1Abigail Adams to Sarah Livingston Jay, 20 February 1789 (Adams Papers)
When I left your Hospitable mansion, I did not design so many days should have elapsed, before I had express’d to you the pleasing sense I entertaind of your kindness and Friendship. they have left a durable impression upon my mind, and an ardent desire to cultivate them in future. I reachd Home Ten days after I left Newyork. we had an agreeable journey, good Roads fine weather and tolerable...
You will I hope my dear & amiable friend Excuse my not writing to you before. I have several times been prevented from doing myself that pleasure; but as It Is not yet too Late, accept of my Congratulations on an event that has Contributed so much to the felicity of my dear M rs . Jay, & my ardent wishes for the long Continuance of the Happiness you enjoy. The fan & gloves I received & beg my...
3From John Jay to Sarah Livingston Jay, 23 December 1775 (Jay Papers)
I have now the Pleasure of informing you that the New York Convention has at Length made some Provision for their Delegates viz t . 4 Dollars p r . Day for their Attendance on the last, and this Congress, so that I shall not be so great a Sufferer as I once apprehended. The Allowance indeed does by no Means equal the Loss I have sustained by the appointment, but the Convention I suppose...
4From John Jay to Sarah Livingston Jay, March 1776 (Jay Papers)
Your Letter of the 17 Inst. made me very happy by informing me of your Health and our Son’s Recovery, which I hope is by this time perfect. Tho your Tenderness in concealing his Indisposition merits my Thanks, yet be assured that I shall never hesitate more in sharing your Anxieties, than in partaking of your Pleasures. I am glad to hear M rs . Lawrence was in such good spirits as to entertain...
5From John Jay to Sarah Livingston Jay, 6 June 1777 (Jay Papers)
I was extremely happy to be informed by Mr. Morris’ letter that you arrived safely at Troy. The length of the journey and the improbability of your having good accommodations on the road gave me no little anxiety. Elmendolph tells me the little boy behaved very well. I fear the bones of our little sister Kate were sore vexed, and that the memory of this jaunt will influence her to decline...
It is with very great pleasure I announce to you, the recovery of your little Boy from the Small Pox;—please to accept of the Congratulations of the Family on the happy event:— No person ever was more favor’d in that disorder, he had only one pustle, & scarce a days illness— The D r . bid me tell you that he ^ had ^ behaved Manfully thro the whole— He intends sharing the Thousand pounds with...
I have received your Letter of the 14 th of March, & at the same time that of the 30 th of December, and read them with great pleasure. Your description of Martinico is very lovely and picturesque, and I dare say, drawn to the life. Nor is your Account of the Armory at Aranjuez less entertaining, especially as the Curiosities there, were altogether new to me. Our political affairs have this...
8From John Jay to Sarah Livingston Jay, 18 January 1783 (Jay Papers)
A little Letter I wrote you this morning, contained a promise of another by Tomorrows Post, and to perform it I am now retired to my Rooms I fear your Expectations respecting the speedy Recovery of my Health are too sanguine— As I lost it by almost imperceptible Degrees, the Restoration of it will doubtless be gradual, and I shall think myself happy if I regain it on those Terms. If my...
9From John Jay to Sarah Livingston Jay, 26 October 1783 (Jay Papers)
I have had the Pleasure of recieving your Letters of the 15 & 17 th . Instant, & thank You for them. Since my arrival here I have written twice to You—one of those Letters informed You of my having been taken ill of a Dysentery, & of my being then far recovered.— All Remains of that Disorder are now removed; and I find myself as well as when I left You. I have consulted Doct r . Warren (the...
10From John Jay to Sarah Livingston Jay, 28 October 1783 (Jay Papers)
My last to you was dated the 26 Inst. and committed to the Care of Col. Wadsworth who set out for Paris this Morning—as it enclosed one for Peter I omit writing to him at present. Yesterday M r Adams delivered to me your Favor of the 19 Inst. enclosing Locks of Your own and our Children’s Hair, which I shall endeavour to have wrought in the best Manner. As yet I have seen so little of London...
11From John Jay to Sarah Livingston Jay, 14 November 1783 (Jay Papers)
However my Letters may be short and unentertaining, you will I am sure give me Credit for Punctuality, especially if you recieve as many from the Post office as I send to it— The last I had the Pleasure of recieving from You was dated the 4 th . Inst— As M r Johnson lives at the Distance of three miles from me, I think it w d . be best to direct your Letters to me at M r . Binghams N o . 30,...
12From John Jay to Sarah Livingston Jay, 23 November 1783 (Jay Papers)
I wrote to you by the last Post, and also by M r Barry, who set out for Paris Yesterday— Those Letters express my concern at your Silence, & therefore will perhaps excite some unpleasant Emotions— M r Laurens gave me your kind & agreable Letter of the 6 th . Inst. Yesterday— I sincerely thank You for it— M r Laurens was detained above a Week at Calais, waiting for proper weather & c :— Similar...
