From Thomas Jefferson to John Trumbull, 5 February 1789
To John Trumbull
Paris Feb. 5. 1789.
Dear Sir
I have duly received your favors of Jan. 18. and 29. and the carriage is arrived without the least accident. I find it perfectly well made and to my mind, and have nothing to regret relative to it but the trouble it has given you. I will now answer, in order the several parts of your letter of the 29th. My younger daughter has at length recovered, and is I hope out of all danger of further relapse. The elder is very well. Mr. Short was well, at Rome the 15th. of January, and was to set out next day for Naples. He will contrive to be at Paris a little before I leave it. The Amabile donne have not written: but god bless them for all that. Mrs. Cowley was so kind as to deliver a letter from Mrs. Cosway a few days ago. It was of antient date. I have been able to see her but once, but hope that pleasure often. Do you know that we have very odd accounts from America of our friend du Moustier and his friend? It seems that they neither like nor are liked there. J’en suis au desespoir. It is strange that good people should be liable to be deroutés. A thousand wishes for your health and happiness and assurances of the esteem and attachment with which I am Dear Sir Your sincere friend & servant,
Th: Jefferson
P.S. Be so good as to send the inclosed letter to Mr. Jay by a very sure and private conveiance, not to pass thro’ the post office.
PrC (DLC). This letter is not recorded in SJL, but there the enclosed letter to Jay is stated to have been conveyed “by Mrs. Paradise.” It is clear that TJ wished to keep from Mrs. Paradise the fact that she was actually carrying a highly secret dispatch to Jay and not merely the hasty letter to Trumbull that covered it. The letter of ancient date from Mrs. Cosway was that of 23 Dec. 1788; see Mrs. Cowley to TJ, 28 Jan. 1789.
It was possibly at the time of arrival of TJ’s new carriage that he caused a Parisian carpenter to submit estimates for providing doors to the carriage house in pine and in oak; two MSS exist, showing that an unnamed carpenter estimated 132₶ for the former and 192₶ for the latter, together with an estimate of 113₶19s. for hardware and construction (DLC: TJ Papers, 236: 42325–6; undated, in French).