[dateline] August 23 1780
I could not omit so favourable an opportunity as the present of writing you a line
by Mr. Warren who is upon his travells, and tis not unlikely may take France in his
way.
1
I know the welfare of your family so essential to your happiness, that I would improve
every means of assureing you of it, and of communicating to you the pleasure I have
had in receiving every Letter you have written since you first left the harbour of
Boston. Mine to you have not been so successfull.
Several packets have been sent to Neptune, tho improperly directed, and I Query whether
having found his mistake he has had complasance enough to forward them to you. So
that you must not charge to me any failure in point of puntuality or attention, but
to the avidity of
{ 401 } the watery Gods who I really believe have distroyed them—but enough of romance.
You see I am in good Spirits—I can tell you the cause. The Alliance arrived last week
and brought me “the Feast of Reason and the flow of Soul.” Assurances too, of the
Health of my dear absent Friends. Those only who know by experience what a Seperation
is from the tenderest of connextions, can form adequate Ideas of the happiness which
even a literary communication affords—
“Heaven first taught Letters for some wretches aid.”
I have written to you and to my dear Sons
2 by Capt. Sampson. If Mr. Warren should be the Bearer of this, I need not ask you
to love him, his Merrit will ensure him that, and every attention he may stand in
need of from one who never suffers the promiseing youth to pass unnoticed by him,
more especially one who has a double claim to your Friendship, not only on his own
account, but from the long and intimate Friendship which subsists between his worthy
parents and the Friend I address—who will be pleased to accept of the tenderest Sentiments
of affectionate
3 from his