Title: From Abigail Smith Adams to John Adams, 8 December 1811
From: Adams, Abigail Smith
To: Adams, John

my dear John
Quincy december 8th 1811

I have not written you a Letter yet, but I promissed you one, and I now have the pleasure of inclosing a Letter from your Brother Charles to you. I had a Letter from your Father dated in Sepbr th 11: the day after your Sister was Baptized. she was call’d Louisa Catharine, the Rev’d Dr Pitt, Chaplain to the English Church in St Petersburgh performed the Service, and mr Harris our Consul there was Godfather, and the Lady of the Portuguese Minister and Madam Kreham an English Lady, were the two Godmothers. The Flag of the united States was extended from a pier in the garden from the House in which your Father Resides.upon this occasion The Saxon minister & the Minister from westphalia attended the service, and Many American who were at st petersburgh, So that the young Ladies Christning will be rememberd by many Nations—George and his sister have something uncommon to remember, with respect to their Birthplace; one Born in Berlin, the Capital of the King of Prussia, and the other in St Petersburgh the Capital of the Emperor Alexander. they must never forget, that they are Americans, for tho born in foreign Countries, where ever a Minister resides that spot is considerd, as the Territory of the Nation to which he belongs. I hope they will both be good Citizens.
I miss you and your Brother not a little, especially upon the Sunday, as you seldom faild of being with me upon that day ever since your Father & Mother left us—but I consider you are for yourselfve much better situated. when you grow older, you will be convinced that it is so—
it will always give me pleasure to hear that you are obedient and Studious, that you are kind, and obligeing to your school mates, and that you love your uncle and Aunt and always believe that they know better than you do what is best for you. never be possitive . Remember the broken jug the day you went away.
I beleived it too heavey for you to carry. O No Grandmamma it is not. you will break it child. o No I Shall not. I gave it up, contrary to my own judgment. what became of the jug, John?
Poor fellow you looked so mortified that I had not the Heart to find fault with you; I only chid myself for yealding to importunity against my better knowledge. now I do not mention this, only to remind you that those who have lived longer in the world than you have; and have more experience ought to be minded, and their judgment submitted to without murmuring. attend my dear Boy to your hand writing. Your Father expects to find you improved—and you must write him a Letter Your Aunt or cousin, Abbe will assist you.
I inclose to you, your Fathers Letter which you left with me. get your Aunt to take care of it for you, that it may be preserved
The printer of that vile Paper which gave you so much offence, calld the Scourge, has been indited for four different Libels, and sentenced to pay a fine & be imprisoned Six Months. So you see that the wicked will not go unpunished—but private Revenge is not lawfull.—
give my Love to your Brother and tell him his Father is very anxious about his Education; but more so that his Morals shoud be pure; that he should pay a sacred regard to truth and upon no account ever deviate from it—
Remember to the Young Cranch’s & to Thomas Norten—to your Cousin Abbe to whom I charge you always to be obligeing, and Good Lydia allways respect & love
I am dear John most / affectionatly your / Grandmother
Abigail Adams


Title: From Mercy Otis Warren to Abigail Smith Adams, 8 December 1811
From: Warren, Mercy Otis
To: Adams, Abigail Smith

Madam,
Plymouth Decemr. 8th. 1811.—

Though I have felt the complicated affliction that has recently assailed my friends at Quincy, I have been silent;—nor should I now interrupt you from this unexpected Quarter, but from the interest I feel in her happiness, and the desire I have to know the situation of your amiable daughter.—
I have never heard a word from her since her Brother was here,—the day after she passed through a painful operation.—Has Mrs Smith wholly or partially recovered from her dangerous wound,—and what is the present prospect, judging according to our scanty knowledge of human events?— I pray for her perfect recovery, both for her own sake and that of her friends.—The commonplace expression, of love to her is needless—she knows how to appreciate this wherever it is felt.—
With all the amities of Christian affection and remembered friendships, / I am, as ever,
Mrs. Mercy Warren


Title: From Grand Master of Ceremonies of the Russian Court to Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 11 December 1811
From: Grand Master of Ceremonies of the Russian Court
To: Adams, Louisa Catherine Johnson,Smith, Catherine Maria Frances Johnson

Lundi 11. Décembre 1811.—
Le Département des Cérémonies a l’honneur d’annoncer à Madam Adams qu’Elle est invitée, ainsi que Mademoiselle Johnson, sa soeur, au Bal de Sa Majesté l’Impératrice Mère, le 12. de ce mois, à huit heures du soir.


Title: To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 13 December 1811
From: Adams, John Quincy
To: Adams, John

N. 12.
My Dear Sir.
St: Petersburg 13. December 1811.

The extract contained in one of your last Winter’s letters to me from the Astronomics of Manilius, excited my attention to that writer, of whom I had previously known nothing more than the name—I have not been able to purchase it here, but General Pardo da Figueroa the Spanish Minister at this Court, one of the most learned classical scholars in Europe has had the goodness to lend me this Poem, with the French Translation, and Notes of Pingré, both of which were absolutely necessary to me to make it intelligible—Perhaps you will judge this in some sort excusable when I tell you that the Poem of Manilius, notwithstanding its title, is in fact a system of Judicial Astrology—a Science which I had so totally neglected, that without Mr Pingré’s assistance I could not have understood perhaps a third part of the words, and a far greater proportion of the mysterious beauties in which this work abounds—Pingré was himself a very good Astronomer, and sufficiently versed in Astrology to explain and comment upon Manilius—His translation is, according to the French manner, facing the original, page for page.
The Poem as now existing is in five Books, but unfortunately incomplete—It does not appear that it ever was finished—The translator is of opinion that the author did not live to finish it. There seem to be some doubts whether he really lived in the Augustan age—At least it was not then published; but remained unknown upwards of three Centuries, untill the reign of Constantine—It was then turned into prose by Julius-Firmicus Maternus, who does not acknowledge what he took from him—Then comes another slumber of six or seven hundred years; and the first acknowledged appearance of the manuscript is in the tenth Century—The Genealogy of Manilius therefore is not altogether untainted with suspicion—But at the revival of letters the first manuscript was discovered by that great pioneer of antient Literature, Poggio, and the first Edition was published by his Son Francis Poggio at Bologna in 1474—Since then Manilius had been edited and commented by Joseph Justus-Scaliger—by Francis Junius—by Richard Bentley, and by a tribe of minor critics; but had not been translated into English; nor into French untill 1784. when this translation of Pingré was published with a recommendation from the French Academy of Sciences, signed by Messrs: De la Lande and La Monmer, and attested by the Marquis de Condorcet.
Reason, as may naturally be supposed is the principal agent in the Poem of Manilius—The extract sent you by Mr Van der Kemp gives you only a very small and comparatively insignificant portion of her labours and atchievments—Almost at the beginning of the Poem we are assured, that the first discoveries of Reason were made to kings
Regalis animos primum dignata mouere
Her next Communications were to Priests.
“Tum qui templa sacris coluerunt omne peraeuum
Delactique sacerdotes in publica vota
Officio vinxere Deum; quibus ipsa potentis
Numines accendit castam praesentia mentem
Inque Deum Deus ipse tulit patuitque ministris.
The consequence was that they soon perceived the inseparable connection between the revolutions of the Stars, and the destinies of mankind.
“Hi tantum mouere decus; primique per artem
Sideribus videre vagis pendentia fata.
Singula nam proprio signarunt tempora casu,
Longa per assiduas complexi secula curas;
Nascendi quae cuique dies, quae vita suisset;
In quas fortunae leges quaeque hora valeret;
Quantaque quam parvi facerent discrimina motus.
Their progress to perfection in the Art of consulting the Stars, and in the other Arts of War and Peace, is related in verses, almost equal to those of Virgil—But Manilius disdains to celebrate ordinary accomplishments
“Ne vulgata canam; linguas didicere voluerum,
Consultare fibres et rumpere vocibus angues,
Sollicitare umbras, imumque Acheronta mouere,
In noctemque dies, in lucem vertere noctes.
Omnie conando docilis solertia vicit:
These lines immediately precede those of Mr: Van der Kemp’s extract.—After which comes the result of the whole matter.
“Quae post quam in proprias deuxit singula causas,
Vicinam exalto mundi cognoscere molem
Intendit, totumque animo comprendere coelum:
Attribuitque suas formas, sua nomina signis;
Quasque vices agerent, certa sub forte notavit:
Omniaque ad numen mundi faciemque moveri,
Sideribus vario mutantibus ordine fata.—
And then
“Hoc mihi surgit opus, non ullis ante sacratum
Carmenibus. Faveat magno fortuna labori,
Annosa et molli contingat vita senecta;
Ut possim rerum tantas evincere moles,
Magnaque cum parvis simili percurrere curâ.
You perceive then that the Astronomics of Manilius, are entirely subordinate to his Astrology—He describes the Constellations, and divides them into Decanics and Dodecatemories, in order to shew how they govern the destinies and inspire the passions of men—He tells you how the signs of the Zodiac are affected toward one another—Their aspects and oppositions—Their trines tetragons and Sextiles.—He demonstrates with all the power of Reason, that the friendships and animosities of mankind all depend upon the conjunctions and oppositions of the Stars; that if such a man had not been born under the ship there would have been no Trojan War—That the truly just and honest man must be born under Aquarius—that the fishes produce nothing but tale-bearers and scandal-mongers; and that the Hyades preside over the nativity of all popular demagogues and Swine-herds.
As to Mr: Turgot’s Eripuit coelo fulmen, I do believe with Mr Van der Kemp, that the words, at least, and perhaps the seminal principle of the thought were borrowed from the passage in Manilius—but I do not altogether consider it as a plagiarism—but rather as an ingenious application of old expressions to a new idea—Manilius intends only to substitute in poetical language a philosophical for a fabulous explanation of the causes of thunder and lightening—It is the direct counterpart of Boileau’s lines
Cé n’est plus la vapeur qui produit la tonnerre,
C’est Jupiter armé pour effrayer la terre.
No! Says Manilius—Reason has snatched the weapon from Jupiter and restored it to la vapeur.—Now there is not a trace of analogy between this way of managing thunder and lightening, and Franklin’s discovery—Boileau’s verses might be charged as a plagiarism from Manilius, with more Justice than Turgot’s Hemistich—The image seems to me much improved by Turgot—for Manilius’s Reason is a mere abstraction—The sublimity of the conception is darkened by the shadowy Nature of the Agent—In the compliment to the Doctor, he is the agent; but as he takes the thunderbolt, not from Jupiter, but only from the Sky, the action loses a little of its boldness on one side, of what it gains on the other.
At all Events I have to thank you for the pleasure of having read Manilius’s poem, in which there is a great deal of charming poetry, and which has initiated me into the occult Science of Astrology—I have indeed found, as happens in the pursuit of other Sciences, that it is deeper than I had imagined, and would require a long life of leisure, to be acquired in its highest perfect—This was what Manilius prayed for that he might suitable unfold all its important secrets—and as he was disappointed in his wish, and his work remains imperfect, I am afraid I shall never resort to other teachers, to become an adept in this science of wonders—If however as the French Astronomers are telling the world, we have not only two Comets hanging over our heads at once, but the Dog-Star changing his place in the firmament, we may yet come to the proof that we have more concern in the affairs of the Stars than our philosophers of late have been willing to acknowledge.
The last Letter I have had the pleasure of receiving from you, is that of 28. April—The last from my Mother is of 24 July—It is nearly two months since we have had a line from America—We are all well; with the exception of Colds and Nursing-complaints—My daughter has got happily through the Vaccine—Politics are stiff and congealed like the Neva—They are in hourly expectation of a Peace with Turkey; but if the fire is smothered in one quarter it will break out in another—
Accept my duty
A.


