Your two letters under the dates of Dec 22 & Dec. 27, came to hand in course of the mail. I have recently receivd two letters from the Chief Justice, in which he permits me to conclude the first vol, at the end of the 13th Chapter, terminating with the War of 1763, & to carry the Surplus to the 2d vol. He also desires me to strike out two or three long notes, which he designates & requests me to suggest to him such others as I think might be dispensed with. I write to him, next Mail, fully on the subject. He declines having his name in the Title & says the law does not require it, nor that the number of volumes should be mentioned. I rest fully satisfied of the correctness of his opinion on these two points; but I do sincerely believe that his name, or yours, in the Title, would much enhance the value of the work in the Public estimation. From his & your letters I learn the Title & preface are in your hands. I wrote you a long letter a few days since. With After omitting the 2 Chapters & [stet] the Notes; the Vol. will make 600 pages: — You may recollect that yourself & me agreed to print the work on type similar to The 'Public Characters' – Judge M. [Marsh] have calculated on a much Smaller type; but it would not look well on Smaller less type, than what Called in technical language 'Pica.' I have written to Mr. Weems & agreed to his propositions. The One, respecting the dollar, was agreed to conditionally, the other respecting broken Setts, without reserve. I wrote him by return Mail. From the above you will learn that your transaction with Mr. Weems is perfectly agreeable to accords with my wishes: – but I expect he will again disappoint us both: — Mr. Mars Thos. Marshall, left this city yesterday at 8 A.M. for Princeton. He deposited in my hands the two manuscripts subject to your Orders; granting me, however, permission to put mine in type; but not to print any part of it; for which I pledged him my word I would not. – Judge M. desires me to strike out such notes &c in the Copy for Europe, as he allows in to be done in mine. I am Very Respectfully & Sincerely Yours