I received your Letter of June 21. on the 29th 1 the extreem heat of the last week so totally unfitted me for every exertion that I could neither Eat, sleep Read write, or do any thing but labour to Breathe. I took the earliest opportunity to consult dr Rush upon my dear Neices case. what is past, cannot be remidied. his opinion, as to her case is that Bleading would have been the first application necessary. he even thinks now, that it might be salutary to take as much as 3 or 4 oz from her: if releaved by it, it might be repeated as she could bear it. a Blister to her side, and that repeated as soon as one drys up he conceives might be of use— he apprehends an abscess forming in her Side from the statement made by you. he advises to vegetable diet, to the use of whey, or Butter Milk if her stomache will bear it, and if she can take animal food, it should be of the salt kind, such as a little Bit of Tongue or ham— moderate Excercise. as to pukes, he is altogether averse to the use & habit of them. they procure a temporary determination to the surface of the Body, and so far lessen pain & cough as to enable patients to use proper exercise, but he conceives Blood letting to remove the symptoms of Inflammatory Diathesis, & of much greater utility, & riding on Horse back of great use if the Patient can bear it. these remidies must however be conformd to the strength & ability of the Patient. there is a Lady in this city whom I well know—who has been thought to be in a consumption for these 10 Months. nothing which has been used could conquer the fever. she has a voracious appetite. she is not a Patient of dr Rush’s, but her Physicians have confined her altogether, for two months past to Bread & Whey— I have not learnt what effecet 174 it has had. she has not a cough. her disorder was produced by a miscarriage— she sometimes Rides out we had a case of a man in Quincy, Anthony Baxter, I believe cousin Betsy Remembers him, who for a long time was thought to be in a consumption an Abessess formd in his side, & dischargd it self by the application of Blisters he is now recoverd. he had every complaint in his Limbs of a Rhumatick kind & did not walk for many Months. his appetite was Ravinious at times, and his Bowels frequently affected—2 I hope still that my dear Neices case is not past recovery— the Numbness which you say, she complains of is an other indication of the Abesess in the side— keep her spirits Cheerfull, and her mind easy—and you my dear sister will endeavour to bring your mind to that state of Submission & resignation, “Which shall say thy will be done” He Gave, and blessed be his Name, [“]he takes but what he Gave.”3 you have a Friend and comforter in your worthy partner whose tenderness upon this trying occasion must endear him, more & more to you— I could say much more to you, and of my dear Neice whose amiable qualities I loved, whose mild & complying temper was a continual feast but I forbear, the fitter she for the abode which may be prepared for her—

I have written to you once since the Letter by judge Blodget, and inclosed some money I hope you have received it—4

I flatter myself with the hopes of passing a little time at Quincy, but many of my Pleasures have fled since I left it. the losses I have sustaind by the death of some of my most valuable acquaintance & Friends cast a Gloom over the Scene. Mrs Gill Mrs Quincy dr Clark & Belknap, “grew not on every tree,” as Young expresses it nor can I expect at my Age to have their loss supplied.5 For those I have left God be praised. may they be continued as Blessing to me.

The worldly circumstances of others is an other source of affliction to me— to see Families reduced from competance to necessity, and that without even Suspecting their situation is at one a stroke, unkind and I almost said, treacherous. I could not forgive such deception— our worthy Friend mr smith is a much injured man by the benevolence of his Heart, and the readiness of his Hand. I wish such men possessd mines— who upon this stage of existance can say he is without trouble? the scripture assures us that Man is born to it, and Religion alone teaches us to bear it like Christians.6

It will be scarcly worth possible to detail those which fall to the Lot of Him who precidies over a Nation in a season of such danger 175 and at a period so critical as the present. they cannot be enumerated. I hope they may be surmounted, and that as the day is so may the strength & support, be proportioned.

I wish I could send my dear Boys some of my 4th of July plumb cake. out of two Hundred & 20 weight, I have a slice remaining for them and that which I think is very good. it would have been a Glorious sight to them to have seen 400 young Men, all in uniform and 60 Grenadeers, none of whom exceed 22 years—marching in Review as Volunters whose services had been tenderd to their Country in a free will offering to the Chief Majestrate of united America. I feel when I see any of them as tho I had a more than common interest in them. many of them are the sons & Brothers of my particular Friends and acquaintance and of the first Families in the city.7 To the Committe of young Men from Nyork I presented a cockade in the middle of which is a small silver Eagle, being the Arms of the united states. they have been polite enough to Name them after me, & the whole volunteer Corps have adopted them.8

