Manasseh Cutler Papers

MDS. FWR June 6 1790 I received with pleasure your favor May 30 with the enclosed speciman. It is the Geranium macrohizum common cranesbill described in my Bot'cl. paper p. 46g. Linn. Gerr. Plant. [crossed out] is [end crossed out] Editio novissima] Vienna. No 832--Syst. Vegetabilium [crossed out] [illegible] [end crossed out] Gen. 832. Spec. 47. If you attend to the blossoms just [inserted] as they are [end inserted] expanding , you will find the filaments are united together at their base, & seperate at the top. It is therefore, not decandria monogynia , but monadelphia decandria. When the blossom is considerably advanced the cohesion of the bottom of the filaments is hardly perceptable, & would be naturally supposed to belong to the Decandria monogy nia. [crossed out] In my botanical paper [illegible] [end crossed out] The [Speciman?] [crossed out] you have [end crossed out] [inserted] with wch you have [end inserted], favored me [crossed out] with [end crossed out] has led me to detect an error in my my paper wh. I had not before discovered. [crossed out] I recognized the plant the moment [end crossed out] [crossed out] [illegible] [end crossed out] [crossed out] your letter instantly recognized the plant [end crossed out] I recognized the plant instantly on opening your letter, but [inserted] [illegible] wh. I have found [end inserted] I wished to compare [crossed out] the [end crossed out] its specific character with those found in this vicinity, which I find to be the same with yours--but it is not the [Species ? I supposed it to be & wh. I have called it my paper. The plant is annual and approaches nearer to the Grn. Carolinianuma than

than to the macrorhizum. It does not perfectly correspond with the Carob for the Petals are not marginated nor the leaves properly multifid. It corresponds best with G. incanum, but I suspect it is not the same for Lin nous in his Spec. Plant. has given a Lynon [?Boy?] [?ludgb?] 331 & [?Burm?] ger. 26 [p.26?] where the leaves are described differently from our "foliis multipartitis - laciniis linearibus." I am therefore inclined to believe it to be a new species. The root of this species of Geran. is powerfully astringent, and joined with the marsh rosemary (Statice limonium. [?Mem. Head.?] p. 432 is an excellent medicine in inflamed or ulcerated sore throats. It may be chewed in the mouth or made into a dust. -- [?Informal?] ulcerations on ye tong or lips it is [agreed?] remedy by [chew'ng?]. it in the mouth.

Mr. Epes Sarg't. very Imperfect [Literary?}

at A. add. of the first part at B. do. of the Second part at C Dela from C & D and insert - or their legal representative, and the third chapter by the first and second parties of the concern or their legal representatives

at E add - or the National Bank of the United States should such be established

at F add - Subject to be drawn from [thence?] [inserted] for the use of [end inserted] [crossed out] by [end crossed out] the Said Manasseh Cutler & Winthrop Sargent [inserted] or [end inserted] their Grantors or Legal representatives [crossed out] in [end crossed out] or either of them in [crossed out] such [end crossed out] proportion to the interest they respectively hold in the said moiety or portion

at G add } appointing agents, and drawing money out of [crossed out] at G. [end crossed out] } [crossed out] Dela the remainder of the paragraph [end crossed out] the Bank

at H Dela from H } and the said [Manasseh?] Cutler and Winthrop to I and insert } Sargent or their legal representatives

at K dela from K } the said William [Manasseh?] & Winthrop in to L & insert } in [manner?] [last?] mentioned

Dela from M to N & } insert } - in [?manner?] last mentioned

Dear Sir, Ipswich July 18th 89 Ipswich Sept 28. 89 -- Copied This morning your package containing Bot. [illegible] and letters from 30 August 88 to 10 March 89, was sent me -- the same Gentleman who has been kind enough to take them in his carriage from Boston, informs me that Capt Davis, on board whose ship I had put a package for you about the 10th of June, had been, unexpectedly, detained, but would sail to morrow -- I feel anxious to acknowledge the rec't of your favors by the same ships on board of which was the package, & letters in which I had told you

