31From John Adams to Benjamin Waterhouse, 25 May 1821 (Adams Papers)
I received yesterday your favour of the 22nd and will begin at the end of it you must not utter a word or insinuate a hint against the character of Junius Brutus He had eyes as piercing as lightning, views as vast as the globe and benevolence as expansive as the human race. He had an exalted soul and a heart of celestial fire. He was as ready to sacrifice his own life as that of his sons And...
32From John Adams to Benjamin Waterhouse, 21 October 1821 (Adams Papers)
The ha rare happiness we have injoyed in the society of J Q A and his family, the consiquent occupations amusements & intercourse of visits and social festivities as well as grave lectures & solemn disquisitions, have prevented my acknowledgement of yours of the 18th. of September.—I must add to all this something of an opposite character eyes distempered almost to blindness, knees & hands...
33From John Adams to Benjamin Waterhouse, 25 November 1821 (Adams Papers)
I sympathise with Alexipharmacus in his resentment of the indignities offered to Richardson, Lock, Barrow &ca: yet I cannot approve of the principle of Clarissa Harlow’s history, because such virtue ought never to be rendered so unfortunate; for I believe it never is, even in this world; nor was ever so infernal a villain as Love-lace ever able to maintain, for so long a time, the esteem and...
34From John Adams to Benjamin Waterhouse, 10 June 1822 (Adams Papers)
Thanks for your letter of 5th. June and smoaking lecture but as I have not read the lecture I shall confine myself in this, the smoaking Theology. I believe you have heard of the Park Street prayers for the conversion of Boston and Cambridge, in which as far as they are good, sincere, honest pure and benevolent, I heartily join them; but which as far as they are hypocritical bigoted and...
35From John Adams to Benjamin Waterhouse, 16 September 1823 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for your letter of the 12th I am extremely sorry to hear that Genll Miller has lost so much of his Health. I esteem him not only the bravest among the brave, but a gentlemen of superior intelligence of a very enquisitive sagasious and penetrating mind, in short One of the soundest characters I know. will you be so good as to present to him my affectionate respects—& sincere thanks...