Adams Family Correspondence, volume 15
]1February 1802
I have been confined, with a cold for three Weeks and the family have been generally affected in the same Way: We have not heard 181 from yours for Some time. I long to see you all: but the Weather and the roads will keep Us, at a distance I fear for Some days if not weeks. I have read Seven Volumes of De la Harpe in course, and the last seven I have run through and Searched but cannot find what I chiefly wanted, His Philosophy of the 18 Century from the Beginning to the End—that revival of the ineffable Nonsense of Epicurus as related by Lucretius not as explained by himself in his Letter in Diogenes Laertius.2 I am in love with La Harpe. I knew not there was Such a Man left.— If I had read this Work at 20 years of Age, it would have had, I know not what effect.— If it had not made me a Poet or Philosopher it certainly would not have permitted me, to be a public Man. I never read any Writer in my Life, with whom I so universally agreed in Poetry, Oratory History, Philosophy, Morality and Religion. I find him too perfectly persuaded as I have been for forty years, that Greece & Italy are our Masters in all Things and that Greek & Italian are the most important Languages to study— My Love to L. & G. your / affectionate and respectful Father
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “J. Q. A.”
The dating of this letter is based on JQA’s 2 March reply, for which see JA to JQA, 8 March, and note 3, below.
In 1799 Jean François de La Harpe began publishing his sweeping
sixteen-volume work of literary criticism, Lycée; ou, Cours de
littérature ancienne et moderne. In vol. 1:vi he noted that eighteenth-century
philosophers would be the focus of later volumes, drawing from lectures he delivered
on the subject in 1797. Those volumes, numbered 15 and 16, were published in 1804 and
1805, respectively. Three of Epicurus’ letters are preserved in Diogenes Laertius’ Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, but his ideas
were also propagated by Lucretius in his didactic poem De
rerum natura, two English translations of which are in JA’s
library at MB, dated 1714 and 1743
(Andrew Hunwick, “La Harpe: The Forgotten Critic,” The Modern
Language Review, 67:283 [April 1972]; Daniel Brewer, “Political Culture and
Literary History: La Harpe’s Lycée,” Modern Language Quarterly, 57:179–180 [June 1997];
Oxford Classical
Dicy.
;
Catalogue of JA’s Library
).
Mr Dobson the Bookseller has an Account
open with me.— It is of 13 or 14. or 15 Years Standing.— Several Years ago he Sent his
account to me, but, intending to take the ballance due to me in books I did not Sign it.
I wish you would call upon him, and presenting him my Compliments pray him to Send his
Account to me through you. I presume there is a ballance due to me. This ballance you
may take in Books Such as you may like.1
I Sent from England the first Volume of the Defence to the
Philosophical Society of Philadelphia. It has been lately hinted to me, that it is
desired or at least expected that I should Send them the Second and third. You may take
one of each from Mr Dobson, write in the Title or blankpage
“To the Philosophical Society of Phyladelphia from the Author” and deliver them to the
Secretary.2
Mr Dobson I esteem a very honest Man,
and his Account will be very Satisfactory to me. The Volumes which remain in his hands
may be disposed of as you and he think best. I Suppose they are of no Value.
The Principle of the Work is that every Constitution, to be free must have interwoven in its Essence, an efficacious Principle of Self defence. Every Part must be able to defend itself against every other Part. To be a little ludicrous, a Constitution must be a Master of the Science of defence, “Maitre d’escrime.”3 But my “Paper Shott,” will have no more Influence with Parties or Party Leaders than Harringtons had with O. Cromwell. They will not be frightend out of their Power by Such Scare Crows.
Some future maker of Constitutions, if any of this tribe Should ever hereafter appear, when filling his Pidgeon holes with projects, may possibly look into the Index, for the Sake of assisting his Invention with Varieties. But the Work will never have much reputation, many Readers, or any Influence. Constitutions are made and unmade by Passions, Prejudices and Arms: not by Reason nor Experience. Tant pis, pour Le Genre humain.—4 Some Persons think there is so much Uncertainty in the Science of Government, arising from the Instability of human affairs and Characters as well as from the infinite Variety of Situations & Circumstances that it never can be reduced to fixed Principles. It is even doubted by many whether the English Constitution would answer for any other Nation. Whether the preservation of it is not owing to their insular Situation, and Whether if their national defence demanded an Army instead of a Navy, they could possibly maintain it.—
One Thing is certain without a Constitution there can be no real Liberty. Another is equally so, that a Constitution which is not organised to defend itself, may be, and will be broken. ours has established a Judiciary: but what defence is prepared for it? Can it defend itself? How can the President be compelled to defend it? Can the Legislature? Is either interested to defend it.? I cannot copy my Letters. So you must burn them or keep them very Safe.
your Affectionate father
RC (Adams
Papers); internal address: “T. B. Adams.”; endorsed: “John Adams Esqr: / 1. March 1802 / 9th: Recd: / 18th: Answd.” Some loss of text where the signature was removed.
Thomas Dobson (1751–1823) was a Philadelphia bookseller located
at 41 South Second Street. He had earlier sold copies of JA’s
Defence of the
Const.
(vol. 9:422;
Jefferson’s Memorandum Books
, 2:867).
On 27 Jan. 1787 JA sent a copy of vol. 1 of his
Defence of the
Const.
to Benjamin Franklin, who was then president of the American
Philosophical Society, and on 18 May the society acknowledged the gift (JA, Papers
,
18:563, 19:74–75). For TBA’s
actions on JA’s behalf, see his letter to Joseph Clay Jr., 18 March 1802, and
note 1, below.
Fencing master.
Too bad for the human race.