Thomas Jefferson Papers

Thomas Jefferson to Philip Thornton, 7 February 1816

To Philip Thornton

M[ontice]llo Feb. 7. 16.

Dear Sir

I have duly received your favor of Jan. 24. and according to request have inclosed to mr Gibson of Richmond an ord[er] on you for one hundred and fifty Dollars. I was disappoint[ed] in not meeting with you at the bridge on my visit to it the l[ast] fall, however ‘tout ce qui est differé n’est pas perdu,’ and I found the ride between that & Poplar forest so trifling that I believe I shall be tempted to take it annually in autumn. it is but about 30. miles of good road & a passable gap. the story of my dea[th] which you mention has I suppose given a momentary pleasure to the inventor, and some political partisans who think it ought to have happened 20. years ago. however it has not affected my health which has been uninterruptedly good, nor was I in Bedford where the death happened for a month before it’s period. with my best wishes for your health & happiness accept the assurance of my great esteem and respect.

Th: Jefferson

PoC (MHi); on verso of a reused address cover from Philip Mazzei to TJ; dateline faint; several line endings missing due to a polygraph malfunction; at foot of text: “Dr Philip Thornton”; endorsed by TJ.

tout ce qui est differé n’est pas perdu: “not all that is postponed is lost.”

Index Entries

  • Gibson, Patrick; and payments to TJ search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Business & Financial Affairs; and lease of Natural Bridge search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Health; death of rumored search
  • Natural Bridge, Va.; lease of search
  • Natural Bridge, Va.; route to from Poplar Forest search
  • Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); route from Natural Bridge to search
  • Thornton, Philip; and TJ’s rumored death search
  • Thornton, Philip; leases Natural Bridge from TJ search
  • Thornton, Philip; letters to search