Papers of John Adams, volume 18

From John Adams to the Comte de Sarsfield, 3 February 1786 Adams, John Sarsfield, Guy Claude, Comte de

To the Comte de Sarsfield

Dear Sir, Grosvr. sqr. 3d. Feby. 1786—

In your kind Letter of the 26. of Jany. You ask an explanation of that expression of the Massachusetts, “a Ridder of hobby horses”— in the original of the Word Hobby horse it signified a little horse, the same with Poney in English—or Bidet in french,—

The English then transferred it to Irish and Scottish horses— Cheval de Irlande au D Ecosse from this sense it was transferred to those little Wooden Horses which are made for Children to ride on for their Amusements. it is defind a stick on which Boy’s get astride & ride—“Un baton sur lequel les Enfans vont a Cheval”— it is defined in Latin Arundo Longa, a reed or cane, for the Boy’s in want of better instruments made use of these— from these originals it has been used, I don’t know whether metaphorically or Poettically to signify any favourite Amusement of grown Men of all Ranks and Denominations, even sages & Heroes Philosophers & Legislators, Nobles, Princes & Kings all Nations I believe have some Word appropriated to this meaning— There is one in french which I once knew familiarly but have forgotten The Dutch have a Proverb “Ieder heeft zyn speelpop[”] every one has his hobby horse— for Example the hobby horse of Mr. Lionel, was the Anatomy of Caterpillars— that of Mr. Ploos Van Amstell to collect drawings &c.1 The Italians say “quel legno o bastone che i fanciulli si mettono fra gambe e chiamans il loro cavallo”—2 The dutch Proverb is very true, every Man has a staff which he puts sometimes between his Leggs & rides 139 & calls it his hobby horse— It is in this sense the hobby horse of many curious Persons, to become acquainted with singular & extraordinary Characters

It has ever been my hobby horse, to see rising in America an Empire of Liberty & a Prospect of two or three hundred Millions of freemen, without one noble or one King—among them— You say it is impossible— If I should agree with you in this, I would still say let us try the experiment and preserve our equality as long as we can—

A better system of Education for the Common-People, might preserve them long from such artificial inequalities, as are prejudicial to society by confounding the Natural distinctions of Right and Wrong, Virtue and vice—

I am

J. A

LbC in WSS’s hand (Adams Papers); internal address: “monsieur Le Comte De. / sarsefield Rue Pot de fer”; APM Reel 113.

“Mr. Lionel” was Pierre Lyonet (1706–1789), a French naturalist and savant whom JA met at The Hague in 1782. In a 25 July 1782 letter to AA, JA described touring a private collection of marine shells with Lyonet, who was best known for his illustrated Traité anatomique de la chenille, qui ronge le bois de saule, The Hague, 1760 ( AFC , 4:353–354).

Cornelis Ploos van Amstel (1726–1798), a Dutch artist, printmaker, and fellow-director of the Amsterdam Drawing Academy, accumulated a private collection of more than 7,000 drawings (Elmer Eusman, “Ploos van Amstel’s Mark,” Print Quarterly, 17:248 [Sept. 2000]).

That wood or stick that children put between their legs and call their horse.

From John Adams to John Woddrop, 3 February 1786 Adams, John Woddrop, John

To John Woddrop

Sir. Grosvr. square Feby. 3. 1786—

I have received the Letter you did me the honor to write to me on the 27th. of January—and several others before that some of which contained Letters for America, which I sent with my first dispatches.1

I have not answered any of those Letters because they related to a subject with which I have nothing to do. I am not come to this Country Sir—to solicit emigrations to the United states of America, nor to offer any Kind of Encouragement to such as wish to go—

All the World knows that my Country is open to strangers— But she offers no rewards or assistance— Those who love liberty, Innocence And Industry, are sure of an easy, comfortable Life, but they must go there to obtain it at their own Cost & Risque.

140

As to your Letters which may arrive from America, I shall never see them, & if I should I must be excused from opening them, as I have no concern in them whatever—

It is by no means my business to carry on or convey the Correspondences of Gentlemen at a distance who are total strangers to me, and therefore I pray that this intercourse may cease

I am

J. A—

LbC in WSS’s hand (Adams Papers); internal address: “Mr. John Woddrop / Glascow”; APM Reel 113.

Glasgow merchant John Woddrop, formerly of Nansemond County, Va., wrote to JA on 21 June, 22 July, 15 Aug., and 25 Aug. 1785, 27 Jan. and 3 April 1786, and finally on 12 April 1787 (all Adams Papers). Claiming an affiliation with George Washington, the Lee brothers, and other influential Virginia families, Woddrop inquired about prospects for American immigration and trade. Woddrop also wrote to Henry Laurens and Benjamin Franklin for guidance, offering his services as a leather tanner, army soldier, or school-master (Laurens, Papers , 16:220–221).

Initially, JA forwarded Woddrop’s various enclosures to Virginia correspondents but took no further action. Similar requests flooded JA’s office, for, as AA wrote to JQA on 6 Sept. 1785: “If your Pappa had attended to the Letters he has received, and would have given any encouragement, he might have settled whole States, but he has always refused to do any thing upon the Subject. There is scarcly a day passes without applications” ( AFC , 6:343–344).