Title: From Abigail Smith Adams to Mercy Otis Warren, 14 December 1811
From: Adams, Abigail Smith
To: Warren, Mercy Otis

my dear Madam
Quincy December 14th 1811

I thank you for your kind inquiries after my Daughter Smith. She is, and has been as well, the Physicians Say, as any one could expect, after Such an Operation, as She has endured—to me it was agonizing—She Sustaind it with firmness, and fortitude
The wound has been intirely healed for this month, but the mussels from the Arm, which communicate with the part affected, were necessarily laid So bare, and Sufferd So much, that it will be a long time before the use of the Arm can be restored. it is a misfortune to her, that She cannot bear the motion of a carriage nor write a line herself, but we are encouraged to hope, for a perfect restoration from time.
My dear Madam, I know you have often thought of me, and your feeling heart has Sympathized with me under the various, and uncommon trials, I have been call’d to pass through the year past, but mercies have been blended with my afflictions.
Knowing the regard you ever entertaind for my dear departed Brother & Sister, I had determined to write to you, previous to the receipt of your Letter, and to offer to your acceptance the tribute of Respect, paid to their memory by our Benevolent Pastor which I now do—
If we live untill the Spring of the year, and my Daughter so far recovers, as to be able to ride, She will not return home untill She has paid her Respects to one of her most ancient Friends—and if health permits, I will once more embrace in this world, the Friend I hope to meet in that world, where all Sorrow is to be wiped from all Eyes.—
I am Dear Madam as Ever your
A Adams


Title: From Elizabeth Smith Shaw Peabody to Abigail Smith Adams, 18 December 1811
From: Peabody, Elizabeth Smith Shaw
To: Adams, Abigail Smith

Atkinson December 18th. 1811—

At the arrival of the last Mail, I thought I could hear my dear Sister say, “Is there no Letters from Atkinson? I fear some of her Family are sick.”—
It has been really so—I have had one of my silent Colds—& my dear Abby, was confined a week after her return from Boston—But we are now both of us much better—I believe, I have what may be called the Rheumatism, or the Creek at the pit of my Breast, for I am not sick now, that I cannot help groaning when I move quick—I have red Bane up to my throat too—I feel very anxious for my dear Son, I pray, he may not be sick again at Mrs Carters—for nobody else will pity him—He is more careful, & concerned for every one, than for himself—I wish I could know by some means, whether it would be agreeable for Mr Foster to have Mr Shaw board with him—If it could be made agreeable upon both sides I should feel perfectly easy—Mrs Foster has a great family, but there he would pay her—She has many little Children—but then he is remarkably fond of those who are good—If it could be convenient, & suit both parties I should rejoice—I did not say anything to either, when I was in Town, nor should have thought so much about it now, if little Elizabeth had not said so much in favour of it—how she, & Charles would love to do anything for him—&cc—I know every addition to a number adds to the Care—But then he would make Compensation,
Perhaps, you have heard something said, upon this Subject, & can inform me, before I write to either of them—
I am very glad to hear that  your Mrs Smith can help herself—Her mind must feel consoled under her late state of debility, when she considers how much worse state she might have been in, & from what an Evil she is relieved—May her gratitude to her heavenly Parent & Preserver, be as preeminent, as her Fortitude, & Patience, has been under severe Sufferings—& delight the Heart of her good Parents, by her cheerful conversation, & the sweatness of her Disposition—joined by her lovely Daughter, & Cousins—
I hope you have had letters from Col. Smith & know how Mrs Adams bore the journey—may it prove beneficial to her health—& the bosom of her Friends an exhilirating Cordial—
I have repeatedly read the Letters you were so good as to enclose—In that of Judge Cranch’s to you, I was pleased to see how the good Spirit of Elijah, rested upon his Elisha—The whole Letter was an effusion of a most grateful, pious, & affectionate Heart—I think his Children here inherit much of the Temper, & genius of the Family—William loves to study, & Richard much better than I feared, by what his Parents wrote upon the Subject—They are poor Readers, & I mentioned to their Father, that the appearance of Principle, their habits of regularity, & moral Rectitude, modesty, respectful manners, & sweetness of temper, did their Parents, & themselves more honour than their literary attainments—But they are quite Favourites in our Family—& are kind to George, & John—They say, they have answered all the Letters of their Fathers, only what I call the Bible Letter—& poor George, had I suppose, so much to say, that he could not arrange his Ideas upon paper—for I wished them to write, & then let me correct it for them—John did not feel so much difficulty, & has expressed himself, with ease—every word himself—& George has written at last, though he was loth to try—I am sorry his hand writing is so poor—he is ashamed of it—& I hope will endeavour to do better—I have gotten good writing Books, & Copy Slips & every necessary for the purpose—They are fine Boys—but want constant attention—& more Lines, & Precepts than I fear I shall be able to give—His Cousin said, I fear George, you will not love me, I tell you of so many of your faults—or odd ways of standing, or rather not standing—I was pleased with his reply—“yes Cousin I do love you dearly—I know you do it, all out of kindness, & for my good”—“I am sure I ought to thank you because you speak so pleasant”—I never saw any Child more affectionate, or discover a better temper, than they both do—& Mr Peabody is exceeding fond of them both—But it will take some time to get them to regular habits of Study, & puting their things in place to do it themselves—
I have gotten them some mittens, I knew they would want more than one pair—those you may send, must be kept for the Sabbath—They must have new flats soon, & if their Uncle Thomas, could forward safely a few Dollars for their service, I should be glad—The thirty Dollars Mr Cranch expected would supply his Childrens present wants, is now stoped—it is unfortunate, for us—for they must have Boots, Shoes, &ccc Abby A—— Shaw begs to be remembered to her dear & beloved uncle & Aunt in the most respectful manner—& to her Cousins, most affectionately—
I have a strange hot, dry humour in my hands, which is very troublesome—& makes them swell, & crack open in every direction even above my wrists—I can scarcely hold my pen—I hope it will not seize my Stomach—This must be my appology for not writing before, & better now—Abby tells me, our Brother Cranch’s property will be more than what his friends expected—for which I am very glad—& to hear by you that the Judge, & Mr Quincy will unite in purchasing the Property of the Virchills—The Library is very valuable—If it is sold, I wish I could purchase Popes works—I am almost sometimes mentally starved—I long to gratify my thirst—but I do not believe I could get more than one Volume of his works within twenty miles—
Mr Peabody unites in the warmest wishes for the Life & health of the President, & my Sisters Happiness, with your affectionate
E PeabodyI forgot to tell you, we were much diverted by your account of poor John’s unfortunate Jug—When I read it, the dear conscious little fellow, put up both his hands to cover his Face—I fancy the fate of it, will be impressed upon his young mind—& the effect much better, than what is generally experienced from common Jugs, or their contents—
If you think best, to Send on Georges letter you will please to enclose, & appologise for them to Mr J—— Q A——


Title: From John Adams to William Cranch, 20 December 1811
From: Adams, John
To: Cranch, William

My dear Nephew
Quincy December 20. 1811

Will you be kind enough to advance five Dollars for me to Mr Gales for a Second years Subscription for his National Intelligencer, and let me pay it to Mr Peabody or any other on your account. I have desired him to ask the favour of Mr Quincy or you, hoping I might take such a Liberty with either. Your Friends are all well and with Health Wealth and long Life to you and yours.
John Adams


Title: From John Adams to John Adams Smith, 22 December 1811
From: Adams, John
To: Smith, John Adams