13From John Jay to Sarah Livingston Jay, 26 December 1783 (Jay Papers)
The number of this Letter will convince you that the long Interval in which you rec d . no Letters from me, is to be ascribed to causes not in my Power to obviate. Your Favors of the 11 and 14 th . Inst. were delivered to me Yesterday, together with two from Peter, to whom I already owed two Letters— My approbation of your Proposal to inoculate the Children, was conveyed in three different...
14From John Jay to Sarah Livingston Jay, 2 January 1785 (Jay Papers)
How ^ happens it ^ my dear Sally that not a Line from You has reached me since we parted. This is my fourth Letter to You. A Copy of my last went by M r G. Morris last Friday. I hope you have rec d . it and seen him—It inform d . you that my Brother had divided his Home with us, and that I flattered myself with the pleasure of seeing you as soon as the weather w d . admit of y r . travelling...
I received your very kind Letter of the 16th, congratulating me on my safe Arrival with my Grandsons, an Event that indeed makes me very happy, being what I have long ardently wish’d, and considering the growing Infirmities of Age, began almost to despair of. I am now in the Bosom of my Family, and find four new little Prattlers, who cling about the Knees of their Grand Papa, and afford me...
16From John Jay to Sarah Livingston Jay, 21 June 1788 (Jay Papers)
A Gentleman now in Town, and who will set out for New York in about an Hour, gives me an opportunity of writing you a few Lines. The Convention assembled with unusual Punctuality. There ^are^ not more than two Members, that I recollect, absent, and the ^House^ have entered on the Business with great assiduity & Regularity. As yet their Proceedings and Debates have been temperate, and...
17From John Jay to Sarah Livingston Jay, 5 July 1788 (Jay Papers)
Col. W. S. Livingston who brought us the news of the adoption of the Constitution by Virginia, is about setting out—and I will not let him go without a few Lines for You— Yesterday was a Day of Festivity, and both the Parties united in celebrating it. Two Tables, but in different Houses were spread for the Convention— the two Parties mingled at each Table— and the Toasts, (of which each had...
18From John Jay to Sarah Livingston Jay, 20 May 1790 (Jay Papers)
I arrived here last Evening, and this morning rec d . your Favor of the 13 th . Instant, together with the Packets mentioned in it, and which I am glad were sent on; there being among them some Dispatches of a public Nature which are interesting. I had hoped that you and our little ones would have escaped the Influenza; and feel no little anxiety at learning that has not been the case. The Day...
19From John Jay to Sarah Livingston Jay, 9 April 1794 (Jay Papers)
The last thing I did at Trenton was to write a few Lines to you, which you have doubtless rec d .—I arrived here on monday Even g . and Yesterday dined with the Presid t — M rs : Washington made very friendly Enquiries about You and the children— The Question of war or peace seems to be as much in Suspence here as in NYork when I left you. I am rather inclined to think that peace will...
20From John Jay to Sarah Livingston Jay, 15 April 1794 (Jay Papers)
I was this Ev[enin] g fav[ore] d . with yours of the 14. p r post— It is now between 8 & 9 oC k . and I am just returned from Court— I am uninformed whether the Miss Allens are arrived. I expect my Dear Sally to see you sooner than we expected—there is here a serious Determination to send me to England, if possible to avert a War—the object is so interesting to our country and the combination...
21From John Jay to Sarah Livingston Jay, 16 April 1794 (Jay Papers)
I wrote to you a few Lines last Night — they were written in Haste— This Day the nomination alluded to in that Letter was made— the Decision will be made Tomorrow. I will then write to you again The Letters by the Miss Allens reached me this Morning— I am pleased with them, and with those who wrote them. it is not in my power now to write to the Children, having scarce a moment unoccupied— The...
22From John Jay to Sarah Livingston Jay, 19 April 1794 (Jay Papers)
I refer you to the last two Letters which I wrote to you this Week — It was expected that the Senate would Yesterday have decided on the nomination of an Envoy to the Court of London; but measures respecting the Embargo occupied them thro’ the Day— To Day that Business is to be resumed; and you shall have the earliest Notice of the Result. So far as I am personally concerned, my feelings are...
23From John Jay to Sarah Livingston Jay, 20 April 1794 (Jay Papers)
I this moment rec d . yours by Gen. Schuyler— As yet I have not seen him— it found ^me^ alone and not a little pensive. your own Feelings will best suggest an Idea of mine— God’s will be done— to him I resign— in him I confide— do the like— any other Philosophy applicable to this occasion is delusive— away with it— Your Indisposition affects me— resist Despondency— hope for the best— When we...
24From John Jay to Sarah Livingston Jay, 6 June 1800 (Jay Papers)
My Letter to you by the last post informed you, that the Doct r’s . Medicine was producing its Effect, and that part of the little Tumor had separate and come out— the remaining part, which the Doct r . thinks the most important, still continues; but he expects it will be discharged in the course of a few Days more— all the Symptoms he says are favorable— Not long after sending that Letter to...