I have had the honor of writing you twice since your last favor which mentioned me the affaire of General Greene.

As I know your occupations & indisposition I must not be ceremonious in our correspondence, particularly in the present case as a most singular occurence obliges me to trouble you with the following long detail & request your advice concerning it.

By the last french mail I received a letter from Paris which enclosed me the copy of a letter signed with my name and addressed to MM. Les Redacteurs du Journal de Paris upon the subject of Monsr. Sue’s Anatomical Cabinets. I have the honor to enclose you a Copy of this letter & permit me to make you some few remarks thereon.

That I shou’d be asshamed to do so much injustice to America as to say “les sciences sont encore eloignées du degrée de perfection ou elles sont poussée en Europe &c—That I was overburthen’d with the friendships of Monsr. Le Roy Mr De Jessieu is saying infinitely too much, I have ever a gratefull sence of their kindness & civilities Mr Daubenton I never knew or saw. And altho I have a high respect for Mr. Sue le pere, it wou’d be audacity in the extreme to extol so sublimely “son suberbe Cabinet” whilst I know there are many others in Paris much superior—“L’ordre mervillieux que Monsr. Sue le fils vient d’y mettre en rend le coup d’oeil infiniment plus agreable &cc.” How well I am calculated to judge of this order & arrangement of his you may easily imagine when I assure I have never seen it, its being finish’d since my arrival at Leipsic It must also appear equally clear to you how I am capable to doubt that “y’en a en Europe qu’on puisse lui compare,” having seen no other part of Europe than the small streak of road from Port L’Orient to Paris. How impertinent & false must the assersition respecting the Cabinet of the famous Doctr. Hunter of London appear to every one who has the Cabinet or acquainted with the high reputation of that great Anatomist. Also the cabinet of Ruisk which is in the possession of the Empress at Petersburg, which my unknown Secretary says only serves “pour nous convaincre du progres etonnantes que l’art d’injection a fait de nos jours.” I had time to examine it accurately on my last voyage to Russia therefore in justice to the manes of that old dutch Anatomist I ought at least to have held myself quiet—& with respect to the Eulogium upon the merits of young Monsr. Sue which the letter terms “un homage aux talents d’un ami” I did not know that I held any thing in fief of his talents that I shou’d homage to them—Besides I shou’d have perferred making it more modestly & more privately—As the Whole of this affair has given me much uneasiness & knowing no other person in Europe who I can trouble with a mention of it with so much advantage to my self give me leave therefore to ask your advice upon it whether is the Journal de Paris is a Paper of such a nature as to desire to me injury from such an absurd & ridiculous publication—Shou’d you Suppose, it can in any way hurt me, permit me to request your offering the journalist my assurances that I never saw or heard of the letter before its publication & that probably some person meaning to serve Monsr. Sue & thinking I was already gone from Europe & would probably never know any of the matter, & that it wou’d pass unobserved by my friends had so far abused my name—

In about two monthe I expect to go to Berlin & Dresden & so return to Paris wherre I flatter my self with the pleasure of making you my respects once more at Passy—& doing personally what I shou’d be obliged if you wou’d do for me at present, to assure your worthy grandfather that I ever retain a most gratefull recollection of his protection & favor’s rendred. Your sincere & obliged friend