1Abigail Adams to John Quincy Adams, 20 November 1783 (Adams Papers)
This evening as I was Setting, with only your sister by my side, who was scribling at the table to some of her correspondents, my Neighbour Feild enterd, with “I have a letter for you Madam”; my immagination was wandering to Paris, ruminating upon the long, long absence of my dear son, and his parent; that I was rather inattentive to what he said, untill he repeated; I have Letters for you...
2Abigail Adams to John Quincy Adams, 26 December 1783 (Adams Papers)
Your Letters by Mr. Thaxter I received; and was not a little pleased with them; if you do not write with the precision of a Robertson, nor the Elegance of a Voltaire, it is evident you have profited by the perusal of them. The account of your northern journey and your observation upon the Russian Goverment; would do credit to an older pen. The early age at which you went abroad; gave you not...
3Abigail Adams to John Quincy Adams, 15 March 1784 (Adams Papers)
As I did not write you by the last conveyance I will not omit the present. I supposed your sister had got a Letter for You, but I found afterwards that she did not send it, because she could not please herself. This Week I received your trunk which Mr. Dana brought with him. You cannot conceive the pleasure I took in looking it over. The Books it is true were in a language that I understand...
4Abigail Adams to John Quincy Adams, 25 April 1784 (Adams Papers)
I have been much dissapointed in not receiving any Letters from your Father or you by the late arrivals from England. Capt. Lyde, and a Brig have come in very short passages, but not a single Letter. This is very painfull as well as unfortunate for me just at this period. I thought it not prudent to take passage for Europe untill I heard from your Pappa. If I had received letters I should have...
5John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 28 May 1784 (Adams Papers)
At Amsterdam I received your Letter of the 18 and to day that of the 20th. Write me, when you Ship the Books for Rotterdam, and by what Captain what Vessell and to whom addressed. Your principal Attention Should be to Parliament, and the Bar at present. Your Stay will be short and you will not probably have another Opportunity of being much in London, for upon your Return I shall keep you very...
6John Adams to John Quincy Adams, June 1784 (Adams Papers)
There is no Accomplishment, more usefull or reputable, or which conduces more to the Happiness of Life, to a Man of Business or of Leisure, than the Art of writing Letters. Symplicity, Ease, Familiarity and Perspicuity, comprehend all the necessary Rules. But these are not acquired without Attention and Study. The Habit you now form will go with you through Life. Spare no Pains then to begin...
7John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 6 June 1784 (Adams Papers)
Last night I received yours of the 1. with the Letter from your Mother to you, by which it appears so uncertain when She will arrive or embark, that if you can persuade Mr. Smith to come over here with the Ladies when they arrive, I would not have you wait for them. Make a Visit to Mr. Whitefoord, and ask the favour of him in my name to procure you a Place in the Gallery of the House of...
8John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 6 June 1784 (Adams Papers)
A young Gentleman of 17, must not talk of low Spirits for Small disappointments. He must reconcile his Mind to them. He will meet with many. My Friend Dr. Warren often told me, I was the most uniformly lucky Man, he ever knew, and indeed I must acknowledge, I have been often fortunate, both before and Since his Compliment. Notwithstanding which my Life has been a Series of dissappointments,...
9John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 21 June 1784 (Adams Papers)
I received your Letter of the 15th. on the 18th. and that of the 18th. this moment, and am happy to find that you Spend So much Time and take so much Pleasure in Chancery and Parliament. Present to Mr. Vaughan and Mr. Whiteford, my Thanks for their Politeness to you. I want to know if the Books are on their Way. You Should tell me Something of them in every Letter untill they are gone off, by...
10John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 1 August 1784 (Adams Papers)
I have the Pleasure of yours of July 30. and advise you to purchase the Coach and prepare every Thing to set off with me to Dover in a Week from this Day. I will not loose a Moment, of the agreable Company, that I can avoid. Indeed I have repented 20 times that I did not go with you. The Pas of Calais and the Pas of Harwich will make me sick, but do me no harm. Purchase Johnsons Lives of the...
