 | Letters of Mrs. Adams, |  |
TO JOHN ADAMS.
In this beautiful month, when Nature wears her
gayest garb, and animal and vegetable life is diffused
on every side; when the cheerful hand of industry
is laying a foundation for a plentiful harvest,
who can forbear to rejoice in the season, or refrain
from looking "through nature up to nature's God;"
The joy of God, to see a happy world."
While my heart expands, it, sighing, seeks its associate,
and joins its first parent in that beautiful description
of Milton.
With charm of earliest birds; pleasant the sun,
When first on this delightful land he spreads
His orient beams on herb, tree, fruit, and flower,
Glistering with dew; fragrant the fertile earth
After soft showers; and sweet the coming on
Of grateful Evening mild; then silent Night
With this her solemn bird, and this fair moon,
And these the gems of Heaven, her starry train:
Eat neither breath of morn when she ascends
With charm of earliest birds; nor rising sun
On this delightful land; nor herb, fruit, flower,
Glistering with dew; nor fragrance after showers;
Nor grateful Evening mild; nor silent Night
With this her solemn bird, nor walk by moon,
Or glittering starlight, without thee is sweet."
This passage has double charms for me, painted
by the hand of truth; and for the same reason, that
a dear friend of mine, after having viewed a profusion
of beautiful pictures, pronounced that which
represented the parting of Hector and Andromache
to be worth them all. The journal in which this is
mentioned docs not add any reason why it was so;
but Portia felt its full force, and paid a grateful tear
to the acknowledgment.
We are anxiously waiting for intelligence from
abroad. We shall have in the field a more respectable
army, than has appeared there since the commencement
of the war; and all raised for three
years or during the war, most of them men who
have served before. The towns have exerted themselves
upon this occasion with a spirit becoming
patriots. We wish for a naval force, superior to
what we have yet had, to act in concert with our
army. We have been flattered from day to day,
yet none has arrived. The enemy exults in the
delay, and is improving the time to ravage Carolina
and Virginia.
We hardly know what to expect from the United
Provinces, because we are not fully informed of their
disposition. Britain has struck a blow, by the capture
of Eustatia, sufficient to arouse and unite them
against her, if there still exists that spirit of liberty,
which shone so conspicuous in their ancestors, and
which, under much greater difficulties, led their
hardy forefathers to reject the tyranny of Philip. I
wish your powers may extend to an alliance with
artifices of Britain, as a former ambassador[1] was
against those of another nation, when he negotiated
a triple alliance in the course of five days, with an
address which has ever done honor to his memory.
If I was not so nearly connected, I should add, that
there is no small similarity in the character of my
friend and the gentleman, whose memoirs I have
read with great pleasure.
Our State affairs I will write you, if the vessel
does not sail till after election. Our friend, Mr.
Cranch, goes from here representative, by a unanimous
vote. Dr. Tufts, of Weymouth, is chosen
senator. Our governor and lieutenant-governor, as
at the beginning. Our poor old currency is breathing
its last gasp. It received a most fatal wound
from a collection of near the whole body's entering
here from the southward; having been informed,
that it was treated here with more respect, and that
it could purchase a solid and durable dress here for
seventy-five paper dollars, but half the expense it
must be at there, it travelled here with its whole
train; and, being much debauched in its manners,
communicated the contagion all of a sudden, and is
universally rejected. It has given us a great shock.
| Letters of Mrs. Adams, | |