Adams Family Correspondence, volume 15
o.2.
I now enclose together with a press copy of my last letter to you,
the original of one addressed to your father, containing observations upon a french
pamphlet, which I have sent him. This letter however is not to be sent to him, but to be
published in the Port Folio, if the Editor thinks proper. Of course, without indicating
either the writer, or the person, to whom it is addressed— My design is to follow it
with others of a like nature, which the Editor of the Port Folio may publish under the
discription of “Letters; from an American abroad upon various topics of foreign literature,” or some such title—1 I shall send the originals to you & only
press copies to your father; my motives for which I have mentioned in a letter to him
this day, & hope they will meet his approbation.
I have a piece of unpleasant news to communicate. Dr Brown’s family are in deep affliction. His second daughter,
Bell, died on the evening of last Monday the 23rd: instt: after an illness of a very few days; the shock was indeed
almost as sudden & unexpected as it violent.2 They scarcely apprehended danger, untill it was
irremovable, & her mother, who went to bed at night with the flattering hope, that
she was fast recovering, rose in the morning to the agonizing information, that she was
no more. We sincerely share in the 31 sorrows of this
amiable family, upon a calamity so distressing, & I am persuaded, that you will be
equally sensible to it.
I am in daily expectation of receiving your promised letter of the
beginning of Feby:—3 By the english newspapers we have accounts from
New York to the 9th: of that month. They mention that the
Convention with France had at length been ratified by our Senate with the omission of
the second article.4 Whether the french
government will acquiesce in this, or not, I am unable to say. But at any rate I have
little hopes, that the omission will be of any service to us.
We are upon the point of losing here the family of the English Minister, Lord Carysfort. The Prussian regiments are already under orders to march & take possession of Hanover. They will likewise occupy the cities of Hamburg, & Bremen— My wife will meet with a great loss in Lady Carysfort, who has been to her as a mother. She is a sister of Lord Grenville, & a woman of a remarkable fine understanding.5
You will have heard before you receive this of the declaration of war between Spain & Portugal, & that a suspension of hostilities has been concluded between France & the king of the two Sicilies; by virtue of which, the Neapolitan ports are to be shut against the English—6
LbC in Thomas Welsh Jr.’s hand (Adams Papers); internal address: “T B. Adams. Esqr:”; APM Reel
134.
JQA enclosed another letter to JA of 28
March (LbC, APM Reel 184),
which comprised an essay on Jean André de Luc’s defense of Francis Bacon as a
religious philosopher: Bacon tel qu’il est; ou, Dénonciation
d’une traduction françoise des oeuvres de ce philosophe, Berlin, 1800. Luc’s
object was to demonstrate that Antoine Lasalle’s Oeuvres de
François Bacon, 15 vols., Dijon, France, 1799–1802, purposefully omitted
Bacon’s favorable views on religion. JQA’s essay was printed in Port Folio, 1:179–180 (6 June), as the first in a series
under the title “Letter from an American, Resident Abroad.” TBA informed
JQA of the publication in his letter of 8 June, below. The press copy of
JQA’s 21 March letter to
TBA
, above, has not been found (Nieves Mathews, Francis Bacon: The History of a Character Assassination,
New Haven, 1996, p. 370, 371;
DNB
).
For LCA’s account of the death of Isabella Brown,
daughter of Dr. Charles and Mary Huthwaite Brown, and her comments on
TBA’s fondness for the young woman, see LCA, D&A
, 1:89, 153–154.
In his letter of 15 Jan., for which see vol. 14:528, TBA pledged to update JQA on his investments the following month. The ensuing letter of 31 Jan. and an enclosed account have not been found; JQA acknowledged both on 29 March (FC-Pr), providing instructions on his investments and telling TBA that he was “very well satisfied” with his handling of his affairs. For an enclosure sent with the 29 March letter, see JQA to TBA, 4 April, and note 1, below.
The London Times, 17 March, reported
that letters and newspapers received from New York the day before announced the
Senate’s 3 Feb. conditional ratification of the Convention of 1800.
John Joshua Proby, Baron Carysfort (1751–1828), had been British
minister to Prussia since 9 Aug. 1800. His second wife, Elizabeth Grenville (ca.
1756–1842), sister of William Wyndham Grenville, 1st Baron 32 Grenville, was a close friend to
LCA. Baron Carysfort had been ordered to St. Petersburg, but declined the
posting and returned to England when his service as British minister to Prussia ended
on 24 Oct. 1801. Tensions were rising between Britain and Russia due to the renewal of
the Armed Neutrality of 1780. The renewal was also a catalyst for Prussia to abandon
its neutrality in March 1801 and occupy the independent states of Hanover and Bremen
and shut the Weser and Ems Rivers to British trade. The Danes likewise occupied
Hamburg on 29 March and closed the Elbe to the British, further escalating tensions
with Britain (
Repertorium
, 3:171; LCA,
D&A
, 1:138; R.
