1Mercy Otis Warren to Abigail Adams, 25 July 1773 (Adams Papers)
I shall pass over in silence the Complementary introduction to your Letter, not because these Expressions of Esteem are frequently words of Course without any other design but to Convey an Idea of politeness as the Characteristick of the person the most Lavish therein. But in you I Consider anything of the kind as the Natural result of a Friendly heart dispose’d to think well of all those who...
2To John Adams from Mercy Otis Warren, 11 October 1773 (Adams Papers)
MS ( Adams Papers ) in the hand of Mercy (Otis) Warren. This unsigned poem was doubtless an enclosure in a letter which has since been lost. For Mrs. Warren’s relationship with the Adamses, see Adams Family Correspondence Adams Family Correspondence , ed. L. H. Butterfield and others, Cambridge, 1963– . , 1:84 , note and references there. This reference is not to Gov. Hutchinson’s brother,...
3Mercy Otis Warren to Abigail Adams, 19 January 1774 (Adams Papers)
I sincerely Congratulate my much Esteemed friend on the Restoration of the invaluable Blessing of Health: without which (if I may so Express it) Life is but a painful Blank. May it be long: very long before she again knows an interuption. But by the stile and spirit of yours of the 5th December one would judge you was quite as much affected by the shocks of the political as the Natural...
4Mercy Otis Warren to Abigail Adams, 27 February 1774 (Adams Papers)
The Confidence I have in the Candour and Friendship of Both Mr. and Mrs. Adams, together with her request in her last agreable Favour for the Communication of something in the poetical way: Emboldens me to put into their Hands a piece form’d (as nearly as the Writer Could understand it) upon the short sketch of somthing of this kind by Mr. Adams in a Letter to Mr. Warren somtime ago. Should...
5Enclosure: Poem on the Boston Tea Party, 27 February 1774 (Adams Papers)
Wrote at the Request of A Gentleman who described the Late Glorious Event of sacrificeing several Cargos of tea to the publick Welfare, as a squable among the Celestials of the sea Arising from a scarcity of Nectar and Ambrosia The content of all or some notes that appeared on this page in the printed volume has been moved to the end of the preceding document RC ( Adams Papers ); addressed:...
6Mercy Otis Warren to John and Abigail Adams, 17 May 1774 (Adams Papers)
Mr. Warren being prevented by many Avocations from writing this Morning, has put the pen into the hand of his substitute: who with him presents sincere Regards to Mr. and Mrs. Adams. Lets them know they have been Repeatedly disappointed in not seeing them at Plimouth. Shall not pretend to Deliniate the painful Ideas that arise on a survey of the Evils Brought on this much injure’d Country by...
7To John Adams from James and Mercy Otis Warren, 14 July 1774 (Adams Papers)
Yours of the 25th. of last month never reached me, till yesterday. It would have given me great pleasure to have seen you when I returned from Salem, and I was really greatly disappointed to find you and Family gone, and more especially as I was Apprehensive I should have no Other Opportunity of seeing you, till the Time called for your Attendance at the Grand Council of America, An Assembly...
8Mercy Otis Warren to Abigail Adams, 9 August 1774 (Adams Papers)
I Returned yesterday from a Visit to my Venerable Father, and on our arival at our own Habitation we met the tidings that the Royal signet was affixed to those acts which are designed to perpetuate the thraldom of America: and perticulerly the Massachusets. I think the appointment of the new counsel is the last comic scene we shall see Exhibite’d in the state Farce which has for several years...
9Mercy Otis Warren to Abigail Adams, 28 January 1775 (Adams Papers)
I think myself Doubly obligated to my amiable Friend that she has for once Layed aside that Cerimonious Demand of a Letter in Return for Every Line she favours me with. Your Last I perceive was wrote with a heart trembling with the Laudable feelings of Humanity Least your suffering Country should be driven to Extreemities, and its Inocent inhabitants be made the sacrifices to Disappointed...
10To John Adams from Mercy Otis Warren, 30 January 1775 (Adams Papers)
The very polite introduction to yours of Jan 3d I Consider not only as A Complement far beyond any Merit I can presume to Claim, but as Resulting in some Measure from that partial Byas which Ever Leads us to View through the most Favourable Medium whatever Regards those we Consider in the Light of Friendship. But when assure’d that I think myself both Honour’d and oblige’d whenever Mr. Adams...
