31Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 11 January 1817 (Jefferson Papers)
Forty three volumes read in one year, and 12. of them quartos! dear Sir, how I envy you! half a dozen 8 vos in that space of time are as much as I am allowed. I can read by candlelight only, and stealing long hours from my rest; nor would that time be allowed me indulged to me, could I, by that light, see to write. from sun-rise to one or two aclock, and often from dinner to dark, I am...
32To John Adams from Thomas Jefferson, 27 June 1813 (Adams Papers)
Ἴδαν ἐς πολύδενδρον ἀνὴρ ὑλητόμος ἐλθὼν, Παπταίνει, παρέοντος ἄδην, ποθεν ἄρξεται ἔργου· Τί πρᾶτον καταλεξῶ; ἐπεὶ πάρα μυρία ἐιπῆν. and I too, my dear Sir, like the wood-cutter of Ida, should doubt where to begin, were I to enter the forest of opinions, discussions, & contentions which have occurred in our day. I should exclaim with Theocritus Τί πρᾶτον καταλεξῶ; ἐπεὶ πάρα μυρία ειπῆν. but I...
33To John Adams from Thomas Jefferson, 20 April 1812 (Adams Papers)
I have it now in my power to send you a piece of homespun in return for that I recieved from you. not of the fine texture, or delicate character of yours, or, to drop our metaphor, not filled as that was with that display of imagination which constitutes excellence in Belles lettres, but a mere sober, dry and formal piece of Logic. Ornari res ipsa negat. yet you may have enough left of your...
34To John Adams from Thomas Jefferson, 11 January 1817 (Adams Papers)
Forty three volumes read in one year, and 12. of them quartos! dear Sir, how I envy you! half a dozen 8vos. in that space of time are as much as I am allowed. I can read by candlelight only, and stealing long hours from my rest; nor would that time be allowed me indulged to me, could I, by that light, see to write from sun-rise to one or two oclock, and often from dinner to dark, I am drudging...
35To John Adams from Thomas Jefferson, 21 January 1812 (Adams Papers)
I thank you before hand (for they are not yet arrived) for the specimens of homespun you have been so kind as to forward me by post. I doubt not their excellence, knowing how far you are advanced in these things in your quarter. here we do little in the fine way, but in coarse & midling goods a great deal. every family in the country is a manufactory within itself, and is very generally able...
36Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 24 January 1814 (Jefferson Papers)
I have great need of the indulgence so kindly extended to me in your favor of Dec. 25. of permitting me to answer your friendly letters at my leisure. my frequent and long absences from home are a first cause of tardiness in my correspondence, and a 2 d the accumulation of business during my absence, some of which imperiously commands first attentions. I am now in arrear to you for your...
37Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 27 May 1813 (Jefferson Papers)
Another of our friends of 76. is gone, my dear Sir, another of the Co-signers of the independance of our country. and a better man, than Rush , could not have left us, more benevolent, more learned, of finer genius, or more honest. we too must go; and that ere long. I believe we are under half a dozen at present; I mean the signers of the Declaration. yourself, Gerry , Carroll , and myself are...
38To John Adams from Thomas Jefferson, 10 June 1815 (Adams Papers)
It is long since we have exchanged a letter, and yet what volumes might have been written on the occurrences even of the last three months. in the first place, Peace, God bless it! has returned to put us all again into a course of lawful and laudable pursuits: a new trial of the Bourbons has proved to the world their incompetence to the functions of the station they have occupied: & the recall...
39Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 5 July 1814 (Jefferson Papers)
Since mine of Jan. 24. your’s of Mar. 14. was recieved. it was not acknoleged in the short one of May 18. by mr Rives , the only object of that having been to enable one of our most promising young men to have the advantage of making his bow to you. I learned with great regret the serious illness mentioned in your letter: and I hope mr Rives will be able to tell me you are entirely restored....
40Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 12 October 1813 (Jefferson Papers)
Since mine of Aug. 22. I have recieved your favors of Aug. 16. Sep. 2. 14. 15. and ___ and mrs Adams’s of Sep. 20. I now send you, according to your request a copy of the Syllabus. to fill up this skeleton with arteries, with veins, with nerves, muscles and flesh, is really beyond my time and information. whoever could undertake it would find great aid in Enfield’s judicious abridgment of
41Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 25 November 1816 (Jefferson Papers)
I recieve here, dear Sir, your favor of the 4 th just as I am preparing my return to Monticello for winter quarters; and I hasten to answer to some of your enquiries. the Tracy I mentioned to you is the one connected by marriage with La Fayette ’s family. the mail which brought your letter brought one also from him . he writes me that he is become blind & so infirm that he is no longer able to...
42Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 8 April 1816 (Jefferson Papers)
I have to acknolege your two favors of Feb. 16. & Mar. 2. and to join sincerely in the sentiment of mrs Adams , and regret that distance separates us so widely. an hour of conversation would be worth a volume of letters. but we must take things as they come. You ask if I would agree to live my 70. or rather 73. years over again? to which I say Yea. I think with you that it is a good world on...
43Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 28 December 1812 (Jefferson Papers)
An absence of 5. or 6. weeks, on a journey I take three or four times a year, must apologize for my late acknolegement of your favor of Oct. 12. after getting thro the mass of business which generally accumulates during my absence, my first attention has been bestowed on the subject of your letter. I turned to the passages you refer to in Hutchinson & Winthrop , and with the aid of their...
44To John Adams from Thomas Jefferson, 24 January 1814 (Adams Papers)
I have great need of the indulgence so kindly extended to me in your favor of Dec. 25. of permitting me to answer your friendly letters at my leisure. my frequent and long absences from home are a first cause of tardiness in my correspondence, and a 2d the accumulation of business during my absence, some of which imperiously commands first attentions. I am now in arrear to you for your letters...
45Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 18 May 1814 (Jefferson Papers)
This will be handed you by mr Rives a young gentleman of this state and my neighborhood. he is an eleve of mine in law, of uncommon abilities, learning and worth. when you and I shall be at rest with our friends of 1776. he will be in the zenith of his fame and usefulness. before entering on his public career he wishes to visit our sister states and would not concieve he had seen any thing of...
46Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 21 January 1812 (Jefferson Papers)
I thank you before hand (for they are not yet arrived) for the specimens of homespun you have been so kind as to forward me by post. I doubt not their excellence, knowing how far you are advanced in these things in your quarter. here we do little in the fine way, but in coarse & midling goods a great deal. every family in the country is a manufactory within itself, and is very generally able...
47To John Adams from Thomas Jefferson, 11 January 1816 (Adams Papers)
Of the last five months I have past four at my other domicil, for such it is in a considerable degree. no letters are forwarded to me there, because the cross post to that place is circuitous and uncertain. during my absence therefore they are accumulating here, & awaiting acknolegements. this has been the fate of your favor of Nov. 13. I agree with you in all it’s eulogies on the 18th....
48Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 20 April 1812 (Jefferson Papers)
I have it now in my power to send you a piece of homespun in return for that I recieved from you. not of the fine texture, or delicate character of yours, or, to drop our metaphor, not filled as that was with that display of imagination which constitutes excellence in Belles lettres, but a mere sober, dry and formal piece of Logic. ornari res ipsa negat . yet you may have enough left of your...
49To John Adams from Thomas Jefferson, 10 August 1815 (Adams Papers)
The simultaneous movements in our correspondence have been really remarkable on several occasions. it would seem as if the state of the air, or state of the times, or some other unknown cause produced a sympathetic effect on our mutual recollections. I had set down to answer your letters of June 19. 20. 22. with pen, ink, and paper before me, when I recieved from our mail that of July 30. you...
50Thomas Jefferson to John Adlum, 7 October 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
While I lived in Washington , a member of Congress from your state (I do not recollect which) presented me with two bottles of wine made by you, one of which, of Madeira colour, he said was entirely factitious, the other, a dark red wine was made from a wild or native grape, called in Maryland the Fox grape, but very different from what is called by that name in Virginia . this was a very fine...
