1From John Adams to David Sewall, 10 October 1819 (Adams Papers)
Your favour of the 5th. has given me great pleasure off those which St Paul calls, light afflictions, which are but for a moment—a double portion has been allotted to me—but why should I grieve, when grieving must bear.— The seperation of Maine has never been approved by me, any more than by you.—but as the People judge it most convenient for their happiness—I wish them all the Prosperity they...
2From John Adams to David Sewall, 26 November 1821 (Adams Papers)
Your favour of the 13 Nov has made me laugh and cry almost or quite like an ideot. The epitaph on the greasy tables I have never seen since I read it on the post. Although it must have been a stupid thing I would give an mille for a copy of it. The conflagration of the tables is a proof of the capacity of our country men equal to the inundation of the tea. The actors in both scenes have shown...
3From John Adams to David Sewall, 14 December 1821 (Adams Papers)
yours of the Novemr. 26th. ulto. came duly to hand, and gratified me, (as all your Communications do), and if my scribbles afford you agreable amusement, it is a Satisfaction that, I am happy to contribute thereunto —I never saw any copy of the Epitaff on the greasy Tables of HC but from the impression it made on my mind at the Time, from reading it, on the Hall Door, as it now lays in my...
4From John Adams to David Sewall, 24 December 1821 (Adams Papers)
Thanks dear Sir for your favour of the 14—Let the epitaph go to oblivion with the tables In this famine of news reminiscences & recollections furnish the principal entertainment of the newspapers & have recorded many curious & memorable facts. You I perceive have are seized on with the spirit of the times & recollected a journey more amusing to me than any of them. I seem to see you & your...
5From John Adams to David Sewall, 8 February 1823 (Adams Papers)
Though I cannot, read, nor write, I can feel as sensibly as ever, a friendship of seventy years of age. Your letters always give me pleasure; The difficulties arrising in your State, are nothing at all, they will be nothing but an amusement to you for a few years to come; what is a penitentiary, or a seat of Government, they will occasion a little squib scribbling and sparring for a few years,...
6From John Adams to David Sewall, 4 November 1821 (Adams Papers)
Thanks for your favour of 26 Oct last Mankind seem to be children from the cradle to the grave. They will beg & pray—wrangle & fight for rattles of victuals, and as soon as they have obtained them, grow so indifferent about them, as to break them to peices, or throw them away—So our good fellow citizens of Maine—However ardent they were for the seperation, now, when they have so peaceably...
7From John Adams to David Sewall, 22 May 1821 (Adams Papers)
How do you do? as we have been friends for seventy years, and are Candidates for promotion to an other World, where I hope we shall be better acquainted, I think we ought to enquire now and then after each-others health and welfare while we stay here— I am not tormented with the fear of death; nor though suffering under many infirmities and agitated by many afflictions, weary of Life—I have a...
8From John Adams to David Sewall, 30 May 1821 (Adams Papers)
I have received your kind favour of the 26th: Happy Man! profound Philosopher! Pious Christian! I congratulate you with all my heart. I read and hear read a great deal too much Not upon Prophicies immidiately, for I have read and heard so much of them heretofore and have found the Prophets for 1500 indeed for 1800 years so uniformly out in their calculations that I have long since concluded...
9From John Adams to David Sewall, 23 November 1819 (Adams Papers)
By your account which I believe is correct—Wentworth and Sewall are all that is left of my Class for my Consolation—and we must expect our turn for filing off one after the other—and perhaps altogether—and that in a very short time— What a Mortality there has been among the Governours—Langdon Strong Snyder Molleston Johnson Lee Raban all in a few months—I almost shudder with expectation to...
10From John Adams to David Sewall, 10 January 1821 (Adams Papers)
your friendly letter of December the 20th. is a Cordial to me, in my present State of retirement and Convalescence—The testimoneys of Respect offered me from the Convention are a Consolation to me not as a gratification of my vanity, but as a proof that my principles and systems of Government are openly adopted and avowed by that great Assembly which is a City sett on a Hill—The eyes of all...