It is with sincere regret, that I learn from you that it is not possible to supply me with any particulars, respecting the early life of Genl Washington. The interest and value of the work would be greatly enhanced by such additions, but as these cannot be had I must do as well as I can. With the materials now on hand I shall be able to throw much light on the part he took in the French war. Govr Dinwiddie’s Letter Books, and the papers in the Plantation Office in London, have furnished me with numerous facts.

     Permit me to acquaint you with your election to an honorary membership in the Peithessophian Society of Rutgers College. By the acceptance of which you will confer a favour on the association in whose name I now address you and oblige. Yours &c.

In beginning to examine the papers in detail, I find great inconvenience in consulting the letters received by Gen. Washington. They are filed according to their names, but it is quite important, for every purpose of consultation that the whole mass should be arranged in strict chronological order. If you have no objection, therefore, I shall arrange them in this way, & have them bound in volumes. They will thus not only be more easily consulted, but be preserved in a better condition.

Your letter of the 17th was not received until the 29^th. I perceive that it was written at Bath, & put into the Post office at Charles Town.

     I going on with the house for the book¹ and papers the man that slate the house furnish the slate put it up for six dollars for evry ten feet I have received your letter and will attend to the order I have a sick famly my mother is very sick and silay osborn and old woman dolly is crasy like she was two or three years past george at the farm is sick Mr Rodges comments seeding the ry the 24 august I think that you had better write to him to now what time he will get done the ry timothy seed has not ben soen yet the

     You will please accept Bushrods and my united thanks for your kind consideration of us; we were indeed anxious to hear how you and our dear Aunt were after your rough journey and the heavy rains which we knew must have impeded your progress, and rendered the roads even worse than usual; we were much gratified to learn that you were benefited by bathing and using the water.

I should have written you a long time ago, if I had completed the duties of my last circuit, so as to give you all the results. But I am as yet scarcely free from all the cases, which have been under advisement.

     At a meeting of the Board of Managers of the American Sunday School Union held on the evening of the 27th May last, you were unanimously elected <mutilated>Vice President of that Institution. <mutilated>ully

     Since the communication you were good enough to make to me, last winter, respecting the little legacy left, by our late Friend Mr George Gray, to the Children of my Brother Thomas Mason, I have, at the request of the only surviveing child, my nephew Gerard Mason, communicated thro' a Friend with his (Mr Gray's) Executor in Baltimore, Mr Wethered, on the subject—and find that a very singular difficulty exists, as to the payment of it— an extract of the will has been sent me, which is in the following words— "I give and bequeath unto such o

     You will be surprised perhaps to receive a letter from me but I will state at once my reasons for taking this liberty, in the confidence that you will excuse the daughter of Judge Griffith for asking a favour of her father's best friend.

     The pecuniary difficulties that I labour under, with a large family dependent on my individual exertion, requires that I should use some exertion to procure an appointment, or situation, different from the poor one in which I am placed, & which I have resigned, after the first July; To your Influence then, my dear Sir, as my Relation & Friend, I appeal, and hope that I may meet with from you, that friendship I expect.

     When I had the pleasure of seeing you, for the first time, at Mount Vernon, on a late visit, you mentioned to me, that a motion had been made to dissolve the injunction filed against the Exrs of Gl Washington, by my Father, as Exr of my Uncle.

     I received your letter of yesterday, enclosing [one] from Mrs Blodget, addressed to me. My personal acquaintance with that lady is limited: But it has been sufficient, with some other favorable information which I have received of her, to inspire me with a high respect for her genius, and a disposition to serve her in any way in which I could do so with propriety. During the short remnant of the present administration, I fear no opportunity to promote her wishes in regard to her son-in-law, will present itself.

I thank you for your late letter containing the Decisions of your spring & autumnal Circt.¹ I shall confine my Answer to your own Cases, intending to bring you an abstract of mine when I come to Washington this winter. Until very lately I thought it would be unnecessary, as the 4th volume of Mason is partly through the press, & I supposed it would include them. I think now it will not— But I shall bring you the printed sheets, as far as they go, which will be about 400 pages.

     I received your favor of the 10th instant. I regret to have to inform you that, at present, there is no vacancy in any of the Clerkships attached to the Department of State, to which the son of your friend could be appointed, nor am I aware that any will occur prior to the 4th of March next. If any existed your own recommendation, founded upon your personal knowledge, would be entirely Sufficient. It would have afforded me much pleasure to have been able to promote your wishes. I am, with great respect & esteem Faithfully Your ob. Servt

I anxiously desired to converse with you before you left the neighbourhood on the subject of this most ruinous and distressing debt, but circumstances have occur'd to prevent our meeting— I wou'd see you to day but the health of my little boy is too precarious for me to leave him,¹

I have been in the Country for two months, returned here yesterday, and am obliged to leave this tomorrow morning on my Connecticut Circuit, And I have not been able to obtain the information you wish respecting the School on Long Island. Immediately on my return which will probably be in a few days, I will make the Enquiry and write you— I presume the School to which you allude is at Jamaica.

     I have nearly recovered from a serious indisposition which had nearly launched me from time to eternity, otherwise, your letter of the 30th ulto would not have laid by so long unanswered— I am truly sorry, that in all my efforts to collect debts due to me, I have failed, wishing, if possible, to pay in that way rather than, resort to a loan from the Bank.

I regret exceedingly that you have been necessitated to remind me so often of yr demand[.] I do assure you I have made every exertion in my power to collect Money to pay it— I have written to my agent in Kintucky to sell property— he writes me, cash cannot be procur'd at present for half the value of the property—but that he is using every endeavour to collect what is due me there and will remit the Money as soon as collected.

     I had the pleasure of receiving your letter from Baltimore my dearest Uncle some days ago, and should have written again, immediately on receiving it but waited in the hope of being able to say on what day we should have the happiness of being with my beloved Aunt and yourself.

I have just recd a letter from one of my daughters requesting me to ask Judge Washington if it is true that he has interdicted all visits to Mount Vernon by water. It seems that Miss Silsbie and some other young ladies, daughters of members of congress, being desirous befor they go home to pay their respects at the tomb of their country's Father, had formed a party with their young friends of Washington, for the purpose and had proposed for their convenience to take one of the small steam boats— when they were stopped by the information of this interdiction.

     Your favor and enclosures came safely to hand— I have seen Genl Stewart who has accepted the Dft on Aim payable in thirty days— They are both deposited with Mr English for collection.

     It is long my dearest Uncle since we had the pleasure of receiving a letter from you, and while we learnt every other day thro.

     Enclosed I send you two orders— viz.— one upon Gen. Philip Stuart for $195 and one upon Hon. G. C. Washington for $110, which I beg you to receive in part payment of the claim you have preferred against me. I hope you will wait a little longer for the balance, I will send it as soon as it is convenient, the recent afflictions in my family, and my own infirmities have so deranged my affairs that I am compelled to ask this indulgence.

     The Corporation of Harvard University, having regard to your distinguished merits in general and your eminent character in the Judicial Department, did, on the last Commencement, confer upon you the Degree of Doctor of Laws.

     They wish this testimony of their estimation may prove not unacceptable.