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a continuence of that Friendship and regard, commenced in early Life, and never designedly forfeited, by your Friend,

ABIGAIL ADAMS

Both Mr. Adams and your Friend unite our best wishes for the Health and happiness of Genll. Warren and yourself and Family.

MERCY WARREN TO JOHN ADAMS

ADAMS MSS.

PLYMOUTH, August 28th, 1803

SIR, The painful tidings I have this afternoon transiently heard relative to the health of my long beloved friend, Mrs. Adams, induce me to trouble you with a line to enquire what is her present situation, of which you will be so kind as to inform me by the return of the post. I pray that she may not be in so hazardous a state as is reported, but that her useful life may be protracted. You will mention me to her with my best affection - affection which has not diminished with time, and with esteem and friendship reciprocated through the Varieties of life, which I hope will be continued in a more perfect state, whichever of us first changes her existence. With much respect, I am, Sir, your Obedt. Hble. Servt.1 MERCY WARREN

JOHN ADAMS TO MERCY WARREN

QUINCY, August 30th, 1803 Dear Madam, I received, with much Pleasure, late, the last Evening your kind Letter of the 28th of the month, and should have answered it sooner, if it had come earlier to my hand

We have been in great affliction in this Family for more than three months, on Account of the dangerous illness of your Friend my Companion, on whose preservation all my hopes of Comfort in this World, seem to be suspended. An Unfortunate Fall, first threw her into a fever, a return of that obstinate Intermittent,

I The body of the letter is by another hand.

which has distressed her at times for so many Years, and brought again that chronic Diarrhea, which a few years ago threatened her Life for a long time. This was followed by a Carbuncle, which is still in Operation. She has suffered, through the whole extream pains, and has been reduced so low, that it has often seemed impossible to support her Strength in a degree sufficient to sustain her.

She desires me to present you her best Thanks for your kind Enquiries and friendly Sentiment, and Authorises me to say that she thinks herself better this morning than she has been for many days past, having rested more quietly than she has done for a long time.

Although her own opinion has been that she should not survive this Disorder, she has been in a very happy State of Mind, calmly resigned to her Destiny and the Will of the Supream Ruler.

The Day is far spent with Us all. It can not be long before We must exchange this Theatre for some other. I hope it will be one, in which there are no Politicks. With great Esteem and regard to you and Mr. Warren, I am, Madam your Friend and humble Servant, JOHN ADAMS

THOMAS JEFFERSON TO MERcy Warren

Th: Jefferson presents his compliments to Mrs. Warren and returns her the paper she had been pleased to inclose to him with his own subscription and that of the heads of departments except General Dearborne, who had signed another paper.1 he learns with great satisfaction that Mrs. Warren's attention has been so long turned to the events which have been passing. the last thirty years will furnish a more instructive lesson to mankind than any equal period known in history. he has no doubt the work she has prepared will be equally useful to our country and honourable to herself. he prays her to offer his respects to General Warren and to accept herself his salutations and assurances of high consideration.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8, 1805.

1 A subscription paper for her History.

MRS. JUDITH SARGENT MURRAY TO MERCY WARREN

BOSTON, FRANKLIN PLACE, June 1st, 1805

RESPECTED MADAM, It was with pride, and pleasure, that I received your Prospectus pride, that my name was still found written in the volume of your memory, and pleasure, that you had at length determined to endow the world with a production it has long wished to see issue from the press, upon which anticipation delights to dwell, and which is considered as a fund in reserve, containing historical facts, biographical information, moral truths, and elevated sentiments, cloathed in habiliments, whose substantial texture are evincive of strong, and abundant resources, inwove with all the brilliant, and variegated powers of fancy, and receiving their beautiful finishing, and last gloss, from the fashioning hand of elegance and taste. May your volumes obtain the celebrity they will no doubt merit, and may the publication look with a benign aspect upon the evening of your useful, and dignified career.

