Charles Clay to Thomas Jefferson, 24 April 1819
From Charles Clay
Petty Grove Ap. 24. 19
(C. Clay to Mr Jefferson.)
your Ale was Vinose on the Palate but Rather Ventose on the Stomac, your Man brings you some Potoooooooo, & a few sprouts Asparagus—I thank you for Your directions & observations on the assignments, but they Require so much1 writing, that I dread the task with My Cramped System of Nerves
RC (ViU: TJP-ER); dateline at foot of text; addressed: “Mr Jefferson poplar <Grove> Forest”; endorsed by TJ without date of receipt.
vinose is an archaic spelling of “vinous,” while ventose means “windy” or “flatulent” (). potoooooooo: “potatoes.”
In his last will and testament of 12 Nov. 1819, Clay described the abovementioned assignments as “deeds in trust (of Several Special obligations and Sums thereon due me) to Certain of my friends for the benefit of my younger Sons, as they Shall Severally attain the age of twenty one years” (Bedford Co. Will Book, 5:172; see also Clay to TJ, 26 [Apr.] 1819).
1. Manuscript: “s much.”
Index Entries
- alcohol; ale search
- ale search
- asparagus search
- Clay, Charles; and asparagus search
- Clay, Charles; and deeds of trust search
- Clay, Charles; and potatoes search
- Clay, Charles; family of search
- Clay, Charles; health of search
- Clay, Charles; letters from search
- Clay, Charles; will of search
- food; asparagus search
- food; potatoes search
- health; flatulence search
- law; TJ provides legal advice search
- potatoes search