Shortly after we had the pleasure of paying you our respects under date of the 30 April, we were honor’d with your Letter of 2 Decemr: A.P.;1 for it’s contents we pray you to be assured of our Sincere thanks, & to do us the Justice to believe that we shall with pleasure embrace every opportunity that may present for cultivating our private Correspondence, that you express such a desire of continuing.—

We have as yet only been enabled to send the first Volume of your defence of the American Government to the several Gentlemen as desired, instead of receiving the compleat sett from Mr: Dilly, we have only recẽd the first & third Volumes; on which we addressed him, requesting to be furnished with the Second Volume that we might comply with your directions without delay, in reply he informed us that fifty Copies of that volume were Shipp’d us per the Margaretha in Septr: 87. & that as he cou’d not find the Captns: receipt for the parcell, he presumed it had been transmitted us, We immediately made enquirey of the Ships Broker who informed us that she arrived here the 5 Oct: 87. but that he cou’d get no intelligence of any such parcell having been on board, which we wrote Mr: Dilly desiring he wou’d send us fifty other Copies, as it was not 189 natural to suppose that you shou’d suffer thro’ any neglect or omission of his, for had he given us proper Information in due time of the Shipping, we shou’d have taken the necessary care to have made application for them on the Vessels arrival, he now informs us in reply to this, that he can say nothing further respecting the Books, but that he will write you concerning them, in which case you will now be enabled to give him a reply.

The present Political Situation of Europe renders it rather difficult to ground any opinion on the future events that may arrive, we hope nothing will tend to involve our Republick into a War, the blessings of Peace are invaluable at all times, but especially when we see them at the greatest distance, at least they are rendered the more so then, because the impossibility of enjoying them is greater.—

We are highly gratified to observe that the chief offices under your new Government, are filled by such Characters as give universal Satisfaction, & shall be truly happy to learn the continuation of such Steps, as will procure a great degree of respectability to your Executive, as well as Legislative authority.—

Our Ladies consider themselves particularly obliged by your kind remembrance of them, & have requested to join us in best respects to you & Mrs: Adams.—

With assurances of our Sincere respect & Esteem, we have the honor to Subscribe ourselves / Sir.— / Your most obedt: & hble Servants.

Mr: Dilly never wrote us the least word at the time of his Shipping the Copies of the Second Volume, thus it was not in our power to have made enquirey respecting them ’till we recẽd information of the Transaction—