OF MRS. ADAMS, THE WIFE OF JOHN ADAMS. WITH AN INTRODUCTORY MEMOIR BY HER GRANDSON, CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS. VOLUME I. SECOND EDITION. BOSTON: CHARLES C. LITTLE AND JAMES BROWN. M DCCC XL. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1840, by in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. 973.4 A 21 V. I BOSTON: PRINTED BY FREEMAN AND BOLLES, WASHINGTON STREET. たじゃ PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. THE extremely favorable reception which the Letters of Mrs. Adams have thus far met with from the American public, encourages the Editor to attempt the present republication of them. The opportunity has been taken to revise the text by a fresh comparison with the original manuscripts, and carefully to correct that portion of the work which was supplied by himself. Objections to the somewhat unwieldy size of the former volume have been removed by dividing the matter which it contained into two. In order to do this, however, it was found necessary to add a few letters. These, together with a commentary upon them in the memoir, originally prepared for the first edition, and finally excluded from it only because of the unexpectedly large space which the letters of earlier date were found to occupy, are now inserted. In all other respects the two editions do not differ. Boston, December, 1840. CONTENTS. To John Adams. 16 April. Pleasure in writing. Ques- To the same. 19-20 April. Wishes to know her faults. Page ure of the warrants for summoning juries. Drought. 15 To the same. 14-16 September. Warlike preparations of Governor Gage. The gunpowder in Braintree se- |