is almost the greatest desideratum in husbandry. I am anxious to conjecture beforehand what may be expected from the sowing turnips in jaded ground, how much from the acre, and how large they will be? Will your experience enable you to give me a probable conjecture? Also what is the produce of potatoes and what of peas in the same kind of ground? It must now have been several pages since you began to cry out "mercy." In mercy then I will here finish with my affectionate remembrance to my old friend Mr. Pendleton, and respects to your fireside, and to yourself assurances of the sincere esteem of dear Sir, your friend and servant.

TO THOMAS MANN RANDOLPH.

MONTICELLO, November 28, 1796.

It is so cold that the freezing of the ink on the point of my pen renders it difficult to write. We have had the thermometer at 12°. My works are arrested in a state entirely unfinished, and I fear we shall not be able to resume them. Clarke has sold our wheat in Bedford for 8s. 6d. and the rise to the first of June, with some other modifications. It appears to be a good sale. He preferred it to 10s. 6d. certain, which was offered him. I think he was right as there is little appearance of any intermission of the war.

I thank you for your

letter of news, and am glad

to see the republican pre-eminence in our assembly. The paper you inclosed me presents a result entirely questionable, according to my own ideas of the subject. The preponderance of the McKean interest in the western counties of Pennsylvania is by no means so great as is there supposed. You will believe the true dispositions of my mind on that subject. It is not the less true, however, that I do sincerely wish to be the second on that vote rather than the first. The considerations which induce this preference are solid, whether viewed with relation to interest, happiness or reputation Ambition is long since dead in my mind. Yet even a well-weighed ambition would take the same side. My new threshing machine will be tried this week. P. Carr is on the point of marriage. All are well here, and join in the hope of your continuing so. Adieu.

1

TO JOHN TAYLOR.1

MONTICELLO, October 8, 1797.

We have much here of an improvement made in the Scotch threshing machine by Mr. Martin, and that you have seen and approved it. Being myself well acquainted with the original geared machine and Booker's substitution of whirls and bands (as I

1 Printed from the original in the Washburn Collection of Autographs given to the Society.-EDS.

2

See the letter from Jefferson to Taylor, June 4, 1798.—EDS.

have one of each kind), it will perhaps give you but a little trouble to give me so much of an explanation as will be necessary to make me understand Martin's, and let it apply, if you please, to the movements by horses or by hand. I must ask the favor of you to get me one of the same drills you sent me before, made in the best manner, with a complete set of bands and buckets, and packed in a box, in pieces, in the most compact manner the workman can do it, and forwarded to me at Philadelphia as soon after the meeting of Congress as possible. It is for a friend, and to go still further, which renders this mode of packing necessary. For the amount when you will make it known, I will either enclose you a bank bill from Philadelphia, or send it you in fine tea or anything else you please to order. How did your turnip seed answer? I have received from England, and also from Italy some seed of the winter vetch, a plant from which I expect a good deal. If it answers I will send you of the seed. I have also received all the good kinds of field pea from England, but I count a great deal more on our southern cowpea. If you wish any of them, I will send you a part.

I have not yet seen Hamilton's pamphlet; but I understand that finding the strait between Scylla

1 The pamphlet referred to is the well-known "Observations on Certain Documents contained in No. v. and vi. of 'The History of the United States for the Year 1796,' in which the charge of speculation against Alexander Hamilton, late Secretary of the Treasury, is fully refuted. Written by Himself."-EDS.

and Charybdis too narrow for his steerage, he has preferred running plump on one of them. In truth, it seems to work very hard with him; and his willingness to plead guilty as to the adultery seems rather to have strengthened than weakened the suspicions that he was in truth guilty of the speculations. Present me respectfully and affectionately to my old friend and file-leader, Mr. Pendleton, and accept yourself my friendly salutations and adieux. P. S. Your answer by the first or second post will find me here.

TO EDMUND PENDLETON.1

PHILADELPHIA, January 14, 1798.

DEAR SIR,—I received some time ago from Mr. Edmund Randolph a note signed by Mr. Lyons and yourself, undertaking to pay the amount of a decree of Royle's administrators v. yourselves as administrators of Robinson to Mr. Short or myself as his attorney. This undertaking is perfectly satisfactory, and I only wait your pleasure to be signified as to the time when and place where it may suit you to make the payment. As it was to depend on the sale of the stock I should suppose this the best market, but of this you will judge.

We receive this day through the public papers news by the way of Norfolk of some stern interrog

1 Printed from the original in the Washburn Collection of Autographs given to the Massachusetts Historical Society.-EDS.

atories put to our envoys by the French Directory. They look so like truth that they cannot fail to make an impression. We are willing to hope that France will not push her resentments to a declaration of war, but we have not entire confidence in the moderation of certain people among ourselves. On the whole our situation is truly perilous. Congress is at present lying on its oars. There is nothing of the least importance to be taken up. They will begin to-morrow to talk about Blount and Mr. Liston. This may fill up some hours as well as lounging, and furnish something for the blank pages of their journals; but unless our envoys furnish us something to do, I do not see how we can contrive even the semblance of business through February.

I avail myself with great pleasure of this opportunity of recalling our ancient recollections; and it has been with great satisfaction that I have heard

1 William Blount, lately Governor of the Territory south of the Ohio, and a senator from Tennessee, was charged with having been engaged in a conspiracy for transferring New Orleans and the neighboring districts from the Spanish to the British. Upon information, furnished in part by Robert Liston, the British envoy to the United States from 1796 to 1802, which had been laid before Congress, the House of Representatives voted in July, 1797, to impeach him. Two days later, after hearing counsel, the Senate voted to expel him. This did not, however, end the matter, and in January, 1798, it was again brought before the House of Representatives, which proceeded to elect managers. It was not finally disposed of by the Senate until the end of that year. Blour.t died shortly afterward. See Hildreth's History of the United States, vol. v. pp. 88, 89, 187, 281, 282; Annals of Congress, 5th Congress, vols. i.-iii. passim; also the copy of a letter from Timothy Pickering to Rufus King, in the Pickering Papers, belonging to the Massachusetts Historical Society, vol. xxxvii. leaves 196, 197.—EDS.