11From John Adams to George Washington Adams, 21 October 1815 (Adams Papers)
I recd, last night your pleasing Letter of the 9th of Aug. which is the latest date We have had from your Family. I have read Goldsmith too, this fall, and agree with you that his style is good but he was too intimate with Johnson to be impartial. Read Human and Smollet and all such Compends as you read Epick Poems and Romances. But you must consult original Writers to find the Truth. Smith...
12From John Adams to George Washington Adams, 8 September 1815 (Adams Papers)
I have recd. your Number 2. June 30th. Number 3 and your June 8th. without number. I am Sorry you did not number this. See with what punctuality your Father numbers all his Letters, and consider the great Advantage of this practice, both to yourself and your Correspondent. Your June 8th is the production of an attentive mind, awake to the novel Sceens and great Objects around you. The Monument...
13From John Adams to George Washington Adams, April 1813 (Adams Papers)
I sent you by Mr Colman a few latin lines, with a bald translation. Cannot you render that translation into French? Try. I send you now a few sentences on the same subject of Caloric by which you may judge how far the Ancients were behind the Moderns, in this point of natural Knowledge. Cicero, in his Essay De Natura Deorum; an admirable Work for its Age, which I hope you will, one day Study...
14From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 9 July 1814 (Adams Papers)
Upon looking back on the list of my Letters sent to America, I am surprized to find that the last I wrote you was dated so long ago, as the 13th: of September; but the causes of this long silence have not been from any abatement of my affection for you. During the whole of the last Winter, and untill I left St: Petersburg to come upon my present Journey I did not receive a line from you—There...
15From Abigail Smith Adams to George Washington Adams, 12 July 1815 (Adams Papers)
This is the House that Jack built And this is the curse that lay in the House &c Now George, I hear you Say, what in the world can Grandmother mean by this? why I am so joyfull, that I must Sport a little with you—but to explain, upon the 29th of June, arrived the Ship pacific at N york, from Liverpool 45 days passage and She brought news of the arrival at that place of the New packet from...
16From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 6 October 1811 (Adams Papers)
We were considering the Bible in its historical character, and as the history of a Family—From the moment when the universal History finishes, that of Abraham begins, and thenceforward it is the history of a family of which Abraham is the first and Jesus Christ the last person. And from the first appearance of Abraham, the whole history appears to have been ordered from age to age expressly to...
17From Abigail Smith Adams to George Washington Adams, 25 May 1812 (Adams Papers)
I thank you my dear George for your Letter. I was glad to learn that you had such an agreable Ride to Atkinson, and that the objects of Nature presented themselves in Such pleasing coulours to you The contemplation of nature, and its history fills the mind with the greatest variety of Ideas, and never brings weariness or disgust, and as an Elegant writer expresses it “The Study of Nature like...
18From Charles Francis Adams to George Washington Adams, 16 July 1814 (Adams Papers)
There have been two grand illuminations, the first was for the taking of Paris, the second was for the general Peace in Europe, and there is to be another much finer for the Emperors return. They have also built a superb Triumphat Arch, which he is to pass through on his way to Petersburg. I hope you will be satisfied with the Watch Mama sends you, She says she tried to get them both alike,...
19From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 15 August 1811 (Adams Papers)
Some time since, your Mama and I received two letters from you at once—the first to your Mama was dated 18th. January, and the other to me 5th: February—I was glad to see that you had taken pains to write them as well as you could and that your hand-writing was improved.—I intreat you my Dear Son, to pay constant attention to your hand-writing—It is now more than four years since you first...
20From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 3 September 1810 (Adams Papers)
Your Mama and I have received your letter dated the 28th: of February last; which gave us much pleasure—I suppose by the hand-writing that your Cousin Susan was kind enough to write it for you; for which we thank her.—By the time when you will receive this I hope you will be able to write me an answer to it yourself: and I shall expect you write to me, or to your Mama, as often as you know of...