Your Letter of the 15th: Inst. informs me that you continue indisposed and that you are nursing yourself at Home—I am sorry for both—The first alarms me, & second on acct of your Health & the second forebodes your being long sick. Amusement & Exercise are ought to be your Objects—At Home you can have little of either, Domestic Concerns, Variety of Business & twenty things going wrong for want of that Care & Attention which a sick Man shd. not think of, agitate your Mind & prevent that even Flow of Spirits & that Calm throughout the whole Man, so necessary to invite the Return of Health—This wd be my Case were I in your Situation—if it be yours, get rid of it—The Spring advances fast and as soon as the Roads will permit you, go to the Camp, to Philadelphia, in short anywhere, if so that you are but moving. You must however leave off riding Post—no more 60 & 70 Miles in a Day—Travel like a Citizen of the World who thinks himself at Home at every Inn, & leave ^it^ as you would your House with as much Composure ^when you are about to take^ an Airing—If I can with any tolerable Decency ^Propriety^ leave the Congress I will accompany you, & make as I have often done make you ride slow in spite of your Teeth1 ^Save your Horse from many a Sweat^—

I am happy to find your Letters evince so much firmness & Resignation—they bespeak a sound Mind & God Grant it may soon dwell in a sound Body. Two Days only have I spent in New York since I left Philadelphia—Mrs. Jays Illness ^has^ detained me here almost the whole time except ten Days spent at Rye, so that I can hardly tell but little you but little of Politics. With occurrences generally known the Papers have & will continue to inform you, and as to Matters more private the uncertain Fate of Letters forbids me to commit them to Paper. The Letter you mention to have sent to me at Philadelphia came safe to Hand abt the middle of the afternoon late in the Day & just as I was setting off for this Place, abt the but as I was being desirous of answg it by the Bearer I determined to stay postpone my Journey till the next Day. In the Evening as I was writing it Dean came in, I broke off and copied what I had written & enclosed in it together with Letters for your Brothers to Jams Mr. Duane whom I requested to ^to be^ forwarded by the Express—I acquainted him also particularly with the Contents of Harry ^& John’s^ Letter & desired him to pay the earliest ^his^ Attention to them.2 It being then late & I intending to set off early in the Morning I gave the Packet to Dean who promised to give deliver it to Mr. Duane—I am surprized you never recd it—The enclosed are Copies of the ^of those several^ Letters. I have wrote you & to Harry & to John & to Mr Duane

The ridiculous story of your having been concerned in giving Intelligence to Govr. Tryon I once or twice heard, but as I could never find I never met with a single Person who gave the least Credit to it, and as it occasioned general Disgust & Indignation, and ^I^ did not think it worthy of Notice and therefore treated it with the [illegible] Contempt it deserved—

A Report of this kind relative to Mr. Duane has long been extensive & serious. it has given him much Concern, and [illegible] ^and believe him to be innocent of the Charges^ ^and tho I believe him to be innocent every Body does not^.3 He told me I was coupled with him & that the Report was against us both—a few Days Inquiry however made me perfectly easy—for neither myself or my Friends could find the least Trace of such Report respecting me [illegible] did. Mr. Duanes Author for it never appeared, [illegible]. Some of our Delegates & one or two others and others indeed heard it but they assured me, from no other Person but Mr. Duane—It is natural for Men to desire Company in Distress, and it sometimes happens that improper means are used to gratify ^that as well as other^ Desires—

I would readily receive the Money due to you from the Province, but am now at Eliz[abeth]—Town & shall set off Tomorrow or next Day for Philadelphia—Be under no Concern about the Bond—It is of no Consequence whether it be paid now or some Years hence—

Whether the Govr will call the Assembly is at present very uncertain and I am told the knowing ones in New York are divided in opinion abt. it. It gives me Pleasure to hear that Dutchess has acted with Propriety and I assure you I shall be happy to meet you in all my Walks both here and hereafter.4 I think with you that our proceeding hand in Hand pari Passu thro’ the many ups & downs of this topsy turvy world is not a little singular—As It is a happy Presage and I heartily join with you in obeying its Dictates.

Mrs. Jay ^who is now almost recovered^ joins with me in in desiring you to accept our thanks for the tenderness you thanking you for the friendly Sollicitude you express for her Health, and to present our Compts and best Wishes to Mrs. Livingston, your Mama and all the Family. I am and will be, Your Friend