Dear Sir
Quincy December 22, 1811

Your kind letter of Nov, might have been sooner acknowledged, if I had been younger, my eyes brighter, my fingers steadier, and if I had less writing to do, and fewer letters to answer.
I have the honor to coalesse in the “consolidated” opinion of your neighbourhood, that the Presidents Message and the documents attending it do honor to the Government to the President his Ministers and Ambassadors, and in your words “if a Course of Counduct conformable to the Spirit of the Message be strenuously pursued, Mr Madison will receive all American Support”
that there is a faction too much attached to the French and another too much devoted to the English, is as certain as that France and England exist. such Factions have existed from 1776 to this hour, they are more noisy than powerful, they sometimes carry points in elections, and sometimes obtain offices by their prejudices and partialities, but whenever the times become serious these Factions loose their consequence, and when War comes either with France or England their partizans hide their diminished heads. They must call on the mountains to cover them. I mean the American Mountains. The American character then appears undisguised, brave as honesty herself, prudent as reflection, humane and tender as a woman, persevering as a christian. Oh my God! I humbly and devoutly pray that this character may be preserved—That neither mercantile or military or priestly or Juridical ambition or Avarice may be permitted to corrupt or debase it.
The important subject of a Navy has for six and thirty years appeared to me so important that I have lived in uninterrupted Astonishment at the coldness, the indifference the appathy of my fellow citizens upon this subject.
In 1775 I supported a motion, and believe made it for authourising General Washington to fit out an armed vessell. That vessel took the Congress mortar. I was upon a Committe with Governor Hopkins, R H. Lee, Gov Langdon and Christopher Galsdon to fit out a Fleet. We armed the Columbus, Cabot, Daxia, Providence &c
When I was President I hazarded and sacrificed my popularity to a Navy. In all my Public writings and private conversations, a Navy has been my constant theme. The wooden walls—the floating castles the swiming Batteries the floating Citadels of the US United States have been my Constant toast: how then can it be necessary or proper for me to produce myself before the public
remember my Situation. Delicacy Decency require that I should avoid every appearance of dictating prompting or even advising the Government. Long experience may have suggested to me Ideas, that might be useful to you.
I have seen and read in France the true causes which always have prevented and always will prevent France from being a first rate Maratime commerical, or Manufactoring power, Viz the immense preponderance of the Landed over the Commercial Interest
I fear the same cause here the Landed Nobles, for we have landed as well as monied Nobles in this Country as there are in France, will stand in the way
These landed gentlemen will have no objection to holding commissions in an army, even a standing army, but will oppose a Navy with all their might. Because no Country can afford to be omnipotent by Land and Sea at once. No Nation, No people can bear such a burthen of Taxes, Colbert Neckar all ministers in France who have encouraged a Navy have been unpopular
Your State of New York has become of great importance in this union. You have a great stage to tread, I think as a state it has taken a wrong turn and mistaken its true interest for a dozen years past. I hope it is now returning to its right path.
Have you a good map of New York? I advise you to make yourself Master of it Geography, and history
your Mother and Sister and all are well. Remember me to all.

Your Grandsire,


Title: To John Adams from Josiah, III Quincy, 27 December 1811
From: Quincy, Josiah, III
To: Adams, John

Sir.
Washington. 27. Dec. 1811

I received your very acceptable letter of the 20th. and I shall attend to its request with great pleasure.
I neither believe that our “souls” or our “marrow” are to be tried. The only thing to be put to risque is our “wind”. “Armour & attitude”, now-a-days mean only what they did in the days of Æolus.—Quâ data porta ruunt—The seas are upturned and the shipping interest annihilated—But fighting spirit there is none in this cave of words & vapour.—
However I do neither vapour nor exaggerate, when I assure you of the very great respect, with which I am your lady’s and your very hl St
Josiah Quincy


Title: From Abigail Smith Adams to Elizabeth Smith Shaw Peabody, 29 December 1811
From: Adams, Abigail Smith
To: Peabody, Elizabeth Smith Shaw

my dear Sister
Quincy december 29th 1811

A very droll accident happend to the inclosed Letter, as you will See by the address; I wrote two Letters yesterday, one to you, and one to the Select Men of the Town of Quincy in behalf of a poor woman who I thought Stood in need of assistance. the Letters were folded, and being call’d Suddenly down Stairs, I handed the wrong Letter to Susan desiring her to address it, the Letter was Sent before I discoverd the mistake, and the poor Select Man applied to day, to mr Adams to know if he could tell the meaning of it, for he could not see for his Life why the Letter was Sent to him. Mr Adams soon unraveld the mistery, and Supposed that you had got the Letter designd for him, but as it was not to go untill tomorrow, I had the pleasure of making the exchange. it was fortunate that the Letter did not contain anything of concequence, mere family Matters—I Send it, in its mutilated State. I begin to day to recover my voice a little. I believe I must take some blame to myself. the weather you know, was cold and Stormy last Week, and we had invited all the Quincy Gentlemen to dine with us, the fryday after Christmass. I had too much to attend to in my Kitchin, and making paste was cold work—and I am really So Self-Sufficient as to believe that I can do it better than any of my Family—So I am punished for my Self conceit & vanity; I have been obliged to confine myself to day and instead of going to meeting Stay at home and nurse myself Mrs Smith has been out to meeting to day for the first time Since her confinement, now near three months. She has recoverd her Strength & health, and looks much better than when She came her Arm is yet lame, but what a blessing to have extirpated So terrible an Enemy. Can we be sufficiently thankfull to that all gracious Being who gave her fortitude to undergo the operation, Supported through it; and blessed the means, has many events mark the year 1811 to me as one of the most trying to me, which I have ever past through—the death of mrs Norten mrs Hellen, William Smith Mrs Johnson, and our Ever dear Brother and Sister, who lie down & rise up in my thoughts daily. I may say they are ever present with me—I can dwell with delight upon their Lives, reflect upon their virtues and call up to remembrance a thousand kind and benevolent deeds. verily they have their Reward
Mr Smiths family have some consolation in their affliction. they have a prospect of connecting their daughter Hannah very agreably, much to their minds, and that very unexpectly. Hannah is young, but She is Solid well Educated well  with mind and Manner; “made to engage all Hearts”
it has roused mr Smith and dispelld that coroding greif which was Sapping his constitution, and producing a premature old Age—it has in some measure dispelld the gloom which overspread the mind of Hannah for the loss of a dear Brother, and threatned her with Melancholy—Mrs Smith is made quite happy, and tranquility appears to be again returning to a Family who have in a few years witness’d cruel reverses of fortune and domestic affliction—I rejoice with them—altho it would better have comported with my Ideas If Love had been grafted upon a Friendship and acquaintance of longer duration, an affection deep rooted—
But I am one of the old School—I know you will unite in sentiment with your truly / affectionate Sister
Abigail Adams


Title: From Grand Master of Ceremonies of the Russian Court to Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 31 December 1811
From: Grand Master of Ceremonies of the Russian Court
To: Adams, Louisa Catherine Johnson,Smith, Catherine Maria Frances Johnson

Dimanche 31. Décembre 1811.

Le Département des Cérémonies a l’honneur d’annoncer à Madame Adams et à Mademoiselle Johnson, sa sœur,  qu’Elles sont invitées au Bal masqué de la Cour, Lundi 1er Janvier 1812.


Title: From Abigail Smith Adams to Lucy Cranch Greenleaf, 1811
From: Adams, Abigail Smith
To: Greenleaf, Lucy Cranch

My dear Mrs Greenleaf
ca. 1811

I Send Some old Maderia & Sherry, the & the Curtains. I grieve that I cannot personally assist in nursing my dear Sister whom I pray God to comfort Sustain & Support under weakness her weakness, and trying afflictions. what I ever I have or can procure for her, I beg I may be calld upon for inclosed is a Small pecuniary aid. Sickness is chargeable in all families—I Send you a cheese and a peice of Beaf—the cheese I fear is not so good as I wish it. let me know if you have heard from weymouth
Your truly afflicted / Aunt
A Adams


Title: From Abigail Smith Adams to Lucy Cranch Greenleaf, 1811
From: Adams, Abigail Smith
To: Greenleaf, Lucy Cranch

my dear mrs Greenleaf
ca. 1811

How is your Mother to day. what night had She & how is miss Katy & Ruthey? have you procured a Nurse for her yet? have you heard from Weymouth I hoped to have ventured out to day to have Seen my dear Sister, but the weather is such that I dare not. tomorrow is a fortnight Since I was out of doors—Jackson has the same fever, tho I hope he will not be worse. he has kept his Bed this week—have I any thing you want? if you have not got a Nurse I believe Nancy Howard would go to you. I have not askd her, but will if you desire it—
your ever affectionate / Sister A
A AI Shall want to send to Boston tomorrow by mr Greenleaf If George cannot go, Shipley would drive him in—


Title: From Abigail Smith Adams to Lucy Cranch Greenleaf, 1811
From: Adams, Abigail Smith
To: Greenleaf, Lucy Cranch

my dear Mrs Greenleaf
1811

I Send you some oranges and Lemmons. the last night was a trying one to those who were not very Sick: I was myself so faint as Scarcly to feel able to draw my Breath—I think it equally relaxing to dog days—I hope it will clear up for the benifit of the Sick. does the Dr think your mothers fever came to the height Mrs Smith is very well unwell. I hope it is only a bad cold, but She has been much opprest at her Breast—Jackson remains very Sick. he has most voilent Sweats—Shipley will go to town with Mr Greenleaf this morning if you wish it. it was so very Stormy that he did not get from hence so soon as I intended—I have oatmeal and raisins and Sage at your Service


Title: From Abigail Smith Adams to Lucy Cranch Greenleaf, 1811
From: Adams, Abigail Smith
To: Greenleaf, Lucy Cranch

My dear Neice
1811

How are your dear Parents your Father I learnt when I returnd from Boston was very Sick. I have feard it for more than a week. is he as he used to be, or more lost? this terrible hot weather I fear will be too much for my dear Sister, and your Fathers illness added. your call is great for firmness and fortitude, as your day is So may your Strength be, and God knows what is best for us. to him we must commit ourselves & our dear Relatives. I Send two oranges which Mrs Welch Sent to your Mother the best she had, and a bottle of red wine Sent her by Mrs Crufts—please to Send Georges Gingham coat yellow Nanken pantaloons and a thin waist coat. if you want Lemmons I have them
I have a Shirt for John but find he did not bring his Sunday cloaths


Title: From Abigail Smith Adams to Lucy Cranch Greenleaf, 1811
From: Adams, Abigail Smith
To: Greenleaf, Lucy Cranch

Dear Mrs Greenleaf
1811

If you will Send Lucy & Johny here to day we will take care of them. Betsy Says She knows her Mother will watch to night if you want her, and I will try to get an other for you.


