Dear Sir

From my last, you may form some judgment of the disagreeable state of Mind I have suffered from the Commencement of my late misfortunes ー anticipating your approbation, I have so far overcome the restraint I have long labour'd under, as to attempt again to write you ー my first interview with Ayscough, after his discovery of the Letters I think worth relating ー (if I had been subject to fits, I am sure he wou'd have thrown me into the most violent Convulsions) ー Oh! the damn'd, black, hellish, bloody Plots contained in these Letters! pray Capt Ayscou[g]h what do they contain? Oh too shocking to relate! treason! Rebellion! Massacre! (then beating his breast, with the most unnatural distortions of his face & body) O my God! it makes my blood run cold to think on it ー for God's sake, Capt: Ayscough, if you have any compassion for my feelings, tell me what you mean ー Oh! (beating his breast again) it chilled the very blood in my veins when I read them. there is a plan laid to seize & massacre all the Officers & Friends of Government & all the Churchmen upon the Continent in one Night ー pray Gentlemen is it a fair question, to ask if you are Churchmen? (Mr White said he was, I told him I was not) such cruel, black designs, never before entered the heart of Man ー but Capt: Ayscough are you not mistaken? Of I read [them] over & over again ー I am not disposed to question your veracity, but if I had read it myself I would not, believe it. ー pray Sir, whose signature do they bear? they are all signed ["]John Adams." ー I imagine at this time, he had no thought of their being published, & was determined to make the most of them this may account for the apparent Chagrin & disappointment of our Enemies at Boston, upon their appearing in Print. they had been taught to believe the most infernal plots woud be disclosed with these Letters, but to their great mortification, were obliged to confess (to use their own terms) ー that they were very sensible & consistent, & discovered the author to be a capable determined, finished Politician. this had a very good effect upon my Spirits, & I must own I felt no small degree of pride in being the Bearer of them ー poor Ayscough in the height of his Zeal against your Letters, dropt, or rather bolted out, which I think in justice to his Friend, he ought to have kept Secret ー he said they were acquainted with all the proceedings of the Congress notwithstanding their fancied security; & then went on railing at our Members, who he said were pushing matters to extremes against the general opinion of the Body. he asserted that upon a motion made by one of the Adams's, leading to independence, Mr Randolph the then President, & one of the New York Members, were so much disgusted, that they took their Hats & left the Congress in resentment; & that Randolph was determined not to meet them again. ー upon our appearing to doubt the authenticity of his information, he declared he had it from the New York member himself he spoke highly in the praises of this Member, & added with a good deal of rancour, that the Congress were much disunit[ed], [&] the appearance of uninimity, which [was] all they had been [able] to preserve, was owing to the damn'd [doubtful, unfair] management of our Members ー