I yesterday received your Letter of the 1st Jany. and cannot account for the length of time it appears to have been written, before I received it; more especially as it contained news to me very afflicting concerning your Brother Charles’s health, from whom, or of whom I have not since heard. I am very anxious on his account as well as on yours, and request you to be particularly careful of...
Your Grandfather has expressed so much satisfaction at your conduct during your visit to him this vacation, that I have great pleasure in giving you this information; as it must be a great relief to your mind to know , that he has forgiven your late conduct, which I am sorry to say Dr. Kirkland informed me, had been deficient both of affection and respect—I will not say any more on this...
Your Letter of the 15 which I received yesterday has caused me the greatest alarm, and anxiety—Mr. Appleton when he returned from Cambridge told me he thought you looked pale, and thin but he believed it was only the effect of hard study—and some time since they wrote me from Quincy that in consequence of having been to Serenade Dr Kirkland on his return home you had taken a very bad cold...
24From John Adams to George Washington Adams, 10 May 1819 (Adams Papers)
You have expressed a wish—as I am told—that I would write to you—but what shall I say—we are all pritty well—so are your Father and Mother— I advise you to Study the Character of Cecrops, and the Country of Cecropia—and also the great festival of Eleusinia—and the Mystery’s of Eleusis— Show not this letter to any body living—if you show it to any of your Classmates or Collegians—they will...
I mentioned to you that I had been amusing myself in translating the Dialogue of Plato. I now send you the first sheet and shall continue to send one every week until I have completed the first—You will find it miserably done but your father says the sense is preserved and that is all that is necessary as I do not pique myself upon my translating powers—You I know can study them to more...
All well; I send you another Sheet keep them all together that they may form a continuation and that you may be better able to understand it. Susan has just returned from Prince Georges County she is very well but her baby has been sick but he is now much better—I sent to ask her to come to me but she prefers going to Mrs. French’s. Your Mother You will see some errors but I believe you can...
I send you three sheets of the dialogue because it was too little at once to read only a sheet—I am making out a fair copy of the whole which I will either send or bring when I come. You gave me such a good account of your health in your last Letter but one that was the reason I did not write to L Smith—but I am apprehensi ve you deceived me a little—from your last. I am so unwell I cannot...
I send you another sheet of the dialogue but it is so badly done I am quite ashamed of it. If it serves to excite your curiosity to read it in the original my object will be attained— We are all well and presume you are enjoying your self at Quincy with your Grandfather to whom I request you will remember me and be assured of the affection of your Mother & MHi : Adams Papers.
I was much gratified by the receipt of your Letter my dear George yesterday at noon and am somewhat surprized to find that you have not read my translation of Plato which was sent on some weeks since to your Grandfather by Mr. A. and which I supposed you had already read soon after its arrival—The two first Dialogues were sent together and the copying of them was very laborious to me—I wish...
You will probably have received the translations I sent you my dear Son of Plato as I understand you have made a visit to Quincy to your Grandfather— In a conversation held at our house in the course of last winter I heard Socrates compared to our Saviour Jesus and it was this comparison which induced me to read the life of Socrates, and the dialogues of Plato; with attention; that I might...