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5 Hanover St New York Thursday Afternoon 8 Sept '64

My Dear Mrs. Lewis, Your letter postmarked 1st inst reach ed me in due course with the enclosure for Mrs. C. which I read and dispatched to her with a few lines of my own on the same day - 3rd inst; - and I have several times been upon the point of replying but hitherto have been withheld either from be ing too busy or too tired with ever much writing; and if I can help it, I never write to a lady unless I am in good [trim?] for the task.

I am rather struck with your [?] um of "multum in parvo" as applica- ble to the last note I sent you as that is foreign to my general habit; - My style being [diffuse?], whilst that of my brother is in the opposite extreme of [?]. It was only recently I had a letter from him, in which, whilst reproving me for writing such long letters, he reminded me of a story related of an ancient friend of ours, now deceased, but for many years the leading American banker in London.

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He was, without any fault, removed from office by [?] Jefferson; but it was a "[blessing?] in disguise," as his [?] [?] as a merchant only commen- ced after he left [Hamburgh] and went to settle in London. My Father and he were very warm friends, as I wish were still the case between the worthies of Virginia and Massachusetts. Through him Maury [?] [?] acquired a large business with the merchants of Boston [?] [?]; and it was thus that my brothes and [?] and I became as well acquainted with socity in Boston as with that in Richmond, and acquired equal regard and esteem for both, and like our Father have always been free from the miserable contempt ible prejudices and [sectional?] feelings that have plunged the Country into this horrid and needless war.

But to return to the anecdote that Matthew referred to - Sam Williams was the person with whom the yan kee shipmasters mostly deposited

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the balances of their freight money on leaving Liverpool. And they were often directed to consult with him as the bank er and friend of their "Owners," in any case of emergency. - And it was said that one of these captains, being in great perplexity whether carry back a cargo of salt or not addressed a long letter to him on the subject, covering a whole sheet of paper with all the pros and cons and requesting his advice: whereunto the reply was in these words: - "Salt won't do. Yours truly, Sam Williams"

Nevertheless, after his return to this country [?] succeeded in extracting from him more than one letter, I think, covering 3 quarter pages. - He was a noble char acter; and his figure and visage and dignified deportment were all in keeping and reminded one of the later full length portraits of Gen'l Washington.

I was glad to find by [Nan's] last flag of truce letter, begun 5th of Augt but ended in a week or 10 days later that her brother Fontaine's head quarters are now with our worth and venerable cousin "Steady Reuben."

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Mr. Sam Williams, an old bachelor whose house and [counting?] were at No. 1 Finsburg Square. - He was equally taci turn in speech and on paper. He carried an enormous amount of business corres pondence, wrote every letter himself, and had I think but one clerk. He was very hospitable, however, and kind and liberal to his fellow countrymen - especially the young er chaps, who went to England to make their living with their pen or pallet - such as Irving, Leslie, Newton, etc. - and when I was a school boy at the "Charter House," I was sometimes one of his Sunday guests. - He was a true and noble Yankee, born and bred at Salem, Mass. And he never crossed the Atlantic but twice - once in his early life, when appointed U.S. Counsel at Hamburgh, or prior to that appointment and afterwards when he came back in his old age, some years after my Father's return. - The ship in which he went to Europe was run down in the night by another one, whose rigging he clung to, and was the only person saved!

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I had a message for you from the Father of Dick & Johnny in a letter of 12th August in these words: - "My love and friendship to Mrs. Lewis when you write." - since which I have had another dated 23rd - in the former he said in reference to his visit to the sea- side 3 weeks previously: - "I had been there to get the benefit of the dear West winds, just from - and fresh air from the sea: - they did me a "heap of good," and I have felt very well since." And at the later date, (when he was expecting a visit from [?] before sailing for N. York) he observes: - "I have occasional signs of my ob stinate malady, but generally feel well. I hope therefore I am getting the upper hand of the wretched creature." - What is the nature of of said malady I don't know, but I fancy it is something arising from an over work ed brain.