On the 22d. Inst. I recd. your Letter of the 15th. enclosing a Copy of your Proposals for publishing by Subscription your Translation of “Botta’s History of the War of American Independence”—1 and also the first volume of that work— They arrived at a Time when a more than ordinary Degree of Sickness had rendered both reading and writing irksome to me— Being at present less unwell, I will no longer postpone writing a few Lines to express my Acknowledgments for this Mark of attention; and shall ^will^ begin to read the book as soon as my Indisposition shall be further abated.—

The favorable opinion which the Gentlemen you mention, entertain of the work, ^tends to^ diminish my doubts of the Authors having ^been able to^ obtained such comprehensive and correct Information, beyond the as was necessary to enable him to make his History accurate and satisfactory from the [illegible] and respected [illegible] and impression [?] and lower [?]

Be pleased to add my Name to your List of Subscribers, and Send the Volumes as they shall be published to my Son Peter Augustus Jay at New York who will pay for them all in the Price to your agent on order—

To me it appears desireable that useful american manufactures should meet with Encouragement, and therefore that american Editions of useful Books should multiply— it is also desireable that those of our Citizens who devote themselves to interesting literary pursuits should find Inducements to persevere in them. I therefore wish Success to your undertaking; and this wish derives an additional motive from the friendly Sentiments with which your Letter is concluded— I am Sir your obliged & obt Servt