231From 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...
I send you a sheet of journal my Dear George which you can read to your Grandfather if you please or such parts of it as you think fit—I shall address it to you thro’ the winter which I think will be more prudent and I wish that you could coax y. Grandfather to give you all that I have written as I think it would be safer in your possession in case of accidents— Journal 30 Novbr. 1823 In a...
Thank you my Dear George for your Letter and the Farce which arrived safely the day before yesterday and which I should have answered yesterday had I not been again confined to my chamber by a return of my Fever and many of the inflamatory symtoms which attended my illness in Boston—I was taken ill the day after I wrote to Hariet and went out too soon which occasioned a return of the Fever...
234From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 7 March 1813 (Adams Papers)
In considering the law of the Hebrews as delivered by the creator of the world to Moses with reference only to its moral precepts the character by which it is most strikingly distinguished from all the other codes of antient Nations of which we have any knowledge is its Humanity . The cardinal virtues of the Heathens were Temperance Prudence Justice and fortitude Three of which however...
235From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 10 May 1811 (Adams Papers)
I received only two or three days ago your letter dated the 24th: of September of the last year; and although it had been written so many months before it came to me, it gave me and your Mama very great pleasure, and I take the first opportunity to write you this in reply to it. I was glad to see that the greatest part of your letter was written with your own hand; and I hope very soon to...
236From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 21 March 1813 (Adams Papers)
I have promised you in my former letters to state the particulars in which I deemed the Christian dispensation to be an improvement or perfection of the Law delivered from Sinai considered as including a system of morality—But before I come to this point, it is proper to remark upon the moral character of the Books of the Old Testament, subsequent to those of Moses. Some of these are...
237From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 12 March 1826 (Adams Papers)
I have received your Letter of the 1st. instt. numbered 1. and written in execution of your promise when I was last with you—I trust you will continue to write me from time to time, and will answer your Letters whenever time shall be indulged me for the purpose. We have had the Influenza here as prevalent as it has been with you, though not in general so severely—I was anxious to hear from you...
238From 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...
239From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 18 May 1818 (Adams Papers)
I direct this Letter to Quincy, concluding that you will be there during the Vacation which commenced last Friday—My last Letter to you, was dated the first of March, since which I have received only one from you—dated the 26th. of April. It would have given me pleasure to have received that which you wrote me on your birth-day; and if instead of giving it to Mrs: Gilman’s boy, you had taken...
240From 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...