I returned home two or three days ago, after an absence of more than 3 months, when I had the pleasure to recieve from the post office your very friendly and interesting letter of the 2d Septr— For your kind & affectionate wishes for my health I am sincerely grateful to you, as I am for some other expressions which I owe chiefly to your indulgence & partiality. my health is now, thank God, as good as it has been for some years past.

     I recd a few days ago, from Mr Woodward, your work containing "Letters on the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper" for which I beg you to accept my best thanks— in the perusal of it, I anticipate great satisfaction. and, I humbly trust, some religious improvement. I am with very great esteem Dear Sir your faithful & obliged Servt 

     Please inform me if you have sent down the dozen pine apple cheeses, as Mr Adams has not informed me of their arrival. I shall be much disappointed if they do not get down in time to go by the next packet which will sail in a few days. Let me know the price of them & I will immediately deposit the money to your credit in the Bank of Pennsylva. I am Sir Yr mo. ob. Servt

     I recd a letter from chief Justice Marshall a a few days ago, in which he requests me to present to you in his name, a copy of his “history of the Colonies,” a compliment which he thinks due to you “on account of your great attention to the publication of the life of Washington.["] He desires me to state to you, that he has taken the precaution to take out a copy right for the book now sent you, to prevent the interference of others—not to affect you.

     After further reflection on the subject of appointing mates, I am under the impression, that the system already commenced would be much better supported by ordering a Board. This would also relieve the Department from much importunity. I have considered it proper to make this statement, as my opinion has been changed since yesterday. I have the honor to be very respectfully

     As it will be seen by the record of the Board, that many of those examined have been rejected, I beg leave to propose that the names of such as passed may not be published by the Department, since it would be the means of exposing the other candidates, whose misfortune we sincerely lament; for apart from their profession, they are all worthy men, and have our warmest esteem.

     I must again trouble you upon the subject of the suit brought by Mr Swann in the Name of Genl Washingtons Exectrs vs. Ludwell Lee Exect. This Lee & to enquire whether the action is in as languishing a State as it was when you wrote me on the 22d Jany 1819. If it be so, I must beg the favor of you to mark your name to the suit and to hasten it on to a speedy trial, as I am Just closing our Exectrs accounts.

     I return you my sincere acknowledgements for your kind favor of the 5th inst., and also for the pamphlet containing Mr Fiske’s address to the Worcester agricultural Society, which I have read, and from the many Judicious observations which it contains, I conclude that this Gentleman is not only a scientific but a practical Agriculturist.

Since my return from my northern Circuit I recd your favor of the 2d april, which had been lying some time in the Alexandria post office.

     My letter to Maurice informed you of the severe inflammatory attack on my breast which then confined me to my room. The pain has nearly disappeared, and I am rapidly recovering the Strength of which the depleting System to which I was subjected had deprived me. The Doctr comsents to my returning to Court the day after tomorrow. Should my health not be again interrupted, I trust it will be in my power to finish the cases which are to be tried in the course of a fortnight.

     I now enclose you for the Countess a letter from Genl W.— It was addressed to myself, as might be expected, since it could be only by accident that I could have letters written with his own hand to any other person. I hope you will recieve it in time. In 4 days from this I commence my Journey to Phila. Farewell & believe to be with great regard—sincerely yr

The Session of the Supreme Court will terminate today, after a continuance of 54 days, during which time, we have disposed of about 66 causes, many of them difficult, & some greatly interesting to the Nation. I shall return to Mount Vernon without delay, and endeavour to hasten the preparations for my Northern Journey. The unusual length of the Session puts it totally out of my power to go to Trenton; and I fear that I shall not be able to get to Phila. before the 2d or 3d day of the Court.

