I had the honor of recieving by the last English mail your letter of the 24th. of Novr.1 & have to return your many thanks for the communication you are so good as to make me, of the signature of a treaty with H[is]. B[ritannic]. M[ajesty]. The progress of this negotiation has been flawed, with an attentive & anxious interest, by all the observing part of Europe, & more peculiarly of course by all the agents of the U.S. employed in Europe Had you not been prevented by the considerations you mention, from corresponding with me on the subject, you may be assured therefore Sir, of the extreme pleasure it would have given me, & which wd. have been heightened by the consideration that it would have contributed to the public service, under the circumstances in which I was placed. I am much flattered by what you are pleased to say of my character, & really gratified to find that the cause of your silence proceeded from your knowlege of the infidelity of the post-office, which certainly doesn’t admit of confiding to it under the mere sanction of a seal, anything that requires secrecy.— I consider it so desirable to have the honor of your correspondence that I felt some difficulty in restraining myself from greeting you (on learning through the English gazettes your arrival at London) & solliciting it— My full persuasion however that if you concieved it proper you would not omit it, & my desire at the same time not to importune you, if you should not think it proper, induced me to remain silent.— I wait with extreme impatience to learn the effect which this treaty shall have produced in the U.S. & think it a very fortunate circumstance that it will have found the Congress in session. It would give me great satisfaction to be able to communicate to you the particulars & present circumstances of the business entrusted to me here— the conveyance of this letter, by post, will shew the impropriety of attempting it.— It is a matter of considerable speculation here to ascertain what will be your future object— As it is a publick conjecture, & adopted by many, I have no difficulty in informing you that it is said you are destined to & perhaps at present at, Paris—to negotiate a general peace — My conjectures are not the same— however this opinion is adopted here by some, who have been generally more early & better informed of what has related to you since your arrival in London than I have been.

M. de Gardoqui & the Mess. d’Yranda are both flattered by your remembrance & the former particularly begs me with much warmth to return you his best & sincerest compliments— You know the arduous ministry with which he has been charged for the last three years— He has sustained it with much good fortune & much longer than was or could have been expected.— I have the honor to be, Sir, with perfect respect & esteem, your most obt. & hble Sert.