G. Thorne, ed., The House of Commons, 1790–1820, 5 vols.,
London, 1986; Walter Fitzpatrick, ed., Report on the
Manuscripts of J. B. Fortescue, Esq., Preserved at Dropmore, 10 vols., London,
1892–1927, 6:437, 446, 456, 472–473; Elizabeth Grenville Proby Carysfort to LCA, 10 May 1803, below;
Cambridge Modern
Hist.
, 9:48–49).
On 28 March 1801 the Treaty of Florence between France and Naples
was signed, compelling King Ferdinand IV of Naples to exclude British commerce from
his territories (
Cambridge Modern Hist.
, 9:364).
th1801
A mind agitated by the Vicissitudes attendant upon the present juncture of publick affairs, & oppressed by a large portion of domestic concerns, cannot often be disposed, nor find leisure to delineate its feelings upon paper— To the almost impossibility of portraying the various sentiments, passions, & exercises of the heart which have been roused in the past winter, I attribute Yours, & my Sons silence. For I have received but one letter from each in the course of the last Session of Congress.1 And for those I am thankful.
I have seen, & read the Papers with grief, to find the People
so determined upon what we fear will prove their destruction, & really felt my
mind relieved, when I found the menority had acceeded— If heaven had been the Object in Contest, they would not have shown half the
Zeal, ardor & perseverance— They will find perhaps in this instance, as in others,
that “their very Wishes, give them not their Wish”—2 I could not help thinking that Mr Adams
when he left Washington, might like the good Camillus when he quitted Rome wounded at
the Ingratitude of those, for whom he had devoted his life, look back, & with
uplifted hand wish, that they might not be made sensible of their folly, &
Ingratitude, by the Want of his council, & Services—
History informs us, that his benevolence had its full
revenge— For very soon the exigences of his Country, obliged him to head a numerous
Army to exterpate foreign Invaders.
3
st.
My Son came last night, & brought me your kind letter—4 I rejoice with you my Sister, that you have all gotten safe to the 33 pleasant fields of Quincy once more— I almost envy my Sister Cranch in living so near that she can visit you immediately, & at all times—
I am glad to hear your Children & Grandsons were well, they promised to write to me, I wished that they loved writing better, & that it was not a task— I hope they will return, I feel attached to them—5
I have had many serious melancholly thoughts lately about my Son, I supposed he wished to go into the study of Law— But how he could obtain the knowledge, was what I could not tell—nor where— And the generous offer of Mr Otis was very unexpected— I feel myself greatly Obligated for his kindness— Board in Town will be vastly higher than in the Country—perhaps his advantages may be greater in proportion— I would have him consult his best friends— Can I ever press the gratitude I feel for the Patronge & parental care my Son has experienced under your roof— That he has given satisfaction, & conducted with propriety is a Comfort to me—& I feel heartily disposed to do every thing that is in my power for a good Son— I am not personally acquainted with Mr Otis, but with pleasure have read his speeches in publick—& presume it is an excellent Situation for William— I am pleased that he thinks to board at Mr Fosters, I hope my Neice will prove a Sister to him in many respects—6
I wish I could come in, & see to his things & save you the trouble, find out what he wants, for I question if he knows himself— If there is any thing I can get him I will— Does he not want Drawers? if he does, I can make some for him—if you will please to let me know—
I am sorry to hear you are lame, I hope it is not entailed upon
our family— for I fear I shall never be quite
well again—
Mr Peabody presents his best regards to the President, & begs the favour of a visit accompanied by my Sister— With wishes for your health & happiness under every change of life; I am / Your affectionate Sister
PS. My love to Cousin Louisa, with my Abbys Duty to her Uncle & Aunt—
RC (Adams Papers); endorsed: “Mrs Peabody / May 29th 1801—”
For AA to Peabody, [ante 13
Feb.], see vol. 14:456.
Edward Young, The Complaint; or, Night
Thoughts, Night I, line 275.
Roman general Marcus Furius Camillus was tried for minor offenses
and exiled in 391 B.C. before returning the next
year to defend Rome during the Gauls’ sack of the city (
Oxford Classical Dicy.
).
Not found.
William Steuben and John Adams Smith visited AA2 and WSS for three months in the 34 spring of 1801 before returning to the care and tutelage of Elizabeth and Stephen Peabody in May ( AA to TBA, 16 May; to Peabody, 19 May, both below).
William Smith Shaw studied law with Harrison Gray Otis after
Otis’ return to Boston in March at the close of his term in the House of
Representatives. Shaw boarded at the home of his cousin Elizabeth Smith and her
husband, James Hiller Foster. Shaw later moved his studies to the office of Boston
attorney William Sullivan (
JA to TBA, 6 April; Shaw to AA, Oct.; TBA to
Shaw, 27 April, 20 Sept., all below; Felt, Memorials of
William Smith Shaw
, p. 144; MHS, Procs.
, 1:391 [1791–1835]).