Title: Thomas Boylston Adams, anecdotes, 1811
From: Adams, Thomas Boylston
To:

post 1811

Thomas Adams, brother of John Quincy Adams, was one of the Circuit Judges of Masstts Court very able Man & learned lawyer—but very intemperate.—He was obliged to resign his office—being threatened with Impeachment.
Upon one occasion, there was an action of Trover on trial before him for a gun which had been borrowed, but which the borrower refused to return. Adams—in Charging the Jury, addressed them in Somewhat this way—with gesture, tone & Manner of one full more than half  over—Gentlemen of the—Jury— This is an action of Trover—The Defendant here—borrowed a gun of the plaintiff a gun! Now, Gentlemen, I tell you, arms must be returned. necessary for defence—besides didnt belong to him— I’ve been a soldier myself—I’ve carried a gun (with proper Motion) Ive worn a sword too, Gentlemen—(with hand to his side) & Gentlemen, I tell you, arms must be returned.
Upon another occasion, he had  been More intemperate than usual during the Session of Court, & was returning home in Company with another Gentleman, who informed him that he had Something of quite an unpleasant nature to communicate to him—Adams, with the appearance of the most lively apprehension inquired what it was! His companion answerd, that it was in reference to Some Scandalous lies which certain people had been telling about him—“Oh God,” interrupted Adams, as if perfectly Satisfied—& joyfully surprised, “is that all? I was afraid they had been telling the truth about me
Judge Cummings—Riot Charge—
Some young men had been indicted for a Riot on the 4th of July—The Judge Sat in his Chair—at times quite Excited, but endeavoring to restrain himself—hitching his chair forward & back every half minute by knitting his hands under his Chair—Gent. of the Jury—The Prisoners are indicted for a Riot—What is a Riot? A riot, Gentlemen, is the doing of some unlawful act of a private nature by three or more persons, jointly of their own authority in a violent & turbulent manner or of some lawful act by unlawful means. There must be three or more—
But when was this done—where, Gent. that is the question—on the 4th of July, in the hilarity of that joyous occasion—Gent. the innocent & patriotic hilarity of youthful Spirits—their respondents—in sportive—mood—demolished this building—But, Gent. What—is this a Riot—Gentlemen! Gentr.! Is this a land of liberty or is it not.? Gent. that’s the question—Is this a land of Liberty or is it not?
Your case—But Gent. Did the prisoner Steal the Spoons—Gent. that’s the question—


Title: From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 1 January 1812
From: Adams, John Quincy
To: Adams, Abigail Smith

N. 29.
St: Petersburg 1. January 1812.

I will not suffer the first day of this new year to pass over, without renewing to my dear Mother the expression of my fervent prayers to God, that it may be a year of health enjoyment, and every blessing to her and to my father, as well as to my beloved children who are with you, and to all the family around you—And with the hope of auspicating it to us all, I join that of having once more the heart-felt satisfaction of uniting together all the members of my own family, and of having again the joy of meeting in health and comfort my Parents and my Children, before its close.
I am happy to have it in my power at the same time to give you the information of our convalescence; for we have all been sick with an influenza, now prevailing in this City—Yesterday week was the Emperor’s birth-day, on which occasion, I attended the Circle, in the morning, and went in the Evening with the Ladies to the Ball, given by the Empress Mother—It was magnificent as usual, but from the heat of the Evening, within the palace, and the severity of the Cold without we all took troublesome coughs, from which we are not yet entirely recovered—Mr: Smith was then confined for two days to his chamber, and Catherine has scarcely left hers since—Charles and his infant Sister have both shared in the complaint, and almost all our Servants have been ill with it, at the same time—We are just now returning to our ordinary Condition.
The only information of any interest that I have received from America since I wrote you last, is a paragraph in an English newspaper stating that the Laurel, Captain Burnham, had been taken and carried into Halifax. The Laurel had on board several letters from me, besides a box of minerals sent to the American Academy—What has become of the letters I know not—The Laurel in passing through the Belt, had received upwards of fifty Cannon shot in her sides from a Danish Gun-Boat—On the Coast of America she is taken by the British—Such is the condition of neutral Commerce.
From the same English Newspapers, I have gathered accounts to the 3d: of November from New-York; so that in a very few days we shall receive the Message, at the Commencement of the Session of Congress—
I hope and trust that Congress will have the wisdom still to preserve our Country from War; in which we could gain nothing, and could not fail to lose something of what is worth more than all other possessions to a Nation; our Independence. If between the two Belligerent powers, France and England, it were possible to discern a just, or honourable Cause—if in their treatment of us, it were possible to discern any thing but jealousy, hatred, and eagerness to despoil us of all the advantages which that saw us enjoy, we have ample Cause to appeal to the last Resort of Nations against either—Were it possible by any rational Calculation to foresee, that by joining either of them against the other, we should be able to obtain Justice for ourselves, and look back at the close of the War with satisfaction, as having contended successfully for a suitable object, I should wish for War—If a profound and indignant feeling of the wrongs, which both are committing against us, and the most cordial wish to see them redressed, were it at the sacrifice of more than my life, would avail, instead of line of Battle Ships and Battalions, my voice should be for War, and I would strike as soon as preparation could make it prudent, at that party which is most vulnerable to us—a point by no means difficult to ascertain—But, “what king, says our Saviour, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first and consulteth, whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?” The proportion of the numbers about which we are to consult, are much more unfavourable to us than those of ten and twenty thousand—They are in point of naval force scarcely ten to five hundred; and our principal object to contend for, is unfortunately on the Sea.—Our consultation therefore need not be long—The position which is not pleasing to acknowledge, but which it behooves us well to know and to consider is that we have not the means to protect our Commerce upon the Ocean against the Violent injustice of England—Still less have we the means of forcing our Commerce upon the Continent of Europe, which with some inconsiderable exception excludes it by prohibitions or prohibitory duties. In the present condition of the world, and it is much to be doubted whether it will ever be otherwise, that right is not worth a straw, which a Nation has, without force to defend it—We have not force to defend our rights upon the Sea, and the conclusion is irresistible; we must renounce the Sea, or exercise our rights upon it at the pleasure of others—So it would still be if we were at War—There is however a consideration in our favour which ought not to escape us—Both England and France have mounted their policy upon systems as impracticable for them to carry through, as would be an attempt by us to maintain our maritime rights by force—England abuses her naval dominion, by attempting to engross to herself exclusively the Commerce of the World—This she never can accomplish—France heaps Conquest upon Conquest, untill she is unable to govern what she has conquered;  and loses from one hand while she is grasping with another—France and England are now obviously fighting for objects which neither will ultimately obtain—Both in spite of themselves are compelled to admit our participation in Commerce to a certain extent—Both, if we have Patience, and preserve ourselves from War, will be compelled to admit us still further—Their necessities will do more for the restoration of our rights, than we could do by any exertion of our own forces.
We are advancing rapidly in the third Winter of our residence at St: Petersbourg—Hitherto, with the exception of the last week of October, and a very few other days, it has been remarkably mild—Untill the last week there has not been snow enough to cover the ground, more than a day or two at a time—The diplomatic Circle has fewer Balls and other Entertainments than in the time of the former French Ambassador, and the change is not considered as a loss by us.—I am still waiting for definitive orders from the Government, which I expect and hope will be to return home, as soon as the season for navigation will permit—I flatter myself that in June we shall embark directly for the United States; and that in September we shall again be safely landed in my native land.
Your letter of 24. July is still the last I have received from Quincy—In the course of the last Winter, I wrote repeatedly to my brother, mentioning various channels by which letters might be conveyed to us while the direct Navigation is closed—Some of them have undergone changes, but I suppose you will have heard of them ere this—Mr: Russell, who was our Chargé d’Affairs at Paris, is now in the same capacity, at London—Mr J. S. Smith is in France—We have at present a Consul at Gothenburg, a Mr: Anderson—But he dislikes the place, and intends to leave it very soon—It is however unnecessary for me to point out a course for your letters to me hereafter, as I shall in all probability not remain here long enough to receive your answer to this—I shall continue to write you by every opportunity that may offer during the Winter, and remain with unalterable duty and affection, yours’
A.


Title: From Abigail Smith Adams to John Adams, 5 January 1812
From: Adams, Abigail Smith
To: Adams, John

My dear John
Quincy Janry 5th / 1812.

I hope you have received your mittins, and your Brother his, which Mrs. Foster took a fortnight since and promissed to send to you, but I fear she has not found a conveyance. I am the easier because your Aunt wrote me that she had provided for you.
I thank you for your Letter which was so much better written than your Brothers, that I could not keep saying you had learnt more good hand writing under the female instructors you had been taught by, than your Brother with all the masters he had been to. there is room enough yet for you to improve; and I shall be glad to see you growing better, and better, every day. this is your duty. this is what you live for. your Father is at great expence for your Education, and he expects you will not wanting in diligence and application—I have an opportunity of Sending your Letter to your Brother and of writing to your Father—tell Thomas Norten that his Father & Brothers and Sisters are all well, and so is his great patroness Ruthy.
I send some Letters to the Master Cranches Which came to me your Grandfather has frankd them. I suppose a few pence will be as acceptable to you & your Brother at Atkinson as at Quincy so I send each of you a bit. give my Love to your uncle and Aunt, and be assured I am / your affectionate / Grand Mother
Abigail Adams


Title: From Abigail Smith Adams to Mary Smith Gray Otis, 12 January 1812
From: Adams, Abigail Smith
To: Otis, Mary Smith Gray

