Accept my Thanks for your Favr of the 21 April, which was deliverd to me the 27th August. Knowledge is essential to the Duration of Liberty and Pennsylvania is wise in making them both the Objects of public Care. I have read your Oration with great Pleasure. The Subject is a fine one— The Field large and considering the time allotted you ^you have interspersed it with^ useful Remarks & entertaining Reflections. I put it into The Hands of the Count D Estaing & the french Embassador, they both said civil things of it

The Society1 have done me much Honor by placing me on the List of their Members— I shall endeavour to evince the Sense ^I have^ of it by now and then sending them whatever I may find here worth their Attention

I congratulate you on the glorious Spirit spreading from your City thro America— Your Bank is the Subject of much Conversation & Encomium, and the Patriotism of the Ladies renders them much ^very^ celebrated—2 Such Marks of Union and public spirit are worth a Victory— To be respectable to your Friends abroad you ^we^ must be respectable at Home, and the ^best^ Way to gain Allies Friends is to be formidable to your ^our^ Enemies—but you know these things as well as I do, and I am persuaded your Endeavours will not be wanting ^to place our Country in both these points of Light^. Be assured that Doctr. Foulke may rely on my being happy in our ^omitting no^ Opportunity of being useful to him— We must take Care of young Americans—much depends on the Rising Genius^eration^ and no Pains should be spared to render them equal to the Task that that must devolve upon them—

I hope our Correspondence will not end here, the Opinion I have of you leads me to wish its Continuance and to assure you that [illegible] ^with the Regard and the Respect^ to you for [illegible] ^Be assured that it will give me pleasure to continue this Correspondence, & that^ I am Sir, Your most obt. & hble Servt—