and the strangest Constructions are oftentimes put upon those parts of his Conduct which may be most easily explaind.  You have so many Twistings in your Typography and my Eyes are grown so dim with Age that I cannot well discover whether you inform me that his Friends say the Air or Airs of Philadelphia doth not suit him; though I must conclude the former from your usual Correctness in Grammar, for there is an evident false Concord in admitting the latter.  Pray let me know whether the News Papers have not done him Injustice in announcing that he made his Entrance into Boston on Sunday.  I should think they had; for a well bred Man will carefully avoid counteracting the vulgar Prejudices or injuring the Feelings of the People where he may happen to be.

I congratulate you on the present happy Appearance of our publick Affairs, & joyn with you in Praying that Heaven may still prosper them.

I shall take it as a favor if you will deliver the inclosd Manuscript, without suffering a Copy to be taken, to Mrs A. I told her, I would send it to her as being not an unfit Subject for female Inspection & Criticism.

I am very affectionately,

Yours,

1 Hancock; cf. page 41.

TO PETER THACHER.1

[Ms., Samuel Adams Papers, Lenox Library.]

PHILAD Augt 11 -78

MY DEAR SIR

I am quite ashamd that I have not yet acknowledgd the two Letters which I have had the Pleasure of receiving from you since I left Boston; you will excuse me when I tell you, I have many Letters, which are daily accumulating, unanswerd, and very little Leisure.  This by the Way, must convince you how unfit a Person I am even if I were otherwise qualified, to undertake the important Task you require of me in your last.  While I am giving you the true Reason of my Silence, I hope it will not prevent your writing to me by every opportunity.  Herein you will lay me under great obligations.

By the late Publications, you have seen, and doubtless have made your own Comments on the epistolary Correspondence between the British Commissioners & Congress.  The short Resolution on their last Letter, has put an End to it.  Last Week the Minister from France had an Audience in Congress.  The Manner of conducting this Ceremony, together with a Letter from his most Christian Majesty and the Speeches of the Minister and the President are publishd in the inclosd News Paper.  I have had several opportunitys of seeing him at his own House, and a few days ago he made a Visit to the Delegates of the Massachusetts who live together.  He is easy and polite in his Manners and converses freely without much Ceremony.