2

the Clergy are very decently supported-- In most parishes the livings are equal + in some superior to the most wealthy of the parishoners We have [illegible] + Families, but they are evidently decreasing. No country can boast of a greater no. of classic learned, judicious, + liberal clergy men in proportion to the no. of people. Nor of greater frienships + affecte among them. Nor where religious worship is more generally attended by all classes of citizens with[t?] [?hom?] (in [?Butler?] [Surolice?] of the tar and feathers citizens with any compulsion. The happy affects on Episcopalian society are apparent. Good morals are the bases of a free Govt. Weekly associations, in an orderly and decent many, tends much to improve the social virtues, and has great influence on manners andhabits conducive to the happiness of society than [illegible] laws [illegible] has also demonstrated the excellency of the National Govt. It is energetic in its operational [illegible] The lives, preparation, and privilages of all descriptions of citizens equally protected and safe. The people are informed, in detail, through the public prints, of all the doings of the federal branches of Govt.--with the only exception of [illegible] [illegible] in foreign negotiations. Particularly the state of the [Treasury?] and [application?] of public monies. By the judicious arrangments of an able financier, all are happily relieved from any direct Tax. Yet [illegible] national debt is sinking and the public credit the least in the country. Or imports, with a small [excise?] on [?spiritous?] Liquors, raises a fund which has proved sufficient for all the national purposes. Small direct taxes on [Sales?], personal & real estates are raised by the people in Town and parish corporations , for the support of Clergy men, Schools and other contingent expenses. These are all the taxes pd. by the people. In short, the happy effects of the Govt. is sensibly felt, and universally aknowledged by the common people. They are doing themselves much honor in the service of members of Congress -- elections in the matters states are perfectly free. An attempt to make interest, as held in so much deflation, as to be con sidered but treated as a disqualification for a seat in Congress-- The wisdom of the states has been [illegible] in Congress--Among other excellencies in the [Constitution?] the 3 branches, different and independent are the most important. Here France has failed. Their last [Constitution?] is [illegible] in America. Several states have made the expert of one branch, but all have no exchanged them for three. The French [Constitution?] of [illegible], so far as the experiences of America will decide, was incomparably better than the last. We wish them to be free, but we regret that for noble a case she [illegible] much injured by the madness.

We have been extremely apprehensive of being drawn into the War, by the impertinent [illegible] judged conduct of the French [?Min. Genet?]--too much praise cannot bee given to our Beloved President for his Vigelence and Prudence. Some public [illegible] of esteem for the French Natl. were expressed to this meddling Minister, as the he traveled thro' the Country to the seat of Govt. seem to have infllated his vanity --he rose like a balloon & he got every body agreeing --The public [papers?]ground with the ] - [illegible] to [illegible] in the [illegible] threatened to appeal from the president to the people. His gas is now prety well expended, and he has descended into universal con-tempt--May [illegible] [illegible] the evils of a war with any part of Europe. We are happily out of the vortext of their politics, and nothing but the highest national insults wd induce Govt. to draw the sword. The freedom of the press in this Country has no other restraint than the good sense of the people. Unmerritted [illegible] always meets with deserved contempt. The fear of offending the public in the only restraint on printers.

Dec. 2 -- I thank you for the honor you intended me by [crossed out] calling the plants [end crossed out] the proposed name to a plant, wh. turns out to be [illegible] [illegible].

