy and not by Scottish non-juring bishops, whose “popish” practice signified a possible departure from apostolic succession (CtY:Benjamin Franklin Papers). Sharp, who met with the archbishop of Canterbury shortly after JA’s visit, proposed that English clergy forgo the usual oaths of allegiance for American candidates. Through his correspondence with Franklin, Sharp continued to monitor the Episcopal general convention’s revisions to the Book of Common Prayer and liturgy, observing that “America is not the only part wherein Protestant Episcopacy is likely to be extended, when the rights of election are better understood.” Sharp’s reassurances to the archbishop, emphasizing American commitment to the use of standing creeds and
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the opportunity to counter Socinian growth, likely influenced John Moore’s final assent (vol. 17:540; William White, Memoirs of the Protestant Episcopal Church, N.Y., 1880, p. 370–377).