Adams Family Correspondence, volume 4

Benjamin Waterhouse to John Adams, 21 December 1780 Waterhouse, Benjamin JA

1780-12-21

Benjamin Waterhouse to John Adams, 21 December 1780 Waterhouse, Benjamin Adams, John

Benjamin Waterhouse to John Adams

Respected Sir Leyden 21st. Decemr. 1780

I have the satisfaction of informing you that Mr. Thaxter and your Sons are now settled in their lodgings in the same house with me. I could wish the rooms were better as well as larger, but they think they answer very well, and seem well pleased with their situation. Tomorrow we are to converse with the teacher of Latin and Greek, and to make our terms &c. with him, this person teaches the Sons of the Griffier Fagell 1 and gives great satisfaction. I imagine your eldest must attend him a while before he attends the public lectures on the greek, the master however can judge of that when he examines him. The Christmas vacancy commences this day, but that makes no difference with these private-teachers. I think with Mr. Thaxter and several others that Charles is too young to attend any of the publick lectures yet. The Lectures on Grotius and the Law of nature are what I imagine you wish them to attend, one is given in the forenoon, the other in the afternoon by the same Professor. I am in hopes by Monday next we shall get fairly under:way. The gentlemen came into their lodgings but last night, and to day have been visited by all those gentlemen who call themselves the english-Society only because they speak our languague. The English-clergyman2 came to see us this morning and to tell us how glad he was to have this addition to his little flock. Tomorrow we are invited to Mr. Luzac's,3 and that finishes our visits. I had sent me a day or two since a number of questions concerning this University, they were written at Boston, or Jamaica-plains by I guess Mr. G.4 I have answered them as well as I could and sent them to the gentleman who transmitted them to me, they were dated No-44vember 4th 1780. The history of this University is I find almost too intricate for a stranger to unravell.

I believe Mr. John reather wishes me to propose to you his learning to ride. I can only say I would not have missed those few lessons I have had for ten times the sum they cost me besides the advantages resulting from the exercise, and the company we generally find there; Mr. Luzac and his brother ride twice a week with us, more for exercise than instruction. We pay, for the first 16. Lessons 30. guilders: for every 16. after 20 Guilders; and generally take three lessons a week. I imagine Mr. Thaxter from what he already sees thinks they three can live here for the sum, that it would cost for one at Amsterdam, that may however not be, yet I am confident a person can live here for half the sum he pays at Amsterdam provided he lives and takes his rooms as a student.

Mr. Luzac desires his compliments to you. I am with great respect your friend & Countryman, Benjn. Waterhouse

RC (Adams Papers); addressed: “Son Excellence Monsieur Adams Ministre Plenipotentiare des Etats Unis de l'Amerique Chez Monsieur Henry Schorn a Amsterdam”; postal marking, stamped(?) in script characters: “Leyden”; endorsed: “Dr. Waterhouse Decr. 21. Leyden,” to which CFA added “1780.”

Hendrik Fagel (1706–1790), griffier (secretary or “graphiary”) of the States General, a leading figure in the Dutch government and at the court of the Stadholder ( Nieuw Ned. Biog. Woordenboek , 3:390–391). JA was to have important relations with him, not always of the pleasantest sort because Fagel was a strong adherent of the House of Orange and hence of the pro-English party in the Netherlands; see JA, Diary and Autobiography , 3:1, 5, and passim.

William Mitchell; see note 3 on JQA to JA, this date, above.

Jean Luzac (1746–1807), legal and classical scholar, later rector magnificus of the University of Leyden, and for many years editor of Nouvelles extraordinaires de divers endroits, better known as the Gazette de Leyde, a Dutch newspaper with an international circulation. An apostle of the Enlightenment and a deeply interested observer of events in America, Luzac was one of JA's first and firmest friends in the Netherlands, and their friendship long survived JA's mission there. See Nieuw Ned. Biog. Woordenboek , 1:1290–1294; JA, Diary and Autobiography , vols. 2–3 passim. There is extensive correspondence of both JA and JQA with Luzac in the Adams Papers.

Presumably Rev. William Gordon of Jamaica Plain near Boston, on whom see the editorial note and references at 1:229–230.

John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 22 December 1780 JQA JA

1780-12-22

John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 22 December 1780 Adams, John Quincy Adams, John

John Quincy Adams to John Adams

Honoured Sir Leyden December 22d 1780

I have this day received two letters from you of the 20th. in one of which you say you would have me attend all the lectures in which Experiments are made, but I shall have to attend two lectures upon 45law, and therefore shall have no time. As to the lecture upon Greek; there is but one, and the Gentlemen with whom Mr. Thaxter has consulted, think that it is necessary, to have made some proficiency in the Greek Language, to be able to attend it.

I have this day seen the master who is to teach us greek and Latin.1 He is to come to us twice a day; from twelve to one oclock and from five to six in the afternoon, so that I shall be two hours occupied with our master an hour at each lecture is two more and the rest of my time I shall be writing from Homer, the Greek testament, of Grammar, and learning lessons for our Master.2

This is a famous day in new England. The anniversary of the landing of our forefathers at Plimouth.3

Our master is to begin with us to morrow.

We are all invited to drink tea with Mr. Luzac to day.

The scene in which Shakespear speaks of Brownist is in the third volume page 121. in Twelfth night or what you will, Act 3 Scene 4th. If you borrow Mr. Searle's Shakespear you will see it there.4

I am your Dutiful Son, John Quincy Adams

RC (Adams Papers); addressed: “A Monsieur Monsieur Adams. Chez Monsieur Henry Schorn. a Amsterdam”; endorsed: “Mr. John Decr. 22. ansd. 23,” to which CFA added “1780.” This letter was originally enclosed in Thaxter's to JA of this date, following.

JA on 11 Jan. 1781

“Was present in Leyden from 12. to one O Clock, when the Praeceptor gave his Lessons in Latin and Greek to my Sons. His Name is Wenshing. He is apparently a great Master of the two Languages, besides which he speaks French and Dutch very well. . . . He is pleased with his pupils and they with him” ( Diary and Autobiography , 2:451).

John Thaxter in his letter of this date, following, gives the tutor's name as “Wensing.”

Punctuation as in MS.

See note 3 on Mrs. Warren's letter to AA of 21 Dec., above.

Sir Andrew Aguecheek: “An't be any way, it must be with valour; for policy I hate. I had as lief be a Brownist as a politician” (Twelfth Night, Act III, scene ii, in modern editions). The volume- and page-reference furnished by JQA is to an edition of The Works of Shakespeare published at Edinburgh in 8 vols., 1769–1771, Alexander Donaldson printer.