John Adams to N.G. Dufret

I duely received your present from Mr Jefferson to me of Dr Priestlys “Doctrines of heathen Philosophy compared with those of Revelation”: and immediately acknowledged the receipt of it to Mr Jefferson—

The Letter you did me the honour to write me, on the 30th of August, must have arrived with the Book; but I never saw it till yesterday. As I have no Clerk, Secretary or Amanuenusis, but my Grand Daughters; one of them, when I asked her to open the Packet must have overlooked the Letter. Had I seen it, I should have answered it, when I acknowledged the receipt of the Volume to Mr Jefferson

I hope you will pardon this involuntary negligence, and accept for the trouble you have had in this Affair, the Thank’s of your obliged humble Servant—