I have this day been honored with your excellency’s letter, dated 25 January of the present year from London, in which you sent along a memorial to Their High Mightinesses, and another to His Majesty, with a request to deliver the same. I have always experienced so many proofs of your friendship and affection that I would have accounted it an honor and a pleasure to have complied immediately with your wishes, although I would have preferred that you had not taken leave and always hoped to have seen you here once more. But permit me to inform you that when I communicated your letter, addressed to Their High Mightinesses, to the president and other members, they did not have an unfavorable response to it (that is, to the memorial of taking leave, which in every respect was found obliging and sufficient) except that no letter of recall from Congress to Their High Mightinesses accompanied the same, such as is customary that a minister is credited by a letter of credence (such as yours, dated 1 January 1781, which was received by Their High Mightinesses on 22 April 1782) so in the 272 same way, a minister is recalled by a letter of recall, upon which a letter of recredence is returned. Perhaps this may have been caused by an omission of the secretary of Congress and this prevents me from making use of your memorial, which ought to be delivered with a letter of recall from Congress; your excellency will I trust not be displeased that I am obliged to return the enclosed letter and memorial. If your circumstances do not allow you to take leave in person, it will be satisfactory to enclose a letter of recall from Congress with your memorial.

It will always give me pleasure to learn of your prosperity and that of those connected with you, and to find opportunities to show you the special regard with which I have the honor to be, sir, your excellency’s most humble and obedient servant