Thomas Brand Hollis to John Adams, May 28, 1790

28 May. 1790 Chesterfeild Street

Dear Sir

Having an opportunity of writing by M r Rutledge 1 I embrace it with
great pleasure to convey to you a few lines & some tracts & to convince you
that you are often in my memory & could I find conveyances easy you would hear
often from me being interested in the progress that Novi homines new men make in
virtue & knowledge.

The state of the publick in general is astonishingly changed
since we parted & I see with rapture the scenes which are opening on this world of
ours from the English revolution the seeds of Freedom were sown you encouraged &
promoted their progress to a Surprising degree of perfection the French Nation tho
suffering from every quarter the utmost indignities that human nature could bear were
not deterred from aiding & assisting the culture till at last the Sun of Liberty
arose with healing in his wings & with undiminished splendor brought forth fruits
worthy of Paradise to maintain envigorate & illumine mankind.

This last revolution being supernatural the hand of heaven is
still with them to effect greater purposes This affair of Nootka Sound will have its
consequences whither a war or not it will open that sea to America 2 Khamchatzar will be well known Japan will be
practised & open to people of that Hemisphere Mexico will be independent Quebeck
will gain a free constitution not granted by the English & United with America 3 the Chinese will alter their manners the
Malese will navigate those seas as the inhabitants of sandwich Island do at present in
American ships— Persia India Tibet & the great Lama will be accessible Asia will
throw of her Tyrants Egypt will be formed by the French into a regular government
& Africa cease to be the market for slaves but enjoy their native innocent &
peace which will prevail all over the world in spight of the Despots. the time is
approaching fast when D r Jebbs wish will be
accomplished. 4 a general hunt of
kings—in this universal regeneration I fear England will be the last.

when we consider how rapidly the french revolution took place
like an electrical stroke we may hope such great
events are not very distance & to the improvement of government Franklyn’s Idea
may succeed that old age may be kept of & even life prolonged for a great period
if not continued. 5 do not think me wild
Some of these events have happened & the progress of science & knowledge
promise the consequences.

Bruce’s travels to Abyssinia are published at length have just
begun it—to condemn it is the fashion for wch there may be some reasons but it opens
almost a new part of the world & there are many valuable facts the stile is that
of a proud man unpractised in the mechanism of writing— the designs of antique
buildings of wch he had many have been purchased some time past with publick money
& kept from that publick which ought to have been gratified with the publication
of them for which they have paid & are willing to pay liberally! 6

Poor Lidiard the American was lost for want of money probably he
was to have gone to the internal parts of Africa from Cairo— it seems there is a tract
from the River Gambia or serra leone of 700 miles mostly by water to mourzouk capital
of Fezzan & Gonjah is only 46 days from Assenti the gold coast—w ch is much shorter than from Tripoli w ch is 3000 miles & through desarts

a pompous book is printed but not sold!

two large black cities inland Cushnak & Bornou civilized
& mahomitons—perfect religious liberty—they are larger than tripoli—Caravans go
there 7

The dissenters for want of proper spirit have again lost their
cause but the subject is more genally understood & next application will come with
greater force & strength— 8 Vailliants account of Africa is a valuable work He reinstates the Apron & the
Cameliopardalis of Pliny 9 the tract on
The Feudal tenure is by a friend of yrs a good & excellent performance 10

my best comp ts to M rs Adams herself & family are in perfect health at the
Hide which I wish her sincerely to enjoy with her family—compts to m r & m rs smith

and am Dear Sir with great esteem / Your affectionate friend

T. Brand Hollis

In the chronicle of Kings is there an instance of a
Jewish King having 6 millions in bank & 12 hundred thousand a year coming to his
people to pay his Doctors bill?. in a recent application the struggle was who Should
give most as it is said not to be a question which concerns the civil list!. 11