I have been desired by Miss Kitty Shipley to convey to you the inclosed letter; and I cannot at present find any way of conveying it except by the Packet. It will inform you of the death of one of your warmest Friends and the best of Bishops. Ever Since the American war I have been honoured with much of his attention and friendship and I cannot but mourn the loss which his family, his friends and the world have Sustained. His family are in a State of deep concern, but at the Same time inquisitive about you and anxious to receive Some information about you. You can be no-where more beloved or respected. I have heard with pain that you have been Suffering under the gout and Stone, two Sad maladies; but alas! it is impossible that our bodily frame as it wears out and approaches to its dissolution Should not Subject us to Sufferings. Happy are those who in Such circumstances can look back on a life distinguish’d by Such Services as yours have been. There is, I trust, beyond the grave, a world where we Shall all meet and rise to greater happiness than any we have enjoy’d here.

Will you be so good as to deliver my compliments to Dr. Rush. You have, I know, too much to do, and too many letters to answer; and therefore I can only wish that Dr. Rush would give me an account of you. He has frequently favoured me with letters; and they generally gratify me highly by informing me of the State of public affairs in the united States. His last letter was dated in May; and I answer’d it in June, by Mr. Bishop a gentleman from Connecticut who was returning from his travels thro’ France and Germany.

I rejoyce to find that the new federal constitution has been adopted by the States. This confirms me in the hope that a State of things is commencing there more favourable to human rights than any that has yet been known in the world. One of the circumstances in which I am most disposed to rejoyce is the Separation which has taken place there of religion from civil policy and the free Scope given to discussion and improvement by abolishing the interposition of civil power in matters of Speculation and extending equal protection to all religious Sects as far as they avoid injuring one another.

I received Some time ago a letter from Dr. White. Will you, Should he happen to come in your way, deliver to him my respectful and grateful acknowledgments. I have thought it needless to trouble him with an answer to his letter. He probably Soon found that it was not possible to assist Mr. Workman (the person he recommended) in the manner he proposed.

Our King’s insanity has brought us in this country into a State that threatens us with much confusion. The Prince of Wales is likely to bring with him into power the Coalition party. The King may recover, and this party may be soon routed again. A relapse may produce another rout; or the Prince after being invested with power may be too tenacious of it, and thus the worst evils may arise. The coalition party, however, will hardly do us more mischief than the late ministry Seems to me to have done by connecting us in Such a manner with Prussia, Hesse and Holland as to Subject us to the danger of being involved soon in another continental war. But I have gone beyond the bounds I intended in this letter. Accept my ardent wishes that the remainder of your life may be as happy as possible. In hopes of not being forgotten by you, I am ever most affectionately Yours