From John Adams to Jeremy Belknap, 16 January 1795
To Jeremy Belknap
Philadelphia January 16. 1795
Dear sir
I thank you for your Seperate and Secret Letter. As the farm is So near to me, it would well accommodate me, and I should like to purchase it, at a Price within my reach and not beyond its value.—1 But it is so much a matter of indifference to me, that I would not give more than its real Value according to my own Judgment. I have Land enough already to Spend all the Money I can command upon and I have no Child to Settle in that Town.
I should extreamly regret the Loss of Mr. B. as a Neighbour, for a better I neither expect nor desire. But I always knew he would soon sell the farm and he will undoubtedly get as much for it as it will fetch. There are so many Persons now who have accumulated Cash in various Ways which have not been permitted to me, that ten thousand dollars for a fancy or a Whim would be nothing to them. I know the farm will never pay three Per Cent at Ten thousand Dollars— I am therefore determined to think no more of it—indeed this has been my resolution for many years, knowing the Price would be too high for me.
I am my dear sir yours
RC (MHi:Jeremy Belknap Papers); endorsed: “John Adams VP”; docketed by Belknap: “John Adams VP.”