Forgive me if I recall your attention for a moment from the great affairs which are now on the carpet, to a friend who nothing to communicate but fresh apearances of his friendship.

I was in hopes to have seen you here ere this the harbinger of peace & concord, but our late intelligence seems to frustrated these hopes & obliges us to look forward to a more distant period for the compleation of this much desired end—Rockingham left the world too soon for our peace: Shelburne scorns to follow Fox in the only step which could possibly keep alive the very Small part of affection now remaining in this Country towards England—My letters make me fear that even wise & good men in that Country, who have uniformly shewn themselves the friends of liberty have adopted the erroneous idea of the premise of the possibility of a partial treaty & renewed connection wth. this country—I say I fear it will not be the first Who have suffered their Judgements to be warped by their wishes—

The papers Mention that A Mr Vaughan is at Paris, who has been sent to sound D Franklin—I suppose it is my brother & have therefore written him the enclosed to wean him from these false Ideas in case he should have adopted them I have left it open that you may read it—should he have left Paris I request you will forward it—I really ought to make a thousand excuses for the trouble I have given you by my frequent enclosures—I hope you will forgive me—

We have now a good assembly & Council & Govrnor the Republican party having carried their point in a most signal manner agt. the Constitutionalists—& if the Victory is made a moderate use of they will probably keep the Staff—The Old Constitution was like many other excellent theories faulty in practice J. Dickinson is our governor in spite of every obtacle party [rage] & calumny could thro’ in his way—Wilson, Montgomory Gineral Miflin, Fitzsimmons Peters are our Members of Congress. Digges is governor of Maryland—Livingston of the Jersies—the representatives [illegible] every state are it is said respectable—tant mieux for we never did a period more require able men to be at the head of Affairs—The Moment is an important one.

Pray Remember me affectionately to your Grandfather, & belive me as ever Your affectionate friend