Philip Mazzei to John Adams, December 23, 1782

Amsterdam, 23 Dec r. 1782.

Sir,

I am obliged to trouble your Excellency about a letter M r. Lynch writes me to have sent me from Nantes the 10 th. of October last, 1 under cover to your Excellency as well as the two preceding, which were delivered to me unsealed by M r. Dumas. I don’t recollect which motive M r. Dumas told me had been the occasion of it; and as the same, or any other motive, may have occasioned the abovesaid letter being mislead, I beg the favour of your Excellency to desire that it may be searched, & delivered to me. Your Excellency would do me a favour to order that it may be likewise delivered to me Baretti’s dictionary, which was sent to your direction, by M r. Lynch, along with the dictionary of Crusca. 2 I am sorry to find that I am still in a great need of an English dictionary. Had I succeeded to explain myself with clearness, in the letters I sent to your Excellency, where I meant to signify that I was a perfect stranger in this Country, I should not perhaps have had the mortification to read, in the answer you did me the honour to write me the 26. ult o. , 3 that I must have been introduced to some of the Houses in Holland who have most connections with America. In expectation of the honour of your Excellency’s commands, I am with profound respect, / Sir, / Your Excellency’s most Obe t / & most Humble Servant

Philip Mazzei