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I believe that he had rather I should not; because when I shall translate him he would desire that I might do it without help.</p> <p>I should be glad if you would bring me Mr. Cerisier’s history of this Country, if you can spare it.<a class="ptr" id="AFC04d056n1-ptr" href="#AFC04d056n1" title="jump to note 1">1</a> There is a gentleman in this city whose name is Keroux who has also wrote a history of this Country in four volumes in octavo. Perhaps you have heard of it.<a class="ptr" id="AFC04d056n2-ptr" href="#AFC04d056n2" title="jump to note 2">2</a></p> <p>I should be much obliged to you if you would be so good as to desire Stephens to buy me a penknife, I want one very much, and can’t get one here.</p> <div class="closer"> <p class="salute">I am your most dutiful Son,</p> <p class="signed">John Quincy Adams</p> </div> </div> <div class="innerdiv docback"> <div class="note-source" id="AFC04d056sn1"> <p> <span class="docSource"><abbr style="cursor:help" title="recipient’s copy (A recipient’s copy is assumed to be in the hand of the signer unless it is otherwise described.)" class="tooltip">RC</abbr> (Adams Papers); addressed: “A. Monsieur Monsieur Adams, chez Madame la veuve Hendrik Schorn a Amsterdam”; docketed in Thaxter’s hand: “Johnny 18th. Feby. 1781.”</span> </p> </div> <div class="endnote fn"> <p class="p"><a class="note-ref" id="AFC04d056n1" href="#AFC04d056n1-ptr" title="jump to note 1 context">1</a><span style="padding-right:2px;">. </span>This work, issued anonymously, was currently in progress: <span style="font-style: italic">Tableau de l’histoire générale des Provinces-unies</span>, 10 vols., Utrecht, 1777–1784. Two sets remain among <abbr style="cursor:help" title="John Adams (1735–1826)" class="tooltip">JA</abbr>’s books in <abbr style="cursor:help" title="Boston Public Library" class="repository tooltip">MB</abbr>. Antoine Marie Cerisier (1749–1828), a journalist of French birth who had long resided in the Netherlands, was a leading propagandist for the Patriot or anti-Orangist party and became an enthusiastic supporter of <abbr style="cursor:help" title="John Adams (1735–1826)" class="tooltip">JA</abbr>’s efforts to win recognition for the United States. See a documented sketch of Cerisier in <span class="expandible"><a href="#" title="Click to expand/contract" class="tooltip">JA’s <span style="font-style: italic">Diary and Autobiography</span></a><span class="expansion"><span class="visuallyhidden"> description begins </span><span style="font-style: italic">Diary and Autobiography of John Adams,</span> ed. L. H. Butterfield and others, Cambridge, 1961; 4 vols.<span class="visuallyhidden"> description ends </span></span></span>, <a href="/pageref/ADMS-01-02-02-pb-0454" rel="nofollow">2:454</a>.</p> </div> <div class="endnote fn"> <p class="p"><a class="note-ref" id="AFC04d056n2" href="#AFC04d056n2-ptr" title="jump to note 2 context">2</a><span style="padding-right:2px;">. </span>Louis Gabriel Florence Kerroux, <span style="font-style: italic">Abrégé de l’histoire de la Hollande et des Provinces-unies</span> ..., 4 vols., Leyden, 1778. The copy at <abbr style="cursor:help" title="Adams National Historical Park" class="repository tooltip">MQA</abbr> contains <abbr style="cursor:help" title="John Quincy Adams (1767–1848), son of John and Abigail Adams" class="tooltip">JQA</abbr>’s bookplate.</p> </div> </div> <div class="index_entries"><h1 class="index_head">Index Entries</h1><ul></ul></div></div></section><aside id="citation"><dl class="contents clearfix"> <dt class="permalink">Permanent Link <a href="/about/permalinks" class="whatsthis" title="About permanent links">What’s this?</a></dt> <dd><a href="https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/04-04-02-0055">https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/04-04-02-0055</a></dd> </dl><p id="copyrightnote"><em>Note:</em> The annotations to this document, and any other modern editorial content, are copyright © The Massachusetts Historical Society. All rights reserved.</p><nav class="backtotop"><a href="#document_page">Back to top</a></nav></aside><section class="sidebar clearfix"><section class="first" id="metadata"><header><h1>You Are Looking At</h1></header><dl class="contents"><dt>Source Project</dt><dd><a href="/search/Project%3A%22Adams%20Papers%22">Adams Papers</a></dd><dt>Title</dt><dd>John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 18 February 1781</dd><dt>Author</dt><dd><a href="/search/Author%3A%22Adams%2C%20John%20Quincy%22">Adams, John Quincy</a></dd><dt>Recipient</dt><dd><a href="/search/Recipient%3A%22Adams%2C%20John%22">Adams, John</a></dd><dt>Date</dt><dd><a href="/search/Date%3A1781-02-18">18 February 1781</a></dd></dl></section><hr/><section id="reference"><header><h1>Reference</h1></header><dl class="contents"><dt>Cite as</dt><dd class="citeas">“John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 18 February 1781,” <i>Founders Online, </i>National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/04-04-02-0055. [Original source: <i>The Adams Papers</i>, Adams Family Correspondence, vol. 4, <i>October 1780 – September 1782</i>, ed. L.H Butterfield and Marc Friedlaender. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1973, p. 81.]</dd></dl><footer></footer></section><hr/><section id="metanav" class="last"><header><h1>More between these correspondents</h1></header><div class="contents"><nav class="clearfix"><dl class="contents"><dt>Preceding</dt><dd><a href="/documents/Adams/04-04-02-0054">From John Adams to John Quincy Adams [12 February 1781]</a></dd></dl></nav><nav class="clearfix"><dl class="contents"><dt>Next</dt><dd><a href="/documents/Adams/04-04-02-0077">From John Quincy Adams to John Adams [13 May 1781]</a></dd></dl></nav><nav class="clearfix"><dl class="contents"><dt>All</dt><dd><a href="/search/Correspondent%3A%22Adams%2C%20John%22%20Correspondent%3A%22Adams%2C%20John%20Quincy%22">All correspondence between John Adams and John Quincy Adams</a></dd></dl></nav></div><footer></footer></section></section></article></div><div id="hatches"></div><div id="bottom_shadow"></div></div><footer> <div id="top_footer_section" class="clearfix"> <a href="http://www.archives.gov/nhprc/" id="nhprc_logo" class="ir" target="_blank">NHPRC</a> <div id="divider"></div> <div id="nhprc_blurb"><p>The <a href="http://www.archives.gov/nhprc/" style="color:inherit" target="_blank">National Historical Publications and Records Commission</a> (NHPRC) is part of the National Archives. 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