1From John Adams to George Washington Adams, 9 September 1816 (Adams Papers)
I have now gone through Terence, and noted a few Lines for you to consider. Many perhaps have escaped my Notice that deserved it MHi : Adams Papers.
2From John Adams to George Washington Adams, 27 August 1816 (Adams Papers)
I received your Letter of May 29th. Some days past; and yesterday Mr and Mrs. Tarbell called upon Us to our great Surprise, We never having had the least intimation or Suspicion of their Arrival. Their Account of our Three Boys is the most particular and the most pleasing We have ever heard. They are really delighted with the behaviour of you all. And I am not less gratified with your Letter....
3From John Adams to George Washington Adams, 6 August 1816 (Adams Papers)
I desire to know, which of the Characters in the Andrian you was appointed to represent at the Exhibition: and whether your performance was to your own Satisfaction of that of any body else? The Six Plays of Terrence are Valuable 1. For the Purity Simplicity, Perspicuity, Precision and Concision of the Style, that is the Latinity. 2. For the Information they contain, of the Laws, Customs and...
4From John Adams to George Washington Adams, 16 June 1816 (Adams Papers)
You cannot easily imagine, how much Grief, the news of your Indisposition has given Us. our most chearing hopes are built upon your Foundation. Give your closest Attention to your health, for on that every Thing depends. You must Study Physick; not to practice but to be your own Physician. Pray your Father to buy Dr Cheynes Works, on my Account. Neglected, despised and forgotten as he is, I...
5From John Adams to George Washington Adams, 27 May 1816 (Adams Papers)
The Accounts I receive of your Indisposition, excite much Grief. Your Father by Precept and Example will recommend Exercise, and he will be right: but ask him, if he has not been Sometimes intemperate, even in the Use of this Salutary Remedy. Moderation in all Things is indispensable. Riding is excellent; Walking more so; a Mixture of both is better than either. Renouce your Flute. If you must...
6From Abigail Smith Adams to George Washington Adams, 23 May 1816 (Adams Papers)
with this Letter I inclose to you a list of those Letters which I have received from you, with their numbers and dates. I am sorry to learn that you suffer from ill health. I would have you refrain from the use of the flute, while that is the case. it is very injurious to the Lungs while the Body is weak. You Should rise early; and ride on Horse Back previous to going to your studies. your...
7From John Adams to George Washington Adams, 15 December 1815 (Adams Papers)
I am afraid you will be offended at my freedom; but you are, in your hand writing, at Such an immense distance behind your two Brothers that I cannot abstain from urging you to force your Attention to that elegant usefull and indispensible Accomplishment. In order to diminish that ardor and abate that hurry which will inevitably force you into a Slovenly habit; accustom yourself to a critical...
8From John Adams to George Washington Adams, 17 November 1815 (Adams Papers)
I have received your pleasing letter of Sept. 12. Your Situation is indeed delightful: But I hope you think more of the Musick of the Swan of Thames, than of the house of Dr Todd or the Miss Porters. Twickenham and Chiswick deserve your respect. Richmond Hill is familiar to me. There I visited Governor Pounall and Mr Richard Penn. M.P. I rambled about the place and Saw its beauties. But I...
9From John Adams to George Washington Adams, 12 November 1815 (Adams Papers)
Every one of your letters has given me great pleasure, and none more than No. 6. Aug. 15 just received. I am much pleased with the progress of your studies especially in the language of the Muses. When you are Master of the Greek all other Tongues Arts and Sciences you may want, will be easily in your power. You ought also to bestow Some of your attention upon Numbers and Figures as well as...
10From John Adams to George Washington Adams, 21 October 1815 (Adams Papers)
I recd, last night your pleasing Letter of the 9th of Aug. which is the latest date We have had from your Family. I have read Goldsmith too, this fall, and agree with you that his style is good but he was too intimate with Johnson to be impartial. Read Human and Smollet and all such Compends as you read Epick Poems and Romances. But you must consult original Writers to find the Truth. Smith...
