I received your favor of the 14th inst. some days since & should have replied to it earlier <b>ut for the indisposition of Mrs Scott, who has been confined to her room near three weeks laboring under the ills of miscarriage.

     I should, really never have hinted at a removal of the boys, but supposed you had merely sent them to their respective schools without any interview with their teachers & relying as I have done on report for character, terms &c.— I now find, you placed them there for the year & impressed the teachers with that belief: I heartily concur with you then, that a contract of this Kind should be as inviolable as tho' signed & sealed & that nothing but mal-treatment or a most flagrant neglect of duty on their part, would justify a removal— I promise myself the pleasure of getting them at the close of the year, allowing you the p[r]ivilege of removing Spotswood at the termination of any quarter & George too, My good Sir, if you think him in any way neglected— I hope however you will find the situation so good an one, that you will be induced to supply Spotswoods place with one of Bushrod's younger ones.

     May I venture to beg by Robt who <mutilated> in a day or two, a few lemons for Mrs Scott. I remain Dr Sir very sincerely yrs