My dear Mrs Otis
Quincy Jan’ry 12 1812

I ought to have thanked you for your kind Letter, which gave me both pleasure and consolation, but I have not been able to write oweing to an inflamation; first in my Eyes; and then upon my Lungs, Which deprived me of my Speach; and this you know, to a person who loves to be sociable, as much as your Friend, was a great privation. this disposition to loquacity with which you know we are charged by the other sex, is appears, by the tradition of the Jewish doctors that we are entitled to. Eve, say they, comes from a Word which signifies “to talk” and She was so called, because, soon after the creation, there fell from heaven twelve Baskets full of Chit Chat, and she picked up Nine of them, while her husband was gathering the other three, a good story much better than some of their Legends. My dear Mrs otis, your reluctance at writing arises only from want of practise, possest as you are of a tallent which communicates much delight to your Friends. hide it not in a Napkin, nor put it under a Bushel, but let it Shine upon paper. Tell Harriot I was quite delighted with a Letter of hers writing to her Aunt Betsy, with the reading of which I was favourd. She has a happy tallent at description, and understands the distinction, between a Ladies drawing Room, and a Gentlemans Levee—a gump writing Letters from Washington for the press, talks of being at Mrs Madisons Levee—If he had consulted Johnson, he would have explaind to him this most important Subject, and told him that it was a concourse of gentlemen who make a morning visit to a Man in power. the writer does not appear to be much conversant  with Courts, or their Manners—
now my dear Friend to talk a little of domestic affairs. I presume you have been informd from more Sources than one, of a connection forming between two Turtle doves, a dear Innocent, she has to learn to Love. how could She be inso suddenly upon a three weeks acquaintance?
Let me see. do I remember right? is there not something very pleasing, between doubt, hope, fear, watching, looks, but not a word yet. it may be so. I thought I understood the meaning—a torment take him, if he does not explain—Harriot you must not see this—
aya it was not so in my day—a young Man to get so assurd in three weeks, as to make formal proposals, to be accepted, to make a whole family party of it—this would do very Well—pardon me, for the once Married. I wont say wid & wide &c. they do honour to the State knowing how good, and how pleasent a thing it is to dwell together in unity—but these young Things—to be no more timid, why I was frightned after three years considering of it. beside I had some old queer  Ideas in my head. I thought that, Love, like to be most  permanent which dives into the Soul, by Soft degrees of mutual Society, and comes to be matured by time, and Friendship—
To be serious Hannah is a good deserving Girl of a Sweet and amiable disposition, and the young gentleman is pleasing, agreable connections, and happy prospects— in all of which I do most sincerely rejoice, both for the Sake of your Brother and Sister to whom it is agreable, and it seems a kind favour of providence to Cheer them under their Melancholy, for the loss of their dear amiable William—but what is the loss of relatives for whose deaths we are in some measure prepared by sickness, to the awfull and desolating Catastrophe at Richmond?— my Soul Sickens when I think of it—words cannot paint its horrors, nor words describe its anguish; with folded hands and uplifted Eyes—we must adore in Silence—whilst the wrung Heart bursts—
I Should think it would spread a gloom over all the amusements at Washington. every humane heart must participate in the calamity—
a parsel of Sad pens I would write more if they were better—but I never had a nack of mending one—mrs Smith desires to be rememberd to you, and the girls Send Love to Harriot and Mary— not a word now of politicks—alass my political correspondent is no more—no harm in asking who is meant by the Star in the East, who is to work such miracles as to make the palace tremble? we are totally at a loss for the person meant. as there are no Secrets in congress now—you may tell just what you hear. bold open politicians—Sure we Shall have Some fire—and the Enemy may put on Sheild and helmet, for they tell just when they mean to point it. your Brother William has been quite Sick, for a fortnight past, with a bad cough, and them Sad  night Sweats— the roads have been so blocked with snow, and I have myself been so unwell that I have not been able to get to see him. I hope to hear he is better to night.
With Love and Respect I Subscribe your / Friend
Abigail Adams


Title: To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 13 January 1812
From: Adams, John Quincy
To: Adams, John

N. 13.—
Dear Sir.
St: Petersburg 1/13 January 1812.

On the New-Year’s day of our own Style, I wrote to my Mother, to testify my good-wishes and prayers, for the welfare of herself and you, and of all those dearest of my friends with you, and from whom we have been separated by so irksome, and now so long an absence—On the new year of the Russian Style, the same friends recurring, and always with the same tender and anxious affection to my thoughts, I can do no better than to repeat with equal fervour the same good-wishes and prayers, to you—I look forward with the hope that before the recurrence of either of these anniversaries again, we shall have the happiness of being all assembled together, and of wishing to one another the blessings of a propitious year, in person.
We have had for several weeks a very sickly house—There is a sort of influenza which goes by the name of the Grippe, very prevalent here, which I believe not an individual in my house has escaped—All of us have suffered with it more or less; but my wife and sister most severely—None of us are yet entirely well; but all are upon the recovery—
I have no letter from you of a later date than last April—None from America later than 24. July, which was from my dear Mother—I have seen however a Boston Newspaper of 24. October—and yesterday I received two copies in English, of the Message, at the Commencement of the Session— I had already seen it in French and German Gazettes.
Of the many letters which I have written to the United States in the course of the last year, I know that some have been intercepted by the French, some by the Danes and some by the English; whether any of them have been received by the persons to whom they were written, I am left to infer from probabilities—Some of the vessels by which I wrote, I know have safely arrived—Scarcely a week has passed since I arrived in Russia without my writing to somebody in America—But I have repeatedly been from three to six months without receiving a line.
There is if I recollect right a controversy among the editors and commentators of Juvenal, whether a line in one of his Satires was written by him
Nullum numen abest si sit Prudentia—
or Nullum numen adest ni sit Prudentia—
There is a very material difference in the thought between those two various readings; and although, the first may have some little Platonic Countenance, Juvenal was so generally correct in his moral sentiments that I incline to believe the last the true one—That Prudence includes all the Virtues, or that it secures all the blessings of Providence I think is not true—But that without Prudence there is neither Virtue nor divine assistance, my opinion is as firm as that of Juvenal—If there is a situation in life calculated above all others to give extraordinary value to this Virtue, it is the diplomatic Career—I have accordingly a great reverence for it—But I must say that it is a great abridger of the freedom which is the delight of a friendly and familiar Correspondence—It requires the talent of a Madame de Sevigne to write two or three letters a week upon nothing, and to make them all interesting; and whenever I write to you or my other best friends, if I write upon any thing, it must be with the constant impression upon my mind, that it must only be what all the world may read.—This is the theory—and yet I never hear of an intercepted letter, but upon recurring to my Copy, I find that it had not been sufficiently guarded; as I shall certainly think this very acknowledgment, if this letter should fall into any other hands than your’s.
These remarks will sufficiently explain to you, why I say very little upon the fruitful topic of political affairs—I may however venture to say that the last Campaign of the Russians against the Turks has though defensive been victorious, and that a Peace is most ardently desired and confidently expected—It has been indeed so long expected, and so nearly concluded that expectation grows weary and turns to doubt—Why the Peace will be made, if made at-all, or why it will fail if it fails are among the arcana which must not be revealed.
I am, Dear Sir, ever faithfully your’s
A.


Title: From Thomas Boylston Adams to William Meredith, 16 January 1812
From: Adams, Thomas Boylston
To: Meredith, William

My dear Friend
Boston January 16th: 1812.

The Death of our mutual friend Dennie, was announced to me a few days ago, by W. S. Shaw Esqr, who informed me that the intelligence was contained in a letter from you. This even was not unexpected by me, but since the mortal part of our former friend and associate has taken its flight to brighter realms, my memory fastens with delight upon the virtues with which he was adorned. We knew him well. The world went hard with him, and though his spirit seldom sunk to a level with the grade of his adversity, so long as I knew him, yet, from a perusal of his last address to the publick, which has afforded me a melancholy satisfaction, I perceive an evident struggle, of enfeebled nature, to repel the stern approach of remorseless disease. The spark of life but glimmered to expire. You probably attended him in his last moments, and can give me some narrative of those incidents, which partial friends are curious to learn of each other, in such extremities. I do not imagine that you would require evidence, more than you have heretofore possessed of my partial friendship toward this Gentleman. I do not think that he was himself suspicious of any abatement in the feelings which I cherished for him, notwithstanding we had not maintained an epistolary intercourse. Our opinions were at variance upon some Subjects, but this was never suffered to alienate our friendly sentiments. I cannot but deplore his premature loss to his friends and to Society, though from what I have heard of his peculiar situation for some months past, the exchange is happy for himself.
With great esteem I am, dear Sir, / Your Friend
Thomas B. Adams.
P.S. Present my best compliments to Mrs: Meredith and the rest of your Family who have any remembrance of me. Should you have an opportunity of looking over our friend D’s Library, I think you may find a few books belonging to me, among others a french work of Negotiations, the name of which has escaped me. Yours truly—


Title: From Elizabeth Smith Shaw Peabody to Abigail Smith Adams, 20 January 1812
From: Peabody, Elizabeth Smith Shaw
To: Adams, Abigail Smith

Atkinson Jan. 20th 1812

I hope my Dear Sister, will excuse all my bad writing, & every inaccuracy which weekly presents itself to her view—My letters I know must appear in a very shabby ordinary Habit, for I have so little time to afford them even the Ornament of a real dress, that I am almost ashamed to send them.—And if I did not think, that as soon as they reached my beloved Sister, she would throw over them the mantle of Love, & Candor, they would not venture, but be discouraged in there approach—For I often write in such haste, as that I have not time to cast my Eye over them, before, the poor things must be posted away—
The fine scailing, & sliding which we have long had, makes many torn cloaths for me to mend, & the number of Males, I have to repair are Eleven, Which keeps Abby, & me fully employed—Abby has been very unwell ever since her Return from Boston—& Lydia, & Nabby Mitchel have terriblble coughs, & colds—George & John have escaped better than the rest of the Boarders— Please to tell Rhuthy that her favourite Thomas is a good Child—but perhaps, it would been better for him, if she had not been too indulgent—The world was never made for One—We must be accommodating, & ready to oblige, & give place to Others—I am sorry George, & Thomas are not fonder of one another—I have had no trouble with any of there Tempers, but a lothness to mind at first speaking—& a disposition to fiddle away time—no Object in view—This is a sad thing—It accomplishes nothing—
I was glad to hear that our Cousin Hannah Smith had the agreeable prospect of pledging herself, & friends in an happy marriage—Few things in this world can give greater satisfaction to Parents, than to see their Children, espicially Daughters connected with worthy, virtuous Companions—It smooths the slope of Life, & cheers our setting Sun—
Mr. Norton can with ease get him a Wife, but Where can he find a Mother to his Children?—Where is the Woman of religious principles, who will take a Charge upon herself so responsible—in whom with safety we can confide? I know but of one—& she may think she had better do good to her friends, & fellow mortals in her own precious way—rather than be accountable to any man—however devout he may be—And But if this worthy Friend, of ours should consort to become his Partner in the Cares, joys, & Sorrows of Life, it will in my mind, furnish a better argument to establish the Doctrine of disinterested Benevolence, than anything the Hopkinscians have ever yet offered the world—Not that I have the least objection to this Gentleman, as an Affectionate Husband, a learned Divine, & a faithful minister—but every One, does not see the Path of Duty in the same Line—Our Light will have divergent Rays.—& though One great Object be in view, yet we shall see it differently—
My dear Sister, I have no means of Information but from you, of any of my Friends, & when you communicate anything, please to tell me the whole Story—Who Mr Norton contemplates for a Wife, & who is to be the favoured Partner of our amiable Cousin Hannah—When Abby came from Boston, she had heard nothing of this happy Circumstance for Mr, & Mrs Smith—& our Curiosity is wonderfully excited—I miss, & for my own sake regret Mr Harrods leaving Haverhill—She was always kind like a Sister, & I could know, & hear by her, of my Boston, & Quincy friends—now that Source, is for the present cut off—.
Our Dear Sister, Cranch used to be very particular in her communications—but now I am deprived of those—She with uncommon affection, & fidelity performed the various duties of Life where resident on Earth, & is now we trust, reaping her reward in Heaven—While we rejocie in the hope, that our dear Brother & Sister are happy, yet we cannot but feel, & regret our own loss—
You ask me my Sister, “where is my Daughter’s Pen, that she does not write”—I confess I commited a great error in her Education—I discouraged her in writing when a Child, those trifling Letters, incident to her age. I mention it now, to warn other Parents, never to hinder, but to indulge, & encourage all those feeble trials of their Geniuses—though we may have to pay a most enormous Tax, for Time, paper, & Quills—She now does not like to write, because she thinks she cannot write so elegantly as you, or others, who have distinguished themselves in the Epistolary Stile—& so never uses her Pen, only when urged by necessity, or particular Obligation—
I have no patience about it—though I consider myself in some measure the Cause—I do not know but I shall now run into the other extreme, & indulge all those of whom I have the care, in too frequent writing—for they do not waste paper, & pens, most wretchedly—yet I am sure it obliges them to think—from this, Effort the mind strengthens—We know not to what an height we can reach, unless we stretch our wings—“Those move easiest, who have learnt to dance”—so those express themselves with most ease & perspececity who have early been accustomed to express their thoughts, & wants upon paper—Please to let me know, whether wild, or Garden Cellendine is what is used for Warts—