11From John Adams to George Washington Adams, 3 October 1815 (Adams Papers)
Mr John Chipman Gray, who is to be the Bearer of this Letter is about to make the Tour of Europe, begining with England. If you and your Brothers Should See him I hope you will Shew him not only all the respect that is due from you to all your Countrymen, but the particular Civility which he merits as the Son of your Fathers and Grandfathers Friend. My Solicitude, for you all, has increased...
12From John Adams to George Washington Adams, 8 September 1815 (Adams Papers)
I have recd. your Number 2. June 30th. Number 3 and your June 8th. without number. I am Sorry you did not number this. See with what punctuality your Father numbers all his Letters, and consider the great Advantage of this practice, both to yourself and your Correspondent. Your June 8th is the production of an attentive mind, awake to the novel Sceens and great Objects around you. The Monument...
13From John Adams to George Washington Adams, 1 September 1815 (Adams Papers)
I have received Letters from you all, and you know not how gratifying they have been to my heart. With pleasure I See the great Advantage you have already derived from the Advice of your Father. I have recd. four Letters from George N. 1. 2. 4 and 5. Number Three only is missing. George writes like the elder Brother he is. John writes with that Vivacity and Spirit which always delighted Us;...
14From John Adams to George Washington Adams, 29 August 1815 (Adams Papers)
I received yr last, with great pleasure and with Still more your Sensible Letter of the 17th of July, No. 4. I had before received No. 1. and No. 5.—Numbers 2. and three are behind Still lingering on their passage I congratulate you on the fresh Lawrells acquired by our Naval Heroes in the Mediterranean. They have now carried the Arms of their Country in tryumph beyond the Pillars of Hercules....
15From Abigail Smith Adams to George Washington Adams, 7 August 1815 (Adams Papers)
I have received your Letter written at Sea dated the 1st of May, and was pleased that you had kept your promise of writing to me, and I hope you will continue to inform me of what you see in your Tour, which you have marked out, in your Letter, when you tread upon the ground where Shakespear was born You will naturaly feel a veneration for the Spot, and wish for some spark of his genius. when...
16From Abigail Smith Adams to George Washington Adams, 12 July 1815 (Adams Papers)
This is the House that Jack built And this is the curse that lay in the House &c Now George, I hear you Say, what in the world can Grandmother mean by this? why I am so joyfull, that I must Sport a little with you—but to explain, upon the 29th of June, arrived the Ship pacific at N york, from Liverpool 45 days passage and She brought news of the arrival at that place of the New packet from...
17From John Adams to George Washington Adams, 6 May 1815 (Adams Papers)
I know not where your Father is, or I should write directly to him. As Soon as you See him, pray to procure for himself and for you “Il Consulato del Mare” with all the Tanslations of it, into Dutch, German, Italian, French, English Spanish, and as many as there be. I have it only with a translation into Low Dutch. About 8 or 9 hundred Years ago, (I have neither time nor patience to look up...
18From John Adams to George Washington Adams, 6 May 1815 (Adams Papers)
Hence forward I Shall adress you all three at once. Yesterday was one of the happiest days of my Life. It brought me News of your Father and Mother at Paris and your Uncle Aunt and Cousin at New York all in good health. My Boys! I want to Say Something to you on the Subject of Languages. I have no great Opinion of those who boast of possessing a great number of them. If you know Greek and...
19From John Adams to George Washington Adams, 6 May 1815 (Adams Papers)
I know not where your Father is, or I Should write directly to him. As Soon as you See him, pray him to procure for himself and for you “Il Consulato del Mare” with all the Tanslations of it, into Dutch, German, Italien, French, English Spanish, and as many as there be. I have it only with a translation into Low Dutch. About 8 or 9 hundred Years ago, (I have neither time nor patience to look...
20From John Adams to George Washington Adams, 3 May 1815 (Adams Papers)
I adress myself to both of you as equally dear to me and because the difficulty with which I write, will not allow me to write seperately to each. Our anxiety for you and for your Father Mother, Brother, Uncle Aunt and little first and Second Cousin: have been greater than you can conceive. Some relief however We have received from Vessels you met at Sea, one of which brought a Letter from Mr...
