21From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 27 December 1810 (Adams Papers)
I Sent my Wife to the Post Office this morning with a Letter to you inclosing a Review of Fisher Ames, and as she brought me back yours of the 21, you will receive this by the Same mail. I am well and my good Madam is well at the present Hour but She is a Weather Glass. I am afraid your Prejudices are too fixed to be removed by any Arguments: but I do not find that you make many Proselytes. In...
22From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 7 June 1809 (Adams Papers)
Your Letters are not apt to lie a month unacknowledged. That of May 5th. is before me since which I have recd. an Aurora under your envellope. I thank you for both. Thanks too for your sons inaugural Dissertation. I wish him success in his studies Travels and Practice. May he become as eminent, as skilful, as humane, as virtuous and as successful as his father. I rejoice that your son Richard...
23From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 25 December 1811 (Adams Papers)
I never was so much at a loss how to answer a Letter, as yours of the 16th. Shall I assume a Sober Face and write a grave Essay on Religion Philosophy, Laws or government? Shall I laugh like Bacchus among his grapes, Wine fats Vatts and Bottles? or Shall I assume the Man of the World, the Fine Gentleman, the Courtier, and Bow and Scrape with a smooth smiling Face, soft words, many compliments...
24From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 13 October 1811 (Adams Papers)
Sobrius esto! Recollect your own Non Nobis! Your Letter of the 20th. of September I communicated to Mrs Adams as you advised. Mrs Adams to her Daughter, After a reasonable Time for Deliberation and Reflections the Heroine determined. The Mother and the Daughter went to Boston and consulted Dr Warren Junior, Dr Welsh, Dr Warren Junior having previously consulted Dr Tufts and Dr Holbrook. The...
25From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 8 October 1809 (Adams Papers)
Bacon the great Bacon was fond of Paradoxes. What could The Old Hunks mean by Great Men having neither Ancestors nor Posterity? Was not Isaac the son and Jacob the Grand son and Joseph the Great Grandson of Abraham? Was not Julius Cæsar the Posterity of the Anchises and Eneas? Was not King William the Posterity of the Great William Prince of orange and of the still greater Admiral Coligni? Was...
26From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 2 April 1811 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for the Trouble you have kindly taken in procuring the Samples of Coins for my Son J. Q. A; which Mr Quincy was so good as to deliver with his own hand: and am glad to learn from your Letter that Mr Erving in behalf of my Son T. B. A, has paid you the Amount of them. I thank you for your Letter of the 4th of March and your Congratulations on the Appointment of my Son to a Seat on...
27From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 12 April 1809 (Adams Papers)
I rejoice to find that Pensilvania has returned to reason and Duty in the affair of the Miss Writtenhouses. Our Massachusetts Legislature have not gone So far as yours did: but they have gone too far. I rejoice too at the Honourable Acquittal of your worthy Brother, but lament the Allarming Attack upon the choicest Institution of Liberty the Tryal by Jury. Without this there can be no legal...
28From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 23 March 1813 (Adams Papers)
Your Letter to Waterhouse inclosed in yours of the 16th. Shall be Sent tomorrow. With them came the News of the Hornets Glory. If Our Nation had as much Religion as Jews or Gentiles, they would consider these Victories as a Revelation of the Importance and Necessity of a maritime defence. Lawrence is now enrolled with Hull, Decatur, Jones Bainbridge in the Record of our Naval Conquerors....
29From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 8 December 1812 (Adams Papers)
On horseback, on my Way to Weymouth on a Visit to my Friend Dr Tufts I met a Man leading a Horse, who asked if I wanted to buy a Horse. Examining the Animal in his Eyes Ears, head Neck Shoulders Legs Feet and Tail, and enquiring of his Master his Age, history Temper habits &c I found he was a colt of Three Years old that month of November, his Sucking Teeth were not Shed, he was Seventeen or...