Title: From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 24 January 1812
From: Adams, John Quincy
To: Adams, Thomas Boylston

N. 27.
St: Petersburg 24 January 1812.

It is probable that the opportunity by which I now write you, will be the last that I shall have of dispatching letters to America through Sweden before the return of the navigable Season here— It is the seventh occasion of which I have availed myself since the close of the last Season— But the Gentlemen who went from hence in October, November, and even the first part of December, for Gothenburg, arrived there successively so as all to Embark for the United States about the same time, if not on board the same vessel, and those who went first were detained by contrary winds, at least a month—When they sailed, I learn that the convoy with which they departed met with one of those tempests, which at that season are so habitual in those seas, in which a great number of the vessels are known to have perished—The friends of Commodore Bainbridge, and of those other Gentlemen who took the same course, are not without concern on their account; but I hope, as their course from the Naze of Norway was Northward, and the gale appears to have been most destructive on the Coast of Holland, that they have escaped its violence, and that by this time or very shortly they will have safely reached their destination in America.
I continue, writing to you, to my Mother, and to my Father, at least once a month; but it is five months and fourteen days since I received your letter of 2. June which is the last that I have from you.—My latest direct advices from America, are in my Mother’s letter of 24. July—
Others however are more fortunate than I am—Several of the Americans here have letters dated in November, from Boston, New-York and Philadelphia; and Mr Harris the Consul, brought me the day before yesterday a slip from the New-York Gazette of 16. Novr: containing the correspondence between the Secretary of State and Mr Foster, respecting the affair of the Chesapeake-Settlement, number two—Of which I have to observe two things—First to see whether the British Government will not again disavow their own Minister—And secondly, if they confirm his engagement to, to see how they perform his promises? I shall consider as one of the most pleasing days in my life that which the account shall be closed satisfactorily to our Country, of that transaction—When I recollect the doctrines, publicly asserted on that occasion by our writers, in Boston, both in Conversation and in print, and when I reflect upon the influence which my open, immediate and determined opposition to those doctrines has had on my subsequent life, I cannot but consider it as fortunate that the ground which I then took should be now justified by such authority, that they who then contested it would gladly deny, that they ever made a question of it—That was the occasion upon which I discovered to what an extent that party was prepared to sacrifice the Independence of our Country to British pretensions, and I shall never cease to rejoyce that it was the occasion upon which I took care not to suffer myself to be involved in the disgrace of participating in their willing servility.
I join very cordially in the wish of Mr Monroe, that all the differences between us and England could be accommodated in like manner—But I fear that day is yet remote.—The same Spirit which has made them delay for upwards of four years a reparation which from the first knowledge of the offence they acknowledged to be due; the same shuffling Spirit which made them to the last moment holdout a pretended punishment of the offender, which they had in reality always refused, will still lead them astray from the path of their own interest, as well as of Justice to us—Such are my apprehensions—The Prince Regent however having commenced his political relations with the United States by an act of reparation, may listen to better Counsels that his predecessor—His hands are scarcely yet untied—When he is at liberty to pursue the course of his own inclination, let us hope that he will delight in wiping away the stains upon the honour of his Country, which her undisguised outrage upon the rights of others; her connivences at forgery and her licenses for perjury have brought upon her—
Her neighbour upon the Continent is no better than herself—but he manages his card with more dexterity. Since the arrival of Mr: Barlow in France, I have had scarcely any Communications from Paris—I had previously there an excellent Correspondent in Mr Russell—I only learn that the Poet has exercised diplomatic skill in an Official Note, and has been promised a satisfactory answer. In the mean time, all the American vessels taken by French privateers in the Baltic have been condemned—Most of them without a hearing.
You see I cannot help forgetting that almost every letter I write, is opened and read either by French or English Officers—Listeners they say, seldom hear anything good of themselves—Seal breakers ought not to be more gratified
I do not know whether you remember the Citoyen Alquier, Représentant du Peuple, who came to the Hague with Pichegru, when we were there in 1795. a member of the Committee from the National Convention which accompanied the Army of the North in the invasion of Holland; carrying with them Vryheid, Gelykhyd-Broederschap, and the first year of Batavian Liberty—The aforesaid Citoyen, who is now Son Excellence Monsieur le Baron d’Alquier has been about one year French Minister in Sweden, where he and the Baron d’Engström, whom I believe you saw at Berlin, and who is now Swedish Minister of foreign Affairs, have found it impossible to agree together, so that the Baron d’Alquier has been translated in the same character of French Minister, to Copenhagen—There he has become acquainted with Mr Erving, and assures him that he is no friend to privateering.—I wish the effects of this aversion may be apparent next Summer in the condition of neutral Navigation upon the Baltic.
I must say something to you de tribus capellis. We have all been sick, with what used to be called the influenza; but here is called the grippe—Not one of us, men, women or children have escaped an attack of this troublesome, but it is said not dangerous enemy. My wife and her Sister have been very ill, but we are all recovering—Mrs A. this day rode out for the first time these three weeks. The atmosphere, political and physical is now cold and calm.—I have hitherto been spending my Winter-Evenings principally with Pythagoras and Plato, Demosthenes and Eschines. Perhaps you will ask what these Gentlemen have to do in Muscovy.—The great Athenian Orator, if his rival is to be credited, was by his mother’s side half Scythian, though I believe not a Scythian of St: Petersburg—I have also made a short pilgrimage with Monsieur de Chateaubriand to Jerusalem, and have taken a few sessions of judicial Astrology, from an equivocal personage by the name of Manilises—My father must answer for the time I have employed in casting nativities.—Present my duty to him and my Mother—My affectionate remembrance to my sons, and to all the members of your own family—My daughter has two teeth, and is breeding more—Charles has a remnant of a Cold and Cough, but studies Pictures and Fables, and talks a language as patched and pyebald as that of Hudibras.—I still wait for orders from home and there I hope we shall all join you, before the close of the year—Meanwhile Adieu.A.


Title: From Thomas Boylston Adams to William Meredith, 1 February 1812
From: Adams, Thomas Boylston
To: Meredith, William

Dear Friend.
Quincy February 1st: 1812.

Your favour of the 26th ulto: came to hand this day. I return you my hearty thanks for the very satisfactory detail you have written, of the illness and last moments of our departed friend; full of incident so characteristick and so interesting. It is peculiarly grateful to be informed that he retained his faculties of mind to the last; that he was duly impressed with his approaching dissolution, and that he had an opportunity of declaring the firmness of his faith, in the Christian Religion, in the presence of one of its distinguished teachers. I fully recollect with you, how reverentially & affectionately he always spoke of his Mother, and from a slight notice, in his last address, of his Father’s death, I perceived that it had very solemnly affected his mind.
The passage in his address to which you called his recollection, & in which he threatened his readers with a laugh at the expence of the most puissant “confederacy of men of letters,” had excited my curiosity when I read it, and if I could not easily guess at the solution or dissolution of such high sounding alliances, I might ask for a further explanation. The title was quite imposing & as it was not new to me, when I first saw it in print, I indulged in as loud a laugh as is becoming when a man is quite alone, so that you see I am not entirely disappointed of the merry conceit. Whether the Port Folio will survive in the hands of the new Partner is to be tested by time. Mr: Biddle is since my time among you, and I am unacquainted with his merits as a Schollar.
I beg you to present me very kindly to your Lady & family and to believe me in truth very Sincerely & affectionately your Friend & Servt
Thomas B Adams.
Feby 2d:
PS. The Books I mentioned in my last were of little consequence, but Mr. D—— had in his possession by loan from me, three Volumes of Original letters, from Dr Franklin, Silas Deane & others, addressed to Monsieur Dumas, while he was an Agent for the American Congress, at the Hague. These were bound in Vellum, in Dutch stile with strings to tie the covers together. If they are to be found, you will do me a favour to claim them in my behalf. I cannot suppose them valuable to any one else.
My Letters from St Petersburg are to the 27th. September, at which time the Minister and his family were in usual health. They have a Daughter added to their number, some time about the 12th of August last. The young personage underwent the Christening ceremony in the Episcopal form, and had for Sponsors, I imagine, from her father’s description, such a medly of divers Sects & denominations as never before united in the performance of a Christian ordonance. She is accused of being guilty of a number of high misdemeanours; first, of stripping a Judge of his Robes, and secondly of being born on the same day of the year, which is the Prince Regent’s birth day. Mrs: A was in terror least the advent should be on the 15th: of August, the Emperor Nap’s birth day, and was, as you may easily believe, greatly relieved by the anticipation of the event.
I am &ca
T B A.


