Please allow me, my illustrious doctor, to ask you for two things in this note, as it was impossible to ask for them during these past days, when I planned to go see you. The first thing is what you think of the dedication to the thirteen United States of the Outline of the History of Holland, and if you consent to the author putting it at the beginning of this work. You remember that I gave you this dedication a week ago yesterday to ask your opinion. My second request: you would accept that I appoint you to the committee which must report to the Academy on the project proposed by M. de La Blancherie, to establish communication and correspondence with all the scholars in Europe. He told me that this proposal pleased you very much. Your fellow committee members for this project are M. de Lalande, M. de Condorcet, and myself.

I also ask you, my illustrious doctor, if you have heard any interesting news about America, to send me word of it. Adieu, my illustrious doctor. Believe me, I long to become your neighbor again.