11Mercy Otis Warren to Abigail Adams, 25 February 1775 (Adams Papers)
I had the pleasure of hearing Yesterday by a transient person that my much Esteemed friend Mrs. Adams was well. I wish she had been kind Enough to have put a line into his Hand for me who is always highly gratified with Every such intimation of friendship from those she loves. I thank you for the Letter I Received by Mr. Warren, and for the Copy of a very agreable one to a Distinguished Lady...
12To John Adams from Mercy Otis Warren, 4 April 1775 (Adams Papers)
At the same time that I make my Gratful Acknowledgment, for the instructive sentiments and Friendly hint, Contained in yours of the 15th March I must ask your indulgence so far as to Favour me with your opinion (by my son who will Call on you on Monday Next) of the present dark and Gloomy aspect of public affairs. Is there no hope that the Dread Calamity of Civil Convulsions may yet be...
13Mercy Otis Warren to Abigail Adams, 15 May 1775 (Adams Papers)
Though I am very unwell scarce able to set up long Enough to write, yet I must let my dear Friend Mrs. Adams know it gave me great pleasure to have but a Line or too from her after her very long silence. I lament with you the infatuation of Britain, the Commotions of America and the Dangers to Which the Best of men and the truest Friends to Virtue, Liberty and the British Constitution are...
14To John Adams from Mercy Otis Warren, 5 July 1775 (Adams Papers)
I have had the pleasure of seeing several of your Letters in which you Complain that your friends are Rather remiss With Regard to writing you which I think inexcusable at a time when the Liberties of all America and the fate of the British Empire Depend, in a Great Measure on the Result of your Deliberating for if that Respectable Body of which you are a Member, fails, (Either from want of...
15Mercy Otis Warren to Abigail Adams, 26 August 1775 (Adams Papers)
I know my dear friend Mrs. Adams will be Glad to hear Her friend is in Better Health than when she Left Her. Hope I shall be able to Look Homewards some time Next Week. I Long for my own Retirement, and for the opportunity of seeing and Entertaining my Friend, at my own Habitation. But I know who talks sometimes of Fate. I suppose he means that providence has Its fixed Decrees to which Mortals...
16To John Adams from Mercy Otis Warren, 4 September 1775 (Adams Papers)
This afternoon came to Hand your Favour of August 26. May you ever have it in your power to expatiate this Largly on your own Happiness, but I would not have you Imagine when you in your sixteen hours Nap and Dreaming of the Feilds of Arcadia, and are Enraptured with the Happy Elisian and paridisaic scenes at Braintree that you are the only Happy Mortal among your Numerous Circle of Friends. I...
17Mercy Otis Warren to Abigail Adams, 21 September 1775 (Adams Papers)
As soon as the Letter of my Beloved friend reached my Hand, I immediately set down to Congratulate her on the Recovery of her Lovely Boy. May Returning Health Enliven the Countenance of Each one of your family, and Every Blessing Alight on your Habitation. I have been very solicitous about you since I left you. Hearing several times transiently that you and the Little flock about you were very...
18To John Adams from Mercy Otis Warren, October 1775 (Adams Papers)
The extensive system of policy which must engross your thoughts, and the vast field of business in which you are engaged, is such that I feel some checks whenever I call of f your attention for a moment on anything so unimportant as a letter of mine. Yet I cannot find myself willing to give up the pleasure of corresponding with a gentleman, I hold in high estimation, both as a defender of the...
19To John Adams from Mercy Otis Warren, 12 October 1775 (Adams Papers)
I Write again from Waterton, where I Arrived Yesterday with your Excelent Friend who has been so much Engaged by his Necessary Attention to public affairs that he has had time since you Left us only to run to Plimouth four days ago and bring back your Correspondent to this Crouded inconvenient place, where the Muses Cannot dwell, or the Graces of Elegance Reside. Yet the feelings of Real...
20Mercy Otis Warren to Abigail Adams, 11 December 1775 (Adams Papers)
My Dear Mrs. Adams has Disappointed Me so often that I think I will no more promise myself the pleasure of A Visit. But I think I will put in A Double Claim for Letters, both by way of Compensation for the Failure of her Company, And to Attone for her Husbands Deficiency. However I know his Work is Arduous and that He has Many Correspondents to answer, so I Believe it is best I should Run him...
