1To John Adams from Philip Mazzei, 19 August 1780 (Adams Papers)
The inclosed, which you will be so Kind as to peruse, seal, and send to its destination, will inform you with my situation, my views, and my wants. Among the last I have thought proper not to mention the money necessary to bear my expences, as they know that I live on what I can raise on my own credit, which cannot honorably continue too long. You see, Sir, in what need I am of information. I...
2To John Adams from Philip Mazzei, 19 October 1780 (Adams Papers)
I shall make no apology for troubling you, Sir, as you have been so Kind as to grant me that liberty. I hope you received by Mr. Celesia my preceeding letter of 19th. August, inclosed in which there was one for the Govr. of Virginia numbered 21. You will find here the following, numbered 22, which I beg you to peruse, and forward to its destination. You will see by it that after Mr. Celesia...
3To John Adams from Philip Mazzei, 28 March 1781 (Adams Papers)
Your much esteemed letter of the 18. of January, which on account of my late journeys was sent after me from Florence to Pisa, Leghorn, and Genoa, and from Genoa to Florence again, Pisa, and Leghorn, has at last found me here. I had imagined, that in consequence of Mr. Laurens’s misfortune you would of your own accord continue in Holland longer than you at first intended, and am glad to hear...
4To John Adams from Philip Mazzei, 24 May 1781 (Adams Papers)
Mr. Dana’s journey to Russia (the first notice of which I have it in Mr. Favi’s Letter of the 6. instant) will probably have retarded my answer to your Excellency’s favour of the 18 of January. I hope Mr. Favi has forward it to you through a safe channel. I send this, through the french Minister at this Court, to a gentleman in the bureau of Mr. de Vergennes, who is desired to convey it safe...
5To John Adams from Philip Mazzei, 31 May 1781 (Adams Papers)
I have perused with the greatest satisfaction your most sensible and eloquent memorial to the Dutch united States, especially as it contains many things, which I much wanted to have published to the World in an occasion likely to obtain the general observation. I wish that your sound reasoning may awake the Dutch from their ignominious Lethargy, and that I may be mistaken in the opinion I...
6To John Adams from Philip Mazzei, 21 May 1782 (Adams Papers)
Permit me to congratulate your Excellency on your complete success, which I am confident is owing to your prudent, wise, and indefatigable endeavours, at least as much as to certain favourable circumstances. From this place I knew, perhaps better than you could, all the obstacles you had to surmount; which would not be surprising, as it is natural to suppose that you have almost constantly...
7To John Adams from Philip Mazzei, 28 June 1782 (Adams Papers)
In my preceding of the 21st. ultmo. I acquainted your Excellency, that Mr. Maddison had written me from Philadelphia, that my cipher had been lost in the late confusions in Virginia, for which reason all I had written in cipher since that time, as well to him for the use of Congress, as to the Governor and Council of my State, still remains unlocked, and must be so untill I get there myself,...
8To John Adams from Philip Mazzei, 30 July 1782 (Adams Papers)
The honour of your Excellency’s letter of the 3d. instt. has afforded me a great satisfaction on many accounts, but particularly for the information of the flourishing state of our dear Country. I hope you will have received before this my preceding of 28. ulto., to which I refer you in regard to the intentions of the European Courts. What your Excellency says on that subject confirms me in my...
9To John Adams from Philip Mazzei, 2 November 1782 (Adams Papers)
I rec d. the honour of your Excellency’s last Letter of 12. August in Florence while I was preparing for my journey. Various impediments have retarded me so long, that I have been unfortunate enough as not to find you here. Two have been the principal objects of my coming to pay a visit to your Excell y. Remembering that you often complained in Paris about the difficulty of sending a Letter...
10Philip Mazzei to the American Peace Commissioners, 2 November 1782 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Historical Society of Pennsylvania What I am going to mention to your Excellencies will, I hope, apologize for the liberty I take of addressing myself to you. In January 79. I was appointed by the Government of Virginia to go to Europe to transact there some business of importance for the State. I was taken prisoner in coming, & did not recover my liberty ’till Novr. the same year. I...