411From John Adams to Thomas Brand-Hollis, 5 April 1788 (Adams Papers)
If ever there was any philosophic solitude, your two friends have found it in this place, where we have been wind bound, a whole week, without a creature to speak to. Our whole business, pleasure and amusement has been reading Necker’s Religious opinions, Hayley’s Old Maids, and Cumberland’s fourth Observer. Our whole stock is now exhausted, and if the ship should not arrive with a fresh...
412To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 3 June 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I have now the Honour to inform you, that having shewn my Commission to the Right Honourable the Marquis of Carmarthen, and left an authenticated Copy together with a Copy of my Letter of Credence to the King according to the usage, I had the Honour on the first of this Month to be introduced by his Lordship to his Majesty, in his Closet with all the Ceremonies and Formalities, practised on...
413John Adams to Daniel Crommelin & Sons, 26 March 1784 (Adams Papers)
I have receiv’d the Letter you did me, the Honour to write me, on the twenty fourth of this month, and upon looking into the Treaty, I suspect you have not a right Copy. It is the 27 th: Article, which relates to the subject of shipping sailors, and not the 28 th as you suppose. And upon reading over attentively the 27 th: Article, I am afraid of doing mischief if I were, to intermeddle, or...
414John Adams to Elbridge Gerry, 4 November 1784 (Adams Papers)
We are going on, with as much dispatch as the Nature of our Business will admit of, and We proceed with wonderful Harmony, good Humour and Unanimity. The D r , is confined to his House and Garden by the Stone as he thinks. He has not been farther from Home, than my House at Auteuil which is within a mile of his, for these twelve months. He cannot ride in a Carriage, because the motion of that...
415John Adams to Cotton Tufts, 10 September 1783 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for your Favours of June 26 and July 5 and for your obliging Congratulations, on the Peace. The Articles respecting Refugees had better have been omitted , but we could not have Peace without them and the Peace as it is, is better than none. The se Articles must be explained by a Consideration of the words of them and the whole Treaty, and I do not consider myself at Liberty to Say...
416To Thomas Jefferson from John Adams, 16 September 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
Give me Leave to introduce to you Mr. John Brown Cutting, who will need no other Recommendation, than his own Genius. Let me beg your acceptance, too of a Sett of my Defence &c. and let me know your Opinion of the Second volume, and whether it is worth my while to write a third upon Confederations &c. Yours most Sincerely, RC ( DLC ); endorsed. Recorded in SJL as received 23 Sep. 1787. My...
417Auteuil May 3. 1785. (Adams Papers)
Tuesday. At Versailles, the C. de Vergennes said he had many Felicitations to give me upon my apointment to England. I Answered that I did not know but it merited Compassion more than felicitation.—Ay why?—Because, as you know it is a Species of Degradation in the Eyes of Europe, after having been accredited to the King of France to be sent to any other Court.—But permit me to say, replies the...
418From John Adams to Charles Storer, 11 October 1783 (Adams Papers)
I have rec’d from M r: Ridley, some Letters from home and a Newspaper.— My Son wrote you Sometime ago, that I was ill, and desired you to come to me— I have written you Since that I had altered my Plan both these Letters may be sent you from London, where untill M r: Ridley rec’d your Letter of the 6. october from S t: Quentin I supposed you were M r: Thaxter is gone home. He sailed from...
419From John Adams to John Jay, 4 November 1785 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday at the Ministers Levee, one of the foreign Ministers put into my hand a Leyden Gazette, in which I found announced to the Public, an Arret of the King of France of the 18 th. of September, in which a Bounty of Ten Livres per Quintal is promised to any French Merchants who shall import into the Markett of the French West India Islands, or of Spain Portugal or Italy any Fish, of the...
420From John Adams to Wilhem & Jan Willink and Nicolaas & Jacob van Staphorst, 22 January 1788 (Adams Papers)
I have received the Letter, you did the honor to write me, on the 8th. of Jan: ins t. tho’ dated 8. February, by mistake— I have since received another Letter from M r. Jefferson, informing me that the Creditors in Holland insist on immediate payment of the principal sum of 51.000 Guilders &c Colonel Smith has by last post transmitted you a sealed Packett from the board of Treasury which may...