Your kind Letter of the 30 Ult. was delivered to me Yesterday by Mr Lewis. I thank you very sincerely for your friendly Congratulations on my Return, and assure you that among the Pleasures I have long promised myself from it, that of renewing our former Intercourse & Correspondence is not the least. I lament the unfortunate accident which has happened to your eldest Daughter; and which has deprived me of the Satisfaction of meeting you here. At her Time of Life however, when the Bones easily knit, no very important ill Consequences are to be apprehended. I hope your next Letter will inform me of her perfect Recovery. As you say nothing of the youngest, I presume she is well.

I have had and have so many applications about Papers and Business respecting Causes in which I was formerly concerned, that I shall be obliged to pass a fortnight or three weeks here. When it will be in my Power to pay You a visit is uncertain. I consider it as a Pleasure to come, and shall endeavour to realize it as soon as possible—

When I resigned my Appointments in Europe I purposed to return to the Practice of the Law— What Effect the unexpected offer of Congress (of which I was ignorant ’till after my arrival here) may have on that Design, as yet remains undecided. How far either of us have been or may be influenced by Ambition, are Questions which however clear to ourselves, must necessarily be less so to others.

If your action agt. Mr Hoffman is an Ejectment I suspect the Statute of Limitations will oppose You. Should you fail on that point, may not the public opinion even of the Merits of your Claim, be affected by it? but you have doubtless well considered these matters, and attended no less to what may make against You, than to what make for You. Be assured that it will always give me pleasure to be useful to you, either in the way of my Profession should I resume it, or in any other way that may put it in my Power—1

present my affectionate Compliments to your mother & Mrs. Livingston—remember me to all the Family Yours sincerely