John Adams to Abigail Adams, February 9, 1794

Philadelphia Feb. 9. 1794

My dearest Friend

Vive la Baggatelle! Dulce est desipere. 1 I have no other Resource in my solitude, amidst all my gloomy forebodings of the future Miseries of my beloved Species. Our Allies, Our only Alies as the Demi-Crazies pathetically call them, have compleated their System by turning all their Churches into, Je ne seais quoi and if they should have any Government erected among them either by Themselves or others, they may substitute Chorus’s of Boys and Girls to chant Prayers like the Romans

Hic bellum lacrimosum, hic miseram famem

Pestemque, a populo et Principe Cæsare, in

Persas atque Britannos,

Vestra motus aget prece. Hor. Ode. 21. 2

What think the Clergy of New England? What says M r Wibird? Do they still Admire the French Republicans? Do they think them virtuous? Do they wish to see them imitated by all Nations? Do they wish to resign all their salaries? and to have their Churches all turned into Riding Houses, the Sabbath abolished, and one day in ten substituted to sing songs to the Manes of Marat. Oh my Soul! come not thou into the Secrets of such Republicans. 4

The Guillotine itself would not make me a sincere Republican upon such Conditions.

The Spirit, Principals and system of rational Liberty to All Nations is my Toast: but I see no tendency to any Thing but Anarchy, Licentiousness and Despotism. Mankind will not learn Wisdom from Experience.

your s affectionately

J. A