21Mercy Otis Warren to Abigail Adams, 7 February 1776 (Adams Papers)
Just Come to hand is A Letter from my very Worthy Friend who I suppose is by this time arrived at Philadelphia and Another from his Good Portia whose Mind seems to be Agitated by A Variety of passions of the Noblest kind, A sense of Honnour, of Friendship, of parental and Conjugal affection, of Domestick Felicity And public Happiness. I do not wonder you had a struggle within yourself when...
22To John Adams from Mercy Otis Warren, 10 March 1776 (Adams Papers)
As your time is so Much Devoted to the Service of the publick that you have Little Leasure for Letters of friendship or Amusement And Conscious of Incapacity to write anything that would be of the smallest utility to the Common Weal, I have been for sometime Ballancing in my Mind Whether I should again Interrupt your Important Moments, but on Reperusing yours of January 8th I find a query...
23To John Adams from Mercy Otis Warren, 3 April 1776 (Adams Papers)
The sudden departure of the plunderers of Boston and the removal of the Continental troops from Cambridge occasions a temporary calm in the eastern region; but if the storm should again burst upon this quarter, I fear we shall be too destitute of skillful navigators, to oppose its fury with success: though we have still a few left among us whose tried courage and experience has set danger at...
24Mercy Otis Warren to Abigail Adams, 17 April 1776 (Adams Papers)
If my dear friend Required only a very Long Letter to make it agreable I Could Easily Gratify her but I know There must be many more Requisits to make it pleasing to her taste. If you Measure by Lines I Can at once Comply, if by Sentiment I fear I shall fall short. But as Curiosity seems to be awake with Regard to the Company I keep and the Manner of spending my time I will Endeavour to...
25Mercy Otis Warren to Abigail Adams, 27 May 1776 (Adams Papers)
My dear Mrs. Adams will undoubtedly Wonder that she has not heard from me since I Left Braintree, but want of Health, a Variety of Avocations, with some Axiety of Another Nature must be my Excuse. I have scarcely taken up a pen since my Return to Plimouth. Indeed I feel as if I was about to quit the use of it. So Great is the force of Habit that not accustoming myself to that Employment in...
26Mercy Otis Warren to Abigail Adams, 3 July 1776 (Adams Papers)
A Lame Hand still prevents me the free use of Either the Nedle or the pen. Yet I take up the Latter and Attempt a Line or two just to Let my Dear Friend know that both myself and Family are in better Health than when she was at Plimouth. I Enclose a Number of papers which Came to hand yesterday from Philadelphia, with Directions to send them to the foot of Pens Hill when Read. I also send...
27Mercy Otis Warren to Abigail Adams, 4 September 1776 (Adams Papers)
Is my Dear Mrs. Adams too Much Engagd with Company, is her Family sick, or is she inattentive to What Gives pleasure to her Friend, that I have not heard a Word from her since I Left the Capital. How dos my Dear Charles do. I Long to hear if that sweet boy is perfectly Recovered. I felt Great pain in Leaving him so Ill, but as I hear nothing since Conclude he must be better. Has Naby her...
28Mercy Otis Warren to Abigail Adams, 15 October 1776 (Adams Papers)
Nothing but the Greatest affection for my dear Mrs. Adams Would Induce me to Break over the Avocations of this busey Morning, and to quit the Conversation of my Friends who Leave me tomorrow, to scrable over a Hasty Line in Token that I have not Forgot you. Mr. Warren promissed to Make all the Apoligies Necessary for my Long silence. Mine is the Loss and the Mortifycation and on that...
29Mercy Otis Warren to Abigail Adams, 1 December 1776 (Adams Papers)
It is A Long time since I had the Happiness of hearing from my Braintree Friends. Dos my dear Mrs. Adams think I am Indebted a Letter. If she dos Let her Recollect A Moment and she will find she is mistaken. Or is she so wholly Engrossed with the Ideas of her own Happiness as to think Little of the absent. Why should I Interrupt for a moment if this is the Case, the Vivacity and Cheerfulness...
30Mercy Otis Warren to Abigail Adams, 1 March 1777 (Adams Papers)
For once I have followed the Example of my Friend, and have Long delayed a Reply to her Letter. And though I Cannot Complain of my Eyes as an Excuse, yet I have other Weaknesses to plead that are more than a Ballence, and to say Nothing of the Intelectual system, the Weakness of my Constitution, the Febleness of my Limbs, and the pains in my spirits , for several months past is sufficient to...