Lancaster July 5th. 1755 Sr.,

I recd. yr. Engaging Adress1 & with An inexpressible Eagerness skipt over its Harmonious Numbers & well tun'd Accents. The Elegance of the Expression & the easiness of the Metre, wafted my Soul & Captivated all my Senses, but when I mus'd on the Justness of yr. Sentiments & trac'd yr. Thoughts thro' the wide Expance of Freindship yr. Numbers281with their beauty faded & yr. Description with all its Delicacy pall'd on my Over loaded Mind which Staggerd under the Burthen of yr. well chosen Subject. Had I the fam'd Maonian Muse, or glow'd my Breast wth. Homers Fire, or rather thee 0 Milton ah could I reach thy Strain, I might attempt to answer yr. Description & dress my thoughts worthy yr. perusal. Worthy your perusal? But could I then equall the Subject? No Nor even describe the invigorating Effect it had on my benighted Soul, which had long Wander'd, like a heathen Departed Spirit Unburied, tho' by the side of a beauteous River yet So much the greater the curse that while in Paradise I can find neither Eve nor other generous Freind. Hail well met pair, destin'd to be happy if you are not wilfull. I esteem my Self happy in yr. Correspondence & more so in yr. Company. Remember me to Dr. Tufts & to all the sons & Daughters of Freindship & Suffer me to Subscribe my Self a Posthumous Son of that Goddess tho' rusticated for misdemeanor & yr. much obliged humble Serv.,

R.T. PAINE

Dft ; at head of text: "Answer to S Q of June 27. 1755."

1.

Two poems by Quincy, endorsed by RTP as "Satyrs," and both dated June 27, are in the RTP Papers.