To John Adams from Philippe Jean Joseph Lagau, 4 April 1783
From Philippe Jean Joseph Lagau
à Hambourg ce 4 Avril 17831
Monsieur
J’ai reçu la lettre dont Votre Excellence a bien voulû m’honorer le 21 du mois passé.2 La présente lui sera remise par Monsieur Hardouin negociant au Havre de Grace qui a eu l’honneur de faire la Coñoissance de Monsieur votre fils en cette ville et qui est en état de vous en donner de bonnes nouvelles.3 Il m’a prié de Le recommender à vos bontés, et comme Il part de ce païs y regretté de tous ceux qui L’y ont connû je prends la liberté de vous supplier de daigner L’honorer de votre bienveillance et de L’acuillir favorablement. Je saisirai toujours avec empressement toute occasion que se présentera pour vous temoigner ma recoñoissance ainsi que Le profond respect avec lequel j’ai L’honneur d’étre / Monsieur / de Votre Excellence / Le trés humble et trés / obeissant Serviteur
Lagau
Translation
Hamburg, 4 April 17831
Sir
I have received the letter of 21 March with which your excellency honored me.2 The present letter will be delivered to you by Mr. Hardouin, a merchant of Havre de Grace who had the honor of meeting your son in this town and who will be able to give you good news of him.3 He asked me to commend him to your good offices, and as he is leaving the country, much to the regret of all who knew him here, I take the liberty of begging you to honor him with your goodwill and to receive him favorably. I shall always seize eagerly on any occasion that arises to demonstrate my gratitude, together with the profound respect with which I have the honor to be, sir, your excellency’s very humble and very obedient servant
Lagau
RC (Adams Papers).
1. The firm of Parish & Thomson also wrote on 4 April (Adams Papers) to inform JA that JQA was still at Hamburg but would proceed overland to The Hague. In the letter, JA’s of 19 and 24 March were mentioned, for which see the firm’s letter of 7 March, and notes 1 and 2, above.
2. Probably JA’s of 24 March thanking Lagau for his assistance in tracking JQA (LbC, APM Reel 108).
3. JQA introduced the otherwise unidentified Hardouin in a 6 May letter to JA, describing him as “a French young Gentleman whose company I had the pleasure of from Hamborough to Amsterdam, and who intends to go to Havre de Grâce to form an establishment in the commercial way” (, 5:150).