John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 11 February 1781

John Quincy Adams to John Adams

Leyden Feby. the 11. 1781

Honoured Sir

I received a day or two agone the vocabulary which I desir’d you to send, for which I am much obliged to you. Last Thursday I went to hear the Rector Magnificus for last year speak an oration. The Rector for this year is professor Voorda. All the Professors of the university, the Burgomasters and the Schepens of the city were there. Professor Hollebeek (the last years rector) is Profesor in theology.1 He treated upon the advantages of the Christian religion.

Perhaps you may remember when you was here you was speaking of the rules of the drama. There is a book here entitled l’art Dramatique by Mercier with his Dramatick works in 6 Volumes in Octavo which cost 18g. 14 st. but I can buy l’art Dramatique alone for 1. 16. If you please I will buy it.2

I am your most dutiful Son,

John Quincy Adams

RC (Adams Papers); addressed: “A Monsieur Monsieur Adams chez Monsieur Henry Schorn a Amsterdam”; endorsed: “John ansd. 12 Feb. 1781.” JQA’s punctuation has been slightly rectified for clarity.

1. Ewald Hollebeek (1719–1796), who at the end of his incumbency as rector gave special permission for CA to be admitted to the University, had been professor of theology since 1762. See Nieuw Ned. Biog. Woordenboek description begins P. C. Molhuysen and others, eds., Nieuw Nederlandsch Biografisch Woordenboek, Leyden, 1911–1937; 10 vols. description ends , 1:1140–1141; Album studiosorum Academiae Lugduno Batavae, The Hague, 1875, p. xii and col. 1136.

2. In his reply of 12 Feb., below, JA consented to the purchase of the treatise but not the plays. In all likelihood the copy of [Louis Sébastien Mercier,] DM théâtre, ou nouvel essai sur l’art dramatique, Amsterdam, 1773, listed in Catalogue of JA’s Library description begins Catalogue of the John Adams Library in the Public Library of the City of Boston, Boston, 1917. description ends , now in MB, was bought by JQA at this time.

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Source Project: Adams Papers
Title: John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 11 February 1781
Author: Adams, John Quincy
Recipient: Adams, John
Date: 11 February 1781

Reference

Cite as: “John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 11 February 1781,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/04-04-02-0052. [Original source: The Adams Papers, Adams Family Correspondence, vol. 4, October 1780 – September 1782, ed. L.H Butterfield and Marc Friedlaender. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1973, p. 79.]

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