A little while ago I recieved, by Count Windisgratz, a parcel of American newspapers with two pieces of your composition, which both you had send me last year. I thank you for them. I few days afterwards I was very happy to recieve by the post a long and long Desired lettre, containing an answer on a great many of my former letters. You will have recieved by this time a short letter I had an oportunity to forward to Paris. You remembre, that, when I sold out what I had in the English funds, I laid out near two thousand Pound St. of it in mercantil advantures, partely by Mr. Sam. Wharton, partly by Mr. Jonathan Williams, with the fairest prospect of tripling at least, as you thought yourself, the capital. Mr. le Ray de Chomond, who must have been the best judge of it, encouraged me a great deal in this undertaking by telling me, that laying out only 500 Pound St in such a trade, one Could reasonably exspect to secure in America a fortune at least 25 or 30 times worth the sum employed, that he got for some goods 80 times their real value; that this great profit was chiefly owing to the depreciating of the paper currency which according to Mr. Wharton’s opinion and Mr. le Ray de Chomond’s opinion must necessarily return to its past value, as public faith was pledged for it, and the more so, as congres confirm’d this notion at that very time by a most significant circulatory letter. Not doubtin in the least of Mr. Wharton’s integrity, I rejoiced to find him disposed in assisting me to secure for me in the new world an independent fortune, on which I intended very positively to goe and live, When I should find my income in the old world to become a precarious possession, which I apprehended may be one the case, when the sense of gratitude for my past services should ware out or cool. What I feel allready by experience has sufficiently convinced me, that my apprehensions were not ill grounded, and would have determin’d me a good while ago to carry my scheem in execution. But things having turn’d out quite countrary to my most sanguine exspectation, I would commit an unwarrantable imprudency to risk of loosing what I still enjoye here, by joying to a very distant country, where I should find my fortune squandered away by a man, who after having in a most scandalous way deprived me of it, does not even give me the small satisfaction of pleading some excuse for his unwarrantable behaviour towards me. Is it credible, that a man capable of such actions, sould be chosen by a free and honest people as one of their leaders? and that he should by this acquired authority strike such a terror among his fellow citizens, that, according to a letter of Dr. Bankroft written to Mr. Coffyn from Philadelphia on the 20th of December 1783, few people, even not Mr. Ross, chould chuse to act openly against him (Mr. Wharton) or quarl with him from a supposition of his being capable of doing mischief, and being mush disposed to resentment. Dr. Bankroft therefore advised, in the same letter, Mr. Coffyn to chuse reather a foreigner for this business, as being out of the reach of the power of that man. This dread for Wharton’s power was hightened to such a pitch afterwards, that Mr. Coffyn, after farther information recieved from Philadelphians, wrote me on the 9 of May 1784, that even if a court of justice should have condem’d him to pay his debts, no officer of justice should have the courage to execute him. Tho these are the very expressions of these two Gentlemen, the one an American, the other a consul of the American nation in a seaport much frequented by Americans, yet their opinion seems to me, even as to you, too extravagant to be grounded, and I can not but thin, that my case is a singular one and ought not to be taken as an example happening frequently. I suspect even, that Mr. Coffyn himself did not behave towards me according to strict rules of fairness, as you may have observed in some of my letters. I think still, that if my case is treated gently and prudently, I may still retain hopes of getting at my money, and that overturning Mr. Wharton would only make him averse of doing me justice and disabling him for a long while in endeavouring to pay me. Therefore I leave it to your Consideration, whether it would not be advisable to request by gentle means of Mr. Wharton to doe me justice, to inquire of himself what has been the reason of his Strange behaviour towards me, to let me know the issue of the Commission, and to take under your own care the lettres and remittances which he has to send to me; for if he promises you to write directly to me, he may, as before, never doe it, and make an excuse afterwards by saying the letters miscarry’d. He referred in his letter to Mr. Coffyn to several letters written to me and his son in a letter to me referrs to two letters of his father sent to me; and yet no one of them ever came to hand, very likely because they never were written. By this way you may come at the truth of the whole affaire. I hope, My Dear Friend, you will not refuse me your good advise and assistance in this affaire, so essential to my subsistance. You would particularly oblige me to acquaint your grand son with the whole affaire, if he goes with you to America, and to acquint with it allso your son in law Mr. Bache, who will probable remember to have seen me more than once with you in Cravenstreet. This gentleman may by your recommendation be of much service to me, if I should be so unhappy as to loose you before my affiares are finish’d You will probably think with me, that, if Mr. Wharton should offer me uncultivated land instead of money, it would be an useless possession as it would never bear intrest during my life.

