and courts of justice, as long as will be necessary to obtain relief. If it is practicable, the general opinion is, that we ought to bear it. The commencement of hostilities is exceedingly dreaded here. It is thought that an attack upon the troops, even though it should prove successful and triumphant, would certainly involve the whole continent in a war. It is generally thought here, that the minister would rejoice at a rupture in Boston, because that would furnish him with an excuse to the people at home, and unite them with him in an opinion of the necessity of pushing hostilities against us.

On the contrary, the delegates here, and other persons from various parts, are all sanguine, that if Boston and the Massachusetts can possibly steer a middle course, between obedience to the acts and open hostilities with the troops, the exertions of the colonies will procure a total change of measures and full redress for us.

What you propose of holding out some proposal which shall show our willingness to pay for our protection at sea, is a subject often mentioned in private conversations here. Many gentlemen have pursued the thought, and digested their plans; but what is to be the fate of them I cannot say.

It is my opinion, sir, that we do our full proportion towards the protection of the empire, and towards the support of the naval power. To the support of the standing army, we ought never to contribute voluntarily.

A gentleman put into my hands a few days ago a plan for offering to raise 200,000 pounds sterling annually, to appropriate it to the maintenance of a ship of war. But is not this surrendering our liberty? I have not time, however, to discuss these questions at present. I pray God to direct, assist and protect you, and all our friends, amidst the dangers that surround you.

FROM J. ADAMS.

Hartford, May 2d, 1775.

We are very anxious to know the state of things at Boston, Cambridge, Watertown, and Roxbury. The accounts we have are very confused and uncertain.

Our accounts from New-York are very well. That province is getting into a train, which will secure the union of the colonies, and success to their efforts.

The little dirty ministerial party there is humbled in the dust.

Certain military movements of great importance, and with the utmost secrecy, have been set on foot in this colony of Con

necticut, which I dare not explain, but refer you to Colonels Foster, Danielson and Bliss. As it is of great importance that we should be informed of every thing, I must beg you to write often, and persuade others-Mr. Cooper and Mr. Ward, or any body that will write facts. The letters will follow on, and reach us at last.

FROM J. ADAMS.

Philadelphia, May 29, 1775.

We have but little intelligence from Massachusetts since I left it. Your difficulties press upon you so fast, as to take up all your time, I suppose. So do ours.

I believe no assembly ever had more extensive and complicated objects before them than our congress. We shall be united, but I can say no more.

Messrs. A. and J. C. Hall, bearers of this, will inform you of the state of the colonies.

They are young military adventurers; volunteers joining the army in Massachusetts, to gain experience and skill. They are of one of the first families in Maryland, and possess independent fortunes. Their letters will make impressions upon the southern colonies. It is of importance that they be treated with respect.

FROM J. ADAMS.

Philadelphia, June 5, 1775.

The bearers of this letter, Mr. Stephen Collins and Mr. John Kaign, are of the peaceable society called Quakers or Friends, yet they are possessed of liberal sentiments, and are very far from being enemies to American principles or practices. They are warm, zealous friends of America, and hearty well wishers to her councils and arms, and have contributed mach to promote both in this province.

We have an infernal scoundrel here, a certain Col. S—, who comes over full of plans and machinations of mischief. He has had the most unreserved and unlimited confidence of Lord Dartmouth, during the whole of the past winter, and it seems for some time before; and together with a contemptible puppy of a parson, V. has been contriving to debauch, seduce, and corrupt New-York. The ministry have given him a commission in the woods as surveyor, and another to be governor of Ticonderoga and Crown Point. He is permitted to roam about, upon his parole of honour not to transgress certain limits, but is doing mischief.

The colonies are not yet ripe to assume the whole government, legislative and executive. They dread the introduction of anarchy, as they call it.

In this province, indeed in this city, there are three persons, a Mr. W, who is very rich and very timid; the provost of the college, who is supposed to be distracted between a strong passion for lawn sleeves and a stronger passion for popularity, which is very necessary to support the reputation of his Episcopal college; and an Iwho is at the head of the Quaker interest: these three make an interest here which is lukewarm; but are all obliged to lie low for the present.

P

I am greatly obliged to you for your letters, which contain the most exact accounts we have been able yet to obtain. We are to the last degree anxious to learn even the most minute particulars of every engagement.

I want an exact list of all the officers in our army, if it can possibly be obtained.

I wish I could know exactly what powder you have. We are trying our possibles to get it; but one would not have conceived it possible that the colonies should have been so supine as they have been.

A large building is setting up here to make saltpetre, and we are about trying what can be done in the tobacco works in Virginia.

This day has been spent in debating a manifesto setting forth the causes of our taking arms. There is some spunk in it. It is ordered to be printed, but will not be done soon enough to be enclosed in this letter.