Louissa is writing to her sister her Health is very delicate. she has no flesh, yet I know not the reason— I think she suffers for want of proper exercise, to which she is the most averse of any Young person I ever saw— kiss my little Abbe for me. God preserve her to you— to my dear Neice I pray for those comforts & consolations which are neither few nor small. with respectfull Regard to mr Peabody & Love to all others—

I am my ever dear sister / your truly affectionate

I have received your two kind favours this week of June 29 & July 2d as Hot a day as I ever experienced.1 I was therefore upon that and the succeeding day unfit for any exertion, and thought it would be impossible for me to go through the fatigues of the 4th without a Change of weather which fortunately took place on twesday afternoon, otherways it must have proved fatal to the Young troops, when many of them had fainted the morg’ before at their excercise— the day was however Propitious, and the exhibitions truly Military and Patriotic. good order and strictest dissipline were attended to & tho the various companies dinned in different places & parties, not a disguised man appeard amongst them all. they serenaded us at various parts of the Evening & night, but all was harmony— I should however except from the Number a company of 15 republican Blews as they were call’d all of whom partook of Liberty and equality—2 the city was quiet, tho thousands were gatherd in our street & a pass allowd only for the troops who with Some difficulty could keep a passage open—

I rejoice in the firm & decided conduct of the Legislature of my Native state, whose Patriotism shews it self by more than words. I take pride in belonging to it. with less than half the Numbers of Nyork, Boston appears in front, not in the Background whilst 70 thousand dollors are repeated, & repeated, and the labouring oar can scarcly stem the tide, Boston rides triumphant upon the wave— I have been astonishd at the Langour of Nyork, so much exposed, and so much to lose—yet torpid, unfealing as dutch men, with a Representation in Congress which is a disgrace to the state, and made still worse by their late Election—3

two Printers in the city every day libelling the President and the 177 Government. Burk who could not find food in Boston, and who was driven from his own Country for sedition, is now employd in publishing the Time Peice which Freaneu could no longer carry on— this wretch in a paper of this week, says in the most Possitive language, that the Letters sent to Congress by the President as from mr Gerry, were altogether a forgery palmd upon the publick to answer his particular views—4 you see the concert between the Printers. Bache asserted a similar falshood, and was arrested in concequence of it as Burk will be— I hope a similiar prossecution will take place in Boston if the Chronical ventures upon so dareing an outrage— as you take Fennos paper, you will see, in that of July the 6th a peice signd Themistocles with an extract from Burks time peace—5 the peice which I allude to, and for which a prossecution is orderd, is still worse than that. yet the Bill to punish sedition sent down from the senate will be hard fought in the House, and will have the old french faction opposed to it.6 the Bill you see for declaring the Treaties void past by a majority of ten— these Antis are possesst by the devil; or they could not at such a time as the present make such a stand against the voice of Reason Religion Property, all that is dear and valuable to Man, and without which Human Nature is more savage than the Beasts of the field— Let Russel print the peice under the signature of Themistocles. the more these wretches are seen, the more they must be detested. that wretch is a hireling of France to defame the Government. we shall see who will be his bale—7 the President will immediatly Revoke all the Exequators of the consuls.8 the amendment to the Constitution of the us proposed is a good one I wish it may succeed— a Leiut is this day Nominated for this cruize only for the Constitution, the other to fill it when he returns. a Sailing Master has never been yet recommended, nor does the President know whom to appoint—9

I hope Congress will rise next week, but I cannot absolutely say— I have written to dr Welch—.10 Many applications reachd here for the Loan office after the place was filld— I am glad you approve the appointment, as you must I trust of Commander in Chief tho some were exerting every power and faculty for Col H——n the President decided without communication, and sent in the nomination of the old General, without the least intimation what his own mind will be. he sends the Secretary of War on Monday with the commission You can hardly conceive what a powerfull interest is made for H——n11 I am surprizd at the want of knowledge of Human Nature— that man 178 would in my mind become a second Buonaparty if he was possessd of equal power yet my opinion is singular. what is the sentiment your way would any man there like he should have been made Commander in Chief? that he will make an able and active officers I have not a doubt, and will do in his place— oh how many passion are sit at work by ambition, by an asspiring Genious— virtue virtue, how little consideration is paid to it in these days— “these are the old opinions of which” Burk complains.12 What I have written of H——n is between ourselves, and in confidence. I should like to learn the opinions of others. What is Knox’s what is Lincolns? would they have advocated his being first—13 I hope Washington will not decline— he must not, he cannot— our good Friend Mr Sewall has been very timid this Session. how few of the sons of Men, are qualified for bold decisive action when danger threatens? a very upright honest man and an able one—varnun. pray do not let our state have one Black sheep amongst the flock—

My kind and affectionate Regards to mrs Smith and to the Children from Your / Friend