John Adams to William Tudor regarding literary works - American History 1493-1945 - Adam Matthew Digital

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Field name	Value
Collection Reference Number	GLC00693.04
From Archive Folder	Documents Relating to 1818
Title	John Adams to William Tudor regarding literary works
Date	12 May 1818
Author	Adams, John (1735-1826)
Recipient	Tudor, William
Document Type	Correspondence
Content Description	Adams, in retirement, writes to Tudor, who was clerk of Supreme Judicial Court in Massachusetts. Says he wants to make Tudor laugh. Sends Tudor a copy of Jemmibullero's (probably Samuel Waterhouse) "The Song of the Drunkard," which is not included here. Compares the work to James Otis's Latin and Greek prosody. This is part of a series of letters Tudor and Adams sent back and forth between 1816 and 1819.
Subjects	President Humor and Satire Alcohol Poetry Literature and Language Arts Classical World and Ancient Civilization
People	Adams, John (1735-1826) Tudor, William (1779-1830) Otis, James (1725-1783)
Place written	Quincy, Massachusetts
Theme	The Presidency; Arts & Literature
Sub-collection	The Gilder Lehrman Collection, 1493-1859
Copyright	The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Module	Settlement, Commerce, Revolution and Reform: 1493-1859
Transcript	Show/hide Quincy May 12. 1818 Dear Tudor In my Letters to you, I regard no order. And I think, I ought to make you laugh sometimes; otherwise my Letters would be too grave, if not too melancholly. To this End I send you Jommibullero "the Song of the Drunkard" which was published in Fleets "Boston Evening Post" on the 13th of May 1765: It was universally agreed to have been written by Samuel Waterhouse, who had been the most notorious scribler, satirist, and Libeller, in the Service of the Conspirators against the Liberties of America [inserted: and] against the Administration of Governor Pounal, and against the Characters of Mr Pratt and Mr Tyng. The Rascal had Witt, Butt is ridicule the Test of Truth! You see [illegible] Kanation Ha! Ha! At Otis's Prosodies Greek and Latin. And you See the Encouragement of Scollarship in that Age. The whole Legion, the whole Phalanks, the whole Host of Conspirators against the Liberties of America could have not produced Mr Otis's Greek and Latin Prosodies. Yet they must be made the Scorn of Fools. Such was the Character of the Age, or rather the day. Such have been and such will be the rewards of real Patriotism, in all ages and all over the World. I am, as ever, your old Friend and Humble Servant John Adams Judge Tudor

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