11From Thomas Jefferson to John Quincy Adams, 12 May 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Jefferson’s compliments to Mr. Adams and begs his care of the inclosed letters . Those directed to Messrs. Monroe and Hardy will make him acquainted with two very worthy gentlemen of the Virginia delegation. Should Colo. Monroe not be at New York Mr. Jefferson begs the favor of Mr. Adams to deliver his letter either to Mr. Hardy or Mr. Charles Thomson with a request to keep it till they...
12Abigail Adams to John Quincy Adams, 26 June 1785 (Adams Papers)
I have not written you a single line since you left me. Your sisters punctuality I saw would render my pen unnecessary and I have resignd to her all the minutia, as her leisure is much greater and her cares fewer. Capt. Dashood is to sail in a few days for America, and tho as you may well imagine I have much upon my hands, and miss your assistance not a little, I have determined to write you a...
13John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 26 June 1785 (Adams Papers)
I hope, that before this day you are Safely arrived at New York, and that in another Month, I shall receive a Letter from you dated from that City. Before this reaches you I Suppose you will be at Boston or Cambridge, or Braintree or Haverill or Weymouth. Let me hear from you as often as you can. We have taken a House in Grosvenor Square, at the Corner of Duke Street, and hope to get into it...
14Abigail Adams 2d to John Quincy Adams, 4 July 1785 – 11 August 1785 (Adams Papers)
Every day, hour, and minute, your absence mon chere frere , pains me more and more. We left last saturday the Hotell and have got settled in peace and quiettness in our own House in this Place. The situation is pleasant. I would walk, my Brother is gone. I would ride, my Brother is gone. I would retire to my chaimber. Alas, I meet him not there. I would meet him in his appartment—but—where is...
15Abigail Adams to John Quincy Adams, 11 August 1785 (Adams Papers)
I went from my own little writing room below stairs just now into your Pappas; where Mr. Storer was writing for him. Col. Smith having set of upon a Tour in order to see the Prussian Review which takes place upon the 20 of this Month, Mr. Storer whilst he remains here; has offerd to supply his Place. Upon my going into the room he told me that a vessel would sail for Boston tomorrow, which is...
16Abigail Adams to John Quincy Adams, 23 August 1785 (Adams Papers)
I hope this will find you upon terra firma, tho in vain I searcht the New York papers of july 7th. to find you, since which I have been very anxious. Your passage I hope has been safe tho long and tedious. I have written to you twice before since you left me and I believe you have a steady and faithfull correspondent in your sister, who having substituded you as her correspondent in lieu of...
17Abigail Adams 2d to John Quincy Adams, 26 August 1785 (Adams Papers)
Lyde sailed the 24th. with a long Letter for you from me, and I have now commenced N 6, which I propose giving to the Care of Mr. Storer he talks of going next week. If so, this will be but short. But alas my Brother 14 weeks have elapsd since you left us, and we not yet any account of your arrival. Hopes and fears alternately possess my mind, and I can not banish anxiety upon your account....
18John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 31 August 1785 (Adams Papers)
I hope Mr. Storer, when he delivers this Letter, will find you a Student in the University, or upon the Point of becoming So. We have as yet no News of your Arrival in America, but We hope to learn it by the first ship. We are comfortably Situated here, and have all enjoyed very good Health hitherto in England. But Home is Home. You are Surrounded by People who neither hate you nor fear you. I...
19Abigail Adams to John Quincy Adams, 6 September 1785 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday being Sunday I went with your papa to the Foundling Church, Dr. Price whom we usually attend being absent a few weeks in the Country. When I returnd from Church I went into my closet and took up my pen with an intention of writing to you; but I really felt so trist at not having heard of your arrival that I could not compose myself sufficently to write to you, so I scribled to your...
20John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 9 September 1785 (Adams Papers)
I have received your Letter by Mr. Church, and am very happy to hear of your Safe Arrival, and kind Reception at New York. You have a good Opportunity, to See the Place and principal Characters, and from the hints you give your Sister I Suppose and indeed I hope, you went home by Land, and Saw the Country and Persons you wanted to See. I want to hear from you at Boston, and to learn what is...