Title: From John Adams to John Adams, 2 February 1812
From: Adams, John
To: Adams, John

My dear John
Quincy Feb. 2. 1812

I have received two pretty Letters from you, and know not how to account for my own delay in answering either of them till this Time. That of the 21st of January is now before me, and is dated. Give my Love to your Brother, and tell him, he forgot to give any date to his. For your Comfort and Georges too, I can tell you, that you write as well as your Father did at your Age. But what a Writer is he now? There may be chirography more gaudy and Showy; but a Writing more neat, correct Legible and elegant never, that I know, was mastered by a human hand. And this is So habitual to him, that his Letters from Russia, his Lectures on oratory, in Short his most elaborate Productions are not written with more care than a Note of Hand or a Receipt written for a Client when he was at the Bar. Study and copy his Example. Your Letter now under my Eye is full of Proof that you have a Capacity to write as well as your Father: and I will Accept of no Apology for any Laziness or Negligence.
Your Letter touches my heart. Oh that I may always be able to Say to my Grandsons “You have learned much and behave well, my Lads.” “Go on and improve in every thing worthy.”
Have you considered the Meaning of that Word “worthy”? Weigh it well. I had rather you Should be worthy Sergeants, than Unworthy, tho conquering Generals, Worthy Midshipmen than unworthy though conquering Admirals, Worthy Attorneys or Solicitors than Unworthy Serjeants or Judges or Lords Cheif Justices, Worthy Ministers of a petty Parish, than Unworthy Popes Cardinals Archbishops or Bishops, Worthy Country Shopkeepers in America than unworthy Medici, Hopes, or Wheelwrights. I had rather you should be the worthy Possessors of one Thousand Pounds, honestly acquired by your own Labour and Industry, than of Ten Millions by Banks and Funding Tricks. I had rather you Should be worthy shoemakers than Secretarys of State or Treasury acquired by Libels in Newspapers. I had rather you Should be worthy Makers of Brooms and Basketts than unworthy Presidents of the United States procured by Intrigue Faction Slander and Corruption. God bless my dear Boys, prays / your Grandfather
John Adams


Title: From Mary Smith Gray Otis to Abigail Smith Adams, 7 February 1812
From: Otis, Mary Smith Gray
To: Adams, Abigail Smith

Washington, Feby. 7th 1812

I presume dear Mrs Adams, you know ‘ere this, that the “Star in the East,” who is to make the Palace tremble, is the Vice P— Why he is thus designated, I dont know. I should think his star was allmost sett & that he would be willing to have it go down in peace; rather than in the turmoil of politics: but I believe, the last spark, that is extinguished in the heart of Man, is ambition. Govenear Morris & De Witt Co— were here some time & it was thought by some, for Electioneering purposes, but I believe their object was to get a Canal from Lake Erie to Albany they did not how ever succeed. Mrs Morris was here with them. Did you ever hear any thing about her.?—
The proposed match, which is like to take place in our family, has indeed, given me great pleasure. He seems as if sent by Providence, to cheer the wounded heart, of my afflicted brother; & more than make up to H— a loss which she thought irreparable. Times are much changed dear Mrs A, since the days of Harriet Byron, when it was thought necessary to serve an apprenticeship, in the school of love; before the question was decided. But now, whether a freer intercours or more acute discernment, I cannot say, but things are much sooner brought to a close: that he should love in the three weeks, I do not wonder. & from the endearing epithets bestowed on him I should think, it might be reciprocal.—
We have pass’d our winter so far very agreeably, very domestic, a great many morning visits, but the distances are so great from those, whom we should like to be on a less ceremonious terms with, that we spend all our evengs: at home, with a few exceptions, such as a Ball at the British Ministers, & another at Mrs Taloe’s. I dont know whether you are acquanted with her, but she is a charming woman, & did she live within a reasonable distance we should often visit. We were strongly urged to attend the Drawing room, this week, as it was to be uncommonly brilliant, (a bride Mrs Sheffy) & all her attendants, with all the dashing Belles of the vicinity the most distinguished, are Madm Bonaparte & a Miss keating of Baltimore; but Mr O— has had a very severe cold, & tho allmost free from it, we did not think it prudent to go.—One charming woman, we have in our neighbourhood a Mrs Reed her husband is a Member from Marblehead; I never saw them, till we meet here, they are a great acquisition to us; being Yankeys, we assimilate better in our ideas of manners & things. She is such a woman as you would love. Mr Cranch’s family were well, when I last saw them, it is three weeks since, their eldest daughter, had been sick with a Pleurisy. Mrs Buchannan has been in the City we call’d to see her, she was much affected with seeing us, her spirits are very low, she mentioned receving a letter from you, says, she never felt so strong an attachment for any place as Boston. she was then going to Mrs Lowndes a sister of Mr B— who lives at Bladensburg, she mentioned also a brother who had just returnd, whether they are able or willing to do anything for her I do not know. I pity her very much.—It rejoices me very much to hear Mrs Smith is well enough to be in Boston I hope she will enjoy many years of health & happiness. You have ere this I hope, recovered your voice, so as to be able to give pleasure to your friends, but your Chit chat (I think it deserves a much better name) which as been so liberally dispensed out of your mothers basket.
Harriet wishes to know, what expressions she made use of, too “pungent,” She with Mary joins me in the most affectionate remembrances to all your family.
The earth still continues to shake under our feet. It is said a smart shock, was felt this morning between the hours of 4 & 5 several have been felt here, but none of our house have ever been sensible of feeling one. Many & great have been the judgments of heaven, the last year; what is further in store for us, God only knows, that we may be prepared for every event, / Prays Your Friend & Cousin
M Otis


Title: From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 8 February 1812
From: Adams, John Quincy
To: Adams, Abigail Smith

N. 30.
St: Petersburg 8. Feby 1812.

A long interval without the receipt of letters from you, I have always found too sure an indication that when they come they would bring sorrows with them—I had been upwards of three months without receiving a line from Quincy when, on the 29th: of last Month I received together with several other letters and dispatches from Washington, but no others from Quincy your afflicting, but most kind and affectionate favour, of 17. Novr:—I had been prepared by a previous warning to learn that my Aunt Cranch had been removed to a happier state of existence than that of the present World, and I had been alarmed at the dangers of my Sister’s complaint—On receiving the packets I had scarcely the strength and courage to open them—I dreaded their Contents, before I could know what they were—After all, my anticipation of evil was far less than the reality—Besides the misfortunes that I feared, others burst suddenly and unexpectedly upon me; and not upon me only but with heavier weight upon my dear wife and her sister—Among all the friends whom we had left in America, there were none of whose and we should have been less prompted to anticipate, than those of Mrs Johnson, and Mr Buchanan.
There is something less distressing, but to my feelings inexpressibly solemn and affecting, in the departure as it were hand in hand for a better world, of my uncle and Aunt Cranch, after half a Century spent together in harmony and usefulness and Virtue, upon Earth—To you, to their friends and neighbours, and to me and my children who were entrusted to their care, the loss of them is great and deeply to be lamented—To themselves, I am persuaded it was a blessed and blissful change—
The principal good that we can possibly derive from the decease of those who are dear to us, is to learn by meditating upon it to be better prepared for our own—Little as there is to value in human life, our greatest dangers and miseries arise from our prizing it too much. So to live that we may be ready cheerfully to obey the summons whenever it may come is our perpetual and obvious duty—but we are in constant need of a memento to remind us of it, and have constant occasion, in witnessing the death of the righteous, to pray that our last end may be like his.
I have been deeply affected too, by your account of the sufferings of my Sister; and I fervently pray to God that she may have been ere this completely and radically restored to health.
As I have the most perfect confidence that your determination to send my boys to Atkinson was founded upon deliberate Consideration, and a sounder estimate of alternatives than we could make at this distance, I acquiesce in it, though I fear that the truly parental attention which watched over them while they were so near you, will not be possible to be extended to them, after their removal—Of my Aunt Peabody’s kindness and that of her venerable husband I am fully assured, but where there are such numbers at once to whom it must be extended, I cannot altogether avoid the apprehension of accidents which may be unavoidable—I am sure however that you have done for the best.
It is a precious Consolation to me, that my ever honoured father and yourself have approved the decisive inducement upon which I declined the appointment to the seat upon the Bench which was offered me—If the resolution upon which I concluded had needed the confirmation of Events, for the tranquility of my own mind, that sanction has abundantly been afforded—The only vessel in which we could have embarked upon our return, after my wife’s confinement sailed from Cronstadt the 12th: of October—She was dismasted in a tremendous tempest, a few days after her departure, and compelled to take refuge in a Swedish Port of the Baltic, where she is passing the Winter—A part of the British fleet attempted to keep those seas untill the month of December; a consequence of which has been the total loss of three ships of the line, and many smaller vessels, with more than two thousand men.
We have had a sickly house, the greater part of the Winter; but by the blessing of God, are now all tolerably well—Charles is still troubled with a Cough, which has been hanging so long upon him, that our physician thinks it is the whooping Cough—The season has hitherto been unusually mild, but not remarkably healthy.
My present Instructions from the Government are to remain here, which I shall do, subject to the President’s further orders—I have however requested him, not to protract my residence here more than another Winter after the present. Should he judge my recall at an earlier period expedient I shall hold myself in readiness to depart the next Summer, but it is of no small concernment to me that I should receive my recall at a time which may enable me to embark between the months of May and October—As I cannot reasonably expect answers to the letters which I now dispatch within a shorter term than eight months I have not asked to be recalled during the present year—The next at latest I hope to be once more enabled to embrace my Parents, children and friends upon my native shores.
I beg to be remembered to them all in duty and affection; remaining ever faithfully yours.
A.