30From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 18 September 1812 (Adams Papers)
In the good old English Phrase, I give you ten thousand Thanks for the Muscat Wine of Samos, which is now in my Cellar, in good order and of good Quality. You did not forsee one effect of it. It will increase my Love of Greek and Latin more than my Patriotism. Oh! How I heard a Circle of Ladies, of the first quality, old and middle Aged, and young, praise it last Evening! If indeed there is...
31From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 19 March 1812 (Adams Papers)
The greatest part of the History in your last Letter was well known to me, and I could write you Six Sheets for your three, full of Anecdotes, of a Similar complexion. I wanted no Satisfaction. If I had, your Letter would have given it. The great Character, was a Character of Convention . His first Appointment was a magnanimous Sacrifice of the North to the South: to the base Jealousy, Sordid...
32From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 18 April 1813 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for the Slip of a newspaper. On that Subject my feelings are unutterable. The Day of the Safe return of my Son and his Family, if I Should live to See it, will be the happiest day of my Life. I almost envy you, the Joy on the return of your Benjamin, Thank him for my Samos Muscat. Tell him my Girls Shall all drink his Health in a Bumper of it. I wish my Sons and Grandsons had been...
33From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 21 December 1809 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for the pleasing account of your Family in your favour of the 5th. As I take a lively interest in their Prosperity and Felicity, your relation of it gave me great Pleasure. We have Letters from our Colony navigating the Baltic, dated at Christiansand. They had been so far as prosperous, healthy and happy as such Traveller’s could expect to be. Pope said of my Friend General...
34From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 1 September 1810 (Adams Papers)
I have been entertained and diverted with the humour and the Wit of my Old Friend O Brian as you call him. The Jackass and the Cow, are most excellent Animals in their place and in their own sphere. None more useful. But neither is very well qualified for Legislators or Politicians: or to pursue the figure and hunt down the Allegory. Neither would make a figure at the new Markett Races, or in...
35From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 3 February 1813 (Adams Papers)
I congratulate you, & your state and our Nation on the Acquisition of such a secretary of the Navy as you represent Sir honourable William Jones to be. I shall certainly write him a letter, before long; for I am recommender general of Midshipman & Pursers & Ensigns. I have not dared as yet to rise to a Lieutenant in Navy or Army. Talk not to me of dignity. Nothing can be more ridiculous and...
36From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 31 July 1811 (Adams Papers)
I have several sweet letters from you the last of which is the 20th of this month. The table of Cider and health and Rum and death I have given to Dr Tufts who will propagate it. It is a concise but very comprehensive result of long experiences, Attentive observation, and deep and close thought. I was too wise to go to the great celebration. the heat would have killed me. It was here as with...
37From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 29 March 1813 (Adams Papers)
Inclosed is a Packet two Papers marked A. B. four Number ed 1. 2. 3. 4. A Letter from The Vice President and one from Mr Austin to him, 8 Documents in the whole, considering your Engagements it hurts me to trouble you with the Reading of these Papers: but you will be So amused with them, that you would have reprehended me if I had Suppressed them. If any of them fall within Mr Careys Plan, he...
38From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 27 December 1812 (Adams Papers)
Letters! What Shall I Say of Letters? Pliny’s are too Studied and too elegant. Cicero’s are the only ones of perfect Simplicity, confidence and familiarity. Madam Sevignè has created a Sweet pretty little amusing World out of nothing. Pascalls Provincials exceed every Thing ancient or modern: but these were laboured with infinite Art. The Letters of Swift and pope are dull! Frederick’s to...
39From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 22 June 1809 (Adams Papers)
A thousand thanks to Richard for his Auroras and ten thousand to you for your Letter of the 14th. I am not subject to low spirits, but if I was one of your Letters would cure me at any time for a Month. Voltaires Brain I shall never get out of mine. It will make me laugh whenever I think of it. The Jews and Nonotte have pickled his Brain in a more durable Manner and kept it in a more perfect...
40From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 25 October 1809 (Adams Papers)
I received yesterday your new Edition on Animal Life and Madam read it in the evening to me and all the Family, to the great delight and Edification of Us all. Whether it is all solid or not we can not say: but there are Ideas enough thrown out to excite and employ the attention and Investigation of all the Philosophers, Physicians and Surgeons. Accept of all our Thanks for this favour....
