I Was very happy in receiving your letter containing the explication of the stroke of lightning at Cremona, and an other, dated July 4th, which came to hand before yesterday. Recieve my most harty thanks for both these favours and particularly for your kindness of forwarding my lettre to Mr. Sam. Wharton and joining to it an admonitory note of your own on my behalf, of which note you tell me to have inclosed a copy, which was left behind as it was not in the lettre. I thank you also for the Communication of the American News. I doe not give up all hopes of a general congress being held at Vienna, as besides the affaires to be adjusted between Gr. Brittain and the united states of America, the other European powers have direct or indirect relation with America as a New power starting up all at once. old treatises between Gr. Brittain and Holland will be annihilated and new ones made and many new regulations must take place between all the European Powers after the tremendous power of that proud insulary nation will be reduced to a more moderate condition. All those things can not be adjusted so soon, and will require some time to be settled, which, I imagine can’t be conveniently done but by convoking a congress.

I am very glad to see, that your wighty political occupations have not yet been able to make you laid aside those pursuits, which were formerly your favourite studies. I hope for the sake of Philosophy, that you will fulfill your desires to pass the evening of life in the pursuit of Nature’s laws. I wish I was at liberty to follow you on that Spot, where you will finish your glorious carreer, and where I my self have had the strongest inclination to finish mine: and indeed this thought had a great wight with me in resolving to employe a part of my fortune in a way, by which then was a fair prospect of augmenting my Stock so as to make me independent from Europe, as indeed, if I could write to you, what I think upon the times to be expected in this country, you would certainly think it much better to live in country of freedom, whose laws are framed by those, who submitt to them, and where no frowns of a monarch will ever inspire terror and apprehensions to any man.

Your remarks upon the experiment with the wires seems to be wighty; but when I was to prepare for the repetition of it, I began to make some reflexion your advise to put the hot oil in motion when the end of the wires were plunged in it, I apprehended from such motion, that the wires beying unequaly dipt in it by the very motion of the fluid will contract the more heat as they will be in contact with more of the heated fluid. I should think that leaving the hot oil quiet, but sliding the frame to which the wires are fastened slowly over the edge of the vessel would answer the purpose. The leaving the wires a long while into the melted wax, till they are thoroughy and equaly heated, seems to me of great importance and I will observe this if I repeat the experiment. I thank you for the hint.

I have not yet been able to find a copy of the pamflet of Pere Barletti on the stroke of lightning at Cremona. It is not be be got here, but I will endeavour to get it from Italy; tho I believe you have rightly understood the meaning of the author, as I remember of having run over the performance when I was with you at Passy. I made an extract of what youl wrote about the American Affaires in the letter accompanying the reflexion, on Pere Barletti books, and at what you say, that it is the intrest of whole Europe to prevent a foederal connexion between Gr. Britain and the American free states; I joined some reflexions about the danger to be apprehended for the tranquility of Europe if so proud and quarlsome a nation should be again united with North America so as to have its full support in time of warr and be at no expenses to keept it in time of peace. I did make use of those reflexions you communicated to me by reasoning about this affair. I gave the paper to the first lord of the bedchamber, who gave it to the Emperors he kept. But I made no extract of you[r] lettre of July 4th, as you write me the contents are for my private information. I am much obliged to you for those informations and will be very glad of knowing from time to time who your Countries affaires goe on. But it is a pity that lettres remain such a long while behind. If a lettre, not to big, was recommended by you to Count Narly, he would send it to me by the ordinary post in his pacquet to the Court, if no Courier or private Court messenger was agoying, which happens once every month, thereabouts at a fixed day.

I write by this oportunity to Mr. le Begue, that if he should find it in consistent with his affaires, or impossibly by his frequent absence from town to take care of the impression of my book, I should be obliged to him to get a substitute in his room who could act in the time of absence. I propose Mr. le Roy in case of necessity; informing him that I make no doubt but you would employe, in case it should be required, your good offices in begging this favour for me of Mr. le Roy. I am very respectfully Dear Sir Your obedient humble Servant and affectionate friend