Copy Letter to Adams & Nourse Printers Ip. Jan 5. 1785 Gentlemen Yours and etc. -- I am extremely mortified with respect. to my [?botanical?] paper. The errors in the Copy are far less than, I imagine, you suppose them. I have carefully compared the sheets with the copy since receiving [?your?] letter. The errors seem to be principally owing to mistaking letters/[?why Tendered?] to prevent by writing as plain as was in my power or omitting them. They are mostly in the Latin & technical terms, which renders them of very great [crossed out] importance [end crossed out] consequence. The errors are much the most nume-rous from p. 402 to 440. I can by no means consent that these pages, [illegible] hand as [?they?] are, unless the whole errata in them be entered in the table. From page 402 to 407 the errata is of the press, except a latin line [crossed out] [illegible] [crossed out] taken from a wrong plant (403) and lapping and loses. The word secretions p. 20, is wrong in the copy -- from 425 to p. 440 the words [?Vegetive?] Sarsapa -rilla wrong in the copy -- from 441 to the end the words [underlined] cypripedium, fells laid, repellent, spirilous, antiseptic, loose & it,[end underlined] & the omission of the number of three plants, are wrong in the copy. If the pages were correct from the beginning to p 440 I should be willing almost all the rest should be omitted in the table, and presume they would pass without being much noticed. I will therefor propose -- that, on condition you will reprint from p. 401 to 416 -- & from p. 429 to 440. I will give you 15 dollars, & rather than it should not be done I will add, if you think I ought to do it, I should much rather pay for reprint the whole of the 4 sheets than have them bound in the Vol. [?any-a?] now are, would my circumstances admit of it -- and will consent to the table of errata which may be printed with a small type in one page and is not so long as in many Vol of the [?this I?] translate. But if you decline reprinting the 4 sheets, I must insist on the whole of the errata in the paper being printed in the table -- such as are in the Copy (which you may see at any time) am willing to acknowledge. Otherwise, should the Vol be printed with these sheets as there now [illegible], and the errata not be printed, I must reprint that the Committee do not accept your Vol. as being agreeable to contract But from which you observe in the letter, I am persuaded you will not object to my proposal -- I have sent you the four sheets corrected your compliance will certainly add much to the credit of the work, and internaly relieve the mind of your most obedent humble servant MC

Ipsowich Jan 5. 1785

Gentlemen,

I received your favor of the inst. by the post. When I went over the sheets for the purpose of noting of errata I [crossed out] think it best [end crossed out] proposed to note [crossed out] errors in grammar [end crossed out] such errors as ocurred to me, which I suppose would be noted by a very critical reader. I was, however, [crossed out] far from [end crossed out] [crossed out] being [end crossed out] not satisfied that it would best to insert them all in a table of errata On the one hand it appeared to me of some consequence that it should appethat the errors were discovered before the Vol. went into the world; on the other, many of them would not be observed by one in a 1000. I therefore sent the table to Boston requesting that the Committee at Cambridge and Boston would do what they [?think?] best in the matter. I fully agree with you that errors in copies, and the inattention of those who were to inspect the sheets, should all be considered as errors of the press -- Nor can I suppose all the errata in the table I sent to Boston, were they to be published, would [missing] considered as errors of the prefs--many of them must have appeared evidently to be errors in the copies. [crossed out] The shore have sometimes been provided [illegible] [end crossed out] [crossed out] tables of ara [end crossed out] The table of errata has sometimes been divided into two parts -- 1 table of the Authors errata, the of the printers to which I should have no objection in the present case. The errata of the first part of the Vol. as far as 187 page I have no concern with, and must be referred to the Committee at Cambridge. I have not read all the Copies printed in the second part, to have carefully gone over them since I received the letter. The errors in the [crossed out] [illegible] [end crossed out] copies and in the press you will find noted below -- I am extremely mortified with respect to my botanical paper, and presume you yourselves are mistaken in your ideas of the number of errata in the copy--There are only two latin words wrong [inserted] except a line [illegible] [end inserted] and five english, which you may see at any time by compairing the [crossed out] Copy [end crossed out] manuscript with the printed Copy -- The errors in the latin is of very considerable importance, and must by no means pass as it stands. I will give you twenty dollars if you will reprint from [inserted] page [end inserted] 402 to page 440--

