It is with pain I recollect that the agreeable correspondence with which you were pleased to honour me has been so long broken off. Conscious of the purity of my Intentions and uprightness of my Conduct I waited for the pleasure of seeing you and rested fully satisfyed that in whatever light, I may have been represented by some who, of late, have taken it into their head to be dissatisfyed with me, I should be found to have acted not unworthy the Notice or friendship with which you have honoured me.

I longed for your Arrival on Another Account, that I might have your Advice and Assistance in the execution of a plan, which I flattered myself might be useful to our Country.

You remember the Society to which I belonged, which was begun in the Year 1750. By the death and removal of some of the Members it dwindled for some time to that degree that I was apprehensive of its dissolution. From some Conversation I had with you some few of us exerted ourselves to revive it again. New Members were elected and our Meetings became more regular. As our views were enlarged with our Years, we became desirous of altering and enlarging the plan of our Society and if possible, of rendering it useful to the publick. For this end the enclosed proposals were drawn up, and laid before the Society, who approved the same and ordered them to be published and immediately proceeded to draw up some Rules for carrying the same into Execution. At first we met with some discouragements and experienced some difficulties which by perseverance are at last in a great measure overcome, and I have now the pleasure to inform you we have brought the Society to some degree of perfection. We have established a Correspondence in most of the Colonies on the Continent and in some of the Islands and have formed a Set of Rules or laws for our government which I shall transmit to you by the next opportunity. We did ourselves the honour early to elect you a Member and requested the favour of your Son and Doctr. Evans to inform you.

And now having resolved to elect standing Officers we have presumed to elect you our President and hope for your Patronage and assistance; Mr. Samuel Powell is our Vice president Doctr. Morgan, Major Nicola and J. Bartram are curators, Mr. Biddle our Treasurer and Mr. Thos Mifflin and myself Secretaries.

We are yet in an infant State and dare not promise any great Matters; however the discoveries already made and communicated to us some of which we have laid before the public encourage us to hope that our undertaking will not be in vain. I am with the greatest Esteem and Affection Your sincere friend