Adams Family Correspondence, volume 8
d.1789
Since my return to England, I have been told of the great Civilities you were pleased to Shew to My Dear Deceased Child. I return you a thousand thanks for it and I wish it may ever be in my power to shew you what I feel upon the occasion. As it was not the fault of any Person, but the Will of God, I endeavour to receive it with all the resignation I am able— I hope that you, and all your amiable family, enjoy the Blessings of health, happiness, and prosperity, in as high a degree, as I know they Merit. I beg you will have the goodness to present my best Compliments to them.
I have the honour to Congratulate you and your Family upon the appointment of Mr. Adams to be our Vice President to our Newly Established
Federal Constitution. God Grant that it may be productive of every good to our Country:
and I make not be least doubt of it, since we are happy to have the Wisest and best of
Gentlemen to Govern Us. We are a Great Nation and with good Laws to make People
Industrious and oblige them to pay their debts; We shall be the First Country in the
World. Our Friend Mr. Jefferson talks of returning to
America soon, pray My Dear Madam send him back to Paris as soon as you can. He is a Most
excellent Man. I am under the Greatest of obligations to him, and My Dear Friend Dr. Bancroft. Indeed, I do not know what I should have done in
my afflictions since My return to Europe, had not Providence been graciously pleased to
raise up these two excellent Gentlemen to assist Me.
Mr. Trumbulle has just finished a Picture that does him
great Credit.1 I always rejoice when our
Country Men excels the Europeans. Mr. Freine often talks to
me about the Civilities he received from his Excellency Mr.
Adams2 he desired Me to present his
Compliments to you Mr. Adams and all your amiable family. He
is a most excellent good Man, and I wish if his Court sent a Minister to America they
would send him, you know him so well, I need to say No more about him. Be pleased to
make my best Compliments to his Excellency General and Mrs.
Washington to General and Mrs. Knox—and family, to Sr. John and Lady Temple, to Mr and
Mrs. Jay, Mr and Mrs Kemble3
Cyrus Griffin, and the Foreign Ministers and their Families, and to My Dear and old
Friend Dr Franklin and his 368truly good Daughter
and all her family.4 I hope to be
honoured by the return of the packet with a Letter from you—
Dear Madam / I have the Honour to be / Your Most Obliged / Humble Servt.
P. S It is reported the Dauphen of Frençe is Dead5
I am fixed in London until May Next In Margaret Street No. 45 Cavendish Square London
RC (Adams Papers); addressed: “To / Her Excellency Mrs. John— / Adam New York / North America”; internal
address: “Mrs. Adams”; docketed: “Lucy
Paradise.”
John Trumbull completed the
third and largest rendition of his Sortie Made by the Garrison
of Gibraltar during the spring of 1789 in London, where it was exhibited in a
public hall from April to July (Trumbull,
Autobiography
, p. 148–150).
Ciprião Ribeiro, Chevalier de
Freire, the Portuguese chargé d'affaires in London, whom the Adamses had met at the
home of the Paradises. He served as Portugal's minister in the United States from 1793
to 1801 (vol. 6:209;
Repertorium
, 3:321).
Peter Kemble (1739–1823), of the New York commercial house of Gouverneur & Kemble, was married to Gertrude Gouverneur, the sister of his partners (New-York Historical Society, Colls., 17:xv [1884]).
Franklin's only daughter,
Sarah (Sally, 1743–1808), had married Richard Bache (1737–1811) in 1767. Together,
they had seven children, including Benjamin Franklin Bache, who had been a schoolmate
of JQA's in Passy, France (
Notable Amer. Women
; vol. 3:15, 5:459).
Louis Joseph Xavier François,
the French dauphin, died on 4 June 1789 of tuberculosis (Schama, Citizens
, p.
356–357).