Title: To John Adams from Samuel Allyne Otis, 8 February 1812
From: Otis, Samuel Allyne
To: Adams, John

Sir
Washington Feb 8h 1812

With my hopes that you & your good Lady enjoy a good degree of health & spirits, & my best wishes for their continuance, I enclose a letter for Mrs Adams.
I presume you have the papers regularly and of course all the news. We are frequently alarmed with earthquakes, and they have been preceeded & accompanied by numerous events out of the ordinary course of things
You probably remember Col. Thos Blount representative for NCarolina. After long illness he exchanged this scene I hope for a better, the last evening, at his lodgings.
We hear nothing recently from Europe, altho the american ship Constitution & other vessels are daily expected.
Kind remembrances to Mrs Smith and miss Caroline and indeed to all your good family.
I am / Sir / With respect & esteem / your most humble Sert
Sam A Otis


Title: From Abigail Smith Adams to John Adams, 9 February 1812
From: Adams, Abigail Smith
To: Adams, John

My dear John
Quincy Febry 9th 1812

I Suppose you will think that Grandmama might have written you a few lines. well you shall not be dissapointed altho I have much writing to do, as vessels are getting ready to go to Russia—Captain Bainbridge arrived from there, this week, and brought Letters. he saw your Father and Mother in october, and he Says in a Letter to your Grandfather incloseing those from your father “Sir your Little Russian Grandaughter is a Beautifull Child”—and So your Father says he wants you to write to him. you must get your Cousin to assist you, and be Sure You try your best.
I know you have good kind care taken of you; and that uncle and Aunt Peabody will love you, if you are a good Boy—and Lydia too. they loved your Father and your uncles.—how do you like your Latin. Do you get along well like a dillegent Boy—you used to take pretty good care of your Cloaths—I hope you do now I inclose you a little bit, and am your affectionate / Grandmother
A Adams


Title: From Abigail Smith Adams to Hannah Phillips Cushing, 17 February 1812
From: Adams, Abigail Smith
To: Cushing, Hannah Phillips

(rough copy.)
My dear Mrs CushingFebry 17th 1812

I have been contemplating writing to you for Several weeks past to inquire after your health & that of your Family through the winter but I have delayd it untill the call of Friendship bids me unite my Sympathy with the bereve’d Sisters and Relatives over the brave youth who has fallen in defence of the honour justice and Rights of his Country. How beautifull is death when earned by virtue. who would not be that youth? What pity is it That we can die but once to Serve our Country?so Said the Roman So Said the Father—it is when the foes flag before them, that fathers delight in their Sons. but their sighs burst forth in Secret, when their young warriors yeald. ossian—in the agony of Grief for the loss of those most dear—to know that that life was lost in the discharge of Duty—is an alleviation to the wounded Bosom. to know that they died coverd with Glory in the Arms of victory, embalms their memoryLong will Young Allvin be rememberd and regreeted—“by all his Countries wishes blest”to all of you my afflicted Friends I wish consolation and support from a higher Source than the honour and Glory of fame which man can bestow: and am your Sympathizing Friend
A Adams


Title: From François Adriaan Van der Kemp to Abigail Smith Adams, 18 February 1812
From: Van der Kemp, François Adriaan
To: Adams, Abigail Smith

Madam!
Oldenbarneveld—18 Febr. 1812

I presume, it is not abusing your kindness, in addressing you with a few lines, to assure you of mÿ Sincerest thanks for the unexpected gift of Quincÿ Adam’s Lectures—which you have bestowed on me. What enhances the value of this present, is that Seems to have been a mark of filial affection of a beloved Son, now endorsed to me bÿ your own hand. It is mÿ misfortune—Madam! that I can onlÿ receive—and am unable to offer, anÿ gifts at Mount-Wollaston’s Lady’s Shrine—It inspires me however with confidence that I have Secured a Patron and Advocate—in your Husband—and Flatter thus mÿself—that my—Sincere intentions Shall be taken in lieu of Deeds. Maÿ you be blessed—My Ladÿ! in Seing a Darling Son return in health to your maternal embraces—Seing Him crowned with Literary & diplomatic glorÿ—Seing Him placed in the Highest Seat—his Countrÿ can bestow on a Citizen—and then part—in peace—to reap the fruits of your Labours—in a happier State.
Permit me to assure you, that I am with the highest Respect and consideration: / Madam! / Your Most Obed: humble Servant—
Fr. Adr. vanderkemp


Title: From John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 19 February 1812
From: Adams, John
To: Adams, John Quincy

My dear Sir
Quincy Feb. 19. 1812

I have your favour of Oct 31. before me. The Sensations it produces in my Aged Bosom, and the Reflections it occasions in my bald and hoary head, are unutterable by any Language in my Dictionary, and by any figures I can find in the Lectures upon oratory.
I can easily account for the Inferiority of your Memory to that of Mr David and Mr Rudolphe. I presume that neither of those Gentlemen had troubled their heads about Aristotle Demosthenes Cicero Quinctilian or Longinus and had never been tortured with political questions in Town Meetings Senates, and diplomatic Missions to European Courts. At the King of Englands Levee, when I first appeared, there, an Awkward, tall, lean, Figure, with an Ugly Face; with an Appearance however of honesty, Dignity and Candour and good Nature, I perceived was eyeing me with a marked Attention. I was at no loss: but discoved no Signs of Recollection or Attention. Presently this thin figure Stalked quite across the Chamber and accosted me “Are you the Person, I Saw in Boston, who conducted the Cause of the four Sailors.” The Same Sir. “I thought I could not be mistaken; but eighteen Years make an Alteration in a Man.” Said Commodore Hood. The brave and noble Commodore made me a Visit next day at my Hotel. So much for diversities of Memory.
The Tory Projects of H. and P. are not likely to make a Splendid Fortune, at present. Q. their Pupil is not much to be dreaded. He is not cordially loved or trusted. He is not one of their Confidents. They have duped him, a little; but whom have they not duped? They have bubbled a Bowdoin, a Washington, most certainly. And can you or I Say, that We have not been deceived in Some Things?
What Shall I Say to you, as advice for your private Conduct? Shall you retire like Mr Jay, and never be heard of more? No. I Say absolutely No. Your Nature will not admit it; and your Duty is to your God, Your Country, Mankind, your Children and yourself forbid it.
Shall you retire, and divote your Life to Science, Litterature and publish your Studies from Time to Time? With all my heart, You would do as much honour to your Country and Service to Mankind in this Way as any other. But this I know to be impossible. Your Nature cannot bear it. Your dearest Friend cannot endure it. And what is harder to resist than your own or your Wifes Nature, your Country will not Suffer it. This Nation will not cease to irritate and torment you, both with Flattery and Reproach till they force you out, that they may have the pleasure of insulting and abusing you. If you were capable of eternal Taciturnity in Publick, and incessant confidential Correspondence and Secret Intrigue in private, you might Arrive to the hight of Reputation of Washington or Franklin: but what is all that worth? No more than the grunting of a Bagpipe, or the grating Jarr of a Jews harp.
One thing you may depend on. If you return to America You must not talk: You must be Silent except with Sure Friends. You must avoid all affectation of Symplicity on one hand and Ostentation on the other.
Your Name and your Family is in an Ennemy’s Country in New England; and New England is in an Ennemy’s Country in the Nation. Neither ever had an equitable Chance. This Injustice must hower be borne, as it has been till it can be rectified, peaceably and “amicably if We can.” I cannot find much fault with that Expression. New England however must take the Guilt and the Shame to herself. She has made it her invariable Practice to tear to Pieces the Characters and destroy the Influence of all her most faithful Servants, and trumpet to the Starrs the Name of the Phantoms of other States and other Countries.
“Some Extracts from these Volumes, which I had Seen in the public Papers, had prepared me to receive them with favorable Expectations. These have not been disappointed; for I have already penetrated So far into them, as to See that they are a Mine of Learning and Taste: and a proof that the Author of the inimitable reviews of Ames and Pickering excels in more than one Character of Writing. The Thanks therefore which I had rendered by anticipation only in my Letter, I reitterate in this Postscript on a knowledge of their high merit.”
The foregoing is an Extract of a Letter from Monticello, Jan, 23. 1812. This may give you Some Satisfaction. But the Work has not the Vogue, it ought to have; because those who rule the Fashion, You know who they are, do not choose to give them it Fame. You know why. Ribaldry has a quicker currency.
I dare Scarcely allude to the Misfortunes and Afflictions of our Families in 1811. If I had written to you, from time to time, I could have given you nothing but Grief. Such Losses and Sorrows at my Age, ought to wean me from this Scene and reconcile me to a change that cannot be remote.
We are all well. Your Sons are happy at Atkinson. My Love to Louisa Kitty, Charles and Miss, who Commodore Baimbridge writes me, is a very fine Child. I Should Send my Love to Mr Smith with more Ardor if he would write Sometimes to his / Grandfather


Title: From John Adams to Josiah, III Quincy, 21 February 1812
From: Adams, John
To: Quincy, Josiah, III

Mr Quincy
Quincy February 21st 1812.

I thank you for your speech, in relation to Maritime protection, and much more for making it. It is the speech of a Man, a Citizen, and a States-man. It is neither Hyperbole nor flattery in me to say it is the most important Speech ever uttered in that House since 1789. I care not a Farthing, whom I offend by this declaration. But I am puzzled and confounded to see that not one Member from New England has been found to second or support you. It is not less surprizing that not a Member from the two vast States of New-York or Pensylvania, has said a word to assist you—I could give a specious account of this, from motives the meanest, and basest, and most disgraceful to human nature; but none at all from any manly, generous, and natural source; and therefore I will not attempt any solution of the Theorem—Again I say I thank you
John Adams.PS. Piscemur, Venemur,  Ut Olim


Title: From Imperial Community of Young Noblewomen to Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 23 February 1812
From: Imperial Community of Young Noblewomen
To: Adams, Louisa Catherine Johnson

23 Feb. 1812

La Communauté Impériale de Demoiselles Nobles a l’honneur d’inviter aux examens publics, qui auront lieu les, ———, ———, et 23, du mois de Fevrier courant pour les Demoiselles Nobles, et le ———, du même mois pour les Demoiselles Bourgeoises, avant la sortie des Elèves de la XIII réception.
On commencera à 9 heures du matin.