251John Adams to Abigail Adams, April – May 1780 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday We went to see the Garden of the King, Jardin du Roi, and his Cabinet of natural History, Cabinet d’Histoire naturell. The Cabinet of natural History is a great Collection, of Metals, Mineral s , shells, Insects, Birds, Beasts, Fishes, and presscious stones. They are arranged in good order, and preserved in good condition, with the name of every thing beautifully written on a piece...
252John Adams to Abigail Adams, 2 January 1793 (Adams Papers)
Our Antifœderal Scribblers are so fond of Rotations that they Seem disposed to remove their Abuses from me to the President. Baches Paper which is nearly as bad as Freneaux’s begins to join in concert with it, to maul the President for his Drawing Rooms, Levees, declining to accept of Invitations to Dinners and Tea Parties, his Birth day Odes, Visits, Compliments &c— I may be expected to be an...
253Mary Smith Cranch to Abigail Adams, 18 May 1798 (Adams Papers)
I too have taken my pen with the rising Sun. I have been so disturb’d with the account of the allarming riot before your Door on the fast day evening that I have not had a moments quiet sleep this night. I had no Idea the faction would have tried their Strength So oppenly I suppos’d the Letters which had been thrown into your house were mear threats. but I hope they have but Staid their time—...
254From Thomas Jefferson to Abigail Adams, [November 1786] (Jefferson Papers)
I am never happier than when I am performing good offices for good people; and the most friendly office one can perform is to make worthy characters acquainted with one another. The good things of this life are scattered so sparingly in our way that we must glean them up as we go. Yourself and Madame de Corny then must avail yourselves of the short time she will remain in London to make each...
255John Adams to Abigail Adams, 17 February 1794 (Adams Papers)
I this day rec d your favours of the 8. and 12 th. but how this last could have leaped to this distance in five days I know not. It is impossible to Say precisely when Congress will rise: but I will go home as soon as possible; I hope in April. I am very willing to confide all Arrangements to you— I like shaw and his Wife: and I like Richards and Joy from your Account of them.— We will try a...
256Susanna Warner Tufts to Abigail Adams, 22 May 1798 (Adams Papers)
The recipt of your affectionate and friendly letter my dear Madam Claims at once my gratitude and love.— how good is that heart that feels for others woes Such is yours,—and may Heaven bless you with health and long life, and may you still Continue to fill every Station of Life that Providence shall Call you to with that dignity humanity and sensibility which has ever been your Characteristick...
257James Lovell to Abigail Adams, 1 April 1778 (Adams Papers)
When I tell you that no Credit is to be given to the late Report of an attempted Assassination of Doctor Franklin, you are not to attribute my Assertion to an Endeavour to give Relief, at all Adventures , to the anxious Mind of an amiable Sufferer. Had your Letters of the 1st. and 8th. of March reached me before this Morning, I could not have given you so much Satisfaction as at present. I...
258Thomas Brand Hollis to Abigail Adams, 7 April 1788 (Adams Papers)
It is an ill wind blows no body any good owing to that I received your favor with the greatest sense of gratitude & love for the distinguishd regard you have always showed me which is returned & cherished with increasing interest I was sensible how much you avoided an explanation as to your departure & I was equally unwilling to enquire. I shall always rejoice to hear from you & esteem it...
259John Adams to Abigail Adams, 15 April 1776 (Adams Papers)
I send you every News Paper, that comes out, and I send you now and then a few sheets of Paper but this Article is as scarce here, as with you. I would send a Quire, if I could get a Conveyance. I write you, now and then a Line, as often as I can, but I can tell you no News, but what I send in the public Papers. We are Waiting it is said for Commissioners, a Messiah that will never come.—This...
260John Adams to Abigail Adams, 12 May 1774 (Adams Papers)
I am extreamly afflicted with the Relation your Father gave me, of the Return of your Disorder. I fear you have taken some Cold; We have had a most pernicious Air, a great Part of this Spring. I am sure I have Reason to remember it—my Cold is the most obstinate and threatning one, I ever had in my Life: However, I am unwearied in my Endeavours to subdue it, and have the Pleasure to think I...
