Your’s of the eighth I receivd this Morning, while Blakestone was in hand, with the inclosed; which I can assure you, gave me the greatest pleasure, especially when I found it from you; my Sincerest Friend—True, indeed, is your Observation & I from experience know it. it is certainly hard for one who has enjoyed himself in the arm’s of Venus, to be suddenly deprived of that, the greatest of pleasures; & to undergo the fatigues of travelling night & Day, solus cum solo. but how much harder is it, when deprived of all these Comfort’s, to arrive at a place, where Solitude seem’s truly painted; & without any Company to pass th tedious Days—When, once; spending the Day with Friend’s & the night with Venus, Oh! si plein de Charmes.—Hard is the fate of him, who lead’s this life—Was only one of these satisfaction’s to be taken away; it might be survived. but both of them, a le meme temps—cruel. Here I rest the whole Day either with Blakestone or some other damned dry old Fellow; & at night in want of some Amusement; I search for a Palais Royal. but instead, I enter a dark solitary wood where Death itself seem’s painted; & when any one appears to you in it; they look not as existing Being’s, but as if they were Ghosts just arisen from the dead, & when, for a Venus, in vain do you search—& upon reading your letter, finding part of it touch upon that Heavenly place, where none but God & you reside & the fashion of that Place—it almost invites me to believe myself get awaked & after having dreampt of such pleasures, as they appear so new to me, who has so long wonderd through this solitary abode—& When I look for a companion to revive my spirits lost, I find none; but one with the pen continually in motion, and who has but little to say except it relates to the mercantile line, to which I am perfectly a Stranger; Sometimes I dine in company with some Americans, but they turn differently from me & Oh! Oh think when with you, spending the Day’s with Friend’s & the night’s in the arm’s of Venus—& to compare this present— We have no new’s here at all—the Fleet with the Alliance has sailed for some day’s; there is a brigg from Philadelphia in which I propose embarking soon for America—Write by this post & your letter will be time enough— Ste. Mary complains of my not loving her. Upon the Delivery of the inclosed, be so good as to tell her I do sincerely, & to write to me in America, which I should be much obliged to you to inclose, whenever you will favour me so much, for I shall Continually do it to you—describe the pleasures I enjoy here to her & let me know what she say’s to it. Remember me sincerely to Grand—

Believe me ever to be with the Sincerest Regard & Friendship— Yr most Obedt. & most Hble Svt