21From Charles Francis Adams to George Washington Adams, 16 July 1814 (Adams Papers)
There have been two grand illuminations, the first was for the taking of Paris, the second was for the general Peace in Europe, and there is to be another much finer for the Emperors return. They have also built a superb Triumphat Arch, which he is to pass through on his way to Petersburg. I hope you will be satisfied with the Watch Mama sends you, She says she tried to get them both alike,...
22From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 9 July 1814 (Adams Papers)
Upon looking back on the list of my Letters sent to America, I am surprized to find that the last I wrote you was dated so long ago, as the 13th: of September; but the causes of this long silence have not been from any abatement of my affection for you. During the whole of the last Winter, and untill I left St: Petersburg to come upon my present Journey I did not receive a line from you—There...
23From Abigail Smith Adams to George Washington Adams, 9 April 1814 (Adams Papers)
I received your importent Letter so clearly exprest that for some time I was not able to define the true meaning of it. with the assistance of cousin Caroline, I finally discovered that you have a peice to speak at the approaching exhibition and that you thought the coat you had, was too short to appear in, and that the piece you had to deliver, would appear much better delivered in a more...
24From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 14 September 1813 (Adams Papers)
The fourth and last point of view, in which I proposed to offer you some general observations upon the sacred Scriptures, was with reference to Literature . And the first remark which presents itself here is that the five Books of Moses, are the most antient monument of written language, now extant in the World—The Book of Job is nearly of the same date, and by many of the Christian and Jewish...
25From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 18 August 1813 (Adams Papers)
I received with much pleasure your letter of 15. March last, written in French; for although it bears some marks of carelessness, it proved to me two things, about which I am not a little concerned—The first that you have not wholly neglected the French language; and the second that you have made some improvement in your hand-writing.— The words of your letter are all good French, but there...
26From Abigail Smith Adams to George Washington Adams, 15 August 1813 (Adams Papers)
It is better to go to the House of mourning than to the House of Feasting, or dancing, for the living lay it to heart. you my dear Children are now calld to the House of mourning and Sorrow, by the death of your dear Aunt Smith and the only daughter of your Grandparents, the only Sister of your Father. your Aunt died last night, to the deep affliction of the whole Family—her pure Spirit I...
27From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 23 June 1813 (Adams Papers)
The whole system of Christian morality appears to have been set forth, by its divine author in the sermon upon the mount, recorded in the 5th: 6th: and 7th: Chapters of St: Matthew. I intend hereafter to make them the subject of remarks, much more at large.—For the present I confine myself merely to general views. What I would impress upon your mind as infinitely important to the happiness and...
28From John Adams to George Washington Adams, April 1813 (Adams Papers)
I sent you by Mr Colman a few latin lines, with a bald translation. Cannot you render that translation into French? Try. I send you now a few sentences on the same subject of Caloric by which you may judge how far the Ancients were behind the Moderns, in this point of natural Knowledge. Cicero, in his Essay De Natura Deorum; an admirable Work for its Age, which I hope you will, one day Study...
29From John Adams to George Washington Adams, 9 April 1813 (Adams Papers)
I Send you, a few Lines from the Old Astronomical and Astrological Poet, Manilius, whom you may Some time or other, think it worth your while to read, from curiosity at least. Sunt autem cunctis permixti partibus ignes; Qui gravidas habitant fabricantes fulmina nubes; Et penetrant torras, Ætnamque minantur Olympo; Et callidas reddunt ipsis in fontibus undas; Ac Silice in dura, viridique in...
30From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 4 April 1813 (Adams Papers)
The imperfections of the Mosaic Institutions which it was the object of Christ’s Mission upon Earth to remove appear to me to have been these. 1. The Want of a sufficient sanction. The Rewards and the Penalties of the Levitical Law had all reference to the present life—There are many passages in the Old Testament which imply a state of existence after death, and some which directly assert a...