Welcome, Welcome, my dear Son to your native Land after a seven years absence from it, God be praised that you and Louissa, and my dear John George &c have arrived in Safety. but I have trembled for you, least the extreem Heat you must have experienced since your arrival Should be too much for you all. the Sudden change we have experienced of no less than 30 degrees, is equally trying to weak constitutions. I hope it is not Sickly at Washington, but last october Agues and fevers were very prevelant; I can have no objection to the visit first to Washington, but say to you as I did in my last Letter, 120 that it should not exceed the middle of october1 it is a long and tedious jouney, but both you and Mrs Adams are well ennured to travelling. at Quincy You can be accomodated with your Family untill You can do better;— we ardently long to see you all—

Mrs Adams is going to a place, different from all she has ever yet visited, and amongst a people, where it will be impossible for her to be too gaurded; every Syllable She utters will be Scaned not with loss of candour, but carping malice; Such is the Spirit of party. think not that I veiw the aspect of public affairs through the medium of dissapointment, unhappily for our Country, you will find it all too true— I doubt not She will be the prudent; but her Family have been very basely traduced— there are persons no doubt hungrying after mr Johnso[n’s] office: I hope however he will retain it, as it was the casting vote of the new President, which gave it to him—2

You too my Son must look for your share of calumny, and arm yourself will against it by patience temperance and moderation, and by applying yourself solely to your own private affairs— I hope you will be here Soon. I have a thousand things to say to you, but none with more Sincerity / than that I am your ever / affectionate / Mother

Have a care, that you do not let Captain Duane know, that I am reading Cicero de Senectute again: because he will immediately insert in his Aurora Borealis, that I recollected, those Words in the 17th Chapter “nihil ei tam regale videri, quam Studium agri colendi.”1 He will Say that there is nothing in building Stone Wall, or in collecting Heaps of Compost, but the tang of Royalty and Monarchy, which Socrates and Xenophon and Cicero perceived, which attracts my Esteem and affection: and all the Germans and all the Irish and all the Quakers and Anabaptists will Say they believe him: and the Presbyterians will shake their heads and say it is too true.— The Captain will quote the Words “Nun quam terra recusat imperium,” as mathematical demonstration that my taste for Agriculture is only a fruit of my arbitrary Disposition and despotic Principles.

I wonder how the Captain, will announce the Arrival of your Brother?2 What Ingenuity of Malignity and what Impudence of Mendecity, his Genius and his forehead will furnish upon this Occasion excites my Curiosity.

I dont recollect to have seen an Aurora since I became Monarch of stony field, Count of Gull Island, Earl of Mount Arrarat, Marquis of Candlewood Hill, and Baron of Rocky Run.— But I confess I now wish to see all that the Aurora, shall say on the Arrival of J. Q. A. Send them to your affectionate Father