I have recd. your Letter of the 19 th. Inst:—1

The Question you propose is not entirely free from Difficulties but this ^as^ you are apprized of these, they need not be enumerated—

Various Considerations and Circumstances, too apparent & well known to require being specefied, made it just and proper that the Provision for you should not have been parsimonious. Whether this Error was voluntary or involuntary, it is in either Case an Error; and your assent ^to^ its Correction (tho advantageous to you) cannot be reprehensible.

If the Offer was suggested by this View of the Subject, it was honorable to make it, and why should it be unbecoming [illegible] to accept it?

There is a wide Destinction between being just and being bountiful— of the latter you are not a proper Object, and therefore Self Respect (which is distinct ^different^ from Pride) forbids your consenting to be regarded in that Light

Hence it appears to me that previous to an acceptance of the offer it should be clearly understood to have resulted from a Desire to correct the Error in question, and not from the Incitement of mere Benevolence.— the former would have claims to your approbation ^&^ Esteem & Respect, the latter would demand your Gratitude, and associate with it an Idea of Need and Dependence, which nothing less than actual necessity can render admissible.—

Perhaps What may be prudent in reference to A, may not be ^equally^ so in Reference to B.— On this Head my Information is less ^very^ limited, but that is not the case with you— Perhaps no Inconvenience would arise from your expressing the Sense you have of this disinterested offer— and delicately intimating— that your Relation to the Testator and the Amplitude of his Means justified your expecting a Provision which would correspond with both— and with the degree ^place^ you held in his Esteem and Confidence— That he doubtless meant to do what was fit and proper, but that being guided more by[?] probably ^influenced by^ the Recollection of the State of Things past, he was led into a Mistake, which was[illegible]and importance from the actual ^present^ State of Things at present daily ^renders more and more evident^— That if the Offer was made from the Purpose of ^from a Sense of the Incompetency of the provision, and a Desire to^ correcting that mistake, it was to be regarded as a high ^considered^ and Honorable manifestation of Rectitude, and would be accepted accordingly— that if on the other Hand the offer was made and was to be regarded as a matter of meer Bounty and Benevolence, it would not be necessary to show, that there were ^obvious^ Delicacies and Proprieties which w ^ought to^ induce you to forbear availing yourself of it, further, than as it afforded you an opportunity of making the acknowledgmts. to which such disinterested marks of Kindness are always entitled.

Shew this Letter to your Brother, and[illegible]your feelings ^Endeavour to [illegible]^ leave no Room for future Regrets on the one hand, was[?] ^nor^ on the other— What I have written is for Consideration, and — it may perhaps assist you in deciding, whether it be upon the whole more prudent to pursue the Course above invoked[?] ^before^ intimated, or in a brief but courtious Manner to decline the offer— Let whatever you write, be well-considered ^written advisedly^, and with a View ^attention^ to Consequences possible Interpretations and other Consequences—

Your account of the Health of your Brother and of yourself give us great pleasure— I do not like the Continuance of Johns Cough— My old Complaint has ^lately^ been a little more troublesome than usual— Augusta is still indisposed— ^& Nancys Eyes are not quite so well as they were— she favd. them too little^ The children are well, and so are Nancy and William. Our Love to them ^Peter^ and to John— Tell him I expect the Pleasure of seeing them ^both^ after their Return to NYork— ^remember us to Caty^

That you minding[?] The ^friendly^ Behaviour of Mr Isaac in Relation to Aour Family and particularly to^ Peter, renders Attentions to him from us proper— when you see him, present my Compts. to him— I am my dear Daughter Your very affte. Father