21Abigail Adams to John Quincy Adams, 12 September 1785 (Adams Papers)
Mr. Storers departure is delayed from day to day so that I fear he will have a dissagreeable time upon our Coast. It gives me an opportunity of adding a few more lines to you. Col. Franks arrived here on Saturday with dispatches from Mr. Jefferson. The Ministers not hearing a Syllable of Lamb, and reports growing every day more serious, tho many of them are really false, yet they have the...
22Abigail Adams 2d to John Quincy Adams, 24 September 1785 (Adams Papers)
Last fryday I closed my Last to you and Mr. Storer sailed on Monday from Graves End so that it is now on its way to Greet you with health peace and Contentment I hope. A saturday the 17th. we went to see Mrs. Siddons, in the Character of Desdemona. Altho I saw her under many disadvantages, the part not being such as I shold have chosen, and her present situation renders it impossible for her...
23Abigail Adams to John Quincy Adams, 5 October 1785 (Adams Papers)
I began a Letter to you yesterday which I designd to have finishd last evening, but as we had a great deal of company, many of them Ladies who staid the evening, I could not command my time, and Captain Callihan wrote us a card last evening that he should go by nine this morning, so that I have only time to write you a few lines, to tell you about a fortnight after the arrival of Mr. Church,...
24Abigail Adams 2d to John Quincy Adams, 18 October 1785 (Adams Papers)
Mr. James Jarvis called upon us yesterday but we were not at home. To day he wrote to Pappa to let him know that he should sail next week for New York, and would take any Letters from this family. Altho I wrote Last week by Capt. Calliham I will not permit this opportunity to escape me. Mamma tells me She is sure I cannot find anything to say, as I have written so largly so lately, but...
25Abigail Adams 2d to John Quincy Adams, 27 November 1785 (Adams Papers)
Never was there a young Man who deserved more a severe punishment than yourself. I am so out of patience with you, that I am quite at a loss in what way to revenge myself. In short I know of no method that I think would be adequate to your deserts. Month after month has elapsd, ship after ship has arrived, from New York, and six months have passed since you left us, and I have as yet received...
26Abigail Adams 2d to John Quincy Adams, 5 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
This Morning I wrote you that we were going to the play with Mrs. Church. At six oclock we called upon her, and went to the Theatre of Drury Lane, where was performed the Confedrecy, a Comedy, which I took to be as great a satire upon the manners, of high Life, as could have been written. It was not however any thing new. The entertainment was the Jubilee of Shakespear, which is well worth...
27Abigail Adams 2d to John Quincy Adams, 22 January 1786 (Adams Papers)
I have taken my pen, to frame an appology to you my Dear Brother. There are so many that offer themselvs to me, that I am almost at a loss, which to avail myself of as most sattisfactory to you—should I tell you that no opportunity of forwarding my Letter to you had been the cause of my silence since the 9th of December or that not having received any answer to my many long Letters I had...
28Abigail Adams 2d to John Quincy Adams, 9 February 1786 (Adams Papers)
This my Brother is the day appropriated for the celebration of the Queens Birth day. It really comes in june but as the Kings is in that Month they defer its celebration to this season. Kings and Princess you know may do any thing which their power will permit with impunity. But to tell you—at 2 oclock we were dressd, Mamma in a sattin of the new fashiond Colour which is Called the spanish...
29Abigail Adams to John Quincy Adams, 16 February 1786 (Adams Papers)
Captain Lyde is arrived to our no small joy and brought us a charming parcel of Letters, amongst which I found one from each of my Dear Sons. You know how happy a circumstance of this kind always makes me. Two days before we had heard of his arrival in the River, and waited every hour with impatience for the Letters, for those by Young have not yet come to hand, he is still at Plimouth...
30John Adams to John Quincy Adams, 19 March 1786 (Adams Papers)
This Letter, I presume, will find you at the University, where I hope you will pass your time both pleasantly and profitably. Let Us know how you find Things, and take care of your health. You have in your Travels had so much Exercise, that it is not Safe to discontinue it, and indulge your self too much in a Sedentary Life. Never fail to walk an hour or two every day. I have read the Conquest...