11From John Jay to Robert Randall, 2 February 1773 (Jay Papers)
I have rec d . and should have answered your Letter immediately, had I not found myself more disposed to Violence, than might be justified on cool Reflection. I believe th[ere is no one] less dis[posed to in]jure or insult oth[ers than my] self, or more ready to give Satisfaction to such as have a Right [to] require it. You speak of a Stab given your Honor this Morning. I have reflected...
12From John Jay to the Earl of Dartmouth, 25 March 1773 (Jay Papers)
Tho a Stranger to your Lordship, I take the Liberty of troubling you with the inclosed Petition of the Inhabitants of New Britain, Settlement on the Frontier of this Province. Principles of Humanity my Lord! have led me to interest myself in Behalf of these unhappy People; and I forbear paying an ill Compliment to a generous Mind, by endeavouring to apologize for giving it an opportunity, of...
13From John Jay to Robert R. Livingston, 31 October 1765 (Jay Papers)
Never my Dear Friend have I been more at a Loss in answering a Letter than I now am, and never have I undertaken a Task more agreable or that has given me [ illegible ] ^ greater ^ Satisfaction. Be not surprised that on such an Occasion, I should be at a Loss; for nothing that I can say, will be adequate to your Candour, and Generosity; nor can any Terms be fully expressive of my Sentiments on...
14From John Jay to Benjamin Kissam, 12 August 1766 (Jay Papers)
To tell you that I often find myself at a loss for something to say, would be telling you nothing new; but to inform you that whenever I sit down to write, my invention makes a point of quarrelling with my pen, will doubtless be to account for the . . . in my letters. In writing to those who, I know, prefer honest hearts to clear heads, I turn thought out of doors, and set down the first ideas...
15From John Jay to John Morin Scott, 22 June [20 July] 1774 (Jay Papers)
I was much surprised last Evening on being informed that in your speech of yesterday at the Coffee house (the Conclusion of which only I heard) you charged the drawers of the resolves then under Consideration with a design of thereby disuniting the Colonies. On what Evidence you found an accusation . . . I am at a loss to conceive: but as it cannot be presumed you would wantonly sport with the...
16Address to the People of Great Britain, 21 October 1774 (Jay Papers)
To the people of Great-Britain, from the delegates appointed by the several English colonies of New-Hampshire, Massachusetts-Bay, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, the lower counties on Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina, and South-Carolina, to consider of their grievances in general Congress, at Philadelphia, September 5th,...
17From John Jay to John Vardill, 24 September 1774 (Jay Papers)
The Rec t . of your Letter (which M r Laight kindly forwarded to this Place) was exceedingly grateful to me. I am so attached to my old friends that I feel myself interested in all that concerns them, & am always happy in hearing of their Welfare I am much obliged to you for the political Hints contained in your Letter: I wish they had as much Influence on others as they have upon me. The...
18From John Jay to Robert R. Livingston, January 1769 (Jay Papers)
The letter you mention to have wrote the week before last, has never come to Hand and I cant account for the Miscarriage of two Letters I wrote you by the Post last Monday, in which I informed You of the Dissolution & c .— The Paper you inclosed by will be printed to Night, and 100 shall be struck off and sent—Coll. Beekman has either wrote or procured a Paper to be written, 60 of w h . you...
1 st None shall be admitted (unless by a particular Act of the Governors) but such as can read the first three of Tully’s Oration, and the six first Books of Virgils Æneids into English; and the ten first Chapters of S t . John’s Gospel, into Latin; and such as are well versed in all the Rules of Clark’s introduction, so as to make true grammatical Latin; and are expert in Arithmatick so far...
20From John Jay to Samuel Kissam, 1 March 1770 (Jay Papers)
The manner in which you tell your brother that you expected a letter from me contains a reproof which gives me pain. I confess appearances have been against me, and my conduct even to you, my friend, must have appeared exceptionable. My last letter I hope will apologize for seeming omissions; you have doubtless received it before this. Neglect of friends is a species of littleness to which I...