Jefferson Quotes & Family Letters

The punctuality with which you have executed my little commissions, has a claim on my warmest acknowledgments—the cloak & etc you have sent me, is the most beautiful thing of the kind I ever recollect to have seen—I will trouble you to forward the enclosed to Mlle Bertrand, which contains a draft on Perigeau for the money I am indebted to her—I must now begin to apologise for my long silence & I trust you will readily credit the assurance that I would have written sooner, had it been possible—my health is so bad as to prevent my enjoying my amusements whatever. We have been above a fortnight in Town & I have been but twice out of an evening—the real truth of the matter is, that I expect to be confined in about a weeks time, & though the Docters all assure me I am as well as can be expected, (their usual phraze upon such occasions), it is with the utmost difficulty, I can crawl across the room: you must not expect to hear from me for some time, but nevertheless, I hope you will have charity enough to write frequently, mon cher mortie, protests I shall not see a creature (my Mother excepted), ’till the months end, so you may judge in what a situation I shall be, if my friends have not the goodness to indulge me frequently with their letters. Do you know my Dear Girl your last made me very low—I cannot divest myself of the idea that you will quite forget me, when once the ocean seperates us—Absence, (they say), certainly enhances the value of those we love—experience teaches me the contrary, when I quitted France, I flattered myself, my friends were as numerous as I could have wished them, I have scarcely been two years in England, I am [. . .] already totally forgot by all, Botidoux & yourself excepted, & how long I shall be able to rank you among the number is uncertain. You tell me so much news & surely you have a right to some in return—Beikers still remains in England, keeps her own carriage & servants, & lives in a very great style—I pity poor Dashwood extremely, & am not in the least surprised the English object, to visit her Mother—I fear the school will be much hurt if they continue to take people of such infamous characters, the World cries—Shame on the Nuns! but this entre nous. London is not so gay as usual—We have no Court owing to the King’s indisposition—the season for balls is not as yet commenced & the Spectacles are not the least frequented—Nestis, Gardelle & etc are engaged at the French Theater, & the wretched performers we have remaining, have the satisfaction to perform three times a week to empty benches. Do endevour to persuade Botidoux, La Charriere & Dashwood Mde de Sainte & De Crofton, to write to me, they are all letters in my debt, except the former. I have not got my books nor sent yours, when I shall meet with some friendly being, I am at a loss to know—I shall put a period to this stupid epistle, as the contents are not worth the postage of an enveloppe—I wish you would send me some of the Griffons, as there are none to be purchased in England.—Adieu my Dearest Friend—let your friendship & affection for me be as permanent as the life of your tenderly devoted—