To Thomas Jefferson from John Trumbull, 20 June 1788
From John Trumbull
London June 20th 1788
Dr. Sir
Your letter from Amsterdam reach’d me safe three days ago sent by Van Staphorst to Parker.
I have received the £30 inclos’d. Our account stands thus
The Polyplasiasmos picture will come with those from Brown, which are not quite ready:—The books from Lackington (which are only Polybius—16/6—Addison 2/. and Martial ⅔, the others you mark’d being sold) are at Stockdales as well as the paper & & from Woodmason’s, to go with his books. He has promis’d so often that they should go the next Diligence that I don’t believe his promise of sending them tomorrow. If I find they are not gone I shall beg Mr. Parker to put the paper in his trunk as he goes in two or three days to Paris.
I have extended my inquiries about a Chariot and am satisfied that such a bargain as that of Mrs. Church is not to be found in London. Among all the Repositories and Coachmakers I find nothing that I would think of sending you for less than 70 Guineas. There is one for that price offers at this moment much superior to any other of the same price and I have been half tempted to exceed your Orders:—At any rate I would wish you to renew your orders the first post, and expressly to say how far I must go:—For 50. I really see nothing which I can think of buying:—I was so tempted with what I saw to-day that I call’d on Mr. Lewis Tessier to shew him your letter in which you suppose He will advance the money on my Draft on you at Sight:—But his answer was that of a London Merchant, a direct refusal:—He cannot pay any thing, but on the Draft of Mr. Grand,——and to tell you the truth I am too poor, so that to my poverty and his incivility you owe my obedience to your orders.
I am most gratefully yours
Jno. Trumbull
RC (DLC); endorsed.
TJ’s Letter from Amsterdam was that of 27 Mch. 1788, which had gone astray (see Trumbull to TJ, 6 June 1788). The receipt of Mather Brown for £10 “paid by the Hand of Mr. Trumbull” for “A Portrait of Mr. Adams,” dated 2 July 1788, endorsed by Trumbull, is in MHi. Lewis Tessier, London banker, was the one to whom John Adams had written two years earlier, saying that TJ, coming away from Paris suddenly, had forgotten to obtain a letter of credit from Grand; that he would need only small sums; that Adams did not doubt Tessier would furnish these on TJ’s draft; and that TJ would present the letter in which Adams made himself responsible (Adams to Tessier, 17 Mch. 1786; MHi: AMT). On the occasion when Adams spoke, Tessier furnished TJ with much more than small sums—indeed, in all about four times as much as Trumbull required (Account Book, Mch.-Apr. 1786).