Quincy February 5. 1811

Venerable Sir

Thanks for your fare over the 28th of January. Imprisoned by a tremendous snow storm, which has now raged for six days and blockaded all the roads worse than King George's Proclamation, and seated before a comfortable fire side, it gives me pleasure to answer you.
It is not at all improbable that I may get "the start of you to the World of souls". There we shall have neither snow storms nor political earthquakes, no politicians, no congresses, no philosophists, as I hope and believe.
Don Orris's motto for your invention is excellent. "Libertad o' La Muorte" is admirable for a War Flail.
Of the war in Spain, or at least of its issue and termination I can form no competent judgment. About an hundred years ago, Louis 14th set up the Duke of Anjou, and the Roman Emperor. The Queen of England and the State of Holland sett up the Arch Duke Charles of Austria for King of Spain and after ravaging and disoluting that kingdom for many years, and consuming the lives of two or three hundred thousand soldiers, Louis carried his point at last.
Is Napoleon a greater "Tyrant than Louis, or his army more "rascally" than that of Germany, Holland or England?
Fifty years ago I saw an history of Mesneger, an emissary that Louis 14th sent over to England under pretence of sounding the disposition of the British Ministry to make peace, of his intrigues and negotiations for that purpose in pursuance of instructions from Louis himself.
Louis was desirous of peace but if the war must be continued, he wished it to be in Spain rather than Germany where Marlborough and Eugene commanded, and where English, Dutch and German armies were more numerous and more easily supported than in Spain.
Mesneger says that after some secret conferences with the secret agent of the Ministry and finding that terms of peace were not to be had upon Louis's conditions, he had resort, according to his instructions to his ulterior measures. He made inquiry after the fine writers of whom Great Britain has good store, and excellent in their kind, and withal very cheap. Of these he engaged in a number of terms which they thought generous to write for him. As the passion of the English is for war, he studied to gratify it, and at the same time to give it such a direction as he and his master wished.