Papers of John Adams, volume 14

From Jean George Holtzhey, 23 December 1782 Holtzhey, Jean George Adams, John
From Jean George Holtzhey
Monsieúr Amstdm. le 23 dec 1782

Je me troùve honorée de la Votre du 2e. du Passé, Sensible aúx Louange que vous me faite, de mon travail, m’ont engagés d’un faire un autre, que je prend la liberté de vous l’envoÿer, ci jointe dans la ferme attente qu’il ne voús faira pas moin de satisfaction que la presedente, au reste monsieur, comme née dans cette ville dans la quelle de meúre toút de braves Gens, qui ont Vivement desire l’union de Vos Etats avec les notres m’ont inspirée a la faire Connoitre pour la posterité

Aú reste Monsieúr, je recommande les Medailles a votre bonte poúr L’amerique quand l’accosioner le presentera, et suis avec un profond respect / Monsieur / Votre tres humble et / tres obeisant Serviteúr

Jean George Holtzhey.
146
Translation
Sir Amsterdam, 23 December 1782

I am honored by your letter of the second of last month and by the praise you bestow upon me and my work. I am charged with making another medal, which I take the liberty of sending, in the firm hope that it will please you no less than the previous one. Moreover, sir, having been born in this town where so many good people live, all desirous of a union between your states and ours, I am inspired to make that union known for posterity.

In addition, sir, I commend the medals to your care to be presented to America when the occasion arises and am with profound respect, sir, your very humble and very obedient servant

Jean George Holtzhey.

RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “a son Excell. Monsr. Adams / a paris.”

From Philip Mazzei, 23 December 1782 Mazzei, Philip Adams, John
From Philip Mazzei
Sir, Amsterdam, 23 Decr. 1782.

I am obliged to trouble your Excellency about a letter Mr. Lynch writes me to have sent me from Nantes the 10th. of October last,1 under cover to your Excellency as well as the two preceding, which were delivered to me unsealed by Mr. Dumas. I don't recollect which motive Mr. Dumas told me had been the occasion of it; and as the same, or any other motive, may have occasioned the abovesaid letter being mislead, I beg the favour of your Excellency to desire that it may be searched, & delivered to me. Your Excellency would do me a favour to order that it may be likewise delivered to me Baretti's dictionary, which was sent to your direction, by Mr. Lynch, along with the dictionary of Crusca.2 I am sorry to find that I am still in a great need of an English dictionary. Had I succeeded to explain myself with clearness, in the letters I sent to your Excellency, where I meant to signify that I was a perfect stranger in this Country, I should not perhaps have had the mortification to read, in the answer you did me the honour to write me the 26. ulto.,3 that I must have been introduced to some of the Houses in Holland who have most connections with America. In expectation of the honour of your Excellency's commands, I am with profound respect, / Sir, / Your Excellency's most Obet / & most Humble Servant

Philip Mazzei
147

RC (Adams Papers).

1.

Mazzei wrote again on 26 Dec., in the meantime having received a copy of the 10 Oct. letter mentioned here from Mark Lynch, a Nantes merchant. On 26 Dec. Mazzei reiterated his request that the documents enclosed in Lynch's letter be forwarded to him (Adams Papers).

2.

Probably Giuseppe Marco Antonio Baretti, A Dictionary of the English and Italian Languages, London, 1771, and Accademia della Crusca, Florence, Compendio del vocabolario degli Accademici della Crusca, 5 vols., Florence, 1739, but see Mazzei's letter of 2 Feb. 1783, below. Copies of both works are in JA's library at MB ( Catalogue of JA's Library ).

3.

For JA's letter of 26 Nov., see Mazzei's of 2 Nov., note 3, above.