Adams Papers Digital Edition

Adams Family Correspondence, volume 4

Abigail Adams to John Quincy Adams and Charles Adams

John Thaxter to John Adams
John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 11 February 1781 JQA JA John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 11 February 1781 Adams, John Quincy Adams, John
John Quincy Adams to John Adams
Honoured Sir Leyden Feby. the 11. 1781

I received a day or two agone the vocabulary which I desir'd you to send, for which I am much obliged to you. Last Thursday I went to hear the Rector Magnificus for last year speak an oration. The Rector for this year is professor Voorda. All the Professors of the university, the Burgomasters and the Schepens of the city were there. Professor Hollebeek (the last years rector) is Profesor in theology.1 He treated upon the advantages of the Christian religion.

Perhaps you may remember when you was here you was speaking of the rules of the drama. There is a book here entitled l'art Dramatique by Mercier with his Dramatick works in 6 Volumes in Octavo which cost 18g. 14 st. but I can buy l'art Dramatique alone for 1. 16. If you please I will buy it.2

I am your most dutiful Son, John Quincy Adams

RC (Adams Papers); addressed: “A Monsieur Monsieur Adams chez Monsieur Henry Schorn a Amsterdam”; endorsed: “John ansd. 12 Feb. 1781.” JQA's punctuation has been slightly rectified for clarity.

1.

Ewald Hollebeek (1719–1796), who at the end of his incumbency as rector gave special permission for CA to be admitted to the University, had been professor of theology since 1762. See Nieuw Ned. Biog. Woordenboek , 1:1140–1141; Album studiosorum Academiae Lugduno Batavae, The Hague, 1875, p. xii and col. 1136.

 2.

In his reply of 12 Feb., below, JA consented to the purchase of the treatise but not the plays. In all likelihood the copy of Louis Sébastien Mercier, DM théâtre, ou nouvel essai sur l'art dramatique, Amsterdam, 1773, listed in Catalogue of JA's Library , now in MB, was bought by JQA at this time.