I owe you many thanks, my dear and venerable Doctor, for the present you sent me. I passed the English work on to Mr. de St. Lambert, but the enclosed letter moved me to tears of admiration and regret for the great man who wrote it; here we can see what humanity has lost and what they tried to render useless to us even before his death. Here you have lost more than anyone, you Americans who could benefit at will from his enlightenment, learn from his genius, good God there is so much of it in the few lines you sent me that I regret the parts caution surely dictated be left out. I shall dearly conserve this gift of your friendship and this monument to the breadth and the beneficial and illuminating mind of its author. I am led to believe that the English work will be translated, and you must know that I have a high opinion of a man to whom such a letter was written. My dear and respectable Doctor, in this world, where I have witnessed so much misfortune and oppression mixed with just a little happiness, my solace has been to offer my respect, my homage, the irresistible affection of a grateful heart to the great benefactors of humanity, those geniuses who have really enlightened and served it. You know what share belongs to you in these feelings of mine, and how happy and honored I am by your response. I am sending you the verses asked of me at your home about the odd stroke of fate that made an eagle fall in your garden. Please receive the eagle's compliments and my prayer and throw it all in the fire when you have finished reading it. Farewell, my good Doctor, I shall be most eager to make the most of whatever too short moments I shall be allowed to spend with you.