Joseph Mandrillon to John Adams: A Translation, 20 December 1780
Joseph Mandrillon to John Adams: A Translation
20 December 1780
Sir
Professor Henners in Utrecht has written to inform me that the bookseller Wild has imprisoned Mr. Cerisier under the pretext that he can only do his work at Utrecht, not at Amsterdam. This proceeding is as undignified as it is unjust. As I cannot leave at mid-day, I have written hastily to inform Mr. de Neufville of the same thing. Oblige me, sir, by acting in concert with him and, through your credence with the magistrate here, obtain Mr. Cerisier’s freedom.1 I have the honor to be in haste, with a distinguished consideration, your very humble obedient servant.
Jh. Mandrillon
RC (Adams Papers).
1. The bookseller Bartholomé Wild employed Antoine Marie Cerisier as a writer, principally to work on his as yet uncompleted Tableau de l’histoire générale des Provinces-Unies, 10 vols., Utrecht, 1777–1784. When Cerisier left Utrecht for Amsterdam and thereby threatened the Tableau’s completion, Wild took action (, p. 125–126). Whether JA played any part in obtaining Cerisier’s release or resolving his dispute with Wild is unknown, but when Cerisier wrote JA on 15 April 1781 (Adams Papers), he was at Amsterdam at work on his periodical, Le politique hollandais.