41From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 15 February 1813 (Adams Papers)
All that I have written you, hitherto, upon the history of the Original of our Navy, was from Memory, without thinking of Book or Paper. But in the course of my lucubrations I thought of the Journals of the Congress; waste Paper, which Seems to be forgotten by Mankind, and which I myself with the rest of the fashionable World have rarely opened for 35 Years. I had a long time to Search among...
42From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 14 August 1811 (Adams Papers)
Upon honor, now, Rush! You cannot be serious in calling me, mad, to my Face! I learned a proper Answer to you, in Bedlam in England. In one of the Visits I made to that Hospital, I took a few Turns in the Area, where Some of the most harmless of the patients are permitted to walk. One of them a decent looking Man joined me, and conversed very Sensibly but with much animation for Some time: but...
43From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 29 December 1812 (Adams Papers)
I have not done with your Letter of the 19th: I care not half, so much about Red Heifer, as I do about the Taureau blanc, the white Bull of Voltaire…. “All volition the Effect of his will, operating upon mind.” My pious learned Parson Wibert, once said to me “I believe God is the Author of sin; but I would not say it, because of the dangerous tendency of it.” My Friend! read in virgil;...
44From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 4 March 1809 (Adams Papers)
If I could dream as much Wit as you, I think I should wish to go to Sleep for the rest of my Life, retaining however one of Swifts Flappers to awake me once in 24 hours to dinner, for you know without a dinner one can neither dream nor Sleep. Your Dreams descend from Jove, according to Homer. Though I enjoy your Sleeping Wit and acknowledge your unequalled Ingenuity in your dreams, I cannot...
45From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 24 June 1812 (Adams Papers)
The Decadency of Government is obvious, through the World and it is to be feared the cause of it is the general Relaxation of family discipline. It becomes you and me Seriously to consider whether We have not contributed our Share to this general Evil. Within a few days, my Rib had the boldness to Say to me “When you write to Dr Rush, you String together Epithets and Adverbs and Substantives,...
46From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 21 February 1813 (Adams Papers)
Yours of the 8th is yet unanswered.—I beg your Pardon for hinting, tho in jest at my Antinovanglian Prejudice. I do believe you as free from it as you ought to be, or as I am. Dearly as I love New England, I know it, and its faults. Your Idea of Pensilvania is perfect. In a few days you will See that I have been reviewing an old Scene. In 1775, You will See how the Committee on Trade and on a...
47From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 14 May 1810 (Adams Papers)
What can I say to my Friend in return for his Letter of 26th of April? My Grief for the Melancholy Fate of my Friend John is only equalled by My Sympathy with his amiable Family. In the midst of Grief remember Mercy. Richard remains to you as well as another Son, and several Daughters who do honor to their Parents and their Country. Oh that John had imitated the Example of his Father, and...
48From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 21 November 1811 (Adams Papers)
On this our Thanksgiving day, among innumerable other Blessings, I have to thank express my Gratitude for your favour of Nov. 11. I do not believe that Boethius’s Consolations of Philosophy, which however I have never read, would do me more good. I hasten to answer your Questions, that your friendly Sympathies may be no longer afflicted or allarmed. Indeed I almost repent of the Simple Tale I...
49From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 31 August 1809 (Adams Papers)
If I were not as disinterested as a Patriot, I should answer every Line from you as soon as recd. in order to get another. Your favour of Aug. 14 is yet, to my Grief unacknowledged. Neither Colonel Duane nor any other Newspaper will follow me through the long Journey I have undertaken. I am not certain that the Patriot will have Patience and Perseverance enough. In short I shall be so tedious...
50From John Adams to Benjamin Rush, 4 January 1813 (Adams Papers)
Be pleased to accept my humble Duty for the notice you have condescended to take of me. I will do my best to shake a little animation into my Master for a few days or months or possibly years. But what is the prospect before him? What can he expect? or hope? or wish? He is 77 and more: three and twenty years will make him 100. thirteen years will make him 90: three years will bring him to...