51Thomas Jefferson to John Adlum, 13 January 1816 (Jefferson Papers)
While I lived in Washington you were so kind as to send me 2. bottles of wine made by yourself, the one from currans, the other from a native grape , called with you a fox-grape, discovered by mr Penn’s gardiner . the wine of this was as good as the best Burgundy and resembling it. in 1810. you added the great favor of sending me many cuttings. these were committed to the stage Mar. 13. on the...
52Thomas Jefferson to John Adlum, 20 April 1810 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favors of Feb. 15. & Mar. 13. were recieved in due time, but were not acknoleged because I was daily in expectation of the cuttings which should have accompanied the latter. on the 15 th inst. I recieved yours of the 10 th & concluding the bundle of cuttings had been rejected at some post office as too large to pass thro’ that line, I had yesterday, in despair, written my acknolegements...
53Thomas Jefferson to Eli Alexander, 12 February 1810 (Jefferson Papers)
M r Randolph will ride with you any day you please to the lands on Lego , & confer on the accomodation you propose. any thing which he thinks I might agree to without too much injury, I shall willingly agree to. In order to furnish you with proper evidence of the grounds which on Saturday last I agreed you should clear, I observe that the opening of the Upperfield over the road at Shadwell has...
54Thomas Jefferson to Eli Alexander, 17 April 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
Being much pressed by mr Higginbotham for a debt I owe him, and towards the discharge of which I promised him my rents, I paid over to him immediately the 200. D. you paid me the other day, & must sollicit the paiment of the balance of rent due since the 1 st day of December last . this I trust the sale of your crop of wheat will have enabled you to do, and that the request will be deemed...
55Enclosure: Proposed Agreement between Thomas Jefferson and Eli Alexander, [ca. 20 February 1810] (Jefferson Papers)
Articles of compromise and agreement between Thomas Jefferson of the one part & Eli Alexander on the other, in addition to the original articles of agreement whereby the said Thomas Je leased to the said Eli his farm on the tract of land called Shadwell , and a certain portion of his tract called Lego . It is agreed that the road crossing the Shadwell branch near it’s mouth passing thence...
56Thomas Jefferson to Eli Alexander, 25 January 1811 (Jefferson Papers)
Having some heavy sums to pay at our March & April courts I should be glad if in the disposal of your crops you could have an eye to those periods so far as respects the rent now due. as the prices of wheat & flour are now good, and the earliest sales of tob o will undoubtedly be the best, I trust no loss can arise from early sales. being to set out for Bedford tomorrow or next day & to be...
57Thomas Jefferson to Eli Alexander, 22 December 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
When I met with you on Lego the other day I had not been on the lands before for 9. years, and was not from recollection of the ground perfectly possessed of the questions between us. I have since rode over them again & again with care. it will appear to any person on view of the ground, 1. that you have not cleared an acre; the distinction between clearing & belting being too familiar to...
58Thomas Jefferson to Eli Alexander, 10 June 1813 (Jefferson Papers)
M r Bacon had to buy 60. barrels of corn for me, and he understood that you had agreed at court to deliver that quantity. but n a note which he sent you for a waggon load this morning being returned to him without any other answer, seemed to imply a negative of the bargain. my people at Lego having been without bread yesterday, & to be so to-day till we could buy it, I was obliged to send off...
59Thomas Jefferson to Eli Alexander, 27 May 1810 (Jefferson Papers)
Having been obliged to purchase corn this year to the amount of 1200.D and great engagements on that account becoming due at our next court & from thence to the 1 st of July , I had otherwise arranged with mr Higginbotham to whom your last year’s rent had been destined, so as to avail myself of it for these pressing calls. and I counted on the reciept of it not only from the advanced season of...
60Thomas Jefferson to Eli Alexander, 20 February 1810 (Jefferson Papers)
M r Randolph has communicated to me your propositions of compromise which he committed to writing from memory. to some of these I accede, to some I cannot. 1. I consent to your retaining the open grounds between Shadwell & the road you described for 2. years. 2. to your having the crop of wheat you have sown in the belted lands. 3. to your tending in tob o this year the other belted lands...