Cambridge 21. Aug^t 96 [undecipherable] Sir [undecipherable] [undecipherable] at I was so fortunate as to receive yours of the [undecipherable] to day, welcoming a Minerva [undecipherable: them despite] [undecipherable] Strive in all her attributes — Except [undecipherable: Fox's] Speech the Minerva should [undecipherable: hardly] to be as dull as wise: [undecipherable] she has attended to little more [undecipherable] than that [undecipherable: lucrative] [undecipherable: half] of distinction vul[undecipherable]ly called Advertisement[undecipherable] You know me too well not to give me credit for all due [undecipherable: sensibility] towards you & M^r. Wolcott [undecipherable] some kind wishes [undecipherable: a]specting my future views & [undecipherable] my past hope — The present good ladies on my [undecipherable: shoulders] I shall [undecipherable] [undecipherable: exercise] — I do not [undecipherable] I am only in the situation of [undecipherable: one] hundred [undecipherable: worthier] men & I know that there [undecipherable] a great many who expect at [undecipherable] an [undecipherable: abundance] from which [undecipherable] I [undecipherable] the my [undecipherable: weakness] to you when I [undecipherable: expect] a [undecipherable] [undecipherable] I can not with any conscience continue to [undecipherable: confess], [undecipherable] my habits may not [undecipherable] exactly fitted me to enjoy much in a very [undecipherable: retired] life without mental enjoyment of a masculine & energetic kind — Of this however & other things we will hold a conversation on [undecipherable] when you shall [undecipherable: philosophize] me into as great a love of Retirement as his worship [undecipherable] Color [undecipherable] mean [undecipherable: dissipated] from, the close of [undecipherable] a [undecipherable: retired] [undecipherable] [undecipherable: Count]. Pray remember me cordially to M^r. Wolcott Some time since I [undecipherable: sent] down an address to their [undecipherable: Majesties] the People of [undecipherable: Lincoln] & Worcester on my declining to [undecipherable: serve] — No candidate has yet [undecipherable: been] [undecipherable: nominated] — [undecipherable] shall have [undecipherable: excellent] a [undecipherable: thing] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] the worst came to the end — [undecipherable] — the great Hindman has lately [undecipherable: divided] [undecipherable] experiment in [undecipherable: Queen Ann] & [undecipherable: left] his [undecipherable] by a small minority — [undecipherable: he] [undecipherable: adduced] them — [undecipherable] [undecipherable: excellent] man. Would it [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] paragraph disperse a little the late events of the West in the delivery of this point — a manner pointedly conciliatory & even handsome seems to have characterized, all the several surrenders — as we know — much might be made of this at home as things work to the [undecipherable: advantage] of the [undecipherable: Senate] & its friends. Events [undecipherable: strike] men [undecipherable: powerfully] — [undecipherable: policy] [undecipherable: transportation] — [undecipherable] as we could [undecipherable] to have [undecipherable] gone into Detroit — since [undecipherable] [undecipherable]. The [undecipherable: War] [undecipherable] — [undecipherable: upon] the [undecipherable: present] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable: now] to [undecipherable: resist] an [undecipherable: election] on [undecipherable] their I can collect nothing but few [undecipherable: unsettled] [undecipherable: opinions]. [undecipherable] I have no books [undecipherable] convenient [undecipherable] [undecipherable] find Presidents — if I had [undecipherable: good] [undecipherable] I would search with pleasure & alacrity. I need not say that the people here are [undecipherable] [undecipherable] & are deeply affected by the idea of the President [undecipherable: re]ceiving [undecipherable] the chance of it — I wish he [undecipherable] terminate his great career by [undecipherable: handing] this government to its permanent [undecipherable: seat] — it would be a [undecipherable: fine] finish. I am my dear friend affectionately yours [undecipherable: W. V. Murray] [21 Aug^t 1796 W. Vans Murray]