I have been induced to delay returning the subscription paper, by a hope of augmenting my list of suffrages, but I have been disappointed. I persuade myself, it is not necessary to observe, that I have not been negligent in exhibiting your proposals but, in almost every instance, apologies have been the only result of my solicitations. The Life of Washington,1 it is said, forestals, if not wholly precludes, the utility of this history; and, very many urge the political principles attributed to the otherwise admired writer, as a reason for withholding their signatures. Genius revolts from an idea so contracted; but Genius is not possessed by the multitude, and Mrs. Warren must be apprized, that, in this Commercial Country, a taste for Literature has not yet obtained the ascendency.

I have the honour to reciprocate those sentiments of amity, which constitute the conclusion of your letter, and I am, with affectionate admiration, etc., etc., Madam, your most obedient J. SARGENT MURRAY

I By John Marshall. See Beveridge, Life of John Marshall, 111. 223.

JOHN DICKINSON TO MERCY WARREN

MY ESTEEMED Friend, Thy Letter with its Inclosure came to my Hands Yesterday, for which I return many Thanks.

Thy Approbation I consider as a real Honor, and it is greatly endeared to Me, by coming from a Sister of my very deserving and highly valued Friend James Otis.

Our Acquaintance with one another was formed at the first Congress held at New York, in the Year 1765; and it soon grew into Friendship.

At this distant Period I have a pleasing Recollection of his Candor, Spirit, Patriotism and Philanthropy. [With a lon]ger continued Existence on this Earth [than was] allotted to him, I have endeavoured, as well as I could, to aid the Cause in which his Heart was engaged, by asserting and maintaining the Liberties, for which he would have been willing to share in all the Distresses of our Revolution, and, if necessary, to lay down his Life.

It soothes my Mind, to hear this pure Testimony to departed worth.

May Divine Goodness graciously bestow on his Relations, a plentiful portion of Consolations.

Thy generous Exertions to inform thy fellow Citizens, and to present thy Country before the World in a justly favorable Light, will be, I firmly believe, attended with the desired Success. With every respectful Consideration I am thy Sincere Friend,

JOHN DICKINSON

WILMINGTON the 25th of the 9th Month 1805.

THOMAS JEFFERSON TO MERCY WARREN

Th: Jefferson presents his respectful compliments to Mrs. Warren and his thanks for the copy of her History of the American revolution which he received yesterday.1 his emploiments have not yet permitted him to enter on it's reading; but he 1 A copy of the History was in the Jefferson Library when purchased for the Library of Congress.

anticipates much pleasure from the perusal of a work which taking truth, both of fact and principle, for it's general guide, will furnish in addition original matter of value, not before given to the public.

He prays Mrs. Warren and Genl. Warren to accept his friendly salutations and assurances of high respect and esteem.

WASHINGTON, Apr. 26, '06.

JOHN DICKINSON TO MERCY WARREN

MY GREATLY ESTEEMED FRIEND, In thy Intercourse with the World thou must have observed, how much Pleasure may be derived from a Communion of Minds without personal Acquaintance: That Pleasure I perceive to be strongly communicated by thy Correspondence.

I am gratefully sensible of thy kind Enquiries about my Health. Excepting a pain in the small of my Back at times severe, it is good, considering my Age, having entered upon my seventy fifth Year on the thirteenth Day of last Month. I see, and hear, and walk, and ride, as well as I did in my Youth. Such an old Age could hardly be expected by a Man born in the Middle part of Maryland.

These and several other Circumstances, relating to private Condition are gratifying: But — When I look at the State of the world, I see Cause, according to the apostolic Language, to be "troubled on every Side, and perplexed; but not despairing."

Great Changes have taken place; and as great, I presume, will succeed. Human Affairs are now flowing along in a vast Torrent. It will not continue. It does not appear to Me likely, that any of the Actors in the present Tragedies will establish the Jews in the Land of Canaan.

The best Commentators I have met with, when speaking only of their general Conversion, represent that Event as two or three Centuries remote.

That Nation is indeed, to use thy Expression, "a standing Miracle," and most certainly and wonderfully will be instrumental in accomplishing the divine purposes.

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