CONTINUATION OF LETTERS FROM A YOUNG AMERICAN.

MY DEAR M

Paris.

I am sending you some music, and may as well throw in a few lines to puff it a little. It has been selected by Mam'selle B——, with whose mother, as I think I wrote you, I am living. I take it for granted she is a great player, because when I tell where I am staying, they are all sure to exclaim, "How well Mam'selle N-plays"--and besides Mam'selle knows Rossini, and Rossini one day actually asked her to play a piece of music for him—and besides all this, I myself think she plays remarkVOL. II

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ably well. This lady was moreover assisted in the choice by the son of the great Pleyel--the son is a great man too. Thus I hope I have proved to you the music is good.

There

To-morrow I am going to leave Paris. I have found it as pleasant as I could expect; and not being at all prejudiced in favour of the French, but rather the contrary, I have been agreeably disappointed. They are animated and excessively amusing in conversation; full of anecdotes, which they tell with a good deal of imagination. In fact, they seem a nation of which all are more or less poets. They make a point of honour of pleasing every body, and are more anxious to please strangers than friends. Nothing tickles them more than to hear that a stranger has remarked how agreeable they are. is nothing they more studiously avoid, than saying any thing that will give pain; and they have not that wretched ill-bred habit of worrying or running people, as we call it. The English come here and abuse them to their faces-call them paupers-laugh at their religion-run down their morals, their manners, and looks-curl their lips at the cookery-blaspheme their beef steaks-call Charley le bien Aimé an ass--the ministers blockheads, and the people slaves. All this while the poor Frenchman sits silent, or with little attempt at extenuation or retort, and bears it all with a patience which to me seems inexcusable. A smart repartee is the only way to stop this unmannerly bluntness. But though they don't answer, they feel, and hate the English heartily-the more for not letting out honestly like us Americans. Indeed, they cherish a bitterness, which John Bull, with all his unmannerly sincerity, does not feel towards them. And really this is not to be wondered at or blamed. I only find fault with them, for not speaking out bravely. It is the etiquette of court, to be mighty civil to England; but no court etiquette ought to repress a proper degree of national feeling.

I had got thus far last evening. This morning as I was writing, the door opened, and in came my old friend L——. I was quite glad to meet with him, for he is really a clever fellow. He tells me he is going home. I could not repress a silent wish that I was going with him. However, while I am abroad, I will see all I can, for I have sworn, or I might safely swear, that when I get back, I will never cross the Atlantic again. I wish you would not be so sparing of news. I tell you all I think will amuse you, and should like to hear every thing you can gather together. There is not an old rat about the old house, in whose biography I don't feel an interest; or an old chair in whose downfall I would not sympathise. I hope you will like the song of Madame Pasta from Nina. The

two greatest people in Europe, are incontestably Madame Pasta and Rossini. It's well the latter did not arrive fresh in Paris during the coronation, or he would have cut out Charley le bien Aimé to a dead certainty. Adieu.

MY DEAR R————,

Brussels, July 2d, 1825.

At length I write to you from Brussels. We left the great city a few days ago for the second time, and so far have had nothing to annoy us-no breaking down, and no delays. We have an excellent servant, whose special vocation is to take care of grown gentlemen on their travels-who fights all our battles, and resents all unseemly grumblings on the part of publicans and sinners, while we have the satisfaction of sitting perfectly quiet, seeing the fun, and at the same time saving our pockets. In truth, what with postilions, hostlers, waiters, and landlords, it may be said we fought our way through the low countries, which you know have been the seat of wars from time immemorial. They are the cock pit of Europe, where all the game chickens are pitted against each other. The last enemy we encountered was the custom-house officer, on the frontier of the Pays Bas and France. These are a sort of pleasant gentry, that meet a man at every turn, and mount guard at the frontier of every kingdom of Europe. They are reckoned indifferently honest, and were never detected in taking a bribe. You can't conceive what a useful person our governor is. We resolve what we want, and appropriate the money, after which he makes the bargain and buys. We fix on our route, and he sees that we go it. In short, we are the legislature, and he fills the executive department, subject to our control and censure. We run some little risk of being cheated, and perhaps sometimes may be; but as yet we have found nothing to make us suspicious, though on the watch. He has an excellent reputation, and we pay him well. But knowledge is not to be got for nothing, either in person or by proxy. He has been this route in the same capacity at least twenty times, and is not a little annoyed, if we notice any thing that he does not point out to our attention. However, so far as I know, all people that are wise, value themselves accordingly-are apt to be conceited, and like dearly to have their own way.

After

In our researches among the curiosities of this place, we this morning visited a spring, where, as we had heard, his Majesty Peter the Great of all the Russias, got tipsy and fell in. searching a good while, we found in a hollow, among the bushes, a little stagnant, or almost stagnant pool, with a stone margin,