Copy Letter Adam and Nourse Jan 5th 1785 printers

Ipswich, State of the Massachusetts, Nov. 24 1786 Sir,

Your extensive knowledge in natural history, which has so justly established your character [inserted] amongst the first [end inserted] in the literary world, has [crosssed out] made [end crossed out] induced me [inserted] to [end inserted] solicit ye honor & advantages of your correspondence. It will, possibly, be agreeable to you to receive accounts, &, perhaps, specimens of such plants & animals of the northern States in America as have not been described. We are principally indebted to Foreigners for the discriptions that have been given of our natural productions, who, from ye shortness of ye time they [coninu- ?] -ed here, had it not in their power to explore the various parts of so extensive a country. Many of our plants and animals have escaped their notice, & remain to be described. The vastly extended tracts of uncultivated plants in every parallel of latitude in the United States, open an extensive field for the researches of ye botanist, & still afford a favourable opportunity for distinguishing, with no small degree of accuracy, exotic plants from those which are indigenous.

Botany and Zoology have employed my leisure hours for several years past, &, among other [?inquires?], have endeavour-ed for ascertain, in particular, ye plants used by ye native Indians for medical or ceremonial purposes. It will give me pleasure to make you any communications [inserted] in my power which [end inserted] you shall please to request. I shall, likewise, wish to be informed with respect to several plants in your country, & to be favored with other information in natural history. My friend W. Vaughan of Philidelphia, from his personal acquaintance with you, has encouraged me to hope ye proposal, which he is so obliging as to introduce, will meet your approbation. He has requested a botanical paper, published in the I Vol. of the Memoirs of the American Academy [inserted] of Arts and Sciences [end inserted] or your perusal. It was an hasty production, which I was induced to communicate to that society, rather from the solicitation of some of my friends, than from my own inclination. Certain local circumstances led me to adopt a method, which, otherwise, I should not have chosen; particularly with respect to the plants, which are not arranged under any of the genera of Linneaus, or with regard to trivial names. In another paper, which I shall shortly communicate to that Society I have been pursued a different mode, & corrected such mistakes, in this paper, as I have been able to discover. My principal intention was to give a general idea of ye native vegetable productions of this part of America, and to convince my country men among whom this science has been much neglected, that botanical inquiries are not useless speculations.

Prof [illegible] Foster

I have the honor to be, with ye greatest respect. Sir, your most obedient honorable Servent, Manaseh Cutler

W. Guild Bound in England now at Ports. enclosing an introductory letter to [?Mr Stokes?] June 11th [?90?] very important but with material part

Ipswich, State of Massachusetts, Nov. 24 1786

Sir,

Botany and zoology have been so little pursued in North America that many of our native plants and animals remain unknown to European naturalists. The vastly extended tracks of uncultivated lands in this country, open an extensive field to the researches of the botanist, and still afford a favourable opportunity for distin-uishing, with no small degree of accuracy, the exotic plants, [crossed out] from [end crossed out] which have been introduced, from those which are indigenous. My leisure hours have been employed, for several years past, in exploring the plants and animals of this part of America; I have made it a particular object of my inquiry to ascertain the vege-tables used by the Aborigines for medical and [eccanomical?] purposes. As few books on natural history have found the way into this part of America, and being much alone in these pursuits, I have been induced to wish for the advantages of a correspondence in Europe, and especially to be honored with information from a Gentleman who is so obliging as to make the proposal to you, encourages me to hope it will meet your approbation. Any communications, in my power, which you may wish to receive from this country, I shall make with the greatest pleasure, and shall wish to be informed of the present literary characters in Europe,--of the late publicaitons particularly those on natural history, and of several other particulars, which, with your leave, I shall make the subject of another letter. W. Vaughan has requested a botanical paper, published in the 1st Vol. of the Memoirs of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences for your perusal. It was an hasty production, which I was induced to communicate to that Society, rather from the solicitations of some