L’arrivée de Messieurs vos fils, & de l’honorée vôtre du 11e. 7br. qu’ils m’ont remise, a été une apparition bien agréable pour moi, qui suis presque moisi d’âge & de solitude.—1 Mon amitié leur est acquise & par leurs chers parens, & par leur propre mérite: je voudrois pouvoir leur en donner les preuves les plus fréquentes; mais vous savez combien je suis noir à certains yeux, auxquels je ne desirerai jamais de paroître blanc.— Je crois fermement que la providence fera finalement tourner “en bien” les troubles de notre monde moral, com̃e elle fait tourner en bien les volcans & les tremblemens du physique. En attendant, en me témoignant que les Américains sont heureux, vous me rendez aussi heureux qu’on peux l’être où je suis. Dieu les bénisse de plus en plus par la Démocratie la mieux représentée possible.

Je vous félicite, Monsieur, d’être délivré de cette truande de fievre dont vous avez eu à vous plaindre. Puissiez-vous, avec Madame Adams, à qui je présente mes meilleurs respects, jouïr, au milieu d’une florissante postérité, de toutes les bénédictions qui peuvent précéder l’im̃ortalité.— Ma famille, sensible à votre obligeant souvenir, partage mes voeux, & le respect avec lequel je suis, / Monsieur / Votre très-humble & très- / obéissant serviteur

In the Belief that it may afford to you some Pleasure, I do myself the honour to enclose to you a Drawing of sundry matters collected from an old Grave in this Country—addressed as you will observe to my Friend Mr Belknab of Boston— The Skull of the Body interred with them mouldered away upon being exposed to the Air, and a Part of the Thigh Bone Seems to me as antique as many which I have viewed after laying three hundred years in the Earth—1

If upon the Receipt of this Packet you should have a few moments of Leisure I shall hope to be indulged with Information of the probable Uses of the different Articles and the Degree of Improvement of the people designing them—which I have in vain sought amongst the learned of this Country.

with highest Respect / I have the honour to be / Sir / your most obedient / humble Servant

I Should not have importuned your Excell̃—this Year with another Letter did I not believe it dutiful to acquaint you, with everÿ material change, in mÿ circumstances—not that I Consider them 344 important enough to merit much your Excell̃. attention, but that it Seems to bestow Some importance on me, in persuding me Self, that you believe me not unworthy of communicating them with you.

The coúncil of appointment of this State had appointed me, unanimous, as an adsistant justice and Justice of the peace for this countÿ—and maÿ particular Situation, in an infant Settlement in the western parts, with other considerations, has overcome my resolutions—for a while—and persuaded me to the acceptance of this office, ’though I Shall be obliged to the Sacrifice of a part of my precious time, and Some additional expences—1 I hope howewer to endeavour, as long as I am continued, to acquit me selves, with decencÿ, and, if possible, to preserve the good opinion of mÿ well-wishers.

To this moment I have not yet been happy enough—to See D’avila’s discourses—’though I wrote, more than once for them to N. york and Philadelphia— I Shall consider it, as a particular mark of your Excellency’s continued kindness towards me, if the one or other time, your Excell̃—finds an opportunity of favouring me with their perusal.

France Verifies our predictions—and shall bring the doctrine of the Defence &. to the greatest degree of moral evidence— Tallien shall be humbled in his hour, if they continue in the same track—2 It is a change of measures what can Save France, not a change of men. three years Longer continuence of this anarchical despotism and the hopes of enjoying civil and Political Liberty Shall be lost for ever for more than twenty millions of men. Rather a Laborious Life of a forgotten farmer in the western parts—than the brilliant greatness of those Parisien leaders, who to daÿ are Patriots—and to morrow traitors—and rather the approbation of few honet neighbours, than the noisy applause, of an infatuated mob—

Permit me the Satisfaction to send your Excell̃e—from time to time—a few Lines— I Shall not abuse of this favour and few—Sir—are Sufficient, to remember your Excell̃—that—what others may protest, I really am with the Sincerest attachment and highest esteem / Your Excell̃’s most ob̃: and / humble Sert.