It being thus impracticable to accompany you to your beloved Country, I was much tempted to come and see you once more in France. I gave it to understand it was rejected at the first hint. By a new law nobody may go out of the Emperours dominion without a special licence, which is not granted but for reasons which are approoved of     important enoug. You know, that, besides the particular pleasure of seing you for the last time, such a journey would be of use to me for the printing of my books. I think, that,   would not mind the carrying such a small quantity of money out of the stae, if there was a certainty of a war not breaking out. By what happend now in Europe you will be convinced, that the old world is loosing its good senses, perhaps from decrepid     The case of your country has happily restored one country to its good senses. The Hibernians are already aware of it, and take advantage of it, lest madness should return again in to old England.

I possess none of the four papers you publish’d in France, except that on the aurora borealis. Therefore I begg of you to send me a copy of the three others, viz. the lettre to abbé Soulavie, the Conjectures on the universal dry fogg, and the General ideas on light heat &c.

Your case of the Stone give me great concern. But the case being such, you must console yourself with feeling so little inconvenience of it.

I have sent you some days ago by Count Mercy a copy of my melanges de Physique et de Medecine in two volumes, which I begg to present to the Philosophical society of Philadelphia, among whose members there will be some who understand the language. I sent you allso some Copies of four different dissertations in Frensh, of which you will dispose in America as you please. I hope Mr. le Begue will delivre you two Copies of the frensh edition of the melanges, which must be printed now, if ever it will be finish’d. The Printer lays the fault on Mr. le Begue, and he on the printer. Mr. Wharton promish’d me to deliver in my name a copy of my english book On Vegetables to your Philos. society, of which he told me he was a member. You may inquire whether he did not neglect it.

Would you not be so good as to recommend me to the good countenance and acquaintance of your successor in Paris? His knowing my name and caracter may be of use to me to get letters directed more safely to you, or he may be of service in any other instances.

I should be glad to know, where your grand son will settle. I hope he will not loose sight of me.

You will find inclosed a short state of my American affairs.

If you had a piece or two of green soap left, I should be glad to have it, as you have promish’d me to send one over. It is to be wrapt in paper, and there must be put upon it Remede contra la pierre, which is true; and without this precaution the custom house officers will take it away, if they thought it was soap. Mr. Wharton promishd to send me six pound of it, but he did not doe it.

I begg allso to be recommended by you to your son in law and to engage [him] to assist me with his support in my concerns.

The American Seeds you was so good as to send me last year came to hand I obliged friends with them. I thought I thank’d you for it. Recieve now my thankfull aknowledge[ment] for it.

As you did not mention the ship by which the box of Mr. Bathram four Count Chot   is sent to Amsterdam, the Count sent an order to his banker there to enquire after it. He begs to present you his thanks and Respects.

I leave the inclosed to Mr. Wharton unsealed that he may be sur you are informed of the whole business.

Letters send by the post over Holland may be put in a cover directed to Mr. L. Ingen Housz à Breda, those goying via France may be put in a cover Directed to Mrs. Tourton & Ravel Banquiers à Paris.

That your remaining days may slide away in happiness, content, and as allways they were, in usefullness to mankind, is the wish of My dear Friend Your most affectionate