261John Adams to Abigail Adams, 28 January 1797 (Adams Papers)
It is now determined what the President has to depend on after the 4 th March. The Committee determined against raising the Salary of P. or V. P. The House which the P. had for 500 £ cannot again be had under 1000 £ — Horses are from 3 times to five times as high as they were Seven Years ago, Carriages three times as high—Provisions &c In Short all Levees and Drawing Rooms and Dinners must be...
262John Thaxter to Abigail Adams, 27 July 1782 (Adams Papers)
Soon after writing You at Amsterdam, I was unfortunate enough to have a Relapse, after I thought that the Fever had entirely quitted me. I was confined there about a fortnight, and then came to this place. I am at present perfectly recovered I hope—for another Turn would fret me out of Existence, which would be no great loss except to my “fair American,” who might whimper and sigh a day or two...
263John Adams to Abigail Adams, 2 December 1794 (Adams Papers)
I have rec d your favour of Nov. 23.— M r Cooper The Friend of our Diplomatic at the Hague, I hear was very active in the Election of M r Ames.— I wish that both Parties and all Parties may be convinced that Some Qualification of Voters is necessary; but if Negroes & Sailors and Tapsters all unqualified by Law as Oliver Cromwell used to call them are to vote for one why not for another.? You...
264Thomas Boylston Adams to Abigail Adams, 2 November 1792 (Adams Papers)
I have received your favor of the 21 st: and as I want a little private conversation with you, must oblige you to pay the Postage of my answer. At the request of several of our Friends I addressed a Letter to my Father a day or two since—stating certain reasons for hastening his Journey to Philad a: and most of those were of a public nature; but I omitted to mention any inducements of a...
265John Adams to Abigail Smith, 4 October 1762 (Adams Papers)
By the same Token that the Bearer hereof satt up with you last night I hereby order you to give him, as many Kisses, and as many Hours of your Company after 9 O’Clock as he shall please to Demand and charge them to my Account: This Order, or Requisition call it which you will is in Consideration of a similar order Upon Aurelia for the like favour, and I presume I have good Right to draw upon...
266John Adams to Abigail Adams, 28 February 1779 (Adams Papers)
I suppose I must write every day, in order to keep or rather to restore good Humour, whether I have any thing to say or not. The Scaffold is cutt away, and I am left kicking and sprawling in the Mire, I think. It is hardly a state of Disgrace that I am in but rather of total Neglect and Contempt. The humane People about me, feel for my situation they say: But I feel for my Countrys situation....
267William Walter to Abigail Adams, 1 October 1799 (Adams Papers)
I am sorry that I did not know the President’s wishes, before the Receit of your Letter, to be a Purchaser of Thompson’s Island. One half of it only is owned by me, the other half by m r & m rs. Oliver of Salem. I had determined to part with my half; and two Persons have Appeared to make an Agreement for it. my Price is two thousand dollars for my part. One of the two persons is to give me an...
268Cotton Tufts to Abigail Adams, 31 March 1798 (Adams Papers)
In my last I enclosed a rough Plan of the proposed Addition to the Wood House, that Plan will exhibit to You an Idea of the lower Room; since then I have found, that it will not be much more expensive, to take the Roof off from the Wood house & Library and erect a new one over them, than to proceed in the Way that was projected. I have accordingly orderd it to be framd in this Way; upon this...
269John Adams to Abigail Adams, 12 August 1776 (Adams Papers)
Mr. A. and Coll. Whipple, are at length gone. Coll. Tudor went off with them. They went away, about Three o Clock this afternoon. I wrote by A and Coll. Whipple too. By the latter I sent two large Bundles, which he promised to deliver to you. These middle States begin to taste the Sweets of War. Ten Thousand Difficulties and wants occur, which they had no Conception of before. Their Militia...
270Thomas Welsh to Abigail Adams, 17 January 1787 (Adams Papers)
Being without any of your Favors unanswered I take the Liberty to write this in Advance. The State of some Counties having been tumultuous to this Time notwithstanding the lenient Measures of Government has induced the supreme Executive to order a Military Force into the County of Worcester under Genl Lincoln; I should blush for my Country was I not sensible that it is not uncommon under more...
