[undecipherable] N^o 4 The Hague 11. Aug^t. 1799 [undecipherable] I wrote to you my dear friend on the 9. — and since have seen in a N. York paper that little is to be expected from the Session — Sincerely do I lament. — Several here in public life have asked me about this — I may be [undecipherable] [undecipherable] — [undecipherable] if the France does not arm against us — [undecipherable] — [undecipherable] if [undecipherable] had [undecipherable] officers the [undecipherable] — [undecipherable] — conscious of immense internal strength & that there is [undecipherable] perfect sincerity in the Executive & that [undecipherable] Congress have gratify'd the views of the [undecipherable] — [undecipherable] was but for a small beginning — for that [undecipherable] ten frigates and 20 gun ships are considered as a trifle — in a country whose [undecipherable] has near 40,000 seamen & [undecipherable] of [undecipherable] — of course, [undecipherable] the greatness & immediate [undecipherable] of resources that can be det into [undecipherable] if the [undecipherable] should come, we lay upon [undecipherable] till the disposition of France manifests itself — the [undecipherable] — But alas alas! [undecipherable] France will urge on among the terms of returning [undecipherable] and [undecipherable] a loan of ten or more million of dollars — [undecipherable] Paine industriously now circulates the idea that the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] expences of France when She gave us our Independence!! was 1800000 Doll^s — & that it is as little as we can do to lend her as much at present — [undecipherable] give her as much — Daily almost I have to give Passports to [undecipherable] with French cockades — those who are of the true blue — have a [undecipherable] Passport from M. Adet — [undecipherable] [4 France] a number [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] Credentials of [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] those who have only those myster[undecipherable] [undecipherable] — are to obey him. In the [undecipherable] of the Directory under their [undecipherable]. From all — [undecipherable]; [undecipherable] [undecipherable] go into American Ministers; [undecipherable] [undecipherable] — [undecipherable] France [undecipherable] you have a [undecipherable] — This is the policy of France to let our citizens here & feel the importance of their new Government — that so more [undecipherable] the middle party of [undecipherable] Americans [undecipherable] nothing — [undecipherable] — but in the U.S. the treaty which the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] its dominion is honorably maintained in all [undecipherable] — [undecipherable]