     I have examined with attention & pleasure the portrait you have drawn of Genl Washington, and I feel no hesitation in pronouncing it, according to my best Judgement, the most exact representation of the original that I have ever seen. The features, as well as the character of his Countenance, are happily depicted. I am sir very respectfully yr mo. ob. Servt

     I recd, sometime during the last month, your favor of the 20th of January, which I should have acknowledged immediately, if its contents had seemed to require it, and if I had not supposed that my letter to your daughter upon the same Subject would be promptly communicated to you. I can say nothing more at present but to repeat the assurances given to her of my earnest wish to serve you in this, or in any other way in my power, and of the zeal with which I shall exert myself to do so when the occasion alluded to shall offer.

The object of this letter is to give you the name & place of residence of the gentleman on whose account I spoke to you this morning, as they may escape your recollection.

"William Griffith, Burlington, New Jersey." Sincerely yrs

     I have never, that I can recollect, refused to comply with a request similar to that contained in your letter of the 8th inst. in behalf of the Countess charlotte, and if I had been heretofore in the habit of doing so, I should most certainly make an exception in your favor, and upon such an occasion.

Your three letters of the 25th Jany, 6 & 22d february have been recd, but not duly, the first written having been detained at the Alexandria post office until three days ago, when it was forwarded to me. As to the one containing observations upon the case of Conn. vs. Penn., I must postpone an answer until I can look again over my notes, which I left at Mount Vernon, as also the opinion in extenso.

     I am Just informed of your kind invitation to the Judges to dine with you today, & am requested to accept the same in their names. I am Dr Sir with great respect yr mo. ob. Servt

     I have recd a letter from Mr Dodridge in which he does not positively decline advocating your side of the Cause & promises to write me again after he has read the bills. He recommends the employing of the Mr Alexander Caldwell of Wheeling as Counsel— This for your information. I am Sir yr. ob. Servt. 

I returned home from my Circuit on the last day of Novr, since which, I have, as far as the various calls to which a farmer is exposed, have afforded me time for Study, been employed in preparing an opinion in the equity case of Conn. vs. Penn. the argument of which consumed nearly a fortnight of our last Term. I hope to make a final decree in this case in April, and never again to be plagued with it, unless an appeal should be taken.

    After some conversations with the late secretary and chairmen of the naval committees concerning the surgeons' department, to save time, they requested my ideas in writing, which are now laid before you. A copy was presented to Mr Mercer Cast winter, to submit to the naval committee, if he thought proper to do so. These, together with some other communications on the same subject, were not presented in a formal manner, to remain in the department, but to serve as memoranda for the moment, in which light I beg they may be now considered.

    Your favor of the 18th, my dear Sir, is this moment recieved. I board at Mrs Wharfe's S. 2d street, next door but one to the Corner of Spruce on the west side, where it will afford me great pleasure to see you (and I hope perfectly restored to health) as you pass thro' the City. My Court hours are from 10 to 3’. I am very truly, my dear Sir your friend & ob. Servt. 

Your letter of the 11th July found me upon a bed of sickness, from which I was not very soon relieved. I had scarcely become convalescent, before others of my family were taken down— finally, I determined to abandon the Country, which was becoming universally sickly, and to take refuge with Mrs W. in this place, which has, thus far, been unusually healthy. I trouble you with this account of my past troubles, as it furnishes the only legitimate apology for my long Silence since the rect of your favor.

    You will, I am sure, confer an obligation upon the persons in whose behalf you spoke to me relative to the Loudoun land sold to them by Mr Crawford, by informing them that the deed they left with me has Been duly executed & certified, & is deposited with Mr Maurice Herbert of this place to be delivered to their order.

    I have been waiting with some impatience to hear from you in relation to Cresaps suit against you, and to recieve a Copy of the bill, without which I can do nothing towards the defence of the suit. I shall depend upon your promise to forward me a Copy as soon as the bill is filed. With respect to the selection of a lawyer I must rely entirely upon you as I am unacquainted with the members of the bar in your part of the Country. I can only observe generally, that attention to business is almost as indispensable in an advocate as talents.