271John Adams to Abigail Adams, 10 June 1775 (Adams Papers)
Dr. Church has given me a Lotion, which has helped my Eyes so much that I hope you will hear from me oftener than you have done. Pray write me as often and particularly as possible. Send your Letters to the Care of the Committee of safety who will forward them. I long to know, how you fare, and whether you are often discomposed with Alarms. Guard yourself against them my Dear. I think you are...
272Richard Cranch to Abigail Adams, 17 August 1780 (Adams Papers)
The Alliance arriv’d yesterday after a Passage of about 36 Days. I went this Morning to see Mr. A. Lee (who came in her) but he was engag’d in Writing and could not be spoke with, his Nephew inform’d me that Mr. Adams and the Children were well, as were also Mr. Dana and Mr. Thaxter. Mr. Blodget bro’t a Letter from Mr. Adams for you. I sent it (just before Peter came) by Mr. Seth Spear, who...
273John Thaxter to Abigail Adams, 21 July 1781 (Adams Papers)
Ten months have I been waiting for an opportunity to forward my Letters, but none has presented, which of Course leaves an immense budget of Trumpery on hand. I know not whether to continue writing or begin burning. You will find by the inclosed Gazette Madam, an Account of our Celebration of the Anniversary of Independence. Every thing was conducted with the utmost order and decency—in one...
274John Adams to Abigail Adams, 2 June 1777 (Adams Papers)
Artillery Election!—I wish I was at it, or near it. Yours of the 18th. reached me this Morning. The Cause that Letters are so long in travelling, is that there is but one Post in a Week who goes from hence to Peeks Kill, altho there are two that go from thence to Boston. Riding every day, has made me better than I was, altho I am not yet quite well. I am determined to continue this Practice,...
275Jeremy Belknap to Abigail Adams, 14 June 1798 (Adams Papers)
As the extract which you marked in y r Son’s letter was too long for one paper I divided it & gave one half to Benj n & the other half to John Russell, the latter part appears in the Commercial Gazette of this day, the former I hope will come out on Saturday. I have read Robisons Conspiracy with astonishment, it contains the seeds of all the mischiefs which we have been tormented with for...
276John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 11 June 1778 (Adams Papers)
to day my Pappa received a Letter from you which I had the honour of seeing in which you mentioned your being struck with the account of dotor Franklins being assasinated but that Story like many others I Suppose arose from those set of People who pretend to be the best Lovers of their Country when they are all the time a seeking her ruin in your Letter you said you wrotee to my Pappa in...
277John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 17 February 1780 (Adams Papers)
As there is an opportunity of writing to you, I must by no means let it Slip me; I have wrote you a Small account of my Voyage and that we were obliged to put into Ferrol in Spain. After a terrible journey from thence to Paris of about 1000 Miles we have at last once more reach’d Paris, the day after we arrived Pappa put me to one of the Pensions where I was before, and I am very content with...
278John Adams to Abigail Adams, 2 December 1788 (Adams Papers)
Before this time I hope you have the Happiness to See your Daughter out of all Danger and your Son in Law and your two grand children in perfect health. I have no Letter from you, Since that you wrote at Hartford, and I cannot find fault because this is the first I have written to you. We are all very well, and go on very well. Charles came home and Thomas went to Haverhill, last Week.— We are...
279John Adams to Abigail Adams, 16 June 1778 (Adams Papers)
Since my last I have had the inexpressible Pleasure of yours of the 25 of March by the Way of Holland, which is the first and the last Letter as yet received from you. This will be delivered you by a young Gentleman by the Name of Archer who is going to America, to serve in our Army as a Voluntier. He is a promising Youth, and will tell you all the News, both in England and France. —Germany...
280Mary Smith Cranch to Abigail Adams, 14 December 1788 (Adams Papers)
I do indeed rejoice with you all upon the happy event which took place in mr smiths Family before your arrival I hope my Neices health is perfectly restor’d that the young gentlemen are both very well—& that you may soon return accompany’d by Coll n. smith whom I wish much to see— you must not think of comeing in the stage. It would be highly improper upon every account— we receiv’d your...